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Update: Facebook tells The Verge it has no plans to enter the streaming music market.

Apple may not be the only new entrant into the streaming music business: Musically suggests that Facebook is in the early stages of planning its own music service.

Facebook has been talking to music labels for some time, but this was believed to relate only to YouTube-style ad-supported videos. But Musically says its sources say that Facebook sees this as a stepping stone toward a streaming audio service.

Music Ally can reveal that while Facebook will expand that trial to music videos soon, the social network is planning to follow that with the launch of an audio music-streaming service to compete with Spotify, Apple Music and others […]

Sources have told Music Ally that an audio service is very much on Facebook’s roadmap, but that both the social network and rightsholders realise that it has to get the monetised-video service right first

There is speculation that Facebook might take the same approach as Apple in buying an existing streaming music service, like Rdio, but Musically says that while this has not been ruled out, its sources suggests that the company wants to build its own service from scratch.

We noted yesterday that Spotify is planning to email its customers to advise iOS users to subscribe to its Premium service via the web to avoid the 30% ‘Apple tax.’

Via Engadget. Photo: Reuters.

Facebook continues to ‘borrow’ Snapchat features as it tests swipeable filters, stickers & text overlays in iOS app

Ben Lovejoy Jun 29 2015 - 4:02 am PT

2 Comments

Facebook has rather a long history of finding inspiration in the Snapchat app, from Poke back in 2012 (which was pulled last month) to Slingshot. TechCrunch reports that the company is now testing three new features in its iOS app, all of which mimic functions available in Snapchat.

The new photo uploader adds:

swipeable filters, allowing you to instantly preview the effects
the ability to paste Facebook stickers on top of photos
the option to overlay text on a photo

Facebook appears to have rolled-out the new version of the app to a limited number of users so far. Most of the photo filters are based on the seasons …
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You no longer need a Facebook account to use Messenger

Tom Maxwell Jun 24 2015 - 11:11 am PT

Facebook Messenger is a beautifully designed messaging app available on both Android and iOS, and now you don’t even need to a Facebook account to use it.

Facebook Moments app makes it easier to exchange photos with friends

Tom Maxwell Jun 15 2015 - 10:44 am PT

7 Comments

Facebook has today unveiled a new app called Moments from its Creative Labs division that makes it easier to exchange pictures amongst friends who were together at an event or place, all documenting it through their own photos. Here’s how Facebook describes the problem they’re solving:

It’s hard to get the photos your friends have taken of you, and everyone always insists on taking that same group shot with multiple phones to ensure they get a copy. Even if you do end up getting some of your friends’ photos, it’s difficult to keep them all organized in one place on your phone.

Through the use of location and facial-recognition data (both areas where Facebook has invested heavily), Moments groups photos together and then asks if you’d like to share them with the people it has recognized, and vice-versa. It’s very reminiscent of the now-defunct Color, although that app was more real-time and ephemeral (Moments allows you to collect and sync photos with friends after an event is over), and wasn’t integrated closely with Facebook’s 1 billion plus user base.

https://vimeo.com/130380325

It’s available now in the iOS App Store and on Google Play, which is useful in the event that some of your friends are on Android (gasp, I know).

Apple’s ‘Proactive’ to take on Google Now with deep iOS 9 search, Augmented Reality Maps, Siri API

Mark Gurman May 27 2015 - 9:59 am PT

55 Comments

After several years of quiet development, Apple is readying a major new iOS initiative codenamed “Proactive,” which will leverage Siri, Contacts, Calendar, Passbook, and third-party apps to create a viable competitor to Google Now for Android devices. Like Google Now, Proactive will automatically provide timely information based on the user’s data and device usage patterns, but will respect the user’s privacy preferences, according to sources familiar with Apple’s plans.

As an evolution of iOS’s Spotlight search feature, Proactive is the fruit of a long-term initiative that involved the acquisition of small app developers, and integration of core iOS apps. It will also work with Apple’s Maps application to display personally relevant points of interest using an augmented reality interface, and integrate with a third-party Siri API codenamed “Breadcrumbs”…

Facebook Messenger’s free video calling now available worldwide

Jordan Kahn May 20 2015 - 8:27 am PT

After adding support for a new cross-platform video chat service through its Facebook Messenger mobile apps, Facebook has now announced that the feature is rolling out to all worldwide.

The feature first launched back in April for users on iOS and Android in Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, France, Greece, Ireland, Laos, Lithuania, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, the UK, the US and Uruguay. Today, Facebook said the feature is now rolled out globally “with the exception of a few countries” that it’s still working on:

Quick update on video calling in Messenger: we’re happy to share we’ve now rolled out the capability globally, with the exception of a few countries we’re still working on improving quality for.

You can check out the new Facebook Messenger video calling feature through the latest versions of the iOS and Android apps.

