Tag Archives: Facebook

Facebook Privacy: 5 Settings Every User Needs to Know

September 3, 2019 Technologer

Social media has caught up in mysterious ways! No matter how addicting it gets, we still can’t go for a day without using our social media accounts, especially Facebook. Yes, that’s right! Checking Facebook’s news feed is literally the first thing we do, and yes even before we get out of our bed. We somehow love to see what our friends have been up to, where they have partied this weekend or whether our favorite celebrity crush has uploaded any recent picture or not. Facebook is about everything!

But what about privacy? Don’t you think the over-dosage of social media accounts sabotage our privacy and increases the risk of being exposed online? We love uploading pictures and videos on our Facebook accounts and yes, we almost never forget to upload a status checking-in at our favorite restaurant or any place we visit. Well, the more you share, the more is the risk of exposing your privacy online. Wondering how can you secure your Facebook account while you can keep doing all the things we love ? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Here are some of the best Facebook tips and tricks that can make your social media experience a pleasant one while making a few tweaks in Facebook privacy settings.

Let’s get started and explore a few Facebook tricks that can enhance the privacy and security of your account.

Facebook Tips and Tricks to Boost Privacy

Run a Privacy Checkup

Before we dig any deeper, first you should get an overview of your current Facebook privacy settings. As a responsible Facebook account user, one should be aware of all actively applied settings like who all can view your posts, which all third-party apps can access your basic account information, how does

your profile appear to someone who is not added in your contact list and so on. Well, what we do recommend you is to keep your posts restricted to minimum friends and followers who are a part of your inner circle. Don’t make all your posts public, unless if you’re a business page or a celebrity or social figure.

To review your privacy settings, log in to your Facebook account and open Settings. In the Settings window, select the “Privacy” section from the left-hand side menu pane. Here you can get a quick glance of your Facebook account setting and you can customize it to make your account more secure. You can choose who can see your future posts and also limit the audience of your previous posts.

Enable Two Factor Authentication

Talking of privacy, next on our list of Facebook tips and tricks comes enabling Two-Factor Authentication on your account. Enabling Two-Factor Authentication on your Facebook account will add an extra layer of protection where you’ll be prompted to enter a security code (via SMS) each time you wish to log in to your account.

To enable 2FA on Facebook, open Facebook Settings and switch to the “Security and Login” section. Scroll down until you find the Two-Factor Authentication option and tap on it. So, in case if you’ve not already opted for 2FA, tap on the “Get Started” button, follow the on-screen instructions and add an extra layer of security to your account.

View How Other People See your Profile

Well, this may sound obvious but if anyone wants to stalk you, checking your Facebook profile is one of the easiest things to do. Our Facebook account includes our entire history, from our birthday to places we visit, the music we like, family info, educational background, work info, and almost anything. Sharing all this info with your inner circle is fine, but not with strangers and stalkers, right?

Image Source: The Mac Observer

So, to make sure your Facebook account is secure one should be completely aware of how your Facebook profile appears to someone who is not added in your contact list. To check this, head on to your profile page, tap the three-dot icon on the bottom right corner of your cover picture and select “View as”. Here Facebook will tell you how your profile appears to public and you can review all your posts and content that is easily accessible on your account. Doing so can give you an upper-hand where you can customize who all can see your posts and info, and you can change the privacy of shared posts accordingly.

Third-Party App Settings

As Facebook has a gigantic user base that connects millions of people worldwide, it’s not just confined to connect with our friends and in fact, it has become a lot more than that! Facebook is also used as a promotional tool by marketers where they target us with advertisements and offers based on our interests and likes.

So, to review which all third-party apps and services are associated with your Facebook account, here’s what you need to do. Head on to Facebook Settings> Apps and Websites to see which all third-party apps are being accessed through your Facebook account. If you wish to revoke the permission of any third-party app, tap the cross icon next to it!

Recover Deleted Messages on Messenger

Next on our list of Facebook tips and tricks is recovering accidentally deleted messages on Messenger. Yes, it does happen with all of us, right? So, let’s cut to the chase and explore one of the best Facebook Messenger tricks that will allow you to easily recover deleted messages within no time.

Well, all you have to do is open any active Facebook conversation on Messenger and tap on the gear icon placed on the top-right corner and select the “Archive” option. Yes, that’s right! Archiving your Facebook conversations is a great solution to keep all your conversations preserved. Even if you accidentally delete a text in a conversation, it will still stay preserved in Facebook data history.

Also, for more detailed information, tap on this link to know all about how to recover deleted messages on Facebook Messenger to keep your precious memories intact!

Wrap Up

So, fellas, this ends our quick list of Facebook tricks to ensure more privacy in your account. We would still recommend you limit the visibility and share restricted content on your Facebook account. Try to keep all your pictures, videos, and posts private, so that there’s a lesser risk in being exposed online. Privacy is a crucial concern and you should certainly not ignore it any cost especially while accessing social media accounts like Facebook and Instagram. Follow these above-mentioned Facebook tips and tricks to add an extra layer of security to your account.

Good luck and stay safe!

