Facebook Pushes Out Graph Search
Facebook improved their search by replacing it with Graph Search engine which is capability to search within your social graph for specifics. The search functionality includes ranking your friends based on how much interaction you’ve had, search based on stories or photos you’ve Liked, search for local businesses that have received a thumbs-up from friends and more.
Facebook Graph Search is now available as beta here.
Facebook Launches Voice Messages In Messenger App
Facebook updated its Messenger mobile apps for iOS and Android to include voice messages feature.
The Facebook Messenger app has a new option alongside the photo and camera buttons, offering a Record toggle that can be pushed and held to record voice messages.
Facebook also testing true VoIP calling through the Messenger app which will be out in the next few weeks. It is now being tested in Canada.
Facebook Releases Poke App For You To Send Risque Messages
Facebook released a new messaging app called Poke where users can send more complex greetings through the app, such as text, a photo or even a quick video. This real-time messages only last for up to 10 seconds. Poke app is currently only available on the iPhone.
You can now send silly or risque messages because Pokes are encrypted, and Facebook deletes the encryption keys two days after you have read the message. Key backups are destroyed within 90 days, making a poke completely inaccessible.
Instagram Selling Your Identity And Photos
Time to get rid of Instagram while you can. As of starting of January 2013, Facebook Instagram will start selling your photos and identity without your consent. The info can be found on Instagram update of its terms of service and privacy policies that will go into effect January 16 2013.
Here is the offending line from the policies:
To help us deliver interesting paid or sponsored content or promotions, you agree that a business or other entity may pay us to display your username, likeness, photos (along with any associated metadata), and/or actions you take, in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you. You acknowledge that we may not always identify paid services, sponsored content, or commercial communications as such.
Facebook has purchased Instagram popular photo-sharing app for $1 billion in 2012.
Facebook Added Location Based Nearby Tab
Facebook added similar features of Foursquare and Yelp to the app with a new Nearby tab that will let users find restaurants and other locations in the vicinity.
This Nearby feature is available on the Facebook iOS and Android apps.
When someone looks for a place, the results that appear in their Nearby list are based on things like their friends’ recommendations, ratings, check-ins, and likes. If you’re a business with a physical location, here’s what you can do to ensure your place is more easily discoverable in Nearby:
- Update your Page to include all of your basic information, including your address, store hours, phone number, and details about your business in the About section
- Update your category to make sure you appear when people are looking for your specific type of business
- Encourage your consumers to like, check into, rate, and recommend your place
Twitter Allow You To Download Your Tweets
Twitter will soon allow users to download an entire archive of their tweets. This is similar to what Facebook is doing.
Users will need to make a request to download their archived tweets. Upon doing so, they will receive a link via email when their archive is ready for download. The tweets are delivered in a chronological order in a ZIP folder containing HTML, CSV and JSON files.
Pope Sent First Twitter
Pope Benedict XVI ventured into social media using the iPad by sending on Twitter. The message reads “Dear friends, I am pleased to get in touch with you through Twitter. Thank you for your generous response. I bless all of you from my heart.”
The Vatican said that the pope will be using Twitter to engage with the Roman Catholic Church’s 1.2 billion followers.
Microsoft Going Social With Socl
Microsoft is now dabbling in social network by launching Socl which looks like a cross between Pinterest and Facebook. Socl allows users to create visual posts and it runs on Microsoft’s search engine Bing. Users with Facebook or Microsoft Live account can sign in.
Here are some of the features:
- Posts. Viewing the rapid feed on Socl is faster and, well, just better. The home screen is all about the beautiful posts you create (often in just seconds, using the new post creator!). You can choose to see the posts two-columned or three, so it’s less likely you’ll miss out on anything. And now you can see the posts even if you are not signed in or are new to Socl.
- Interests. The crowd-sourced interest gallery is more discoverable, helping you socialize with like-minded people over topics you care about.
- People/Me. People finding and following can be done via posts, the new people gallery, or from a person’s page. Everyone on Socl has an updated page where profile information, posts, interests, people and parties can be viewed together in one place. Check out your “me page” today, or if you’re new to Socl, sign in and we’ll create a page for you.
- Parties. Create a playlist and watch videos with others in Socl, and chat together as you watch.
Facebook Will Stop User Votes On Policy Changes
Facebook is going backward on social by proposing an end to its voting system that allows users to share their feedback and weigh in on decisions regarding privacy on the site.
This is what Facebook have to say:
We deeply value the feedback we receive from you during our comment period. In the past, your substantive feedback has led to changes to the proposals we made. However, we found that the voting mechanism, which is triggered by a specific number of comments, actually resulted in a system that incentivized the quantity of comments over their quality. Therefore, we’re proposing to end the voting component of the process in favor of a system that leads to more meaningful feedback and engagement.
Obama’s Most Retweet With ‘Four More Years’ Presidential Victory
Barack Obama not only win the US Presidential elections, he also claimed the most popular tweet of all time. The tweet simply says “Four more years” alongside a photo of Obama embracing wife Michelle. It has been retweeted 455,000 times and counting.
