Byte-size: Online fans 'so over social networks'

Ever wished you didn't have the ability to stalk the Facebook profiles of old friends or to chat with people without having to make the effort to go and see them or pick up the phone?

Probably not. But in India young people are experiencing "Facebook fatigue" and deleting their profiles.

They aren't logging on to the site or Twitter and Google+ nearly as often as they were last year. "Youngsters have started finding social media boring, confusing, frustrating and time-consuming," the survey said.

"Tech overload is apparent among youth and their fixation with social media seems to be eroding,"

More than half the young people who took part in the survey said they had deactivated their accounts, with many putting the end of the love affair down to the constant and meaningless status updates of their online friends.

Most said they had been having trouble sleeping and had trouble with their relationships.

Assange feels chatty

Oprah's out of the game but Julian Assange may be in. The Wikileaks founder seems to have leaked his own news on the whistleblowing website that he will launch his own television chat show.

The site said the show would go to air in March and that 10 episodes had been filmed.

The guests would be "controversial voices from across the political spectrum - iconoclasts, visionaries and power insiders".

Kiwis would be able to watch the show online.

"This is an exciting opportunity to discuss the vision of my guests in a new style of show that examines their philosophies and struggles in a deeper and clearer way than has been done before," Assange said.

Cam off limits

The quality of the camera would usually be one of the biggest selling points of a smartphone.

In Singapore though, you can now buy an iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S without a built-in camera.

The phones are targeted at military personnel who aren't allowed to take cameras into their camps, but anyone can buy one.

Singapore banned camera phones from its military camps five years ago after someone from within posted photos of confidential training activities online.

If you're thinking you might eventually be able to save money on an iPhone by choosing one without a camera, you're out of luck.

The adapted phones cost $45 more.

*Got any news, gadgets or queries? Contact lindsay.harvey@apn.co.nz