Facebook’s Nearby Friends announced for mobile
Facebook on Thursday announced a new feature that will allow mobile device users to share locations with friends. Called Nearby Friends, it’s an opt-in feature that lets people share their exact location with other users for determinate amounts of time. Users can choose to share with one friend, close friends, or a set list of people.
When Nearby Friends is on, you can see when your friends are traveling if they’re also using this feature and sharing with you. You’ll be able to see the city or neighborhood they are in, including on their profile.
Rolling out to Android and iOS apps in the coming weeks, Nearby Friends is designed to help users meet up with others, coordinate plans, share recommendations, and more.
The post Facebook’s Nearby Friends announced for mobile appeared first on AndroidGuys.
It’s not just you: Terms of Service agreements really are confusing, study finds
You know that page with a check box you haphazardly agree to on the way to signing up for various online services? The one with the hundreds (or thousands) of words of legal mumbo jumbo? Yeah, we do the same thing — it’s okay. It’s because those pages, the Terms of Service, are boring, lengthy, and probably meaningless. Right? Right?!
Not necessarily. And a new study from Georgia Tech of the “top 30 social and fan creation sites” (from Facebook to Daily Motion) backs that up. Well, first things first: yes, Terms of Service agreements really are difficult to read. Of the 30 sites surveyed, an average reading level of college sophomore was required for comprehension of the TOS. To put it another way, around 60 percent of working age adults in the US (25 – 64) don’t understand what they’re agreeing to. “It is likely that users may not know what rights they are granting,” the study says.
So, back to the question at hand: are these documents meaningless? Like so many answers in the realm of law, the answer really depends on how that law applies to you. What freedoms do you value in the content you create and/or host online?
Georgia Tech examined the freedoms we’re giving up when agreeing to these documents. Most of that involves giving away whatever content is added to the service (so-called “royalty-free use”), but also includes duplicating said content elsewhere (“non-exclusive use”). In plain terms, of course, those translate to “you won’t get paid for the content you add here” and “we can publish what you add here anywhere else we want” (respectively). A small fraction of the sites studied even granted the site advertising rights on user content.
A handful of more specific stats are in the chart below. To find out whether or not your favorite site’s TOS are agreeable, the latest version should be readily available from the home page. And remember: the best defense against restrictive TOS agreements is taking the time to read and understand the document.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Facebook
Source: Georgia Tech
Facebook’s Nearby Friends feature keeps track of your pals, but only if they want you to
If you’re of the sort that likes to plan those otherwise impromptu encounters, Facebook has just announced a optional new feature that will certainly help with that. Nearby Friends will show you if your friends are close by, so you can reach out about meeting up. This isn’t automatically turn on inside Facebook’s apps though, as you’ll have to toggle it on and your friends will have to decide to share their location for it to work. However, there’s the ability to broadcast coordinates for a certain amount of time — the hour or two that you plan to be at your favorite bar, for example. You can also see when folks that have opted-in are traveling, giving you the opportunity to send any ramen or burrito recommendations their way. As you might expect, the feature will beam push notifications to your mobile device to alert you when your best mate is nearby. This news is certainly interesting in the context of the outfit’s push for its own location services, along with recent news of Instagram testing the in-house Places for tagging photos. While there’s no official arrival date, Nearby Friends is rolling out to both Android and iOS in the weeks to come.
Filed under: Software, Mobile, Facebook
Source: Facebook
Why the IRS wants to be your Facebook friend
If the fear of an audit wasn’t enough to scare you into being honest on your taxes, try this on for size: the IRS might be checking out your Facebook page. The good ol’ Internal Revenue Service is reportedly using robots to scope out public social media accounts to catch potential tax dodgers. That means that the government can question if the “business trip” you took to Hawaii was legit based on snorkeling photos from your Instagram account or where you got all those benjamins in that YouTube video.