Summary: Checking Facebook’s news feed is literally the first thing we do to start off our day, right? But don’t you think the overdosage of social media accounts sabotage our privacy? Here are some of the best Facebook tips and tricks to protect your account.

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Author Bio: – Chandra Shekhar Choudhary is working at Systweak Blogs, as an SEO analyst and technical Content Writer. His potential of writing is PC tips, Android and Mac tricks and he is anxious in writing other technical blogs. You can also find Chandra Shekhar on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Marketing, Social Media

How to Use Social Media to Boost In-Store Sales

April 2, 2018 Technologer

Most retailers will have at the very least set up the main social media profiles. The problem is that not many people use their social media profiles effectively and they generally only update sporadically. This infographic from Colourfast will hopefully help as it looks at how retailers can use social media to boost in-store sales. The reality is that a well-managed social can help to drive your business forward so it really isn’t an area that should be ignored.

Communicating with your customers on social media has become just as important as over email or over the phone so it might be worth hiring a social media manager or at the very least have someone within the company who has experience with social media keeping them updated.

See the full infographic now to learn about how your store can use social media more effectively. Hopefully you will learn a few things from it.

Social Media

The Latest Trends In Social Commerce

March 5, 2018 Technologer

Social media has completely turned our lives upside down. You can find there almost anything. Everything from funny dog memes to serious issues like the coverage of elections and more.

People spend more and more time on their social media pages. It is fun to be able to share something and get instant validation in the form of likes or shares. You see something you like, share it and get kudos from others in your circle.

It is something that is unique to social media and something that big brands are capitalizing on big time. And, who can blame them? Getting something to go viral means big bucks. Add in a “Buy” button enabling clients to buy instantly on that page and it’s as if you are printing money.

Take industry giant Nike Football, for example. With over 45 million followers, all that the company needs to do is to release the latest Nike promos or Nike vouchers on social media, build a little hype and watch the sales come in.

The benefit of enabling a “Buy” feature on social media is that it makes the process of buying just that little bit more effortless. Making buying easier for clients is something that was first proven to be successful by Amazon when it introduced the “one-click” buying software.

With 28.1 million followers on Facebook, it has become clear that even Amazon acknowledges the importance of social commerce. It is more than just the flavor of the month now and you ignore the concept at your own risk.

Would you like to know more about social commerce and social networks? We have summed up for you the highlights in the infographic below.

Social Media

The Future of Social Media [Infographic]

May 3, 2016 Technologer

Since the dawn of social media, it’s been evolving and growing at a rapid pace. As we move through 2016, that trend will continue, but where is all of this going? More importantly, if you’re trying to market a business or a blog, how can you stay ahead of the curve?

Today we’ll look at the future of social media, followed by an infographic that helps you make the most of your efforts on today’s platforms.

Predicting the Future of Social Media

Over at on blast blog, I’m always looking to the future, whether it’s in the world of blogging, social media, or anything in between. I’m a big fan of staying ahead of the curve. So, let’s look at social media’s upcoming trends.

The first trend we’ll see coming down the pipeline is more integration in the workplace. For years, companies tried to keep their employees off of Facebook during work hours, but now those same social tools will become crucial to the business.

Things like Facebook For Work are allowing employees to utilize the connected nature of social media to increase their efficiency. While most businesses are also using blogs, we’re going to see a lot more people stop working in offices, and instead work from home.

Entrepreneurs are beginning to see the potential of their blog post ideas in the realm of business, and that’s leading to more bloggers promoting their content on social media. In addition, new types of content like video and virtual reality will become important to implement into your online strategies.

Becoming a Social Media Master (Infographic)

Knowing the future is only half the battle. Now you should use the infographic below to understand the how’s and why’s behind social media platforms. Let us know how it helps you in the comments below!

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This is a guest post by Matt Banner. You can read more from him on his blog, OnBlastBlog.com

General, Mobile

10 Most Popular And Meticulous Mobile Apps

October 16, 2015 Technologer

Take a look on vast array of mobile apps that simply provides fun & joys with unlimited photos, videos, productivity, news, social networking and much more

Mobile applications are either pre-installed in our phones or simply downloaded from play store or different mobile distribution platforms. These mobile applications are built in with strong development for additional functionality and better performance of smart phones.

If I ask you a simple question that which is the most interesting mobile application you have used in past few days? Then I guess you might get confuse for few seconds, because there are ample of such apps in the digital market which are supposed to be quite helpful and wonderful for every time and for every user. On the basis of this increased popularity, Global web index which is a popular online research firm conducted a survey to collect the findings about most famous apps in the world.

Also have a look at the info-graphic provided by the same firm:

Google Maps: helps you to get around!

Google maps- one of the wonderful apps that help you to navigate the directions like a pro. This app is dynamically re-route and stands on real time traffic information which suggests that which is a correct lane to be get in. It not only helps you to choose the best eating spot around but also provides the opportunity to visit any city in the world and discover highest mountains to lowest valleys on Earth. You can also create your own map, save the home and workplace addresses and keep track of all the places you reviewed.

54% internet usage has been monitored by the research team.Financial analysts estimated the annual net income of Google which is approximately $3.64 billion in net income $56.52 billion in cash and cash equivalents, and operating income of $4.34 billion (29% of revenues), up from $3.76 billion in the same quarter last year. And now it has been expected to hit more figures in upcoming years.

