I thought it was out of style, but apparently people really like poking each other on Facebook, now that they can do it via an iOS app.

TechCrunch has a story about a new iOS app called Directr, which helps people make better iPhone videos by teaching them to storyboard. How refreshing to see an app help focus on making the user better as opposed to pushing the technology as far as it’ll go (which is a fine idea, but eventually you have to think about the user.)

Pennsylvania’s transparency Web site, PennWATCH, has been launched. “PennWATCH allows users to view appropriations to agencies and funds from the state budget, as well as detailed information on payments made by agencies, including the name and address of the recipient. PennWATCH also provides details on the number of employees in each agency, as well as their annual salaries. Employee compensation information will be posted in mid January.”

Thanks Flickr! The photo service is giving away three months of service free to all current subscribers. Meanwhile, my Flickr account that’s collecting Creative Commons photos continues to chug along with over 3900 photos!

Speaking of Flickr, which has found itself interesting the position of being a hot functional photo service while Instagram and Twitter are busy having a slap fight, there’s a new weekly vidcast devoted to it.

Here’s a little holiday goodie for you — a bunch of free genealogy Webinars from MyGenShare.

Here’s a fun crowdsourcing project for you to help with — classifying unbound sheet music from the mid-Victorian era.

St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church of Parkersburg, West Virginia, is putting its old baptismal records online. The records go back to 1856 and are expected to total over 7,000:

The state of Alabama is putting a public contracts database online in 2013.

Fast Company Design reviews the super easy sensor device, Twine. I’m excited about it — it looks terrific and I can think of about 5000 things I want to do with it — but it’s a bit outside my price range at the moment.

The ever-fabulous Arizona Geology blog points to Data Metallogenica, which is described as a “global encyclopedia of ore deposits”. It’s a pay site but there are a limited amount of free resources available.

Pinterest for DIYers? I hadn’t heard of Houzz.

Gangnam Style has hit one billion views on YouTube. One. Billion. The video itself is four minutes and thirteen seconds long. To really make your skull hurt, go plug this query into Wolfram|Alpha and see what four minutes thirteen seconds times one billion really means… Good morning, Internet…