YouTube user Smooth McGroove quit his day job to make A Capella video game music videos full-time. He was recently interviewed about the transition to viral sensation.

Smooth McGroove is a long-time gamer whose real name is Max Gleason, and he was once a music teacher. He began on YouTube with only about a few dozen followers until his videos gained thousands of views daily from nostalgic gamers around the world. He is an extremely talented singer who does the same thing that made MysteryGuitarMan famous, except he uses his voice instead of a guitar. That and he has a beard that puts wheezywaiter and shaycarl to shame.

GamesBeat sat down with Max Gleeson to ask him about the transition from music teacher to internet phenomenon. The YouTube star started with, “[My videos have] rapidly become a full-time job. I recently quit giving private music lessons to pursue recording more seriously.”

Not many people can say their hobby has turned into their primary source of income and allowed them to simply give up their day job.

Max Gleason added:

“Since my videos [had] gone from reaching only a few dozen people to reaching an audience of tens of thousands, I wanted to start taking the process more seriously by spending more time on the creation of the videos. I still have tons of fun recording the arrangements, but I have become more of a perfectionist when it comes to the final product.”

As you can see in the video below where he literally sings Street Fighter II‘s “Guile’s Theme,” Smooth McGroove puts no shortage of effort into making his videos as entertaining as possible.

Max Gleeson says his break came when Nintendo took notice of his take on The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time‘s “Song of Storms.” Fans everywhere suddenly swarmed in as the Official Legend of Zelda Facebook page posted the video for their thousands of fans.  His channel went viral overnight.

YouTube user Smooth McGroove describes the process of recording:

“First, I load the song into Cubase to find the tempo. I then begin picking the song apart by ear into individual tracks. Once I get the scratch tracks — [a rough version of each part] — recorded and separated, I start to do serious takes until the song sounds like I want it to. After I finish recording I mix, equalize, and add space to the tracks if they need it.”

He makes it all sound easier than it probably is.

What do you think of YouTube sensation Smooth McGroove?

YouTube User Smooth McGroove Talks Quitting His Day Job is a post from: The Inquisitr

Thought the Amy’s Baking Company meltdown couldn’t get any meltier? Reddit delivers.

All day long, my Facebook friends have been unable to look away from the Amy’s Baking Company meltdown on Facebook and Reddit, and it seems the controversy reached a new level as Katy Cipriano — a waitress seen and treated shabbily on the restaurant’s aborted episode of Kitchen Nightmares — did her own freaking Reddit IAmA post today.

Dear sweet Jesus, please let it be real! [Update: tweet below.] Katy Cipriano’s Reddit account isn’t verified, but the thread is massive and it seems if there was any indication a PR stunt may have been afoot … this isn’t it.

Cipriano repeatedly refers to the Amy and Samy seen on the show as basically bats*** crazy, and isn’t afraid to detail her horror time at Amy’s Baking Company.

Right off the bat, she explains why she lost her job on the show, and says:

“the only reason [Amy] had against me for firing me was my attitude when she was giving me the appetizer. which, they did not show the events leading up to that scene as to ‘why’ i asked if she was sure. so to answer, i quit in frustration.”

Katy elaborates:

“she had messed up a certain table’s appetizer dish 3 or 4 times IN A ROW. and it made me look like an idiot because i was their server and the table was getting increasingly agitated. so when she told me to deliver the appetizer yet again, i asked “are you sure?” – not meaning to sound bratty or mean or anything.”

Cipriano also alleges she did not receive tips while working at Amy’s Baking Company, adding:

“she had messed up a certain table’s appetizer dish 3 or 4 times IN A ROW. and it made me look like an idiot because i was their server and the table was getting increasingly agitated. so when she told me to deliver the appetizer yet again, i asked “are you sure?” – not meaning to sound bratty or mean or anything.”

Can someone send this as proof to reddit haha I don’t know what I’m doing sorry twitter.com/cipppa/status/…

— Katy Cipriano (@cipppa) May 15, 2013

Cipriano further addresses Reddit’s suspicions that the owner of Amy’s Baking Company is engaged in criminal activity, surprisingly surmising:

“best question! yes i do think samy was serious when saying that because one, look at him, and two, they are able to close for days or weeks on end and still manage to pay their rent and never be evicted. suspicious, really.”

Have you checked out the Amy’s Baking Company waitress’ Reddit AMA?

Amy’s Baking Company Waitress Does Reddit Tell-All! is a post from: The Inquisitr

Google is in the process of reinventing itself.

In a live blog today, Google has been making announcements about changes it is making to almost everything. The live blog has been happening since 9:00am Pacific, and details have been trickling through.

Early on in the live blog, Google showed a history of Android, giving props to the fact that Apple revolutionized the way mobile devices are used. Had it not been for iPhone, Google knows that Android probably wouldn’t exist. Android was created as a way of bringing a standard to the mobile world.

Google Maps is now smarter and more efficient with battery usage on mobile, as Google says they are always looking for ways to improve battery efficiency with their apps. Google Now is being planned as a replacement for Search, which has gotten smarter, now integrating Maps and Images for a more intuitive interface.

Google Plus has been redone to allow you to sign in across platforms simultaneously. It has been updated to include auto-hashtags which can be removed if they are wrong.

Google has created Android Studio with developers in mind, so the platform is easier to create apps for, and users will encounter less bugs and glitches as a result of development difficulty. It can literally be done from an Android phone with its intuitive design.

Google Play is now improved to offer smarter suggestions based on current data and even Google Plus usage. It will also highlight apps that are made specifically for Tablets, so the chances of discovering the app doesn’t work on your device the hard way have been minimized.

Google Play’s music streaming service will soon available for $10 a month.

A new system being launched is Google Play for Education, which has been recommended by actual teachers. The cost of the apps will go against a school’s purchase account and make Tablets more school-friendly. This could cut down on storage needs as books can also be downloaded to the Tablet.

A new social-friendly app being released is Hangouts, which will allow one-on-one or group messaging.

For those photo editors out there, Auto Awesome will give you the option to make an animated GIF image from a collection of stills. You upload and edit with a variety of tools, and it’s done.

More updates are still to come as the live blog progresses.

What do you think of the changes Google is making?

Google Is Reinventing Itself is a post from: The Inquisitr

The massive Amy’s Baking Company meltdown on Facebook earlier this week (reminiscent of the Cooks Source implosion of a few years back) has garnered the nutty cake-makers nearly 50,000 fans … all of whom seem to have come for the Kitchen Nightmares curiosity and stayed for the relentless drama.

And man, did Amy’s Baking Company deliver. A string of increasingly hostile and angry all-caps posts seemed to refuse to abate as the social media brouhaha wore on — fueled by sites like Reddit, where comment threads grew lengthy and retorts from the beleaguered restaurant at “the Reddits” provoked the hive mind.

A thread and screenshot over on r/cringepics of someone posting from the Amy’s Baking Company account admitting to repackaging and repricing other bakers’ work and lying to Gordon Ramsay about it was particularly long (and now mostly deleted), and another thread in r/firstworldanarchists muses that recent controversy over Reddit’s pitchfork-grabbing tendencies may have sparked the mod censorship.

User zzorga sagely points out:

“Uh guys, does anyone else remember the last time we all played detective?”

(Long story short, the FBI was forced to move on Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Boston was locked down for a day.)

But after a full day of Facebook melting down, Amy’s Baking Company now says they were “hacked,” and may be denying responsibility for the content (now removed) that caused all the controversy.

It is unclear exactly how much of the meltdown the restaurant claims was “hacking,” but on their Facebook page, Amy’s Baking Company says:

“Obviously our Facebook, YELP, Twitter and Website have been hacked. We are working with the local authorities as well as the FBI computer crimes unit to ensure this does not happen again. We did not post those horrible things. Thank You Amy &Samy”

Neither Amy nor Samy have responded on the Amy’s Baking Company Facebook page to clarify their claims of hacking, nor have they elaborated on their role in the Facebook meltdown.

Amy’s Baking Company Meltdown Update: Owners Cry ‘Hacked’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Are you looking for a job in a fast paced and always changing environment? Do you have online ad space experience? If you answered yes to both of those questions you might be a good fit at LinkedIn.

The social enterprise giant on Monday confirmed to Business Insider that it is actively recruiting for a new director of ad products.

According to LinkedIn:

“We look forward to hiring a top-notch candidate for this role. As we continue to invest in our Marketing Solutions business, we are looking to expand our talented product team to help build the next generation of advertising and content marketing offerings.”

The director of ad products will likely be responsible for developing new types of ads for the network. The director would also manage those ad types to determine their efficacy.

The “marketing solutions” division which displays ads for brands is the smallest of LinkedIn’s three lines of business which include subscriptions and talent solutions.

Here are the responsibilities listed for the LinkedIn position:

• Understand and lead the analysis of the competitive environment, customers, and product metrics to determine the right feature set to drive success for marketers on LinkedIn
• Drive global product requirements definition, product planning and product design (including writing PRDs) of new product features and enhancements.
• Develop a comprehensive product & marketing roadmap to deliver on the business goals for LinkedIn.
• Work with the product development team and other cross-functional team members to bring features live to the site
• Clearly communicate product benefits to our users and internal stakeholders’

LinkedIn wants someone with at least 7-10 years experience in product management which should cut out a lot of applicants. The social network will accept a BS in a technology related field, but a Master’s Degree is preferred.

Are you applying for the Director of Ads position at LinkedIn?

LinkedIn Is Seeking A New Director Of Ad Products is a post from: The Inquisitr

LinkedIn has banned escorts and prostitutes from its massive social network of working professionals. While the company has always encouraged users from all walks of life to join its ranks, the network apparently doesn’t want “working” girls to take part.

Since the early days of LinkedIn, the company has maintained a clause that calls for “no unlawful activity” via its network. However, in some countries where LinkedIn operates, there are no laws against prostitution. Essentially, the network had no recourse since those working girls were working legally.

On Monday, however, the network updated its user agreement to state that users can not take part in the following:

“Upload, post, email, InMail, transmit or otherwise make available or initiate any content that: Even if it is legal where you are located, create profiles or provide content that promotes escort services or prostitution.”

Social News Daily quotes a rep from LinkedIn who states:

“In the old [user agreement], we had it covered by saying that one could not use a profile to promote anything ‘unlawful. However, in some countries, that activity actually is lawful.”

Social networks from Reddit and Facebook to Twitter and Craigslist have all fallen prey to some form of prostitution advertising. Craigslist in 2012 deleted the “adult” section from its website, and those listings were quickly picked up by Backpage.com.

In the meantime, we are almost certain that most escorts and prostitutes weren’t hoping to jump on LinkedIn and receive a bunch of endorsements from former clients, let alone recommendations and job offers.

Do you think LinkedIn made the right decision in banning prostitutes and escorts from its social enterprise network?

LinkedIn: No Escorts Or Prostitutes Allowed is a post from: The Inquisitr

Amazon virtual currency has struck Kindle.

You’ve heard of bitcoins and the problem they pose with hackers going around and taking them from honest bitcoin miners. However, this isn’t stopping Amazon from promoting the Kindle with a new form of virtual currency.

