Today, December 1st, is World AIDS day, and companies such as Google, Facebook and Twitter are joining the (RED) campaign, raising awareness about AIDS in Africa. You may have noticed that Twitter homepage has turned red, but you can also help out by adding the hashtag #red to the end of your tweets, which will make them turn (literally) red. It also works with the hashtag #laceupsavelives, which is a part of Nike’s campaign, promoting their new product: RED laces, designed to fight AIDS in Africa. Follow twitter.com/joinred/to learn more and support the cause.There’s also a campaign on Facebook over at www.facebook.com/joinred; share the (RED) video and make your profile picture (RED) if you’d like to raise awareness about this campaign. You can also shop for various prdocutsthat are part of the (RED) campaign, including the red iPod Nano and the red Dell Inspiron Mini 10v.Google has added a link to its homepagewith information on how you can help and join the various campaigns related to the World AIDS day. Finally, Mashable is a media supporter of the campaign, and we’ve added a bit of red to our site, too, through the banner above this article. Reviews: Facebook, Google, Mashable, TwitterTags: AIDS, facebook, Google, Red, twitter
It seems that the latest security patches from Microsoft, deployed over the last Patch Tuesday, are causing serious problems for some users of Windows, including Windows 7. In a nutshell, the affected Windows machines simply stop working and start displaying a (mostly) black screen, in some cases showing only a “My Computer” Explorer window. The problem was first noticed by UK security company Prevx, which already offers a software fix. The folks at Prevx claimthat this is no small matter, and that this “massively debilitating” issue could potentially affect “millions of Windows users.” However, no official fix is yet available from Microsoft. A Microsoft representative saidthat “Microsoft is investigating reports that its latest release of security updates is resulting in system issues for some customers. Once we complete our investigation, we will provide detailed guidance on how to prevent or address these issues.”Have you had similar issues with your Windows machine after installing the latest security patches? If you have, please let us know in the comments.Tags: Black Screen of Death, BSOD, microsoft, Windows
2009 was a year of ups and downs for Yahoo search. While we wait for the Yahoo/Microsoft search dealto take effect, we know that Yahoo still holds firm as the number two search site, with 18.8% market share (to Google’s 64.9%) according to October data from comScore.Interestingly enough, Yahoo has just followed Microsoft’s leadand released their top search data for 2009. They’ve just published their top 10 overall searches, as well as a top lists across a number of different categories like mobile, the economy, and Obama-specific searches.While Yahoo top searches definitely depict some hot memesand internet sensations for 2009 — think Michael Jackson, Megan Fox, Twilight, and Cash for Clunkers — Twitter is surprisingly absent from all of the top 10 lists. Clearly, Yahoo searchers are a very different bunch when it comes to their curiosity around the micro medium that made such a macro impact on pop culture and mainstream media this year.The Top 10 SearchesTop 10 Overall Searches for 20091. Michael Jackson2. Twilight3. WWE4. Megan Fox5. Britney Spears6. Naruto7. American Idol8. Kim Kardashian9. NASCAR10. RunescapeTop 10 Mobile Searches for 20091. Megan Fox2. Mobile Games3. Michael Jackson4. Movies5. Rihanna6. Mail7. Lady Gaga8. NFL9. Ringtones10. iPhoneTop 10 Economy-Related Searches for 20091. Coupons2. Unemployment3. Stimulus Plan4. Cash for Clunkers5. Student Loans6. IRS Refund7. Foreclosures8. Government Jobs9. Bernard Madoff10. Health Care BillTop Obama Searches for 20091. Obama Inauguration2. Obama Biography3. Obama Speech4. Obama Stimulus Plan5. Obama Family6. Obama Health Care Reform7. Obama Approval Ratings8. Obama Facebook9. Obama Overseas (a roundup of his numerous travels)10. Obama Dramas (a roundup of controversies)Top 10 Celebrity Farewell Searches for 20091. Michael Jackson2. Farrah Fawcett3. Patrick Swayze4. Natasha Richardson5. Jett Travolta6. Billy Mays7. David Carradine8. Steve McNair9. Jade Goody10. Ted KennedyTop 10 Sudden-Fame Searches for 20091. Jon & Kate Gosselin2. Erin Andrews3. Susan Boyle4. Kris Allen & Adam Lambert5. Nadya Suleman6. Carrie Prejean7. Governor Mark Sanford8. Portuguese Water Dog9. Falcon Heene10. Sonia SotomayorMobile Becoming MainstreamThe only social media related search to crack any of Yahoo’s top 10 lists is “Obama Facebook,” which does point to a public curiosity about politics and social media. But, while “iPhone” and a number searches related to people who fascinated the web, like Susan Boyleand