Social networking

SAN FRANCISCO -- Instagram is not a photography company.

That message, which might shock some of the 100 million-plus people who have uploaded more than 5 billion photos to Instagram, is what co-founder Kevin Systrom made clear during a discussion tonight among him and co-founder Mike Krieger and Digg founder and Google Ventures partner Kevin Rose.

The discussion, part of the Commonwealth Club's Inforum series, was an opportunity for hundreds of Instagram fans to hear first-hand a bit of the history -- and perhaps some of the future -- of the popular photo-sharing app. Even if that's not … Read more

When a product becomes a brand, it brings with it emotional values that seep into your pores and make you feel good all over.

This is something Jamen Shively hopes to do for a product that has something of a start -- in that it already seeps into your pores and makes you feel good all over.

Or so I am told.

Shively, once upon a time, was a corporate strategy manager for Microsoft. Now the 45-year-old wants to create the nation's first brand of marijuana.

His idea, as he explained to the Seattle Times, is to buy his … Read more

Update to Twitter lists: You can now make up to 1,000 lists (up from 20), and each list can include up to 5,000 accounts (up from 500).

Aiming to please those power tweeters, Twitter announced Thursday that it's expanding its list feature. Now users can make up to 1,000 lists that can each include 5,000 accounts.

This is a significant increase. Before today people could only have 20 lists, each with up to 500 accounts.

Steve Wozniak thinks like Mitt Romney.

Well, a little. It's not that he quite believes corporations are people too. It's more that he thinks corporations should be taxed like people too.

Corporations like Apple, for example.

At a conference in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, Woz told Sky News on Thursday: "Criticism of Apple's tax policies is extremely warranted, in my mind, but my explanation is rather long and difficult."

It's a pity he wasn't asked to testify before the Senate last week. Its members seemed to have all day to listen to Tim Cook. … Read more

Physicists can sometimes feel neglected.

Not always the party types, their lack of screen presence makes them seem weird, peculiar, and other-worldly.

Famous actor and renowned non-Scientologist Will Smith intends to narrow that gap. He knows that physics is the core of human life.

How can I make such a provocative statement?

Well, because I just read an interview he and his son Jaden gave to New York magazine, one intended, I think, to promote their new movie "After Earth."

In it, Smith boldly goes where few actors have gone before in declaring: "At heart, I am … Read more

The professional status update is assuming a new look as LinkedIn has decided to embrace photo and rich media sharing, meaning members can finally share more than text and links in their status updates.

LinkedIn said Thursday that members can now use the share box on the home page to upload images, documents, and presentations as part of their updates. In addition, members can attach videos and rich media content hosted elsewhere by pasting a link into the box. The service's 2.9 million company page administrators also get image and file uploads with the release.

The update expands … Read more

Waze has updated its iPhone and Android applications to provide people with a single-tap, no-address-input way to route themselves to the events that they've RSVP'd in the affirmative to on Facebook.

The release, which highlights exactly how the social network can add real-life value to maps, tailgates the news that the companies have reportedly walked away from acquisition talks.

Five-year-old Waze makes a people-powered navigation application and is used by 49 million people in 193 countries. The startup, which likens its service to a search engine for smartphone owners, specializes in routing drivers around traffic and hazards, and … Read more

Little did Ashley Payne know that the festive photo of her holding both a pint of beer and a glass of red wine would lead to her losing her high school teaching job.

The 24-year-old educator posted the image to her Facebook profile, and after a parent complained, school officials told Payne she'd have to choose between resigning and suspension, according to IOL News. She resigned.

If those same school officials were hiring and found a candidate with a similar photo shared on the social Web, it's most likely that person wouldn't even get an interview.

According … Read more

Twitter released new versions of its iOS and Android apps on Wednesday intended to make tweeting easier than ever, and sharing photos a far better and quicker experience.

Twitter tweaked its apps in a number of ways, the company said in a blog post. Most prominently, it said that it is now faster than ever to tweet a photo. When a user wants to add a picture to their tweet, they'll now see a full preview of that image, rather than a cropped version. At the same time, Twitter said, sharing a photo from an iOS or Android camera … Read more