Facebook talking to Apple about bringing Home to iOS (debunked)

By Christian Zibreg on Apr 15, 2013

Facebook Home, a brand new and controversial feature from the social networking behemoth, is having a rocky start. At a news conference last week, CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the new capability that puts users’ News Feed right on the Lock screen of select HTC and Samsung smartphones. He then lambasted Apple’s walled-garden approach and praised Google’s Android for being open “so we don’t have to work with them.” But alas, Android users evidently aren’t liking their new Home much.

Reviews on Google’s Play Store give it an average score of 2.3 out of five stars, with the most common rating by far being just one star out of five. Perhaps sensing Android people may not be ready to embrace Home as Facebook’s co-founder thought they would, Facebook is now toning down rhetoric and is apparently in talks with both Apple and Microsoft over bringing the Home overlay to iOS and Windows Phone… Read More

 

Facebook Home now available, video tour posted

By Christian Zibreg on Apr 12, 2013

Facebook Home just landed on select Android devices so the social networking giant figured it should do a video to highlight some of the features of its controversial new UI overlay. A first-look clip, included right past the break, has Facebook’s Product Director Adam Mosseri discussing Chat Heads, Cover Feed and nice gestures and animations which let you stay on top of what your Facebook friends have been up to, no matter what app you happen to be using at any given moment… Read More

 

How to quickly share notes on Twitter and Facebook

By Jeff Benjamin on Apr 11, 2013

ShareNotes is a new jailbreak tweak that allows you to share notes on Twitter and Facebook using iOS’ built in share sheet. The sheet is accessible via a tap on the share button in the Notes app, and it features two new buttons for Facebook and Twitter sharing once this tweak is installed.

The stock sharing options for notes are quite limited; you can only share notes via Mail or Messages. This jailbreak tweak opens things up a bit. Take a look inside for screenshots and more info… Read More

 

First Facebook Home reviews hit the web

By Cody Lee on Apr 10, 2013

After years of rumors and speculation, Facebook finally announced its entry into the smartphone space last week. But it didn’t unveil its own hardware, or operating system, like a lot of folks were expecting. Instead, it showed off Facebook Home, a software shell for Android.

As you’d expect, feedback following the announcement has been filled with mixed emotions. Luckily, Facebook lifted the embargo on tech journalists last night, allowing them to publish their full reviews of Home to help give folks a better idea of what it’s all about… Read More

 

Facebook Home for iOS? Talk to Apple, Zuck says

By Christian Zibreg on Apr 4, 2013

Facebook has found a new home on Android, so to speak, as the social networking giant at a news conference earlier today unveiled a Home launcher, a new feature for select Android devices which marries cherry-picked Facebook applications to a beautiful user interface described as putting “people first in an app first world.”

Alongside the new software shell, Mark Zuckerberg and HTC’s Peter Chou announced the HTC First, an Android smartphone born out of the collaboration between Facebook and HTC which runs the Home interface. Zuckerberg confirmed his company will be rolling out the new launcher to select Android devices beginning April 12, as a free app download from Google’s Play Store.

But what about iOS? iPhone users are unfortunately shut out. Initially hiding behind ‘Apple’s walled-garden’ argument, Zuckerberg in wide-ranging interviews with Forbes and Wired.com shed more light on the matter… Read More

 

HTC shows off new ‘First’ smartphone running Facebook Home

By Cody Lee on Apr 4, 2013

Facebook’s media event just ended and as expected, most of what was talked about had to do with a new Facebook experience on Android. The social network unveiled a new ‘people first’ launcher, or shell if you will, for Android devices called Facebook Home.

But software wasn’t the only topic of discussion today. Right before ending the press conference, Mark Zuckerberg pulled a Steve Jobs’-like ‘one more thing,’ and called HTC’s CEO Peter Chou on stage to introduce the long-rumored HTC First smartphone… Read More

 

Facebook introduces new ‘Home’ for Android devices

By Cody Lee on Apr 4, 2013

Facebook just finished up its media event, and to our surprise, most of the discussion was not about a new smartphone. Instead, it was about Facebook’s new ‘Home’ launcher for Android devices that promises to put “people first in an app first world.”

