SOCIAL

Twitter has rolled out the latest in a series of updates to its mobile apps designed to give users easier navigation tools, as well as to make it easier to find relevant usernames and hashtags.

In a blog post today, Twitter also said it has redesigned its Android app to reflect "a native Android experience: wider and taller timelines that fill the screen, a flat navigation bar, tap and hold for quick actions, and more."

At the same time, Android users will also now be able to navigate quickly between tabs by swiping their fingers across the screen, … Read more

Google now lets Google+ users override a setting that limited photos they uploaded to a maximum width or height of 2,048 pixels, a move that photo enthusiasts will welcome but that will mean people will have to keep a closer eye on how much data they have stored at Google.

Previously, Google+ photos were limited unless they were uploaded automatically from an Android device using Google's software, or unless people embarked on a somewhat complicated workaround using Google's Picasa photo editing and cataloging software. Now, by changing Google+ settings, people can upload full-resolution photos through the usual … Read more

Google is taking a bigger page from Facebook and Twitter by expanding the way in which you can use your Google+ credentials.

The Google+ sign-in feature lets you use your Google account to access certain Web sites and Web apps without having to create a new account from scratch. The process is similar to using your Facebook or Twitter credentials to log in to different Web sites and launch different Web apps.

Now, Google has expanded the feature to allow developers to add more options, according to a blog posted today. As of now, developers can tap into the following … Read more

Facebook continues to pull back the curtain on some of the technical details behind its search products, this time with a new look at the Social Graph.

The social network's latest reveal is about LinkBench, a new database benchmark for the Social Graph, which is being released this week on GitHub.

(For reference, according to Facebook engineers, the Social Graph is a graph data structure involving an "immense map" of people, places, and things and the connections between them.)

Touted as a tool for developers who need to benchmark and fine-tune database systems, LinkBench was designed to … Read more

Police going undercover on social media to catch gangsters and murderers is one thing, but posing as punk rockers to catch bands playing illegal house parties?

That's just what Boston police are allegedly doing, according to Slate.

After a nuisance control ordinance (PDF) passed last year, the city has been working to squelch local punk and indie rock parties featuring loud bands. And to find out where these raucous festivities are taking place -- in order to break them up before they get started -- the police are supposedly sleuthing out party addresses via e-mail and social media.

Acting … Read more

Path, the social network designed to be more personal than Facebook, will be launching a subscription service in the second quarter of this year.

Path co-founder and Chief Executive Dave Morin told CNET that a premium paid version is the next step for monetizing the young app, but he did not reveal what features users would paying for in a subscription, or how much it would cost.

Launched in 2010, Path is an app that's marketed as a network just for close friends and family members, limiting users to 150 friends. Because of that, it encourages users to share … Read more

Each social-media profile lets you use images to convey your personal (or professional) brand. Unfortunately, not every Web site allows you to use the same size photos. In the end, you'll have some social-media profiles with images that look stretched or squished. Instead of fussing with images to make them look proper, try using the Social Media Image Maker.

The great thing about this site is that it's easy to use, and can make your social media profiles look much more professional (or at least like you know what you're doing to friends and family). You won'… Read more

Flipboard is a must-have newsreader and social network hub that lets you organize the info you want to look at, then flip through it like you would a magazine. The latest version of the app for iOS lets you create custom magazines from the sources you like most so you can browse through your favorite topics, share your magazine with others, or find magazines about topics you're interested in created by other users.

Get started by creating an account with Flipboard, then sign in to your Facebook and Twitter accounts. You also have the option to connect with your … Read more

Announced today, Verizon's Android devices will soon come loaded with a new Games Portal, a standalone app marketplace for games (separate from Google Play) combined with a social network similar to Apple's Game Center.

Powered by PlayPhone, an experienced builder of gaming networks, Verizon's Games Portal figures to be an attractive marketplace for developers. The platform not only offers distribution to millions of Verizon customers, but it also allows these customers to take advantage of direct carrier billing, a low-friction option that could result in more games-based purchases. What's more, since Android doesn't (yet?) have … Read more