Kindle Fire users who turn their devices on today will find 500 Amazon Coins stuck in their virtual wallets. Now before you start thinking you’re rich, 500 Amazon Coins is the equivalent of five dollars US. Amazon virtual currency is being used to boost sales for its Kindle apps, and it could very well work. After all, if you give someone a little bit of something they want, they may be willing to buy more.

Amazon says, “For customers, Amazon Coins is an easy way to purchase apps and in-app items on Kindle Fire. For developers, it’s another opportunity to drive traffic, downloads and increased monetization.”

In a way, Amazon virtual currency is a copy of what Microsoft does with Xbox Live downloads. Amazon Coins are Microsoft Points for Kindle users. It may be possible to go to Walmart and buy Amazon Coins on a card in the future.

Amazon says it’s working on ways to let Kindle owners purchase and earn more Amazon Coins, making their mobile reading device and its apps more trendy than they already are. Perhaps in the same way that Microsoft has Xbox 360 owners competing to earn Microsoft Points, Amazon may use games of their own to do the same, or perhaps they might take the Columbia House method and reward you with free stuff for buying a certain amount.

The introduction of Amazon Coins is a bit of a gamble for Amazon, as the promotion costs literally tens of millions of dollars in real-world money. If they play it right, Amazon Coins could take off.

What do you think of Amazon virtual currency for Kindle?

Amazon Virtual Currency Arrives For Kindle is a post from: The Inquisitr

Joss Whedon has joined Twitter, as of last night. (But isn’t yet verified.)

Joss Whedon’s Twitter account, @JossActual, already has garnered more than 40,000 followers, most of whom will tweet at you that you have to watch ‘Buffy’ if you engage with them, so be careful.

Shortly after midnight, Whedon kicked off his Twitter reign by sending his first tweet, telling fellow Twitter users:

“It’s me! Joss! My own account! No more hiding under studio skirts! I’m FREE! @MuchAdoFilm @AgentsofSHIELD @Marvel @roadsidetweets #free”

And of course, Twitter users welcomed Joss Whedon — by retweeting his tweet, chiding him for taking so long, or even taking issue with his handle:

“@JossActual You do realize that having ‘actual’ or ‘real’ or ‘official’ in one’s Twitter handle makes you sound totally fake.”

Another user quipped:

“Get Firefly on HBO and we’ll believe you MT @JossActual: It’s me! Joss! My own account! No more hiding under studio skirts!”

Yet another joked about the travails of Whedon fans in general:

“Joss Whedon is officially on Twitter. prepare for you hearts to be broken in a new medium. Welcome, @JossActual.”

One fan teased:

“Joss Whedon is on Twitter. Guarantee even the most mundane tweets will be awesome (’til someone is killed off and his Twitter is cancelled.)”

Joss Whedon’s Twitter was opened with this tweet, reading:

It’s me! Joss!My own account!No more hiding under studio skirts!I’m FREE! @muchadofilm @agentsofshield @marvel @roadsidetweets #free

— Joss Whedon (@JossActual) May 13, 2013

Then he said:

MY account!I got strong opinions!I’m gettin’ POLITICAL! (Heads up, LEMURS.) And making wry observations about mundane stuff! #airlines

— Joss Whedon (@JossActual) May 13, 2013

A new day, and new tweets. Whedon added this morning:

I’m on a plane!I’m having tea!I’m wearing shoes!This is how twitter works, right?I tell you guys EVERYTHING. Great! #syphilis

— Joss Whedon (@JossActual) May 13, 2013

Are you following Joss Whedon on Twitter yet?

Joss Whedon Joins Twitter For Real is a post from: The Inquisitr

Google will unveil the Google Babel platform when the Google I/O conference rolls around according to a new report.

The Babel platform is a new system from the search giant which hopes to tie together Google’s main platform-based products. Users can converse with one another using the system without needing to share the same account types.

The Babel system will be renamed Google Hangouts, sharing its name with the currently supported Google+ Hangouts system which offers video messaging and chat capabilities for groups of social network users.

Google is attempting to create a social network that not only focuses on traditional social networking but also on productivity and increased communications across its various platforms.

Google Hangouts incorporates GChat instant messaging and will reportedly allow users to archive Hangouts, block users, and even jump back to a previous version of the company’s chat services (for a short period of time after launch).

The Google Hangouts platform is based on the XMPP open chat and messaging platform which Google already utilizes for its Google Talk service. In theory the use of XMPP will allow Google to implement Babel via iOS devices in the future. In fact code hooks discovered inside the Google Hangouts platform point to support for multiple OS and device types.

Some experts believe that Google’s ability to attract more than one billion users could ultimately allow the search giant to create a messaging platform bigger than BlackBerry Messaging and Apple’s iMessages.

The platform with its focus on bridging the gap between software platforms should be a big win for Google if it is implemented and launched properly.

Google Babel To Be Unveiled At Google I/O Conference, Change Name To ‘Hangouts’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Facebook updates have become almost a regular part of life, but what would happen if Facebook updated real life around us?

A video shows what the results would be if Facebook updated real life the way it updated the site, and the results are maddening to say the least.

The video begins with the words “A Facebook update in real life” appearing on the screen before our unwitting hero Nick arrives home with his groceries. What we discover to be the Facebook tour guide is standing right inside the door, smiling. Nick starts in, “Oh dammit.”

The tour guide cuts him off, “Hello! Welcome home, Nick!” Text appears in front of him as he says, “Your new home update is ready for viewing.”

Nick is annoyed, “Are you serious? I just got used to the way you had it before.”

The annoying tour guide says, “Just let me know when you’re ready to begin the tour.” The text pops up in the blinded window with a button, “Begin the tour!”

Nick thinks it over and finally resigns himself to it, “Okay.” He slaps the button and it disappears.

The tour guide turns with him and says, “As you can see we’ve made some changes to improve the functionality of your living room environment.” We see the white outline of a couch shrink until it fits the size of the chair.

Nick says, “No, where’s the other half of my couch? What’s this chair thing?”

The Facebook tour guide cuts him off again, “We’ve decreased the size of your television to make room for your new bookcase.”

Nick replies, “No, I had a 60 inch TV! Couldn’t you just…”

The tour guide again cuts him off, “Just let me know when you’re ready to move on.”

Again, Nick slaps a button in the window, “Okay.”

The tour guide leads him into the next room, “Check out your new bedroom. We’ve consolidated your photos and music into one convenient location.” We see a guy on Nick’s bed looking through a photo album, and a guy listening to a headset and smoking a cigarette with sunglasses on.

The rest of the video is above.

What do you think of the video?  Would you agree that Facebook tends to be intrusive when it comes to updating the site like this video shows?

Facebook Updates Real Life [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

We’re big fans of Kid President here at The Inquisitr and how could we not be. The kid knows how to deliver heartfelt messages that bring us some joy, laughs, and hope for the future. On Mother’s Day 2013 Kid President once again shows why he’s a viral YouTube sensation.

Kid President sends out the new viral video “on behalf of all the kids in the world.” Robbie Novak (the Prez’s real name) uses this special day to talk about the ten things moms need to know.

Kid President tells mom she doesn’t need to clean up because ”Our house isn’t messy, it’s awesome. It’s awesome because we live in it.”

Robbie then adds, “It’s just hard to grow up. Sometimes we just need moms … to tell us everything is OK.”

In a touching moment he adds:

“Thanks for believing in us, putting up with us, and straight-up loving us.”

We love that Kid President is so full of exuberance when wishing mom’s a happy mother’s day on this special occasion.

Check out the Kid President Mother’s Day video and let us know what you think in our comment section:

In the meantime, Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there who have worked tirelessly to raise their children.

‘Kid President’ Celebrates Mother’s Day With A Shoutout To Moms is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Pirate Bay is now hosting banned 3D-printed gun documents.

3D printing has become quite the item of controversy following the idea of eliminating the need to buy things that have no complex machinery. Adding to the issue is the fact that someone actually 3D-printed a working handgun. The ink hasn’t even dried yet on legislation involving 3D printing, and people with access to a 3D printer are already noticing it’s possible to make their own firearm.

Internet government has leaped on the issue with vigor, banning the blueprints required to 3D print a gun, but as with most attractive files that reach the internet, the file-sharing system makes it tough to regulate.

For years, internet piracy has been a major issue with film makers and major musicians who don’t want their hard work given away free. People have been arrested for illegally downloading copyrighted films using bit torrents and p2p filesharing clients. The issue became so bad that the man behind Megaupload, Kim Dotcom, was threatened with prison.

The Pirate Bay has seen its own share of legal hassles, but in the end, they all get off on the technicality that the files being shared are the responsibility of those who upload them, not the site administrators.

Now the two worlds have combined, and after the events in Newtown Connecticut, the idea of a 3D-printed gun being available anywhere without regulation terrifies lawmakers. On Thursday, the US State Department successfully demanded the removal of a set of 3D-printed firearm files from Defcad, a file-sharing site run by Defense Distributed, the group at the center of the 3D-printed gun controversy. However, the documents have been circulated enough that The Pirate Bay now hosts the same files.

The US government is discovering that you can’t eliminate piracy without infringing on basic American rights, and sites like The Pirate Bay are the proof of it.

What do you think about The Pirate Bay hosting the 3D-printed gun files?

The Pirate Bay Now Hosting 3D Printed Gun Files is a post from: The Inquisitr

Do you suffer from “Pinterest stress,” a condition involving the feelings of inadequacy women experience when browsing the perfectly color-coordinated gluten-free meals and explicitly detailed seasonal crafts pinned and repinned to the site?

If you’re a user, the idea of Pinterest stress probably doesn’t even need to be explained — any of the site’s mostly female users will likely instantly recognize the variably unsettling feelings of insufficiency that can sometimes result as we scan the popular social network’s battery of images passive-aggressively lecturing everyone about thighs that don’t touch, why various reasons not to work out are insufficient, how much more worthwhile it is to make your own yogurt, and so on and so forth.

“So totally doing this!” is the type of comment one sees ahead of Pinterest stress, and a TODAY moms survey of more than 7,000 mothers and Pinterest users revealed that indeed, seeing daily declarations from friends that they plan to cook, decorate, exercise and generally do more can make one feel less assured about one’s own level of ambition.

Of TODAY’s survey, the site explains that “42 percent [of moms surveyed about Pinterest] said that they sometimes suffer from Pinterest stress – the worry that they’re not crafty or creative enough … symptoms include staying up until 3 a.m. clicking through photos of exquisite hand-made birthday party favors even though you’ll end up buying yours at the dollar store, or sobbing quietly into a burnt mess of expensive ingredients that were supposed to be adorable bunny cookies for the school bake sale.”

28-year-old Jenna Anderson runs a site called Pinterest Fail, and she tells TODAY:

“[Pinterest stress] tricks you into thinking that everyone is baking their own bread. Pinterest is largely a site of unrealized dreams … We have a hard time enjoying our own experiences because we feel it’s not worthy of this invisible judge. It’s so easy to get depressed. You start to feel like your entire life has to be like a magazine all the time.”

Are you part of the 42 percent of moms suffering Pinterest stress, or does using Pinterest make you feel inspired?

