Dec. 6, 2010 at 5:56 a.m.
Filed under:
Internet,
Media
By Dow Jones Newswires-Wall Street Journal
Facebook Inc. on Sunday unveiled a profile page redesign that lets users share more details, display photos and highlight friends if they want — tidbits the social network said are like “conversation starters” that will let people tell their story and learn more about friends.
The redesign is the latest effort by Facebook to consolidate its grip on the social-networking arena, aiming for its Web address to become people’s default destination on the Internet. The Palo Alto, Calif., company’s website, which lets users share messages, photos and other information with their friends, topped 500 million users earlier this year and has become a Silicon Valley heavyweight. Get the full story »
Nov. 18, 2010 at 2:56 p.m.
Filed under:
Computers,
Software,
Technology,
Telecommunications
By Associated Press
In a sign of the companies’ divergent fortunes, MySpace says it will let its users log in to their Facebook accounts through their MySpace page. Get the full story »
Nov. 15, 2010 at 3:09 p.m.
Filed under:
Internet,
Technology,
Updated
By McClatchy Tribune Newspapers
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg talks about the 350 million active users daily of Facebook messaging in San Francisco, Nov. 15, 2010. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
In a bid to become the junction box for people’s digital communications, Facebook announced Monday it plans to launch a new communication platform intended to unify e-mail, instant messaging, text messaging and the social network’s existing message system through a single “social in-box.”
While each of the social network’s more than 500 million users will have the chance to get an @facebook.com e-mail address as the new service gradually rolls out to members in coming months, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the goal was not to create the world’s largest e-mail network, but to merge external e-mail, text messaging, instant messages and Facebook’s existing internal messaging service into a new kind of seamless communication system. Get the full story »
Nov. 12, 2010 at 3:54 p.m.
Filed under:
Computers,
Internet
By Reuters
Facebook will unveil changes to its messaging system Monday, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The changes to the messaging service will be “across the board,” the person said, which could escalate the competition between the world’s No. 1 Internet social networking site and Google Inc . Get the full story »
Nov. 11, 2010 at 11:07 a.m.
Filed under:
Internet,
Technology
By Reuters
Internet search leader Google Inc is not building a social network to compete with Facebook, a company executive reiterated on Thursday, despite an intensifying rivalry between the two leading Internet groups.
“We’re not working on a social network platform that’s just going to be another social network platform,” Google’s head of mobile product development, Hugo Barra, said in answer to a question at the Monaco Media Forum.
“We do think that social is an ingredient for success for any app going forward, search and advertising being probably the best two examples that I would mention. So that’s how we’re thinking about the problem.” Get the full story »
Nov. 8, 2010 at 4:43 p.m.
Filed under:
Internet,
Technology
By Los Angeles Times
On Monday, the British monarchy got even more modern, when its page on the popular social networking site went live. The page, called “The British Monarchy,” will provide updates on the royal family’s activities and upcoming schedule. It has 113,000 “likes” so far, and more coming fast.
Nov. 5, 2010 at 5:33 p.m.
Filed under:
Privacy issues,
Technology
By Reuters
Google will begin blocking Facebook and other Web services from accessing its users’ information, highlighting an intensifying rivalry between the two Internet giants.
Google will no longer let other services automatically import its users’ email contact data for their own purposes, unless the information flows both ways. It accused Facebook in particular of siphoning up Google contact data, without allowing for the automatic import and export of Facebook users’ information.
Facebook, with more than 500 million users, relies on email services such as Google’s Gmail to help new users find friends already on the network. When a person joins, they are asked to import their Gmail contact list into the social network service. Facebook then tells the user which email contacts are also on the social network. Get the full story »
Nov. 4, 2010 at 8:12 a.m.
Filed under:
Internet,
Retail,
Telecommunications
By Associated Press
If you use Facebook to “check in” to your favorite restaurants or shops, you can now expect to see rewards and discounts from companies looking to drum up business and lure in loyal customers.
Facebook is looking to bridge online advertising with people’s offline behavior as it announced a service called “Deals.” It’s an extension of Places, the check-in feature the company unveiled this year. Rising with the explosive growth of smart phones, services based on people’s location help them find coupons, earn quirky merit badges or simply share with friends where they are. Get the full story »
Nov. 3, 2010 at 3:09 p.m.
Filed under:
Cell phones,
Internet,
Telecommunications,
Wireless
By Reuters
Facebook plans to expand and simplify its mobile platform for the 200 million users who access the world’s largest social network from their cell phones, but denied persistent rumors it was developing its own phone.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Wednesday that the social network, which has tripled its mobile users from just 65 million a year ago, will also make its Facebook Places physical location-based feature available on Google Android-based smartphones. Get the full story »
Oct. 21, 2010 at 3:08 p.m.
Filed under:
Internet,
Startups,
Updated,
Venture capital
By Associated Press
Betting that the future of the Web is in social apps and services, venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, along with Amazon, Facebook and Zynga are launching a $250 million fund to help such startups grow. Get the full story »
Oct. 18, 2010 at 5:57 a.m.
Filed under:
Advertising/Marketing,
Computers,
Internet,
Software
By Dow Jones Newswires-Wall Street Journal
A scene from the Facebook app FarmVille which was found to share private info with marketers. (Facebook)
Many of the most popular applications, or “apps,” on the social-networking site Facebook Inc. have been transmitting identifying information — in effect, providing access to people’s names and, in some cases, their friends’ names — to dozens of advertising and Internet tracking companies, a Wall Street Journal investigation has found.
The issue affects tens of millions of Facebook app users, including people who set their profiles to be completely private. The practice breaks Facebook’s rules, and renews questions about its ability to keep identifiable information about its users’ activities secure. Get the full story »
Oct. 6, 2010 at 1:43 p.m.
Filed under:
Internet,
Technology
By Associated Press
Facebook is introducing tools that will make it easier for people to separate their online friendships into groups and copy all the personal information they have posted on the Web site.
The new features will start rolling out to Facebook’s more than 500 million worldwide users Wednesday. Get the full story »
By Reuters
Facebook and Twitter social networking sites were used to tout stocks in a classic “pump and dump” fraud of about $7 million that was uncovered during a cocaine-trafficking probe, U.S. prosecutors said on Tuesday. Get the full story »
Oct. 1, 2010 at 1:13 p.m.
Filed under:
Internet
By Reuters
Facebook, the world’s No.1 Internet social network, is splitting shares in the privately held company. A Facebook spokesman told Reuters on Friday that Facebook will enact a 5-for-1 split of the company’s shares, marking the third time Facebook has split its shares in its six-year history. Get the full story »
Sep. 29, 2010 at 12:55 p.m.
Filed under:
Internet,
Telecommunications
By Dow Jones Newswires
Social network giant Facebook Inc. and Internet telephone leader Skype SA are in talks to mesh their communications services more closely together, a person familiar with the situation said Wednesday.
Under the partnership, expected to be announced within the next few weeks, Facebook users will be able to sign into Skype through their Facebook Connect accounts. Those users will be able to text message, voice chat and video chat with their Facebook friends from within Skype. Get the full story »
