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  Humans Creating Facebook Profiles for Their Pets

  JP 1:44 am on August 9, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Cat (2), crazy cat lady, Don, facebook (320), Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Kirsty Worrall, nbsp (1,691), Read (1,473), yum yum

  Filed under: Web, Social Networking

  

  A sign that you might be losing your mind: You’ve created a Facebook profile for your cat. Don’t get us wrong. We don’t mind a little anthropomorphism every now and then. Hell, who doesn’t get a hearty chuckle out of slapping a bow tie on a dog, and playing the Ginger Rogers to his Fred Astaire? But creating a Facebook profile for your dog? And writing in his non-existent voice? A little weird. For a lot of lonely people pet owners, though, it’s totally normal.

  Take Kirsty Worrall, a “crazy cat lady” and proud owner of a feline named Shiva. Worrall created a page for Shiva back in September, and regularly updates her cat’s status to read things like, “Shiva Lingham is very upset that Mummy and Daddy have only been eating vegetarian food! … Where’s the Beef!” Another pet owner, this one of a parrot named Fruit Loop, recently felt compelled to write, “Fankyou everyone muchly for my wonderful Birthday msgs. Mumma ran out of Internet so I couldn’t thankyou sooner.. My mumma made me some birdie muffins, yum yum. And I got a new toy! STOKED.”

  Continue reading Humans Creating Facebook Profiles for Their Pets

  Humans Creating Facebook Profiles for Their Pets originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg to Make 'Simpsons' Cameo This Fall

  JP 11:43 am on July 23, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: celebrities tv (10), ceo mark (7), CEO Mark Zuckerberg (8), cough cough, Don, LISA (2), Lisa Simpson, Mark Zuckerberg (42), nbsp (1,691), Nelson, Nelson Muntz, Networking (65), Read (1,473), Simpsons

  Filed under: Celebrities, TV, Social Networking, Playroom

  

  It can be argued that the true measure of celebrity is whether or not a person has made a cameo on ‘The Simpsons.’ After all, just look at a few of the names who’ve appeared on the show during its 21-year-run on Fox.

  Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has more than 500 million “friends,” a movie based on his life coming out this fall and, according to New York Magazine, a featured role in an episode of ‘The Simpsons’ that will air in October. In the episode, titled ‘Loan-a-Lisa,’ Lisa Simpson and school bully Nelson Muntz become young entrepreneurs when they start a bike company together. The duo attends a convention to meet investors, and bump into none other than The Zuck, who reminds them that many young billionaires (cough, cough) dropped out of school. Don’t expect the bookish Lisa to follow his advice, although we bet Nelson will be all for it. While ‘The Simpsons’ ain’t the comedy powerhouse it once was, the show is still good for a laugh or two each week, especially when a topic — like Zuckerberg’s social networking empire — is so ripe for the picking. [From: New York Magazine, via: All Things Digital]

  Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg to Make ‘Simpsons’ Cameo This Fall originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  'Like' Button Worm Weaseling Through Facebook

  JP 1:45 am on June 3, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Don, facebook (320), Interesting Way, nbsp (1,691), prom dress, Read (1,473), simple message, worm (4)

  Filed under: Social Networking

  

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  The latest worm to squirm its way around Facebook, like most, lures in its users by taking advantage of a temptation that’s become fundamentally human: the ‘like’ button. The virus hit the social network over the holiday weekend, and, according to Sophos, has already victimized hundreds of thousands of users. Fortunately, though, it’s pretty easy to tell which of your friends has fallen prey to the scam, simply by the titles of the links they supposedly ‘like.’ Don’t click if you come across a pal who ‘likes’ a link with one of the following titles: ‘LOL This girl gets OWNED after a POLICE OFFICER reads her STATUS MESSAGE,’ ‘This man takes a picture of himself EVERYDAY for 8 YEARS!!,’ The Prom Dress That Got This Girl Suspended From School,’ or ‘This Girl Has An Interesting Way Of Eating A Banana, Check It Out!’

