Category: Social Media

Microsoft, Facebook & Google Says ‘Current Laws and Practices Need to be Reformed’
Microsoft, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Yahoo and AOL have together asked the world’s governments to reform its current laws and practices.

All of these companies have issued a letter to the government directly and also posted it in various publications to spread it worldwide. This is what the letter says:

The undersigned companies believe that it is time for the world’s governments to address the practices and laws regulating government surveillance of individuals and access to their information.

While the undersigned companies understand that governments need to take action to protect their citizens’ safety and security, we strongly believe that current laws and practices need to be reformed.

Consistent with established global norms of free expression and privacy and with the goals of ensuring that government law enforcement and intelligence efforts are rule-bound, narrowly tailored, transparent, and subject to oversight, we hereby call on governments to endorse the following principles and enact reforms that would put these principles into action.

All of this will work on five principles as per these companies:
1. Limiting Governments’ Authority to Collect Users’ Information
2. Oversight and Accountability
3. Transparency About Government Demands
4. Respecting the Free Flow of Information
5. Avoiding Conflicts Among Governments
All these companies have openly acknowledged the government’s need to take actions for the public good. Here is what the CEO’s of these company have to say:

Reports about government surveillance have shown there is a real need for greater disclosure and new limits on how governments collect information. The US government should take this opportunity to lead this reform effort and make things right.”

—Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, Facebook

People won’t use technology they don’t trust. Governments have put this trust at risk, and governments need to help restore it.”—Brad Smith, General Counsel and Executive Vice President, Legal and Corporate Affairs, Microsoft

The security of users’ data is critical, which is why we’ve invested so much in encryption and fight for transparency around government requests for information. This is undermined by the apparent wholesale collection of data, in secret and without independent oversight, by many governments around the world. It’s time for reform and we urge the US government to lead the way.”

—Larry Page, CEO, Google

[Reform Government Surveillance]
December 9, 2013
Apple Acquires Twitter Analytics firm Topsy, Wants to try hand at Social Again

With many a failed attempts at Social markets, looks like Apple is far from giving up. Apple has acquired Topsy Twitter analytics, for a reported $200 million. Most Companies use Topsy to utilize the data for tweet mapping, and trend filtering on Twitter. What Apple’s intentions are, however is currently unknown.

Apple had earlier launched Ping as a social network which, was a software-based, music-oriented social networking and recommender system service developed and operated byApple. It was announced and launched on 1 September 2010, as part of the tenth major release of iTunes.The service launched with 1 million members in 23 countries. The service allowed users to follow artists and see short timely postings by both friends and artists. Ping was also accessible via iTunes for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Apple officially closed the service on September 30, 2012 and replaced it in iTunes with Facebook and Twitter integration. Lets hope a better fate can be received to Topsy.

December 3, 2013
Now Facebook Will Tell You If Your Friend is Online Through Web Or Mobile

After updating its Messenger app recently Facebook is now updating the web chat. The social network giant is currently testing a new messaging feature that lets you know not just which friends are online at the same time as you are, but also if they are using the mobile or desktop version of Facebook.

Facebook is testing this new function, which will show green colored icons in front of your online friends. If your friend is online through mobile it will display “mobile” and in the same way if your friend is online from a desktop it will display “web”. Like others, this features is still not visible to everyone using Facebook. It might roll out once its official as a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement to techcrunch:

We are testing a feature that gives you a better understanding of where your friend will receive your message,” a spokesperson said, who said she would keep us posted on when and if it rolls out more broadly.

[via]

November 19, 2013
One Click Login For Facebook Coming To Windows Phone 8

Android and iOS users have been using their Facebook account for single click logging in to apps from a long time now, and soon Windows 8 and Windows Phone users will be able to do the same as well.

This feature on Windows Phone 8 is still in the early stages, Microsoft has announced that Foursquare, Adobe and iHeart Radio are the first to get in on this action. Just like the Facebook Login on other platforms, by using this it will be easier to share content from within the app, and to connect account information without the need to input anything again and again.

[via,via]

November 15, 2013
Facebook’s New Messenger App to Reach More Users On Android and iOS

Facebook announced a while back that it will be testing new messenger app for its users, now with time users will be able to see the change for Facebook’s Messaging application.

The new version of the messenger app reached few Android devices a day back and the company has claimed that the app will also reach iOS devices as well. Facebook is no new to updates, but this time around it seems that Facebook has made some necessary changes to the messenger app. The new app is said to be faster while swiping to switch between conversations, users will now know which friends are using the app if you see the Messenger icon –displayed at the extreme left-– next to their name. If you see the Messenger icon, that means your friend is also using the mobile Messenger app, and will get notified instantly about your message.

