Submission + - SPAM: Facebook rolls out personal URL
AnkleHealer writes: Facebook is letting their 200-plus million users customize their profile URLs starting this weekend, according to a post on Facebook's official blog.
Submission + - Facebook introduces "usernames" (facebook.com)
Duggeek writes: "Tuesday afternoon, I logged myself on Facebook and this appeared at the top of the page:
Starting on Friday, June 12th, at 10:01pm, you'll be able to choose a username for your Facebook account to easily direct friends, family, and coworkers to your profile.
Check out the Facebook Blog for more information or send yourself an email with the details.
Helpful links include a countdown timer for the event, an FAQ and a link to the corresponding Facebook Blog entry. No need to rush, though. A cutoff date was already in effect on May 31st, FB accounts created after that date will be waiting longer for approval.
The blog explains how (oddly enough) a ‘username’ acts as a URL keyword; taking visitors directly to your personal profile. Those on FB that double as “Page Administrators” may give pages unique ‘usernames’ as well for the benefit of outside visitors; the real beneficiaries of this new feature.
After searching their FAQ, it appears there is no information on whether the log-in process will change at all. Currently, it requires a registered e-mail address and password. Can it really be a ‘username’ if it has nothing to do with online credentials? Does “username” mean the same thing anymore? The blog post caught fire, snagging more than 25,000 comments from the Facebook community as of 1:31am EDT, or about ten hours after posting."
Comment Re:Doesn't Solve the Problem (Score 1) 202
They are planiing to adjust meter rates based on availaility of spaces, so that at any time only about 85% of them are occupied.
This will make it unaffordable for some people - but it is still better than not finding any parking even though it's all cheap.
Instant Messaging For Introverts 311
adamengst tips an article up on TidBITS that explores the persistent reluctance of many nerds to embrace fully new communications media such as IM and Twitter. In this thoughtful article Joe Kissell explores, from the inside, the mind of the introvert and how this personality style often struggles with new "always-on" media. The result is a sometimes exasperated incomprehension on the part of the more extroverted. Well worth a read.
Google Shows Off Ad-Supported Cell Phone 290
taoman1 writes "Today Google showed off a ad-supported cellphone that the company plans to offer for free to interested parties. The product could reach the marketplace within a year, and will offer Google search, email, and a web browser. 'The move would echo another recent product launched by a phone industry outsider, Apple Inc.'s iPhone. But Google's product would draw its revenue from a sharply different source, relying on commercial advertising dollars instead of the sticker price of at least US$499 for an iPhone and $60 per month for the AT&T Inc. service plan. Negotiating the fairest way to split those advertising revenues with service providers could be a big hurdle for Google, one analyst said. Another problem is the potential that consumers could be scared off by the prospect of listening to advertisements before being able to make phone calls, said Jeff Kagan, a wireless and telecommunications industry analyst in Atlanta.'"
Change Google's Background Color To Save Energy? 519
i_like_spam writes "Recent commentary at Nature Climate Change describes an on-going debate about the energy savings associated with the background colors used by high-traffic websites such as Google and the NYTimes. A back of the envelope calculation has suggested energy savings of 750 Megawatt hours per year if Google switched their background from white to black. In response, a new version of Google called Blackle was created. However, other calculations by the Wall Street Journal suggest minimal energy savings."
