Twitter’s Vine: AnimationGram

While there have been many different apps that have tried to be what Instagram is to photos but for videos, this new one is backed by Twitter, making it immediately interesting to the Twitterati. Sharing and recording looping vids is nothing new, but the constraints and functions make Vine, which is still a bit buggy, cool to use.

Read more @ Technabob

Father Hired In-Game Assassins to Save Son from Gaming Obsession

MMORPGs and other kinds of online games can take over your life, if you’re not careful. Just like most things, there’s something to be said about moderation. In order to save his son from his growing gaming addiction, a father in China decided to take matters into his virtual hands – hiring some online hitmen to go after his son’s character.

Read more @ Technabob

RISR: The App/Sensor That Reads Body Language for You

You’ve probably wanted at some point in time to be able to fully engage your date or a client. Here’s another tool to help you accomplish your goal. RISR is a “sensor web” that will help you get the most out of each conversation.

Read more @ Technabob

What’s in a Name Part 2 & 3

Errol Morris’ What’s in a Name parts 2 and 3. It’s definitely an interesting series of essays, as people in Chinese cultures have a very different way of approaching names. While most of them never change their family name, a lot of them change their English name and Chinese first name, even at a very young age. I’ve had grade 1 students change their names very suddenly. It’s rarer to change your Chinese first name, but it happens often compared to what I’m used to.

The Totem Pole of Communication

Like many viewers, who saw HBO’s Girls last week, one of the most intriguing parts of the show was when a girl instructed her friend on the totem pole of chat. That term has been in my mind for the last week or so and I’ve spent time thinking about the idea. In our modern connected society, communication has evolved significantly, which is something that a lot of people have trouble grasping. It’s no longer the difference between snail mail and email, but the vast different ways that people of all ages communicate these days, from texts, messaging systems, and life streams.

Relationships of Male Dolphins from Shark Bay Determined by Slow Swimming

In Shark Bay, Australia, the male dolphins are well known to marine biologists for their messy social entanglements. These relationships are so unique, that they’re more like intricate webs of the way that the Cosa Nostra and the Mafia work than the typically vertical hierarchies of chimpanzees. A team of scientists argues in a recent article, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, that this social system is unique among mammals.

Read more @ SciTechDaily

Jersey Shore Living Without Jionni S05E11 (MTV)

The cast reunited, via Vulture

I’ve mentioned to someone that watching the Jersey Shore is like watching Animal Planet. It’s like watching the mating habits of a cheetah, or something like that. There’s no doubt in my mind that this is true. I’ve also noticed that the vocabulary that the cast uses is quite insidious and sometimes appropriate, especially if you go out a lot and date. The words DTF, creeping, and other terms are a common occurrence when you open your eyes. The vocabulary is also very easy to use.

The prank was pretty good, but Mike is all pissy about people touching his stuff. He almost cries, the boys are at a loss. It’s the last episode of this series and everyone goes home. Except for Vinny hooking up with a pair of lesbians, nothing much happens.

Warning: This post might offend you.

[Ed. note: I had to put some warning here, and I thought that this was kind of funny, but you have been warned!]