Latest about Facebook: News, Features, Opinions and More  The 4 Best Things About the Google+ Redesign
Google announced a complete overhaul of its social network, Google+, at this week's I/O conference in San Francisco. Here's an in-depth look at all the changes and why they make Google+ better. Google Glass ecosystem grows with Twitter, Facebook and CNN apps
Google is working to build out the app ecosystem for its upcoming Glass, showing off work today at Google I/O from partners like Twitter, Facebook, CNN and Elle. NetChoice says California privacy bills are bad for Internet
E-commerce trade group NetChoice takes aim at state legislation -- and at open access and privacy advocates -- in the newest list of bills it deems would be awful for the Internet. Windows 8 isn't New Coke, says top Microsoft exec; it's Diet Coke
Frank X. Shaw, Microsoft's head of corporate communications, defended his company's Windows information disclosure strategy, denying that Microsoft has adopted Apple's "cone of silence" approach to imparting news. Mozilla to Firefox: 'Browser, heal thyself'
Mozilla on Tuesday released Firefox 21, adding more social media connections, tweaking the Do Not Track privacy setting and rolling out a new tool that long term, aims to create a self-healing browser. State social media privacy laws a mixed bag for businesses
New social media privacy laws that have been enacted in several states around the country, or are in the works, present something of a mixed bag for businesses. Windows 8 app store fails Top 10 test
Microsoft's Windows 8 app store failed a test touted by a former Microsoft manager and distinguished engineer as a way to determine an ecosystem's relevance. BlackBerry Messenger is expanding to iOS and Android
BlackBerry's free Messenger service is being expanded to work with iOS and Android devices, the company announced today at its BlackBerry Live event. 7 steps to securing Java
Java, the popular OS-independent platform and programming language, runs on just about every kind of electronic device imaginable, including computers, cell phones, printers, TVs, DVDs, home security systems, automated teller machines, navigation systems, games and medical devices. What Open Source Hadoop Coming to Windows Means to IT
Hadoop is nearly synonymous with the analysis of big data. The Hortonworks Data Platform on Windows is significant as it means that companies lacking Linux expertise will finally be able to benefit from the big data analysis platform, which has been out of the reach of Windows shops. Wall Street Beat: Rise in markets could fuel tech M&A
Increasing confidence in the economy and a rising stock market could lay the groundwork for a revival in tech-sector mergers and acquisitions as companies embrace cloud technology and pursue game-changing software, particularly for the mobile market. Bing adds more Facebook to search
Bing is adding some new social features to its search engine, by letting users comment and "like" their Facebook friends' posts directly on the site. Google boosts Glass with Google+, search upgrades
Google Glass developers and early adopters should be getting a software upgrade within the next week that adds tweaks to Google+, Gmail and search. Facebook Home attracts close to 1 million downloads
Facebook has attracted "just about" 1 million downloads of its Home application in its first month of availability. Facebook may be driving deal for Waze mobile app
Facebook reportedly is in talks to buy a popular Israeli-based crowd-sourced mapping and traffic app. Facebook plans to design an open-source switch
As part of the Open Compute Project (OCP), Facebook's network engineering team is leading a project to develop an open source networking switch. 6 Tips to Build Your Social Media Strategy
With so many social media options, how do you pick the best one(s)? IT executives and social media experts share their top six tips for selecting the social media platforms that will provide the greatest return on your investment of time and resources. Downdetector.com scours Twittersphere to detect service outages faster
A Dutch startup has launched a service that studies data from social networks to quickly identify online service outages -- sometimes, it says, before the service providers know about the outages themselves. Yahoo recruiting iOS developers to 'radically improve' Flickr
Yahoo's Flickr mobile app may be getting a completely new look in the months to come, as the company seeks to hire multiple iOS engineers to "radically improve" the photo-sharing site's app and attract new users, the company said in a recent job notice. Facebook on a mobile roll
Facebook last week cited mobile growth as a major contributor to its first-quarter increase in sales and profits. What I learned living abroad as a digital nomad
Digital nomad Mike Elgan returns to the U.S. after 10 months of travel and shares these tips for working and living abroad. Facebook gets to keep its 'Timeline' following trademark settlement
Facebook has reached an agreement with the company Timelines Inc. to settle a trademark infringement lawsuit over the social network's use of the name Timeline. Wall Street Beat: Tech stocks jump as market indexes hit milestones
