GeekSugar

Unfriend: The New American Dictionary's Word of the Year

GeekSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:46:25 -0800

The New Oxford American Dictionary just released its annual Word of the Year and it's unsurprisingly tech-related. This year's honor goes to "unfriend," defined as by the dictionary as, "To remove someone as a 'friend' on a social networking site such as Facebook."

The Word of the Year is chosen from newly created words by researchers based on language trends, popularity, and cultural significance. Some popular geeky words that were up for the honor are no stranger to GeekSugar: "sexting" and "netbook" were also considered, along with "hashtag," referencing the popular Twitter "#" character and "intexticated," the state of distraction one experiences while driving and texting.

I think that "unfriend" is a pretty fitting addition to the dictionary. Plus, its inclusion makes it easy to decide between the terms "defriend" and the newly validated "unfriend."

Facebook Status Message Proves Teen's Innocence

GeekSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:43:52 -0800

While some may consider frivolous Facebook status updates annoying, there's definitely one New York City teen who probably doesn't agree. He was recently arrested and charged with robbery, but charges were dropped once he was able to prove his alibi - via a Facebook status message. The teen claimed he was miles from the scene of the crime as it happened, but no one could corroborate the story. . .until his lawyer mentioned the Facebook status update, posted at the time of the robbery.

The district attorney subpoenaed Facebook to verify the computer's location at the time of the status update. When his IP address was revealed proving he was indeed miles away, the charges were dropped. With the increasing popularity of sharing (and oversharing) on social networking sites, I imagine we'll be hearing more and more stories like this. According to the article:

"'This is the first case that I’m aware of in which a Facebook update has been used as alibi evidence,' said John G. Browning, a lawyer in Dallas who studies social networking and the law. 'We are going to see more of that because of how prevalent social networking has become.'"

To keep reading my thoughts about this story, just read more.

So, add "proof of innocence" to the list of things Facebook can do for you. Though I can't help but be reminded of this story from a few months ago, when a Facebook poke landed a woman in jail. And how many times have we heard of a cheating spouse or partner getting busted via Facebook? It's about time someone's Facebook use proves their innocence!

Have You Spent Money on Virtual Goods?

GeekSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:07:31 -0800

I recently read an article about the increase in spending on virtual goods and gifts. According to the piece, analysts estimate that this kind of virtual spending could bring in $1 billion this year in the US alone - and nearly $5 billion worldwide.

From Facebook apps like the popular FarmVille - which allows players to run their own virtual farms - to competitive games like Sorority Life - where players have to dress a group of college sorority sisters to compete with rival sororities - the article explains that players are likely to buy items to improve their performance in the game or to build up a collection of goods that will impress friends.

I love sending free virtual goodies to friends on their birthdays or for other special events, but I'm not sure how much cash I would regularly drop on intangible items. What do you think? Do you spend money on virtual gifts or other goods?

Daily Tech: Sprint's Samsung Moment Lands in Stores Today

GeekSugar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:14:40 -0800

Sprint has just introduced another Android handset, the Samsung Moment, which goes on sale today for $170 after mail-in rebates - Engadget
Facebook spammer, Sanford Wallace, has been ordered to pay $711 million in damages to Facebook - CNN Money
Texting and driving has now been banned in New York state - MobileCrunch
This Greasemonkey script will help you remove the clutter from your Gmail - Lifehacker
Gizmodo gets their hands on the BlackBerry Storm2 - Gizmodo
It's giveaway time on GeekSugar! Log in for your chances to win one of these AT&T Smartphones - GeekSugar

Daily Tech: What You Need to Know About Windows 7

GeekSugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:21:37 -0700

The Giz team has whipped up a Best Of list for Windows 7 - Gizmodo
Facebook has just launched a new hub called "Peace on Facebook" - CNET
Netflix is already testing streaming on the Nintendo Wii - Engadget
Jerry Seinfeld, who was featured in Microsoft ads, has been spotted with a Mac! - CrunchGear
Google is starting to block some calls which use Google Voice to satisfy the FCC - The Washington Post
It's giveaway time on GeekSugar! Log in for your chances to win one of these AT&T Smartphones - GeekSugar

Do You Like Facebook's Reconnect Strategy?

GeekSugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:35:12 -0700

I just read an article about Facebook's "reconnect" strategy - the newly implemented practice of featuring a friend you haven't interacted with in a while. They appear on the right side of the newly redesigned homepage. Facebook's explanation:

Facebook is only useful and relevant if you can connect with friends that matter to you. Now you also will begin seeing new Suggestions about people with whom you are already friends, including those who are new to the site. You will see just how much help your friends need by checking out the progress bar located below their profile picture on their profile. You can help them by writing on their Wall or sending them a message, so they have a chance to get involved in sharing as well.

Underneath your friend's photo: the prompt, "Help make Facebook better for her," or "Find more friends for him." What's any caring FB friend to do? While I'm not completely positive how the Facebook algorithms work, it's funny to see who they suggest (my grandmother, for instance). In general, I don't have a problem with the new feature - except if it starts trying to reconnect me with an ex-boyfriend, of course.

Do you like this feature, or would you prefer Facebook stopped making suggestions?

Daily Tech: Google Voice Permits Voicemail With Any Number

GeekSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:05:35 -0700

You can now keep your phone number while using Google Voice's fantastic features - Lifehacker
Here's how you can recycle your own gadgets - Engadget
It's rumored that a new, bigger, Nintendo DSi with a 4-inch screen will be coming out in Japan this year - Kotaku
Facebook now has a way to memorialize friends who have passed away - Boing Boing
10 ways to spot an email scam - Switched
It's giveaway time on GeekSugar! Log in for your chances to win one of these AT&T Smartphones - GeekSugar

BlackBerry News and Announcements From the Past Week

GeekSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:33:07 -0700

When RIM wasn't unveiling its latest BlackBerry Bold this week, it was introducing cool new apps for the BlackBerry, unveiling a fancy new watch and sneaking new Storms into some Best Buy stores. If you want to catch up on the latest and greatest from BlackBerry this past week, here's a roundup of what you may have missed.

View Slideshow ›

Bing and Google to Include Twitter Updates in Search Results

GeekSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:33:02 -0700

Another day, another huge Twitter announcement. And this time, it involves two of the biggest Internet companies around. Both Microsoft and Google announced today that both companies would start including Twitter posts in search results.

The feature is already live on Microsoft's Bing; Twitter posts appear based on key terms and tweets about hot topics. Click the "see more" link and you're redirected to a page containing recent tweets (that refresh automatically!) and a list of top links about the topic currently being shared on Twitter.

I think this news is exciting. While your reactions are split over getting news via Twitter, it's become a prime destination for finding up-to-the-minute content. We'll have to wait and see how Bing and Google plan to fully integrate Twitter feeds into search results pages, but if the past is any indicator, the incorporation of Twitter will be a huge win.

The Face of Facebook Is Changing . . . Again

GeekSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:32:48 -0700

Facebook isn't for everyone, but most of us like the way it keeps us in contact with friends and family - if you can figure out how to work it to your advantage. After the big hullabaloo over the last Facebook revamp, where users claimed that it was confusing and less efficient to use, you'd think that FB would give the facelifts a rest. Never one to rest on its laurels, Facebook is pulling out another revision for the main page of the site, adding a Top News and Recent Activity stream for you to toggle back and forth between, as well as making birthday reminders more prominent.

Other noteworthy reasons for the upgrade include faster page loading speeds, more control over what's important to you, and it puts items that went missing from the last overhaul (like friend acceptances and photo tagging notifications) back into the streams.