Facebook mobile app: best for social hangouts

Face book mobile app is a most comprehensive application optimized for all phones. According to a rough estimate, there are approximately 125.7 million people in the world are using Face book daily. 44% usage has been recorded by people from age 18-24. App allows people to discover latest news about friends and family, get their latest photos and videos and provide more opportunities to interact closely through different fan pages.

According to financial researchers of US, Facebook’s revenue grew from 7.87 million in 2013 to 12.47 billion US dollars in 2014. That year, the social network accumulated a net income of 2.94 billion US dollars.

You tube: watch, post & share

You tube mobile app is a world’s most popular site that helps users to find their desirable videos all around the globe. According to a survey team, approximately 25% of YouTube’s traffic is generated by mobile apps and now mobile views have been increased up to 300% since last 2 years. 98.9 million People are using you tube in US and approximately 35% people in the whole world to upload content, to subscribe different channels, activities and friends.

You tube is expected to generate about $5.6 billion in gross advertising revenue worldwide this year, which is considerably higher than previous years

Google + mobile app

Google + is quite different from Facebook or twitter but definitely a sweeter spot than other social networks. In Google plus you can classify your friends and co-workers more easily. It is not allowed for under 18 aged people; moreover no private messaging is allowed as a dedicated part. It has excellent push notification system and privacy is taken care with elegant circles. 30% people are using Google plus daily on their android devices.

We-Chat: free live chat sessions

We chat mobile app integrates with your Android version to give you best experiences with your friends. You can simply select your contact and enjoy instant text messaging with lots of animated smiley. It has a real walkie talkie mode with up to 40 friends. You can also share, comment and like your friend’s pictures, send photos & videos and import contacts directly. 27% internet usability has been recorded in the world and more than 30% usability in US.

The surge in We-Chat’s active users has been a major contributor in driving its first quarter net profit which is up 64%QoQ to US$1.26 billion

Twitter mobile app: most open social network

The official twitter mobile app allows people to use most extensive social network at any place and at any moment. From the main app page, you can carry out several functions such as follow, un-follow, and tweet; re-tweet like etc. the biggest advantage of using twitter is you can receive constant notifications without visiting the main page of website. It has approximately 22% usability around the world.

So according to financial analysts, twitter is generating approximately 3.3 billion dollars in 2015 and expecting to be more in 2016 and onwards.

Skype: a versatile communication tool

Skype is considered to be the official app from video calling program backed by Microsoft, which makes it easier to send text messages and video calling as well. Once you install Skype you can search and communicate with different users and taking into account that there are approximately 250 million users in the world, you can add any of them through their email address in just matter of seconds.

Now Microsoft Skype unit is approaching 2 billion dollars annual income in 2015 which is considerably high than 2014.

Facebook Messenger: keep connected with several users

Face book messenger is considered as an official Face book app that allows users to enjoy text conversations with friends community. Thanks to this app, that enables us to send text messages and video conversations which we can continue later on… We can even add multiple recipients at a same time and then it appears in the bubble look which we can easily move around on the mobile screen.

Whatsapp: cross platform messenger

Instant messaging is one of the key features of whatsapp. We can even start group conversations with friends, and can use epic smileys related to daily life concerns. It doesn’t require adding of buddies and available without any International charges. It also doesn’t demand any pins, codes and usernames. It simply works through our phone numbers and integrates with the address book. 17% usability has been recorded according to the survey.

Whats-App has 100m active users who have used it for more than a year. The average revenue split on app stores is 70/30 so in addition to initial revenue from iOS (ca $18m), this gives us around $45m annual revenue through app renewals.

Instagram: enjoy mobile photography on android

Instagram is one of the most wonderful filter photograph applications form androids and I phone. It differs itself from all other apps by creating social network of users. Its main function is to give your pictures a unique frames and best series of filters in which popular ones are XPro II, Earlybird, Sutro, Toaster, Brannan and many more… it also allow users to determine other people to see which pictures they have uploaded to the wall.

Financial analysts believe that Instagram could generate more than $2 billion revenue next year and would quickly overtake Twitter’s revenue.

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Follow latest trends for your business:

Have you ever thought creating your own mobile app? If you are thinking that mobile app creation is solely for reputed brands then you are wrong. Every small and large business is following the latest trend for making more income and benefits because they understand that effective mobile strategies involves more than just a simple mobile friendly website.

I know it sounds quite challenging, but believe me once you decide; you will find different prestigious organizations that are successfully providing you the opportunity to design your own mobile app development system having flash technology targeting Android and iOS etc.

Internet, Marketing

Report: The Real ROI of Social Media Marketing

June 2, 2015 Mordecai Holtz

Social media and digital marketing is everywhere. Any brand attempting to promote, engage, and connect with their target audience in today’s day and age is using social media to market to their constituents. While only 10 years old, social media has become a catalyst in restoring the one to one relationship between brands and consumers.

In its 2015 Social Media Marketing Industry Report, Social Media Examiner, a leader in the space, has provided invaluable insight as to how brands and individuals are using social media for marketing purposes.

