Facebook Nation Now Counts 150M, and Going Strong

Facebook CEO checks out the surging upstart

(NEWSER) - The new social networking darling Pinterest has been getting all kinds of attention of late, and now comes a sure sign of validation: Mark Zuckerberg has signed up with a profile of his own, reports All Facebook . It notes that Zuckerberg also has accounts on Twitter and Google Plus, but he's relatively inactive on those. If his Pinterest activity starts humming, it may be a good sign for the site. "The simple content sharing site can easily be called the hottest startup of 2012," adds Stan Schroeder at Mashable . More»

Gizmos proliferate amid concerns on distracted driving

(NEWSER) - Imagine cruising down the highway at 65mph while checking tweets, buying movie tickets online, or booking reservations at a restaurant. This scenario is the not-too-distant future of driving, reports the Wall Street Journal , as auto manufacturers seek to design an innovative "connected car" full of Internet-accessible gadgetry. The push for a tech-infused car comes as a national push for rules banning phones in cars seems to be fizzling out and automakers look to entice the youth demographic. More»

Court threatens to come down on firms 'like China'

(NEWSER) - A strongly-worded directive from an Indian court, threatening to crack down on websites "like China," has pushed Google and Facebook to bar some content on Indian domains, Reuters reports. Some 19 other companies have also been asked to block material considered offensive to Hindus, Muslims, and Christians following a court case. The companies haven't yet given details of what was removed. More»

A minority makes the experience more rewarding for the majority: Study

(NEWSER) - This might help explain why Facebook is closing in on 900 million users: Most people "receive more from their Facebook friends than they give," concludes a new Pew study . Among the findings from the one-month analysis:

• 40% of users made a friend request in the one-month period, but 63% received a request themselves
• Users hit the like button 14 times on friends' content, but received 20 likes on their own content in the same span
• 12% tagged a pal in a photo, but 35% were tagged by others

Experts offer healthy dose of skepticism

(NEWSER) - After Facebook's IPO filing on Wednesday, analysts are abuzz over a suggested $75 billion to $100 billion valuation. If the social network is to live up to the hype, it'll have to be "the next Google—or better," experts tell MSNBC . Opinions from around the web:

• Sure, 845 million active monthly users and $3 billion in yearly revenue is nothing to sniff at. But a $75 billion valuation would make Facebook worth 40% of Google, whose profits are 11 times the social network's—whose growth may already be slowing, MSNBC notes.