Survey Reveals ‘Pinterest Stress’ Affects Nearly Half Of Moms is a post from: The Inquisitr

President Obama has selected a Twitter lawyer for office.

Nicole Wong has more than a decade of experience as an attorney for Silicon Valley covering copyright and privacy, and all this behind the scenes of a site you might use all the time. Nicole Wong has worked for Google and Twitter, making her a formidable proponent for internet privacy law.

Nicole Wong previously was a vice president and deputy general counsel at Google at its Mountain View, California headquarters. Nicole Wong helped review privacy, copyright, and removal requests, and ultimately gave the thumbs up or down on things that could make or break the company. She was nicknamed “The Decider” for her work with a team of lawyers who reviewed Google’s products, according to the New York Times.

After eight years with Google as part of the Perkins Coie law firm, Nicole Wong moved on to Twitter. With Wong at the helm, Twitter won several accolades for privacy practices. The Electronic Frontier Foundation gave Twitter the full 6 stars in a recent survey of tech companies, titled “Who Has Your Back?” Twitter has also backed a coalition lobbying for three years to have Federal privacy laws rewritten to require search warrants for remote server data.

President Obama selected Nicole Wong as a senior adviser to the chief technology officer, focusing on internet privacy. The current chief technology officer Todd Park took over for Aneesh Chopra, who was the first one appointed to the job and left the company at the beginning of 2012.

Some may find President Obama‘s selection an odd choice after recent hacking from the Syrian Electronic Army had taken over several news site Twitter accounts, an obvious violation of privacy and security. It is also a reversal of previous picks for senior privacy officers, as in the past they have usually been selected from the Library of Congress.

Nicole Wong of Twitter being selected as privacy officer was a controversial move on the part of President Obama, but nowhere near his first.

Do you think President Obama’s selection of a Twitter privacy officer was a good choice?

Twitter Lawyer Selected For Office By President Obama is a post from: The Inquisitr

YouTube paid subscriptions have begun.

It seems paid video feed has gone a step further today. Movie and TV hosting is nothing new to the internet, with Netflix and Amazon Video, and now YouTube has taken a leap into seeing how it can make more money off its services.

YouTube won’t be taking on the bigger video hosting subscription sites just yet, but it may just be planning on it eventually. Starting with only a few channels for now, Jim Henson Family TV and Ultimate Fighting Championship among them, it is unclear just how far they eventually plan to push the paid subscriptions. If they keep it moderate, we may be able to watch regular or original TV shows for a monthly fee in the future.

This could also go very wrong as well, as they start charging you for the subscriptions you already have. Such would be worrisome, as if you have an Android account, they can easily just prompt you to pay and it’s already set up. We can only hope they don’t start charging for all of those channels that we’ve been enjoying for free.

This is an interesting new addition to YouTube’s already profitable video hosting site, as it already makes plenty of money on Partner channels such as sxephil and ShaneDawsonTV via advertisement clicks. YouTube has also already had pay-per-view deals and the option to watch full movies for a fee as well.

Who knows where this new plan will go? YouTube regulars could just stop watching completely and move on to Blip.tv or Vimeo if the mass video hosting site goes too far.

Let’s just hope YouTube plays nice and keeps letting us watch its current Partner channels for free, or gives us the option to pay monthly to remove the ads. Giving the option to pay per month for TV could be an interesting step if they decide to go that route.

What do you think of YouTube‘s new paid subscription system?

YouTube Paid Subscriptions Begin is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Onion‘s Twitter feed has been hacked.

You might remember a while back when The Onion posted one of the most insensitive articles they had ever written, resulting in a mass of unfollowings. This time they mis-tweeted again, but it’s not their fault. It’s apparently the Syrian Electronic Army that’s making them look bad for this round. In case you decided to look for the tweets, they have since been deleted.

The Onion has always been a parody news site dedicated to making you laugh with its cutting wit and sometimes grossly irrelevant headlines. An example of the kind of headlines they might come up with would be, “Local man could swear he left garbage can by driveway”. Yes it’s ridiculous, and yes, it makes us laugh.

Recent tweets were much more Syrian in nature, leading to conclusions that the Syrian Electronic Army is at it again:

“UN retracts report of Syrian chemical weapon use: ‘Lab tests confirm it is Jihadi body odor’”.

“BREAKING: #TheOnion readership mass confusion as Syrian Electronic Army takes over. All demand a permanent column.” This one included a Twitpic or similar image and had been retweeted.

“The #Onion CEO: ‘We regret taking Zionist money to defame Syria, now the hackers are up our ass.’ This one included a link to a page on The Onion.

“NASA: 9th planet discovered and identified as the Qatari Emir Amad Bin Khalifa.” This one included two links.

Some Twitter postings were not included above, as they were too racist, and all of them were screen captured and posted on Slate.com.

This is not the first time a Twitter news account has been hacked by the Syrian Electronic Army. Recent hacks affected Associated Press, the BBC, NPR, and Reuters News. Unlike previous attacks, this one did bring a few chuckles.

If you ever find your Twitter account hacked, be sure to immediately change your password.

What do you think of the recent hacking of The Onion on Twitter?

The Onion Twitter Feed Hacked is a post from: The Inquisitr

Facebook making you psychotic?

It’s not in your head. Well, it is in your head, but it’s not in your head that it’s in your head. Sorry, we just got off Facebook, and we’re a bit confused.

A study out of Israel on the psychological effects of Facebook in certain scenarios has revealed some unnerving data on mental health and social networking — particularly during the fraught period after a breakup or catastrophic separation.

If you’ve experienced some adverse psychological symptoms relating to Facebook, you’re not alone — researchers at Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine and the Shalvata Mental Health Care Center looked at the mental health of patients as it related to their use of social media sites and uncovered some interesting findings.

Facebook users who were enduring “loneliness or vulnerability due to the loss of or separation from a loved one” were far more prone to experience intensified negative feelings relative to the time they spent online.

To wit, if you’re stressing out, Facebook may be exacerbating it. And the more you Facebook, the worse it may get!

CNet quotes Dr. Uri Nitzan of Sackler as saying:

” ‘In each case, a connection was found between the gradual development and exacerbation of psychotic symptoms, including delusions, anxiety, confusion, and intensified use of computer communications.’ (At the get-go, the patients in the study all had ‘relative inexperience with technology.’)”

Nitzan explained Facebook is a perfect storm for precipitating psychological unrest, with a number of factors working to unsettle a person in crisis:

“Some of the problematic features of the Internet relate to issues of geographical and spatial distortion, the absence of nonverbal cues, and the tendency to idealize the person with whom someone is communicating, becoming intimate without ever meeting face-to-face.”

Researchers on the Facebook psychosis study say depression, anxiety, and even delusions may result from Facebooking when emotionally stressed.

Facebook Makes You Psychotic, Study Confirms is a post from: The Inquisitr

YouTube‘s “How Fighters Eat Their Food” video spoofs “How Animals Eat Their Food”.

A recent YouTube video showing how animals eat their food has gone viral, spawning some clever parodies, including “How Animals Eat Their Food (Pokemon Version)”. The Pokemon version has a guy with long hair pulling parlor tricks to show how various Pokemon like Charmander and Blastoise might eat. The premise is so ridiculous it’s hilarious.

The video on how Street Fighter characters eat their food begins with two Orientals eating at a table with brown trimmed white walls, bottles of something yellow waiting as a beverage. One of them has a mustache and glasses, while the other wears what appear to be biking or combat gloves.

The camera pulls a closeup of the guy with the gloves as he says, “You wanna see how animals eat their food?” The other guy just keeps eating.

The guy with the gloves suddenly takes a drink of his beverage and slams it on the table, “Watch closely.”

He stands up quickly, knocking the legs out from under his side of the table, and then throws his fists into his food, yelling, “Hadouken! Hadouken!” Then he grabs a leaf of lettuce and munches on it.

The words appear on screen in the YouTube video, “How Animals Eat Their Food.”

He sits down again, grabs a piece of food, and then stands up with his arms straight out to his sides, fists clenched, spins a few times, and then falls, like Zangief from Street Fighter.

Next after he sits, he suddenly does a spinning uppercut, tossing everything on the table past the other guy, yelling, “Shoryouken!”

Next he falls backward, kicking his feet up through the table before grabbing something and munching down. Then he waves his fists from his sides, crossing them in front of him like Guile from Street Fighter.

Next he leaves the table, goes offscreen, and grabs a leaf of lettuce from there saying, “Yoga.”

The rest of the video is above.

What do you think of the YouTube spoof “How Fighters Eat Their Food” featuring Street Fighter moves?

YouTube Video ‘How Fighters Eat Their Food’ Spoofs Animal Version [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Warren Buffett has joined Twitter.

The 82-year-old Berkshire Hathaway CEO made his social media debut on Thursday, posting his very first tweet at 9:20 a.m. PT.

The Nebraska-based investment guru is easily America’s wealthiest technophobe, but he doesn’t have a computer in his office and has famously joked that he doesn’t even know how to check his voicemail. Still, Buffett chose to join social media Thursday morning during a conversation with Fortune senior editor-at-large Pattie Sellers.

He participated in a live-streamed video chat, called his “first social interview,” regarding an essay he wrote about women in leadership roles. The chat pulled questions from Twitter observing the hashtage #FortuneBuffett.

In the chat, Buffett said that it was an ethical imperative to see more women in leadership roles, but also noted that such promotions affect the bottom line, as well. “Fellow males, get onboard,” he wrote. “The closer that America comes to fully employing the talents of all its citizens, the greater its output of goods and services will be.”

At one point, Sellers prompted Buffett to go on Twitter, “in the spirit of this being your first social interview.”

“That’s pretty daring, but I’ll try,” laughed Buffett.

Sellers then presented a device with a Twitter handle already set up under Buffett’s name. Recognizing the historic moment, Sellers noted that Buffett’s first tweet “better be interesting,” and that “it better be entertaining” before handing him the reins and telling him to “tweet away.”

That “entertaining” and “interesting” tweet?

Warren is in the house.

— Warren Buffett (@WarrenBuffett) May 2, 2013

Nice!

So far, that is Buffett’s only tweet, and it’s not even clear whether he’ll use the account or keep it at all. He has already amassed about 100,000 followers as of this writing, though.

Are you following Warren Buffett on Twitter?

[Image via: Alice Schroeder, Wikimedia Commons]

Warren Buffett Joins Twitter, Quickly Gains Thousands Of Followers is a post from: The Inquisitr

Numerous times in the past 24 hours, a post titled A Daddy’s Letter to His Little Girl (About Her Future Husband) has been shared by my Facebook friends, posted to Reddit, and tweeted out on Twitter (usually with a comment about moving the reader to tears), but can I be the seemingly sole dissenting female voice to find the content unpalatable?

Indeed, it’s apparent the intent behind A Daddy’s Letter to His Little Girl (About Her Future Husband) – written by Dr. Kelly Flanagan and published on what appears to be his own site, the Good Men Project and Huffington Post — is decent, and a response to what is undoubtedly negative pressure on females to keep their “man” interested. On that we agree, and Flanagan’s ire is not misplaced in as much as content targeted at women is certainly way too focused on meeting a beauty standard than inspiring females to be and do things in lieu of waxing and curling their way to success in life.

