social networking

There's already a lot to like about the Waze, the social GPS and live traffic app for Android and iOS devices. It saves you time with its turn-by-turn directions, saves you fuel by helping to avoid jams with its crowd sourced traffic data, and (possibly, most importantly) it doesn't cost a penny. With the new 2.3 update that should be hitting the app marketplaces today, Waze now moves toward actively saving you money by helping you and other drivers to find and buy the cheapest fuel around.

Starting in version 3.2, users will be able to … Read more

SAN FRANCISCO--Symantec detailed some of the dirty secrets of Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ threats at its annual reviewers' workshop here today, and revealed a planned project to protect you from social networking manipulators.

The project from Norton Labs, currently called Norton App Advisor, combines Norton's Safe Web data with social network open API data to provide a safety rating for apps. It aims to prevent malicious apps that prey on your social network activity from collecting data on you and your friends, which Symantec representatives said was a major security concern.

"Social networks have a trust model built … Read more

Google isn't ready to open up a Google+ interface to just anybody yet, but it has done so with one important partner, Flipboard.

An application programming interface (API) lets third-party software tap into a service, and opening the Google+ API will let people use Flipboard to read and publish Google+ posts and to comment on those posts.

Bradley Horowitz, the Google vice president of product management in charge of Google+, announced the move at the LeWeb conference in London. He showed off a prototype of the Google+-connected Flipboard software on an Apple iPad, but didn't say when … Read more

Facebook has acquired Face.com, confirming rumors that the companies were in talks.

Face.com announced the acquisition on its blog today, saying that its work with Facebook will offer it "more opportunities" to build products.

The Tel Aviv, Israel-based startup offers application programming interfaces (API) for third-party developers to incorporate Face.com's facial-recognition software into their applications. The company has released two Facebook applications: Photo Finder, which lets people find untagged pictures of themselves and their Facebook friends, and Photo Tagger, which lets people automatically bulk-tag photos on Facebook. Face.com launched its open API in … Read more

Social networks catering to adolescents have a serious trust issue -- and justifiably so.

Location-based flirting app Skout and teen social-networking game Habbo were hit by reports that adults allegedly used their services to sexually prey on underage users, causing both sites to temporarily restrict access this week.

The incidents serve as a reminder of the potential risks that arise when a minor logs on to any social network, an issue that has gotten even more scrutiny with Facebook looking to possibly open its doors to users under 13. More importantly, it reinforces the notion that no network is truly … Read more

Several people were overheard yammering today that Microsoft is supposedly acquiring the business social network Yammer, according to Business Insider.

Near Yammer's office, at the Caltrain station in San Francisco, people were reportedly heard talking about the possible buyout, according to Business Insider. Later, a woman named Sarah Taylor tweeted that she also eavesdropped on people talking about it at The Creamery, a coffee shop near Yammer's office.

That's not all, Business Insider reports that a source inside Yammer has also said that Microsoft is in the works of buying the startup.

TwitVid, a service that was once considered the "TwitPic of video," has been rebranded as Telly.

The company announced the switch on its Twitter feed today, saying that it was "extremely excited to introduce you to our new name and experience." Under the new name, Telly will continue to allow users to collect and share videos with friends.

TechCrunch was first to report on the news.

TwitVid made a name for itself by allowing users to share videos over Twitter. However, the company changed things up late last year by becoming a discovery site for users … Read more

Where does Apple's social network for music fit in, now that the company is injecting Facebook into the very core of iOS and Twitter into the Mac? Nowhere, which is why it will be deep-sixed when iOS 6 arrives, a new report asserts.

Citing "sources close to the company," All Things Digital says Apple's Ping will be no more, when the company rolls out the next major release of iTunes.

The launch of Apple's music-centric social network within iTunes 10 is largely considered one of Apple's recent missteps. The feature lets users post music … Read more

Skout suspended its 17-and-under community following reports of men posing as teenagers to prey on minors on the mobile social network.

The creators of the popular location-based flirting app suspended the site at 1 p.m. PT to adjust safety and security measures, according to Skout's blog post on the suspension.

The shutdown upset users who posted comments on the blog post, asking when the site will be back up. A Skout spokesperson said it will make a decision about reopening the teen community after it has concluded an evaluation and made the adjustments.