Bright Spots for Tech in 2008

(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»

Facebook Camera looks a lot like Instagram

(NEWSER) - Facebook is launching its own photo app—despite having just spent $1 billion to buy Instagram . The new program, called Facebook Camera, is separate from Facebook's main app. It's much quicker than browsing photos in the main app, and it offers full-bleed pictures that fill your iPhone screen, AllThingsDigital reports. It allows you to comment and "like" photos and, like Instagram, offers filters. More»

Twitter, Path blamed in privacy controversy

(NEWSER) - Leading smartphone apps are taking a lot more of our information than we realize. If you use Twitter's "Find Friends" feature, the company receives every phone number and email address in your address book—a fact that Twitter hadn't clarified, the Los Angeles Times reports. The company now says it will fix the problem. But it's just one of many companies storing user information with a view toward ultimately using it for advertising. More»

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»