Flanagan deserves his due for calling out the yuckiness of those tropes in A Daddy’s Letter to His Little Girl (About Her Future Husband), but it seems that without awareness, he goes on to subtly reinforce the same ideals that lead a woman to that spot of self-doubt and transient value, and in doing so provides a good example of benevolent sexism.

Firstly, the post begins with a backstory as to what inspired it, and Flanagan (in the letter addressed to “Cutie-Pie”), begins by explaining that a Google search autocorrected to terms on how to keep a man interested:

“It startled me. I scanned several of the countless articles about how to be sexy and sexual, when to bring him a beer versus a sandwich, and the ways to make him feel smart and superior … And I got angry … Little One, it is not, has never been, and never will be your job to ‘keep him interested.’ ”

True, it is not and should not be the goal of any woman to specifically keep a male interested, and such feelings should be organic when they occur and not generally a major concern for women.

But if you look closely, already, the child has been addressed with docile pet names, ones that would seem amiss in a similar directive to a young boy. A tone is starting to set in, one of a “daddy” and a “princess,” one that pervades the culture of relationships in a way that is fairly inarguably disempowering to women.

One might suggest it is already suggesting a partner is a replacement father, filling the same paternalistic role and ideally, at least coming to the table with similar reverence.

The post continues:

“Little One, I want to tell you about the boy who doesn’t need to be kept interested, because he knows you are interesting … I don’t care if he puts his elbows on the dinner table—as long as he puts his eyes on the way your nose scrunches when you smile. And then can’t stop looking.”

Sweet, right? So what’s the problem?

The stated advice given — to reject fitting an ideal and find a “boy” who is interested naturally — still predicates a lot of the girl’s value on the issue of being coupled at all. None of the writing or thoughts addresses the likely times in a girl or woman’s life when she will be uncoupled, assuming the natural state of being for all worthy women is with a man who worships them no matter what. (The female’s behavior, for instance, is not mentioned as a barometer of her future relationship harmony, nor is a circumstance where she chooses not to partner or marry at all.)

While again, the thrust behind A Daddy’s Letter to His Little Girl (About Her Future Husband) is meant well, it unfortunately (to my eyes) seems to undermine its very own point and bolster the very idea it rails against — that above all else, a woman’s worth is dependent solely on a man’s interest in her. It simply arrives at that point via a different path.

What did you think of A Daddy’s Letter to His Little Girl (About Her Future Husband)?

Viral ‘Daddy’s Letter’ To ‘Little Girl’ On ‘Future Husband’ And Benevolent Sexism is a post from: The Inquisitr

The 17th Annual 2013 Webby Awards have rolled around, and that means it’s time for otherwise entirely unconnected names to form an orderly sentence again. Cue President Barack Obama, Justin Bieber, Jerry Seinfield, and more.

The “Webbies,” as they’re generally known, are an annual awards back-slap for outstanding Internet excellence through multi-web outlets including websites, social media and mobile. The awards cover literally everything you can think of and, probably some you haven’t.

Here’s a few of the notable winners.

Obama’s 2012 presidential election campaign’s use of social media claimed the “Webby Breakout Of The Year” award in the Special Achievement category.

The campaign’s strategy was highlighted for having “masterfully combined savvy political and tech genius to become the secret weapon behind Obama’s commanding re-election.”

Grammy Award winner Frank Ocean took the top award for “Webby Person of the Year.”

To many, the “Sweet Life” singer, who declared his sexuality on Tumblr last July, used the Internet in a brave and inspirational way.

Seinfeld triumphed with a comedic performance Webby for his performance on the web series Comedians Getting Coffee.

Hot on the heels of his Radio Disney Music Award, teen superstar Bieber won the People’s Voice Award in the Social Media Campaigns category for the very successful launch of his “Girlfriend” fragrance.

Fellow Canadian artist, and social provacateur, Grimes, waltzed off with “Webby Person of the Year,” while Lady Gaga won the Celebrity/Fan Social Presence Webby Award for her social media integration partnership with Barney’s.

Kevin Spacey and Dana Brunetti were awarded the Webby Special Achievement category in recognition of their decision to launch the series House of Cards on Netfix. Spacey and Brunetti are the series producers.

Sometimes controversial website The Onion and comedy website Funny or Die also scored awards.

For the second year running, The Daily Beast was named the Webby Winner in the web category for news, while Forbes Media took the top prize in the web category for magazines.

The 17th Annual Webby Awards will be hosted by Patton Oswalt and are set to take place May 22 at 9 am. ET. The event will be available on-demand to watch at watch.webbyawards.com.

For a complete list of winners, visit the Webby Awards’ website.

[Image via Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com]

Frank Ocean, Justin Bieber, Seinfield, Obama Election Campaign Win Awards At ‘Webbies’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Bored inmates are now reviewing prisons on Yelp.

Because they have “few other outlets for self-expression” according to MSN, incarcerated persons are turning to the consumer review site Yelp to share their thoughts on this country’s penal institutions. So far, Yelp has refused to comment on the strange trend, but they’re not going to do anything to shut it down, either.

They say that as long as the business has a physical address and they follow the guidelines, inmates may review away.

Now that that’s out of the way, Yelp includes positive and negative reviews of various prisons across the United States, but an exact number is hard to determine since the site doesn’t dole out statistics by business type.

Still, funny reviews have included quotes like ”Jail food may get a bad rap … but jail EMPLOYEE food is off the chain” and “At no time did the officer violate any of my constitutional privileges and even gave me a juice box after I said I was thirsty.”

Even a few lawyers are observing the trend. Robert Miller has visited five prisons in his lifetime, and admits that he started reviewing them on Yelp as a way to pass the time as he waited to talk with clients.

Of the five, he rated Theo Lacy jail in Orange County, California the highest due to its cleanliness, urban setting and “very nice” deputies. He awarded Theo Lacy jail a five out of five stars.

Though Miller started reviewing prisons as a joke, he admits that the practice can be useful. “I think the reviews are actually helpful for bail bondsmen, attorneys, family members — a lot of people, actually,” he said.

David Fathi, director of the National Prison Project of the American Civil Liberties Union, says that even negative prison reviews could end up being helpful in exposing mistreatment and abuse behind the walls of certain closed institutions. The ACLU received hundreds of prison complaints each month, but very few make it to court.

“Prisons and jails are closed institutions, and the lack of outside scrutiny and oversight sometimes facilitates mistreatment and abuse,” he said. “So anything that increases public awareness of prison conditions is a positive thing.”

What do you think of inmates reviewing prisons on Yelp? Funny, strange, sad, surprisingly useful? Sound off!

[Image via: Mopic, Shutterstock.com]

Inmates Rate Prisons On Yelp, Say The Service Is Terrible is a post from: The Inquisitr

How much is a Facebook friend worth? According to a new study a Facebook friend is worth about $174.17.

That doesn’t really apply to your aunt Sally or uncle Joe. The new study, which was conducted by the social intelligence company Syncapse, focuses on companies on Facebook and the value of their social media fans.

The study, called “The Value of a Facebook Fan in 2013: Revisiting Consumer Brand Currency in Social Media,” says that there’s been a 28% increase in the value of a Facebook friend since 2010.

The report reads: “The increase in average fan value is driven by fans’ tendencies to be super consumers … Not only do they tend to be brand users first, they spend more, engage more, advocate more and are more loyal. The significant and increasing value of a Facebook brand fan affirms past social marketing investment and mandates deeper commitment and accountability in the future.”

The study states that people who are fans of a brand on Facebook are much more likely to purchase the company’s product. According to the study, a company’s Facebook fans will spend an average of $116 more than people who are not fans of the company.

Live Science notes that Facebook friends are 18 percent more likely to be satisfied with their products and 11 percent more likely to continue using the brand than people who are not fans on Facebook.

Facebook friends are also valuable to the company because they are likely to share good experiences about the company. CIO calls Facebook friends a “company’s evangelists” and encourages brands to prioritize their social media advertising.

Are you surprised that a Facebook friend is worth $174.17?

Facebook Friend Worth $174.17, Says New Study is a post from: The Inquisitr

The gay marriage debate took an interesting turn this week when an essay penned by a fourth-grader went viral, sparking debate again over the issue of marriage equality.

A frequently-lamented tenet from the anti-equality side is “the children” and whether gay marriage morally poses a risk to kids in America. Many who oppose marriage equality say children are unable to understand the implications of gay marriage and that they may be confused or upset as a result.

The fourth-grader’s gay marriage essay seems to be a strong datapoint against such a notion. In it, the grade schooler lays out a case in favor of marriage equality, saying that those who are bothered by gay marriages need to simply “get over it” because, the child argues, it is in essence none of their business.

The fourth-grader’s gay marriage essay was posted to Reddit by his teacher, who was impressed by the child’s cogent and simply advocacy of marriage equality. The Reddit user rafa3l2 says the kid, a boy, was within the guidelines of the assignment when he wrote the essay.

The child’s gay marriage argument begins:

“Why gay people should be able to get married is you can’t stop two adult’s from getting married because there grown and it doesn’t matter if it creeps you out just get over it. And you should be happy for them because it’s a big momment in their life.”

It continues:

“When I went to my grandparents wedding it was the [happiest] momment … As you can see gay people should have the right to get married and you shouldn’t judge other peoples lives because if you was gay you wouldn’t want people talking about you.”

Many of the teacher’s responses on the child’s gay marriage essay have since been deleted from the Reddit thread — but he admits he had to dock the kid enough points that he only scored a C on the assignment:

“I gave a C based on the rubric. Each paragraph is supposed to have 4 sentences, the introduction did not follow the guidelines and there are spelling + grammar mistakes.”

But he adds:

“I’m not sharing this because of how perfect the sentences are, but because of how clear his thought process is on this specific issue.”

Do you think the fourth-grader’s gay marriage essay is a good argument in favor of marriage equality?

Fourth Grader Calmly Explains Gay Marriage: ‘Get Over It’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

A businessman in India was recently caught as he attempted to buy a stolen baby on Facebook. The man paid 800,000 rupes, or approximately $14,749, for the child. The kidnapped baby was being sold because of actions taken by the newborn’s grandfather.

According to local authorities, Feroz Khan kidnapped his grandson from the boy’s mom in Ludhiana, Punjab, India.

The grandfather told his daughter that her child was stillborn. The grandfather then sold the baby to a nurse who sold the child to a lab technician.

That lab technician, Gurpreet Singh, followed up the kidnapping by posting a picture of the 3-day-old boy on Facebook. Eventually, businessman Amit Kumar offered to purchase the newborn.

The baby’s mother became suspicious when her father gave her some of the cash from the sale.

Shortly after realizing what had happened, police tracked down and arrested Khan, his accomplice, and both of the hospital employees who initially purchased the newborn child.

Kumar is also facing charges for his part in the purchase of the kidnapped baby.

According to police, Khan sold the baby because he wanted to arrange a second marriage for his daughter. The girl’s dad believed she would not find a  new husband if she was already raising a child. The child’s father abandoned his family before the birth.