On the back end of an earnings season that by many accounts could have been worse, tech investors appeared to be in the mood to celebrate on Friday, sending shares of IT companies higher as key stock-market indexes hit milestone highs. H-1B reform debate pits tech firms against iT veterans
Many U.S. tech companies are pushing hard this year for an increase in the number of high-skill immigrants allowed into the country, but many veteran IT workers question their motives for wanting to increase the number of visas under the controversial H-1B program. Facebook rethinks its 'hackathons' with an eye toward mobile
Facebook is retooling its famous "hackathon" all-night coding workshops to give engineers more time to conceive new products, hopefully with a focus on mobile. Facebook cites mobile growth as it posts increased sales, profit in Q1
Facebook posted a revenue increase of 38% in the first quarter that was bolstered by broad engagement across the site, the company reported Wednesday. Facebook's big data plans include warehouses, faster analytics
Facebook may treasure the data it has on its one billion-plus users for its advertising returns, but the analysis the site performs on that data is expected to continue to pose numerous challenges over the coming year, an engineer said. Google may have smart eyeglasses but Budweiser has smart beer glasses
Budweiser is trying to make it easier to make friends -- Facebook friends -- when you're drinking beer. 21 tips for supercharging your cloud storage
Cloud storage isn't just for files and photos. With the right tools and services, you can do much more: organize data, or automate uploads and downloads. Synchronize, of course. Score extra space without paying an extra cent. Run a basic Web site from a cloud service, manage media, or even fax. Designing your digital legacy
We lead rich virtual lives on social networking sites like Google+, Facebook, and Twitter. So what happens when real life catches up, and our flesh-and-blood bodies succumb to mortality? For our virtual selves, at least, some concrete answers are available--ways to settle our digital affairs after death, while minimizing hassle and heartache for loved ones. On Facebook, men talk about music, women discuss family and friends
The average Facebook user has 342 friends and teenage girls and boys tend to misreport their relationship status as married, according to an analysis of Facebook data by Wolfram Alpha founder Stephen Wolfram. Facebook buys Parse, gets into development tools business
Facebook is acquiring Parse, a cloud service company that makes it easier for developers to build mobile apps by providing them with a hosted back-end infrastructure, the companies announced Thursday. How companies should navigate social media in a crisis
Companies using social networks like Twitter and Facebook need to face what to do during a national crisis like the Boston Marathon bombing. Tumblr updates iOS app for wider social media sharing
Tumblr is giving its users more options to share their posts across other social networks such as Twitter and Facebook, with a new iOS app released Wednesday. AP Twitter hack looks like a security tipping point
Getting hacked on Twitter is fast becoming a rite of passage for big corporations, but Tuesday's attack on the Associated Press could be a tipping point and shows that social networks must do more to keep their users safe, security experts said. Wall Street pushes for exemptions in state social-media monitoring laws
Even as several states have put in place, or are proposing new laws barring employers from monitoring the social media activities of their employees, one Wall Street regulator is seeking exemptions to such rules for some financial services companies. Mobile data and messaging exceeds voice revenues for the first time on mobiles: Telsyte
The value of mobile data and messaging revenues has exceeded voice call revenues for the first time in Australia, according to new research from technology analyst firm, Telsyte. Reddit apologizes for 'online witch hunt' for Boston bombing suspect
In a testament to the issues surrounding the appropriate use of social media during a tragedy, Reddit is publicly apologizing for the role that it played last week in fueling an online witch hunt that led to identifying an innocent Brown University student as a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings. Facebook Home hits 500K downloads
In the 10 days that Facebook Home has been available, it has had more than 500,000 downloads. Yahoo slims down, again, trashing Deals, SMS Alerts
Yahoo is giving itself a bit of a makeover. Earlier this week it launched two new mobile apps for email and weather; now it's ditching numerous longstanding products, including Deals and SMS Alerts, in an attempt to sharpen its focus, the company announced Friday. Update: Boston police use Twitter to inform residents during manhunt
Boston police today used Twitter and Facebook to reach out to residents during a manhunt for one of the men suspected of bombing the Boston Marathon this past Monday. Get social with OS X's Twitter integration
