Bright Spots for Tech in 2008

Adds pop-up notifications, photo uploads

(NEWSER) - Google+ has arrived as a free app for your iPhone. Its user interface is similar to Facebook’s, writes Josh Lowensohn at CNET , and it improves upon the mobile-browser version. It provides a way to upload photos from your phone, but it lacks video chat, and “the Circles organizing is just a big list of contacts, versus the drag-and-drop experience you'd get on the desktop.” Head to CNET for Lowensohn’s full review . More»

Families boot up computers, phones on waking

(NEWSER) - When it comes to morning routines, the modern family has a new set of priorities, many of which require a screen, the New York Times reports. “It used to be you woke up, went to the bathroom, maybe brushed your teeth, and picked up the newspaper,” says an expert. Now, “I’ll be the first to admit: the first thing I do is check my email.” More»

(NEWSER) - An application available today free for Apple’s iPhone gives users points for letting their social networks know about various real-life accomplishments, the Wall Street Journal reports. For instance, a post about your workout on Twitter or Facebook gets you a “Fitness Flicker” award in Booyah Society, and 10 comments within a week make you a “Champion of Ultimate Buffness.” More»

(NEWSER) - Apple is closing in on a $700 million, all-cash deal to buy Twitter, Gawker reports. Silicon Valley sources say an agreement could be announced as early as next month at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference, and the iPhone is reportedly the force behind the deal: Its users already post countless Twitter messages on Tweetie and other Apple apps. More»

List includes advancements from iPhone, Amazon and Netflix

(NEWSER) - David Pogue runs down the best tech ideas of 2008 in the New York Times, “the flashes of genius that somehow made it through committee, past the lawyers, and into the marketplace.” Highlights include:

• Headache-free packaging: Amazon’s plastic-free alternative is good for the environment and does not require the jaws of life to open.
• Freehands gloves: Type away on your PDA—effectively—without exposing your paws to frostbite.