Category: Facebook

Instagram Posts Pictures Of Smoothies And Fruit To Their Accounts

An Instagram hack that posts pictures of fruit to users’ timelines has returned after a sabbatical.

The security issue is called the ‘Smoothie Hack”, some clever smooth-ie criminal has decided to post pictures of this drink, but once you click on them this is where the breach happens. The pictures come with some text trying to explain that they are drinking a new diet and that others should try it by clicking on a URL link within their Instagram bio, he wants you to try it with him.

The hack seems to be harmless enough as far as these types of things go. Still, if you have been affected you should change that passcode (assuming you still have access to your account) and also change any other account passcodes that may have been the same as what you had been using on Instagram.

As The Next Web reports, the links being inserted into bios are made to look like BBC links, but the domain being used was actually registered just yesterday (although the registrant details may well be fake) – suggesting that it may have been registered specifically for use in this hack.

In the meantime we offer this as advice — don’t click the links and move forward with a password reset as soon as possible.

[Via]

July 27, 2013
Instagram For iOS Gets Landscape Mode

Instagram can take photos and video and add filters that make them look dated, but nothing was more dated than the fact it didn’t support landscape mode.

Instagram for iPhone has been updated with a couple minor improvements that could have a major impact on the way users enjoy the app.

Until now, Instagrammers have been limited to taking photos in portrait mode; while it was possible to turn the phone on its size (the photos themselves are square either way) the interface did not adjust accordingly. In version 4.0.2, iPhone users can now turn the device onto its side and shoot as if using a regular camera app. Taking a photo in landscape lets you hold on to the other side of the phone for support, potentially forging better photos in the process.

The other improvement made to the app, other than the requisite “bug fixes and performance improvements,” is the addition of Cinema Mode when using the front-facing camera. Cinema was a feature incorporated into Instagram videos on the iPhone, improving shakes and other aberrations in rendering.

Instagram hasn’t stated that these improvements will come to Android — Cinema isn’t even available using the rear camera on Android — but we hope it is sooner than later.

July 6, 2013
Facebook Brings Stickers To The Web (PR)

Earlier this spring Facebook announced Home, a suite of apps for Android meant to make elements of the social site native to the phone. A month later, Facebook pushed out some features of Home to their iOS Messages app, including Chat Heads and stickers. Stickers are now rolling out to desktop users, and these users can choose from a catalog of available images in Facebook’s Sticker Store.

Sending stickers is simple: click on the smiley icon in your message, browse the top of the sticker window to decide on the pack you want, and make a selection. The basket icon takes you to Facebook’s sticker store, where you can find additional packs.

Though they’re calling the collection a “store,” the stickers are currently free, although Facebook could one day decide to sell sponsored stickers. Though the social network is increasing their push to bring stickers to their messaging platform, (other social networking apps also offer stickers), TechCrunch says their head sticker designer has left the company.

[toggle title=”Press Release”]Spice up your conversations now with Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger gets updated with Chat Heads and Stickers

Facebook, one of the largest social networking platforms has announced some upgrades in its instant messaging app Facebook Messenger and has rolled out a few interesting features such as Chat Heads and Stickers.

Facebook now makes it easy to send private messages. Today, more than 10 billion messages are sent each day in total on Facebook. Private sharing and connecting is a big part of the Facebook experience. No matter what you’re doing or where you are, you want to reach your friends on Facebook – and you’re reaching your friend, not a phone number or a screen name so it’s personal, real and intimate.

To spice up the conversation and keep your chats at the finger tips Facebook Messenger comes up with features such as Chat Heads and Stickers. Stickers are a way of letting the user free, of the same old smileys and emoticons. The user can use these to spice up the conversations and make them more interesting and fun. Chat heads allows the user to be just one tap away from chatting with his friends. The most frequently connected user on Facebook, appears on the home screen inside a circular shape, and does not go away until and unless, it is double tapped upon. Chat Heads make the texting experience quick and easy; it allows the user to switch between friends without having to go on the friend list again and again.

Stickers have been available on the Facebook and Facebook Messenger apps for iOS and Android and now users can send them right from messages or chat on their desktop as well.

Here are some quick tips to show you how to get the most out of Facebook mobile messaging.

1. Start messages instantly
From the Facebook app, tap the icon in the top right of your News Feed to get to the messaging sidebar. Just tap the name of a friend and your message will reach them wherever they log in to Facebook – on their smartphone, feature phone or the web. Want to know who will get notified about your message on their phone? Look for the mobile icon.

