Wednesday morning, Twitter users flocked to the social media site to complain that Google Apps weren’t working. The problems started with Gmail and Google Drive before spreading to Google Documents, Google Spreadsheets, and Google Presentations. Google quickly addressed the situation and users were advised to check the Apps Status Dashboard for updates as they investigated the case. We are often inconvenienced by crashing servers or website maintenance, but Google? We take it for granted that giants like Google will be able to run their services smoothly, constantly. When they can’t,…

“Damn you, Facebook. I don’t like you but everyone I know is on it. If I want to see pictures of little Timmy sliding into third base or hear what’s happening with my ex-, I’ll have to keep playing your game.” Similar thoughts run through the minds of millions of people all the time. People complain. They say that Facebook is bad. Then, they go right back to it to see the latest gossip, pictures, or cat videos. The social network has reached a tipping point that keeps us coming back. In a recent study by WebPageFX, 61% of respondents said that they do not trust Facebook at all versus only 2% who said they trust…

The ebb and flow of design trends always seems to navigate towards and away from simplicity. Today, simple is hot. Flat is hot. Depth, texture, and complex are all out and Facebook is following the trend with their new logo release. They removed the lower bar that gave it a sheen for a minor 3D effect and are now bleeding the “f” off the bottom edge. It’s also a little larger than before. It’s clean, plain, and simple. It’s very 2013. The new logo can be downloaded from the site. Reactions have been positive from around the blogosphere. While beveling and depth are often used to denote a clickable button,…

Big business has always been the center for many communities around the world. Industries make cities. Resources make entire countries. From the coal towns of West Virginia to the automakers of Detroit, companies and industries have been able to put people to work, to keep taxes flowing for the government, and to build the personality of a community through the various projects associated with the companies. Tech is different. With technology, you don’t have to center around a resource. Proximity to infrastructure has less of an effect. You don’t even really need a strong workforce in many…

The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act has not drawn the same uproar that its SOPA predecessor received last year. It’s not because it’s any less dangerous to the privacy of those using the internet. It’s not that there’s any less information about it. CISPA is on a path to fly through Congress and onto the President’s desk without much of a cry because the US government learned from their mistakes the first time. This time, they did the two things they do best. The spun it and then they bargained their way into favor with the larger entities of the internet to get them to let this one slide…

It’s not the hip, new thing anymore. That much is clear as Facebook approaches a decade of existence, but the appeal of Facebook doesn’t seem to be slowing for anyone else other than teenagers. That’s the premise of the infographic below and it seems to have some legs. Parents are getting on Facebook. This is a major downer for teens who once viewed Facebook as the online venue that they could “be themselves” without interactions or even knowledge from their parents and other adults. That isn’t the case anymore. As parents learn how to keep tabs on their kids online, kids are learning new ways to interact….

If you’re like me, you like to have fun, knock back a few drinks with your friends, and party the night away. Simple, right? Yes, this all may seem very carefree – but, shockingly, mistakes, misjudgments and social faux pas are made while under the influence. Consuming alcohol, as you may know, seems to have some kind of mysterious effect on our judgment and our ability to make smart decisions. This is perhaps the reason you can’t enter into a contract or operate a motor vehicle while under the influence. But what about when it comes to operating a phone? Yeah, there’s an app for that. Fortunately…

Kmart has had a tough time in recent years getting attention. They have tried to find success on social media, particularly on YouTube, but in the last year they’ve only had one video get more than 100,000 views. Five days ago, they put up a video that has had more views than the combined totals of dozens of videos they’ve put out over the last three years. This one got a lot more than anything they’ve ever seen. They’ve had videos with UFC stars like Wanderlei Silva and  Matt Hughes, country singers like Rascall Flatts and Jason Aldean, and pop stars like David Cook and Demi Lovato. They’ve tried how-to…

You have a couple of choices here. You can either mark this down as part of the advancement of society, one that heralds a shift for this generation to truly grow to be the fully digital age. The other option is to toss this into the WTH bin and weep for a generation of children that are growing too dependent on technology. A recent Ipso study shows that the first major milestone for digital media usage is now at three years old, a time when most children are still mastering the art of walking. Researchers have surmised that human babies are extremely receptive to digital stimuli and are able to figure out…

Facebook Home was released this weekend for a select few Android devices, and reviews have been decidedly negative. The app is designed to replace the default home screen on Android devices with a Facebook home screen. This is meant to make using Facebook not only easier, but smoother and more immersive. Cover Feed turns the lock screen into a new feed that gives you updates on what your friends are doing without you having to unlock the phone. Also, one of Home’s coolest features is the Chat Heads. Conversations with people through SMS or Facebook Messenger are marked by floating bubbles with…