WRAL Tech Wire

'Facebook depression' a social media risk, pediatricians say

With in-your-face friends' tallies, status updates and photos of happy-looking people having great times, Facebook pages can make some kids feel even worse if they think they don't measure up, physicians' group reports in study.

Apple to surpass HP, IBM; Cisco owns half videoconferencing market; Facebook tunes up Questions; IBM expands in Taiwan; augmented reality firm lands $5.5M; Google publishes magazine; Google launching video search ads

From 'friend request' to discovery request: Issues raised by business use of social media

TechLaw: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media create new opportunities, risks, and obligations for a business, and especially when litigation is involved. This article briefly highlights a few of the most salient information management and litigation issues raised by a business's use of social media.

New Facebook status options applauded by gay users

Facebook's addition of civil unions and domestic partnerships to the list of relationships its users can pick from came after talks with gay rights organizations, including GLAAD, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

Obama talks jobs with Jobs, other tech leaders

Seeking to build ties with the business community, the president flew to Silicon Valley for a dinner with 12 of the biggest names in technology on Thursday. See who attended.

Latest news on Net Neutrality, Google's Wi-Spy case, Obama, Cable TV

GOP rips net neutrality rules; Lawmakers urge FCC to investigate Google; Obama to meet with tech leaders in San Francisco; Cable companies strike back at cord-cutting idea

Latest news from Rhapsody, Apple, Facebook, BTOP, EvoApp, Icagen

Rhapsody takes issue with Apple's new subscription policy; Facebook phones?; Wisconsin returns $23M broadband grant; EvoApp close on $1.5M for collaboration tools; Icagen CEO to take pay cut

Report: Google, Facebook eye Twitter as a buy

The talks have valued Twitter at $8 billion to $10 billion, according to unnamed sources cited by The Wall Street Journal. The sources said the company had 2010 revenue of $45 million but lost money as it hired and invested in data centers.

Online, social media are big Super Bowl winners

EmergingMedia Research Council, which is based in the Triangle, says 76% of ads included online presence; eight touted Facebook; and Audi became the first Super Bowl advertiser to use a Twitter hashtag.

Super Bowl media review

Social media is helping drive interest in online advertising

Survey says Facebook is including in 79 percent of online campaigns. Plus, iPhone advertising draws interest from 81 percent of advertisers.

Study: More online ad spending is shifting to social networks

A new report from eMarketer says that percentage of social media ad spending will nearly double in 2012 from 2009 total in US and even more globally.

'Like' it or not, Facebook to let advertisers republish user brand posts

Involving users in advertisements without their consent has been a thorny issue for Facebook. Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, said in this case the company is making money off a person's name or likeness without their consent. He calls it "subtle and misleading" and says users should object.

Survey: Women prefer online communities over social media sites

A variety of reports find that online communities designed for women are more trustworthy and meet needs better, eMarketer reports.

Online communities vs. social media

Facebook raises $1B from investors outside the US

The additional funding has provided the No. 1 social media website with $1.5 billion in new capital over the past month. How will Facebook spend the money? The company isn't saying.

Will Facebook $65M settlement be reopened?

The twins who claim they had the idea for Facebook, not Mark Zuckerberg, want the settlement thrown out.