Beginning in Mountain Lion, OS X features social media integration options with both Twitter and Facebook, letting you post to the services from the OS itself, as well as sync contacts. Yahoo launches new weather, email apps in its 'second sprint' of rebuilding
Yahoo has released two new mobile apps, for weather and email, suggesting the company may be on track toward delivering on its promise of offering users a range of new mobile products over the next several months. Americans spend 16 minutes of every hour online on social nets
Americans are so fixated on social networks that they spend an average of 16 minutes out of every hour on them, according to a study by Experian Marketing Services. Facebook Home on iPhone? Not a chance, say experts
There is absolutely no way that Apple will surrender its iPhone interface to Facebook Home, analysts said today. Yahoo profit jumps by 36% amid a decline in revenue
Yahoo's profits rose more than 30% in the first quarter, due to a variety of factors including lowered operating costs, though sales at the company declined. Investigators comb social nets to look for bombing clues
With federal and state investigators searching for clues about the person or organization behind the Boston Marathon bombing, social networks could hold a treasure trove of information. Facebook readies iOS app update featuring 'Chat Heads' messaging
Chat Heads, the buzzy messaging feature released as part of Facebook's Home software for Android-based smartphones, is now coming to the iPhone and iPad. Microsoft exec talks mobile smack, trashes iOS as 'boring,' Android as 'a mess'
Microsoft's top executive for mobile phones took shots at both iOS and Android today, calling Apple's operating system "boring" and claiming Google's is "a mess." Give enterprise software a social makeover to attract users
When it comes to developing enterprise applications, organizations are increasingly realizing that user experience is as important as functionality. In response, vendors are taking a more agile approach to building those apps in order to better meet users' needs. Boston blasts show two sides of social media
Twitter users reacted fast to the explosions that ripped through the Boston Marathon Monday, but the incident also revealed how social media can only be so reliable in such situations. Facebook affirms its privacy commitment with national campaign
Facebook is teaming up with the nation's attorneys general to launch a public awareness campaign aimed at keeping young people safer on the site. Majority of Aussie companies using social media for customer service
More than two-thirds (70 per cent) of Australian businesses are using the social media to deliver customer service, according to a study by consultancy and research firm, Fifth Quadrant. Facebook Home goes live in Google Play
Facebook Home, which doesnt replace the Android OS but sits on top of it, includes a family of Facebook-focused apps and also works with the apps a user already has on her phone. A week with Pulse: A Google Reader junkie's journey
As Google Reader gets ready to join that big obsolete app store in the sky on July 1, RSS-addicts like myself are on the search for a suitable alternative. Previously, I test-drove the popular Feedly app and website for a week and found it to be a worthy Reader successor. For this go-around, I've spent some time with Pulse, an RSS-catcher that is heavy on design, but short on versatility. Facebook's Zuckerberg forms advocacy group
The group will focus on immigration reform that includes both border security and a path to citizenship, along with higher school standards and support for teachers. Facebook targets ads based on actual user purchases
Facebook has launched a program that will target advertisements based on what users have actually purchased, but said that advertisers will not have direct access to information that identifies the user. California AG Harris urges app developers to respect users' privacy
The wealth of personal data that mobile apps collect on their users needs to be conspicuously stated to consumers or developers could face legal heat, California attorney general Kamala D. Harris said Wednesday. After public dumping of social network, GM returns to Facebook ads
After dumping Facebook a little less than a year ago, General Motors is back, running an advertising test on the social network. Facebook, Pandora and Twitter seize mobile ad display market
An IDC study has found sweeping changes in how mobile display advertisements are sold, with Facebook, Pandora and Twitter successfully wresting away control from advertising networks over the last year. Facebook's new app: 'Slave'
My name is Stefan Hammond and my picture is above. OK, the pic's a few years old and I don't look quite that good. But that's me. Facebook weighs in on Home's privacy implications
Facebook has posted a Q&A on its website about the privacy implications of its new Facebook Home software for Android phones, though it was unclear if it has addressed all the concerns raised. QuickPoll: Do you want Facebook Home as your smartphone's home screen?
