Concrete5 today announced that it has redesigned the company’s admin dashboard to leverage Twitter Bootstrap.

An early pioneer of in-context editing, concrete5 gained popularity due to its ease of use for managing the content of websites. With this in mind, the company has leveraged the Twitter Bootstrap toolkit to offer a completely redesigned, centralized dashboard for backend administrative tasks with the release of concrete5.5.1.

While concrete5 is frequently used by webshops to deliver sites to clients who want to make edits on their own, many people who use concrete5 are DIY websites on budget webhosts where concrete5 is acting as a self-publishing platform. Over two-thirds of the traffic hitting concrete5 servers isn’t coming to its public facing community concrete5.org at all. The company knew it needed to improve the learning experience from within the concrete5 application itself.

“We started just wanting to make it easier to get around the Dashboard and browse our marketplace from within your own site, but we quickly realized we were going to have to touch every part of the interface to do it right,” said concrete5 designer Robert Huston. “Twitter Bootstrap gave us an amazing style guide, and much of the infrastructure we needed right out the box. With some addition icon work and thoughtful application of the rules the Twitter team devised, we were able to accomplish months of work in just weeks.”

“A lot of time has gone into tuning things under the hood with this release,” added Andrew Embler, CTO of concrete5. “Performance on a default install of concrete5 has improved dramatically in this version, and new features like Stacks and Global Block Areas provide best-practice solutions to problems that had been solved organically in the past.”

New installs now include a wizard explaining how people can get started, and a daily news feed laid out like a magazine helping people learn more over time. The browse marketplace functionality has been dramatically improved, and users can now even purchase add-ons and themes without ever leaving their own sites.

There is an easy way to get LIKEs and insightful commentary on Facebook, and that is by posting a killer status update. Every day, hoards of hungry Facebook users head to http://www.FunnyStatus.com to provide them with hilarious content for their Facebook wall. The number one desired quality in relationships is humor and there is no place in which it shines more than on the social network. Recently updated, the killer iOS app is celebrating it’s 1,000,000th status update!

Finding a ridiculously awesome status on an iPhone has never been easier with FunnyStatus.com’s, top-selling iOS app, “Funny Status Updates for Facebook”

This EPIC app has consistently ranked within the Top 25 Paid apps for Social Networking within the US App Store. The average status update gets more than 9.4 Comments/LIKEs per post. Statuses are categorized in an easy to read format and you can edit them before posting for originality. Now celebrating over 1,000,000 status updates created this app can please every social networker!

Making funny statuses is no easy task. So, leave it to the professionals at FunnyStatus.com which boasts over 20,000+ unique and Clever Status Updates for any occasion. Whether they’re status updates about life, love, or work, this app has everyone covered. Don’t post boring old Quotes or Song Lyrics. Post something with substance that Facebook friends and followers will enjoy and interact with.

With 30,000+ LIKEs on Facebook, it’s easy to see why people love the website’s hilarious daily updates. The site has tons of cool features like: Random Status Generator, Profile Banners/Headers, Symbols for Facebook, and Text Tools that make a status unique. This isn’t just another adorable cat pictures website. Although, there is plenty of that too.

Folks interested in spicing up their Status Updates should head over to FunnyStatus.com and join the community of thousands making the internet more enjoyable one status at a time.

Facebook is a registered trademark of Facebook, Inc. | FunnyStatus.com is NOT affiliated with Facebook, Inc. in any way. | iPhone® is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. | All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. | Copyright 2011 SocialZoid, LLC

RentChimp has spent the past two months since their release in early July improving and expanding their free web application to meet the consumer’s needs. Now a worldwide web application for bookmarking apartments for rent, RentChimp has raised the bar higher for competitors with the release of their Facebook Application. Now users can access RentChimp through Facebook without having to leave the site.

The same features available at RentChimp.com are available through the Facebook Application from Friends Help to the Affiliate Program. Users can send friends Facebook Application requests to review their rental listings and comment below each listing through their own Facebook account.

Additionally, RentChimp has recently expanded across the United States and into Canada and Europe, making RentChimp the only international bookmarking site for apartments and houses for rent. “The real estate struggles from the current economy are not just an issue in the United States, but around the globe. We know that this application is a game changer in the real estate world and we are prepared to take it to consumers everywhere,” says Founder Clark Giguiere. With the addition of the Facebook Application, RentChimp has become more marketable around the globe.

InfoShore Launches Locomu, apps directory for twitter. Locomu offers numerous Twitter applications well categorized under specific categories and platforms. It works like a search engine for the apps and makes it really easy for the users to find out what they want. “There are hundreds and thousands of applications for Twitter but one hardly knows if they even exist but Locomu searches them out and preserves them well so that the users can find them out without spending a lot of time over searching,” explained Mr. Ashish Arora, the co-founder of Infoshore.

