updates

At first, "It's Complicated" seemed enough to cover any relationship status not covered by the straight and narrow "Single," "Married," "Engaged," and "In a relationship" labels. Now, as a sign of changing times and Facebook's ability to serve its 500 million-plus users, it's added two new statuses to its offering: "In a civil union," and "In a domestic partnership."

The new relationship options, which were made in accordance with its Network of Support will be rolled out to users in the US, Canada, the UK, France, and Australia today.

It's a tiny little tweak but will make a huge difference: books on the Kindle are getting page numbers. The update, which is available now to download and soon as an automatic update, will give the newest generation WiFi and 3G Kindles page numbers, an enhancement to the percentage status currently at the bottom of the page.

While it seems like a minute detail, I certainly missed the page numbers; perhaps it's just a little bit of nostalgia for actual paper editions, but they gave me a sense of exactly where I was in the book. The numbers will correspond with those on a printed book, helpful for book clubs, classroom discussions, or other scenarios where referring to a physical page number are relevant. The page number addition will roll out to Kindle app users in the months ahead.

Get the scoop on other updates coming to the Kindle after the break.

AT&T changed its data plans last year, and starting on Jan. 23, the company will be initiating updates to its messaging and upgrade plans as well. While it may not be good news for current customers, there is a slight light at the end of the tunnel for those iPhone customers hoping to upgrade with a discount. Check it out below!

Text Messaging
Text messaging plans now consist of Messaging Unlimited ($20 a month/$30 for families), and a new Messaging 1,000 plan (1,000 texts for $10 with $0.10 for each additional text over 1,000. The previous Messaging 200 (200 messages for $5 a month) will be discontinued. Good news is, current customers can stick with their new plans, but the old plans won't be available when you upgrade or sign a new contract.

Find out about the early upgrade and family plan changes after the break.

Google Goggles has received a few updates in its lifetime that have brought improved translation and recognition, but the latest update could be the most fun update yet. Not only has the barcode scanning feature been improved in Android, along with print ad recognition in all Google Mobile apps (including iPhone), but Google Goggles can now make you the best Sudoku player ever.

Solve the hardest Sudoku puzzles just by aiming Goggles at the puzzle, and you'll get the solution in a flash. What would this feature be used for? I don't really know, maybe you're participating in a heated Sudoku competition with your friends? I'd call it cheating, but really, it's another example of the power of Goggles' "brain" power.

Get the updated Google Goggles app in the Android Market, or in the iTunes App store now!

Although the Google TV has run into its fair share of problems since it launched earlier this year, that hasn't stopped Google from releasing a new update that brings a few new features into focus. And even though it's been rumored that Google has asked partner manufacturers to hold off on releasing new hardware until after CES, we can look forward to these updates on our current set-top boxes and smart TVs. Check them out after the break.

One of the benefits of toting a phone that runs Google's OS is taking advantage of Google products' optimal performance on the device. Such is the case with the newly updated Gmail for Android, which comes with "a bunch of updates based on your feedback."

First, Gmail's popular and useful Priority Inbox is now included in the app. Priority Inbox view on your Android device includes all of the messages deemed important, regardless of whether or not they have been read; you can archive messages, delete, or mark them unimportant. You can also set up notifications for your Priority Inbox; configure your phone to vibrate or ring in the settings menu.

Find out what else is new after the break.

I've had an ongoing love-hate relationship with my Firefox browser, and although we've broken up a few times (the promise of a more stable experience in Chrome has been too hard to resist), I still like to keep up on what it's up to; kinda like a creepy ex girlfriend on Facebook.

The latest Firefox beta update hopes to solve a few of our relationship issues, if not make browsing a more intuitive and pleasant experience. Find out more about the updates after the break.

Last week's iTunes 10.1 update brought increased functionality (including Airplay), but Apple has also updated its iTunes app for the iPad to include Ping, the new social networking function attached to iTunes.

Ping on the iPad works similarly to Ping on your computer or the iPhone; the app will be updated automatically with no need to download an update. While initial adoption of Ping has been slow, now that the social networking service is both on the iPad and linked with users' Twitter accounts, Apple is likely hoping that even more iTunes users will take advantage of the service.

Voting day may have come and gone, but if you're a business owner, you can elect to impeach your mayor any day of the week thanks to a new Foursquare feature.

Revoking mayorship is as easy as clicking one of two buttons: either dubbing the mayor as an employee or citing "other reasons," which could include cheating. According to Foursquare, most small business owners don't sign their businesses up for Foursquare because they don't want cheaters checking-in when they aren't really there, now they wield the power to regulate that phenomenon. Just remember: cheaters never prosper, so just work on that mayorship the right way.

You can use Loopt Star to check in and receive awesome rewards, but the original Loopt has partnered up with Facebook Places to make it easier than ever to see where your friends are now. With the latest version of Loopt, you can check in to both Loopt and Facebook Places from one app. If you choose to "connect to Facebook" within the Loopt app, your posts and location updates will automatically populate on Facebook Places, including any comments or messages you or your friends post on your wall.

What's more, you'll see your current locations on Loopt's interactive map, friend history, and even Friend Alerts, which tell you when your BFF has checked in within 10 miles of you. The update is free, and is available in the iTunes store now.