2. Message groups of friends
Making plans to see a movie with a small group of friends? Tap the message bubble icon at the top of the screen. Tap the Group button, then tap the names of the friends you want to message. Once you start a group conversation, you can give it a name like “Movie Crew” so it’s easy to find it again later.

3. Send a sticker
Stickers make Facebook messages more fun. Just tap the smiley to send a bunny, a cat or another cute critter. To download more stickers, just tap the basket icon. Stickers are a lightweight way to tell friends how you’re feeling, what you’re up to or to just say hi.

4. Share a photo
Sometimes you only want to share a photo with a handful of people. To add photos to a private conversation, tap + and choose from the photos on your phone or take a new one. People in the conversation just tap the photo to see it expand.

5. Multi-task with chat heads
With chat heads in Facebook for iPhone, you can keep chatting while you do other things on Facebook like check News Feed or post to a group. If you have Facebook Messenger for Android, you can keep chatting while you use other apps. Just tap the chat head when a new message arrives. Your friend’s message will open on top of your browser app for example so you can send a response without having to switch back and forth. When you’re done, tap the chat head to close the conversation and drag the chat head down to the ‘X’ to dismiss it.

6. Download the Messenger app
Want to get to your messages faster? The standalone Facebook Messenger app lets you get right to all your conversations from your Android or iPhone home screen. To download the app, go to: http://bit.ly/fbandroidmessenger or http://bit.ly/fbiosmessenger
[/toggle]

July 4, 2013
Facebook Announces Beta Program, Lets You Test Android App

Facebook is going head-on into the path of most resistance when it comes to Android. Its main app has been the butt of jokes since it was launched, and even since it went native in 2012 the company has endured scrutiny for poor performance.

Today, Facebook has announced plans to combat such scorn with the launch of a beta program for its main app. By partnering with Google Groups and the Google Play Beta Program, Facebook will allow users to sign up for the beta program, giving them access to the new app through official means — Google Play itself — as opposed to download an APK and overwriting the original file.

Google announced support for an extensive and granular alpha and beta program at its developer conference in May, allowing third-party developers to use Google Groups or Google+ to officially distribute tester versions of its apps through the Play Store. Customers like Falcon Pro, Plume, Sliding Messaging and Flesky, among others, have already taken part.

In a blog post today, Facebook said of Android: “Facebook is the most-downloaded app in the Play Store, so we need to make sure it works for everyone, no matter their amount of RAM, network conditions, or version of Android they might be using. We want to make sure we’re always optimizing their experiences. With so many use cases to solve, testing becomes crucial to ensuring positive, consistent experiences across Android.”

In other words, Facebook wants early adopters, across a variety of devices, form factors and network speeds, to be the guinea pigs for its Android team. Recently, the company released Facebook Home, a launcher replacement for a small subset of Android devices running Ice Cream Sandwich or above. The reception was tepid at best, but the social networking giant, which surpassed 750 million mobile users recently, has promised to work out the kinks in monthly updates.

So too will it endeavour to fix the issues plaguing many Facebook for Android users. Notably, the app scrolls slowly and renders images at glacial speeds. Early indications point to dramatic improvements in the first beta version, along with some neat updates to the interface. For example, it’s possible to open the left- and right-side menu bars by swiping in from either side. This was previously only possible by tapping a button at the top left or right of the interface.

To join the beta program, follow the following instructions. Once joined, downloading an update from the Play Store will replace the original Facebook app. Most users won’t notice much of a difference at first, but Facebook promises monthly updates.

1) Join the Facebook for Android Beta Testers Google group
2) Allow beta downloads by clicking Become a Tester in the Play Store (you need to join the Google Group before becoming a tester)
3) Download Facebook from the Play Store to update your app
4) Join the Facebook for Android Beta Testers group on Facebook to tell us what you think

June 28, 2013
Instagram CEO : Instagram For BlackBerry, Windows Phone Not Coming ‘Anytime Soon’

Instagram is currently available via the web, or as a mobile app on the iPhone and Android devices. Knowledgable BlackBerry 10 users can unofficially get in on the fun and port the Android version over to their Z10, Q10 or Q5. There has also been several attempts to bring Instagram to Windows Phone, mainly begging by Nokia, but the Facebook-owned company has no imminent plans of a releasing a native app on either platform.

It took the iOS-only service roughly 18 months–and 25 million users–to launch on Android, in early 2012, making it one of the operating system’s most anticipated app releases. Since then, the company has been acquired, introduced a slew of new features including video, and yet still has not migrated to other platforms.