Tax evasion is a big deal in the US, and accounts for an estimated $300 billion in lost government funds each year. Like it or not, the IRS is technically free to use any public posts on social media during the auditing process or even to profile potential liars. That means you don’t want to brag on Twitter about how much money your business is making if you’re actually about to go under. Likewise, if you are fudging your taxes (which we don’t recommend), you should consider revisiting your account privacy settings, and make sure you’re keeping any incriminating evidence to yourself.
Image credit: Stockmonkeys
Filed under: Internet, Facebook
Source: Marketplace
Daily Roundup: Windows Phone 8.1 review, Google buys a drone company, and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Windows Phone 8.1 review: Microsoft’s mobile OS finally feels whole
Microsoft’s mobile OS just got a whole lot better. Complete with keyboard swipe gestures, a notification center and Cortana, the virtual assistant, version 8.1 brings Windows Phone into adulthood. What’s more, you can download the update today.
T-Mobile is killing overages on all plans starting this June
T-Mobile’s continuing its uncarrier revolution by ending all overage fees across the board — even if you’re on a grandfathered plan. Users with heavy data usage will still be throttled, though.
The ‘world’s smallest’ laptop adapter debuts on Kickstarter for $79
See that? That’s the world’s smallest laptop adapter, and it’s available on Kickstarter for just $79. Called the Dart, this charger is four times smaller than its contemporaries and includes a 2.1A USB port.
Google beats Facebook to acquisition of drone maker
Earlier today, Google agreed to buy Titan Aerospace, a solar-powered drone manufacturer that had previously been in talks with Facebook. According to the Wall Street Journal, the company plans to use the high-flying aircraft in collaboration with its Project Loon.
You also might like:
Filed under: Misc
Facebook’s making moves to challenge PayPal
After attempts to kickstart its own virtual currency stalled, Facebook may soon get into the business of sending real money between you and your friends. According to The Financial Times, the social network is “only weeks away” from receiving the necessary approval in Ireland to operate its own e-money service. If given the green light, the company could effectively become a financial institution like PayPal (at least in Europe), allowing it to store and send money between millions users all over the continent. Facebook is said to have discussed partnering with at least three London-based firms that offer app-based international money transfers, but has yet to confirm it plans to take responsibility for your funds. With Zuckerberg and co. already facing user trust issues over the social network’s use of ads, throwing money into the mix may only complicate matters.
[Image credit: Marco Paköeningrat, Flickr]
Filed under: Internet, Facebook
Source: Financial Times
Daily Roundup: Galaxy S5 review, Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida on VR and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Samsung Galaxy S5 review: a solid improvement, but don’t rush to upgrade
Samsung’s latest handset, the Galaxy S5, has a slightly larger screen and squared edges, but nontheless recognizable as part of the Galaxy family. Packing a heart rate monitor, fingerprint scanner and extensively revamped TouchWiz UI, it’s a solid upgrade from the GS4. But is it worth an early upgrade?
An oral history of the last 20 years of gaming, as told by PlayStation’s Shuhei Yoshida
Since the beginning, Shuhei Yoshida’s been an integral part of Sony’s PlayStation arm. From initiating franchises like Crash Bandicoot and Uncharted, to daily interacting with thousands of customers on Twitter, Yoshida helped build the foundation of the modern gaming industry.
Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida loves that Facebook bought Oculus, says it helps validate PlayStation’s efforts
Most of us were surprised (maybe even appalled) once we learned that Facebook bought Oculus VR for $2 billion. Shuhei Yoshida, head of Sony Computer Entertainment’s Worldwide Studios, however, was thoroughly excited.
Amazon phone reportedly coming in September with glasses-free 3D
According to the Wall Street Journal, Amazon’s planning to release its own smartphone this coming September. What’s more, the handset’s reported to have four cameras with retina-tracking tech, making it possible to project 3D images without needing glasses.
