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Wireless networks snarled after East Coast quake—but not Twitter or Facebook

Wireless networks snarled after East Coast quake—but not Twitter or Facebook

by ben patterson | Aug 23, 2011 | news, phones, social networks

At first, I thought I was just woozy after a few too many cups of coffee. But then my chair—heck, the whole building—kept on shakin’, and soon millions of worried cell phone users were dialing each other to ask, “Did you feel that?” Naturally, the...
Week in review: Facebook phonebook brouhaha, iPhone or Android, Roomba on the loose

Week in review: Facebook phonebook brouhaha, iPhone or Android, Roomba on the loose

by ben patterson | Aug 12, 2011 | week in review

Controversy erupts (again) over Facebook syncing contacts from your phone into your account; more Mac OS X “Lion” tips; six questions to ask before deciding between the iPhone or Android; a top-of-the-line Roomba takes over my apartment; and Amazon’s...
Rumor control: Are all the numbers in your phone on Facebook?

Rumor control: Are all the numbers in your phone on Facebook?

by ben patterson | Aug 11, 2011 | privacy, social networks

Yep, it’s another Facebook privacy controversy, this time centering on Facebook’s phonebook application—which, as many startled Facebook users have discovered in recent days, is capable of storing all the numbers in your phone. Say what? The warning, which...
Facebook Messenger app for iPhone, Android: Instant group chat, plus a dash of GPS

Facebook Messenger app for iPhone, Android: Instant group chat, plus a dash of GPS

by ben patterson | Aug 9, 2011 | apps, social networks

Sure, you can already chat with groups of pals using Facebook’s existing iPhone and Android apps, but the new stand-alone Messenger application lets you share photos and even your location with your online Facebook buddies, perfect for coordinating on-the-go...
Facebook starts grouping news feed items by topic: Like, or dislike?

Facebook starts grouping news feed items by topic: Like, or dislike?

by ben patterson | Aug 9, 2011 | news, social networks

Noticed that status updates from your Facebook friends are looking a little more jumbled than usual? Maybe it’s because of a just-added Facebook feature that groups status updates in your news feed by topic—a change that’s raised the hackles of more than a...
Facebook email notifications driving you nuts? Here’s how to turn ’em off

Facebook email notifications driving you nuts? Here’s how to turn ’em off

by ben patterson | Aug 5, 2011 | how-tos, social networks

Ever innocently comment on, say, the latest baby picture from one of your Facebook pals, only to be hit with one email after another—all of them notifying you of everyone else who’s ooohing and ahhing? Yep, it gets a little nuts after awhile. Well,...
Baby on the way? How to tell the world—on Facebook

Baby on the way? How to tell the world—on Facebook

by ben patterson | Aug 2, 2011 | how-tos, news, social networks

Announcing hookups, breakups, and even engagements on Facebook seems to be perfectly kosher nowadays, so it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that the social network now lets you add an “expected” little one (as The Daily Mail reports) to your family...
How to keep your Facebook apps and games from posting to your wall (quick tip)

How to keep your Facebook apps and games from posting to your wall (quick tip)

by ben patterson | Jul 28, 2011 | how-tos, privacy, social networks

Love playing FarmVille on Facebook, but wish it would stop posting updates to your Facebook wall like “Jane needs a Sawhorse!” or “Louis needs your help in the Craftshop”? Well, good news: Facebook’s privacy settings let you customize...
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