Facebook Testing New App 'Moments'

Sharing To Get Easier And More Private

One of the criticisms lobbied most consistently against Facebook is the complicated nature of its privacy settings. No matter how many tweaks the site’s algorithm goes through, choosing who can see what you upload is frustratingly difficult. It’s nigh-on impossible to select only those on your friends list who’d appreciate that link to TheFappening your uni mates should see – it’s why my auntie won’t look me in the eye anymore. 

Fortunately, a new standalone app from Facebook HQ might be about to fix that. Codenamed ‘Moments’, the app has been described in some detail in an article on TechCrunch. Apparently, the app features a series of tiles aligned in a grid. Each square on the grid represents a different set of friends or family, so when you click it will only share whatever you post with that set of people. Naturally, this process will be much faster than fiddling with your privacy settings on a post-by-post basis.

Source: dailymail.co.uk

Chances are, we’ve all experienced the horrific embarrassment of friends and family colliding over Facebook. While your friends know all the sordid little details of your time at uni (I even spoke to a girl one time. Don't tell my mum), your parents remember when you cried at an episode of Thomas the Tank Engine because you found the Fat Controller scary. The two parties should never mix, and the fear of it happening is currently agenuine reason to avoid sharing content on Facebook.

Unfortunately, we’re yet to see even the blurriest of screenshots of the app which might fix all that. In fact, apart from the description of its grid-based interface, we know pretty much nothing. All we do know is that it exists, and Facebook’s people are currently squishing its bugs. We're also told its design closely resembles Cluster, a third-party app which does pretty much the same thing.

Source: techcrunch.com

While it could be argued that those interested in the app could just switch to private messaging, some may find the chaos of a multi-user IM chat more trouble than it’s worth. Furthermore, the design of public Facebook is infinitely more pleasing than the design of its instant chats, with users able to like, share and respond to individual comments. In this sense, Moments may divide Facebook itself into dozens of little subforums, each featuring different groups of the people in your life.

While Facebook has a chequered past of app creation (I will personally give you £20 for every friend you have who uses Slingshot instead of Snapchat), they’ll hope that Moments will have sticking power. Facebook's failed attempts at app creation tried to steal market share from pre-existing, well-established apps, but Moments instead places a plaster over a problem they have with their own site.

The main Facebook app deals in content. Moments will worry about audience. 

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Facebook Gives Out Free Wi-Fi

Critics are keen to knock Facebook – on ethical and financial terms, as well as pointing to clear decreases in organic reach – but it seems that Zuckerberg’s global vision isn’t in too much trouble just yet.
  

Facebook is moving ahead with its master plan to get the entire world online. Having co-launchedInternet.org a year ago, alongside technology giants Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung, MediaTek, Opera and Qualcomm, the group aims to efficiently use data in order to make Internet access affordable to all businesses and people across the world.

The project’s homepage states that: ‘Internet.org is a global partnership between technology leaders, nonprofits, local communities and experts who are working together to bring the Internet to the two thirds of the world’s population that doesn’t have it’ – a genuine humanitarian mission, or does it hint at slightly more devious aims?
  

Source: rocketfishltd.co.uk

Yesterday, Facebook announced a pilot program that aims to provide free wireless Internet to students in the Rutherford County School District in Forest City, North Carolina— the same city that houses one of the company's massive data centers.  

It's the first time that Facebook has provided free Wi-Fi to students, and could be the first of many such partnerships to come if the program is successful.

The initiative builds on a previous partnership that saw 6000 school students receive a free laptop, courtesy of the social networking site, however half of these didn’t have wireless Internet at home – once again,Facebook has stepped in to save the day.

Offering free Wi-Fi to students may also help Facebook stay connected to the teen demographic it's been accused of losing. Those using Wi-Fi provided by Facebook won't be directed to a Facebook landing page, but if a teenager knows his wireless is a gift from Facebook, perhaps he'll be more inclined to use the service.

Although not on the same global scale as Internet.org, the essential theme remains the same – for whatever reasons, altruistic or otherwise, Facebook wants everyone online.

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Facebook News Feed Update To Help Video Ads

New update to help with video campaigns

Well known for pictures of cats performing various extravagant activities, some Facebook users can't get enough of these viral videos whilst others despair at yet another dancing pet. Facebook is now finally recognising this divide and is planning to launch a new update on its News Feed to decipher once and for all who actually likes, and who adamantly dislikes, videos on their News Feed.

Source: firebellymarketing.com

The social media site is launching a new algorithm for its News Feed to discover how many of its 1.3 billion active users are engaging with video content. The algorithm includes a new video ranking system whichFacebook hopes will help them provide users with better and more suited videos.

The new format takes into account who is actually watching a video and for how long. In its blog, Facebook says 'people who tend to watch more videos in News Feed should expect to see more videos near the top of their News Feed'. They also add that 'people who tend to skip over videos without watching should expect to see fewer videos' - finally, relief for all those users being plagued with unwanted videos and images across their News Feed!

This launch comes as part of a new move by Facebook to understand its users and improve the service they receive; inline with plans to launch a new video and image based advertising campaign, this update will help the company to understand just who that audience would be.

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NEWS: Facebook introduces Audience Network

Facebook has launched a new mobile ad feature, Audience Network.

Audience Network allows businesses to extend the reach of Facebook campaigns onto third-party mobile apps, while allowing brands to monetise their apps.

The new tool aims to earn businesses money from in-app advertising. 

The social network offers apps high-quality ads in a range of formats, including banners, pages or customisable native units. Plus, it ensures advertisers reach their target audience by using the social network’s one million strong advertiser base. 

  

Image via Facebook

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