We have news for Facebook users out there – especially if you tend to use it on the go. Recent reports are stating that the social network giant is going to start displaying advertisements to mobile users, coming May.

These will not be your normal ads, which normally occupy a clearly designated area. According [...]]]>

We have news for Facebook users out there – especially if you tend to use it on the go. Recent reports are stating that the social network giant is going to start displaying advertisements to mobile users, coming May.

These will not be your normal ads, which normally occupy a clearly designated area. According to the Financial Times, Facebook will take another route, using what they are calling “Featured Stories.” These advertisements will appear among the posts from your loved (or not so loved) ones, meaning that ads will simply look like another update in your News Feed.

It is unclear whether the ads will only be pushed toward users accessing the social network via a browser, or the app – though we assume that it would be simpler to apply this new method to the entirety of Facebook mobile. However, it doesn’t seem that this would drastically change things since it would just be a new occurrence in your News Feed.

We understand that Facebook is not a non-profit organization – they want their money. Can we blame them?

We are a bit torn. While it is a good way for advertising to not seem so disruptive, it is a bit annoying to see ads when expecting to see updates from friends and family.

What do you think about seeing ads in your News Feed? Would you mind them if they were implemented in a way that more clearly distinguished them as ads? Or do you pretty much hate the idea altogether?

While many of our readers have been worried about Facebook sharing too much information, others see that as a great feature. One of the latest ways of sharing your life with your family and friends is a feature called Facebook Timeline. It took a bit of time, but Facebook has just announced that [...]]]>

While many of our readers have been worried about Facebook sharing too much information, others see that as a great feature. One of the latest ways of sharing your life with your family and friends is a feature called Facebook Timeline. It took a bit of time, but Facebook has just announced that Timeline is available for Android as well as on their mobile site.

Facebook Timeline allows you to share your life with others, in a historical, sequential timeline. It collects all of your information since you opened your Facebook account and organizes it by year, showing all of your life quests in an organized way. After signing up for this feature, you can go ahead and edit the timeline as you please, including adding things from before there ever was a Facebook. You can take off posts, add posts, select which groups can see them and change the way things look around your Timeline.

This is all now available from your Android device, and can be accessed via the recently updated Facebook app. Simply update to version 1.8.1, and you will be able to access your Timeline with no problem (if you have signed up for it already).

Here are the other updates that come with version 1.8.1:

• Navigate anywhere, fast: Get to your groups, apps, pages, and settings with a single press
• Search and you will discover: Look through friends, subscribers, apps, and pages
• See your friends tags on pictures and zoom: New photo viewing experience
• Faster notifications: Get alerted in real time with new push notifications
• Games & Apps: Play games and access your favorite apps on the go
• Access to mobile timeline (If you already have a timeline)
• Access to friend lists and subscriptions

Go download the new version of Facebook to enjoy the new timeline feature. What do you guys think? Is Timeline a cool feature, or would you rather keep the course of your life away from the online community?

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You would think that the most popular Android app would be one of Google’s own, but a recent report from Nielsen shows that Facebook was the most used app in the U.S. during the last 30 days. Facebook was found to be the most active app among users 18-24 and 25-34, where it rack up [...]]]>

You would think that the most popular Android app would be one of Google’s own, but a recent report from Nielsen shows that Facebook was the most used app in the U.S. during the last 30 days. Facebook was found to be the most active app among users 18-24 and 25-34, where it rack up an amazing 80% usage.

When it comes to app stores, Google’s Android Market topped the charts with usage rates of 89-95%. This should come as no surprise since it comes pre-installed on most Android devices. Amazon’s Appstore, which debuted this year and must be manually installed, made a strong showing with usage rates of 14-24%.

The most popular game was Angry Birds, which ranked highest among the older age group. Usage rates by age were 22% for 18-24, 29% for 25-34, and 35% for 35-44. Zynga’s Words With Friends also ranked highly with usage rates of 21-25%.

Check out the chart below for the full break down. Which results are most surprising to you?

Today Facebook announced a major update for their Android app that focuses on speed. Photos and albums will be 2x faster, notifications will be highlighted up top, and the menu options have been moved to the right side of the screen. We haven’t seen the update available on the Android Market yet, but Facebook says it will [...]]]>

Today Facebook announced a major update for their Android app that focuses on speed. Photos and albums will be 2x faster, notifications will be highlighted up top, and the menu options have been moved to the right side of the screen. We haven’t seen the update available on the Android Market yet, but Facebook says it will be available soon, so be on the lookout.

Highlights of the new Facebook for Android include:

• Photos get better:  Photos and albums are up to two times faster than the previous Android app. It’s also easier to share photos, view comments and edit captions on the go.
• Messages on top:  Your messages and notifications are now at the top of your screen. You can respond to friends and stay updated without leaving the page you’re on.
• Menu on the side:  You can quickly access your News Feed, Groups, games and apps from the new left-hand menu. The features you use most are now at your fingertips.

