Social networking

Google+ adds instant replay, rewind to Hangouts On Air

Google has added a few "highly-requested" features to Hangouts On Air. Live-stream users can now rewind during live broadcasts and playback recordings will be available immediately on YouTube, the company announced Tuesday.

In addition to the rewind and instant replay features, Google promises "higher quality" video and the ability to start live broadcasts without refreshing the page. After you open up a Hangouts On Air page, the video will start playing at the scheduled time.

These new features may mean a longer set up though, Google warned: "For example: the 'Start broadcasting' button may be … Read more

Two Spocks go where many men have gone before: the golf club

It's hard being an old Vulcan.

Younger beings come along and just want to vulcanize you.

Old Vulcans have it so bad they drive Mercedes. Young ones, quite naturally, drive an Audi.

These aren't the musings of an addled mind; it's the premise of a new Audi ad. Here we have old Spock, Leonard Nimoy, and young Spock, Zachary Quinto, challenging each other. Yes, they will race each other to the golf club -- loser buys lunch. (Do not attempt.)

Quinto has a very fancy Audi S7. Spock is slumming it in an old guy's Mercedes. … Read more

Skype beware, Viber flies past 200M users, lands on desktop

Add Viber to the list of insanely popular messaging services that have more than 200 million users.

The 2-year-old mobile messaging and VoIP service, developed by Viber Media, announced the new stat Tuesday, saying that it has 200 million members spread across 193 countries. The company also revealed Viber Desktop for free calling and messaging on PCs and Macs.

Viber, which specializes in mobile apps for iOS, Android, and most other operating systems, lets people use their mobile numbers in place of usernames and allows for free calls and multimedia messages over cellular or Wi-Fi connections. Viber Desktop carries the … Read more

Woman allegedly stalks self on Facebook to frame ex's new flame

Sometimes you just have to let go.

It may well be that your ex didn't appreciate the glory that is you. It may well be that your former lover is, at heart, a sinking vessel of self-loathing and delusion.

But it really isn't worth setting up a fake Facebook account, then posting nasty messages on your real Facebook account from your fake Facebook account, then accusing your ex's lover of being the poster.

I mention this merely because that is the strategy of which Cheryl Nelson of Grand Rapids, Mich., stands accused.… Read more

Evan Williams: A mogul in Internet publishing

NEW YORK -- Twitter and Medium co-founder Evan Williams loved reading magazines growing up in rural Nebraska in the pre-Internet days. It was a way to experience the world outside of Clarks, Nebraska, population 369.

"I wanted to get out of there and see the bigger world. [Clarks] is not a bad place to be, but I yearned to see the rest of the world," Williams said in conversation with Wired senior writer Steven Levy at the Wired Business Conference here.

Since leaving Nebraska for the West Coast, the 41-year-old serial entrepreneur has become one the Internet's … Read more

Snoop Dogg launches new mobile photo app, 'ya dig?!'

Who wouldn't want to create an image of themselves smoking a joint, wearing wrap-around shades, and holding a wad of cash? The new Snoopify app aims to let users do just that.

West coast rapper Snoop Dogg rolled out his new mobile app on Monday, giving users the option of adding photos into the app and then dressing them up gangster style or Rasta-inspired. Free and available on both Android and iOS, the app seems to be making its money with the new trend of the moment -- stickers. While a handful of stickers in the app are free, … Read more

Facebook's iOS Messenger app gets all sticky

Ever had the need to show what you're feeling on Facebook Messenger with an image of a cute pink critter holding a heart-shaped pillow? Well, you're in luck.

The social network updated its iOS Messenger app on Monday with a grab bag of stickers. For those people unfamiliar with stickers, they're basically emoticons that users can tack onto messages for added sentiment, gusto, or laughs. Facebook will be rolling out the stickers on its iOS Messenger app over the next few weeks; Facebook Messenger for Android already has the stickers.

Currently, Facebook's stickers are free, but … Read more

10 alternatives to Apple's all-time most popular apps

Last week, Apple announced that its App Store is approaching 50 billion app downloads. In celebration of the milestone, Apple is giving away a $10,000 App Store gift card to the lucky person who initiates the 50 billionth download.

As part of the celebration, Apple listed the top 25 apps -- both free and paid -- for iPhone and iPad. None of the apps listed is particularly surprising (especially to someone who studies the most-popular list every day), but one thing that did strike me is that a lot of the all-time best sellers still sit near the top … Read more

Exiting Facebook board member dumps $38 million in stock

Jim Breyer, the early Facebook investor who is leaving the company's board, has dumped roughly $38 million worth of Facebook stock, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing published Monday.

Breyer is a venture capitalist whose firm, Accel Partners, was one of the social network's first investors. The filing from Wednesday shows that he sold 1.3 million of his own shares, valued between $28.19 and $29.03. The amount is a drop in the bucket for Breyer, who is still hanging onto 7.8 million shares, which were worth roughly $223.6 million at the … Read more