  If you do, you’ll be directed to a blank page, with a simple message reading, ‘Click here to continue.’ In fact, clicking anywhere on the page will plant the same link on your Facebook profile, with your own thumbs-up next to it, and the entire process starts again. Sophos has reportedly detected that user pages are being infected by Troj/lframe-ET, and points out that this current worm is spreading in much the same way that the ‘Fbhole‘ virus permeated the network last month. What makes this particular outbreak so unique, though, is that it’s not entirely unbelievable. As Sophos mentions, these kinds of stories or links are exactly the kinds of thing most people would like on Facebook, thus rendering them much less suspicious than, say, a ‘Sexiest Video’ link. But with a little bit of caution and second-guessing (plus following some ground rules), you’ll be able to avoid temptation, no matter how harmless it may seem. [From: Sophos]

  Continue reading ‘Like’ Button Worm Weaseling Through Facebook

  ‘Like’ Button Worm Weaseling Through Facebook originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 09:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  New Security Concerns Floating Around in Cloud Computing

  JP 2:34 am on May 1, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Chris Drake, cloud, Don, nbsp (1,691), security (9), security breach (2), web hosting company

  Filed under: Computers, Editor’s Picks

  

  While cloud computing might be one of the hottest trends in tech these days, it’s not without risks. Both consumers and businesses face hazards that most proponents have been reluctant to discuss.

  Think of the cloud as a central supercomputer that stores both data and applications. Instead of having to spend thousands on state-of-the-art hardware and graphics cards, you can hook into this machine via the Internet, both accessing programs and storing your files with no space limitations. It’s not without risks, though.

  “It feels like we’re starting security all over again with the cloud,” says Chris Drake, CEO and founder of FireHost, Inc., a secure Web hosting company. “The cloud has knocked us back to the stone age of security.” Don’t misunderstand, though; no one is saying that other forms of Web hosting are flawless. But, when your personal data is being held in the same location as thousands of other people’s, it’s an inviting target for hackers, and a security breach can have much more profound implications. The ultimate security of the cloud really depends on who’s the watchdog. Bigger services, such as Google and Amazon.com, have many layers of security and are considered more reputable. But that’s not always the case with smaller providers.

  Continue reading New Security Concerns Floating Around in Cloud Computing

  New Security Concerns Floating Around in Cloud Computing originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 08:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  Eric Leebow Claims He Invented Social Networking, Has a Killer Jump Shot

  JP 10:39 am on April 17, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: college yearbook, Don, Eric Leebow, nbsp (1,691), Networking (65), outdoor basketball court, Read (1,473), Social (40)

  Filed under: Web, Social Networking

  

  So there’s this guy named Eric Leebow — and he invented social networking. Don’t believe us? Just ask Eric Leebow.

  Leebow is the delusional CEO and founder of something called Freezecrowd, a site that he describes as a “college yearbook,” replete with photo tagging and friends lists. It may sound a lot like Facebook, but the difference is, Leebow thought of it first – in 1999, to be precise. Gawker has a video that Leebow produced for the ‘I am Free Enterprise’ competition, in which he gives a stylized run down of his project, talks about shooting for his dreams, and then swishes a few half-court heaves on an outdoor basketball court, just in case anyone doubts his determination.

  Continue reading Eric Leebow Claims He Invented Social Networking, Has a Killer Jump Shot

  Eric Leebow Claims He Invented Social Networking, Has a Killer Jump Shot originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  Facebook Teases 'Places' Feature, Stirs Up More Privacy Concerns

  JP 1:49 am on April 1, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Don, facebook (320), Michael Richter (2), nbsp (1,691), privacy (20), Read (1,473), word place (2)

  Filed under: Cell Phones, Web, Social Networking

  

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  On Friday, Facebook announced some proposed changes to its privacy policy and statement of rights and responsibilities. As usual with this type of document, the language is dense with legalese, but Facebook graciously offers a so-called “redline” version (even though the lines in question are blue). The simplified document highlights the new language while crossing out major changes. Don’t go nuts trying to read the whole thing: there are basically two major changes.

