Reviews

Facebook's reversal of fortunes in such a short span of time has played out almost like a modern-day morality tale.  The fall-out of the social network post-IPO, after such an enthusiastic build-up was telling. While it lined the pockets of some (namely investment bankers), it deprived the 99 Percenters (or Dumb F*cks as Zuckerberg so adroitly labeled them back in 2004) full-disclosure, resulting in a subsequent short-fall on their FB investment.

Klout is to 'personal influence' what Google is to 'page ranking.' While the Big G's algorithms determine the relevance of the Internet's every web page, Klout supposedly ranks the influence of every person online. As a 3-year old start-up, it's raison d'être is to measure influence based on the digerati's ability to drive action.

The term "Dumb F*cks" has hung over Mark Zuckerberg like a dark cloud during the course of the last 8 years. Not because his nickname "Zuck" rhymes with the expletive, but because the CEO of today's largest social network derided his early FB users as such. In 2004, when first percolating the idea of FB in a Harvard dorm room and asked how he attracted so many followers so quickly, he off-handedly responded they were following him blindly, like "Dumb F*cks."

Legions of guitarists, string players, troubadours, and DIY-shaker makers will converge on Bryant Park May 1, 2012 for Occupy Guitarmy, as part of the Occupy Wall Street May Day initiatives for social and economic justice. And you're all invited. Just show up at the Gertrude Stein statue at 12 Noon on that date and get ready to jam all the way down to Union Square.

On March 17th, the 6th month anniversary of Occupy Wall Street, hundreds of 99 Percenters chose to return to their original stomping grounds on Wall Street. But this time they were pushed back by NY City cops, and as tensions rose, one activist was actually punched in the head by officers several times, while others were subdued and arrested.

The number of followers who had joined "Is Anyone Up" might not have been in the hundreds of millions like some of the more popular social networks, but it sure was capitalizing on the profiles that were registered on Facebook and Twitter, nonetheless. Entrepreneur Hunter Moore had taken Chatroulette to a whole 'nother level to what some were defining as "revenge" or "identity" porn.

When a neighborhood watch group escalates from its watchdog origins to outright vigilantism, is nothing to be done to protect the lives innocent citizens? So is the question asked by the Trayvon Martin camp. However, in their fervor to prove their point, they have assumed the same extreme behavior online as that which they are condemning on the streets.

If you've been turned of by The Top Ten Weird and Bizarre Chinese Soft Drinks, prepare to turn the other cheek and turn your taste buds back on again! China is a land of contrasts, and for every bizarre drink there's a delicious canned or bottled taste treat just waiting for you to crack open. Sit back, open wide and enjoy!

Hotel commerce, branding, online reputation management, guest feedback, reviews, and customer satisfaction are no longer disconnected or disjunctive focus areas for hoteliers. Today, social media's tetra-like tentacles reaches out to all of these touch points, and the more forward-thinking hoteliers are embracing 21st century technology to get the job done comprehensively, from decision-making to check-out.

With record-breaking pageviews and generating more traffic than Google+, LinkedIn and YouTube combined, social media's latest shiny thing has ridden into our zeitgeist quicker than Superman's speeding bullet. Pinterest's ability to scale to 7.2 million visitors in the U.S. alone, with other reports stating its tallied 11 million total visits during one week in December sounds like Facebook's early ascendancy during its 2004 debut.

The Flip.to social media marketing platform just launched direct integration with the Hotel Concept's RezExchange channel management and distribution system for hotels. The service is a new means for the hospitality industry to convert guests and website visitors into engaged advocates while extending a brand's reach exponentially and finally providing hotels with a means to push past basic social media engagement, to a definable ROI.

First there was Japanese hair straightening; it was all the rage until it wasn’t.  Then came the Brazilian keratin treatments promising to turn your curly hair into sleek, shiny straight strands of goodness.  And now with the economy in dire straights everyone is tightening their belts and trying to be more budget conscious.  I searched for some at-home remedies for curly or frizzy hair that would provide similar results for a fraction of the cost.  J F Lazartigue has come to the rescue with a line of straightening products consisting of shampoo, conditioner and a gel.

With a movie project that has virtually taken years to "wrap," Twittamentary, is a film about communities that is now available for communities around the world. Having received numerous request from folks and organizations across the globe, the film's producer is thrilled to announce an "open call" for community screenings to take place between February 1 and May 1, 2012. That's right, if you have a suitable venue and meet the screening requirements, all you need is 20 of your closest friends or fans to put on a show - for free!

Whenever a new movement consumes the hearts and minds of a large percentage of the populace, its time to take stock in what really moves these folks to act? The zeitgeist that emanated from Facebook and Occupy Wall Street couldn't be any more different from each other, yet there is an undercurrent that threads the two together. Both attract those that have an overwhelming desire to band together within loosely-knit organizations that welcome all.

For anyone who knows how difficult it is to keep treated or coarse hair hydrated, the MoroccanOil Hydrating Styling Cream is a product worth trying. The pure argan oil conditions and hydrates your hair and is ideal for adding prior to a blow out.  The cream adds soft definition while creating the perfect hair style leaving your hair shiny and sexy.

Cleaning Systems, comes a new product called Clarisonic Opal Sonic Infusion System. The Clarisonic Opal Sonic Infusion System is designed to reduce fine lines and wrinkles especially around the eye area. This egg shaped beauty product is small and easy to travel with and comes with its own travel case.

Time to take photography to a whole new level, now the sky isn’t the limit – you can include the ground too.  With the new Tamaggo 360-Imager you can share your whole world with a single click.  This cute little egg shaped dedicated pano-shooting camera (available in multiple colors) will change how we take panoramic pictures.

Kik is the new multi-platform, crazy fast text messaging application that is available on Android, iPhone, Windows Phone 7, Symbian and Blackberry smartphones. I know you Luddites are asking why do you need another messenger and my fellow geeks are probably asking the same thing. Kik has reimagined texting for smartphones.

It’s Girl Scout Cookie time (or almost time depending on what part of the country you’re in) and unless you know someone who is in the Girls Scouts of the USA the problem is always about finding them before they’re gone.  Well GSUSA has solved that problem this year with help from technology.

Le Métier de Beauté Precision Liquid Liner has solved the difficult application process by studying the famous German pen maker Mont Blanc’s writing instruments. The Precision Liquid Liner is precisely that – pure precision.  The pen has a unique soft quill-tipped applicator which looks very similar to a fine point felt tip pen.