The new update is now available to more devices, but all devices have still not got the latest update. Fore more information you can check out the source.

[Facebook]

November 14, 2013
Facebook Teams Up With Microsoft, Offers Bounty For Bugs

Microsoft has recently announced an extension for its Windows 8.1 bug bounty program, but it turns out that it also wants to make the Internet safer with help from its rivals.

Facebook and Microsoft joined forces for a new project called Internet Bug Bounty, which encourages hackers and security researchers to submit bugs for cash rewards.

The Internet Bug Bounty program will pay a minimum for $5,000 for flaws in sandboxed applications or for bugs in fundamental internet technologies such as DNS and SSL. Lower payouts are offered for spotting problems in Ruby, Python, PHP, Apache, Perl, and other software.

“Our collective safety is only possible when public security research is allowed to flourish. Some of the most critical vulnerabilities in the internet’s history have been resolved thanks to efforts of researchers fueled entirely by curiosity and altruism,” the Facebook and Microsoft said on the bounty program’s website.

“We owe these individuals an enormous debt and believe it is our duty to do everything in our power to cultivate a safe, rewarding environment for past, present, and future researchers.”

To qualify, flaws must found in code that is in widespread use, of serious or critical severity, or be an unusual or novel hack that no one has thought of as yet. Once reported and verified, software providers will have 180 days to fix the problem before any announcement is made of money paid out.

The 10-person judging panel is dominated by Microsoft and Facebook staff, but there will be input from Google’s security researcher Chris Evans, director of security engineering at Etsy Zane Lackey, and penetration tester from iSec Jesse Burns.

The contest is open to anyone in the world, except those countries under US trade embargo. There’s no age limit, but if you’re not yet a teenager then a parent or guardian will have to claim the money for you.

November 7, 2013
Soon To Be A Billion? Facebook Now Has 874 Million Monthly Active Mobile Users

Facebook is on a tear. The company reported its Q3 earnings for the three months ending September 30th today, and investors have renewed reasons to be excited about the world’s largest social network.

Facebook beat analysts’ estimates by posting revenue of $2.02 billion, earning $0.25 per share on non-GAAP net income of $611 million. The company now derives 41% of its overall revenue from mobile — 49% of its advertising revenue comes from mobile, too. Overall ad revenue for the quarter was $1.80 billion.

On the user base side, Facebook is now used by 874 million mobile users per month, a 45% increase from the same period a year ago. Overall usage is now 1.19 billion people, 699 million of whom log in daily. Daily active users on mobile totalled 507 million, meaning mobile users are more likely to log in every day than those who keep strictly to the web.

The market is reacting quite positively to the earnings announcement, sending the stock shooting up 15% in after-hours trading.

October 31, 2013
Facebook Testing Softwares To Track What Your Cursor Hovers On

Facebook is testing a technology that will supposedly increase the data it collects for its users, company’s head of analytics group said in an interview.

Facebook might start collecting data on minute user interactions with its content, such as how long a user’s cursor hovers over a certain part of its website or whether a user’s newsfeed is visible at a given moment on the screen of his or her mobile phone, Facebook analytics chief Ken Rudin said Tuesday during an interview.

Ken Rudin tells the Wall Street Journal that Facebook is testing a system which targets ads based on where users mouse cursors hover. This tracking technology is not new, but implementing it on more then 1.2 billion users can be a big task for the company. Rudin notes that there won’t be a decision on this technology for another “couple of months,” and it may never see the light of day. What are your thoughts on this ?

October 31, 2013
Twitter Now Allows You to Receive Direct Messages From Any Twitter User

Twitter has allowed users who follow each other to send direct messages to each other, or for users to send direct messages to accounts that follow them. Now, Twitter has rolled out an option to ease the use of direct messages.

A new setting, that appears to be out over the past week, allows Twitter users to receive direct messages from any follower. “If you check this option, any Twitter user that follows you will be able to send you a DM, regardless of whether you decide to follow them back,” is a option than can be enabled or disabled according to the user preference.

This is not a major update, but can be beneficial among all Twitter users. The new direct messages option can be enabled from the main settings page at Twitter.com. It appears to be rolling out to accounts at the moment so it might not be available to every user soon.

October 15, 2013
Facebook Acquires Onavo To Speed Up Its Mobile Application

Facebook announced on Monday it has acquired Onavo, an Israel based startup focused on intelligence around mobile application data. For more than three years, Onavo has plied its trade reducing internet costs for smartphone users.