  Facebook “Places”:

  First are some clues about the social network’s upcoming location-based features. We still have no firm details about how it will function, but a change in language, with a brief explanation, reveals that Facebook doesn’t intend to simply slap a lat-long tag on your status updates and call it a day. The word “place” has now been substituted for “location,” which, as spokesman Michael Richter explains on the Facebook blog, could link to a page for a business such as a restaurant. Some, including VentureBeat and ReadWriteWeb, have speculated that Facebook intends to tie the location features to its “pages” to entice advertisers and encourage businesses to increase their presence on The Good Book. This could be the first step in turning Facebook into a competitor for Yelp and Google Place Pages (especially when paired with Buzz).

  A later mention of “places” indicates that other users will be able to tag you as being at a place, the same way they can with photographs. VentureBeat calls this a “subtle but important distinction between the way other location-sharing apps work.”

  Continue reading Facebook Teases ‘Places’ Feature, Stirs Up More Privacy Concerns

  Facebook Teases ‘Places’ Feature, Stirs Up More Privacy Concerns originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  Facebook Teases 'Places' Feature, Stirs Up More Privacy Concerns

  JP 1:48 am on March 31, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Don, facebook (320), Michael Richter (2), nbsp (1,691), privacy (20), Read (1,473), word place (2)

  Filed under: Cell Phones, Web, Social Networking

  

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  On Friday, Facebook announced some proposed changes to its privacy policy and statement of rights and responsibilities. As usual with this type of document, the language is dense with legalese, but Facebook graciously offers a so-called “redline” version (even though the lines in question are blue). The simplified document highlights the new language while crossing out major changes. Don’t go nuts trying to read the whole thing: there are basically two major changes.

  Facebook “Places”:

  First are some clues about the social network’s upcoming location-based features. We still have no firm details about how it will function, but a change in language, with a brief explanation, reveals that Facebook doesn’t intend to simply slap a lat-long tag on your status updates and call it a day. The word “place” has now been substituted for “location,” which, as spokesman Michael Richter explains on the Facebook blog, could link to a page for a business such as a restaurant. Some, including VentureBeat and ReadWriteWeb, have speculated that Facebook intends to tie the location features to its “pages” to entice advertisers and encourage businesses to increase their presence on The Good Book. This could be the first step in turning Facebook into a competitor for Yelp and Google Place Pages (especially when paired with Buzz).

  A later mention of “places” indicates that other users will be able to tag you as being at a place, the same way they can with photographs. VentureBeat calls this a “subtle but important distinction between the way other location-sharing apps work.”

  Continue reading Facebook Teases ‘Places’ Feature, Stirs Up More Privacy Concerns

  Facebook Teases ‘Places’ Feature, Stirs Up More Privacy Concerns originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  Ben Folds Takes Chatroulette Live With Concert Improv

  JP 12:48 am on March 24, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Ben Folds, Charlotte (4), charlotte north carolina, ChatRoulette (8), Don, guy (6), nbsp (1,691), North Carolina (6), piano improvisation, plain weirdness, Read (1,473)

  Filed under: Cameras, Web, Social Networking

  Last week, we told you about an ‘anonymous’ guy named ‘Merton’ who was serenading folks on Chatroulette with hilarious piano improvisation. Now, his true identity has been revealed. This video from Gizmodo shows piano man Ben Folds, a.k.a. Merton, using Chatroulette live onstage at a recent show in Charlotte, North Carolina. Don’t worry, Folds (and his audience of about 2,000 people) didn’t run across any human anatomy on the site, but there was still plenty of webcam weirdness. In the video, Folds and the crowd urge a guy named Bobby to pull away a notepad covering his camera, revealing his smiling face. Another guy, sitting on a toilet, rocks out to Folds’s music, while the singer urges him to eat plenty of fiber. Of course, there’s the requisite shirtless guy, too, who is quickly disconnected.

