- June 13, 2013 09:39am EST
Topping tech headlines on Wednesday, Facebook finally turned on clickable hashtags, making it the latest in a long line of social networks to allow users to add hyperlinked context to a post.Click on a Facebook hashtag to see a feed of what other people and pages are saying about the same event or topic. When looking for something specific, search for hashtags like #NBAFinals directly from the Facebook search bar. Hashtags on Facebook that originate from other services, like Instagram, will also be clickable.
Meanwhile, despite the popularity of in-car technology (see Apple's iOS in the Car), a new study found that even hands-free services pose serious risks to drivers by diverting their attention — not their eyes — from the road. According to the AAA study, drivers' mental workload increased when using these systems, slowing their reaction time, and potentially causing them to miss stop signs and pedestrians.
In other news, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S4 Zoom — a new version of its flagship smartphone that includes 10x optical zoom. The device looks like a combination of the Galaxy S4 Mini and the Galaxy Camera; one side sports the familiar smartphone interface, while the other pops with a 16-megapixel CMOS sensor, an optical image stabilizer, and Xeon flash.
Also making headlines Wednesday:
- Apple OS X Mavericks: 10 Things You Need to Know: PCMag outlines the most important features you need to know about Apple's upcoming operating system.
- Dead Series Resurrected on Xbox One, Other Platforms at E3: A handful of upcoming titles pull from the past to win over gamers in the future.
- Ashton Kutcher's Jobs Biopic Gets Aug. 16 Release: Ashton Kutcher's Steve Jobs biopic will finally hit theaters on Aug. 16 — four months after its initial release date.
- Ouya Crashes E3, Organizers Call Cops: Android-based gaming console Ouya doesn't have an official booth at the E3 gaming conference, but it set up shop anyway.
- Teardown Provides Inside Look at Google Glass: Catwig's Scott Torborg and Star Simpson unwrapped a pair of Google Glass in its first-ever teardown.
- Pandora Buys Terrestrial Radio Station in Fight Over Royalty Rates: Internet radio firm Pandora announced that it has purchased KXMZ-FM, a terrestrial radio station broadcasting out of Rapid City, South Dakota.
- Verizon Launches FiOS Android App With Live TV Access: Verizon has launched a FiOS app for Android that allows users to watch live TV on their device while at home and access on-demand video and DVR management while on the go.
- Most Americans OK With NSA Surveillance: According to a recent survey from the Pew Research Center, 56 percent of Americans are OK with the NSA's terrorism-related activities.
- New MacBook Airs Dinged for Repairability in iFixit Teardown: The teardown specialists at iFixit wasted no time in ripping apart Apple's new MacBook Air 13-inch to see what makes it tick.
- Ex-Palm Boss Calls Sale to HP a 'Waste': Former Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein opened up about the disastrous sale of Palm to Hewlett-Packard, calling it a "waste" and saying he wouldn't do it all over again.
- Gaming: No Longer a Boys' Club?: According to a new report from the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), adult women represent almost half of all gamers.
