URL shortening is becoming more and more popular with the use of social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. Bit.ly is currently the most popular URL shortening service being used on social networking sites, especially on Twitter where posts are limited to 140 characters.

Google and Facebook has now come to the party with their own URL shortening services. Facebook launched fb.me thats already in use for mobile and page link sharing, while Google has launched Goo.gl the official Google URL shortening service.

In a short announcement, the tech giant revealed that the Google Toolbar and the FeedBurner syndication service now utilize Goo.gl for link sharing.

The company also made sure to preach the strengths of its URL shortener and why it should be chosen above others. Google’s three key talking points are stability, security, and speed. These are no surprise

Facebook and Google are trusted brands with huge audiences and very good short URL domains. This may just mark the beginning of a new battle for the URL shortening market.

Last week I got the news that I was eligible for an upgrade, at first I wanted to port to Vodacom to get the iPhone as I have played around with a few of them and love it, but after some consideration and a hefty price tag my attention turned toward the HTC Hero or iPhone killer as some say.

It was a mission to get hold of one, as everybody is either out of stock and only expects new stock in the next year or does not get the phone until next year. Lucky for me the guys at Durbanville MTN shop got hold of an HTC Hero in only one day, great service from them, and I picked up my Hero yesterday.

The phone is absolutely superb, I’m loving every aspect of it and can see why people are saying that it’s the iPhone killer. The HTC hero is lightning fast with applications and menus opening instant without any sign of hesitation. A nice feature is the Accelerometer, one example I tested was with Google Maps in street view. Enabling the digital compass feature and physically moving around with the phone in your hand made the street-view move around as if you where standing in the street and looking up, down, left or right.

Out of the box the Android operating system asks you for login details to social networking sites like Facebook, twitter and Flicker and integrates it into your home screens if you would like to. Importing contacts was a breeze specially since I had all my contacts in Gmail, Android just asked me to sync with my GMail account and voila there all my contacts was imported.

The Android market place is also a breeze to operate with all the apps you can think of, 99% of the kind of apps I searched for where free.

The 5 mega-pixel camera of the HTC Hero is also very nice, it takes very high quality images that is sharp and crisp. One downside of the camera is I would have liked a flash, but its not the end of the world.

I’m definitely a Android fan now, and won’t turn back anytime soon. The Hero is sure to give Apple iPhone a run for its money.

If you are due for an upgrade have a look at the Hero, I’m sure you’d like it. I’ll be writing more about Android and Tips and Tricks for the HTC Hero and Android marketplace from now on here.

Great news for local The Killers fans, they will be doing two shows right here in South Africa this December.

Capetonians and Johannesburgers will have the privilege to go see The Killers live on tour right here in South Africa this December brought to us by Heineken and 94.7 Highveld Stereo.

Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter had been filling with news that The Killers will be comming to South Africa, and now it is comfirmed that they are set to perform in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

The Killers has released three albums and has numerous hits such as Mr. Brightside and Human, aswell as a number of awards behind them.

Fans of The Killer can catch them in Johannesburg at the Coca Cola Dome on the 4th of December and Cape Town fans can check them out at Val De Vie Polo Estate in Franschhoek on the 6th of December. Tickets go on sale at Computicket from tomorrow, 28 August, or if you are a KFM club VIP member you can already get a prime spot by purchasing a ticket through the Club VIP website.