Google + friends= Life as we now know it

Google Plus- the lowdown and review; A dip back into Bahrain's political back-bench; kicking off on a sunny day; Hacked FB accounts in Abu Dhabi are Social Media hazard; What to do in Jordan this summer and in a Jordan that's kicking off again in the protest tournaments.

The SM rat-race has started: Google Plus invite apps have been doing the rounds and many are now building an impressive friend 'count' or gaining a head-start on the non-starters.

Out Of Hadhramout [2]

The Google Plus Ripple

"Though I am an avid Google admirer and user, being averse to 'Facebook' like social networking, I haven't had that much enthusiasm for Google's latest and, most probably, their hottest offering in years: Google Plus."

Mahmood's Den [3]

The Dialogue: Government Services

"Off to the National Dialogue again in a few minutes. This time I’ll be participating in the 2nd stream of the Economic Committee dealing with Government Services and I’ll be particularly interested in Education and the Environment, their challenges and what we should do to promote them in Bahrain. This is a continuation session from last week."

Kumail+ Blog from Kuwai [4]

Forced Perspective Photography

A kick about with the galaxy greats, at the break of dawn.

One Big Construction Site: A Blog About Dubai [5]

Identity Theft

Social media networks deemed a risk in the UAE where hacking accounts is on the rise: "A significant proportion of UAE residents have been victims of online hacking, fraud or identity theft, a new survey indicates. Of 751 residents questioned for Al Aan TV’s Nabd al Arab (“Arabs’ Pulse”) programme by YouGov Siraj, 24 per cent had been victims of hacking, 13pc of identity theft and 22pc of online fraud. The result is widespread concern about the risks of social networks, with two in five (40pc) saying they were somewhat or extremely unsafe."

Kinzi Blogs: My Treasure [6]

Summer Stuff To Do in Amman

"Go mag’s July summer issue is packed full of fun. I had fun with my two contributions, one on summer camps and one about the hidden parks of Amman. The latter idea was hatched at one of those ladies’ coffees I go to, we all shared our favorite places to take kids, or take a book without the kids."

Black Iris [7]

Thoughts Beyond Friday

The return of Jordan: "The events of last Friday have been refresher course disenchantment. To be honest, the event itself may have gone “unnoticed” had there not been so many journalists there to document the event, and had many of them not been beaten, which has caused much of the ruckus in the aftermath. Reading the papers in the last two days and the digital conversations abound, it seems the mistakes of the past continue to repeat themselves. It has been seven months since the Jordanian street began to move in the midst of the Arab spring."