Facebook’s Place Tips goes national, retailers get free beacons
Six months after its initial trial run, Facebook’s Place Tips program is finally expanding nationwide. Place Tips employs Bluetooth beacons to push FB posts and photos about a business to shoppers’ phones while they’re in the store. So if you’re standing in line at, say Wetzel’s Pretzels in the mall. If that pretzel stand has a Place Tips beacon, it will push information (and potentially coupons) to your phone automatically — you as the customer simply have to open you Facebook app to access them.
The program originally rolled out to a few select retailers in New York City at the start of the year, however, Facebook announced on Monday that it is now available to any business in America. What’s more, the company has released a web app that will allow store owners to request a free beacon of their own. Retailers won’t be able to advertise using this service to start but, then again, they initially couldn’t on Instagram either.
Filed under: Internet, Facebook
Via: Re/Code
Source: Facebook
Facebook Messenger revamps location sharing system
Facebook is rolling out an improved version of location sharing in Facebook Messenger app. We had seen earlier that Messenger allowed location to be sent along with every chat message in the conversation. This was not such a useful feature as we could only know the general area from where the message was being sent and not the user’s actual location.
There was no way to share your location in Facebook Messenger if ever one wanted to convey their whereabouts. Resorting to a maps application like Google Maps for location sharing had become common for regular users of Facebook Messenger.
Facebook has taken this into consideration and now we have a new way to share location in Messenger. Just tap on the more button in a conversation and select the location option. Telling a friend where to meet or just sharing your location with a friend to tell them you are running late.
With this update, Facebook gives you the right to share your location how you want it, and will no longer embed it into messages. The new option gives the user, choice to share their location as a separate message.
It’s odd that this feature comes just days after the Facebook Messenger location tracking scandal. Is it just a coincidence or just a desperate cover up?
What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
The post Facebook Messenger revamps location sharing system appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Facebook Messenger gets a new way to share locations
Facebook Messenger is set to receive an update where you can share a location to contacts. You will also be able to share locations where you want to meet, say, a coffee house or Best Buy.
While this feature will be new to Messenger, users have been able to see locations for awhile now. Simply tapping on a sent message will show you where it was sent from. However, Facebook says this new location feature will be replacing its old location service, allowing you to be a bit more judicious on sharing your location.
With this update, you have full control over when and how you share your location information. You only send a location when you tap on the location pin and then choose to send it as a separate message. You can also share a location—like a meeting spot—even if you’re not there.
Facebook said that nothing is changing in app permissions or when its gathering your location. “Messenger does not get location information from your device in the background — only each time you select a location and tap Send when you use the Messenger app,” it said in a blog post.
Read more: Facebook considers B2C advertisement via WhatsApp
In other words, the only thing that is changing is the method of how you share your location with others, along with a way to share a meeting point. And if you’re not a fan of sharing your location with Facebook, there’s always the option of turning it off.
In reality, only a select few people will use this feature. It’s hard to imagine it being widely used or even conventionally useful.
source: Facebook
Come comment on this article: Facebook Messenger gets a new way to share locations
Facebook Lite for emerging markets now official, begins rolling out
Facebook’s solution for mobile users in emerging markets, “Facebook Lite,” is now rolling out in select regions.
The app is designed to work efficiently on slow networks with minimal bandwidth capacity. The download is only a 1MB file, so you could imagine there are quick install and load times. Features in the app include core Facebook functions, including status updates, News Feed, photos, notifications, etc.
Asia’s first on the list to receive the app — next up is Latin America, Africa and Europe.
Source: Facebook Newsroom
Come comment on this article: Facebook Lite for emerging markets now official, begins rolling out
Facebook Messenger now only shares your location when told to
Today, Facebook Messenger is receiving an update which changes the way that the app handles location sharing. After a few months in the works, Facebook has decided to disable location sharing by default, instead allowing users to explicitly send a map of their location or another particular place as a separate message.
Previously, Facebook Messenger location settings would automatically grab location data every time a user sent a message and share it with their friends list. This update aims to give users more control over when and what location data is shared amongst friends.
To try out the feature, make sure that location data is enabled and then click the More icon or location pin at the bottom of your screen from within the app. From there users can pick nearby locations by dragging the map around or users can send a map with their current location. There’s also the option to search for and share nearby businesses, if you’re planning to meet up for example.
According to TechCrunch, this change to the handling of location information could be just the first in a number of changes heading to Facebook’s service. The company appears keen to tie other location and commerce services into its Messenger app, drawing inspiration from successful Asian messaging services. Although no details about any potential future features were given.
In an effort to be more transparent about its services, Facebook also points out that its Messenger app does not collect any location information unless you specifically enable location services from within the app. Secondly, that the app does not collect any location information when the process is running in the background.
What do you think about Facebook Messenger’s changes to location sharing?
