Facebook isn’t the type of company content to be outdone by other people’s apps, so the company launched a new app called Facebook Camera for the iOS platform. The new app promises to make using Facebook photos faster and easier. When the user launches the app, they will see the photos from the people on their friends list.

The app lets people swipe to see more of any album or an individual photo to enlarge it. It also allows you to share your own photos by uploading multiple images at one time rather than having to upload individual images. It also has basic tools for editing pictures and adding filters. It’s not as full featured as Instagram, but I still vote we call this app Facegram.

It’s just puzzling that Facebook would release this app so soon after buying Instagram. Perhaps this app was already in development long before the purchase was announced. If you want to check it out, you can grab Facebook Camera over on the App Store for free.

That’s probably what Brazillian clothing retailer C&A is using as basis with their Facebook “Like” hangers. C&A has hooked up their hangers with a display the shows the number of likes the same article of clothing has received on their website.

Doing this works both ways, of course. If a person is on the fence about something and sees that it has ten thousand Likes, then he or she will probably end up buying it. But if it has just one or two Likes, it’ll probably go back on the rack.

[via New Launches via Oh Gizmo!]

This is done to make sure that you are who you say you are on your driver’s license. I guess that’s good since lots of kids have fake IDs these days. Of course some people see this as an invasion of privacy.

You can’t blame the establishments. They have to pay heavy fines if an underaged customer is found inside. People will no doubt just start to lie about their age on Facebook anyway, so what does this really accomplish? What do you guys think?

[via BBC via Ubergizmo]

(Facebook ID photo: Tobias Leingruber)

These social media concept Keds were created by designer Lumen Bigott, and include designs for Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Wikipedia as well as Dribble (never heard of ‘em), and the now defunct Google Buzz (though they could just rename them Google Plus shoes at this point.)

I particularly like the Fail Whale on the Twitter shoes, as well as the polkadotted Flickr design. Unfortunately, these shoes are only concepts, but I suppose with a little fabric paint and some patience, you could create your own pair for your favorite site. Personally, I’d like a pair of Friendster boots to wear with my MySpace tuxedo.

[via Bored Panda]

Girls Around Me worked by providing the user with a view of the women (or men) who currently happen to be in the same area as the user, all with a tap on the screen. The app pulled location information from publicly visible Facebook profiles of other users who have checked into the area using Foursquare. While the app wouldn’t let you search for specific people and find their location, it did show images of girls who were in your immediate vicinity.

It might seem like the player’s perfect app, but it’s one that could also be used in the wrongest of ways by stalkers and other unsavory types.

The app eventually raised so much public outcry that Foursquare cut off API access to the app, on the grounds that it violated a policy against aggregating information across venues. Later, the app was pulled from the App Store due to the broken API access – though Apple hasn’t commented on whether they played any part in pulling down the app.

Girls Around Me might be dead for now, but the privacy issues are still very much alive.

[via NYT via Dvice]

On some levels, it showcased the power of social media. On another, it poses a huge safety issue because someone who didn’t like what you said (or what you’re trying to start) might decide to hunt you down. After all, they have your photos, and they have your general location.

So for whenever you’d want to protect your content, there’s Privly. Or at least, there will be, if enough backers fund their project, which is currently up on Kickstarter.

The idea behind Privly is that you never give public websites access to your private content at all. Instead, your content is encrypted, uploaded securely to Privly’s servers, and a special browser plugin decrypts the links and display the content for those you trust. Those you don’t trust will only see a link to the content, but those you do will see the protected content in its place.

If the developers reach their funding goal (which is ten grand), they’ll be able to build an open source encryption library for Privly-type extensions and pull off a few more items from their roadmap, including peer-to-peer networking which would eliminate the risks associated with the centralized storage at Privly.

If you’re concerned about the privacy of content you want to share online, you can make a pledge to show your support for the project on Kickstarter, if you want to.

The latest one is QRawr. It basically allows people to make virtual comments on real walls by slapping on these stickers that contain unique QR codes. (If they were allowed to scrawl their comments on the walls then that would be vandalism. Which I’m sure you already know.) In short, QRawr lets anyone transform any wall (or object) into a digital discussion wall.