  The crowd really seems to enjoy this onstage experiment. Plenty of bands have streamed live concerts on the Web. But the anonymity, randomness and just plain weirdness of Chatroulette, as combined with Folds’s penchant for funny improv, takes this idea to new places. [From: Gizmodo]

  Continue reading Ben Folds Takes Chatroulette Live With Concert Improv

  Ben Folds Takes Chatroulette Live With Concert Improv originally appeared on Switched on Mon, 22 Mar 2010 15:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  Scary 'Stalker Apps' Silenced by Facebook Due to Security Concerns

  JP 12:49 am on March 19, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Don, facebook (320), facebook friends (28), free market approach (2), free market economics (2), Mark Zuckerberg (42), nbsp (1,691), Read (1,473), stalker (5)

  Filed under: Web, Social Networking

  

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  We may soon be able to tell all of our Facebook friends exactly where we are, but we won’t, apparently, be able to see who’s actually following us. It’s not that the latest stream of stalker apps to hit Facebook violate some basic human right to privacy; it’s that they don’t actually work. As the BBC reports, Facebook watchdogs have begun “actively disabling” the rogue apps, including ‘Stalker Check’ and ‘Who has visited my profile.’ The apps, they claim, are set up primarily to reel in cash from advertisers and could lead unsuspecting users to sites containing more malicious software or viruses. CounterMeasures demonstrates how many applications earn money by linking users to different Facebook apps and by sending fake requests and notifications to the friends of infected users. In a statement, Facebook warned its members, “Don’t believe any applications that claim they can show you who’s viewing your profile or photo. They can’t.”

  It’s important to note, though, that the impetus behind pulling this bevy of stalker apps seems to be rooted strictly in Facebook’s concerns over security, and not privacy (since, of course, privacy is “dead”). We’re definitely glad that Facebook is protecting us from the malware that might be lurking in the grasses, but it begs the obvious question of whether or not it would pull these invasive apps if they weren’t loaded with viruses. Mark Zuckerberg has stubbornly resisted implementing any sort of vetting process for Facebook apps (a la Apple’s iPhone app policy), and maintains that “having an open system anyone can participate in is generally better.” In most contexts, there’s pretty much nothing wrong with openness. But when it comes to screening apps, a completely open system is also a vulnerable one. Zuckerberg’s free market approach to application development, much like free market economics, sounds ideal and elegant, in theory. [From: BBC and CounterMeasures]

  Continue reading Scary ‘Stalker Apps’ Silenced by Facebook Due to Security Concerns

  Scary ‘Stalker Apps’ Silenced by Facebook Due to Security Concerns originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 09:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  Scary 'Stalker Apps' Silenced by Facebook Due to Security Concerns

  JP 12:50 am on March 18, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Don, facebook (320), facebook friends (28), free market approach (2), free market economics (2), Mark Zuckerberg (42), nbsp (1,691), Read (1,473), stalker (5)

  Filed under: Web, Social Networking

  

  Share

  We may soon be able to tell all of our Facebook friends exactly where we are, but we won’t, apparently, be able to see who’s actually following us. It’s not that the latest stream of stalker apps to hit Facebook violate some basic human right to privacy; it’s that they don’t actually work. As the BBC reports, Facebook watchdogs have begun “actively disabling” the rogue apps, including ‘Stalker Check’ and ‘Who has visited my profile.’ The apps, they claim, are set up primarily to reel in cash from advertisers and could lead unsuspecting users to sites containing more malicious software or viruses. CounterMeasures demonstrates how many applications earn money by linking users to different Facebook apps and by sending fake requests and notifications to the friends of infected users. In a statement, Facebook warned its members, “Don’t believe any applications that claim they can show you who’s viewing your profile or photo. They can’t.”

  It’s important to note, though, that the impetus behind pulling this bevy of stalker apps seems to be rooted strictly in Facebook’s concerns over security, and not privacy (since, of course, privacy is “dead”). We’re definitely glad that Facebook is protecting us from the malware that might be lurking in the grasses, but it begs the obvious question of whether or not it would pull these invasive apps if they weren’t loaded with viruses. Mark Zuckerberg has stubbornly resisted implementing any sort of vetting process for Facebook apps (a la Apple’s iPhone app policy), and maintains that “having an open system anyone can participate in is generally better.” In most contexts, there’s pretty much nothing wrong with openness. But when it comes to screening apps, a completely open system is also a vulnerable one. Zuckerberg’s free market approach to application development, much like free market economics, sounds ideal and elegant, in theory. [From: BBC and CounterMeasures]

  Continue reading Scary ‘Stalker Apps’ Silenced by Facebook Due to Security Concerns

  Scary ‘Stalker Apps’ Silenced by Facebook Due to Security Concerns originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 09:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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