Facebook keep on adding new features to their all-conquering social media site, with online shoppers the latest to find something new for them. This is because Facebook is currently testing not one but two new shopping features that work with mobile apps. Canvas The first of these is called Canvas. Basically, it is used to let you buy items direct from the scrolling...
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Industry rumours suggest that Facebook is planning to bring out a music streaming service in the not too distant future, although there is no indication yet of when this could happen. This comes hot on the heels of Apple joining the likes of Spotify, Deezer and Tidal in this busy market place. It certainly seems as though music lovers are going to have lots of different options to choose from before too long. The rumour suggests that Facebook plans to get the digital rights side of things in order before going ahead and sorting out their...
If you enjoy using social media sites then is it something that you think is a good thing for your life or not? There have been a number of interesting studies on the effects of social media recently. However, the latest one suggests that using these sites might make us trust others less. The research was carried out by Francesco Sarracino from STATEC – which is the government statistics agency from Luxembourg – together with Fabio Sabitini from Sapienza University in Rome. Their work was based on asking questions of 50,000 users...
Could Google soon be bringing out its own new, dedicated online photo service or app separate from the Google+ service? According to some sources, in a report on Bloomberg, Google is hoping to get more traffic for its photo service. The idea being mooted for doing this is to make it more autonomous, with the possibility of attracting those users who aren’t part of the Google+ social network. There is also the chance that the service will be re-banded as part of these changes, although no potential new name has yet been suggested. It...
Haven’t there been times in your life when a social media lie detector could have come in handy? Of course there have been. Well, there is a project underway – called Pheme – which could be just what you need. The work is being carried out at the University of Sheffield and was partially inspired by the London riots in 2011. The idea is that the system will work in real time to try to assess whether a social media posting is true or not. It can also be used to work out what social media accounts have been set up with the sole...
Modern inventions are great and there is no denying that the likes of Twitter have added an exciting twist to our lives in recent years. However, if you sometimes wish that you lived in the 19th century you might be frustrated by the lack of gadgets which cater to your seriously retro tendencies. Thank goodness for Adam Vaughan then. The web developer from Cumbria has created a machine which is best described as a 19th century style tickertape tweeting type thing. Actually, he calls it the twittertape, which is a bit snappier we have...
A new initiative by Facebook will result in younger users of the site being less visible to people searching under the social graph facility. The people who will be impacted by this are those who are between the ages of 13 and 17. The age and location of the youngsters will only be given to their friends and friends of their friends who are in the same age group. So, for example, if an adult were to look for 16 year old females on it they would get no results back, while a 16 year old will get results for the same search provided that...
If you are a Facebook user then you probably click on the “Like” button now and then; probably when you see something you like, if we are being honest. This might not seem like a big deal but it has been reported that legal action is going to be taken against Facebook for offering this facility. The problem is that a deceased programmer from Holland seems to have taken out patents which Facebook have allegedly infringed upon. The programmer in question was called Joannes Josef Everardus van Der Meer. A company called Rembrandt Social...
Software giant Microsoft has quietly launched the new So.cl, a social networking site that is specifically designed for students. Although a social network service, the company clarified that the website is not meant to compete with Facebook or any other existing websites. The company has been giving hints to So.cl since last year, but it launched the site over the weekend quietly. So.cl (pronounced “social), which was developed by Microsoft’s FUSE Labs, is an experimental project that aims to please students for its educational...
Social networking giant Facebook is now joining the app store game with the announcement of its App Center. Facebook claims that the new App Center will help developers get their mobile and web applications discovered by a larger audience. The App Center will not only become a part of Facebook website, but also its Android and iOS apps. It will feature free and paid apps, just like the Apple App Store and Google Play. “For the over 900 million people that use Facebook, the App Center will become the new, central place to find great...