Matthew Hindman

Here is a real-world example of how winners-take-all algorithms (such as Google's PageRank) are shaping offline behavior. The new iPhone has an application called Urbanspoon whereby, by shaking the phone, the hip and hungry urbanite is directed to a nearby restaurant.

Problem is, the New York Times reports, the phone only picks restaurants that already have a wealth of positive reviews: "If Urbanspoon users haven’t visited and taken a shine to a place, you’ll be shaking your way to carpal tunnel syndrome before it pops up."  Googlearchy: it's not just for Web sites any more.