Are you addicted to Facebook? 85 percent of Facebook users are so addicted that they log into their account as soon as they open their web browsers, University of Gothenburg researchers found in a new survey. It does mean the giant social network is the primary website for most of its users, indicating their ‘addiction’.

According to a research conducted by University of Bergen, Norway sharing information on the Facebook ‘can feel as good as sex’. Not only this, Facebook can be as addictive as any drug, the study pointed out. At the same time, if you are having low self esteem logging into Facebook may worsen your problem.

The Bergen researchers compiled a detailed questionnaire based on six core elements of addiction; that are salience, wanting the site, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict and relapse.

Journal Psychological Reports noted that the questionnaire was based on the same ‘six core elements of addiction’ that doctors use to identify alcoholics and drug addicts.

Facebook addiction was more common among younger adults and women rather than men, researchers noted after getting results from students participated in the survey. Interestingly, those Facebook users are more addictive than others who are introvert, but happy to maintain an online contact.

British newspaper the Daily Mail pointed out quoting psychologist Cecilie Schou Andreassen as saying: “People who are organised, ambitious and extrovert are still keen users of Facebook but less likely to be addicts.”

Is Facebook going to be the thing of PAST? As social discovery of meeting people is a new trend on the social networking arena, Tagged.com has taken over Facebook for minutes spent per visit on the website.

Tagged.com not only beat Facebook but it left behind Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram too, when it comes to time spent per visit on the site.

This is the reason, the changing trend in the social network arena has forced Facebook to move towards social discovery taking over start-up Glancee, which ‘finds friends’ nearby.

ComScore revealed that on an average Tagged.com visitors spent 12.1 minutes every time they visit the website, engaging themselves for social discovery. But a Facebook visitor stays on the website for 10.9 minutes on an average.

Not only this, their users visited 18 times on an average in the month of March, whereas Facebook’s average of 36 visits per visitor.

Interestingly, Tagged.com was started in 2004 with motto to beat Facebook as a social network.

Tagged CEO Greg Tseng co-founder Johann Schleier-Smith says: “We took a hard look and decided we weren’t going to win.” Tagged.com is now being popular as a website to meet new people rather than keep in touch or hanging with existing friends.

New data shows that on an average 100 million new people join Tagged.com per month, at the same time, the website has 10 million active users.

If you are Google fan, this news may matter to you. Google Plus’s feature ‘Hangouts on Air’ is now available to the worldwide users and broadcasters of the social network. Hangouts can be limited to invited friends or opened to anyone, reported AP.

The search giant had introduced this feature last year to the selective users only, enabling them to go live with friends and fans for world to see.

At this point of time, when the video chatting is not new to the internet users, some might not be enthused by this idea. But this service is going to be the real treat for the celebrities to connect to their larger audiences.

Read: Britney Spears is the most followed celebrity on Google+

Google’s Chee Chew, Engineering Director writes on the blog: As an aspiring artist, a global celebrity, or a concerned citizen—you can now go live in front of a global audience. With just a few clicks, you’ll be able to.”

At the same time, Google’s move can’t be rejected and it may change the way videos are used on all over the Internet. In near future Google Plus ‘Hangouts On Air’ could end up joining YouTube.

Via: Google Blog

If you are having low self-esteem, just don’t log on to Facebook as it may worse your problem. A new study has claimed that people with low self-esteem end up feeling worse, when they log on to the largest social-networking website.

In the rage of low feeling they keep posting or sharing negative thoughts making their life miserable, as most of their Facebook friends don’t LIKE it. Interestingly, at Facebook, you may ‘Like’ anything you find, but there is nothing you can ‘Unlike’.

The Daily Mail noted that people participated in the survey liked people less after negative posts. Sometime back, GizmoGyan.com posted Facebook censors ‘Irrelevant or Inappropriate’ comments.

The Daily Mail quoted Amanda Forest, a Waterloo University student as saying: ‘We had this idea that Facebook could be a really fantastic place for people to strengthen their relationships.’

Researchers took the status update as a vital medium to know the state of mind. The study found that users with low self-esteem were less liked on Facebook because they posted more negative comments or their status update was full of negative thoughts.

Google has officially got license to test self-driving cars on public streets in Nevada, following its successful demonstrations in Carson City and Las Vegas Strip.

Earlier, demonstrations have proved that the car is safe. The modified Toyota Prius was issued a red license plate bearing an infinity sign next to the left of number ‘001’, so it could be recognizable by police and the public as a self-driving test vehicle.