Khan and the two hospital employees could face up to seven years in prison if found guilty.

Sadly, this is not the first time we have reported on a child being sold on Facebook. As previously stated, a mom in the United States tried to sell her two children for a measly $4,000.

Facebook actively monitors its network for illegal activities and routinely reports those activities to local police.

Are you surprised that a grandfather would kidnap his daughter’s baby and then try to sell the child on Facebook?

Kidnapped Baby Sold On Facebook is a post from: The Inquisitr

In the days following the Boston Marathon bombing, the suspects (eventually identified as Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev) in the attack were perhaps the most hated men in America even before they were identified — but now, a hashtag supporting the surviving Tsarnaev, #FreeJahar, is popping up on Twitter.

Before the younger Tsarnaev was captured, the by all accounts average naturalized American citizen had already been “smoked out” on Twitter. The teen’s feed was revealed and a picture of a dude not unlike many 19-year-olds quickly emerged, with later interviews of “Jahar’s” friends further humanizing the young man later found cowering in a boat in Watertown.

It’s probably inevitable that the younger of the two and sole surviving suspect would attract some sympathy.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has been universally described by those who know him as a nice and personable kid, and few believed he’d be involved with an act like the one of which he has been accused.

Dzhokar was known among friends and acquaintances as the easier to pronounce “Jahar,” the name his Twitter feed (@J_tsar) bore — and his Americanized nickname has spawned a hashtag of its own and an unlikely wellspring of support on the microblogging site.

Predictably, much of the chatter under the #FreeJahar hashtag comes from the tinfoil hat set — those who have been infected by Alex Jones’ idea that the Boston attack was the latest in what is inevitably deemed a false flag event.

(Despite a lack of gun grabs or martial law that result, the idea persists.)

Even in the last few minutes, the #FreeJahar hashtag has been very active, with some tweets reading:

Get well soon @j_tsar and prove us that u did NOT do it. You are strong!! #freejahar

— Risrianafitria (@Risrianafitria) April 23, 2013

that video when you hear them shouting we didn’t do it yet the police continue to shoot them breaks my heart#FreeJahar

— 5sos follow me(@adoringhoran) April 23, 2013

The more the haters mention #freejahar the fster the word is gona travel-pple will fnd out the truth and #Jahar will get justice!#freejahar

— FALLEN FOR YOU (@RMSPVIP) April 23, 2013

It isn’t just Twitter showing users taking up for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev after his Friday arrest — a closed Facebook group (titled Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is innocent) shows more than 12,000 members.

In addition, a petition on Change.org titled “Petition to guarantee Dzhokhar Tsarnaev the right to a fair trial” has more than 6,000 signatures, and reads:

“We do not wish to see blood of yet another innocent victim, someone who, by U.S. law, is innocent until proven guilty. It is vital to end this persecution, as all the conflicting information shown by the media, and footage from the incident, seen by people from all corners of the world, doesn’t manifest itself as enough evidence to condemn Dzhokhar Tsarnaev of this heinous crime. You promised to the world that you would get to the bottom of this, and we hope you keep your word. We want evidence. We want truth. We want justice.”

While the #FreeJahar hashtag is still scantly supported, the U.S. government did confirm this week that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will not be tried as an “enemy combatant.”

#FreeJahar Hashtag Gaining Steam After Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s Capture is a post from: The Inquisitr

Reddit’s role in the search for the Boston Marathon bombers was initially publicized in the days leading up to the death of Tamerlan Tsarnaev and the capture of his wounded brother Dzhokhar Tsarnaev — and the FBI confirmed yesterday that activity on the site publicizing some evidence from the attacks forced their hands in the release of suspect images, the same day the site apologized for the interference and ensuing “witch hunt.”

Reddit’s apology came a few days after Tsarnaev was apprehended following a tense standoff at MIT, the death of MIT officer Sean Collier, and a lockdown of Boston — it seemed like social media activity may have influenced the decision to release the surveillance video of the Tsarnaevs, and now the Washington Post via The Atlantic confirms it did.

The latter explains that what we all witnessed on social media — Reddit, Twitter, Instagram and other sites — was as confusing and potentially dangerous as it appeared on first glance.

In a cacophonous casual investigation carried out via the web, the IDing of several unrelated people as well as the incorrect assumption missing student Sunil Tripathi was one of the bombing suspects forced the FBI to release the images — ostensibly sparking the events of Thursday night and Friday in Boston:

“Investigators were concerned that if they didn’t assert control over the release of the Tsarnaevs’ photos, their manhunt would become a chaotic free-for-all, with news media cars and helicopters, as well as online vigilante detectives, competing with police in the chase to find the suspects. By stressing that all information had to flow to 911 and official investigators, the FBI hoped to cut off that freelance sleuthing and attend to public safety even as they searched for the brothers.”

Now Reddit itself has weighed in on the strange role the powerful site (mainly via the now defunct subreddit r/findbostonbombers) had in the way the situation played out.

Reddit GM Erik Martin (hueypriest) reflected upon the developments in a blog post yesterday, saying in part:

“However, though started with noble intentions, some of the activity on reddit fueled online witch hunts and dangerous speculation which spiraled into very negative consequences for innocent parties. The reddit staff and the millions of people on reddit around the world deeply regret that this happened. We have apologized privately to the family of missing college student Sunil Tripathi, as have various users and moderators.”

Martin continues:

“We want to take this opportunity to apologize publicly for the pain they have had to endure. We hope that this painful event will be channeled into something positive and the increased awareness will lead to Sunil’s quick and safe return home. We encourage everyone to join and show your support to the Tripathi family and their search.”

It wasn’t just Reddit that got in on the “freelancing” in the search for the Boston bombers, however — which raises some interesting questions about how police and law enforcement agencies can prevent such situations in the future.

As the world watched the standoff and lockdown Friday, we here at The Inquisitr saw several tweeted images of SWAT teams perched on roofs and in yards. Police scanners topped hundreds of thousands of live listeners seeking updates fresher than those on broadcast news.

In essence, it isn’t so much Reddit or other sites caused the issue of social media interference in an ongoing investigation — rather, it illustrated that in a social media connected world, a crowdsourced investigation is indeed the new normal.

What will be interesting to see is how law enforcement handles the inevitable interference of the social web the next time around. Ultimately, can we really unring that bell?

Reddit Apologizes For Inadvertently Crowdsourcing Boston Bomber Investigation is a post from: The Inquisitr

Comedy Central is going to be staging a five-day comedy “festival” that will truly be recognized as one of a kind. The network is planning on putting on this festival using social media supersite Twitter as the platform.

This particular endeavor isn’t going to some small time affair either. Among the comedians who are gearing up to participate are some of the most well known funny men and women in the business.

Old timers like Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner will be showing their stuff alongside young guns like Amy Schumer and Paul Feig. The performers won’t just be firing off text based one liners either.

Comedy Central and Twitter are teaming up in a way that really shows off how social media is changing from a place where people talk almost exclusively through print.Twitter has already rolled out their music app as a way for people to do more than simply fire off the latest thoughts that occurred to them.

Comedians who choose to participate will be using the social network’s popular Vine video service in order to record their little jokes and segments. Those who want to make longer videos can also do so and post them to their Twitter accounts.

Using the hashtag, #ComedyFest comedians will be able to post their acts for the entire Twitterverse to see. There will apparently also be at least one live event and a panel in which Judd Apatow and a few other young guns try to convince some of the older hands to actually join the social networking site.

While there hasn’t been an official start dated announced, the festival is rumored to be starting up later this week and users will have to just keep an eye out for the first tweets.

What do you think of Comedy Central’s collaboration with Twitter?

[Image via Shutterstock]

Comedy Central Staging Twitter Based Comedy Festival is a post from: The Inquisitr

Hackers on Twitter posted bogus stories from CBS accounts.

Hackers sent tweets from 60 Minutes and CBS Denver Twitter accounts today accusing the US of working with terrorists. Barely a day after the only surviving suspect of Boston’s marathon bombing was apprehended and the hackers are already at their worst, spreading lies about our great nation.

Earlier today, a series of tweets from CBS news agencies posted the following messages, alongside links to what was probably malware.

CBS news account @60minutes tweeted, “Exclusive: Terror is striking the #USA and #Obama is Shamelessly in Bed with Al-Qaeda.”

The @CBSDenver news account posted, “New Evidence of CIA Arming Al Qaeda Terrorists in #Syria,” and “WMDs Provided by NATO to Al-Qaeda for a False Flag Operation in #Syria”

Both Twitter accounts have since posted rebuttals, stating that the accounts were compromised, “We have experienced problems on Twitter accounts of #60Minutes & @48Hours; We apologize for the inconvenience; Twitter is resolving issues.”

Another tweet stated, “PLEASE NOTE: Our Twitter account was compromised earlier today. We are working with Twitter to resolve.”

PLEASE NOTE: A message that was posted earlier to this account was not written or sent by @60minutes or its staff.

— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) April 20, 2013

This is not the first time a Twitter news account has been hacked into, as last month the BBC had its Twitter account compromised by the Syrian Electronic Army, a supporter of Syria‘s President Bashar Assad. Last year, Reuters saw its website compromised as it falsely posted news concerning the Middle East. So how can we know what to believe from news sources? Look for a second opinion, or go to the news site itself through a search engine and look from there. And if the Twitter hackers have shown us anything, look into anything having to do with Syria, but never click on a link you’re not sure of.

’60 Minutes,’ ’48 Hours’ Twitter Accounts Hacked j.mp/Zc9g4N

— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) April 20, 2013

Also, if you ever find your Twitter account hacked, as in making bogus posts without your knowledge, contact Twitter immediately and change your password. And then do your followers a favor, like CBS News did, and post an announcement that your Twitter account has been compromised and that you are looking into it.

How do you feel about Twitter news accounts being hacked?

Twitter Hackers Post Bogus News From ’60 Minutes’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Colonel Meow is back, and in a new YouTube campaign, he is set to conquer the internet.

Colonel Meow made his debut appearance on The Inquisitr back in October 2012, a cat with excessive fur due to an extra fur gene, making him look like he’s always angry. In that video he was seen calling a dog with sunglasses a “f***ing hipster” on Facebook.

Colonel Meow may not be as popular as Tardar Sauce, the grumpy cat, but we imagine only time will tell if the two of them will ever have an anger-off. A video published on YouTube April 18 shows us Colonel Meow in all his supreme fluffiness, even staring at a painting with his fur made up in a fashion like Wolverine from the Marvel comics and wearing a military suit.

The video begins with the painting and the words, “Who is Colonel Meow?”

We see him standing atop a large box with one paw as the narrator, emulating the old time movie style, gives us his take. “Colonel Meow is the paw in the dark. He is the gathering storm.”

We see him zoomed out with a red symbol of angry eyes on the box as he looks down at the camera. We then see the red eyes symbol panning over white before an extreme closeup of Colonel Meow’s eyes as the narrator continues with an accent, “He is the chaos that sets you free. He is the hairball in your carpet. And now he is on his way directly to your internet, to shape it in his own illustrious vision.” We see Colonel Meow looking up at the painting of him.