You also might like:
Filed under: Misc
Hear Palmer Luckey explain why Oculus VR joined Facebook
Last month’s news that Facebook bought startup Oculus VR for $2 billion spurred many loud and often furious reactions from gamers and especially those who participated in the project’s initial Kickstarter. If you’re among those wondering what’s next for Oculus and haven’t been convinced by the written words of founder Palmer Luckey and others (including John Carmack and Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida), perhaps hearing them will make a difference. Reviewed.com tracked down Luckey at the PAX East event today and got him on camera talking about Oculus and Facebook. As he’s expressed before, Luckey says the plan is to “promote the long-term adoption of virtual reality, not short-term financial returns.” In his words “the games industry is the only industry that’s really well equipped to build interactive immersive 3D worlds,” so don’t expect the focus of Oculus to suddenly change now that it’s in cahoots with Zuckerberg and company. So, after a couple of weeks to think about it — and the addition of notable former Valve / iD software employee Mike Abrash to the Oculus team — how do you feel about the acquisition now?
(Iribe/Luckey Photo:Ana Venegas/The Orange County Register/ZUMAPRESS.com)
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Reviewed.com
Sir David Attenborough’s latest wildlife show is coming to VR headsets (updated)
Ever want to get immersed in a wildlife documentary? Like, really immersed? You’re going to get your chance soon. Atlantic Productions has revealed to Realscreen that its upcoming Sir David Attenborough project, Conquest of the Skies, is destined for Oculus Rift virtual reality headsets. The studio is shooting all of its footage using an eight-camera rig that will give VR viewers a chance to catch the action from every possible angle.
Just when we’ll get to watch the VR edition is up in the air. However, Atlantic commercial director John Morris is eager to get Conquest out the door. He sees VR video as a lot of creative potential — the same as at the dawn of the film era, in fact. There’s also a potentially huge audience of “millions.” Given that Facebook just threw the market wide open with its acquisition of Oculus VR, he might be on to something.
Update: Atlantic has dialed back expectations a bit. It’s using the Oculus Rift and is looking at using it for two to three projects, but it’s currently focused on computer-generated graphics. Any immersive video will likely require crowdfunding to get started — the production house suspects that 360-degree recording could be rather expensive.
[Background image credit: Rod Waddington, Flickr]
Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, Wearables, HD, Facebook
Source: Realscreen
Facebook report shows where and how often it blocked illegal content
Facebook’s plan isn’t a secret: Mark Zuckerberg wants to connect the world, be it through the website proper or a buzzy, expensive mobile messaging app. Breaking down communication barriers also means some of the company’s millions of users bump against local laws because of what they post, and Facebook’s second government transparency report offers a look at just how often that happens.
These days, you can’t think of online censorship without thinking of Turkey. The Erdogan government just recently undid a country-wide ban on Twitter, but still hasn’t reinstated access to YouTube… despite what the courts have said. Between July and December 2013, Facebook restricted access to 2,014 bits of content because they ran afoul of laws that prohibit “defamation or criticism of Ataturk or the Turkish state.” Think that’s bad? India was the leader in content restrictions with 4,765, again because users shared things that criticized “a religion or the state.” India’s population is vastly higher than Turkey’s though, so it’s no surprise they’ve got more restrictions under their belts. But! If we look at the ratio of content restrictions to monthly active users in those countries (roughly 33 million in Turkey and 100 million in India), then Turkey seems like the most censorship-friendly country on the list. That’s probably not a surprise to the people who live there.
Facebook isn’t nearly as hands-on with content anywhere else: Pakistan is in distant third with 162 restrictions, with Ireland trailing it at 113. Meanwhile, the United States and the United Kingdom have had 0 and 3 cases of restriction, respectively.
Naturally, there’s a lot more here to dig into. Facebook received 28,147 government data requests from 81 countries between July and December of last year. A staggering majority (12,598) were issued in the United States, and FB produced at least some user data in just over 81 percent of those cases. The social giant also released the number of US national security data requests it received over those six months… sort of. Once again, the company got “between 0 and 999.” Not very telling, right? At least a few tech companies are fighting to be more transparent with this stuff — Twitter has basically said ranges that big are meaningless, and doesn’t mind taking the fight to court.
Source: Facebook
AIVAnet 