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]

Studios have been known to edge out the competition and plan for the future by scrambling to buy movie rights to what’s currently in. As a result of such race, movie rights to games such as Monopoly, The Sims, and even Battleship have all been signed and sealed. But seriously now, Farmville on the big screen?

Okay, so there’s no script for the movie – yet. But considerable talent have already been tapped to work on the project, namely, Alec Sokolow and Joel Cohen, who co-wrote Pixar’s Toy Story. I think a movie about a farmer and his or her farm animals and crops might be a tad dull, unless some animals begin making moves on taking over the farm (sounds like George Orwell’s Animal Farm, I know) but I’m kind of wondering what specific elements Farmville has that movie makers want to use.

I’m curious, but I probably won’t be lining up to see the Farmville movie, if ever it does get produced and manages to reach theaters near me.

[via Eurogamer via Geeky Gadgets]

Over the last decade or so, gaming has moved out of our living rooms, basements and dens, thanks to innovations in hardware and network infrastructure. No longer are we confined by the boundaries of the number of controllers one can connect to a console or the number of people you can fit on your couch.

My first experience with what might be called “social gaming” was with Quake on my PC. I was working at an Internet startup at the time, and a coworker mentioned that they were going to have an afternoon break where we’d meet up and play Team Deathmatch. It took me about a day before I was hooked. Even though we were all in cubicles in the same office, I was communicating and interacting with people that I would never have the reason to talk to on an everyday basis. For the first time in a long time, the idea of playing games with other people, even though I might not have had lots of gamer friends since I was a kid, became a reality.

Photo Credit: Will Merydith

Of course, Quake seems primitive by today’s standards, and there’s nothing quite like fragging your alien buddies in a round of Crysis 2 on one of today’s totally maxed out gaming PCs. Personally, I can’t wait to play it on that cool new Alienware Razer Blade laptop on a speedy wireless Internet connection.

Over the years, social interaction in games has evolved from its humble beginnings as a venue for taunting enemies in FPS games. Achievement and friends systems on game consoles and social networks have advanced social gaming to where it is today. So-called “gamification” rewards players with virtual trophies, prizes and leaderboards in exchange for achieving milestones in games. These badges of honor generally have no cash value, but the psychology behind them is pure genius.

People like to win and share their achievements with their friends and peers. With social games on platforms like Facebook, and a world that is connected virtually all the time, there’s a perfect storm which seems to have gathered. Not only do you have the opportunity to meet and interact with a seemingly infinite number of players at varied skill levels, but there’s an inherent sharing system built into the ecosystem. Sure, not all of your friends care that you just planted some new tomatoes in Farmville, but it still feels good to make it to that next level, and to let those who do care about the game know you’re a serious competitor. And the LEGO-like level-building tools in games have allowed users to get really creative and share their worlds for others to play in and enjoy.

Image Credit: Kevin Johnson

One of the coolest things about the tools being used to enable social gaming is that the basic infrastructure (the Internet), and platforms (i.e. Facebook, Google+), and delivery technologies (i.e. HTML5) are becoming ubiquitous across virtually all modern devices. Whether you’re on a laptop, netbook, smartphone or tablet, these games are starting to find their way to more and more players, no matter where they are. And it’s only a matter of time before these always-on connections will find their way into other consumer electronics. I can imagine a day in the not-too-distant future when your refrigerator and coffee maker will alert you when you lose your ranking on the Angry Birds 2013 leaderboard so you can jump online and reclaim your spot.

So how about you guys? Do you regularly play online and social games? What’s your favorite multiplayer game? What do you like most about it? Is it the game, the social interaction, or both?

This is the first post in Technabob’s Innovations Series, in partnership between Technabob and Intel®: Sponsors of Tomorrow. The Innovations Series is here to enlighten and stimulate discussion about technology and its impact on our everyday lives.

But for the women who just can’t seem to get enough of Facebook, there’s the Facebook Like Button bra. It’s available in a variety of sizes and cups, so I’m sure you’ll be able to order one that fits meets your requirements.

I personally like these bras, but I don’t really see myself wearing one of these anytime soon. But I will definitely do is push the Facebook “Like” button in real life if ever I see one of these quirky bras on a woman.

One of the most popular social networks around is Facebook with around 750 million active users. A lot of apps have been released to try to make it easier for people to broadcast their lives online; but what about the reverse? What if you happened to just pass by a store you really liked, or saw something that you just want to tell the world about?

Cue the real-life Facebook “Like” button by Mario Klingemann. Of course, it’s virtually impossible to put up one of these buttons on every single thing in the physical world, but the idea in itself is just, well, extremely “like”-able, if you get what I mean. The Arduino-based “Like” button is actually part of the ”Ultra Social” UAMO-Festival 2011 that will be held in Munich.

I like Klingemann’s idea. What do you think?

[via Make: via Geeky Gadgets]

So what do you get when you cross up-and-coming designer Lana Bălana (link slightly NSFW) and Facebook? The Facebook dress, obviously. The detail or fit isn’t something to be impressed with, but it’s the whole idea that gets to me. We’ve all heard about girls who wear their hearts on their sleeve, so now it’s time for you to meet the girl with her Facebook profile on her, well, body.

This isn’t available for sale, as it was one of the pieces in Lana’s graduation collection. She relates the dress to the evolution of women, “from the initial stage of nudity up to her upgraded virtual level of being.”

Looks to me like women’s evolution has now come to the point of dresses made from cut-up tarpaulin sewn together with some plastic material to put it all together. But hey, that’s just me.

[via Piccsy via TechEblog]

The app is hidden in the code, and you can actually extract it. It’s also executable, meaning that you can run the app without too many hitches. MG has been using the app for a few hours and he has confirmed that this will be the app that Facebook will launch shortly. The navigation system is good, better than the one on the iPhone app.

Can you use try it out? Probably, if you don’t mind tinkering with some code and jailbreaking your iPad so that you can run the app. It won’t take long to pop up over torrent sites as well. A Canadian engineering student, Marvin Bernal, first caught this and tweeted about it.

[via TechCrunch]

HardlyWork.in reformats your Facebook feed into something inconspicuous, which is a must if you spend time working in an office. I remember those days. While you certainly don’t need to waste all of your time, you can check up on what’s happening without getting hassled by nosy coworkers and annoying bosses.

One thing’s for sure, it will allow you to look productive and professional even when you’re checking up on what your friends are doing. It’s even a good idea for bosses. You wouldn’t want your underlings seeing what you’ve been up to over the weekend.

[HardlyWork.in via Lifehacker]