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Pepsi vending machine takes Facebook love, not money

These days, most marketing stunts are aimed at going viral online through social-media shares. Pepsi's new Like Machine marketing stunt makes social media a requirement, not an option. The vending machine doesn't want your cash, it just wants your Facebook cred.

The Pepsi Like Machine is putting a twist on the age-old art of sampling. Normally, a hired gun dressed up in brand apparel hands out samples to anyone walking by. The specialized vending machine hands out samples, too, but you have to give it a "like" on Facebook before it coughs up the goods.… Read more

Facebook file-transfer app Pipe goes wide Wednesday

Pipe, a peer-to-peer file-sharing app for Facebook along the lines of Dropbox, is set to launch for the public at large Wednesday, creating a simple way for people on the massive social network to share big files that, thus far, Facebook itself hasn't provided.

The Pipe app allows users to simply drag and drop a file for a friend to receive it directly.

"We've worked really hard to make Pipe this simple," Simon Hossell, founder and chief executive of Pipe, said in a statement. "We've made the technology invisible."

The company took its … Read more

Turkish users sneak past censorship of Facebook, Twitter

Many Turkish Internet users are staying connected to Facebook and Twitter despite reported government censorship of the two sites.

To get past the blockade of the two popular social networks, Turkish citizens have been using VPN software such as Hotspot Shield, which opens a tunnel through the Internet so the connection can't be detected. This past weekend, more than 120,000 people in Turkey downloaded the software, according to the Guardian, a huge leap from the 10,000 new users seen on an average day.

On Saturday, blog site TechCrunch said a number of sources told it that both … Read more

Sean Parker agrees to $2.5M settlement over wedding venue

It appears that former Facebook president Sean Parker has inadvertently become an environmentalist to save his wedding.

He has agreed to dole out $2.5 million in a settlement with the California Coastal Commission over the construction of an immense wedding venue in an ecologically sensitive area of state. That comes on top of the $10 million he spent on his lavish wedding this past weekend to singer-songwriter Alexandra Lenas.

In a little nook of the redwood forest in Big Sur, Calif., Parker commissioned the custom-made construction of what seems like a small village for his wedding day. In addition … Read more

Why you should always read the small print from Facebook

Please imagine you were to spend Saturday enjoying a little reading on the beach and then, perhaps, a couple of drinks.

Please imagine you decided to waft down to Northern California's Half Moon Bay and wandered into an establishment called Sam's Chowder House.

You may or may not have been with someone you shouldn't have been escorting. Still, you hoped for a little privacy, a little quiet time to contemplate life's ideas and people (small and large), while staring out at the ocean.

You may not have noticed the little yellow signs on the door of … Read more

The quickest way to share photos

Analog Camera is a simple photo editor from RealMac software, the same folks who made the to-do-list app Clear. Like Clear, the app is as bare bones as it gets, but the minimalist design and intuitive controls make photo sharing incredibly quick and easy.

Analog Camera is not a full-featured photo editor in the same vein as apps like KitCam or PhotoToaster. Instead, it offers only a couple of features in the interest of convenience and quick sharing. When you launch the app, you immediately see the viewfinder so you can take a picture right away. But at the top … Read more

Get Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram on Android Home with SO.HO

SO.HO by Inq Mobile wants to be the first thing you see when picking up your Android smartphone by replacing your launcher -- TouchWiz, HTC Sense, stock, and so on. Instead of only offering access to Facebook updates from your connections, SO.HO lets you see updates from Twitter and Instagram as well.

To get started, you'll need to install the most recent version of SO.HO on your Android. Then, connect the social-media accounts you want to see updates from. Once finished, you can easily switch social-media accounts from the top left-hand corner menu.

The … Read more

Twitter said to be prepping ad re-targeting exchange

Twitter is said to be readying an ad exchange that would let marketers target ads directly at users who have visited their Web sites.

According to AdAge, Twitter is hoping to challenge Facebook's own so-called re-targeting exchange, otherwise known as FBX. AdAge cited sources familiar with the project.

Since at least late last year, the company has met with several FBX partners who are well-versed in locating on Facebook people who had previously visited a brand's site and retargeting them with non-standard display ads on the social network, in hopes of luring them back to the brand site. … Read more

Windows 8 update includes Start button (sort of)

CNET Update is high in fiber:

In this episode of Update:

- See what changes Microsoft has in store for Windows 8.1 coming later this year.

- Give your pockets some breathing room with the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini smartphone.

- Save $70 and become a selfie master with the cheaper iPod Touch.

- Count calories with Google's new nutrition search feature.

- Share safe-for-work photos with new status updates on LinkedIn.

- Find your way to the Facebook event with Waze's latest feature.

CNET Update delivers the tech news you need in under three minutes. Watch … Read more

Review: Facebook Pages Manager creates a standalone interface for Pages

The goal of Facebook Pages Manager, from Facebook's perspective, is to separate the business and personal tools often utilized by Facebook users, streamline the interface of the core app, and make Page updates easier. But the resulting app has many crossover features, and the fact that you have no choice but to switch between apps can be frustrating at times.

If you have a Facebook Page and try to check your notifications, respond to a message, or make an update in the standard Facebook App, you'll be told to download Facebook Pages Manager. Once you do, those notifications … Read more