Home’s not a forked version of Android, but rather a deep software integration with Google’s OS that features a family of Facebook apps and a gorgeous UI. It changes the look of everything, from the Lock and Home screen to Messaging and more… Read More

 

Flurry: one-third of app time spent on games

By Ed Sutherland on Apr 4, 2013

The average U.S. smartphone or tablet user spends two hours and 38 minutes on their device, the majority inside an app.

Just over half an hour is spent inside a mobile browser, while more than two hours each day is spent inside apps, such as Facebook.

According to the mobile analytics firm Flurry, games top the list of most-used apps, while Facebook is threatening to overtake Safari, Apple’s dominant web browser, Opera Software’s Opera Mini and other popular mobile web browsers as the most-popular way to access social and other content on the web… Read More

 

Rovio bringing its Facebook hit ‘Angry Birds Friends’ to iOS

By Cody Lee on Apr 3, 2013

With more than 6 different games from the Angry Birds franchise bouncing around in the App Store, we probably didn’t need another one. But we’re getting one. Rovio announced today that its bringing its Facebook hit ‘Angry Birds Friends’ to iOS.

‘Angry Birds Friends’ combines classic Angry Birds gameplay with Facebook integration and other social features. Players can challenge their Facebook friends in weekly tournaments, collect daily awards and send and receive gifts of power-ups… Read More

 

Is this Facebook’s upcoming smartphone?

By Jeff Benjamin on Apr 2, 2013

A new image of what is purportedly the upcoming Facebook phone has been leaked on Twitter. The image, first posted by @evleaks, shows off a generic looking Android device made by HTC.

It’s widely expected that Facebook will announce its first real foray into the hardware business on Thursday, this, by means of a partnership with handset manufacturer HTC. Last week, Facebook sent out invites that stated: “Come see our new home on Android.” It looks like that was more than just an invitation, as it also reveals the purported name of the device: Facebook Home. Read More

 

Facebook reportedly preparing to launch a smartphone

By Cody Lee on Mar 28, 2013

Just a little bit ago, Facebook sent out press invitations for a media event next week. The keynote will take place at 10:00am PST on Thursday, April 4, at the company’s headquarters on 1 Hacker Way in Menlo Park. What is it going to be talking about? Maybe its new smartphone.

Yes, I know. We’ve heard this rumor enough now that it’s almost meaningless. But it sounds like it’s for real this time. A new report says the handset, which is being built by HTC, has a 4.3-inch display, an iPhone-like Home button and is running a forked version of Android… Read More

 

Google tops Apple as leading App Store publisher

By Ed Sutherland on Mar 28, 2013

Obviously, home field advantage doesn’t hold sway when it comes to app stores. That’s the message from a new report showing Google the leading publisher on Apple’s App Store while Facebook downloads outnumbered Google on the Mountain View, California company’s own marketplace.

Although Apple led apps downloaded from its App Store in December, iOS video and mapping apps from Android’s Google topped its smartphone rival during January and February. Meanwhile, a Facebook app grabbed the top spot on Google Play, reinforcing the importance of social networking downloads in generating app store revenue… Read More

 

Facebook voice calling now available in UK, seen elsewhere

By Christian Zibreg on Mar 25, 2013

The social networking giant Facebook back in early-January updated its free Messenger app with the ability to share audio snippets, having added that feature to its official iOS client, also a free download, later that month. Initially only available to Canadian and North American users, today the company has expanded in-app voice calling to people in the United Kingdom in the form of a quiet backend update.

The handy feature should presumably become available to UK users through the company’s main iOS client at a later stage as well… Read More

 

Facebook for iOS updated with cover photo, group messaging improvements

By Cody Lee on Mar 18, 2013

Facebook has released another update for its iOS app this afternoon, bringing it to version 5.6. This is the app’s third update in as many months, as the social network continues to improve its mobile experience.