This is the first license for an autonomous vehicle in America, claimed Bruce Breslow of motor vehicle department Nevada. The car was given a unique red license plate to make it recognizable by police and the public as a self-driving test vehicle.

The Daily Mail noted that Google’s self-driving car works on auto-pilot technology to guide the vehicle. It has laser radar fixed on the roof that detects other vehicles, cyclists or other obstacles that the car can avoid. It creates a virtual buffer zone around the obstacles.

The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles said in a statement:

“I felt using the infinity symbol was the best way to represent the car of the future.When there comes a time that vehicle manufactures market autonomous vehicles to the public, that infinity symbol will appear on a green license plate.”

The motor vehicles department said in the statement that other car companies are also seeking self-driven car licenses in Nevada.

Facebook has launched a new feature that censors and blocks ‘irrelevant or inappropriate’ comments on the social networking website. However, there is no official statement from the social-network giant regarding this new feature.

If a user’s comment is blocked, a popup error appears at the Facebook site asking the user ‘This Comment Can’t Be Posted.’ Facebook’s new feature has created fury among bloggers and the social network users.

The error message appears as saying: ‘This comment seems irrelevant or inappropriate and can’t be posted. To avoid having your comments blocked, please make sure they contribute to the post in a positive way.

In the mean time, TechCrunch.com quoted a Facebook spokesperson as saying: “We have automated systems that work in the background to maintain a trusted environment and protect our users from bad actors.”

Sony Xperia U Android smartphone will be available in the Indian market at a price rate of Rs. 17,000. Reports say that the much awaited smartphone after Sony Xperia S is expected to be shipped this week on pre-order.

Indian television website NDTV.com noted that Sony Xperia U Android smartphone will be coming with 1GHz dual core processor, 512MB RAM, 1320 mAh battery.

At the same time, it will have 5MP rear camera, VGA front camera and 8GB Internal storage with 4GB accessible to the user. On display front it will have a 3.5-inch display with 854x480p resolution.

Sony Xperia U will get an update to Android 4.0. However, at present it will be available with Android 2.3 on-board.

The phone is available on Letsbuy and Flipkart at Rs17,399 and Rs16,499 respectively.

An investigation has been ordered into the alleged abuse of Google AdWords online advertising programme in India. News agency PTI reported that the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has ordered a probe against the search giant for allegedly abusing its powerful monopoly in the internet search by being discriminatory in allotting keywords.

The PTI report claims that the CCI found prima facie evidence that Google did abuse its market position while allotting keywords to matrimonial site Bharatmatrimony.com.

PTI quoted an official as saying: “We have asked the Director General-Investigations to complete the probe and give a report on it within 60 days. Prima facie, we found evidence that suggests that Google did abuse its dominant market position.”

Owner of Bharatmatrimony.com has alleged that Google has abused the matrimonial sites’ dominance by engaging in discriminatory and retaliatory practices relating to AdWords.

Meanwhile, Google has ruled out to comment on this issue. PTI quoted a Google spokesperson as saying: “We have not received any communication and therefore we are unable to comment on it”.

If you are staying in London or any other city of the United Kingdom, just hold your breath, as Samsung is going to launch its much awaited smartphone Galaxy S3 in the UK market.

London based news website Telegraph.co.uk reported that the smartphone, which is expected to be the official phone of the London Olympics will be rolled out at an Earl’s Court event.

Experts believe that the new device will use a Samsung processor that offers four cores and can power high-definition content. Telegraph.co.uk reported that Samsung sold 47 million devices, compared to Apple’s 35 million.

Samsung outsells the iPhone maker and emerged as the only Android handset manufacturer capable of seriously challenging Apple. However, Apple remains more profitable.

At the same time, the two firms accounted for 60 per cent of the global smartphone market, which was 139 million devices in total.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus won’t be available in the Indian market, reported FirstPost.com. However, Samsung has clarified that the company is going to do something big in this space.

Replying to an email of FirstPost.com’s Amit Wagh, Samsung says: “The Galaxy nexus will not be launched in India. Watch this space for the next big thing.”

Earlier, it was being said that Samsung will launch its Galaxy S Phone in the UK market tonight, at the same time the company will launch its Galaxy Nexus in the Indian market.

But the latest announcement has created disappointments among Indian smartphone users, who are eagerly waiting for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

This heart breaking news was released by Samsung at the micro-blogging website Twitter yesterday night. Experts believe that Samsung is treating in the same way like Apple does.

However, this is for the first time that the company has officially denied the launch of the Galaxy Nexus in India.