“Colonel Meow will lead you fearlessly. He will weed out the weak among you, and give strength and sustenance to those who remain. Do you have in your possession any extra cat food Colonel Meow can have? Because he is hungry. No, not the cheap stuff. Now you have disappointed him. Now he is pissed.”

The rest of the YouTube video is above.

Are you ready for Colonel Meow’s invasion of the internet?

Colonel Meow YouTube Campaign Takes Internet By Storm is a post from: The Inquisitr

Two brothers were able to track down their parents, who were injured in the bombing at the Boston Marathon Monday, by asking for help on Facebook.

Richard Whalley first discovered that his parents had been injured in the explosion after his older brother, 34-year-old Chris Whalley, showed him a picture of their father that had been circulating on Reddit.

The 25-year-old CEO and his brother called around to different hospitals trying to find their father and mother, Ann, but when there were no records for either parent, Whalley turned to Facebook.

“This is my dad in the picture in this link: I have no idea where my mum is. They were both bombed,” Whalley wrote. “I’m trying to find out what hospital they are at. can you help? Eric Whalley & Ann Whalley. They look pretty severely injured and I’m worried my Mum is dead.”

Whalley then received over 60 comments offering help in looking for his parents as well as suggestions how to find them such as using Google’s Person Finder or calling the mayor’s hotline.

One friend called Brigham and Women’s and said he found Eric Whalley there.

“He’s at Brigham, they will call you right now,” Jess Kim wrote. A minute later, Matt Perrone wrote, “Just got off the phone with B&W. Your father is there. Your mother, from what the operator told me, was at another facility.”

About 10 minutes after that post, a different friend had located Ann Whalley.

“She’s at Faulkner, in the ICU,” John Moore wrote. “Stable with no life threatening injuries.”

In the confusion after the explosions, Eric and Ann Whalley had been registered under the wrong names, which is why Richard Whalley had so much trouble finding them at first.

At 9:16 pm, less than one hour after his initial post, Richard Whalley posted that he was able to find his parents.

Early the next day, Whalley posted another update.

Eric and Ann Whalley still have a long road of recovery up ahead. Eric Whalley may lose his eyesight, and Ann Whalley has a mangled right foot. They were moved to the same ward so it would be easier for their sons to visit.

Richard Whalley’s alma mater, MIT, created a donation page on GiveForward to help pay for his parents’ medical expenses. At the time of this writing, the Ann + Eric Whalley Recovery Fund has received 1,399 donations totaling $68,645. The ultimate goal is $100,000, and there are 13 days left to donate. Whalley said any extra money they receive will go to helping the families of other victims.

“I mean it’s been pretty surreal. But we’ve had a lot of support from the community,” Whalley told ABC News. “One of the messages of this story is these online tools are available to people to go and aid others in the recovery process. Getting help can sometimes be overwhelming.”

Facebook Reunites Brothers With Parents Injured In Boston Marathon Bombing is a post from: The Inquisitr

Earlier today, I spotted a seemingly semi-facetious comment on Facebook — that if 4Chan and Reddit got on the Boston bombing footage, a perp would be “doxxed” within hours. And while that’s certainly not the case, it seems the clever users of both sites indeed did some impressive sleuthing in the hours before it was revealed that a possible suspect had been identified.

The comment said:

“If the police in Boston and the FBI put all the images and video of the scene they have online and went on Reddit/4chan and said go for it. They would probably have the person/s doxxed within a day. Seriously.”

It would be premature to say that Reddit or 4Chan (original seat of the hacker collective known as “Anonymous”) was responsible for IDing a suspect in the Boston bombings. It’s also important to note that social media has been instrumental in the advancement of information in a crisis, both faulty and accurate, through all major recent events — and no one on Reddit or 4Chan is necessarily a trained forensics professional.

However, it seems 4Chan and Reddit indeed got their sleuthing caps on and did some detective work … and a few hours later, law enforcement also had some information. No evidence has emerged that either site was referenced.

An earlier Slate piece today notes the difficulty in corralling an enthusiastic online response on sites like Reddit and 4Chan, referencing the pre-social media public pillorying of Richard Jewell, who had assisted in the Olympic bombings in the 90s and was wrongly fingered as a suspect. But the piece also notes that a subreddit (which already has more than 2,000 members) called r/findbostonbombers did some matching and located what appeared to be two men holding backpacks that looked similar to the ones seen in the debris in the crowd before the bombing.

4Chan’s slightly different structure to Reddit makes it less possible to link to their discussions, and content on both sites may or may not wrongly implicate a party — but as we’ve seen in mainstream media debacles, this is not exclusive to social sites:

Suspect now saying there may not be a CNN.

— Anonymous (@YourAnonNews) April 17, 2013

Ultimately, as we’ve learned from today’s news cycle, no one yet knows where the investigation into the Boston bombings has led or is going, but if any of Reddit and 4Chan’s sleuthing turned up a hit, it will have some interesting implications on the role of social media in solving crimes.

Did 4Chan, Reddit Solve Boston Bombing? is a post from: The Inquisitr

Are you ready for Facebook video ads to start appearing in your news feed? We have known for months that the social giant was prepping the ads, and a new report now suggests they are almost ready for primetime.

According to the report, Facebook is in talks with various agencies who would become responsible for filling the available ad spaces upon initial launch.

Under terms of Facebook’s agreement, users would be hit with as many as three video ad units per day. Those videos would appear in four different ad location options.

According to AdAge, Facebook has not finalized the video format that will be used. It is believed that Facebook will automatically play videos and that they will show on the right-hand side of the user’s Facebook news feed.

While the desktop version will showcase Facebook Video Ads, the social network is not believed to be ready for a mobile ad version. Mobile video ads can be more tricky since many users don’t want their already over-priced mobile data going towards Facebook video ads. Facebook could lower the quality of mobile videos, offer shorter viewing times, or do away with  mobile video ads over the short-term.

Ad agency executives have been claiming that Facebook will cap the ads at just 15 seconds each. The social network leader is believed to be asking for $1 million per spot per day. If the rumors are true, Facebook Video Ads will arrive in June or July.

A total of $4 million per day would mean almost $1.6 billion in extra ad revenue for the social network each year.

Facebook may be able to draw some advertisers away from paying TV ad spots. The real question, however, is whether or not the company can serve video ads without distracting from all of the other ads it now tries to cram down users’ throats.

We should have Facebook video ads confirmation soon. The company is known to roll out its platform slowly to select users before release it out of beta form.

Will you leave the social network if Facebook video ads take over your news feed?

Facebook Video Ads Coming To News Feeds is a post from: The Inquisitr

YouTube is celebrating the 57th anniversary of the videocassette recorder with VHS mode.

For many people who use the video sharing site on a regular basis, the idea of recording a video using analog equipment is probably archaic. In addition to providing severely downgraded picture quality, videotapes were also prone to break at the drop of a hat for no apparent reason.

In an effort to celebrate the birth of the videocassette and give users a taste of what the world was like before the arrival of YouTube, select videos have been equipped with VHS mode. Now everyone can experience those bygone days with the click of a button.

Here’s YouTube’s official press release about the mode:

“Not too long ago, the video tape was the media of choice for living rooms around the world. In celebration of the 57th birthday of the first commercial video cassette recorder, check out a fun VHS mode for the YouTube player to relive the magic feel of vintage video tapes. On select videos, you’ll find a VHS button in the bottom right of the player — just click to turn back the clock and enjoy the static and fuzzy motion of the VHS era.”

Not only will those unfamiliar with the format experience poor video quality and all sorts of fuzzy artifacts, they will also see what their favorite video might have looked like when the tape was paused. It’s not really useful for anything, but it should elicit a nostalgic sigh from those who once spent a lot of time rounding out their sprawling VHS collections.

Unfortunately, not every video on YouTube comes equipped with the VHS mode. The Saturday Night Live ad for Pharrell and Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” allows users to switch over by selecting the videocassette icon located next to the video quality gear. You’ll need to head to the YouTube page for it to work; the option isn’t available on embedded clips.

Additionally, a review for the Pixar movie Ratatouille also comes equipped with VHS mode. If nothing else, it should give those who have never encountered a videocassette something to play with for a few minutes. However, only a select few will truly appreciate what YouTube has done.

The first videotape recorder was created by AMPEX Corporation back in 1956. Since the unit came with an extremely high price tag, only television stations could afford to purchase the machine. However, the folks at JVC would later develop the Video Home System (VHS) for consumers in the 70s. Although VHS and Betamax engaged in a brief format war, JVC’s creation would ultimately be adopted by the movie industry.

While the format is considered to be dead, many people continue to collect movies on VHS. Several festivals and conventions have sprung up around the hobby in recent years.

What do you think about YouTube’s VHS mode? Do you remember recording television shows and movies using videocassettes?

[Images via Shutterstock]

YouTube VHS Mode Celebrates The Videocassette is a post from: The Inquisitr

Facebook and Twitter are messing with DUI checkpoints.

Police have a difficult job. They are expected to obey the law they uphold in spite of a society that increasingly thinks they’re out to get us. Some are crooked, of course, using their authority to bully the average citizen if they’re just feeling mean. However, the general rule is that if you’re doing what you should, they’re on your side.

That doesn’t stop some people from circumventing their efforts to curb drunk driving by posting the whereabouts of DUI checkpoints on Facebook and Twitter. It is part of their job as law enforcement to stop people from breaking the law, and DUI checkpoints are meant to put a cramp in the illegal social habit. However, some people are known to look for these checkpoints and post them on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, and then anyone who thinks it’s okay to drive drunk will simply pick another route.

The police can only do so much, and so far their best ideas have involved setting up DUI checkpoints on Friday and Saturday nights as well as New Years Eve, when people are most likely to drink and drive. Sometimes they set one up outside a driveway to a brewery or barrel tasting event.

The police are now planning to circumvent the social media sites with a new strategy, involving larger DUI checkpoints and setting them up on less traveled roads, ensnaring the unwary who think they’re being clever. After all, who’s going to take the major roads when they’re trying to avoid a DUI checkpoint?

Be aware, if you’re posting DUI checkpoint locations on Facebook and Twitter, that the police are being forced to use sneakier tactics to catch drunk drivers, and they may not stick to major roads any more. In fact, they’re starting to set them up during the day and in the middle of the week.

How do you feel about Facebook and Twitter being used to mess with DUI checkpoints?

Facebook, Twitter Messing With DUI Checkpoints is a post from: The Inquisitr

YouTube superstar Psy has hit 22 million hits in 24 hours with his new music video “Gentleman”.

Psy was launched into YouTube superstardom when his dance-heavy music video for “Gangnam Style” hit the internet. The music video spawned parodies like one promoting NASA (“NASA Johnson Style”), which featured actual astronauts and scenes from aboard an actual space station.

Psy’s fame has even extended into other parts of the internet, including a crossover meme featuring Kim Jong Un and the guy from the Snickers commercial. On the Korean situation that’s happening right now, Psy has gone on record as saying it’s a tragedy.