Balloon Boy, Falcon Heene, made their marks in terms of search, social media doesn’t appear to have prominently factored into the search equation for Yahoos.It’s probably fair to conclude that Yahoo searchers are more mainstream, less interested in Twitter, and more curious about pop culture, than Bing searchers.One interesting thing to pay attention to, however, are the Yahoo mobile searches for 2009. A careful look at this category paints a very compelling picture for the rise of the mobile web and its adoption by mainstream users. There is a definite overlap in popular searches for the web and mobile, which supports findings and predictions that the mobile web is taking over the world. Searches also highlight a growing mobile demand for consuming multimedia content, especially games and entertainment, on mobile devices.Reviews: Bing, Twitter, twilightTags: 2009, Search Data, Yahoo Search
We’ve seen a couple of heavy-hitting matchups in our Faceoff seriesin the last couple of weeks, with Google Android smashing Apple’s iPhoneand Verizon trouncing AT&Trecently. This week we have another clash of the titans, with Microsoft’s relatively new search contender Bing going head-to-head against incumbent Google for Mashable readers’ search supremacy.Who will be the winner in this week’s faceoff? You’ll have to cast your vote below and tune in on Friday for the results. Be sure to get your opinion in by noon PST on Friday to make it in time for poll closing. Also please let us know in the comments who you chose the winner you did. For results from all of the past Faceoff matchups to date, see the end of this post. Happy voting!Who would win in a fight: Google or Bing?(surveys)Web Faceoff: Overall ResultsWeek 1:- Mozilla Firefox vs. Google Chrome- WINNER: Firefox, 4600 votes (Chrome: 3310 votes, Tie: 911 votes)Week 2:- Tumblr vs. Posterous- WINNER: Tumblr, 1809 votes (Posterous: 1496 votes, Tie: 256 votes)Week 3:- Pandora vs. Last.fm- WINNER: Last.fm, 1187 votes (Pandora: 1156 votes, Tie: 122 votes)Week 4:- Twitter vs. Facebook- WINNER: Facebook, 2484 votes (Twitter: 2061 votes, Tie: 588 votes)Week 5:- WordPress vs. Typepad- WINNER: WordPress, 2714 votes (Typepad: 267 votes, Tie: 357 votes)Week 6:- Windows 7 vs. Snow Leopard- WINNER: Windows 7, 3632 votes (Snow Leopard: 3278 votes, Tie: 121 votes)Week 7:- TweetDeck vs. Seesmic Desktop- WINNER: TweetDeck, 3294 votes (Seesmic Desktop: 1055 votes, Tie: 260 votes)Week 8:- Microsoft Office vs. Google Docs- WINNER: Microsoft Office, 1365 votes (Google Docs: 994 votes, Tie: 315 votes)Week 9:- Apple iPhone vs. Google Android- WINNER: Google Android, 3323 votes (Apple iPhone: 1494 votes, Tie: 228 votes)Week 10:- AT&T vs. Verizon- WINNER: Verizon, 1161 votes (AT&T: 538 votes, Tie: 118 votes)Reviews: Bing, Chrome, Facebook, Firefox, Google, Google Chrome, Google Docs, Mashable, Mozilla Firefox, Pandora, Posterous, Seesmic Desktop, Tumblr, TweetDeck, Twitter, TypePad, WordPressTags: bing, Google, poll, Search, web faceoff
This year marked the second annual Android Developer Challenge, in which third-party developers competed for up to a $250,000 purse for the overall winner, as well as sizeable $100k, $50k and $25k 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes in each of 10 app categories. Throughout September and October, participating official judgesas well as thousands of Android user judges tested out and voted on submitted entries — and now the final winners are in.Google posted not only the 30 winners in each of the 10 categories as well as the 3 overall winners, but have published an unabridged gallery of the top 200 appsin the challenge. Although some of these apps aren’t yet available in the Android Market, many of them are downloadable now and the rest surely will be shortly. Categories included Education, Entertainment, two Gaming categories (for Arcade/Action and Casual/Puzzle), Lifestyle, Media, Productivity/Tools, Social Networking, Travel, and Miscellaneous. A comparison between last year’s Top 50 galleryand this year’s 200-strong showcase alone speaks to the growth of the Android platform over the past year. ADC1 also saw a wealth of location-based servicestake the top slots, while 2009’s categories approach provided a more diverse set of winning apps.Have you had a chance to check out any of the winners yet? Are there any in the official winners list or the top 200 gallery you’re looking forward to picking up? Let us know in the comments.Top 30 Android Apps, By CategoryOverall Winners- SweetDreams- What the Doodle!?- WaveSecureEducation/Reference Winners- Plink Art- Word Puzzle- CelesteEntertainment Winners- A World of Photo- SongDNA- SoloGames: Arcade/Action Winners- Speed Forge 3D- Graviturn- Moto X MayhemGames: Casual/Puzzle Winners- What the Doodle!?- Totemo- MazenessLifestyle Winners- SweetDreams- SpecTrek- FoxyRingMedia Winners- Buzz Deck- SPB TV- FxCameraProductivity/Tools Winners- WaveSecure- Hoccer- TaskerSocial Networking Winners- Ce:real – Everyday trends- SocialMuse- SpotMessageTravel Winners- Trip Journal- iNap: Arrival Alert- Car LocatorMisc Winners- Rhythm Guitar- Andrometer- Calton Hill GPSCaddyReviews: Android, Android Market, GoogleTags: ADC, ADC2, android, android developer challenge, Android Market, Google
