[Got something awesome everyone needs to know about? A really rad singer? A wicked new book? The key to collegiate success? Email your “The Know” ideas to Jill@collegecandy.com or tweet me and I’ll pass them along to everyone right here, every week. Make your kindergarten teacher proud and share!]

It’s no secret that my iPod is a home for all things Backstreet Boys. Teeny-bopper music has become a staple in my life since, well, the ’90s. And if it wasn’t for my friends filling me in on new artists (or Ben Savage sharing brand new songs), I would probably still only be listening to Ace of Base and O-Town. (And if it wasn’t for Apple, I would probably still be listening to them on my Discman.)

But now, the geniuses at Apple have jumped on the social networking bandwagon and I will no longer need stars of TGIF emailing me new songs in order to stay up to date with amazing new jams.

Enter: Ping, Apple’s new music social network that lives right in your iTunes. Just like Twitter, you can follow and be followed so you can see what others are listening to and they can see what you’ve recently downloaded as well (if you choose to be public).

The idea behind Ping is that not only will you be able to see what your BFFAEs are listening to, but also celebs, total randos, and, even better, the music that your favorite musicians are into. Loving Bruno Mars? Well now you can see what he loves too. Sa-weeeet. Read More »

Last night I was forced to make one of the most difficult decisions of my life. Seriously, I finally understood what Sophie went through.

Which would I watch: Project Runway or the Jersey Shore season finale?

I went back and forth for hours. Was it more important to me to see Janeane cry and Ping drape herself in fabric, or did I want to see JWoww’s boobs and another fight between Ronnie and Sammi/some random guy on the street/anyone who happened to come near him?

In the end, I chose Project Runway.
I am seriously regretting that decision now.

It’s not that Project Runway wasn’t good. Well, OK, that’s exactly what it was. The challenge was interesting, the designs were beautiful, but the majority of the show was just plain boring. Here’s a brief summary: Read More »

Every week I count backwards from ten. I know, I’m kind of a big deal. Usually these countdowns have a theme like which phrases really grind my gears (“grind my gears” should be mentioned) or how I’m I heart not drinking (which is a hard list to replicate cuz I’m really loving beer right now), but this week I’m leaning to my geekier side.

This week, I’m counting down the ten craziest technologies. Whether they’re crazy in the “what the f&!# way” or crazy in the “I need that NOW” way, I’m listing them all, from social media to iPhone apps. Gen-Y has access to the wackiest and most innovative technology right now and here’s my “Weekly Ten” take on all of it:

10. Twitter Peek
How have we reached this point? A device solely for Tweeting? The end is near.

9. Last.Fm
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: if you’re a music junkie like me you MUST get last.fm. You can download an app for your computer that scrobbles (crazy jargon!) whatever you’re playing and can show the world what you’re listening to. I love seeing what my friends are jamming out to. Last.Fm also creates a personal radio station for you that kicks Pandora’s butt by a mile. Love it.

8. Skype
Phone calls, video chat and texting. All in one and it’s international. You can even place calls thru Skype via the wifi on your iPhone. It’s a little buggy, but still pretty cool to call your friends abroad. FOR FREE. Read More »

You know that really annoying friend of yours who feels the incessant need to point out that they were the first to know about a now really popular band? Every. single. time. it comes on the radio?

As annoying as they are, there is something exciting about the knowing of a new band, new clothing brand, great sale, awesome book or recipe, and sharing it with the ones you love. And by ones you love, I mean the ones you go back and forth with right here on the CollegeCandy message boards.

So here’s the deal: every week, we will feature 3 things that YOU think other CollegeCandy readers just have to know about. Anything at all. Nothing is off limits.

Pumkin Pie Hershey Kisses
By now, you probably know my over-the-top love for Pumpkin Spice from Starbucks. In fact, one of the only things I like about fall is pumpkin flavored things, so imagine my sheer delight when CollegeCandy’s equally pumpkin-obsessed editor sent me the image of these pumpkin pie Hershey kisses. We then proceeded to go back and forth on G-chat for ten minutes obsessing over them. It went a little something like this:

Me: O. M. G.!!!
CC Editor: I KNOW, I’M DYING JUST LOOKING AT THEM
ME: OMG. I mean, I just peed my pants a little, I hope my boss doesn’t notice.
CC Editor: OMGEE. Must. Try. These. Yesterday.

And so it went, and even though neither of us has tried them yet, we knew that you all just had to know. And now you do. And now I can go buy some. Saweet.

All Nighter Hair Powder
Fact is, I’m lazy. And since my Jewish genes blessed me with Jew fro curls that take foreva-eva to wear straight, I don’t like to wash my hair unless absolutely necessary. Problem: the bangs always look greasy before the rest of my hair needs to be washed. Yeah, we’ve all heard of tossing a little baby powder up in there, but it’s no fan favorite, unless, of course, you are playing the part of crazy grandma in your 8th grade play, or want to smell like a baby’s bottom all day. Well, now there’s an answer. And its not just ANY answer – it’s a Rachel Zoe answer, which means it’s good.

Our favorite fashion troll says she’s addicted to All Nighter Hair Powder/Dry Shampoo. It can fit in your purse AND it comes in multiple shades so the powder soaks up the grease while blending in with your hair. Amazing for those mornings when you’re tired and lazy, or those emergency situations when your hair is stuck to your head but you are running late from cute boy’s apartment to not so cute Bio lecture…

Ping iPhone Application
I don’t have an iPhone or a Blackberry but this prospect still excited me. Everyone I know that has a Blackberry says the ONLY reason why they have it over an iPhone is for those 3 letters we all hear wayyy too much: BBM. While to me BBM is just that annoying thing that keeps my friends from paying attention to me when we are together, to Blackberry users it is more important than breathing. Or cupcakes. Yes I said it – more important than cupcakes. It’s addicting and people don’t want to part with it. They don’t call it the Crackberry for nothing.

But now, our friends at apple have developed a nearly-free iPhone app that serves the same purpose! Ping is just like our beloved BBM with a hint of instant messenger combined. And the best part? It doesn’t discriminate against iPhone users only – those with an iPod Touch can take part in the F-U-N that is totally not paying attention in your English lit class. And it’s $0.99. I mentioned that, right? Less than a buck!

Email your “The Know” ideas to Jill@collegecandy.com and I’ll pass them along to everyone right here, right now. Well, not right now, but soon. Like, every Thursday.