Google Launches OpenSocial

Google Launches OpenSocial. OpenSocial is a set of APIs that will allow independent developers to build applications that run on any participating network, using the data stored by that network.

Techcrunch, which posted the first details of the announcement, claims that OpenSocial’s hosts, or the participating social networks, include Google’s Orkut, Salesforce, LinkedIn, Ning, Hi5, Plaxo, Friendster, Viadeo and Oracle.

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Key HIV strain 'came from Haiti'

Key HIV virus which predominates in the United States and Europe has been traced back to Haiti by an international team of scientists.

The strain passed from Haiti to the US in about 1969 before spreading further, says the team in the Proceedings of the US National Academy of Sciences.

They hope knowing this could help find a cure for HIV, which can lead to Aids.

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Microsoft Pays $240 Million for 1.6% Stake in Facebook

Microsoft announced on Wednesday that it will pay $240 million for a 1.6% stake in Facebook, which puts a $15 billion valuation on the less than four-year-old online social network.

Microsoft also sells online ads for Facebook.

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KickApps Enables Mobile User-Generated Content Authoring

KickApps, a hosted social media platform, announced new, Mobile User-Generated Content (UGC) Authoring functionality for sites powered by the KickApps platform.

“By supporting mobile phone media capture we've expanded user-generated content authoring to a new and very broad community,” said Alex Blum, CEO of KickApps. “Together with today’s announcement about our collaboration with VeriSign to design and develop new multi-screen solutions that will work on the broadest set of mobile devices and networks across the world, KickApps continues to set the bar for the industry around innovative new features that further eliminate the barriers for both publishers and their communities."

One of the inaugural clients to take advantage of the Mobile UGC Authoring functionality is the Cleveland-based, CBS affiliate, 19ActionNews

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Woman sues Facebook over Unwanted Text Messages

An Indiana woman has sued online social network Facebook, claiming the company is profiting when its users mistakenly send unwanted text messages to mobile phones whose numbers previously belonged to other consumers, the Associated Press reported.

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Hiring managers use social networking sites to screen job candidates

A CareerBuilder survey of 1,150 hiring managers in 2006 found that 12% of the respondents said they have used social networking sites to screen job candidates. Of these hiring managers, 63% said they did not hire the person based on what they found.

So, be careful what you post on those site :)

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House Passes Bill Shielding Journalists, Some Bloggers in Court

The U.S. House on Tuesday passed a bill that would shield journalists and bloggers from having to identify their confidential sources in the course of federal investigations.

"Freedom of the press protected by the First Amendment has been a cornerstone of our democracy, one that we cherish and promote around the world," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said before the vote.

Justice Department opposes the proposed "shield law," and the Bush administration has threatened a veto.

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AOL will lay off about 2,000 employees

AOL LLC will lay off about 2,000 employees, or approximately 20 percent of its staff, as it continues its transformation into an online, ad-supported business and moves further away from its traditional revenue model based on dial-up Internet access fees.

The layoffs will begin on Tuesday and will continue over the coming months.

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Kickapps, social media platform now integrates with Joomla

KickApps, social media platform, announced the integration of the community-building platform with one of the industry’s most commonly used open source content management systems (CMS),
Joomla! Developers and web publishers using Joomla CMS can now easily integrate their KickApps powered communities with their existing websites to fuel audience growth and engagement via social networking, user-generated content, programmable video, and Widgets for content syndication.


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Staten Island Councilman James Oddo's Profanity Tirade Caught On Video

Staten Island Councilman James Oddo's Profanity Tirade Caught On Video
Councilman James Oddo of Staten Island was recently caught on video issuing a profanity-laced tirade at a Norwegian TV comedy crew.

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Airport Video Shows Woman Causing Disturbance

Arizona authorities release surveillance tape from the Phoenix airport, showing the behavior of a New York woman. She was taken into custody and was later found dead in a holding cell. Her family is questioning how police handled the incident.

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