According to an article in Fast Company, CEO Kevin Systrom was asked if they’d be bringing the app Google Glass. “We’re not yet on BlackBerry or Windows Phone, so I think those will come before Google Glass… I’m not saying those will come anytime soon. I’m just saying that in order of priority, the way we evaluate where to expand to is really simply where our users are, and where the growth is. It took us a very long time to get to Android.”

This is not the first time a popular app developer has shunned BlackBerry and Windows Phone. Netflix also stated the same reply of ‘we go where our users are.” Instagram has amassed over 130 million active users who’ve uploaded 16 billion photos and 5 million videos.

Instagram has more than 100 million monthly active users on Android and iOS. The company recently added a video-sharing feature to help the service better compete with Twitter’s popular Vine app.

June 28, 2013
Report : Facebook Working On Flipboard Like App

Facebook is experimenting with a lot of mobile-centric ideas, aiming to take the social network’s presence beyond just Facebook. Although it has reportedly been in the works for well over a year, it appears as though Facebook is working on a news aggregating app.

Now according to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Facebook is developing a new tool that focuses on news consumption in order to re-shape its identity as a social network, like Twitter, that can compete in the news consumption space. The project, which is reportedly called “Reader,” would be a feature that runs on Apple’s iOS Devices such as the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

The social network has been quietly working on a service, internally called Reader, that displays content from Facebook users and publishers in a new visual format tailored for mobile devices, people with knowledge of the matter said.

The project, which the company has been developing for more than a year, is designed to showcase news content in particular. Recent versions of Reader resemble Flipboard Inc., a smartphone and tablet app that aggregates stories from multiple sources and lets users swipe to flip through articles, said the people with knowledge of the project.

While it’s unclear when Facebook will be ready to unveil the product, if it ever is, the Reader project is a sign the company is trying to get users to spend more time with it on mobile devices—and to see more ads.

Facebook is clearly making an initiative to be more than just a social network to share photos and statuses

[Via]

June 24, 2013
Facebook : Security Bug Revealed 6 Million Users’ Info

On Friday, Facebook admitted that a bug made the private contact information — either email addresses or phone numbers — of 6 million users accidentally accessible to Facebookers who downloaded their account histories onto their own computers.Compared to Facebook’s over 1 billion total members, 6 million isn’t much. But any security flaw has the potential to frighten people away from a website.

The breach was caused by an unfortunate combination of Facebook’s “People You May Know” and “Download Your Information” features. “People You May Know” offers friend suggestions based in part on other users’ uploaded contact lists or address books; “Download Your Information” offers a downloadable version of your Facebook Timeline archive.

When some users downloaded their Facebook archives with “Download Your Information,” the archive included contact information for second-tier connections with whom Facebook thought those users might want to connect but who hadn’t yet received or approved a friend request from that user.

Facebook said the security bug did not reveal other personal or financial data and that only people on Facebook – not developers or advertisers – accessed the DYI tool. Therefore, the bug was not exploited maliciously.

“For almost all of the email addresses or telephone numbers impacted, each individual email address or telephone number was only included in a download once or twice,” Facebook clarified. “This means, in almost all cases, an email address or telephone number was only exposed to one person.”

Facebook said it reviewed and confirmed the security bug, and therefore immediately disabled the DYI tool to fix the problem. The tool is now back online, however, because the problem has been resolved.

The bug was found not by Facebook’s team, but by someone going through Facebook’s “white hat” hacker program, which offers a bounty for anyone who can find bugs on the site, paying a minimum reward of $500 per bug.

June 22, 2013
5 Million Instagram Videos Uploaded On First Day

Instagram’s new video feature isn’t going over well for everyone. GigaOm’s Matthew Ingram says he’ll never click on your videos, and others have followed suit, blaming the addition for disrupting the service’s simplicity and, proportionally, its charm.

But that didn’t stop hundreds of thousands of users from uploading millions of videos in its first day — 5 million videos to be exact. According to an Instagram spokesperson, video uploads peaked during the Heat-Spurs game last night but remained steady throughout the day.

While five million videos may not seem like a lot when you consider Instagram has 130 million active users, there are a few things to consider: there is a slight learning curve to this feature, and it takes a fair amount more effort to complete an Instagram video than a photo; and over half of Android users do not yet have access to video creation, as the feature is limited to phones running Jelly Bean and above. At last count, that was around 35% of total users — still hundreds of millions, mind you — but certainly enough to have an effect.

