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This is proof positive that Twitter is more than stuff and nonsense. Moldovans were using the social messaging network to create a rally in response to Sunday’s election result and poor economy. Using Facebook and the tag “#pman,” which stands for Piata Marii Adunari Nationale, a large square in the capital city Chisinau, more than 10,000 gathered. The rally was considered to be “well designed, well thought out, coordinated, planned and paid for.” The protests began quietly on Monday, but escalated into stone throwing and fires until dispersed on Tuesday.
Read More 
| NY Times
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How many times have you tried to send a link to a bud, but either couldn’t send it from the site or it never arrived? Dropvine simplifies the process with a bookmarklet. After a free signup, you click on the link and select friends on your contact list (who don’t have need an account.) You can add comments on the links so your contacts will know it’s you. Hit send and the link arrives in their Dropvine inbox. They are then sent an email notification and can share in your joy.
Read More | Dropvine
NPD Survey Places Amazon Second to iTunes
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Apple, Internet, Music,
The NPD Group has a new report that states that in 2008, 87% of all digital music buyers in the U.S. used iTunes while 16% were purchased through Amazon MP3. Analyst Russ Crupnick says that being in second place is encouraging considering that it has only been around for 18 months.
“It used to be that iTunes was first, and second was practically nobody,” Crupnick said. The survey also reported that many of the consumers are older and still purchase CDs.
Read More | cnet
Latest Gear Live Videos
Confirmed: Twitter officially coming to OnStar
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Internet, Transportation, Videos,
After speaking with an OnStar rep, we can now undoubtedly tell you that Twitter is most definitely coming to GM’s OnStar service. I was actually featured in a piece here on Seattle’s KING 5 News, where I talked a bit about the features that OnStar is saying will be available. On the flip-side, they also talk to a Washington State Patrol officer, who says that even though this would be a hands-free activity, it is just one more thing that is taking your mind off of driving.
OnStar didn’t give us a timeframe for when the Twitter integration would launch, but hey, at least now you know that our original Twitter on OnStar article wasn’t an April Fools joke…although, Trooper Brandon Lee’s bow tie very well might be.
As always, you can follow Gear Live on Twitter.
BakerTweet Alerts Customers on Twitter
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Internet, Misc. Tech, Videos, Wireless / WiFi,
Twitter is not just for people anymore. BakerTweet, designed by Poke London, lists their bakery goods when they come out of oven. The device is an Arduino board and Linksys WiFi adapter combined in a box. They scroll through a list and push a button to send out a pre-configured tweet. Installed in the Albion Cafe in London, it already has a following of over 300 customers. It’s easy to understand why when you read one of their descriptions:
“Rocks of buttery, raisiny joy, freshly risen scones to slather with cream and jam - just being set out now.”
Yummy. We are thinking that this may be a new trend and could be used in reverse, say if you were on your way home and wanted to pick up a pizza. “Dude, make me a Meat Lovers Med.”
Read More | Slash Gear
UK Residents Block Google Street View Car
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Cameras, Google, Internet, Transportation,
Many areas in the UK, such as shopping centers and streets, have surveillance cameras. But Broughton residents had had enough and formed a human chain to keep out a car that was shooting for Google Street View. Paul Jacobs noticed the car and got ticked off enough to round up his neighbors to block the road. By the time the police showed up, the car had left the area. This is not the first time Street View has had complaints. Pictures of shelters for battered woman in the U.S. were previously removed.
Read More | ABC News
TweetCall - Twitter by Voice
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Handhelds, Internet, Misc. Tech, PC / Laptop,
Poor texters can now use TweetCall to speak their messages. A free service, after signing up, you dial up 1-877-TWEETCALL, tweet a bit and your voice is transcribed. The service is powered by Quicktate that uses real humans to proofread for correct syntax, spelling, punctuation and capitalization, not that most use them in the first place. And speaking rather than typing may result in your being cut off because you went past your 140 character limit.
Read More | TweetCall
Skydeck - From Cell Phone to PC
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Smartphones, Internet, PC / Laptop, Videos,
Skydeck allows you to make low cost calls from your computer with your cell phone number. They will transcribe your voicemails into text or email. The handy menu lets you search, sort, read, reply, forward and archive notes, voicemail and text messages. Should a caller hang up without reaching you, they will look up the phone number. New numbers are automatically put in your address book. Subscriptions start at $9.95 a month and they offer a free 2 week trial. Just remember that you have to forward your number to them, download a small client to your phone and realize that transcription involves a real person.
Read More | Skydeck
Rumor has it that Google may be buying Twitter. Michael Arrington of TechCrunch reports that he has two unnamed sources who say that they are in the late stages of negotiations. Twitter already turned down an offer from Facebook, although that deal involved overvalued stock. Google plans on paying cash and/or public stock. We guess that this is a win-win for both. Twitter founders Evan Williams and Biz Stone have already sold Blogger to Google and considering that tweeting is more popular all the time, this will involve big profits down the line.
Read More | TechCrunch
So did you wake up and wonder if your computer had been infected? It seems that Conficker did most of its damage in Asia, and was found to be modifying itself to make it more difficult to eradicate. While the threat is still not over, the best thing to come out of the virus is that security has been beefed up to try to find it. Symantic’s Vincent Weafer said that they believe that it was designed to make money. Maybe it can find Madoff’s missing millions.
Read More | BBC