Facebook unveiled a Facebook-focused home screen dubbed Facebook Home for Android phones. The launcher is designed to work with the apps you already have on your phone, along with Facebook's new line of apps. Do you want Facebook Home as your smartphone's home screen? Facebook and Minnovation
Facebook's big announcement was a big "so what?" and minimal innovation at its finest Facebook Home goes after mobile market with 'ferocity'
Less than a year after calling mobile one of its biggest risks, Facebook has made another big move to attack the mobile market with Facebook Home for Android devices. Will more smartphones support Facebook Home?
The HTC First smartphone will have native support for Facebook Home when it ships on AT&T April 12. Some analysts wonder how soon -- or whether -- native support for the app will be added to more smartphones. Hands on: Facebook Home and the HTC First smartphone
After spending some time with Facebook Home and the HTC First smartphone, I now have a better understanding at what Facebook is trying to build with its new app designed to replace your phone's home screen. Diversifying Facebook Home could broaden its appeal, analysts say
Facebook's Home mobile software for Android-equipped smartphones might only appeal to the most active Facebook users at first, but the company's plan to integrate third-party social services into it could broaden its appeal. Update: Facebook unveils Android Home screen and app family
Facebook is not building its own smartphone. Instead, it today unveiled Home, a Facebook-focused home screen designed to give Android users quick access to their Facebook friends. Facebook blames bug for disappearance of search history tool
A Facebook tool that allowed users to view and delete their search history on the site has vanished, and some people are keen to get it back. SEC clears social media for investor announcements after Netflix case
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has cleared the use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter to announce corporate information. Facebook speculation turns to launcher, HTC partnership
News leaks and speculation are pointing to a launcher for Android smartphones as the mysterious announcement expected from Facebook on Thursday. Google+ Sign-In feature expands with Janrain, Gigya integration
Google is aiming to expand the reach of users' Google+ profiles and social data across the Web through new partnerships with Janrain and Gigya. Social Media Certifications Prepare Students, Employees for Social Business
Using social media to market your business or collaborate internally means more than having a presence on Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Facebook. To teach college students that lesson, Syracuse University adopted HootSuite University's certification program. Syracuse isn't alone: Social media certifications are a growing trend, but is a training course right for you? Don't de-friend the citizen
Last year, when an earthquake hit Melbourne, Twitter was the first on the scene. Within minutes, the subject became the top Twitter-trending topic worldwide and even caused the Geoscience Australia website to crash as people went online to see what had happened. Facebook dispute over Timeline trademark to go to jury trial
A trademark infringement lawsuit against Facebook over its use of 'timeline' will go to trial before a jury, after a judge ruled that the company had failed to show that the trademark was generic or descriptive, or Facebook's use of it amounted to fair use. Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg to be deposed in employee antitrust case
Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg is scheduled to join a number of other high-profile tech players to testify in a private antitrust suit brought against seven California-based technology companies by former employees. Vine moves beyond Twitter with new embed feature
Vine's branching out. Videos made with the trendy Twitter-owned mobile app can now be posted anywhere on the Web. Facebook phone rumors explode after Android event announced
Talk that Facebook is developing its own smartphone is spreading again. Facebook starts testing targeted ads in News Feed
Facebook has started displaying targeted ads in some users' desktop News Feeds in a test of Facebook Exchange ad delivery system. Enterprise apps get social
Combining the ad-hoc nature of social media with the more structured world of enterprise apps such as CRM is often the best of both worlds, implementers say. Judge recommends dismissal of ownership lawsuit against Facebook
A judge in New York has recommended that a lawsuit filed by Paul D. Ceglia, claiming half ownership of Facebook, should be dismissed. Facebook woos serious gamers
