There were three stories I wanted to write about this week. I debated with myself about which one to tell you about and couldn’t make up my mind. I decided to give you a quick version of all three. You’ll find out about an iPhone 4G speed test, some new sites similar to Pinterest aimed at men, and how some colleges and employers are asking for Twitter and Facebook passwords.
iPhone Speed Test
Ramsey Mohsen wanted to know if the iPhone iOS update from 5.1 to 5.01 really ran faster using 4G. He tested with both AT&T and Verizon using both 3G and 4G. The results were interesting!
These results confirm rumors I’ve heard that devices can use 4G, but the networks don’t have it up and running much of anywhere yet. Something to think about when you are looking at device price points, perhaps.
Pin Boards for Men
Imagine the scene on the pin board playground. The girls are having a great time pinning things. They are showing massive growth in traffic, links, sales, and all sorts of metrics that might translate into money using a little thing called Pinterest. The boys want to play, but Pinterest seems filled with girl cooties and isn’t manly enough for them.
Well, some of the fellas checked out Pinterest – Mark Zuckerberg from Facebook for one. This either means Zuckerberg isn’t scared of girl cooties, or Facebook may soon have a pin board function.
Mark Zuckerberg aside, the boys want to pin, too. Who could resist the sharing fun, spreading great ideas such as where to find the best set of socket wrenches. Manly stuff. Soon enough, there were reports like 3 Pinterest Alternatives for Men. The 3 mentioned included gentlemint.com, DartItUp, and MANteresting. Some of these are still in beta. Yes, the boys are playing catch up.
Capioomnia reported on some Pinterest alternatives, too, and mentioned one that is attempting to be gender-free called Chill. Chill is for video pinning. At Chill, you can pin videos about socket wrenches and sexy high heeled shoes for Valentine’s Day ensembles. Pins everyone can love.
May We Have Your Password, Please?
Finally, we come to the privacy invasion attempts by some employers and some colleges. They are asking potential employees and potential athletes to provide passwords for Twitter and Facebook. They want a look at your private stuff.
ReadWriteWeb posted What Should You Do If Your Employer Asks for Your Facebook Password? The article quoted career coach Sandra Lamb, who said,
If your Facebook or other social media website password is requested (or required) that goes beyond a red flag–it’s a deal breaker.
In this video from CBS This Morning, Cornell University professor Jeffrey Hancock said that asking for passwords is illegal, period. It’s not okay. Also part of the password conversation in this clip from CBS is the idea of digital estates, which BlogHer featured in Are You Prepared with a “Digital Estate”.
Legal or not, this is an growing practice. With jobs so hard to find, articles like Job Seeker Balks at Request to Provide Facebook Login emphasize the difficulty someone who needs the work faces when asked to provide a password.
Have you had any experience with 4G speeds, alternatives to Pinterest, or misguided requests for your passwords? Tell us about it.
This post was originally posted on BlogHer.