Masters of Cyberspace

Kyle Nielsen
@kylejack

You know him from when he helped cover May's tragic botched bank robbery in downtown Houston with just his cellphone and quick fingers, and most recently uncovered fishiness with a certain beer festival's charity status. Kyle Nielsen is one of the city's most trusted and indispensable news bloodhounds, even outdoing those stuffy guys in suits on the big networks, and you don't have to sit through any commercials.

Photo by Jeff Myers

From a downtown bank robbery to a beer fest bust, Kyle Nielsen is Houston's one-man muckraking machine.

Photo by Jeff Myers

Andrew Karnavas, a.k.a. AndyRoo, is using his social media contacts to launch a children's music career.

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More About

• Kyle Nielsen
• AIGA Houston
• Juan Alanis
• Social Software and Tagging
• Internet

Hubcap Grill
@hubcap_grill

Ricky Craig's no-nonsense Twitter account matches his real-life personality to a T. The owner of the popular Hubcap Grill is engaging and funny with his customers and quick to call out those who he doesn't think support the Houston food scene. He's refreshing, honest and fun to follow.

Blue Jean Gourmet
bluejeangourmet.com

Nishta Mehra doesn't write restaurant reviews. She doesn't interview chefs. She doesn't attend media tastings. She writes memoir-style posts that transform recipes from say just a useful guide to making Indian cuisine into a compelling, moving read.

I Love Flavor
iloveflavor.com

I Love Flavor is all the bubblegum goodness of pop-culture — funny and bright and always tongue-in-cheek — thanks to host Jenny Kelley and her infectious enthusiasm, whether she's showing you how to make gluten-free mac & cheese or how to celebrate Steak & a Blow Job Day.

Hugo's
www.hugosrestaurant.net

Clean, sleek and easy to operate, without any obnoxious music playing in the background or PDF files to download, Hugo's Web site is everything a restaurant Web site should be. Best of all, the location and hours are listed right on the home page, no digging required.

Best Use of Twitter by a Bartender

Justin Burrow
@beardandbitters

Justin Burrow's handle says it all: @Beardand­Bitters. This bearded bartender loves his bitters, but more importantly he loves engaging with his customers on Twitter. Questions about a cocktail? He'll help you out. Just want to keep tabs on your favorite bartender and his foibles? You can do that, too.

Eatsie Boys
@eatsieboys

The Eatsie Boys know that the best way for a food truck to survive is by providing constant updates about their menu, hours and location on Twitter. They do all of that, ably, as well as providing laughs throughout the day and throwing in obscure references to '80s movies along the way.

Carlos Rodriguez
@c_e_rodriguez

Carlos Rodriguez takes no prisoners, in real life as the executive chef of the fastidiously run Vic & Anthony's, or on Twitter. His feed is a high-energy, high-intensity, fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to head up the busiest steakhouse in town.

Moon Tower Inn
www.facebook.com/moontowerinn

Moon Tower Inn has chosen Facebook instead of Twitter as its preferred platform for communicating with customers, and it does so splendidly. A deeply personalized Facebook page, the men behind Moon Tower leave hilarious photos and videos in addition to important information about specials and upcoming events on their wall.

#hounews

The best way to stay on top of breaking news — or any news, for that matter — in Houston is with the #hounews hashtag. Clicking on it provides you an instant stream from thousands of Houstonians about traffic jams, wrecks, fires, bank robberies, weather updates and dozens of other topics that make it to Twitter before they make it to the nightly news.

Juan Alanis
www.juanofwords.com

Alanis's Juan of Words is a perfect distillation of the Houston we all know in 2011. It's bilingual, heartfelt, hilarious and nostalgic all at once. Even if you don't read or speak Spanish, it's a fascinating read, plus it can be educational. A few weeks ago he wrote a brilliant piece about men and women sharing basic household duties that will make even the most strident macho man stop and think about marriage in the 21st century.

the last place you look
www.facebook.com/thelastplaceyoulook

Most bands just shove automated updates onto their Facebook pages, but not so with the caps-lock-wary the last place you look, one of Houston's most promising rock bands. The four-piece finds time to reach out to fans among all the busy dealings of being an up-and-coming rock band, responding to comments and posting pictures and new tracks. Hopefully, once they hit arenas and stadiums, they will still remember us little people.

MoneyWell for iPhone by No Thirst Software
nothirst.com/moneywell

This Woodlands-built personal finance app digitizes the old-fashioned envelope system for budgeting, allowing you to track every dime you spend while on the go. It also syncs wirelessly with their desktop software, though that's not required.

The Heights Life
theheightslifehouston.blogspot.com

In addition to listing weekly neighborhood events, from gallery openings to restaurant deals, The Heights Life has also covered issues more serious to the 'hood's residents, including concerns about the Walmart deal to the potential closure of public swimming pools this summer.