People with iPhones can start commenting on QRawr-stickered walls right away by getting the QRawr app. Those with Android-powered devices will have to wait a while, though, as the developers’ Kickstarter project failed to get funded.

If you want to get your hands on some stickers, just tweet QRawr to your friends and they’ll be happy to send some over to you.

[via Pop Up City]

Sad, isn’t it? I mean, I have nothing against social networks. In fact, I think they could actually be helpful and useful in many cases. But sometimes, there are those who put too much of their worth or their life into these sites, that they’re driven to do really crazy stuff in some extreme situations.

Just a few days ago, a couple from Tennessee were murdered because they “unfriended” a woman named Jenelle Potter. In a fit, her father and some other guy went to the couple’s home and shot them in the head. Their 8-month old baby was found unharmed in the mother’s arms. Maybe there was more to this than just the Facebook unfriending, but as things stand right now, the whole thing sounds pretty sick.

Image credit: DarkDelaqroux

There’s also this video on YouTube that’s gone viral the past few days. It’s from an IT pro named Tommy Jordan who talks about Facebook parenting. In the clip, he shoots his daughter’s laptop because she posted “disrespectful status updates.” There’s some NSFW language in the video, so be aware before hitting play.

Maybe the video was just made to drive traffic, but it kind of makes you think: what’s happening to society? It’s not that the daughter’s status updates were appropriate by any means, but it’s a bit of a hyperbolic response to her behavior. Why not just take her laptop away – or donate it to charity?

I really don’t think that anything that happens on Facebook is worth taking someone else’s life – or shooting a laptop, for that matter.

First released a few years back as the Nabaztag, and now reincarnated as Karotz, the little gadget has integrated microphone and you can speak to the rabbit, and then it will post what you say to Facebook for you. The wascally wabbit also has a camera inside and can take a picture of you to share on Facebook with your friends. In addition, an app is in the works that will also allow your friends on Facebook to take control of the rabbit and communicate with you by sending audio messages or even sending you a poke via the rabbit.

The thing will also read statuses or comments aloud to you from your Facebook profile. Karotz has voice recognition software inside and can play music for you, check e-mails, read weather reports, RSS feeds, and lots more. The device can also be made to notify you via e-mail when someone is in your home such as a child or a roommate – should they enter the room with the appropriate RFID tag on their keychain or backpack. There are also a few other apps, like one which lets you use Karotz as a remote spycam, since it has a webcam built in.

The rabbit sells for $129.99(USD) over at the Karotz website and from other retailers.

Designed by Benjamin Redford and the OllyFactory (get it?). Olly and Molly are USB-connected, Arduino-powered gadgets which notify you when you have a new message by letting you follow your nose or taste buds. Olly is the smelly one of the pair – and can be filled with a scented oil of your choice – and then emit an aroma as a notification. You can even stack up multiple Ollies so you can have different digital events trigger different smells.

Molly isn’t stinky at all. This little bot holds onto some little candies, and drops one into its little bin whenever your tweets gets retweeted a pre-set number of times. Though it doesn’t look like it can hold too many candies – which is good if you get a lot of retweets. You wouldn’t want to start gaining weight from Twitter now? That’s all we need now.

Both Olly and Molly are raising funds now over on Kickstarter – and they still have a ways to go if you’d like one. The fundraising ends on Feb. 10, and still needs to raise another $27,000 of its $35,000 goal. A pledge of $50 or more gets you an Olly, and $55 or more gets you a Molly. Higher pledges will result in various combos of Ollies and Mollies, as well as the ability to customize the look of yours.

When Angry Birds hits Facebook, it will have some new tweaks compared to the mobile versions and will be a much different experience for players. Rovio is being coy with the details, but the developers have said the new game will be much more collaborative for players. I assume that means that you will be able to invite friends to play with you.

One the most interesting tidbits is that the game will be more focused on the pigs on the Facebook version. That makes me hope that what they’re talking about is maybe the friends you invite play Angry Birds on Facebook with you will be able to play as the pigs and even build out your own levels. That would be pretty awesome.

[via Mashable]

The LikeBelt is a concept gadget that lets you update your Facebook status on the go with just a simple thrust. Basically, it employs Near Field Communication (NFC) technology so you can send out updates when you get close enough by thrusting the belt towards an object or a person with the appropriate RFID tag on them.

