Do you use Google+? Do those in your circles “influence” you the way your Facebook friends and the Twitter member you follow do? Joe Fernandez, CEO of Klout, is betting that the answer is yes, or will be very soon. Klout, which provides a score intended to measure the influence of all social media users, has added Google+ and +1s to its scoring algorithms. READ MORE
According to tech pundit and blogger Robert Scoble, Google will be launching a new product that will compete with the wildly popular Flipboard iPad app. “My source says that the versions he’s seen so far are mind-blowing good,” he wrote on his Google+ page. READ MORE
App developers, take note: There’s now an application programming interface (API) available for Google+. In the Google+ Platform blog, Google Developer Advocate Chris Chabot wrote, “…we want every one of you who builds applications to be able to include rich sharing, identity, and conversations in your app…This initial API release is focused on public data only — it lets you read information that people have shared publicly on Google+.” READ MORE
There are tons of comparison shopping sites online, each promising its own “unique” way of helping consumers. But sometimes, wading through ratings, reviews, and opinions can be a pain, when all you really want to know is: Can I get the product? Wantlet, a new social shopping site, clears up the info clutter by letting users search the inventories of nearby stores. READ MORE
Google is tweaking a practice that has drawn the ire of wi-fi providers, consumers, and international governments: It will now let wi-fi providers opt out of providing location data to Google services. The plan applies worldwide. The company has received much criticism both in the U.S. and overseas for what some call “aggressive” data gathering. READ MORE
Angry Birds has grown faster than, well, a chubby, virtual cardinal in flight. You can play the game or buy a t-shirt or keychain. And if you ask Rovio, the company behind Angry Birds, it’s the fastest-growing consumer brand worldwide. READ MORE
Conde Nast will let Reddit spin off as a separate organization with hopes that the greater autonomy will increase Reddit’s growth. Conde will retain ownership as Reddit seeks to first increase its staff, starting with a CEO that will let Reddit reach its “full, unbridled potential,” according to a post announcing the change on Reddit’s company blog. READ MORE
Amazon.com, the world’s largest online retailer, is giving its Web site a new “airy” look, with fewer product photos and a larger search box. The new homepage also pushes more digital goods–books, music, video and software, according to The Wall Street Journal, which says the redesign correlates with Amazon’s new 7-inch tablet, expected next month. READ MORE
Some scams are designed to bilk money out of the unsuspecting, but others are intended simply to suck in attention or approbation. In that latter category, the “bet with my boss” scam currently circulating in the social media world is exceedingly effective. READ MORE
Weekly visits to Google+ may have skyrocketed to nearly 2 million in early July, but over the last few weeks activity on the social networking site has diminished. READ MORE
