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Facebook's kosher twin separates users by gender

To say that some of the things you come across on Facebook aren't exactly kosher is a bit of an understatement. Fortunately, Facebook's fully kosher twin, FaceGlat, is up and running. FaceGlat--the name is a mashup of Facebook and glatt kosher, the most strict level of Jewish dietary laws dealing with meat--is essentially a basic Facebook clone that lets users connect; create groups; and share status updates, photos, videos, and events. But unlike Facebook, it separates men and women and also filters out objectionable language.

Not everyone on FaceGlat seems to be sticking with the guidelines, or at … Read more

iPad bridesmaid attends wedding via FaceTime

It's a good thing Apple came out with a white iPad 2. It fit in perfectly with the decor of Jonathan Alberico and Jamie Wilborn's wedding in Denver, Colo. Bridesmaid Renee Armstrong was 1,500 miles away in Richmond, Va., at the time, but she still got dressed up and appeared in her best friend's wedding party--via an iPad and FaceTime.

"Unfortunately, the economy sucks. She just didn't have the means to make it out to Denver. It was absolutely devastating when we found she couldn't come," the bride told CNET. As she sat around mulling over her options, the iPad idea came up.

A groomsman carried Armstrong's virtual presence down the aisle and she had a front row seat to the vows. "I got all teary-eyed during the ceremony, and I couldn't have got that from pictures," says the virtual bridesmaid in a video shot by wedding attendee Jamie Goswick.

Related stories • Pair says 'iDo' in Apple store wedding • Computer conducts couple's wedding • AutoWed: Romantic robo-weddings for geek love

You can hear muted giggles from some of the guests at the start of the ceremony as Armstrong's iPad is escorted along. That was probably due to the Max Headroom effect. "Everyone agreed that it was a super cool idea," Goswick says.… Read more

Future PlayStations could read you like a book

Your hairdresser knows everything about you. So does your shrink. Soon it could be your PlayStation. Sony executives are apparently looking to give game consoles abilities that go far beyond tracking your movements.

During a panel discussion on the next 10 years of gaming at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, last week, the executives described the possibility of consoles that track players' emotions. According to a transcript posted on Develop, Sony Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida said that within 10 years games will be able to offer "almost dangerous kinds of interactivity" with players.

A second participant, Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) Worldwide Studios Europe Vice President Mick Hocking, said cameras are capable of recording a player's biometric data and tracking where the player is looking. He elaborated on how Sony might be able to use this data. According to the transcript:… Read more

Leak: iPhone 5 will not have front-facing LED flash

According to a recent leak in the parts distribution chain, the iPhone 5 may not have the rumored front-facing LED flash as previously expected.

The photo shows what is purported to be the iPhone 5 camera module next to the camera module from the current iPhone 4. The two parts look extremely similar, though the iPhone 5 module seems to be lacking a front-facing LED flash unit, a feature thought to be a given for the new model.

Reports surrounding the camera for the iPhone 5 have stated that Apple will be using an 8-megapixel Sony unit, upping its current … Read more

About face

FaceGen Modeller is a powerful and surprisingly easy-to-use program that lets users create 3D faces either from scratch or based on photos. Whether you're a beginner or a professional when it comes to using this kind of technology, FaceGen Modeller can help you create impressive, realistic results.

The program's interface is plain and easy to navigate, with its major features arranged in tabs. You can have the program generate a random face and then customize it as desired, or upload one or more photos of an actual face to use as a starting point. You can select faces … Read more

Just plain rude

One thing we hate is a program that installs and replaces things on our computer without our permission. It's just plain rude. While FaceSmooch does indeed supply animated emoticons you can use in Facebook chat, its shady tactics prevent us from recommending it.

FaceSmooch overtakes your browser by adding a toolbar and replacing your default homepage without your permission. The homepage resembles the Google homepage, but with a suspicious-looking animated ad at the bottom. The toolbar includes a search field and buttons for YouTube, the weather, a radio, and games. But you can't actually access any of the … Read more

Face-matching with Facebook profiles: How it was done

LAS VEGAS--Facebook's online privacy woes are well-known. But here's an offline one: its massive database of profile photos can be used to identify you as you're walking down the street.

A Carnegie Mellon University researcher today described how he assembled a database of about 25,000 photographs taken from students' Facebook profiles. Then he set up a desk in one of the campus buildings and asked willing volunteers to peer into Webcams.

The results: facial recognition software put a name to the face of 31 percent of the students after, on average, less than three seconds of … Read more

Apple patent application hints at future FaceTime features

Swapping between the front- and rear-facing cameras on Apple's latest-generation iOS devices during a FaceTime call is currently a manual process, requiring users to tap an onscreen button. But that could become a thing of the past with a system Apple hopes to patent.

Patently Apple has unearthed a patent application Apple filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in January of last year titled "automatic video stream selection." In short, it's a system for automatically swapping between the two captured video streams depending on what's happening in front of each lens. … Read more

Apple plays up FaceTime in iPhone ad

One of Apple's latest iPhone commercials is capitalizing on the recent surge of interest in video calling.

One of its two new "If you don't have an iPhone" commercials focuses on the smartphone's FaceTime video-calling feature. The ad, which popped up on YouTube yesterday, shows how the feature lets people video-chat with anyone else with an iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

The timing of the ad might just be impeccable, considering video calling has been in the headlines lately.

Last week, Facebook announced a deal with Skype that brings video calling to the social network's … Read more

Skateboarders paint with remote-control spray cans

Some cool new gadgets aren't sold in stores. The D*Face Spray Paint Skateboard Interface took a year to create and won't be found on the shelves of your local skate shop.

Let's break down the D*Face Spray Paint Skateboard Interface. D*Face is a London-based street artist. Spray paint and skateboards are self-evident. The interface part refers to a remote control system that can trigger paints cans attached to the underside of skateboards.

This technology could easily be used for less-than-noble purposes, but D*Face created and harnessed the devices in the name of art. The canvas was a skateboarding pool in Southern California. The pool had previously been a site for a D*Face project that covered it with piles of painted skulls.

According to a behind-the-scenes look in Concrete Disciples skateboarding magazine, the chosen spray paint was a very fast-drying enamel. The cans are strapped under the deck with Velcro and are controlled by wireless remote.… Read more