After you download and install the new update, let us know what you think of the changes. Can you notice a big improvement in speed? What do you think of the interesting side menu?

BlackBerry has always been seriously lacking in app selection. More so than any other major platform out there. But there’s one app Berry users have been able to hold over Android and iOS users for years now. It’s called Socialscope, and it’s a networking powerhouse.

Socialscope is a one-stop shop for social networking. It features [...]]]>

BlackBerry has always been seriously lacking in app selection. More so than any other major platform out there. But there’s one app Berry users have been able to hold over Android and iOS users for years now. It’s called Socialscope, and it’s a networking powerhouse.

Socialscope is a one-stop shop for social networking. It features Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare integration for managing multiple networks within one app. There are similar apps available for Android right now, but Socialscope has a cult-like following. That could be due to the fact that it’s been in private alpha for years now, or because it’s a well designed app. Either way, both BlackBerry and Android users are scrambling to get their hands on a copy. There is, however, a new addition to the Android version of Socialscope that will have BlackBerry users asking what gives. Instagram support.

Instagram is a simple photo sharing app that’s currently only available for iOS. Users can take pictures, apply a faux-vintage filter and share online. Android users have long been pining for an Instagram client to call their own. An Instagram app for Android is supposedly in the works, but anyone who lands access to the early alpha of Socialscope for Android should be able to beat Instagram to the punch.

To sign up for the early alpha of Socialscope for Android, use the Google Docs-powered form here. Word of advice, don’t hold your breath. It’s probably going to be awhile.

If you haven’t completely moved to Google+, you’ve probably noticed all the changes Facebook has been working on lately. Feelings are mixed about these changes, but most people seem to dislike them. Well, we have one more addition to the repertoire, and this one actually seems to be a bit more exciting.

Facebook has [...]]]>

If you haven’t completely moved to Google+, you’ve probably noticed all the changes Facebook has been working on lately. Feelings are mixed about these changes, but most people seem to dislike them. Well, we have one more addition to the repertoire, and this one actually seems to be a bit more exciting.

Facebook has just announced Timeline. This feature takes all your information since the creation of your Facebook account and organizes it in an attractive timeline. This will allow you and your friends to go back and remember sweet old times with older images and general information. Whether you were studying hard in high school, partying it up in college or getting married in Hawaii, the Timeline will display it all.

There was no mention of Android compatibility on the way. (It is coming to iPhone soon, though). But we can assume Android will be getting Timeline soon enough. It is the most popular smartphone OS, after all. Timeline should be rolling out in the following weeks, so you’ll have to check it out on your computer until then.

Timeline is the most exciting new feature, but the rest seem alright too. Facebook also announced Spotify, Netflix and hulu integration. This means you can share what you’re listening to or watching. More services will be integrated in time. As you can see in the video below, one one feature will be similar to Nike+, allowing you to share where and when you take your daily jog.

We’ve heard many different opinions on this. One of the most popular is that Facebook is no longer as “intuitive” as it used to be. But we’d like to see what our readers think. Let us know how you feel about these changes in the comments section. Do you like Timeline? Do you like the integrations that were added? Would you rather get rid of that side bar (along with all the new changes)?

Though Facebook is widely considered to be the red-headed stepchild in the Android community now that Google has launched a social network of their own, the service continues to grow at a baffling rate. It now claims over 850 million users. Facebook’s Android application has been fairly uninspired and most updates to date have been [...]]]>

Though Facebook is widely considered to be the red-headed stepchild in the Android community now that Google has launched a social network of their own, the service continues to grow at a baffling rate. It now claims over 850 million users. Facebook’s Android application has been fairly uninspired and most updates to date have been a half-hearted attempt to mirror what was already in the iOS version. Personally, when I’ve felt the need to check what’s going on with my Facebook friends, I’ve more often been found using the mobile website rather than the Android app.

That might be about to change, as today’s update to version 1.7 brings some serious enhancements, not the least of which includes full support for Honeycomb tablets. (Though it doesn’t add a tablet-optimized UI). In addition to full Honeycomb support, Facebook 1.7 brings:

• Enhanced Privacy Controls
• Allows users to select which friends/groups to share their updates with
• Pull down on your newsfeed to automatically refresh
• Swipe left and right in photo albums
• Ability to tag your friends in pictures
• Enhanced UI, especially within individual profiles and the newsfeed
• Improvements to notifications and messages
• Various bug fixes and performance enhancements

Quite the slew of updates for the Facebook application. If you haven’t already, head over to the market and update your Facebook application to version 1.7. Let us know how you like the updates in the comments.

