GeekSugar

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LilSugar — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:27:27 PST

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7 Great Social Networking Sites That Are Just For Kids

Leta Shy — Tue, 03 May 2011 04:00:20 PDT

Earlier this week we found out that 20,000 kids are banned from Facebook every day after trying to sign up for an account. Others, however, lie about their age in order to get access, which can set them up for privacy or safety issues.

If your tot or tween has been begging for the ability to update her status, there are many safe, kid-specific social networks to choose from. These sites follow the regulations of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, which regulates how much personal information sites can ask from children, among other things. Check out the list of the top social networking sites for kids after the break!

Do You Feel Safer on Social Networks or Dating Sites?

Tara Block — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 13:20:58 PDT

Part of the stigma surrounding online dating comes from the idea that it isn't safe to put your info up online for creepy strangers to find and possibly use to stalk you. But new research suggests cyberstalkers find victims closer to home: on your social networks.

Bedford University's British Electronic Communication Harassment Organization looked at 250 participants, ages 14 to 74, and found that from those who were stalked online, 20 percent were targeted via social networks vs. only four percent from dating sites. I have to admit I was a little surprised to read that, since I look at my social networks like Facebook as a safe haven (and all my privacy settings are set to keep out strangers). But even though anyone with a membership can access your info on dating sites like Match.com, you're more likely to have your guard up, which could make you less susceptible to stalkers.

What do you think? Do you feel safer from cyberstalking on social networks or dating sites?

Source: Flickr User notfrancois

Download of the Day: Color For iPhone and Android

Kristen Hawley — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 05:07:00 PDT

Photos have been going social since the early days of Friendster (remember Friendster?), and now a new mobile app is taking social photography to another new high. Color, available for iPhone and Android, allows users to create group photo albums, open to everyone to share. Users can take and share photos simultaneously to create a well-rounded view of any event or experience. Built-in text messaging capability keeps users connected.

There's no friending or following necessary like there is for other photo-sharing apps; connections are determined based on who you're with at the moment. Photos are shared with everyone in your vicinity, some even compare it to Twitter for photographs. Or, if you're in a crowded space, the app will create a subgroup containing you and the people you're with.

Download Color for free from the iTunes App Store or Android Market.

The iOS app runs on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad (using iOS 4.0 and above).

Are Underage Facebook Pages a Big Deal?

Leta Shy — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:50:01 PDT

Everyone wants to be on Facebook, especially Generation Z. In fact, the site bans 20,000 children a day for trying to set up an account and being under 13.

But it only catches the kids who tell the truth (yes, some obviously do!), and in reality, many parents don't mind letting their children lie about their age in order to set up a Facebook page. After all, it's an easy way for parents to have a window into their child's social world and otherwise keep tabs on the increasingly complex lives of the preteen set.

In a time where most children have a parent-sanctioned online persona by age 2, is it odd that Facebook sets an age limit? While I can see why moms and dads see no harm in letting their kids set up an account - you can easily change settings so that only friends have access to personal information as well as set if a child's picture can be tagged - worries over Facebook's ever-changing privacy policies and the amount of personal information children can potentially include in their profiles would make me think twice if I were a parent of a preteen.

Do you think there should be a ban on "underage" Facebooking?

How to Keep Your Social Accounts Private

GeekSugar — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 03:02:05 PDT

Remember 2009's Obsessed? It tells the tale of a man whose life is torn apart by a temp worker who falls in love with him and will stop at nothing to win him over. The plot is (hopefully) exaggerated for thrill effect, but the mentally deranged woman showcases some serious Internet sleuthing and stalking. It's certainly not a common tale, but serves as an unlikely reminder that some things are best kept private.

While most social networks offer enhanced privacy settings, which will allow you to keep your profiles private, there are a handful of things you can do to make your accounts less accessible and susceptible to searches made by your new guy's ex or an old friend you don't want to have to ignore online.

US by the Numbers: 5 Facts About Americans, Tech, and Gadgets

Kristy Korcz — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 17:32:15 PDT

It comes as no surprise to me that residents living in Hawaii are said to be the happiest in the country, but what about the most gadget-obsessed, tech-savvy, and virus-prone? Find out which states take these titles (among others) in this informative slideshow about the state of tech in the US.

Memolane Turns Your Social Activity Online Into a Time Line

Kristen Hawley — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 03:17:29 PST

Tumblr, Twitter, Flickr, Instagram, repeat! Our online social lives are so full and busy, it's sometimes difficult to keep track of everything that's going on. A new service is aiming to streamline the process, combining social activity into one easy-to-navigate time line. Memolane is a start-up based in Denmark and San Francisco, which displays your online activity as a series of individual memos, arranged by time in scrapbook-like fashion.

Interested? Find out more after the break.

Virginia Is For Lovers, but Athens Is For Flirts

Colleen Barrett — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 12:45:09 PST

Love may be among the ruins, but flirting is alive and well in the streets of Athens. Badoo.com, a site that encourages social networking through flirting, analyzed 12 million flirtations across 180 countries and named Athens the top come-hither city of its self-titled "World Flirtation League."

Is the site just very popular in Greece? Badoo is a Denmark-based company, so I suspect most of its 100 million users are logging in from Europe. But Greece is the birthplace of modernity and age-old orgies, so it's taking this moment to honor its roots.

"Athens is a seductive city, with a hedonistic lifestyle," said Victoria Kyriakopoulous, author of Lonely Planet Athens Encounter. "Old Athenians flirt. Married ones flirt. Now, young Athenians are simply using technology to do what Athenians have always done."

Of course, the rest of the world flirts, too. See what other cities - lots of surprises - rounded out the top 10 below.

Group Chat With Beluga For iPhone and Android

Kristen Hawley — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:00:51 PST

When Facebook Groups launched last October, it tapped into a previously under-served communications facet: group chatting. The concept is as old as an AOL chatroom, but with services like Facebook Groups, you are able to share information with a closed group of friends. Now a new mobile service called Beluga allows you to message groups of friends across platforms. Free apps work on the iPhone, Android devices, and any computer with an Internet connection.

To use the app, create private groups (called pods) of friends. Then, post text, photos, even your location to share with all of your friends within one pod. Mobile app users can also access all of their pods and notifications with any web-enabled device. The apps are free, and users will never incur text messaging fees. Users are alerted to new messages via push notifications.

Get the app for free in the Android Market or App Store.