Review: Dotti & Notti, fun (if pointless) ways to receive notifications

Ben Lovejoy May 20 2015 - 6:17 am PT

5 Comments

My conclusion in my Skeptic’s Apple Watch diary series was that the device didn’t really have a unique selling-point to me, but was a slightly more convenient way to receive notifications. Ultimately, though, I kept it because it was a cool gadget.

The same argument, I think, would have to be deployed to justify what are really a couple of fun toys that happen to alert you to notifications: Dotti and Notti …
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Facebook launches new ‘Instant Articles’ feature in iPhone app

Mike Beasley May 13 2015 - 7:45 am PT

1 Comment

Facebook has launched a new feature in its official iOS client called “Instant Articles,” the company announced today. The feature will allow web publishers to create versions of their stories optimized for display inside the Facebook app. As suggested by the name, these optimized articles are designed to load instantly and provide a more native-feeling experience.

The articles are built using some of the same user interface elements and concepts first introduced in the alternative Facebook client, Paper, such as large images that scroll as you tilt your phone, and in-line videos that automatically start playing.

New elements added specifically for Instant Articles include audio captions on photos and the ability to like or comment on specific sections of the article rather than the entire thing. Facebook says publishers will still have full control over content and monetization, and loading a story as an Instant Article will still count the same as clicking a link in the browser in terms of traffic tracking.

Only a handful of publishers will be able to take advantage of Instant Articles at launch, including NBC, The New York Times, BuzzFeed, and National Geographic. Only a select few articles from those publishers will be available in this format for now.

Instant Articles is rolling out in the Facebook for iPhone application now.

New Greenpeace report praises Apple for aggressively leading in renewable energy initiatives

Jordan Kahn May 12 2015 - 8:58 am PT

4 Comments

Greenpeace today released an update to its “Clicking Clean: A Guide to Building the Green Internet” report, showing that Apple continues to lead among tech companies when it comes to renewable energy efforts. The report notes that Apple has been “most aggressive” with its renewable energy projects including a number of new initiatives and continuing to maintain “its claim of a 100% renewably powered cloud for another year.”
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iPhone slightly increases lead as most popular smartphone in US – comScore

Ben Lovejoy May 8 2015 - 4:01 am PT

17 Comments

Apple has further increased its lead as the top smartphone manufacturer in the US, the iPhone increasing its market share by one point from 41.6% in Dec 2014 to 42.6% in March 2015, according to comScore. There was no change in the rankings, with Samsung in second place at 28.3% – a fall of 1.4% – followed by LG, Motorola and HTC.

Android remained the most popular platform, with 52.4% of the market against iOS at 42.6%. Windows, Blackberry and Symbian were all also-rans, totalling just 5% between them.

comScore also reported the top 15 smartphone apps …
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Facebook Messenger for iOS adds cross-platform video chat support

Mike Beasley Apr 27 2015 - 11:04 am PT

Facebook continues to add new capabilities to its Messenger app today with the launch of a new video calling feature. A new video icon at the top of conversation threads will initiate a call, allowing participants to communicate across platforms over Wi-Fi or LTE connections.

The addition puts Facebook in competition with Apple’s FaceTime, Microsoft’s Skype, and other similar services. Interestingly, web-based video chat has been available on the desktop for some time, and was previously powered by Skype.

Apple releases iOS 8.4 beta 2 to developers with revamped Music app

Mark Gurman Apr 27 2015 - 9:49 am PT

42 Comments

A couple of weeks following the first beta, Apple today released iOS 8.4 beta 2 to developers for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. iOS 8.4 beta 2 is available via Software Update for those running the first beta, and it should be available for download soon via the Apple Developer Website. Apple has also released the iOS 8.4 Public Beta 1, which corresponds to this second developer seed, and Xcode 6.4 beta 2.

As we first reported, iOS 8.4 brings a revamped Music app to iOS with a new design, a Mini-Player feature, improved search, and a larger focus on album artwork. At WWDC, Apple will announce the new Music app and its integration with a new Beats-based streaming music service. We’ll update this post live as new features in the second beta are discovered.

First look: Clear, the iOS app that vets your social media history for indiscretions

Ben Lovejoy Apr 22 2015 - 6:10 am PT

4 Comments

Going for a sensitive job, or just friended your new romantic interest on Facebook, and want to make sure your drunken post from six months ago isn’t going to come back to bite you? That’s the experience Hipster co-founder Ethan Czahor had when he was hired as Jeb Bush’s chief technology officer. Journalists went digging and found some extremely embarrassing posts that led to his resignation.

He’s now put that experience to good use, though, beta-launching Clear, an app which aims to vet your social media history for offensive or insulting posts and offer you the ability to delete them (not to be confused with the to-do list app of the same name). I decided to take it for a quick spin …
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Now you can share your Vine masterpieces with all your social networks at once

Ben Lovejoy Apr 22 2015 - 4:47 am PT

Vine has updated its iOS app to allow you to share your video loops with Vine friends, Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr through a single share action. Previously you had to share to each network individually, and Tumblr was not supported.