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Roughly two months after its release, Google+ has become a serious competitor in the social space. Google’s version of what a social network should be reached 25 million unique visitors in just over a month, making it the fastest growing social networking service ever. As far as social products made by Google go, [...]]]>

Roughly two months after its release, Google+ has become a serious competitor in the social space. Google’s version of what a social network should be reached 25 million unique visitors in just over a month, making it the fastest growing social networking service ever. As far as social products made by Google go, Google+ certainly seems to be on the right track to success.

The service, even in its beta phase, shows a lot of potential. If Google+ was publicly released today, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone complaining about huge bugs or privacy leaks. That said, Google is taking it slow. They’re not in a rush. In fact, they have all the time in the world. They’d rather get Google+ right from the get go than face another Buzz-like privacy nightmare.

Meanwhile, the company has more than 25 million people going through Google+ every day, digging out every little bug and privacy leak they can find. These people can’t rightfully complain about Google+, because they freely decided to sign up for a service that’s still in field trial. It’s a win-win situation for Google, who will soon have a social network as polished and airtight as it gets.

However, most of those 25 million people are interested in technology, social media or both. They’re not what we call the average consumer. They’re the early adopters. The influencers. The ones who tell their friends and family which phone, email service, antivirus and computer they should use. And while 25 million users is still a pretty respectable number, even for Google, it’s not “average consumer” big. That’s more like 750 million (the number of users Facebook has).

Despite Google telling us otherwise, Google+ is aimed directly at the heart of rivals like Facebook and Twitter. Googlers might tell you Google+ is all about making Google better (which is true), but the real target here is reaching that 750 million unique visitors mark. In order to do that, Google+ needs to appeal to the average Joe–not just us tech-savvy people. Here’s how they’ll do just that.

Google+ everywhere you look

Google.com is currently the most popular website in the world with more than 1 billion visits a day. As a result, everything you put on Google.com is going to catch a lot of eyeballs. Google has already used its search engine to promote other products. (Like when it launched the Nexus S, the Nexus One and Chrome OS). However, these “promotions” often consist of just a small sentence with a link underneath the Google search bar. Not really what you’d call eye-catching. What’s more, they only appear for a few days before Google pulls them out.

That won’t be the case with Google+, which will be heavily promoted on Google.com–probably forever. How will Google do that? They already showed us. The company will place a +You tab right next to the Search tab on the universal navigation bar. However, if you’re logged in with your Google Account, you’ll see your name instead.

I don’t know about you, but there’s nothing that catches my attention more than my name. In fact, the first time I visited Google after signing up for Google+ my eyes went directly to the +Alberto tab. It was like my brain noticed my name was somewhere on the page and told my eyes to look for it. And just like that, everyone with a Google Account will automatically sign up for Google+. People just won’t be able to resist clicking on a link that has their name on it. It’s as simple as that.

Then there are other Google products like Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube, Android and Chrome. All of them are powerful channels through which Google will push its social network. And all of them, except Chrome for now, require a Google Account to use them. And as I said, every person with a Google Account will eventually have a Google+ account. That’s hundreds of million of people.

Celebrity Hangouts

Celebrities on Google+. Yuck, I know. But hear me out for a second. People love celebrities. Whether it’s Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Oprah or Kobe Bryant. Most of us have a person that we’d love to “hangout” with. For us Android enthusiasts it might not be a Hollywood celebrity. But maybe you’d kill to be able to talk endlessly with Andy Rubin, Vic Gundotra or Steve Kondik about Android. You see? We all have celebrities.

However, most of us Android fans already use Google+ — celebrities or not. But that’s not the case with most people. For the average person to join Google+, there has to be a strong incentive for them to do so. And what’s a stronger incentive for a Bieber fan than the chance to talk face to face with their beloved idol?

It’s all a matter of convincing celebrities (paying them) to schedule Hangouts with their Google+ fans. As soon as word gets out that Bieber is Hanging out on Google+, Google’s servers will be put through their worst nightmare as millions of female tweens rush to sign up for Google+. Those tweens will then tell their friends and family to join Google+. And before you know it, the average adult person is signing up for Google+ because their little niece or daughter is now using it. Which brings us to…

The domino effect

Why do millions of people sign up for Facebook every month? Is it because they heard about it on TV? Maybe. Is it because of the addictive Flash games? Could be. Is it because they’ve heard great things about the service? Not likely. The main reason people sign up for Facebook is because somebody they’re interested in is already using it. Be it the hot girl they keep stalking, the daughter who never calls or those old friends they’d like to see again one day.

