Top 5 must ‘Like’ pages if you’re into tech

Back in the 60s - Formal shirt, a wrist watch, a plain tie, a huge black laptop bag and oops.. I almost forgot to mention really-really high powered glasses. Ring a bell? Yup. You guessed it right. We are talking about the IT geek of the yesteryears. But gone are those days (and thankfully, never to be back again!).

Fast Forward to the present – The world has now seen a paradigm shift. Here’s what describes ‘The Geek Version 2.0’ –beer drinker, jazzy dresser and way cooler than the other mortals. You see colored streaky hair, bizarre tattoos, funky hairdos and you know you’ve spotted one in the crowd.

So what do you think has brought about this shift? I’d like to base it on a theory that we all are familiar with – Web 2.0.

Coming back to the topic of this blog – where do all these geeks hang out on Facebook? I’ve identified a few properties that you can sign-up on to know about the who’s who (and even about the how’s how, or that what’s what for that matter).

Here’s a list of the top 5 must 'like' pages:

TechCrunch

The number one guide for all things TECH – This page is just what it claims to be. TechCrunch offers its followers news and analysis on technology, special features like profiles of startup companies, new product launches and interesting websites. It was founded by Michael Arrington, and was first published on June 11, 2005. It now has a bucketful of other websites under it, commonly referred to as The TechCrunch Network. TechCrunch is also known for hosting hackathons in prime tech cities across the globe – Beijing, New York, San Francisco. Termed as Disrupt, these conferences are the best platforms for the best hackers. The latest one is going to be in New York on 21^st May, 2012 (FB Event )

Needless to say, being a hardcore tech blog, it has its presence practically everywhere– Facebook, Google+, YouTube, Twitter, Scribd. The page currently has about 4.5 hundred thousand users subscribed to it and they put up multiple posts each day – on iOS, Mobile Apps, Google launches and Facebook IPOs – that get shared, liked and commented upon extensively.

Engadget

Engadget gives you an obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets. Since March 2004, it has continued its stance as a gadget review magazine focused on tech news and happenings in the world of consumer electronics. The site is updated with an umpteen number of blogs and news threads, multiple times a day. It features short news posts, product reviews, videos, photo galleries and editorials on things of joy for any gadget freak- Xbox, Kinect,Playstation, phones, cameras and lots more. It is also popularly known for its weekly Engadget Podcast, hosted by Editor-in-chief Tim Stevens and The Engadget Show, a technology-driven video show which includes recurring live events.Started on 7^th November, 2007 and having a strong community of 1.7 lac subscribers currently, this page is a must follow for all those who are hopelessly in love with hardware.

AOL bought TechCrunch in 2010 and Engadget in 2005. Mighty big, I say.

The Next web

Founded in 2008, The Next Web is one of the world’s largest online publications that delivers an international perspective on Internet technology, business and culture. Although the page subscribers (about 85000 in number) are lesser in number compared to the first two, it has an active, influential audience that gives it more than 5.1 million visits and over 7 million page views, monthly. The User Interface of the website is so interesting and evenly spaced out that it is just impossible to get off it. You can browse through categories and even through editions – country-wise. Besides The Next Web Conference that we’ve all heard of (the first such conference was held in 2006), TNW is also home to popular social media tools like Twitter Counter, Social Statistics.com, Paydro.com, PressDoc.com and Spread.us. Follow it today to know THE NEXT big thing on the WEB, globally.

Facebook Studio

Coming from the masterminds of the most addictive social networking site (ever!), this page is a must follow for all those in digital marketing. Facebook Studio simplifies lives of all social media enthusiasts by listing out the best brands that have made the best of use of this platform. It features a ‘success stories’ section that covers brand campaigns built and designed entirely on Facebook. Here’s a link to an India specific case study on Pepsico. It also features descriptors of various listed Facebook API partners across the globe. The page was founded in April 2011, and within a year itself, its user base grew to about 7.3 lacs. It gives tips and tricks of the trade (marketing) in the form of daily updates in a video case study format, as a value add to marketers.

Mashable

Heard of Pete Cashmore? Well, who hasn’t? For a page known for news on Latest digital, social media, business, tech, entertainment and mobile, this one does exceptionally well. Both Mashable and Pete Cashmore have a widespread subscriber reach of about eight hundred thousand and three hundred thousand respectively. Mashable has now become the largest independent news source dedicated to covering digital culture. Its strong community of 20 million monthly unique visitors and social media followers has become one of the most engaged online news portals. It provides rich content that is syndicated with top publications such as ABC News, CNN, Metro and Yahoo! News, amplifying its reach to millions of additional readers each month. Besides tech news and reviews, it also ranks high on entertainment quotient – Here’s one on 20 sites every cool mom should know  and 9 YouTube channels on cooking that’ll make your mouth water.

So have a good time getting up, close and personal on these pages. If you think you need some more, let the nerd inside you free and go check out a few other pages.

Featured Image Courtesy:Sean MacEntee