This post is part of Mashable’s Spark of Genius series, which highlights a unique feature of startups. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here. The series is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark.Name: InvisibleHandQuick Pitch: InvisibleHand is a Firefox addon that shows a discreet notification when the product you’re browsing can be bought for a lower price elsewhere.Genius Idea: While there’s no shortage of online tools designed to help consumers be better bargain shoppers, InvisibleHand works automatically while you browse to find you better deals on products from more than 100 top retailers in three different countries. It’s effortless comparison shopping that’s designed to work for you as a seamless addition to your standard browsing experience.Say, for instance, that you’re shopping for a new LCD TV and you’re scouring the deals on Amazon.com. Should there be a lower price available for the item from another retailer, InvisibleHand will automatically alert you to the better deal with a notification that displays the savings, the lower price, an option to view all available offers, and a quick link to the online retailer where you can make the purchase.Though InvisibleHand can’t account for every single product or retailer on the web, they do cover and support big names like Best Buy, Amazon, Borders, Buy.com, The Home Depot, New Egg, Sears, and Walmart. Products included range from everything like video games, toys, game consoles, and consumer electronic devices to cosmetics, books, and pharmaceuticals.We’re pretty keen on the idea of saving money without additional effort, and InvisibleHand offers one of the most efficient means for doing so. Let us know what you think of the Firefox addon in the comments.Sponsored by Microsoft BizSparkBizSpark is a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.Entrepreneurs can take advantage of the Azure Services platformfor their website hosting and storage needs. Microsoft recently announced the “new CloudApp()” contest– use the Azure Services Platform for hosting your .NET or PHP app, and you could be the lucky winner of a USD 5000* (please see website for official rules and guidelines).”Reviews: Firefox, PHPTags: firefox add-on, invisiblehand, online shopping
For Mac OS X users, desktop social media clients almost always involve a trade-off. We can either use multiple apps to update our profiles and services or we can use programs like TweetDeckor Seesmic Desktopthat work with lots of services, but rely on Adobe AIR and thus have a tendency to eat up memory and bog down our processors.Earlier this year, an app called EventBox entered the Mac marketplace as an option to fix this quandary. It was a native Mac OS X app but allowed users to access and update multiple social services. In OctoberRealmac Softwareacquired the app and renamed it Socialite. Over the last two months, Realmac has worked to refine the interface, add features like Twitter Listsand just generally give the whole client a good coat of polish. Today Socialite 1.0 is available for download.Multiple Services, One Clean InterfaceAs we’ve discussed in previous preview articles, Socialite handles Twitter, Facebook, Digg, Flickr, Google Reader and standard RSS feeds. What’s nice about Socialite is that you can view information from all of these services in one clean interface, without getting bogged down by columns or multiple windows.Check out this video from Realmac that shows off how to add an account to Socialite:Photos, Retweets and ListsSince we last wrote about Socialite, Twitter Lists support has been enhanced to support lists you subscribe to, as well as lists you have already created. Creating lists and managing lists is a feature that Realmac is considering for a future update, but it isn’t available in the 1.0 release.Socialite uses Twitter’s new RT system. You can do this by either hitting a key-command or selecting RT from a tweet’s option bar. You get confirmation of a Retweet by the appearance of a translucent black bar just above the status update menu. This is how Retweets look in Socialite:One of the nicest features of Socialite is its integration with both Flickr and Facebook’s photo systems. Lots of Facebook clients can offer ways to update status messages and view status messages from others — and even view photos in-line — but uploading photos or viewing photographs in a more album like manner isn’t a common