Initially, college kids signed up for Facebook because it was the easiest way to meet hot girls and guys and because most of them despised MySpace. Coming back to the “strong incentive” issue I mentioned, there’s no stronger incentive than sex. Naturally, “cool” teenagers signed up because the older college kids were using it. The rest of the teenagers followed the “cool” ones. The parents followed the kids, and now even grandma is on it because how else will she able to see photos of her grandson? That’s the domino effect for you.

Meanwhile, MySpace was abandoned overnight. Mainly because most people don’t have the time to manage two social networks. That’s why Facebook is so scared of Google+. If enough people sign up for Google+, the rest will follow. And Facebook could very well become the next MySpace.

Will the same domino effect happen with Google+? I truly think so. It’s probably already happening. In fact, I’d say Google+ feels very much like the early days of Facebook. The social network has a strong and loyal user base that won’t leave because they believe that the alternative (now Facebook, then MySpace) is deeply flawed. As a result, you have a small, but hugely influential group of people using a service, while the masses are using another. Which group do you think will win this tug of war?

Up next: Games, Google’s pace, and user-friendly strategy

Facebook has just announced the release of Facebook Messenger, a new application for Android devices that aims to simplify and quicken the exchange of messages between you and Facebook friends or individuals in your phone’s contact list.

Facebook Messenger is essentially an alternative SMS application that attempts to differentiate itself by adding integration with the [...]]]>

Facebook has just announced the release of Facebook Messenger, a new application for Android devices that aims to simplify and quicken the exchange of messages between you and Facebook friends or individuals in your phone’s contact list.

Facebook Messenger is essentially an alternative SMS application that attempts to differentiate itself by adding integration with the largest social network on the planet. If you happen to be messaging a Facebook friend, all your interactions with that person on Facebook such as texts, chats, email and messages will be featured in the conversation history. Moreover, when you send messages to your Facebook friends, it will both send a notification and text message to the other user to ensure they receive the message as quickly as possible.

Top features include:

• Message friends, groups of friends or anyone in your mobile contacts
• Map your location, find your friends and make plans on the go
• Get mobile notifications so you never miss a message
• Include photos so friends can see what you’re doing

Facebook is highlighting how easily their new application allows you to send group messages, a feature that has been available in Android’s stock messaging since I’ve been using Android at least–probably dating back to the G1. One cool addition to the group messaging functionality is the ability to share your location with the group, so it’s easier to track everyone down. It’s especially helpful when having group events.

All in all, it’s hard for me to see the real differentiating factor here. Unless I’m missing something, most (if not all) these features can be achieved with a combination of the Facebook for Android application (which already notifies you when you have a new incoming message), and the stock messaging application.

But I’m certainly no expert when it comes to Facebook, so I turn to you, the reader.  Are you planning to install the Facebook Messaging application when it launches later today? Either as a replacement for or supplement to the stock messaging application? Are you happy to stick to Facebook for Android and the stock messaging app for all your SMS needs? Or have you given up on Facebook altogether and migrated to Google+?  Sound off in the comments below.

Regardless of how you feel about this new application, I’m sure many of you will head over to the market and check it out. We’ll update this post once we notice it’s gone live, which should be a bit later on today.

UPDATE: The app is now live on the Market. You can go ahead and download it right here. Marques Brownlee of Droiddog also uploaded a hands-on video.

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As it stands, Plume is one of the more popular third-party Twitter clients available for Android. With a clean UI, multiple options for customization and timely updates, Plume currently stands with a four and a half star rating in the Market. And its team of authors (LevelUp Studio) has earned the rank of Top Developer. [...]]]>

As it stands, Plume is one of the more popular third-party Twitter clients available for Android. With a clean UI, multiple options for customization and timely updates, Plume currently stands with a four and a half star rating in the Market. And its team of authors (LevelUp Studio) has earned the rank of Top Developer. In a recent post on Google+ from LevelUp Studio founder and developer Ludovic Vialle, we got to take a candid glimpse into where Plume is headed from here.

First up to the plate for Plume is a reworked ListView component. Vialle mentions Plume has “always had position issues in the timeline” and that the new version works very well.

Up next is Notifications. Not only will the next milestone release of Plume feature push notifications, but it will also bring about realtime updates within the app:

New tweets/mentions/dm will be notified at the bottom with numbers, and refreshing will only refresh the display internally.Ludovic VialleLevelUp Studio

With these new additions to Plume, the application could very well become the top Twitter client on Android today. But LevelUp doesn’t want to stop there. After ListView and Notifications are introduced and fine-tuned, Vialle plans to begin working on Facebook and, someday, Google+ integration. It may be awhile, but sometime in the near future Plume may just turn out to be your one-stop-shop for social networking on Android.

No ETA has been given for the newest versions of Plume, so make sure to keep checking back with Vialle on Google+. Or stay tuned to Android and Me, where we’ll be sure to let you know when the updates are available.

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