What Sputnik and Vostok were to Spacecraft, Twitter is to Micro-blogging; progenitors of a fresh and punk cult of technology. Today Twitter has more than 200 million active users and reports say that they send about 65 million tweets and handle more than 800,000 search queries each day. And with such a large user base, there are countless third party clients that make following the Twitter creed more easily manageable. But what seems difficult is to search each of these Twitter clients. But when you have a Twitter Application Directory like Locomu, the task is no more burdensome.

This Twitter application directory will not just prove helpful to the Twitter users but also to the application developers. The users will surely get to see all the apps they always wanted to use but the developers will also be benefitted as several apps get lost in the jungle of the web without gaining any popularity and thus they hardly get to do any business and are finally found dead. “So many Twitter clients with really great features disappear all of a sudden just because the developers can’t afford to get proper exposure. But here on Locomu, developers will get to submit their own apps and also to claim if any of the apps on the site are developed by them. And with experts and the users rating the apps, they will surely gain popularity and esteem that will help them in their business,” Mr. Arora informed.

It serves not only as a directory cum search engine for the Twitter third party clients but also as a reviewing platform where apps are reviewed and rated unleashing the best as well as the worst in them making it clearer for the users whether the apps are really suitable for them. Users can get the apps directly from Locomu, which further trims their troubles. Latest apps are regularly added with an aim of adding 8000+ apps by the year end making it an enormous directory

Wordspreadz, a new inclusive social network, brings a compelling new approach to social networking with the objective of facilitating discussion on globally relevant topics and enhancing the caliber and depth of interaction among its members.

To pique interest, Wordspreadz asks users to express their thoughtfully developed positions, offer relevant details and post pictures and videos relating to a range of continually expanding open-ended questions. Topics range from complex issues such as whether to add a new amendment to the United States Constitution or the status of a particular nation’s political unrest to less controversial topics such as what was the worst vacation they ever had and what bands they would want to see in a small club.

“Until now, social network content has largely focused on brief exchanges of opinions or simple conversations between family and friends,” said Simon King, co-founder and CEO of Wordspreadz.

“Although existing social networks certainly provide a highly valid venue for this type of communication, we built Wordspreadz to serve as a forum for people wishing to heighten their level of involvement in discussions about global news and compelling topics of the day,” said King.

Another unique facet of Wordspreadz’s appeal is the ability to browse and learn prior to committing to official membership. While other social networks demand full registration in order to simply become acquainted with the site, Wordspreadz encourages visitors to test drive its site without requiring registration. Only once a visitor decides to participate in or comment upon a discussion is the free Wordspreadz registration required.

“From day one we decided to build a social platform that allowed everyone to browse the entire site without registration,” said Andy Neville, the company’s co-founder and CTO.

As personal privacy becomes an increasingly significant concern among members of social networks, Wordspreadz assures users their privacy is of utmost importance and will not be compromised. “Once a visitor becomes a registered user, Wordspreadz limits the amount of personal information a user can provide in an effort to maintain their privacy,” Neville said. “We encourage users to review our privacy policy at http://www.wordspreadz.com/privacy”.

Wordspreadz is a privately held company with headquarters in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Wordspreadz is the trademark of Wordspreadz, Inc.

http://www.wordspreadz.com.

The newly released social network “LifeGunk” is hitting the internet with a vengeance. LifeGunk was developed so that individuals are able to manage their lives as well as connect with others to join forces on goals, activities and ideas. Unlike other social networks where all there is to do is “update your status”, LifeGunk is about conceiving, achieving and connecting with people or groups who share similar interests or concerns. And it’s all done in a safe and secure environment.

LifeGunk developers wanted to create a social network for people to have a way to become more organized, and at the same time be able to connect with others on the more pressing issues of the world. It’s important for users to have a way to get involved in solving global problems. For this and many other reasons the First Life Management Social Network was born–with THE WORLD in mind. With several years in the making, and finally available to the public, LifeGunk has all the capabilities and more, that everyone would expect from a social network. And for those individuals who are not into the social networking scene, LifeGunk is still the perfect tool for those who want more order in their lives. Users control who sees what’s on their calendar and any other aspect of their profile by the click of a mouse.

Lifegunk is a safe and secure network for friends, family & co-workers. Members never have to worry about their children being stalked by online prowlers or having their virtual space being flooded with “what’s on others’ minds.”

For more information, go to http://www.LifeGunk.com and take a moment to watch the short introductory video on LifeGunk’s sign-up page. After that, LifeGunk welcomes anyone and everyone to join up for FREE and start being a part of a network that can really make a difference in the world!

Have you ever seen something so incredibly stupid that you just wanted to stand up and shout it out to everyone? Well, now you can.

The launch of www.SoStupid.com, gives everyone an online place to point out whatever they think is “stupid”. From the mundane to something on TV last night to the latest “stupid” app you just downloaded, SoStupid.com wants to hear about it.