Interestingly, the most important question (“What is the ROI of social media?”)remains to be answered in a concrete manner. Does that mean that social media will disappear? Probably not. What this report does seem to document is that, with the initial trend of social media integration behind us, companies and brands are now transitioning to a point requiring a more transparent and clearer reporting for concrete results of social media marketing.

The Highlights

After reviewing Top Rank’s analysis of the report, which enumerates five major benefits of social media on business, there are some additional findings which warrant discussion and should be raised for longer term consideration.

The Role of Video Marketing

While nearly 60% of marketers already utilize video in their marketing efforts, 72% indicated that video marketing is part of their short term goals to integrate into their digital strategy. Especially with recent changes on Facebook, video marketing is clearly an important channel for content creation and marketing.

In fact, in the study, learning to create videos is the number one area that marketers wish to increase their knowledge and expertise.

Growth of Podcasting in Digital Mix

To date, only 10% of marketers are using podcasting as a tool to create content and engage with an audience.

Why?

Like video, podcasting requires a significant investment in resources to produce a final product. While Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and Instagram represent platforms on which content can be automated or quickly shared, podcasting can only be distributed after the raw content has been edited and modified for optimal brand promotion. Unlike blog content, which can be edited in real time, the time and energy involved prior to distributing podcast content, dissuades many marketing teams from integrating this form of content.

Interestingly, the small group of marketers using podcasting praise its value and high engagement rates since the content is automatically pushed and syndicated to a user’s phone or desktop via a platform like Itunes. While content on a blog can be sent via email, the simplicity of podcast syndication and ability to listen at one’s leisure signifies a user controlled experience with which other forms of content are unable to compete.

The Secondary Benefits of Social Media Marketing

The report does indicate that those marketers involved in social media for over two years are actually seeing sales from the relationships and communities that they’ve established. To date, the secondary benefits (branding, exposure, partnerships, lead gen, cost savings, search rankings) outweigh the direct impact of social media on business revenue.

An intriguing development in the secondary benefits of social media is the ability for content writing and social conversation to enable a brand or personality to position themselves as thought leaders within an industry.

In today’s digital space, these secondary benefits are indeed significant, within the context of a brand’s ability to solidify the opportunities into concrete sales. Briefly stated, search ranking, for example, does help a brand gain advantage over its competitors on search engines. If, however, the user is directed to a site that is not optimized for conversion or otherwise confusing, the benefit of search engine optimization has proven to be insignificant.

Measuring the ROI of Social Media

One of the most significant results that emerged from the study is that only 42% of marketers can actually measure the direct result of their marketing efforts. While the number does show 5% increase from 2014, and 16% increase from 2013, the results still do raise questions in terms of return on investment.

Many of the marketers claiming this challenge are ill-equipped with the necessary reporting tools or do not invest the necessary time on social media as the primary factors in their inability to show direct ROI.

What are some of the most effective social media platforms?

An important aspect of the report was a list of the top seven social media platforms being used by marketers. In order of usage- Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Google+, Youtube, Pinterest and Instagram. Instagram did increase its position by 8% and, despite the common notion that Google+ is becoming more insignificant, the social media platform increased by 2% since 2014.

An important distinction made in the report is the social media platforms used by B2B vs B2C marketers. B2C marketers focus on Facebook, Youtube, Pinterest and Instagram. These four are highly visual based platforms that resonate with consumers looking for visually appealing content prior to making purchase decisions.

For B2B marketers, the focus shifts to Linkedin, Twitter, Google+ and Slideshare. The reason for this differential is that B2B marketing efforts focus on establishing relationships, industry related content and understanding the employee within the context of his or her professional role.

As marketers prepare for future social media efforts, both B2B and B2C efforts are shifting their efforts to increase usage on Twitter, learning to leverage video marketing and integrating Instagram into their overall digital strategy. Again, while many individuals in the social media sphere shy away from Google+, the report indicates that 78% of marketers plan to maintain or increase their activities on this platform.

With regards to newer social media platforms including Snapchat, the report indicates a low rate of interest of marketers to integrate Snapchat or other new social platforms into their overall marketing efforts.

In terms of Snapchat, the reasons could be lack of interest, lack of familiarity with usability or associating Snapchat with an audience incongruent with their target audience. For other new platforms, marketers could be showing a sense of complacency to constantly learn and integrate new platforms or they could be more interested in proving value in the core, more commonly accepted, platforms before venturing into new ones.

For those marketers who are comfortable with being early adopters in new platforms or are willing to risk venturing into new territories, these platforms do indeed present significant opportunities.

Like Top Rank, I agree that a very important result from the 2015 Social Media Examiner report is the ability of marketers to quantify specific objectives and show results that meet these goals. With this report, an important question that remains unanswered in the social media marketing sphere is which benefits play a more significant role direct or indirect sales benefits?

