Philippe Matthews Show Guru Advice, Author Reviews, Tech Reviews, Entertainment News

A new app for Android phones blurs faces, strips metadata, integrates easily into Facebook, and is open source. It's great news for activists and protesters--and also for keg-standing partiers who want to make their photo albums safe for work.

Robots are quietly invading daily lives all around the world. You never know when next you'll meet a bot--just check out this week's robotics developments for proof

What do you do if creative agencies are constantly bugging you to create new ways to promote brands on your network? Hold a competition

These days, it takes nearly a half-dozen apps to keep up with all our fragmented social networks. But a new app out today called Banjo aims to solve those disconnections by integrating all your social networks into one streamlined service. We shoot out quick updates to friends on Facebook.

Forget Facebook's status updates, and Twitter's social sharing in iOS: An Apple patent application hints at a future where a character-measuring iPhone app can tell you if you're near your pals--or even a potential soulmate. Apple's already patented extensively in the location-based app space. And hints of a "Find My Friends" API code have been found in the iPhone's OS.

Leading Net radio service Pandora has just priced its IPO, ready to lead a nascent industry into the next phase.

When Google revealed its " instant " search preview powers last year, CEO Eric Schmidt was unequivocal about Google's aim--to try to get its search systems so honed that they'd get faster and faster, and ultimately may even know what you're searching for before you know you need it. Today it revealed Google Instant Pages, and while it's not quite to the point of tapping your brainwaves to predict your needs, it is pretty smart. Essentially, it's a booster to Google Instant that starts pre-loading the pages from search results before you even click on the link for the site you want

A solid mobile strategy will include several ways to connect with consumers via their mobile devices. Here are some key approaches and why you should be using them.

In a move that'll help some digital magazine publishers and possibly streaming content providers, Apple has adjusted the terms and conditions for its subscriptions service. But how much help will it provide the struggling industry

True, body-enveloping 3-D virtual environments come to everyone's living room with Nintendo's new Wii U controller. Living room entertainment just got one step closer to having a true three-dimensional virtual environment: Nintendo's new Wii U tablet remote control scans a virtual world in true 360 degrees as the user moves it in orbit around his or her body. The brand new technology opens exciting possibilities for not just gaming, but for the exploding tablet market.

How do you reboot the image of a store synonymous with mildew seediness?

How this door-to-door directions, mapping, and route-planning service uses customer feedback to drive innovation and success. As we process applications for the 2011 Inc.

Just because you're on the road a lot doesn't mean you have to leave your multimedia world at home. Hitachi's compact LifeStudio MobilePlus combines a portable 500GB hard drive with an auto-syncing 4GB USB 2.0 key that magnetically attaches to a sleek docking station, making the whole thing packable and easy to use. The LifeStudio software automatically organizes documents, photos, movies, music and other files into a 3- D interface for easy access and upload to Facebook and online photo-sharing sites

We're not trying to exclude those who use smartphones not of the Apple variety—it's just that the iPhone clearly needs the battery bump the most. While there are myriad new choices of external iPhone battery packs—the Mili PowerSpring 4 comes to mind—none outshines the Mophie Juice Pack Air, which weights a mere 2.5 ounces and incorporates one of the more well-designed cases available

Phishing is not hacking. Users were tricked more than violated ... and other lessons from yesterday's made-up story.