Is @TwitterMusic Faking its 256K+ Followers?



@TwitterMusic, a verified account on Twitter, has 260K+ followers but the vast majority don't have any tweets, followers or photos which makes us wonder if Twitter is faking its followers?

The @TwitterMusic handle, which first tweeted on Oct. 17, seems to be a Twitter-owned account because we doubt Twitter would verify a fake account. While @TwitterMusic does have seemingly legitimate followers, such as @hanaofangel with a Klout score of 57 and @MikeyS809 with a Klout score of 41, in addition to having a spot on the @TheGRAMMYs/grammynoms list, many of the handles other followers have little to no Klout.

LAUNCH has contacted Twitter via email, Twitter and phone and will update this story if we hear back from them.

Other users following @TwitterMusic include @RahmiSoq, who...
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Social Travel Engine Tripl Lets You Pimp Your Profile



Travel recommendation network Tripl lets you add trips, recommend people to see worldwide and earn points based on how global you are.

Sweden-based Tripl went live in September but recently revamped its service with the addition of profiles that feature a bio line, trip timeline, showcase of services like Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr, and passion and interest tags.

When you first sign up, Tripl asks you to...
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(RED) and ONE Use Klout to Get Influential People to Fight AIDS



In observance of World AIDS Day today, Klout teamed up with (RED) and ONE to offer influential people a chance to fight AIDS by 2015. As long as you have a Klout score of 10+, you can be one of the first people to add your panel to the digital (2015)Quilt.

"We're very excited to be a part of this initiative with (RED) and ONE to fight for an AIDS Free Generation," Klout Senior Marketing Manager Megan Berry tells LAUNCH via email. "This Perk is one of our most open and we expect the numbers to grow exponentially today as we push it out further."

(RED) and ONE International are two organizations designed to help prevent and eliminate AIDS. As the Klout blog states, 1K babies are born with HIV every day and by 2015, that number could be zero. 

Since the (2015)QUILT represents everyone who is fighting to end AIDS by generation 2015, anyone with Klout of 10+ -- the default Klout score -- can participate. We asked Klout how many users have made panels, but Megan says they will report numbers at the end of the campaign.

[ See screen shots after the jump. ]
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Digital Wine Journal Grapeshare Launches, But Will it Succeed Unlike Cork'd?



Wine connoisseurs now have another digital place to share the wines they love with Grapeshare.

"We're building Grapeshare to be a place for wine enthusiasts to track their experiences with wine and share them with others mostly because we couldn't find anything that worked the way we envisioned," Grapeshare CEO Spicer Matthews tells LAUNCH. "So, in a way we're not like...
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First Look: Spotify with Music Discovery Apps and Google-like Search



If you don't feel like waiting for Spotify to launch its revamped platform, you can download the beta version to start using apps right now.

Currently, there are 11 apps available for music discovery in the App Finder, such as Rolling Stone, Wearehunted, Pitchfork, Fuse and Songkick Concerts. Some of our favorites are Last.fm, Soundrop and Moodagent.

Last.fm is awesome for music recommendations based on music you've liked in the past. What's even better is that you can then create a playlist based on those recommendations to access on Spotify.

As you listen to music on Spotify, the Last.fm app provides information like artist bios and similar tracks playlists.

Soundrop lets you create a music spot where you add a playlist to listen to with friends. Who needs to go to Turntable.fm when you can listen to music with your friends on Spotify?

[ See screen shots after the jump. ]
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Will Developers Create Apps for Spotify If They Can't Make Money from Them?



Now that music apps like TuneWiki, Pitchfork, Songkick and Rolling Stone are emerging on Spotify, we wonder if developers and brands will flock to Spotify.

In the "What's Next for Spotify" event today, Spotify CEO and founder Daniel Ek said that while developers won't get any revenue from their apps, they can get value in earning clout simply by being visible on the Spotify platform.

Now, any developer can build an HTML5 app for Spotify's desktop version. But similar to the Apple App Store process, Spotify will approve each app before making it available on the platform. Unlike Apple and Android, however, all of the apps will be free meaning that developers still cant monetize apps on the platform.

While Spotify apps could pose a threat to Apple, Amazon and Google, the...
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"What's Next for Spotify?" Live Blog



Spotify is gearing up to most likely announce Facebook-style apps and an open app platform to developers, but we expect there's more to come at Spotify's first-ever press event in New York. Follow the live blog below.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The band, named Fun, performance at Spotify. Image courtesy of Mashable.

[9:55] Up-and-coming artists are now performing at the Spotify event. Unfortunately, the Ustream feed went down and we can no longer see the event. 

[9:52] A: "We pay every time someone plays a song and we feel that's a great model because obviously there's value created whenever someone listens to a song," Daniel says. They pay out vast majority of all the revenues.


[9:51] Q: What do feel as you scale in terms of number of users in regards to...
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Google Maps Takes a Stab at Bing with Indoor Maps Feature for Airports and Malls

Starting today, Android users with Google Maps 6.0 can navigate through 60+ airports, shopping malls and other retail stores throughout the US and Japan.