This post was originally published on noholtzbarred blog

General, Internet

Looking For a Way to Completely Delete your Embarrassing Photos From Social Media? Here’s How

November 26, 2014 Nir Shein

You know how it is with the youngsters these days, they go to a party, have a few drinks and laughs, take some awkward selfie photos and then immediately post ’em on their favorite social media hub (e.g Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or even Google Plus). So what happens next, you may be wondering? Well, it’s getting to be very embarrassing when they finally realize how critically harsh and incredibly painful these social networks can possibly be. Just try to imagine the high volume of inflammatory comments and the damage which might result from it. Not exactly what they would have expected, eh?

Perhaps too late for some, but it is only then when they get to know the proper ways on how to manage their social media life. But how can you minimize the damage caused by your own actions (or others)?

As scary as it may or may not sound, there are a few options out there to get this done.

Check out the infographic below to learn more about the steps you can take when you find embarrassing photos online.

General

Facebook Buys Whatsapp For $19 Billion

February 19, 2014 Nir Shein

Holy wow! This is by far the most amazing deal of the year. Facebook just announced the acquisition of mobile messaging app WhatsApp for $19 billion. As a matter of fact it is much more than that, as the regulatory filing states. The popular app, which was founded by ex-Yahoo employees in 2009, has already raised about $60 million in funding and has more than 430 million monthly active users. Damn, that’s a lot! The deal includes $12bn in FB stock, $4bn cash, $3bn RSUs and a $1bn break-up clause, which brings the overall payout to roughly $19 billion in total.

Basically, there are no ads, no games, no stickers and no other gimmicks inside the app. In addition, the text messenger phenomenon is offered for a free download and after one year of free use, the service costs $1 per year. So what’s going to happen now?

In a recent blog post WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum said the following:

Almost five years ago we started WhatsApp with a simple mission: building a cool product used globally by everybody. Nothing else mattered to us.

Today we are announcing a partnership with Facebook that will allow us to continue on that simple mission. Doing this will give WhatsApp the flexibility to grow and expand, while giving me, Brian, and the rest of our team more time to focus on building a communications service that’s as fast, affordable and personal as possible.

Here’s what will change for you, our users: nothing.

And here’s Mark Zuckerberg’s official statement about the deal:

Post by Mark Zuckerberg.

General, Mobile

Facebook Introduces Home For Android, Focus on People Not Apps

April 4, 2013 Nir Shein

At Menlo Park, California — Facebook announces a family of apps for Android mobile phones (such as HTC One X, HTC One X+, Samsung GALAXY S III and Samsung GALAXY Note II), called ‘Home.’ The founder and CEO of the popular social network, Mark Zuckerberg, said the company’s goal is to “turn your Android phone into a great social device.” Let’s make it clear, Facebook is NOT building a phone or an operating system, the company is offering a new experience for your mobile devices, where it will focus on people rather than apps.

So how does this all work? First, you have to download the Home app from the Google Play store (available on April 12). Then, you simply glance at your home screen, the place that Facebook defines as a social “Cover Feed,” and get the latest posts and important updates from the people you care about most. In addition, the Home will send your device different type of notification messages such as calls, events, images, and Facebook status updates.

Another feature that Facebook has added is the App Launcher, and it’s basically as it sounds, a place where you can find all your favorite Android apps. Only one single swipe from the central home screen itself, and you’re good to go with just about any app you’d like.

Another add-on that Facebook is presenting today, is the“Chat Heads”, a simple and fun development to communicate with friends via Facebook Messages and SMS messages in a more personalized way. This new feature will let you keep chatting no matter what you are doing at the moment, by tapping one of your friend’s Facebook profile pictures, and writing whatever you want to say, inside the pop-up window that will automatically open. Of course it also supports group messaging capabilities, and if you want to to receive a message from one of your colleagues, you either click on the preview message, presented with their photo, or alternatively, swipe away (in case you’re busy) to close immediately all conversations.

Facebook is going to carry out its new plans with a little help from the good friends over at AT&T and HTC. The latter, has just unveiled the HTC First, a 4.3-inch 720p mobile device that boasts a 1.4GHz dual-core Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB RAM, 5 megapixel rear-facing camera / 1.6MP front-facing shooter, along with an LTE mobile network support. The First is set to be available exclusively on AT&T for $99.99, starting April 12 (The company is accepting pre-orders today). The phone will be offered in four different colors and is said to be running with Facebook Home already pre-loaded.

Update: Facebook rolled out a new update to its iOS app, pushing Home’s most favorite feature, the Chatheads, to your iPhone and iPad devices. To get it, you’ll need to download Facebook version 6.0 from the Apple App Store, and doing so will let you see what your Facebook friends are up to, get notes when friends are sharing comments and likes within your posts, text and chat with Chatheads UI experience all over your screen board. Download link is here [iTunes].

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[Facebook]

Operating Systems, software

Apple Officially Announces iOS 6 at WWDC With More Than 200 New Features

June 11, 2012 Nir Shein 1 Comment

The WWDC 2012 keynote at Moscone Center has ended not long ago. During the Worldwide Developers Conference Apple did not announce any new iPhone 5 hardware, nor did it unveil a 7-inch iPad or a new TV set. Instead, we got a truck load of cool announcements, including a new line of Macs and the all new iOS 6. This post will focus on the iOS 6 that has added more than 200 new features to the next-gen mobile platform, and will hopefully go live sometime this fall (developers version to be available today).

