Vine, a new Twitter feature available for iPhones since Jan. 24, allows users to tweet six-second videos. The videos are made through a simple interface encouraging tweeters to splice several different shots together to create a short video segment. What results is similar to the .gif image format — but audio is provided as well.

Unfortunately for Android users, Vine is not yet available through the Google Play store. Videos can be viewed on Android through the Twitter app and through Twitter’s mobile website, but the videos are often slow to load.

The success of image sharing apps like Instagram and Snapchat paved the way for Vine, but it has the potential to overshadow its predecessors. The video splicing creates an artistic feel in each video, similar to that of Instagram, but provides users with the option to share multiple scenes in a short period of time. The combination of audio and video provides the opportunity for people to share more in-depth glimpses into their daily activities with their friends.

It did not take long, however, for the app to become a vehicle for porn. On Jan. 28, just four days after the app’s release, a pornographic video was featured as an “Editor’s Pick,” according to BusinessInsider.com. The video was quickly taken down with an apology from the staff at Twitter, but it reflects the prevalence of inappropriate content available through the app.

Regardless of what activities users choose to share with their friends, the shortness of the videos appeals to the diminishing attention span of society. The need for lengthy conversations about your day may soon be reduced to the length of a quick, six-second video.

Vacations should be fun and adventurous breaks from a stressful daily routine, but being in an unfamiliar place can become frustrating. Luckily, these smartphone apps are designed to prevent you from wasting any of your relaxation time by taking the stress out of your spring break so you can maximize your time away from schoolwork.

— Language barriers can present a huge challenge to international travelers. Google Translate does a great job of helping users communicate simple ideas — but if you are really lost, you might want to try iTranslate. Start by just having a conversation. As you talk with the other person, the app will detect what you are saying, translate it and repeat it to the other person.

— Wandering in a new city is exciting, but sometimes you want to know exactly where you are going or what you’re looking at. With Yelp and AroundMe, recommended local restaurants and cafes can be found with ease. Take full advantage of the local culture with Goby, which lists nearby events such as live music performances and festivals. If you want to learn more about a restaurant or a landmark, try out Google Goggles, which scans photos and provides users with information relevant to the items in the photo. Grindr, Tinder and Break the Ice help users meet locals on the fly.

— Enhance trips to the beach, the mountains or even just road trips. For those spending spring break on a beach, Coppertone’s MyUVAlert provides alerts for when it is time to apply a new layer of sunscreen and warns users of high UV levels. AlpineReplay is perfect for the skiers and snowboarders who want to know the max speed of their last run. Road trips can get costly, but GasBuddy compiles a list of nearby gas stations and their prices, so users can fill their tanks without emptying their wallets.

I tend to spend most of Dead Week watching reruns of “30 Rock” and glaring at my chemistry textbook — and I know I’m not the only one. There are better ways to use this time, but it can be hard to force yourself to study. Here are some tools that can help:

Self Control: Download this to your MacBook and watch as your productivity skyrockets. Simply input a list of the sites you use to procrastinate (reddit, Facebook, etc.) and set a time limit. Until that time runs out, you won’t be able to access any of those sites, even if you restart your computer. It’s perfect for long periods of studying but can become frustrating when you need a break.

iStudiez Pro: This one is a bit pricy: $9.99 for Macs and $2.99 for smartphones. For students who can use some help planning their time, it might be a worthwhile investment. The app syncs your calendar and assignment list between your phone and computer, provides notifications for upcoming assignments and tests and tracks your grades.

StudyBlue: Sometimes the best way to study for a test is to memorize a stack of flashcards. However, they can be tedious to make and frustrating to organize. StudyBlue allows users to create flashcards online and then sync them to their smartphones. This is a perfect way to memorize some historical facts or learn Portuguese while eating lunch. It even allows users to download the flashcard sets created by other people, so you can save time.

Virt U — The Virtual University: It can be difficult to learn challenging material from only one professor. This app compiles lectures and notes from courses offered at universities around the country, such as Stanford and MIT. It’s a free way to get multiple perspectives from experts on your course material.

Google Play Books: Your English final is in two days, and you still haven’t read “Walden.” In fact, you haven’t even purchased it. Before turning to SparkNotes, check this out. It has millions of books available for free download.

Wi-Fi Finder: Studying on campus can get wearisome, but the free Wi-Fi is too convenient to pass up. But what do you do when you leave campus? This app displays nearby places with public Wi-Fi to help you find the perfect café to help you ace that anatomy final.

After Passion Pit left the stage last night, the chatter of contented music lovers filled the air and sweat-drenched audience members filtered back out the doors of Matthew Knight Arena.

Passion Pit followed two openers — Icona Pop and Matt & Kim — but Matt & Kim played with energy typical of a headliner. The crowd remained indifferent to Icona Pop’s small set of five songs until their final performance: “I Love It,” a song that blends synthetic beats with the lively and rebellious voices of the Swedish duo. Fists pumped almost enthusiastically as students began to bob along to the music.