Another thing to consider is that Vine, with its six-second-video focus, is likely better suited to be the “Instagram of video” than Instagram itself. There has always been a tense but friendly rivalry between Twitter and Facebook, each company borrowing features from one another, but adding video to Instagram seems to be largely reactionary and may be viewed in the long run as diluting its brand. Then again, 15 seconds, which is the maximum length of an Instagram video, is the perfect length for a pre-roll ad. So there’s that.

June 22, 2013
Instagram Gets Video With Filters

Those selfies and food photos in your Instagram feed might soon be a little less stationary. Starting today, the Facebook-owned service will be adding video features to its popular iPhone and Android apps.

Video on Instagram gives the 130 million users of the app the ability to post short video clips that can be three to 15 seconds long. In contrast, Vine allows a maximum of six seconds of video.

The new feature opens a potential new revenue stream for Facebook, which paid a premium price to buy Instagram last year. But Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom insisted the product was not specifically designed to generate new business.

“This is driven by consumer demand, not by business need,” Systrom said during a news conference at Facebook headquarters. “I don’t think we designed it with any advertising in mind.”

In its iOS version, the tool also includes a brand-new image stabilization mode called “Cinema” to eliminate shakiness in videos.

Users will now hit the camera button and get a choice of a still camera or video camera option. Selecting the video option will bring up the usual viewfinder, and then, similar to Twitter’s Vine app, holding down the video icon will capture video. Releasing it will allow you to pause the video, readjust your shot and then start capturing again.

Within hours of the new feature being added to Instagram, video clips began streaming in from locales around the world including a fish market in Japan, a space memorial in Russia and a surfing haunt on the California coast.

June 21, 2013
Report : Facebook To Add Video To Instagram on June 20

Facebook may be preparing to add video-sharing features to its Instagram app, in a direct response to the popularity of Twitter’s Vine app.

According to TechCrunch, the company will unveil the new service at an event on June 20th. Earlier it was rumoured that Facebook will launch it’s own RSS service at the June event.

Instagram is a popular photo-sharing application that is available for Android and iOS. Facebook had acquired Instagram in 2012 for a whopping $1 billion. About three months ago, Instagram had announced that it has 100 million monthly active users and these users are uploading over 40 million photos per day.

There are several clues suggesting that video may be the next step for Instagram, which now boasts of 100 million active users. For example, Facebook has prevented Vine from using its friend-finding feature. By doing this, Facebook looks embed users into its platform first, rather than a service like Twitter.

Another instance of Facebook protecting its brand is how it is preventing Instagram uploads from being posted directly onto Twitter. Users can still share Instagram photos on Twitter, but users need to click the link to see them. By directing users back to the Instagram platform, users will spend more time in the photo sharing application.

Adding the ability to shoot and share short videos directly from the wildly popular application could certainly give Facebook a boost in the social media war.

Last week, Facebook announced that it was enabling hashtags on its site, also comparable to Twitter capabilities.

[Via]

June 18, 2013
Rumour : Facebook RSS Reader Set For June 20 Launch

Facebook sent out press invitations via snail mail for a launch event, possibly for a Facebook RSS Feed or news reader, at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California on June 20.

The Facebook launch event invitation postcards request that reporters come and see the “big idea” that their “small team” has been working on, Mashable’s Emily Price reported.

The dead-tree invitation features a printed coffee cup stain ring and the words “A small team has been working on a big idea. Join us for coffee and learn about a new product.”

With Facebook having launched hashtags, which is still technically in its early trial-and-error phase, this new product might have something to do with that new feature. But what we’re guessing is that the product announcement just might have to do with the discovery of an Facebook RSS reader hidden inside of Facebook’s Graph API code. Facebook hasn’t commented on the bit of code alluding to an RSS reader that was found, and come July 1, Google Reader will officially be killed off. The timing lines up pretty well.

If Facebook does have a new Facebook RSS reader, the move would fit in with the company’s strategy of trying to become the go-to place for internet users looking to know what is going on in the world, a strategy Mark Zuckerberg pointed to at the March launch of Facebook’s revamped news feed.

June 15, 2013
Facebook for iOS gets updated with Photo Viewer Button; Save, share or make profile!

The Facebook App on iOS just got an Update on their version 6.1.1 . The new update brings about a Photo Viewer button that lets you save or share an image you are viewing from your handheld, and also set is as you profile image, making handling of images a lot better on iOS devices.

