LinkedIn, CNBC Buddy Up

Business networking site sees surge in users as economy tanks

(NEWSER) - Bad times for American workers are boosting traffic on popular business networking site LinkedIn. The site has doubled its membership this year as worried professionals step up their networking efforts. "Every individual is a small business or brand," founder and newly reinstated CEO Reid Hoffman told USA Today. More»

All-business networking site plans European foray, acquisitions

(NEWSER) - LinkedIn—the buttoned-down, anti-Facebook social networking site for professionals—is about to up its profile with a $53 million infusion of private equity that will allow it to make acquisitions and expand its reach overseas, reports the New York Times. The new financing values the company at a hefty $1 billion, in between the $580 million News Corp. paid for MySpace in 2005 and the $15 billion value assigned to Facebook last year when Microsoft bought a stake. More»

...using social media, of course

(NEWSER) - Not fun: Being stuck next to a super-chatty traveler or big drinker on a long flight when all you want to do is sleep. The modern-day solution: Forget earplugs, just book on KLM, which will next year launch a service called "meet and seat." The move will allow passengers to share their Facebook or LinkedIn profiles with the rest of the flight's passengers, and then choose their own seatmates based on whomever seems the best match, reports the Telegraph . More»

Market hungry for social networking companies

(NEWSER) - LinkedIn had its IPO today, and there was an investor feeding frenzy before the bell had even rung. The shares wound up opening at $83, an 84% premium on their $45 offering price, the Wall Street Journal reports. They're currently trading at around $105—having peaked this morning at $122. It’s the biggest Internet IPO since Google, and has raised fears that investors are buying into a new tech bubble. More»

Vin Diesel, Linkin Park have a lot more friends than you do

(NEWSER) - We know Lady Gaga and President Obama have plenty of fans (more than 10 million, though the leader of the free world actually trails the singer). Here are some other surprising social media mavens, singled out by Time , along with their number of fans (as of Thursday) and a taste of the tidbits they disseminate:

1. Vin Diesel, second to Gaga with 10.7 million fans (seriously): "I got a sexy feeling about this summer... GRRR... "