The almost-too-sweet style of Matt & Kim’s music later took control of both the stage and the crowd with enthusiasm. Lead singer Matt Johnson excited the crowd with peppy vocals while Kim Schifino animatedly pounded her drums. Her face, filled with genuine joy, was projected to the audience whenever she wasn’t climbing on top of her instruments (or on top of audience members). Fans cheered as Johnson laughingly stated that “Eugene likes to get fuckin’ weird.”

The songs of Matt & Kim were accentuated with samples from other artists. “Overexposed” began with the loop from DJ Kool’s classic “Let Me Clear My Throat”and the duo covered Alice DeeJay’s “Better Off Alone.” Even the “Harlem Shake” snuck into the concert, right at the midpoint of the 10-song set.

Passion Pit leapt onto the momentum created by Matt & Kim to plow through 15 songs without pause. Frontman Michael Angelakos’ unique, high-pitched voice carried throughout the stadium, dragging the audience on a journey through his psyche.

Eight of the songs were extracted from Passion Pit’s latest album, “Gossamer,” an album criticized for the discrepancy between its dark lyrics and its upbeat melodies. The themes of self-loathing and alcohol abuse are covered in just the opening song, “I’ll Be Alright,” and the entire set presented a much more extensive picture of Angelakos’ mind. These messages, however, hid behind the synthetic sweetness of Passion Pit’s melodic style.

Angelakos strutted across the stage, singing his lyrics into a room filled with bass, drums, synth and an elaborate light show. As he screamed, “still I’m the only one who seems to care,” on “It’s Not My Fault I’m Happy,” colored spotlights shone on the sea of bodies that swayed to the rhythm of the rapid drumbeat while large and bright baubles floated above the band.

Thousands of bubbles fell upon the crowd as the band delivered “Take a Walk,” the third best song of 2012, according to Rolling Stone. They departed the stage with the performance of “Sleepyhead,” one of their most well-known songs, to a crowd that hungered for more.

The band members soon returned to the stage to appease the roar of the audience for one final song. “Little Secrets” rocked the crowd, ending the show with a rumble of voices so loud that Angelakos could only stand, watch and lift his microphone to his fans.

Every app available in the iTunes or Google Play stores is marketed toward a specific demographic. Some find success, but many fail to reach their audience. The perfect formula for an app remains to be found, but new statistics reveal a few trends.

Each smartphone owner used an average of 41 apps in 2012, according to Nielsen’s State of Mobile Apps 2012 report. As the number of available apps in each store nears one million, companies are trying harder than ever to convince people to download their app.

What attracts users to one app over another?

Unique apps gain the most attention, but many useful apps go unnoticed despite their prevalence. When fumbling around in the dark, I am likely to download a flashlight app. When I am golfing I download scorecards, when I am going to the movies I download the Cinemark app and when I am traveling I download a translator app. Useful apps add to the entertainment value of smartphones by allowing them to function as a tool as well.

Nielsen’s studies have revealed that Facebook, Google Maps, Weather Channel and Pandora apps are the most used across all types of smartphones, but the majority of downloaded apps are games. With trends like Temple Run, Words with Friends and Angry Birds, this is hardly a surprising revelation.

Nielsen also studied how users first discover an app before downloading. Most users either found the app while browsing the store or heard about it from a friend or relative.

It is evident that most people choose to download apps based on the number of people they know that currently use the app. But the most successful apps combine entertainment with functionality to connect users through games, photos, music and many other unique new ways.

Facebook recently launched a trial phase of a new feature: “Graph Search,” a search engine for your life. 

This new search option allows users to sift through their friend lists based on factors such as interests, places visited and types of photos. Each search sorts through the history and friend network of the user, providing results based on the friends and interests of individual users. For example, a search for “People who bike” on one person’s Facebook will list different friends (and friends of friends) that bike then you can view the same search done by another person.

With this new feature, users will be able to easily learn what bands their friends are listening to and find news stories specific to their interests, among other things. The information that is currently available on individual profiles will be accessible through the search bar. For example, if a photo is hidden from certain users, it will not show up in their searches. Interests and hobbies listed, however, will. Other changes include a fee to message people outside a friend network and the option to pay to “promote” a post, elevating it higher in the news feed.

Graph Search also has a few features that are not directly tied to Facebook. It searches the web and finds nearby restaurants through Bing. Restaurant searches also provide photos and a list of friends that have been tagged at the establishment.

In an interview for Wired magazine, Mark Zuckerberg stated that his favorite part of the search tool is the “recruiting” aspect. “You can find the right people or content page and then send a message,” Zuckerberg said.

According to Facebook’s website, the tool cannot access information hidden by privacy settings, but with precise searches (such as “Photos in June 2010 taken in Las Vegas liked by friends of Steve Holt”) the new feature promises to raise inquiries about privacy.

After using the Graph Search trial, I have developed a mixed opinion of the new feature. It is incredibly useful when trying to find old pictures, and it eliminates the need to sort through dozens of albums. However, the searches reached too far into my friends’ networks. I can find photos of friends of my friends, many of whom I have never met before. The tool cannot yet find wall posts or statuses, but this feature will eventually be implemented.

This new search feature is now available to select users as a trial at facebook.com/about/graphsearch. The official release date has not been announced.