News

Men's leggings, or "Meggings", have been spotted on the streets of Tokyo. Is the apocalypse really at hand or is it just some bad fashion afoot?

Microsoft celebrated the launch of their highly anticipated Windows 7 operating system worldwide with a smorgasbord of offbeat promotions, but nothing could top Burger King's 7-patty Windows 7 Whopper in Japan. DO have a cow, man!

Japanese Idols... they're not jeweled statues you'll find in a temple. These idols are pretty young girls who show off her cute looks and debatable talents on TV, at websites, in magazines and now... in a unique Akihabara language school.

When Bing filed for a trademark earlier this year, it appeared that 'local search' was in its cross-hairs. Now it has set it sights on 'real-time search' as well. And not to be outdone, the ubiquitous Google followed suit. Rocking real-time, baby is something both of these search engines needed to stay relevant in today's search engine arena.

It's a phone! It's a music & video player! It's NOT an iPhone, but the HiPhone F320 has a few other things going for it, not the least being its quirky, retro, phone dial wheel style.

A new patient simulation robot now used to help train medical professionals in Japan has been programmed to not only exhibit symptoms of H1N1 swine flu, but to respond to proper - or improper - treatment.

If impersonation is the sincerest form of flattery, parodies have to be its kissing cousin. When it comes to Mad Men, one of the most intelligent and entertaining dramas on the tube today, everyone seems to want a piece of Dan Draper and Peggy Olsen...and making fun of them is...well... the icing on the cake!

Remember the days, when record companies use to slip a radio station a few extra hundred bucks to promote their favorite artist's latest record? The term, "payola" derived from that practice. Today, those pay-offs are being replaced by a new 21st century social media updated version.

The ultimate e-gadget for geeks young and old is just around the corner. It's the first Google Android-based e-book with full browser capability and a Duet Navigator™, a dual screen display that "holds" text on one screen and related hyperlinked material on the second. Designed by Spring Design and called simply Alex, it's sure to be a hit with research, educational, and entertainment markets.

It's becoming more and more difficult for traditional gatekeepers like the government to control the flow of information to the people. In years past when the authorities issued a "gag order" against the media, they could easily enforce it. Not the case in today's social media world!

Holiday Shopping habits are going through a transition states OneUpWeb.com. The recession has changed consumer habits and according to their report on shopping trends, "social" search engines will be used more than traditional search for data regarding holiday purchases. And beyond Twitter Search, the social networking niche gaining the most traction in this area is social shopping network sites.

Can Twitter become a game-changer in Japan, where it just recently launched a new mobile platform? Or will cultural differences and native social networks like Mixi and Poupeegirl thwart its efforts?

As much as social media occupies our everyday lives, I was surprised at how few social media costume actually were being packaged for sale. Perhaps retail manufacturers are in such an economic slump, they are focusing more on unloading existing inventory versus created new merchandise. However on the "home-made-create-your own" front, there are dozens of folks who have spent their time and creativity to craft some very unique social media costumes for this Halloween.

On October 12th, with just a few hours of tweeting under the new Twilight Twitter account's belt, it had already tallied 22,000 followers. Three days later and as of the time of this posting, it has more than tripled its fan base to reach 78,000. Can it reach a million and will it shift the age demographic on Twitter? Take our POLLS and find out.

Almost 2 Million followers before she stopped counting. She ain't living for Twitter any more. Miley Cyrus is one of the first celebs to pack it in on Twitter. Was the bright light that shines on Twitterville too much of a spotlight and will others take her lead?

While I've been known to have slept under a rock in the past, I thought I was up to speed on all the social networks online today. Not only did Tagged.com slip in under my radar, its Web site boasts being the "3rd largest network in the US" while amassing over 80 million members worldwide.

Just in time for Halloween, you can vote for the scariest movie since "Blair Witch." Yes, you can now vote for where you want a new motion picture to appear and if you can assemble a million followers via social networks like Twitter and Facebook, you can "demand" that the movie be distributed nationwide.

Rumors are running rampant about talks between Twitter and the top search engines. Is Twitter striking separate data-mining deals with Google and Microsoft where they'll receive a full feed from the microblogging service?

Like Madonna, socialbookmarking services like Digg and Reddit have been reinventing themselves to stay relevant within social media circles. With over 8.5 million users and 35 million Web pages "stumbled," StumbleUpon has gone one step further than its competitors.

Hablo Espanol? Parlez-vous Francais? Spriten Ze Deutsche?  "Gazouiller" and "Cinguettare" translates to "Twitter" in French and Italian. But how do you translate English into other languages on the microblogging site?