But before we start, we would like to share some interesting facts that Apple has reported for the keynote. Currently, the App store has about 400 million user accounts with a valid credit card attached – “This is the store with the largest number of accounts with credit cards anywhere on the internet that we’re aware of,” says Mr.Cook. There are more than 650,000 apps available to download, 225,000 are made for the iPad. During the years, Cupertino has paid out over $5 billion to developers, and users have downloaded merely 30,000,000,000 apps in total.

As for iOS stats, 365 million iOS devices sold through March, 1.5 trillion push notifications created on iOS, 150 billion iMessages sent, and 10 billion tweets were launched from iOS 5.

So what’s new in iOS 6?

Siri, the queen of the platform, just got a whole lot smarter. From now on it will get you, on real time, all the sporting details you’d expect, including scores, stats and game summaries. In addition, Siri can instantly launch any app in your phone, and is able to tweet your personal messages with a new voice dictation. Siri in iOS 6 will also integrate with iPad devices, and will gain knowledge in few more languages. It is also likely to get a smarter ‘Eyes Free’ car integration in the foreseeable future.

Facebook gets a deep integration in iOS 6, as well. Basically, it means that the process of importing contact lists from the popular social network to mobile is now a lot more simple. But that’s not all, my fellow readers… Both Facebook events and birthdays will be syncing with your smartphone on a daily basis.

Maps in iOS 6 are “a worldwide effort” says Apple. There’s a Turn-by-Turn navigation capability, and Siri, the automated voice, is also being supported, “Just ask Siri to take you somewhere and you’re on your way. Ask questions along your route, like where can I get gas?” and you’re on.

Other than that, we’re looking at some really solid features. I like that you’re getting Facetime over 3G, instant photo sharing over iCloud, “Do Not Disturb” notifications tweak, and a much better mail and Safari UI experience.

All in all, iOS 6 is likely to support iPhone 3GS devices and later, iPad 2 / 3, and the iPod touch 4th generation.

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[Apple]

Apple Previews iOS 6 With All New Maps, Siri Features, Facebook Integration, Shared Photo Streams & New Passbook App

Available to iPhone, iPad & iPod touch Users This Fall

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Apple® today previewed iOS 6, introducing over 200 new features to the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, and released a beta version to iOS Developer Program members. iOS 6 will be available to iPhone®, iPad® and iPod touch® users this fall as a free software update. New iOS 6 features include: an all new Maps app with Apple-designed cartography, turn-by-turn navigation and an amazing new Flyover view; new Siri® features, including support for more languages, easy access to sports scores, restaurant recommendations and movie listings; Facebook integration for Contacts and Calendar, with the ability to post directly from Notification Center, Siri and Facebook-enabled apps like Photos, Safari® and Maps; Shared Photo Streams via iCloud®; and Passbook, the simplest way to get all your passes in one place.

“iOS 6 continues the rapid pace of innovation that is helping Apple reinvent the phone and create the iPad category, delivering the best mobile experience available on any device”
“iOS 6 continues the rapid pace of innovation that is helping Apple reinvent the phone and create the iPad category, delivering the best mobile experience available on any device,” said Scott Forstall, Apple’s senior vice president of iOS Software. “We can’t wait for hundreds of millions of iOS users to experience the incredible new features in iOS 6 including the new Maps app, expanded Siri support, deep Facebook integration, Shared Photo Streams and the innovative new Passbook app.”

iOS 6 includes an all new Maps app with vector-based map elements that make graphics and text smooth, and panning, tilting and zooming incredibly fluid. New turn-by-turn navigation guides you to your destination with spoken directions, and the amazing Flyover feature has photo-realistic interactive 3D views. Real-time traffic information keeps you updated on how long it will take to get to your destination and offers alternate time-saving routes if traffic conditions change significantly. Additionally, local search includes information for over 100 million businesses with info cards that offer Yelp ratings, reviews, available deals and photos.

Siri, now available for the new iPad as well as iPhone 4S, includes language support for English, French, German and Japanese, and adds support for Spanish, Italian, Korean, Mandarin and Cantonese. Siri is optimized for use in 15 countries and helps you get even more done with just your voice, whether it’s finding the latest sports scores or making restaurant reservations. You also can ask Siri to update your status on Facebook, post to Twitter or launch an app. Additionally, Siri takes hands-free functionality even further with a new Eyes Free mode, enabling you to interact with your iPhone using nothing more than your voice.

Built-in Facebook integration is the best ever in a mobile device, allowing you to sign in once and post from Notification Center, Siri and Facebook-enabled apps, including Photos, Safari and Maps. Your Facebook friends’ information is kept up to date across all your iOS devices, automatically updating details in Contacts when they change, and scheduling events and birthdays in your Calendar. You can also “Like” content directly from the App Store™ and iTunes® and see what your friends recommend.

With more than 125 million users already enjoying iCloud, iOS 6 introduces new ways to share photos with friends and family using Shared Photo Streams. Simply select the photos you want to share, pick which friends you want to receive the album, and the Shared Photo Stream album is instantly available on their iOS devices, iPhoto® and Aperture® on their Mac®, via the web or even through Apple TV®. You and your friends can leave comments on or “Like” any photo in a shared album.