Facebook Lite is now official, made specifically for emerging markets
Over a billion people around the world are connected through Facebook, and it looks like the social networking giant wants to reach many more people than that. Facebook Lite, a stripped-down version of the full-fledged Facebook app, has just been released to the Google Play Store, made specifically to use less data and to work well across all mobile network types.
The app launched in select countries back in January for testing purposes, and is now making its way to many more regions. Weighing in at less than 1MB in all, Facebook Lite is quick to install, and features all of Facebook’s core experiences like News Feed, status updates, photos, notifications and more. Facebook explains:
More than a billion people around the world access Facebook from a range of mobile devices on varying networks. In many areas, networks can be slow and not able to support all the functionality found in Facebook for Android. Facebook Lite was built for these situations, giving people a reliable Facebook experience when bandwidth is at a minimum.
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The app is rolling out in select countries across Asia, and throughout the coming weeks Facebook Lite will be available in parts of Latin America, Africa and Europe. If you’re interested in checking out the new app, head to the Play Store link below.
Facebook Lite released to more markets today
Facebook and Google Chrome are synonymous in one, irritating and annoying way for mobile devices and desktops. They eat too much RAM and run ridiculously slow sometimes. Today, Facebook announced, and released, Facebook Lite to more emerging markets after the initial run in January.
Facebook Lite is designed with those in developing areas, which usually are limited to 2G speeds. Also, Facebook Lite is to work better for those who have limited data caps, and can’t have the regular Facebook app constantly refreshing and eating up all of your data.
More than a billion people around the world access Facebook from a range of mobile devices on varying networks. In many areas, networks can be slow and not able to support all the functionality found in Facebook for Android. Facebook Lite was built for these situations, giving people a reliable Facebook experience when bandwidth is at a minimum.
Once downloaded, users will still have access to most of Facebooks major features, such as the News Feed, status updates, and photos. However, with a download size of less than 1MB in space, Facebook Lite also doesn’t leave a large footprint on your device. This is helpful for either devices that are already limited in storage, or if you just want to trim down on how much storage apps are using.
As of today, Facebook Lite began rolling out to countries in Asia, and will become available in Latin America, Africa, and Europe in the coming weeks. If you want to give this new app a whirl, check out the widget below, and test it out for yourself.
The post Facebook Lite released to more markets today appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Facebook Messenger only shares your location when you tell it to
Sharing your location with the person you’re chatting with in Facebook Messenger isn’t a new feature, but the way its done has changed… thankfully. The app no longer shares your location by default, nixing the stalkerish function that updated folks on your friends list with your movements. Instead, Messenger only sends that info when you tell it to. By tapping on a map pin, those details can be sent as a separate message in a chat window. The app places a small map in your convo as its own note, pointing to either your current spot or a rendezvous point for future reference.
Before this update, the mobile software pinged your phone every time you sent a message and shared that info with your pals. That method of sharing made things like this creepy Chrome extension possible. Of course, Facebook never hid the location-tracking chops of the app, and now it only shares your location with friends when you tell it to. According to TechCrunch, this update is just the beginning of what the folks in Menlo Park have planned for GPS inside the app, so we’ll be curious to see how the next stage plays out.
Filed under: Software, Mobile, Facebook
Source: Facebook
Facebook Lite uses less storage and bandwidth for emerging markets
Facebook’s regular Android app just uses too much data and storage for devices in developing areas. It also tends to eat up a good bit of pricey data. To remedy those connectivity woes, the folks in Menlo Park announced Facebook Lite: a version of the mobile software that’s less than 1MB is size, yet still offers the social networks essential tools. Despite requiring a modet amount of space and time install, even on a slow network, the app still handles News Feed, status updates, photos, notifications and other items users employ on the regular. In addition to this new software, Zuckerberg & Co. are also behind the Internet.org project that’s bringing free access to essential services to underdeveloped countries, too. Facebook Lite is rolling out today in Asia, and it’s set to hit parts of Africa, Europe and Latin America in “the coming weeks.”
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Facebook
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Facebook
SpaceX wants to launch internet-beaming satellites
Google’s Project Loon and Facebook’s internet drones could soon see added competition from SpaceX. The Elon Musk-owned rocket company has just petitioned the FCC for permission to launch a pair of experimental, identical Ku-band downlink satellites — the first pair of potentially four. Should the FCC grant SpaceX’s application, Time reports that the satellites will likely launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base. Once they reach an orbital altitude of 625 km, they’ll beam down broadband internet speeds to three receivers located in Redmond, Washington; Fremont and Hawthorne, California. The satellites are each rated for a 12-month operational lifespan. There’s no word yet on when this technology will be available to consumers.
[Image Credit: TNS via Getty Images]
Filed under: Internet, Google, Facebook
Via: CIS 471
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