While search competitor Bing has offered floor plans for select malls since 2010 for desktop users, it does not let users track where they currently are in stores. Despite now offering 400+ mall floor plans on mobile devices, it does not work with the native apps for iOS and Android, but rather only on Bing's mobile site.

"When you’re inside an airport, shopping mall or retail store, a common way to figure out where you are is to look for a freestanding map directory or ask an employee for help," the Google blog states. "Starting today, with the release of Google Maps 6.0 for Android, that directory is brought to the palm of your hands, helping you determine where you are, what floor you're on, and where to go indoors."

Detailed floor plans now automatically appear when you're viewing the map and zoomed in on a building or store that has indoor map data available. And if you use Latitude, you can...
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Did Google+ Copy Diaspora* or Vice Versa?

Diaspora* and Google+.

With the recent launch of Diaspora*, it appears that either Google or Diaspora* were inspired by the other when creating privacy features that let users decide which groups of people to share content with, as Diaspora*'s Aspects are quite similar in functionality to Google+'s Circles.

Earlier this week, Diaspora* posted to its Google+ page, "Why Diaspora looks like Google+? Ask to Google," which is accompanied by an image since Diaspora* has Aspects while Google+ has Circles. [ See image after the jump. ]

"There’s been big news in the social networking world recently, and we can’t help but be pleased with the impact our work has had on two of the biggest developments," the Diaspora* blog stated in September. "We’re proud that Google+ imitated...
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Google Catalogs Android App Arrives on Cyber Monday


Just in time for Cyber Monday, which had sales exceeding $1B last year, Google has released its Google Catalogs app for Android, though it has offered the app for iPad since August.


"With rich product images, videos, and the ability to curate your own personal collages to share with friends, Google Catalogs makes browsing your favorite mail order catalogs easy, fun and interactive," Google Business Product Manager Abigail Holtz writes on the Google blog.

The app features 400+ digital catalogs from 125+ brands including Nordstrom, Williams-Sonoma, Nike, Urban Outfitters, Bloomingdales, Patagonia, Ugg and Sephora. Shoppers can...
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Diaspora* Finally Unveiled, Feels Like Google+



Diaspora*, the open-source decentralized social network that aims to be a Facebook replacement, recently launched out of private beta, despite aiming to go public by October.
 
"Revamped, more secure, and more fun, DIASPORA* is ready to help you share and explore the web in a whole new way," an email to Diaspora* users states. "An international movement with a shared vision for a better web, DIASPORA*'s #1 feature is its community."

Diaspora* sports some Google+ elements, such as the black bar at the top and a stream on the left-hand side with "Aspects" rather than Circles. Unlike other social networks, Diaspora* encourages people to follow hashtags rather than users, though it is possible to search for people. Similar to Google+ and Facebook, you can post publicly or with a select group of people and add your own "Aspects."

[ UPDATE: There has been some speculation regarding which company came up with the idea of Circles (Google) and Aspects (Diaspora*) first. A Google spokesperson tells LAUNCH that when they launched the Google+ Field Trial in June 2011, they...
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The Evolution of Google Search, 6K+ Improvements Since 1996



Since starting as a research project in 1996, Google has evolved with roughly 500 improvements every year such as universal results, quick answers and Google Instant.

"Our goal is to get you to the answer you’re looking for faster and faster, creating a nearly seamless connection between your questions and the information you seek," Google Fellow Ben Gomes writes on the Google blog. "That means you don’t generally need to know about the latest search feature in order to take advantage of it— simply type into the box as usual and find the answers you’re looking for."

Google started based on the Page Rank algorithm but as more content surfaced on the web, it became increasingly hard to find the content you wanted, Ben says in the video.

"As Google got better and better, users expected more and more from it," Google VP Marissa Mayer says. "They didn't want just web pages. They wanted...
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Is Google's Chromebook a Failure?



After we spotted an advertisement for the Chromebook on Google Chrome's new tab page, followed by the recent drop in price of some Chromebook laptops, we started to wonder, "Is Google's Chromebook a failure?"

Earlier this week, Google announced that the price of some Chromebook laptops -- the Acer, which is rumored to have only sold 5K devices, and Samsung Chromebooks -- will drop by as much as 30% down to $299.

Google also recently updated the user interface on the Chromebook to sport a new login screen and started offering Chromebooks for in-flight use on select domestic Virgin America flights.

Matt Rosoff from Business Insider recently wrote that even though Google cut the cost of Chromebooks, it probably...
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Love an Ad on YouTube? Google Lets You +1 It


The ability to +1 ads on YouTube commercials just came on up our radar. With one click, users can recommend the ad's landing page to friends and other contacts from within YouTube.

"Incorporating personal recommendations into display ads has the potential to change the way people view advertising," Senior Software Engineer Eider Oliveira writes on the Google blog. "A display ad becomes much more powerful when people can see which of their friends and contacts have chosen to endorse it."