The new Passbook app is the simplest way to get all your passes in one place, such as boarding passes and baseball tickets. Passbook lets you scan your iPhone or iPod touch to use a coupon, get into a concert or check into your hotel. Passbook automatically displays your passes on your Lock Screen based on a specific time or location, so when you walk into your favorite coffee shop your loyalty card appears and you can scan it to buy a coffee or check your balance. Passbook can even alert you to last minute gate changes or flight delays at the airport.

Building on Apple’s commitment to provide innovative solutions for education and accessibility, iOS 6 introduces Guided Access. This new feature allows a parent, teacher or administrator to disable hardware buttons to lock an iOS device into a single app, especially useful for test taking or helping someone with a disability stay focused on learning. Guided Access also includes the ability to confine touch input to certain parts of the screen.

Additional new iOS 6 features include:

• enhancements to Safari, the world’s most popular mobile browser, such as iCloud tabs, offline reading lists, photo uploads and full screen view;

• support for FaceTime® calls over cellular networks;

• the ability to set up a VIP Mailbox, making it easier to quickly view messages from important people you designate as VIPs;

• the option to decline incoming calls with a quick message, set a callback reminder and enable a new Do Not Disturb option; and

• a whole new set of improvements and services specifically for iOS users in China, such as improved text input and built-in support for popular Chinese services including Baidu, Sina Weibo, Youku and Tudou.

Availability

The iOS 6 beta software and SDK are available immediately for iOS Developer Program members at developer.apple.com. iOS 6 will be available as a free software update for iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, the new iPad, iPad 2 and iPod touch (fourth generation) this fall. Some features may not be available on all products.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

tablets

BlackBerry PlayBook Gets a Native Facebook Application

May 3, 2011 Nir Shein

While the rest of the world is still waiting for Facebook to finally release a native app for the iPad, Blackberry Playbook from RIM is one of the first tablets to have it. As of today, anyone who gets their hands on the 7-inch, QNX-based slate, can now download the most-anticipated Facebook app and start connecting with their family members, share photos/videos, post stuff on their wall or have a chat with friends. In addition to that, the Canadian corp is said to release a new Video Chat application as well and make it available to download on May 3rd (Today!). More on that at BlackBerry World, which takes place between May 3-5 in Orlando, Florida. Hit the jump to read the full press releases.

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Applications, Communication, Internet, Mobile, News

Google Buzz Gets More Updates And Improvements, Reaching Over 9 Million Posts and Comments

February 12, 2010 Nir Shein 2 Comments

Only two days after turning the Buzz official within Gmail accounts, Google seems to roll out more tweaks and improvements, based on feedbacks and user requests, sent directly or to its help desk account. First and foremost, Google has closed security breach where people could actually see lists of friends and followers which automatically appeared on new Google Pages that people initially created to post their Buzz feeds. Those lists created based on interaction with people you email and chat with the most, could literally expose to the world details no one wanted to unveil. There for, from now on the first time you create a post or comment in Buzz, you will be asked to initiate a limited public profile with minimal info released outside. In addition, you can easily choose whether to turn on publicly the lists of people you follow or that follow you back and which of these species can appear publicly on your profile or not. Furthermore, Google adds the ability to block followers or unfollow them with a simple click of a button. Stay tuned.

Update1: Google says that since launched, tens of millions of people have checked Buzz out, creating over 9 million posts and comments, overwhelmingly added to the growing 200+ posts per minute, initiated from mobile phones around the world.

Update2: So you’re already involved with the Buzz, posting your stuff and following others, but you’re not exactly familiar with all those tricks and tweaks the service offers and wonder where you could have learned them all in a matter of minutes. For that reason specifically, we’ve added a Google Buzz cheat sheet where you can find all the keys and shortcuts that would make it easier for you to use the Buzz. Check it out after the break.

Update3: Google has wisely decided to remove the Buzz auto-follow model in which you automatically follow the people you email and chat with most, whenever initiate a new Google profile page. Instead of this auto-suggest model you will be taken into a welcome page, where you will be reviewing the people in your lists that you’re interested outing to the public and others, you prefer keeping them hidden (third image after the break). In addition, your Buzz will not connect with your Google Reader and Picasa shared items automatically, so your “Unlisted” albums or “Protected” reading sources won’t be revealed, unless you decide to. And last but not least, Google has confirmed it will soon add a Buzz tab to the Gmail account that would create a clear distinction between your day-to-day mailing content and your Googlr Buzz feeds (fourth image). Stay tuned.