If 2012 was the year of arcade, casino and hidden object games on Facebook, such as "Diamond Dash," "Bubble Witch Saga" and "Bubble Safari," the social network hopes 2013 will be the year of more immersive, strategy-oriented games. How to tell if your Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn efforts are paying off
As businesses make more use of social networks, the number of engagement, analysis and monitoring tools has exploded. Enterprises are trying to understand their return on social media investments, to find out if their Twitter and Facebook marketing campaigns are actually delivering customers. They want to track social mentions across multiple networks and be responsive to both kudos and complaints. Security experts applaud Apple's new two-factor authentication
Apple this week followed the lead of rivals like Facebook, Google and Microsoft, offering two-step authentication to help customers secure their Apple IDs against hacking. 12 simple steps to safer social networking
Confession time: I'm an inveterate social media junkie. From Facebook to Instagram to Diaspora, whenever a newA communication platform rolls around--or comes back around--I'm ready to leap aboard. #HappyBirthday! Twitter and 7 years of transformation
Seven years ago today, Twitter was born when the first tweet was sent out, marking the arrival of a new way to communicate online. As long as you did so in less than 140 characters. Bing weaves more Facebook, Twitter data into search results
Bing is incorporating more information from outside social networks such as Facebook and Twitter into how it displays search results involving people. Microsoft's cash-for-apps pitch to devs smells like desperation, says analyst
Microsoft yesterday kicked off a promotion that rewards Windows 8 and Windows Phone developers $100 for each app that they publish in the company's app stores. Chirpify opens up Facebook's News Feed for business
Facebook's News Feed is a popular landing page for photos and updates from friends, but now it can also function as a digital storefront of sorts, through a partnership with e-commerce startup Chirpify. Email addiction: Why the enterprise can't break free
The kids may have moved on, but business users love (and hate) their email. Here's why we can't dig out. Apple CEO Tim Cook's approval rating drops
Apple CEO Tim Cook's approval rating fell in the last 12 months, dropping Steve Jobs' successor to the 18th spot on an annual ranking of American chief executives. Facebook quickly fixes privacy leak in new timeline, group says
Facebook quickly fixed a privacy leak in its new timeline after being alerted to the problem, according to a watchdog that follows the social networking site. More innovation means less control. Is that bad?
Innovation in mobile computing, search and social media increasingly means taking control away from users, says Mike Elgan, but at what cost? #TwitterCopy! Facebook may incorporate hashtags
Facebook reportedly is taking a page from social networking rival Twitter and may start using the hashtag. 5 Things You'll Like About Facebook's Recent Changes
Facebook has been busy lately, unveiling Graph Search, a new News Feed and now a redesign of Timeline. The good news is that the changes are likely to improve the social network. Here's a look at the best features of Facebooks recent updates. Do social media ads really work? We put them to the test!
Social media sites already offer free advertising in the form of tweets and Facebook posts, but these tools can only take your brand so far. The next step involvesA paying forA social media ads, and if you're considering this option, you're probably most concerned with one big question: What will my return actually be?A Will spending money on an ad on Twitter or Facebook bring more customers to my business than the same amount spent on Google AdWords? Facebook extends outreach to mobile developers
Facebook is planning a series of three events that will for the first time give mobile developers a chance to hear directly from the company and interact with its engineers and product managers. SXSW 2013: No new Twitter, but marketing and hardware stand out
South by Southwest Interactive is best known as the technology festival that put such social networking mainstays as Twitter and Foursquare on the map. But if there was a 'next big thing' at this year's event, finding it would be pretty hard. Vatican shuts down smartphones, Twitter as conclave begins
As 115 Roman Catholic cardinals are isolated behind closed doors in the Sistine Chapel to choose a new pope, the historic tradition has focused a lot of attention on modern technology.