Anyway, hard news out of the way, Psy recently released a music video for his latest release, “Gentlemen”. The video features the YouTube superstar pulling pranks on a number of women, until Brown Eyed Girls member Ga-In turns the tables on him. Psy’s “Gentleman” also includes the return of “Gangnam Style” co-horts Yoo Jae Suk (the comedian in the yellow suit) and Nol Hong Chul (the elevator dancer).

At a gig in Seoul, Psy said of his new single “Gentleman“, ”I’ve been doing this for 12 years. Would it be fair to call me a one-hit wonder just because my next song falls flat? I gained international fame almost by accident but that does not mean that I will make desperate efforts to maintain that global popularity. I will just continue to do what I have been doing for all these years. If it satisfies people’s appetite it will. If not, it won’t.”

It’s true that only having one popular song doesn’t make you a one-hit wonder. After all, Tay Zonday is still among the elite YouTube personalities after “Chocolate Rain”, and Justin Bieber got his start on YouTube. Now Justin Bieber is just as big a pop star as others who broke out with radio singles.

At 22 million hits on YouTube in 24 hours, Psy has nothing to worry about with “Gentleman”.

What do you think of Psy’s latest YouTube music video for “Gentleman”?

YouTube Superstar Psy’s ‘Gentleman’ Reaches 22 Million Hits In One Day is a post from: The Inquisitr

An ad for Facebook Home shows Mark Zuckerberg boring the office.

The offices of Facebook are apparently filled with self-centered types who aren’t easily impressed. One would wonder if Tardar Sauce, the “grumpy cat,” has been there from time to time in real life. Everyone knows that cat has been everywhere else on the internet by now.

Mark Zuckerberg drones on as everyone seems to ignore him in the new ad for Facebook Home, which converts your Android phone into a Facebook phone.

The ad starts with an Oriental woman looking at a computer screen with the words “Facebook HQ Launch Day” in the bottom left. Mark Zuckerberg walks in from the right, clapping his hands for emphasis, “Guys! This is it!”

A guy with sideburns in a wheeled office chair stares at his phone as he turns toward Mark Zuckerberg and then crosses his legs and looks up.

Mark Zuckerberg continues, “After all your hard work, Facebook Home is ready to ship.”

Everybody just sits there in silence, one guy looking outright bored already, looking back at his phone with a fake smile. A woman next to him averts her gaze to the same phone as Mark Zuckerberg talks on, “This is an important moment in our journey to help…” A screaming goat cuts him off in mid-sentence. “The project began with the simple idea of putting friends at the heart of your phone.”

The office continues to fake an interest, the one guy repeatedly looking back at his phone, “So you can always see…”

A guy jumps in with a tennis racket, the sounds of tennis drowning out Mark Zuckerberg, and says, “Dude! Forget work! Come play!” The bored guy’s phone literally has the same words on it in a text message.

Mark Zuckerberg is still talking, “… and never miss out.”

The sounds of a quad drown him out again as the guy starts flipping through pictures of someone on a quad using Facebook Home. He hits “like” as two guys on quads literally race through the meeting, a stack of hay opposite where they turn.

The rest of the ad is above.

What do you think of the Facebook Home ad with Mark Zuckerberg boring the office?

Facebook Ad Shows Mark Zuckerberg Boring The Office [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

A “paraplegic” on Twitch turned out to be scamming viewers for a year.

Twitch is a public webcam site which allows a host to stream real-life and videogame footage to anyone who wants to join in. Anyone can watch as the host does whatever, short of what most people expect from less family-friendly webcam sites. To interact with Twitch hosts, you can sign in with your Twitter account, provided your followers don’t mind being spammed by your interactions with the Twitch host.

The webcam site has been known as a channel through which various people can attempt to make a living offering advice, humor and/or commentary while requesting donations from viewers, allowing them to continue the show. Some YouTube personalities have used the site as a way to raise money for charity, auctioning off items related to their show.

One particular Twitch host faked being a paraplegic, raising over $20,000 as an audience who felt sorry for him gave him money to keep him independent. The show featured Angel Hamilton, whose Twitch alias was ZilianOP, playing and streaming games like World of Warcraft and Diablo III. Little did any of his viewers know that the real show was a lie. In a country where unemployment is unusually high, a gamer with a webcam figured out how to make a living fooling his audience.

The Twitch “paraplegic” used the money to buy all sorts of PC equipment and sometimes fly cross-country to be with his partner-in-crime girlfriend. She was present in his broadcasts, but only as a female voice. Everything seemed legitimate until one day he stood up and walked away while the camera was still rolling. His girlfriend even tried to cover for him by babbling on about taking the dog to the fish store. Needless to say, a lot of Twitch viewers are probably furious and more than likely demanding refunds.  Angel Hamilton has now been banned from Twitch.

How do you feel about the Twitch scammer pretending to be paraplegic?

Twitch ‘Paraplegic’ Scams Viewers is a post from: The Inquisitr

Twitter has been rumored to be rolling out its own music application and it appears that the company is on the cusp of finally rolling it out to the public. The application is being rolled out to “influencers” at the moment but music.twitter.com is expected to be made available to the general public sometime next week.

The social media giant has made itself one of the true kings of the hill and is an influencer itself right along the lines of Facebook. The site has been looking for ways to truly separate itself from its social competitors and has landed on services like promoted trends.

Last year the site took a big step forward when it comes to breaking new ground with its first ever television commercial. None of those moves would be as big as this particular music service if the social site does it up right.

Twitter is giving the first look at the music discovery site to celebrities in order to better get the word out about the application before it goes live to everyone. Tweets from Ryan Seacrest have already been popping up and more celebs should start tweeting about the app in the next few days.

There isn’t a whole lot known about everything that application can do just yet, but one of the tweets hinted that there would be a way to see what artists are trending as well as seeing some up and coming musicians.

Some investigation into what this music service is all about showed that there will be “tweeting” and “following” features. There is also apparent integration with other music apps such as Rdio, iTunes, Soundcloud and Vevo.

Other features apparently include being able to read artist biographies, charts and upcoming shows. There will also be a way to purchase music.

Are you excited about Twitter’s impending release of their music application?

Twitter Readying Release Of Music App is a post from: The Inquisitr

LinkedIn has confirmed plans to purchase news aggregation service Pulse.

The social enterprise network will spend $90 million for the acquisition and hasn’t announced plans for Pulse once that acquisition is finalized.

According to LinkedIn, the Pulse acquisition will help it become the “definitive professional publishing platform” on the internet. LinkedIn says Pulse will help to become the destination where ”professionals come to consume content and where publishers come to share their content.”

Pulse operates a variety of platforms including Apple iOS, Google Android, and web apps.

LinkedIn already operates its own aggregation service via the LinkedIn Today platform. The company could use Pulse and LinkedIn Today technologies to create an even stronger news aggregation platform.

By purchasing Pulse, the social network will also gain access to publishers who have already signed deals with Pulse. LinkedIn will also receive demographic data from the service while potentially increasing traffic to its own platform.

The buyout could as much be about securing talent as the team’s technology. Pulse’s development team will soon relocate to LinkedIn’s headquarter in Mountain View, California.

According to LinkedIn the Pulse apps will ”continue to be supported as the integrated Pulse and LinkedIn teams work to build future generations of professional content consumption products.”

The news aggregation business has been heating up. Yahoo several weeks ago paid $30 million for Summly, a service run by a 17-year-old boy.

Talent acquisitions have become big business for the tech sector; the fun part of the analysis game is trying to determine exactly how those acquisitions will be used.

LinkedIn Buys Pulse For $90 Million is a post from: The Inquisitr

Dawn Siff, an out of work journalist, decided that Twitter’s Vine platform would be a great way to find a job. Shortly after she came up with her new plan, she launched a six-second resume.

The Vine resume landed Siff a job with the Economist Group’s commercial unit as a project manager.

Siff came up with the idea to create the Vine resume after she searched for a job the traditional way for six months.

During her job search, Dawn Siff took 64 hours worth of continuing education classes, attended six networking events, and went on 12 information interviews and nine job interviews.

We are sure that a publication as large as the Economist didn’t simply hire Dawn because of her six-second Vine clip. However, the clip does show that in a crowded job market the ability to stand out can sometimes create a life changing moment, especially if the job candidate is doing something very creative in an industry that applauds creativity as the basis of its success.

Here is the Vine that was placed by Siff:

h/t & love to dear friends @meghanscibona @monkeyprime @smixel for helping w/ my #TwitterResume vine.co/v/b6wxtwrwP7P #HireDawnSiff

— Dawn Siff (@dawnsiff) February 20, 2013

How could you not want to hire a “deadline Jedi” who also happens to be a journalist and strategist.

It has been a big week for creative online resumes. Check out our recent story about the Chicago All-In-One Adman ad we also recently discovered.

Do you think the Twitter Vine resume will catch on, or will copycats find it harder to grab the type of attention Dawn Siff received for her quick thinking six-second resume?

Vine Resume Lands A Job For This Creative Women is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Facebook Home platform will be officially released on April 12 through the Google Play Store. In the meantime, the new “Facebook phone” interface has leaked in APK form.

The build, pulled rom a pre-release HTC First ROM, is said to be buggy and incomplete (Chat Heads are not working). Despite issues with the build, users are downloading the product for a quick preview.

Facebook Home’s new build will work on devices with a maximum resolution of 1280×768 pixels, and it requires users to uninstall their previous Facebook app. The old app must be uninstall since the APKs are re-signed and can’t install over top of existing installations. Unfortunately, because of the setup, devices with Facebook install in the base ROM are excluded. On the other hand, the leaked APK means some Android smartphones not receiving the Facebook Home setup can still be used.

The leak consists of 3 APKs, which can be downloaded here: Main Facebook app (katana), Integrated-with-your-SMS Messenger app (orca), and Home / Launcher ‘shell’ app (home).

Users with a baked in Facebook ROM can still use the APK setup with root access and some more advanced hacking methods.

To install the 3 APK files, visit the APK store and download the “APK Installer.” Next download the files to your Android device by plugging it into your computer and moving the files into your smartphone’s downloads folder. Launch the APK Installer app and go from there.

Once you have downloaded and installed the platform, you can use the options menu to hide or default to notifications.

User beware: If you decide to install the SDK files, they were signed with test keys, which can present a direct security risk. You can resign the APKs with your own private key for security purposes.

Are you going to use the Facebook Home app when it releases on Friday?

Facebook Home APK Leaked Ahead Of Friday Release is a post from: The Inquisitr

But what would happen if Facebook built an actual home out of brick, pipes, and electrical wires?

The team at The Joy of Tech imagine what a Facebook Home would look like in real life.

From the home’s foundation to a dying squirrel in the home’s front yard, The Joy of Tech team really does think of everything.

Would you like to live in a Facebook Home?

Facebook Home In Real-Life, A Humorous Look At A Socially Built House [WebComic] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Facebook has issued an apology to a Sacramento mother who was banned from the social media website for posting breastfeeding pictures.

Kristy Kemp, who manages the support group Breastfeeding Mama Talk, was angry when she found out that several of her photos had been removed from the website. Kemp told San Francisco’s KGO-TV, “It’s not right. I’m trying to do good for mothers and I’m getting kicked off for posting pictures one of the most beautiful acts a mother can do for her kid, and it’s not right.”