A few other improvements include , enhanced “places editing” while checking in on the iPhone on Facebook and faster load times for Events which are compressed on server side and delivered to the handsets.

Facebook has seen a growth in Mobile Platform usage for its apps by almost 200% in the last year and the company expects these numbers to grow tremendously in the coming two quarters.

May 14, 2013
Facebook To Delete Beheading Videos After Complaints

Facebook has said it will delete videos of people being decapitated which had been spread on its site.

“We will remove instances of these videos that are reported to us while we evaluate our policy and approach to this type of content,” BBC News quotes Facebook.

The company had previously refused to remove several graphic clips, claiming people have a right to show the “world in which we live”.

The turn-about reportedly came after the California-based social network’s safety advisory board criticised the decision to leave the gruesome clips up at the website.

The warnings came after a one-minute long video was uploaded to the site last week showing a woman being beheaded by a masked man.

A voice heard on the footage suggests that it was filmed in Mexico. A second video clip showing the execution of two men has also been shared on the network after being posted last Wednesday. The victims say they are drug smugglers for a Mexican cartel before being attacked with a chainsaw and knife.

Celia Mellow, who started a petition calling for the clips to go, said she was ‘shocked’ by the images.

Meanwhile, Facebook last night announced first quarter revenues were up 38 per cent on 2012 to £938million. But shares were down 28p to £17.35.

Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said: ‘We’ve made a lot of progress in the first few months of the year.

‘We have seen strong growth and engagement across our community and launched several exciting products.’

May 2, 2013
Facebook Reports First Quarter Results, Reveals 751 Million Monthly Active Mobile Users

Facebook issued its first quarter results for the new year and made some pronouncements on the state of the mobile web and mobile advertising in general.

The company, which went public in 2012, now has 751 million monthly mobile users, up 54% from the same period last year. Considering that number comprises 68% of the company’s 1.11 billion total monthly active users, that is an astounding number.

In a recent study conducted by Facebook, it found that 70 percent of all respondents use Facebook on their phone — 61 percent of which use the service every day. The company also found out that out of all the things that could be done on a smartphone, being on Facebook was the third most popular activity. 70 percent said that the Facebook app has become one of the most commonly used applications — right below checking email (78 percent) and Web browsing (73 percent).

More impressive is the rate of growth: that 54% uptick in mobile users is much higher than the 23% increase in total active monthly users.

So while it’s not safe to say that Facebook’s growth has completely stopped, it only grew some 4.75% since last quarter, while mobile users were up nearly 11% in the same period. Advertising revenues have also seen a slight bump from mobile users; 30% of Facebook’s advertising revenue now comes from mobile devices, up from 14% in Q3 and 23% in Q4.

Facebook’s mobile apps are among the most popular on its respective platforms, and with an increasing number of “sponsored posts” littering users’ news feeds, it’s only a matter of time before that 30% number increases to over 50%.

[The Next Web]

May 2, 2013
Microsoft Releases Facebook Beta For Windows Phone, Features High-Resolution Photos, Timeline And More

Facebook for Windows Phone, while maintaining a nice design, has always lagged behind its iOS and Android counterparts for features.

Microsoft is launching a new version of its Facebook app today in beta, bringing many of the most highly-requested features to Windows Phone users. Not only is the design a better compromise between the company’s existing mobile apps and the Windows Phone design guidelines, but it offers Timeline support, high-resolution images and post sharing.

Instead of showing a tiny preview, the beta Facebook app now allows pics embedded inside a post to take up all the horizontal screen estate. Basically the shots can take advantage of large high-resolution displays.

The new app supports left- and right-side sliding bars, much like Android and iOS, and they open smoothly with a swipe from either side. Any page, including specific timelines, the messaging folder or even specific brand pages, can be pinned to the home screen for easy access, and the app still supports using images from albums as lock screen art. Toast notifications are said to be more reliable as well.

“Once you’ve put the beta app through its paces, we hope you’ll pass along bug reports, feature requests, and other feedback by going to Settings>About in the app”, Microsoft says. “You can also post a Store review. Your comments and suggestions will inform future releases”.

While the beta is not quite stable, and cannot be found by searching in the Windows Store, it will go a long way to alleviating some of that cross-platform envy Windows Phone users have been feeling lately. No word on whether Chat Heads are coming to Windows Phone any time soon, but having native Facebook Messenger support from the Messages app should suffice for now. The beta will be installed alongside your current Facebook app until it comes out of beta.

[Windows Phone Blog]

May 1, 2013