The site is set up to be extremely pointed and intuitive – people can go and read what others think it stupid, and then sign up for free to leave their own “this is stupid” opinions. The site also encourages interaction and is simple to use, utilizing a series of dropdown menus combined with text boxes so people can get their exact “this is stupid” message across.

So what can be chronicled at the site? Well, almost anything – was there something on TV last night that was stupid? Go to the site and tell everyone. How about a song, or a movie? Maybe something that happened at school and/or work? It’s all fair game for SoStupid.com.

Now a days, SoStupid.com is something that is clearly needed.  There is so much that is “stupid” out there, but no real place to chronicle it. Yes, you can use Facebook and Twitter for such, but with SoStupid.com, people will come to the site to “expect” the stupid, making it a lot more fun and entertaining.

The site is meant to be fun, but will draw the line at hateful speech or online bullying. You have to be 13 to register, and the site will not allow “stupid” postings for non-public figures. So, you can’t say your classmate was stupid, as that’s not really what the site is after. It’s more of a pop culture, observational thing. Which leaves, oh, maybe 100 million stupid things to write about.

www.SoStupid.com

Luxury apparel designer, Donni Charm, launched a 24-hour sale of their most popular products using a Facebook pop-up shop.

Announced to a national television audience, the Denver, Colorado-based company hosted the sale using a shop on the Donni Charm Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/donnicharm/).

The shop, hosted by Infused Commerce (http://www.infusedcommerce.com/), allowed visitors to browse an exclusive selection of Donni Charm scarves and purchase securely without leaving Facebook.

“Offering our products right from our Facebook page gave us a chance to connect directly with our customers, which meant not only revenue but also more Facebook fans who we hope will buy from us in the future,” said Joey Mosko, CEO of Donni Charm.

In addition to a fully functional social commerce store, Infused Commerce provided custom features to the Donni Charm Facebook shop including coupon code functionality and inventory management. Total set up time took under 4 days to complete.

“Even with customizations, Infused Commerce set us up with a Facebook shop quickly and affordably,” Mr. Mosko added.

Facebook, the world’s largest social network with over 600 million users, is becoming a direct commerce channel as brands seek to maximize their social media investment and deepen relationships with customers. With full e-commerce functionality, Facebook shops give brands the opportunity to host special offers for their fans.

Fans, in turn, are beginning to find exclusive deals from brands that aren’t offered anywhere else.

According to the independent research form, eConsultancy (http://econsultancy.com/), special offers and shopping are the highest reasons why people follow brands on Facebook, along with activities such as following events and leaving feedback.

“Brands like Donni Charm are ahead of the curve when they host product sales on their Facebook page,” said Arthur Tew, Director of Operations at Infused Industries, the social commerce solutions provider of Infused Commerce.

“Customer experiences on Facebook are not only engaging but also rewarding when fans share discoveries with their networks,” added Mr. Tew.

“The benefits of participating in social commerce can be tremendous.”

A Facebook glitch exposed chats and private account information to friends…and now Facebook is silently installing apps in users profiles.

Despite putting effort into revamping its privacy settings and attempting to get all its users to confirm what they’re sharing with other people, the social networking giant just can’t catch a break on privacy issues: a glitch yesterday had the site sharing chats and private account information with a user’s friends, and now some users are finding that Facebook has silently installed applications into users profiles without their knowledge or consent. The problems highlight a growing sense of frustration with the social networking service, whose founder as famously declared privacy is no longer a social norm and is aiming to convert Facebook’s near ubiquity into an always-on, social Web experience.

The glitch that exposed private account information to friends apparently only lasted a few hours, but has not detailed how many accounts may have been impacted. The problem let a user’s Facebook friends see private chat messages and pending friend requests, although the information was only exposed using a particular profile previewing method and was not accessible as a default part of the Facebook interface. Facebook temporarily disabled the chat function to eliminate the visibility of private chats, and quickly rolled out a fix to re-instate the confidentiality of friend requests.

Applications that are silently installed in a user’s profile have even fewer explanations: some sites that use Facebook Connect APIs—including major media sites likeThe Washington Post andCNet—can apparently have applications silently installed in a Facebook user’s profile when that user visits their site or services. The applications do not appear on a user’s profile page, but are available via Facebook’s applications settings, where users can also see which of their friends have the application installed—and that, in turn, may reveal more about Web browsing habits than a user had intended to share. Facebook’s controls to opt out of “Instant Personalization” do not stop these applications from being installed in user accounts. Users can delete the applications from their profile, but they will re-appear automatically if the users visits a participating site without first logging out of Facebook.

The privacy glitch and silent application installs come at a tense time for the social networking company, which is now at the center of a broader industry debate about how personal information and data is collected by social networking and media metrics companies, how that data can be accessed by other Internet users, and how it is shared with partners and marketers.