feature.Socialite lets you upload and also view photos in both Facebook and Flickr in an easy to browse kind of way. For users who don’t like using the web uploaders, the ability to upload and tag within Socialite is really nice.HUD OptionSocialite’s main interface window is uncluttered and easy to navigate, but if you are low on screen real estate or just want an easy way to see what’s going on with a particular feed, you can use the HUD, or Heads Up Display, option. It’s a nice alternative to having the full menu and you can perform almost every action from the main interface within the smaller HUD column.OverallSocialite is a solid Mac app with a great look and feel and great integration with different social services. We would love to see LinkedIn added as a supported service, especially now that they have an API, but Socialite covers the gamut of the most widely-used social platforms. Socialite is $20 but you can try the program out for free.Have you used Socialite? What are your favorite social media clients for Mac OS X? Let us know!Reviews: Digg, Facebook, Flickr, Google Reader, LinkedIn, TwitterTags: digg, facebook, flickr, mac software, realmac, Socialite, twitter
If you’re a gamer who wants to stay connected to your Xbox LIVE account even while on the go, guess what: there’s an app for that. The 360 Live(warning: iTunes link) application is an iPhone app that lets you perform many of the same social and gamertag management functions as you would be able to on the console itself.Recently updated to version 2, the $1.99 app allows you to manage friends and friend requests, see who’s currently online, compare gamerscores and achievements, and chat over Xbox LIVE messaging to one or more recipients. After logging in with your XBLA credentials, the app will automatically pull down all your friends and other needed account information.There may, however, be a bit of a caveat emptor required regarding the 360 Live app. As PC World points out, Microsoft stated back in August of last year that apps connecting to Xbox LIVE should be free of chargeto end users. Of course, they have to go through Apple to make an appeal regarding particular apps, so it’s hard to say what status this $2 app is actually in: if you’re hesitating on shelling out the 2 bucks, you may be better off waiting to see if it becomes free. Some sources are also skeptical about handing over Xbox LIVE credentialsto third-party developers.Still, version 2 of the app looks to be accumulating positive reviews in the App Store as one of the better Xbox LIVE apps out there. If you give it a spin, be sure to let us know your impressions; we’ll keep our eyes peeled for a price drop or an official statement regarding the app from Microsoft.Reviews: App StoreTags: apple, apps, iphone, iphone apps, microsoft, xbla, Xbox 360, XBox live
Twitter spam and scams: We know that they have been appearing more frequentlyand have become more dangerous. And it’s been a problem since relatively early onfor Twitter.The scammers are smart though and have beaten Twitter’s defenses consistently. Now Twitter’s default URL shortener, Bit.ly, has decided to take action of its own to combat the recent wave of Twitter scams.Today the growingcompany announcedthat it will integrate Bit.ly with spam and malware protection services to make sure that Bit.ly links don’t take users to fake websites, spyware, and other malicious content.The three services that will soon be part of Bit.ly are iDefense IP (made by VeriSign), Threatseeker Cloud (made by Websense), and Sophos. iDefense IP blacklists malicious code, URLs and domains based on the malware it detects. Threatseeker Cloud analyzes web content to figure out whether a website or URL is spam or a phishing site. Sophos is an antivirus and security firm that will utilize “behavior-analysis technology” to compliment the blacklists of Threatseeker Cloud and iDefense IP.The move should help build additional trust for Bit.ly links, which is essential if it is to continue its growth. However, it won’t solve the Twitter malware problem as spammers will choose far less secure URL shorteners to host their content. Soon though, you can feel very confident that the bit.ly link you just got in your direct message inbox is actually content, not spam.Reviews: Twitter, bit.lyTags: bit.ly, scams, twitter, Twitter Scams