The social networking giant apologized to Kemp Friday and sent a clarification about what types of photos were acceptable and which ones violated the company’s policy.

Kristy Kemp isn’t the first, and most likely won’t be the last, mother to find herself blocked or banned from Facebook for posting breastfeeding photos. In November 2012, Gina Crosley-Corcoran, a blogger at TheFeministBreeder.com, was banned after she posted a photo of her 18-month-old daughter nursing and holding a piece of bacon. The photo was removed after a commenter took a screenshot and reported Crosley-Corcoran to Facebook. She was suspended for three days.

Crosley-Corcoran didn’t get mad — she planned to get even by encouraging readers to join her in protest by posting breastfeeding pictures on their own Facebook pages.

Another breastfeeding mom, Emma Kwasnica, was also suspended from Facebook after she posted over 200 photos of herself breastfeeding. Facebook said it agreed that breastfeeding was natural and that the majority of photos were in compliance with the website’s terms, but photos that contained a fully exposed breast violated the terms. Kwasnica didn’t feel the issue was fixed, so she organized a protest outside the company’s Menlo Park headquarters. Over 60 mothers gathered to try and convince Facebook that breastfeeding — and breastfeeding photos — are not obscene.

Do you think Facebook should ban breastfeeding photos?

Facebook Apologizes To Mom Banned For Posting Breastfeeding Pictures is a post from: The Inquisitr

YouTube is planning to shut down for April Fools.

After eight years of hosting a user-generated video site, YouTube is saying so long … and thanks for all the videos. The site is posting a video announcing a search the “winner” of the “eight year contest,” and says it’s planning to start the next contest in 2023.

Don’t panic, it’s just a prank. YouTube is planning to act like it’s shutting down on April 1, 2013.

The video shows footage of YouTube’s offices where several thousand employees are reviewing every video ever made on the site, including interviews with YouTube stars iJustine, and the subjects of “David after the Dentist”, and “Charlie Bit My Finger.” The video’s host, Tim Liston, says it will take ten years to review everything and determine a winner. The winner will be said to be given the prize of an MP3 player that can be strapped to their sleeves, and an extra $500 toward the continuation of their creative efforts.

YouTube is going all out this time.

Previous YouTube pranks included the infamous “Rick Roll,” in which every video posted on the home page was redirected to the music video for Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up,” and turning everything upside down, including the videos and text.

Of course, if YouTube really did shut down, the consequences would be a biblical disaster; Human sacrifice, cats and dogs living together, mass hysteria. Okay, that was from Ghostbusters.

However, without YouTube, we would lose all of those tutorial videos on video- and photo-editing, knitting, and cooking, such comedic hilarity as Smosh, Shane Dawson, and Wheezy Waiter, and all of those music videos that MTV never plays any more.

We are happy to report that YouTube is doing quite well and has no reason to shut down, now with over (imagine Dr. Evil from Austin Powers with his pinky to his mouth) one billion active users.

What do you think of YouTube’s video announcing the April Fools prank?

YouTube Plans April Fools ‘Shut Down’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

YouTube‘s Player vs Pain is a new show that tortures gamers.

With the absence of G4 and Attack of the Show, what’s Kevin Pereria to do? He went to Machinima and co-produced a new show for YouTube that hurts gamers as they play videogames. The audience gets to see people in pain as they play games like Mario Kart? Absolutely.

A while back, YouTube had the Angry Nintendo Nerd. He played terrible games for the amusement of gamers who had been there before, or just wanted to see someone suffer for attempting to enjoy a bad videogame. He inevitably had to change his tag to Angry Video Game Nerd to expand his horizons to other systems. His rival at the time was the Irate Gamer, and eventually, both of them were rocketed to internet stardom.

However, it’s been years, and YouTube‘s gamer community has been craving something new. Even the “Let’s Play” fad has gotten commonplace enough that we need something new, something different. After countless Slender videos, almost nothing seems interesting any more.

The YouTube series Player vs Pain is attempting to change that by bringing back the pain and giving the viewer a gamer whose misery we can enjoy. Player vs Pain gives us something like American Gladiators, except with controllers and torture devices.

Michelle Nunes hosts the show as “a woman whose tolerance for watching other people’s pain is legendary.” She starts the first show saying, “Oh, yes, that familiar scent! Blood, urine, and just a hint of three-day-old Axe body spray.” She spreads her arms dramatically, “It’s the pain factory and I’m your official tour guide. So strap in!”

The gamers are introduced, with their stories of training and a dose of humiliation, before they each have their round of trash talk. Sounds like your typical hip new game show, right? Something like that, but with a bit more pain. The first episode is below.

What do you think of the new YouTube series Player vs Pain?

‘Player Vs Pain’ YouTube Show Tortures Gamers is a post from: The Inquisitr

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg will have to write a check for about $1 billion when he files his 2012 tax return.

The huge bill owed to the IRS and the state of California stems from Facebook going public last May during which Zuckerberg ,28, increased his ownership stake in the social media company. “On the day of Facebook’s initial public offering, Zuckerberg exercised a stock option and purchased 60 million Facebook shares at a “strike price” of 6 cents each.” The IRS treats those shares as ordinary income (regardless of whether they are are sold).

Zuckerberg’s overall tax rate is about 50 percent when all is said and done. While his tax return is confidential, estimates are that the amount he will have to pony up in taxes is about $1 billion. “For Zuckerberg, that means reporting income last year of nearly $2.3 billion from his stock options alone. Add together the top 2012 federal tax rate of 35% and the top California rate of 13.3% — the highest in the nation — and you get a total tax rate of 48.3%.”

During the Facebook IPO, Zuckerberg also sold off 30 million Facebook shares and will use the proceeds to pay his tax bill. This raises the question about why not just buy 30 million shares instead of 60? Celebritynetworth.com offers this explanation:

“The reason lies with the types of shares that Mark was buying. Facebook has two “classes” of shares, Class A and Class B. Every Class B share has 10 times the voting power of a Class A share. In essence, Mark traded 30 million votes for for the right to have 600 million votes. These new shares have given Mark 58% of the voting rights at Facebook, guaranteeing that he will always be in charge.”

In December, Zuckerberg and his wife donated 18 million Facebook shares (worth about $500 million) to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation which could lessen the tax bite.

As one news agency quipped, “It may be time for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to ‘unfriend’ Uncle Sam.” That being said, given the magnitude of the tax liability, do you think Mark Zuckerberg would ever consider giving up his US citizenship and move to Singapore like Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin?

Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg Owes $1 Billion In Taxes is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Facebook red equal sign meme that took over profiles this week on the social network seemed to be everywhere — many users even complained that with all the users changing avatars, it rapidly became difficult to discern who was who.

But as the Facebook red equal sign trend (and its inevitable parodies) persisted, many wondered just how pervasive the practice was — or if it was an instance of political “bubbles.” Facebook itself weighed in on the phenomenon kicked off by the Human Rights Campaign, in a post titled “Showing Support for Marriage Equality on Facebook.”

In the note slicing and dicing the Facebook red equal sign numbers, Facebook employee Eytan Bakshy (Notes) begins:

“The U.S. Supreme Court this week met to begin debating the future of same-sex marriage in the United States. To accompany this historic event, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) started urging people on Monday, March 25 to change their Facebook profile pictures to a pink-on-red equal sign to show support for marriage equality. Since then, we’ve noticed a surge in people changing their profile photos to various versions of this image.”

Beneath that, Facebook displayed the above image, not only of the Facebook red equal sign, but also some of the more popular variations and parodies of it.

The whole post really drills down on not only who changed their Facebook avatar photo to a red equal sign, but also the demographics — age, location, and the timing of the change.

People close to the age of thirty were most likely to adopt the Facebook red equal sign, and slightly more females than males participated.

But in summation, Facebook seems to agree with what many users expressed about the Facebook red equal sign trend:

“For a long time, when people stood up for a cause and weren’t all physically standing shoulder to shoulder, the size of their impact wasn’t immediately apparent.”

“But today, we can see the spread of an idea online in greater detail than ever before. That’s data well worth finding.”

Were you moved by the numbers of people changing to the Facebook red equal sign this week?

Facebook Red Equal Sign Adopted By 2.7 Million Users is a post from: The Inquisitr

Is Facebook on your smartphone a feature of your everyday life as you eat lunch at work, wait on line at the bank, or sit in the doctor’s waiting room?

You’re not alone — Facebook users with smartphones clock about 14 separate visits to the social network each day, using their handheld devices to check news feeds, reply to messages, stalk profiles, and catch up on their social media chores as they go about their business.

All this Facebooking for mobile adds up, too — the study that revealed the 14 visits figure, commissioned by Facebook, also notes that overall, smartphone-using Facebook visits added up to about 32 minutes per day on average for the 7,446 men and women between the ages of 18 and 44 who provided details on their Facebook for mobile use.

Facebook commissioned the study, which was carried out by analytics firm IDC. Only email rated a higher time-suck than Facebook for smartphone owners — who spend a stunning two hours daily on average or more staring at the glowing little box.

NBC reports on some of the additional findings of the Facebook-commissioned study, adding:

“Almost half the group — 44 percent — used their phones as an alarm clock (I know I do), and 79 percent checked their phones within the first 15 minutes of waking up (guilty, once again) … When was the last time your phone wasn’t next to you or in the same room? 25 percent of the survey group couldn’t remember the last time that happened.”

Nearly 80 percent of those surveyed said they were in reach of their phones for all but two hours of every day — we have to assume this includes sleeping, so what goes on during those two hours?

Do you think the Facebook smartphone study’s results is in line with your Facebook usage on mobile devices?

Facebook Mobile Users Check In 14 Times A Day, Study Reveals is a post from: The Inquisitr

Facebook has sent out invitations to an event next week that is geared towards showing off their “new home on Android.” The event is going to be held on April 4 at 10:00 AM at their Menlo Park offices.

The social media giant is being rumored to be announcing a brand new Android OS for an HTC smartphone handset. There have been quite a few rumors that Facebook would go full Android with the release of their own smartphone.

Those rumors have been persistent for years but it appears that the rumors have finally become reality or will soon. There have been plenty of reports that the social media site is fully embracing Android and has actually turned its back on iOS.

Facebook higher ups have even reportedly started to tell their employees that they should ditch their iPhones for Android based smartphones.

Because the site won’t give any more details than what they already have, speculation is a about the only thing any of us will have to go on until the official get together.

Other rumors are hinting that the reveal might be quite a bit more laid back than the website’s own version of a smartphone. This could be simply a redesign of the interoperability between Android and the social networking site.

If it is a phone, most think we should be expecting a home screen that will sport features such a quick to see newsfeed and simply better integration with the social site.

Facebook has been making quite a few big time announcements over the last month. The site has changed the way they handle their newsfeed and has made small upgrades to the site as well.

The company is still a place for people to share their opinions and ideas when all is said and done. It seems as though their own smarphone would certainly help there.

What do you think Facebook’s big announcement might be?

Facebook Unveiling ‘New Home On Android’ Next Week is a post from: The Inquisitr