However, by “close enough,” we actually mean around two inches or so, so be careful where you thrust that belt towards.

[via Wired Gadget Lab via Dvice]

But when your time comes, would you want to leave a last word of some sort?

Sometimes, circumstances make it impossible for you to leave your last word, like if you’ve got some illness where you’ll be too weak to speak or if you go by way of an accident. It would’ve been too late – if you didn’t have the “If I Die” app, that is.

It’s an app for Facebook that will make sure you’ll be able to have your last word.

Just activate the “If I Die” app, prepare a video or text message, and you’re all set. When you die, three trustees who you’ve appointed when you set the app up will confirm if you have indeed passed. Your message will then be automatically posted to your wall from beyond the grave.

[via Daily Mail]

You’ve probably done something like this, whenever Windows used to freeze up, you could drag a window around and create these sort of patterns on your screen. Well, Lithuanian artist Laimonas Zakas‘ Glitchr uses unicode characters to exploit certain programming bugs in popular sites such as Facebook.

While these glitches might seem harmless, some companies have already taken measures to ensure that their sites won’t be “glitchred”. For the time being, you can check out Glitchr on its Facebook page or its Tumblr site. No guarantee that the bugs won’t be fixed by the time you visit, though.

[via designboom]

Note that the profile on the curtain is actually of the curtain itself, not yours, so try to keep your poses respectful. Head to SpinningHat to reserve your own Social Shower Curtain for £14.99 (~$23 USD). Timeline not included.

[via Laughing Squid]

So for each and every person addicted to Facebook and stalking viewing the profiles of other people, there’s the Fbed. Or at least the concept of it.

The Fbed was thought up by Croatian designer Tomislav Zvonarić of DevianTom. When you look at it from the side (or from the front, based on your perspective, really), you will notice that it’s shaped like Facebook’s famous “f.”

It’s basically just like any bed, except instead of a headboard, there’s sort of a mini-workstation. Just plug in your computer, hop into the seat, and start networking away. Of course, this could also be a bed for workaholics, although I doubt they’ll want it shaped like a horizontal “f.”

According to Tomislav, the Fbed is a “conceptual multipractical bed design that would allow you always to be up to date and close to your online friends even when you sleep. The idea is that you may hop in front of your screen directly from your bed when you wake up, and (the) inverse when you get tired and want to go sleep…”

What do you think?

[via The Design Home]

Poor Yahoo! Check out the rest of the heroes’ gallery below and see if you agree with Tanner’s analogies:

Batman is too good for Facebook. Also, where’s Wikipedia? It could’ve been The Question. Powers: Can tap into the world’s collective knowledge. Nemesis: Anyone.

[via Collegehumor via Laughing Squid]

Another product that’s up for a possible quick “cease-and-desist” is Facedrink. And it’s pretty obvious which company’s going to be wanting to pull this drink off of Amazon.

Facedrink is dubbed as “the social drink,” obviously a play on Facebook, “the social network.” But really, Facedrink is just an energy drink and I doubt there’s anything truly special about it, except for its packaging. As a matter of fact, one of the customer reviews say it tastes “god awful.”

The company’s website claims that it’s the drink that “gives you social energy – but really, what exactly is social energy?

Even Facedrink’s website kind of looks like Facebook. I wonder how long it will be before Zuckerberg and his team take notice of this, but I don’t think it will take long.

[via Daily Mail]

The catch so far has been that if you are on a computer where you can’t install the plugins and software you need for the Slingplayer to work, you were out of luck. Slingbox announced today a new version of the Slingplayer that will work on any computer with a web connection and a way to connect to Facebook.

The new Slingplayer for Facebook is out now, it will shoot your content out to the popular social network. That means any computer that supports and accesses Facebook will be usable to watch anything you have on your Slingbox. You must be using a Slingbox Pro-HD or Solo box for the Facebook player app to work.

[via Twitter]

Since people will immediately recognize it and it will grab their attention, they’ll probably be more likely to leave tips when they see it. The other benefit is that the design of the tip box isn’t too glaringly loud, so it should fit in with any decor.

You can get it for $19.99 (USD) from Pukka/Dank. If you run a business that thrives on tips, you might want to pick one up to see how it will affect customer contributions.

[via DesignYouTrust]