Under Facebook’s guidance, Onavo will work with members of the Internet.org coalition to increase the efficiency and lower the cost of web access. Expect Facebook’s apps to get a speed boost in the future, helping it deliver its growing influx of ads. Users if Onavo app may not worry as the company will continue to operate under its own brand.

Our service helps people save money through more efficient use of data, and also helps developers, large and small, design better experiences for people,” Onavo co-founders Guy Rosen and Roi Tiger wrote in a company blog post early Monday morning. “We’re excited to join their team, and hope to play a critical role in reaching one of Internet.org’s most significant goals – using data more efficiently, so that more people around the world can connect and share.”

[via]

October 14, 2013
Rumour : Next Version Of Google Hangouts To Replace Stock Messaging App

The next version of Google Hangouts for Android will likely replace the stock Messaging app with a single, unified Hangouts version that detects whether the respondent is also using Google’s new multi-platform chat-and-conference service, and if so will send the message over data, and if not will send it via SMS.

The revelation was made by Android Police who, after hearing rumours of the service consolidation in Android 4.4 KitKat, received some pretty convincing screenshots showing Hangouts sending messages “via SMS.”

Messages sent via SMS will show “via SMS” next to the timestamp so that you can always figure out the protocol used for each message delivery. You can request delivery reports for sent SMSes – a feature that is part of the SMS protocol that some of you may be using regularly.

The fundamental question is whether this will be an Android 4.4-only thing, and how it will work with previous versions. It’s not like Google can update Play Services and all of a sudden hundreds of millions of Android users have a single, unified SMS app. More likely, Hangouts, like many third-party SMS apps, will ask to become the “default” and take over the role of the stock messaging app. Nexus devices will probably receive an update to remove the legacy Messages app and go forth with just Hangouts.

Guess we’ll have to wait and see!

[Via]

October 9, 2013
Facebook App for Windows Phone now allows multi-photo uploads and unfriending

The Facebook app for Windows Phone has been updated to add two of the most essential features to any modern Facebook user. Photography enthusiasts will love the fact that now from their Windows phone they can upload multiple photos at the same time, essential for all those Lumia 1020 buyers.

The new update also allows users to be able to unfriend and unlike people and posts, a simple yet essential feature for Facebook users. The Facebook app for Windows Phone update brings more to the table than just the two updates mentioned above, such as inline @ tagging and speed boosts for both posts and check-ins.

If you dawn a Windows Phone and are an avid Facebook user then getting the Facebook app for Windows Phone update might help you be a little more social, but at the same time keep your : fren-emies in check.

October 5, 2013
Faces of Facebook: View Yourself Along With the Other Increasing Number Facebook Users

A new website showcases profile photos of Facebook users in an clickable collage. Faces of Facebook is the web site which lets users see all the Facebook users throughout the world.

Designed by Natalia Rojas, The Faces of Facebook starts off with a running count of Facebook’s growing membership, with each person represented by a tiny dot. Click anywhere in the static like screen and the page zooms further and shows a thumbnail structure of the faces which handful of Facebook users. Click on any thumbnail, and that person’s public profile pops up.

Miami-based Natalia Rojas has developed the project using HTML5, Javascript, CSS, jQuery, EaselJS, Ajax, FB API, PHP and MySQL.

It seems impossible for one to find a particular face, however, the site also lets you connect with your own Facebook account to let you find your face number and see where your face appears along with your friends being visible on the screen. You can try to find your face here.

October 1, 2013
Apple is Worlds Top Brand, Coca-Cola Left Behind

The Best Global Brands report is coming up since 2000, the previous brand which was at the top most position was Coca-Cola which now fell to number 3. For the first time in its 13-year history, Best Global Brands have a new leader of its annual study of the most valuable brand names, which is Apple.

Not only has Apple replaced Coca-Cola as first among the 100 most valuable brands based on criteria that include financial performance as well. Apple came over Coca-Cola, which had led the study since it began in 2000, with a brand value Interbrand assessed at $98.3 billion. However, Google came in at second place with a brand value of $93.3 billion, ahead of the soft drink maker’s $79.2 billion value.

Other positions of different brands can be seen below:

September 30, 2013
Facebook Allows Editing Your Typing Errors

Facebook has started to let you edit post’s text after you publish it. The feature comes to the web and Android in an update today, and to iOS soon. Previously you had to delete your post, lose all your Likes and comments, and repost to edit something.

Android users also get emotion and activity sharing, events at a glance, and photo album creation today. Now, you are able to edit all posts and comments from the web. To edit posts, you’ll be able to click the down arrow in the top right of one of your posts and select ‘Edit Post’ to change the text, then click done editing.The revisions and original post will still be viewable if friends check your post’s edit history, though. Editing the comments came into the picture a while ago.

September 27, 2013