Companies that are utilizing the +1 button in YouTube video ads include Cars.com (146 +1s), Sony Music Entertainment for Tony Bennett's album Duets II on iTunes (five +1s) and Bing (121 +1s). Companies can also incorporate +1s into images, animated GIF files and flash.

A Google spokesperson tells LAUNCH that they don't disclose the number of advertisers using the +1 button in ads on YouTube.

Earlier this month, Google rolled out +1 capabilities for watching videos on YouTube and...
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Spotify Gives Thanks for 2.5M Paying Subscribers in the U.S.


U.K.-based Spotify just hit 2.5M paying subscribers -- four months since its launch here and a nice teaser for its press conference next Wednesday in New York.

That's when the company says it will "unveil the latest major development from Spotify - and a new direction for the company." CEO and founder Daniel Ek will host the event, so it must be important as he didn't appear at the U.S. launch in July.

Pandora remains the streaming service to beat, with 24M active users according to its just-released Q3 results. The company said it was not seeing any impact from
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Knol Didn't Kill Wikipedia


When Google first announced Knol in 2007, many technology analysts and bloggers believed that Knol would kill Wikipedia. Well, they were wrong because Google announced today that they're killing it. 

"I think Knol is probably our biggest threat since the creation of Wikipedia," former Wikimedia Foundation Chair Florence Devouard wrote to the Wikipedia community in 2007. "I really mean the biggest. Maybe not so much the project itself, but the competition it will create, the PR consequences, the financial tsunami, the confusion in people minds (free as in free speech or as in free of charge)."

Google first started testing Knol to "help improve web content by enabling experts to colllaborate on in-depth articles," the Google blog states. But the content wasn't that impressive. Harry McCracken of Technologizer writes that the homepage items were "mostly a bit odd, a bit spammy, or both." Google let Knol languish as Jason Kincaid of TechCrunch notes, and the site experienced downtime in July 2010.

While Knol will no longer continue to exist as an individual product, users can migrate their knols to Annotum, a hosted theme on Wordpress that lets users publish articles and journals, through Oct. 1, 2012.

Although Knol had a good run, it did not successfully replace Wikipedia like The Guardian tech reporter Jack Schofield thought.

"As well as being an attack on Wikipedia, Knol represents...
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Anybeat Launches as Facebook with Klout Built In



Anybeat, which just publicly launched to serve as a pseudonymous digital place for discussion, ranks users based on how active they are, in addition to how often users interact with them on the platform.

While Klout judges your activity across all social networks, Anybeat takes into consideration activity on this specific platform and gives users "Cred" to brag about their reputation on the network.

"Many people first fell in love with the Internet because of AOL's chat rooms," an email sent to Anybeat users states. "In these pseudonymous social environments they were able to meet people that they would have never met, have open conversations about all kinds of topics, and create long lasting digital relationships that often translated into the physical world."

Although a user's real name is hidden, his or her profile stays...

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Google Groups Hacked, Posts Appear in Porn Group with SEO Keywords



Many members of the Google App Engine group have noticed a weird phenomenon in Google Groups today: a duplicate, and sometimes original post, appears in groups like the "American porn USA" and "adult mermaid costume" with added SEO keywords.

"The goal of this attack is clearly some sort of attempt to game search engines by associating their links with otherwise "quality" content," Chief Simian at Similarity Jeff Schnitzer, who posted the problem earlier today on Hacker News, tells LAUNCH via email.

Hackers are adding words like "bignlife," "make money training" and "e-mail sending Job" to the posts, and then moving them to spam groups.

Jeff says that he has never seen anything like this before, though Google Groups is no stranger to spammers.

"When I look at my profile I see the spam posts show up as 'my' posts," Jeff says. "Others report...
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Hall Adds Activity Stream, Bets Real-time Is the Future



Hall, which just launched about one month ago, now sports a new look that is optimized for a wide screen, an activity bar to show you a live feed of Hall activity and two new real-time apps: to-do and notepad.

Hall lets people post discussion threads on topics including startups, ESPN, Apple and the NFL, and now provides more chat room-like communication for teams and communities with chat and hall activity split into two tabs. The activity bar also includes a list of halls and lets you set halls as "favorites" to access them quickly in the future.

In an email sent to Hall users, Hall CEO Brett Hellman wrote that the most requested features were to make the halls feel more like chat rooms, add an activity feed and offer more ways to be productive with apps.

"We're taking a bigger drive toward productivity," Brett says. "Eventually we'll let people build...
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Quickly Clear Google+ Default List of Circles with New Chrome Extension


If you ever get annoyed by the laborious process of deselecting circles to share content with when posting to Google+, developer Mohamed Mansour recently created a one-click solution for you.


Mohamed added a "Clear all circles" option in the drop-down menu as part of his Circle Management extension for Chrome that adds a search box on top of your circle list.

"So when I viewed my G+ stream, I saw +Bobbi Jo Woods mention +Robyn Flach regarding her issue with removing all her previous session circles when posting a new item to her stream," developer Mohamed Mansour writes on Google+. " She had to...
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