Welcome, music fans! Today marks another installment of Free Music Mondayfor your listening pleasure. We’re celebrating the #musicmondaytradition on Twitter with 10 tracks, albums or playlists from around the web. Last week we ran a special Alternative Rock Edition, and this week we’ll be including either live or official music videos for all ten selections. Also remember we take submissions from you, dear readers! If you’d like us to showcase your music or tracks from artists you represent, head on to the end of this feature for details on how to submit music to us for consideration.And now, let’s get rolling with the list!1. Fever Ray: Keep the Streets Empty for Me — A spare, black and white and empty video treatment accompanies this similarly spartan solo track from one half of The Knife. 2. Mia Doi Todd: What If We Do — Live studio video from Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter and poet Mia Doi Toddfor the Luxury WafersStudio live session series.3. Gotye: Heart’s a Mess — Animator Brendan Cook created an epic fantasy world to illustrate this plaintive track from Belgian-born and Australia-raised Gotye.4. Cyndi Lauper: She Bop — Let’s just rewind for a bit, shall we, to a simpler time when leg warmers were all the rage and yet, somehow, music videos were just as random and weird.5. Yeasayer: Ambling Alp (warning: some nudity) — Surreal production from Canada’s Daft Arts and Spy Films and director Radical Friend for Brooklyn-based Yeasayer, who describe their music as “Middle Eastern-psych-snap-gospel.”6. Jon Allen: Dead Man’s Suit — Appropriately kooky literal interpretation of this dark and catchy tune from South Devon, England’s Jon Allen.7. Kid606: Mr. Wobble’s Nightmare — Surreal stop-motion animation befits the eclectic electronica of Venezuelan-born Kid606.8. Kasper Bjorke: Young Again — The forest green of Lausanne, Switzerland forms the backdrop for this electronic ode from Denmark’s alternative club artist.9. Wyclef Jean feat. Maino: You Don’t Wanna Go Outside — Fugees alum throws down a parking lot party with Brooklyn rapper Maino.10. Brendan Benson: A Whole Lot Better — Michigan-born, Nashville-based member of The Raconteurs is on his 4th solo album, My Old, Familiar Friend, featuring this live 70s show throwback video for A Whole Lot Better.Thanks for tuning in, music fans! If you like this feature, please give us a push by sending it to your music-loving friends. You can always find the latest edition of this feature on the Free Music Mondaytag page. We’ve appended the list of past Special Edition themed Free Music Mondays at the end of this post in case you’d like to check out any of the back catalog. Big thanks to everyone for all the excellent submissions we’re getting. If you sent us tracks and we haven’t featured them yet, stay tuned for a future Free Music Monday. If you’d like to submit tracks for yourself or an artist you represent, give us a shout at barb AT mashable DOT com. Be sure to send us either a link to an embeddable stream and/or let us know which track(s) you’re willing to provide as a free MP3 download (attachments up to 25 MB are welcome). Thanks everyone!Free Music Monday Back Catalogue- Alternative Rock Edition- Covers, Remixes, and Mashups Edition- Electronica Edition- Hip-hop Edition- Labor Day Edition- Live Edition- Rock and Pop Edition- Singer-Songwriter Edition- Your Submissions EditionReviews: AustraliaTags: free music monday, music, video
Just over a month ago, Facebook rolled outa new homepage redesign. Now it looks like the social network isn’t completely satisfied with the results, as it’s now testing yet another homepage redesign.We don’t know when the new design will launch yet, but we have analyzed several screenshots of the new Facebook that were sent to us. While most of the changes are minor, there are a few that really stand out and reveal Facebook’s strategy and future direction.Here are our top five observations about the upcoming Facebook homepage redesign, along with screenshots:Changes to Facebook’s Redesign1. All of the notifications have been moved to the top left. Notifications, requests, and inbox are prominently displayed next to the Facebook logo. Chat remains on the bottom, however.2. Search is far more important in this redesign. As my fellow usability experts can attest, placing the search box in the middle of the page instead of the right hand side increases the number of searches users make. Facebook wants to focus on its real-time search engine as it prepares to compete with Twitter.3. Your profile picture and status appears on the homepage. If you look on the current homepage design, you’ll find the updates of all of your friends, but yours isn’t constantly there, reminding you to update your old, outdated status. This is a problem Facebook has needed to fix for a while. Now it’s addressed with a new section at the top left of the homepage with your face and your most recent status update, along with a prompt to update your status.4. There’s a new border around the main content. It separates your left-hand navigation and notifications from your Facebook news feed.5. The ability to see your inbox from the homepage. We want to stress how important this change is to the new Facebook design. It gives you direct access to your most recent messages without leaving the homepage, which