Today’s update brings about a handful of improvements, including an easier process for updating your cover photo from inside the app and multiple changes to group messaging. Full change log after the fold… Read More

 

Apple’s Tim Cook loses top CEO ranking to Facebook in Glassdoor survey

By Ed Sutherland on Mar 15, 2013

It’s uncertain what caused it, but the first cracks are appearing in the honeymoon between Apple CEO Tim Cook and company employees.

After being named the top CEO of 2012, Cook slipped to 18th place, behind Google and Amazon. According to employment site Glassdoor, Apple employees gave Cook a 93 percent approval rating, down from 97 percent last year.

By comparison, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg jumped 14 points to land in the top spot for 2013 with a 99 percent approval rating from employees of the social networking giant… Read More

 

Hands-on with new one-column Facebook Timeline

By Christian Zibreg on Mar 13, 2013

The social networking giant Facebook today announced that the improved Timeline rocking a much-awaited one-column layout is rolling out today and “in the coming weeks” to users worldwide. The subtle and welcomed redesign has nothing to do with a new-look News Feed, also coming pretty soon.

The two-column Timeline prominently features shortcuts to your About, Friends and Photos sections. Facebook has also introduced several new sections for your About view: Movies, Books and Photos, where you can indicate what you read, watched and shared.

Also cool: the new Instagram Timeline app replicates your photo stream across the full width of your Facebook profile, quite handy for showcasing the photos you shared on this Facebook-owned service without having to manually upload them to Facebook… Read More

 

Netflix rolls out the improved social experience to US viewers

By Christian Zibreg on Mar 13, 2013

Netflix, the popular provider of on-demand Hollywood movies and television shows, Wednesday showed off a slew of new features aimed at making the experience more social and engaging. After being available internationally for well over a year, Netflix customers in the United States can now finally connect their Netflix account with Facebook.

This enables you to check out what your friends are watching and optionally share your favorite shows with them. Interestingly enough, there’s a new Do Not Share button to mark those kinky videos you don’t want your parents to know about. More Social Settings are available in Your Account on Netflix.com, where you can turn on additional sharing to Facebook or stop sharing altogether… Read More

 

Apple social networking patent would track your stalkers and spammers

By Ed Sutherland on Mar 12, 2013

Apple wants to get into social networking, but not as a rival to Facebook or Twitter. Instead, the iPhone maker envisions a way to better protect mobile users against spammers and stalkers.

Tuesday, the United States Patent and Trademark Office approved a 2010 application for a friend service of sorts which could underlie current social networks.

The patent titled “Apparatus and method for efficiently managing data in a social networking service” describes methods for maintaining three databases which oversee friends within a network, handles for out-of-network contacts and a third to log changes. Among the potential advantages: preventing a flood of friend requests and ignoring contact attempts by stalkers… Read More

 

Facebook unveils revamped News Feed, will start rolling out in coming weeks

By Cody Lee on Mar 7, 2013

As expected, Facebook has unveiled a revamped News Feed today. The refresh, which the company says was ‘mobile-inspired,’ will significantly change the way the personalized stream is displayed on your desktop, smartphone and tablet.

Changes include larger images and videos, the introduction of sub feeds, which will allow you to separate the different content that appears in your feed, and a much more organized interface. More details and a video after the fold… Read More

 

Facebook Messenger improved with updates to group chats

By Christian Zibreg on Mar 6, 2013

Facebook has just updated its Messenger iOS app with a few new features and “other improvements and bug fixes.” The new Facebook Messenger version 2.3 is all about enhancements to group conversations, says the social networking behemoth. It contains one feature I’ve been yearning for ever since the program’s debut on the iPhone: you can finally name a group by tapping on the top of your active conversation.

And just like Facebook’s main iOS client (and a growing number of other third-party apps for the Apple platform, for that matter), you can now get to your active group conversations by swipe left, which reveals them in your sidebar. I’ve included a few screenies along with other nice tweaks right after the break… Read More

 
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