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Our blogs about Facebook Facebook loses millions of users, Guardian claims. True?
'Independent data suggests' that Facebook is hemorrhaging, the story says. But the source of that data disagrees.
Sharon Gaudin: Google buying WhatsApp? Analyst says, 'Do it'
Speculation swirling that Google is looking to buy WhatsApp. No surprise here
Microsoft: Android is too "complicated;" Facebook Home is old and in the way
Microsoft pulled no punches criticizing Facebook Home and the Android operating system, calling Home old and dated, and saying that Android on top of which it sits is too complicated. Much better, the company says is using Facebook on a Windows Phone.
Facebook Home: Good for Facebook, but what about users?
Facebook's new Android launcher might be appealing -- if, you know, it didn't force your phone to revolve completely around Facebook.
Facebook phone? An Android launcher makes more sense
Rumors are running wild that Facebook will finally launch its own Android-based phone or OS, but a custom Android launcher might be the more sensible approach.
No surprise: Microsoft's Steve Ballmer doesn't make list of top 50 CEOs; approval rating is still under 50%
Glassdoor is out with its annual ranking of the top 50 CEOs in America, and once again Steve Ballmer didn't make the list. His favorability rating languishes at less than half of the top-rated CEO, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg.
Want to be a billionaire? Work for Microsoft, Google, Facebook, or Wal-Mart but not Apple
If your goal in life is to be a billionaire, start making out your job application to Microsoft, Google, Facebook, or Wal-Mart. In the most recent list of billionaires compiled by Forbes, six are are associated with Google, five with Wal-Mart, four with Facebook, and three Microsoft. As for Apple, there's only a single billionaire, Laurene Powell Jobs, Steve Jobs' widow.
Microsoft, Apple, and Google agree: The federal ban against gay marriage must go
Microsoft, Apple, Google, and other tech giants rarely agree on anything. But they all agree on this: The Supreme Court should rule that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which for federal purposes defines marriage as only being between a man and a woman, is unconstitutional.
Microsoft tops Facebook and Twitter for getting "cooler," survey finds
You might think that the words Microsoft and "cool" rarely come in the same sentence, but a new survey finds that more young people think Microsoft is "cooler" today than in the last few years than think that Facebook or Twitter is "cooler" today than in the past few years. So finds a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Apple closes Java hack, and why it's time to switch Java off
The Apple critics are dancing their dance once again today following news of a Java-based malware attack on Macs. But, given Java is the bad boy in the room, shouldn't critics and Kool-Aid drinkers alike just do the right thing and switch Java off for good?
Facebook is malware, people suddenly realize
Facebook causes countless 'critical' websites to crash. Last night, when users tried to load many major media outlets, Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) took over and spat out: 'An error occurred. Please try again later.' The company is downplaying it as an 'issue' but others see it as a huge wake-up call. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers just say 'no' to Facebook Connect.
Dear Facebook: Please learn how to design Android apps that don't suck
Facebook's Android apps are like lessons in bad design -- and it's reaching a point where there's really no excuse.
Facebook Graph Search underwhelming so far
Facebook granted me access to its Graph Search today, allowing me to search through various "likes" and check-ins of my friends and even their friends. So far I've found the results pretty underwhelming.
Google's Larry Page trolls Apple and Facebook
Here's Larry Page as Trollface, hating on Facebook and Apple. The Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) cofounder granted a rare interview and snuck in a couple of tiny barbs. The undiplomatic language is refreshing, but Page has plenty of interesting things to say about Google, the Internet, governments, mobile, and so on. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers enjoy the candor.
Anti-social networking: The new chic?
A number of popular social networking services -- many of whom made their names because they could interact with other services, adding their value to the others -- are now pulling in their gangplanks and trying to keep their users onboard their ship and their ship only.
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