should increase engagement.Facebook’s GoalsFacebook hasn’t changed all that much with the design. To us, it’s more like a tweak to help improve engagement numbers that have probably been lagging. The reemphasis seems to surround search, the inbox, responding to notifications, and status updates. Moving the search box is a very smart move as the company looks to make search a core experience, like it is currently with Twitter. Being able to view the inbox from the homepage should also spur more messages. Finally, prompting users to update their status, something present in older iterations of the Facebook homepage, will likely increase the amount of content users generate.We’re going to investigate this design and find out when it launches. In the meantime, let us know what you think of the new Facebook in the comments.Thanks Matt Schlichtfor the tip!Reviews: Facebook, TwitterTags: design, facebook, trending
Millions of people might be hitting retail sites today for Cyber Monday, but are they also hitting Twitter to the point that the site is failing?We’re not sure, but thousands of users are currently seeing the infamous “fail whale” when attempting to load pages on Twitter.com.Twitter posts on their status blog:“Starting about 10 minutes ago [about 4:15et], we began experiencing a very high rate of errors and we are working on the underlying problem.”We’ll let you know when we hear more. In the meantime, feel free to let us know “what’s happening” in the comments.Update: Twitter says that “The Lists feature is temporarily unavailable as we diagnose the cause of the outage.” This comes hours after Twitter’s most popular desktop client – TweetDeck – added support for Liststo its application.Update #2: Twitter has turned Lists back on (6:30pm ET)Reviews: TweetDeck, TwitterTags: cyber monday, twitter
Data from Black Friday and the weekend points to a growing trend where consumers aren’t waiting for Cyber Mondayto take advantage of online deals.We already know that the average online purchase was up by 35%and that overall online sales were up 11% from last year, so despite the bevyof dealstoday, there’s been some speculation as to whether Cyber Monday would carry the same weight with consumers as in years past.While there’s still several more hours to go before the sun sets on Cyber Monday, Akamai is using its Net Usage Indexto monitor North American visitors to 270 online retail sites, and according to CNN, data from earlier in the day already points to a 43% traffic jump when compared to last year at the same time.At that time, those websites were attracting more than 4 million visitors per minute. As the graph above indicates, however, traffic peaked at 7,666,119 million visitors per minute. This peak is higher than the 6.69 million visitors per minute high on Black Friday, and it appears that the trend is still on the upswing. CNN also posits that “about 96.5 Americans plan to shop online Monday, up from 85 million in 2008, according to the National Retail Federation.”We’ll have to wait for sales data to trickle in, but all signs point to a record breaking Cyber Monday.Tags: akamai, cyber monday
Over the past 3 plus years, we’ve seen Twitter embraced by a variety of different communities — think big brands, small businesses, PR and marketing types, media outlets, journalists, moms, and public service agencies. Most of us know, however, that for every positive Twitter use case there’s one that’s just as negative.There have already been stories of burglars hip to Twitterwho rob unwitting victims that have tweeted their whereabouts, and now the New York Daily Newsis reporting that street gangs in New York have found both a tailored purpose and practice for the micro medium.The profile piece highlights how gang members, ambivalent to the fact that their tweets may be watched, are not only using Twitter to purposefully and openly stir the pot with rival gangs, but are also using it to coordinate fights. These Twitterers attempt to avoid detection by using street lingo, but their activities are constantly being monitored by police and investigators.The story follows a recent incident where, according to the piece, “a boy shot in the leg … may have been targeted because of a battle the Original Young Gangsters crew started on Twitter.” As mentioned, Manhattan police are aware of the gang members’ activities and are keeping a vigilant eye on Twitter in the hopes of finding evidence or preventing brawls. There have even been Twitter success stories, but just as gang members have adapted to a new medium, we’d expect them to adapt to the surveillance measures as well.If anything, this story serves as a reminder of how powerful real-time communication is and that it can be used by both heroes and villains.Image courtesy of iStockphoto, johnandersonphoto.Reviews: Twitter, iStockphotoTags: twitter