[Google]

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Applications, Communication, Internet, Mobile, News

Google Buzz Announced, Turns Your Web Mail Socialized And Your Mobile Device Localized

February 10, 2010 Nir Shein

Google officially released the Buzz. What is it, you’re asking? It’s Mountain View’s new platform that integrates into your Gmail account and turns it into a social community center (sort of), where you can share things like updates, photos, videos and a lot more with people you email and chat with the most. Additionally, the Buzz allows you to start interacting with those people and make in-mail conversations about anything you’d like in a simple and attractive way. The purpose, according to Bradley Horowitz, Google’s vice president for product management, is to simplify things and help people …”to find signal in the noise”. The target, in our humble opinion, is to launch a successful email product that would make people stick around all day long, and by that, create their own personal streaming platform that would eventually attract potential web users to follow their buzz and turn their voice even louder. Is it a war declaration against popular services like Twitter and Facebook? Time would tell. Google’s buzz integrates with existing social networks and people can easily add their Flickr, Picasa, Twitter, Yahoo or Facebook accounts, and even Google Reader feeds, into the Buzz while creating a new social networking interface/aggregator that would gather both mailing usage and media streaming in one accessible place. So, direct war? not sure, but challenging Facebook’s social media domination? definitely yes.

Basically, no special setup is needed and Gmail users should expect seeing the Buzz in their mail accounts immediately, or later on this week, as Google rolls out its new platform across the web, at these very moments . Once receiving it you will automatically start seeing lists of people, who you have emailed on Gmail, added to your Buzz. At that point you can start sharing with them whatever you want, including pictures, messages, videos, articles, news feeds and more, either publicly or in private. It’s a dual direction platform, so in that case you will see their updates as well, but also a few “Recommended Buzz” from friends of your friends, adjusted to your personal feedback.

As for mobile phones, Google also announced mobile integration for Buzz with dedicated apps and maps and an updated homepage you can log into at google.com/buzz. Buzz for mobile makes your sharing a lot easier than expected, it ” brings location to the forefront and makes it easy to have conversations about places”. To start, just type buzz.google.com in your mobile browser address line and begin posting buzz from your phone. You can tag your location or use the suggested tag if correct and later on, search all the public buzz created by your friends or nearby strangers around you in any given location you’ve personally tagged. This way you get yourself a personal location and recommendation platform, based on people’s most basic and common opinions, carried by their smartphones. As mentioned, you can use Google Maps and create public buzz directly from the layer, and attach photos into it from your mobile phone. You can create Textual Buzz shortcuts which appear as a small conversation bubble that everyone can see and read, or go even cooler by creating Voice Buzz shortcuts which let you post buzz without typing a word – Neat! Hit the break to watch the videos.

Update1: Looks like Google Maps 4.0 with Buzz support now available in the Android Market for those who own Android-based smartphones like G1, Droid or Nexus One. Feel free to download it right away and share the Buzz with your friends!

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Computers, News

Litl 12.1-Inch Webbook Announced, Little Netbook For a Big Price

November 9, 2009 Nir Shein 2 Comments

Think there are too many portable machines out there? Make a room for one brand more – this time from Litl – a Boston-based company, recently unleashed the Webbook “web computer” netbook, that looks somehow different and priced above the average. It comes with a 12.1-inch 1280×800 display, uniquely featuring an upside down flipped patented-pending hinge comprised with an integrated scrolling wheel, right on top (the blue button). In addition, for a whopping $699, you get a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, paired with 1GB of RAM, 802.11b/g WiFi connection, USB 2.0 ports and HDMI output, pumping 720p from your family video shots. Storage capacity ridiculously stands at 2GB(!) only, but the platform for itself – specially designed by Litl – is exclusive, and mainly shaped to serve as a web-optimized OS, with Flickr, Facebook, and Weather Channel widgets, perfectly displayed on the front. A tiny remote control is also included, as long as you pay $19 more, which bring us to our price rates index, that eloquently gives the Webbook a one big EXPENSIVE score.

Update: We’ve added a nice hands-on video from CES 2010, featuring Litl 12.1-inch Webbook in action. It looks great and works pretty well as a secondary device, targeted for multimedia or Web content users, but it won;t make you coffee in the morning, although it might wake you up with this cool animated alarm clock inside. Check it out after the break (courtesy of engadget)

[Via Netbook News]

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Computers, News

Asus Eee PC 1000HE Netbook Will Support Longer Working Hours

February 5, 2009 Nir Shein 4 Comments

It’s been a while since we were last hearing from Asus about any new netbook release, but no worries the Taiwanese are here, live and kicking with the Eee PC 1000HE, which is part of the 1000H lineup, only capable of providing up to 9.5 working hours (!), thanks to the high-density battery and Super Hybrid Engine technology that the company has developed. Surprisingly, the official announcement first popped up on ASUS Eee PC Facebook group, suggesting a 10-inch LED backlit display, together with a 1.66GHz Atom N280 processor, 160GB hard-drive, 802.11b/g/n WiFi connection and Bluetooth 2.0. Price wise, the new 1000HE model will set you back for $399 in pre-order, but FB group members get an additional $25 discount, which makes the entire deal very affordable. Checkout the official announcement after the break.

Update1: checkout the preliminary review from Laptop Mag.

Update2: now you can find it in-stock at ZipZoomFly, without the $25 rebate. Otherwise, you should patiently wait for other retailers to get their shipments.

update3: looks like Amazon starts taking orders, offering the 1000HE for an attractive price of $374, which is a very competitive one, specially when we talk about a 10-inch model with N280 CPU and up to 9.5hrs of battery time.

[Via SlashGear]

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