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EA 'retires' SimCity Social, Sims Social, and more from Facebook

The Sims Social was once heralded as Electronic Arts' "most successful Facebook game," but now it's being laid to rest along with SimCity Social and Pet Society. These three social games will be extinct from Facebook as of June 14.

The game maker made the announcement today, saying that it was a hard decision but had to be done in order to "reallocate servers and resources to more popular titles," according to the FAQ section of its Web site.

"Today we are informing players of the difficult decision to retire some of our Facebook games: The Sims Social, SimCity Social, and Pet Society," EA wrote in a blog post today. "After millions of people initially logged in to play these games, the number of players and amount of activity has fallen off."… Read more

How Dish's deal could improve Sprint

CNET Update dishes the details:

Dish has made a $25.5 billion unsolicited bid to merge with Sprint. Today's video explains what this deal means for consumers and how it might improve Sprint's network.

Also in this tech roundup:

- Microsoft reportedly is considering making a smartwatch

- Windows 8 apps for news and maps get updates

- Electronic Arts will shut down Sims games on Facebook

- This 55-inch Panasonic plasma is the first television to get a 5-star rating from CNET

Watch CNET Update in the video above, and subscribe to the podcast via the links … Read more

Ignore your dull family, says new Facebook Home ad

You know those self-centered, self-regarding people who just have to look at their cell phones during dinner?

Facebook loves them. Facebook admires them. Facebook wants to promote them.

This thrust toward spiritual progress is the company's latest ad for Facebook Home, its attempt to turn your Android into something from Redmond.

In one recent ad, we saw Mark Zuckerberg's loyal troops ignore his dull corporate ra-ra in favor of a screeching goat.

Now, we can see a young woman ignoring her family.

Oh, all families are awful, aren't they?

They insist on imposing emotional control upon you. … Read more

Facebook, attorneys general kick off online safety campaign

Facebook and the National Association of Attorneys General for the U.S. have signed a deal that will see the world's largest social network educate both kids and parents on Internet safety.

Facebook has been the subject of much debate among attorneys general around the U.S. who have been concerned about children's safety on the social network. Facebook has said for years that it has worked on ensuring the protection of children, and has aided attorneys general from time to time with cases or issues they're working on.

This agreement, the latest between the parties, is … Read more

Atrium for Facebook 1.3.1 Review

If Facebook's default app isn't useful enough for you, this app may give you what you need. Atrium adds plenty of information to your Facebook feed, while still maintaining most of the look you're accustomed to. It's a pain to set up, but it rewards your patience with an interesting new way to look at your feed.

The app asks for permission to access just about everything your profile can do. This makes sense, since it's trying to be a complete replacement for Facebook's default app. It still might raise some eyebrows, though. Once … Read more

Flipboard: Your Social News Magazine 2.0 Review

In an age of information overload, apps like Flipboard provide the much- needed organization and curation tools to keep it all in one place. By taking your RSS subscriptions, Twitter account, Facebook account, and other online accounts and combining them into one easy-to-use interface, Flipboard simplifies the consumption of information on an iPad and makes it faster and easier than ever before to get what you need from your device.

When you first open Flipboard, you'll be prompted to create an account. This account will store all of your subscriptions, and you can choose to either create a new … Read more

How Facebook and Twitter mess with DUI checkpoints

The police are sometimes accused of linear thinking, especially when it comes to DUI checkpoints.

They set them up on Friday and Saturday nights. They redouble their efforts on New Year's Eve.

Perhaps the finest example would was one police force in the wine country of Northern California that decided to put a DUI checkpoint at the bottom of a winery's driveway. Yes, on barrel-tasting day.

The police now have a stronger enemy in the people -- the people who are using social media to warn others that this particular Friday or Saturday night has been selected for … Read more

Zuckerberg bores staff in new Facebook Home ad

They're a smug, self-centered, self-righteous lot at Facebook.

Which is why Facebook Home, the tool that turns your Android into a Windows Phone, was designed specifically for them.

They can stare at their phones all day, bathing in the joys of those closest to them. Well, those closest to them in a virtual sense.

They can also ignore the catatonia-inspiring monotone that regularly emerges from their CEO's mouth.

Please, you know I'm never mean. I am merely describing the new commercial for Facebook Home on AT&T, a quite stellar act of self-deprecation.… Read more

Turn iPhone photos into artwork with Pixuru

Do you fancy yourself an Instagram artist? If you have masterpieces on Instagram, Facebook, or tucked away on your phone's camera roll that are begging for a spot on your living-room wall, give Pixuru a whirl. This free iPhone app lets you order a variety of prints. Pricing is reasonable, and Pixuru promises quick turnaround and free shipping. It also states that an expert will carefully review your work of art before shipping it to you. Photographers without iPhones, fear not. Pixuru also offers a Web app and says an Android app is coming soon.

The process of ordering … Read more

Twitter launching music discovery app

CNET Update tweets to the beat:

Twitter is launching a new music service that will suggest songs to listen to based on accounts you follow or artists that are trending. As the world waits for the official launch, Ryan Seacrest seems to be enjoying it.

Android users can experience Chat Heads on the Facebook Messenger app, rather than download the Facebook Home interface.

Also in this tech roundup, I bring you the highlights from the DigitalFocus technology showcase, which includes the Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat, the Linkase Wi-Fi signal booster for smartphones, the new Duracell Powermat iPhone 5 wireless charging … Read more