Vine is a free download from iTunes. The app was updated last year to optimize for the iPhone 6/Plus and add a favorites function to alert you to new videos from friends whose videos you don’t want to miss.

WhatsApp Messenger adds free VoIP calling, new sharing extension, more

Zac Hall Apr 21 2015 - 11:25 am PT

18 Comments

WhatsApp Messenger, the popular cross-platform chatting service, released a major update to its iPhone app today introducing some long-rumored features and new ways to share content with friends and family…
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Apple Watch app developers say it’s all about timely notifications

Ben Lovejoy Apr 10 2015 - 6:34 am PT

1 Comment

Apple was clear with developers from the start that the Apple Watch is all about “quick, easy looks” rather than lengthy interactions, and it seems the message has been taken on board by major brands, reports the WSJ.

“If people use their desktop computers for hours at a time and their phones for minutes at a time, we think people will use the Watch for seconds at a time,” said Shayne Sweeney, an engineering manager at Facebook’s photo-sharing site Instagram, which created a Watch app.

Adam Grossman, founder of the Dark Sky weather app, echoed the comment.

Who wants to keep their wrists up to their face for many minutes?

Expedia’s chief product officer John Kim said the company was focusing mostly on itinerary-focused push notifications.

Instead of “pulling” information from websites or apps, users will want relevant information “pushed” to them at the most useful moments.

With American Airlines’ Kevin MacFarland agreeing.

The goal is the right information at the right time.

Apple revealed last year that the watch offers both “short and long looks,” with not even a touch needed to switch between the two.

New Facebook Messenger web experience gets an unofficial standalone Mac app

Chance Miller Apr 8 2015 - 4:43 pm PT

14 Comments

Earlier today Facebook unveiled a dedicated website for its Messenger service, accompanying dedicated apps for the iPhone and iPad. Now, however, a third-party developer has taken that newly unveiled web interface and put it into a dedicated OS X desktop app.

Want to work for Apple in the US? Here are the five main jobs for which foreigners are hired

Ben Lovejoy Mar 30 2015 - 5:06 am PT

If Apple’s recently-revamped jobs site has tempted you to consider a move to the US, data from the Office of Foreign Labor Certification may provide a guide to your chances. Applications for H-1B visas–those allowing overseas workers to accept job offers in the US–reveal that top tech companies like Apple mostly sponsor the visas for five main roles, reports TechCrunch.

By examining the most common professions among H-1B applicants for Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft, five consistent career paths emerged across each company. Software engineers, systems software engineers, financial analysts, computer systems analysts and marketing managers make up a large part of H-1B visa applications.

The salary data shows that the average salary paid to foreign workers employed in the USA by the five tech companies is highest at Facebook, at $135k, with Apple sitting in the middle of the pack at a little over $120k.

Facebook unveils platform to integrate third-party apps, customer support for businesses into Messenger

Jordan Kahn Mar 25 2015 - 10:41 am PT

4 Comments

During its F8 Developer Conference today, Facebook announced a new Facebook Messenger Platform that will allow third-party apps to integrate with its popular Messenger app.
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Facebook Messenger rolling out feature to let friends send money to each other

Benjamin Mayo Mar 17 2015 - 12:34 pm PT

7 Comments

Facebook has today announced it is rolling out a new feature for users that will let friends send money to each other, through its Facebook Messenger app. Like similar services, a simple tap allows users to send a cash amount to their recipient in a single step.
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Waze app to get AMBER alerts, help users look out for missing & abducted children

Ben Lovejoy Mar 4 2015 - 5:48 am PT

Waze, the free crowdsourced navigation and traffic app, is to get AMBER alerts in the U.S., helping users look out for missing and abducted children. You’ll only see alerts for children in your local area, and for safety reasons details will only appear once your vehicle has been stationary for at least ten seconds.

AMBER alerts are created by law enforcement agencies to quickly alert members of the public to children who have been reported missing or are believed to have been abducted. Waze says the app will scan for new alerts every ten minutes, though once you’ve dismissed an alert it won’t be shown again for a further week.

Alerts will display all the information available, which will normally include a photo of the child, their name, age, description, where they were last seen, what clothing they were wearing and details of any vehicle known or believed to have been involved.

The update is expected to roll out shortly in the U.S. only. Waze is a free download from iTunes. It was last updated in December, with an iOS widget and improved traffic data.

Facebook added AMBER alerts to its mobile apps in January.

Microsoft continues its iOS app acquisition spree with Prismatic, a news reader startup that Apple eyed

Zac Hall Mar 2 2015 - 9:14 am PT