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Facebook is the most popular social media service in the world with 2.32 billion monthly active users as of December 31, 2018

Facebook is the most popular social media service in the world with 2.32 billion monthly active users as of December 31, 2018. It also averages 1.52 billion daily active users as of December 2018.

Facebook was launched in February of 2004 (as The Facebook) for college students and then rapidly grew as it opened the service to more than those with a .edu email address. It was the subject of the 2010 movie called “The Social Network“.

In 2012, the social media giant offered its IPO and Facebook earned the title of the fastest company to grow to $250 billion market capitalization in the S&P 500.

In recent years, the company has been at the center of attention related to its role in the Russian interference in the 2016 US election. Since then, it’s been a continual stream of negative news for the company. They recently had all of their enterprise certificates for iOS revoked after it was discovered they had repackaged Onavo VPN as a ‘Research’ app and were paying teens $20/month to sneakily sideload it.

In early 2019, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced a “privacy shift” for the company. He outlined a detailed vision for the future of the social media platform, specifically its messaging services. Notably, in contrast to how the company operates today, he says the future of the platform will be privacy-focused with features like end-to-end encryption, interoperability between its various apps like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, reducing how long it holds data, secure storage of personal data, and more.

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IMDb iOS app eyes 20M+ downloads, celebrates with massive update

Élyse Betters Jul 12 2012 - 8:10 am PT

IMDb, the unofficial resume for everyone and everything Hollywood, just announced its iOS and Android apps have experienced more than 40 million total downloads. The iOS counterpart claimed half of those downloads, and IMDb is celebrating with today’s launch of “highly anticipated discovery, personalization and social features.”

Version 2.7 now includes:

– Movies & TV shows: check in and share what you are watching to Facebook and Twitter
– Message Boards: access general boards, or dive into discussions about your favorite people, movies, and shows
– Filming Locations & Soundtracks: find even more IMDb data to satisfy your curiosity
– More Like This: discover new movies and shows while you browse
– Watchlist: tap the plus sign on posters to build your Watchlist
– TV shows: easily dive into each season, and tap ‘previous’ and ‘next’ to browse through episodes
– Your History: long-press on the Back button from any page to access pages you’ve recently viewed
– Various bug fixes and performance improvements

The IMDb Movies & TV app is a free app at the App Store. It rates 4 stars, based on more than 112,000 reviews, as of press time.

The press release is below.

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Facebook releases SDK 3.0 Beta with iOS 6 integration & new iOS Dev Center

Jordan Kahn Jul 11 2012 - 11:34 am PT

Facebook announced today that it is releasing its biggest iOS SDK update yet with the release of SDK 3.0 Beta for iOS, which also includes iOS 6 integration for native Facebook login. It is also rolling out a completely refreshed iOS Dev Center with tutorials, concepts, and reference docs to help iOS app developers build great Facebook-integrated apps for iOS devices.
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Apps & updates: Vimeo, Facebook Messenger, more

Jordan Kahn Jul 6 2012 - 1:11 pm PT

We already told you about a big recent update to Scanner Pro that brings iCloud integration and new iPhone interface, and below is our usual roundup of other noteworthy apps and updates released today. In other app news, sources told VideoGamer that Activision Leeds will be heading development of new new Call of Duty titles for iOS devices, which we can only hope means a full-blown COD game is coming to iPhones and iPads sometime soon. There are also a ton of developers on our list extending their 4th of July day sales into the weekend.

Vimeo version 2.0.5: The universal Vimeo iOS app received a decent update today that “adds initial support for vimeo:// url scheme” with support for projects, camera, featured, my_videos, likes, watch_later, feed, stats, and help. The update also includes fixes for bad localizations and the usual bug fixes.

Facebook Messenger version 1.8.1: Facebook Messenger was updated today with a few small fixes following updates to many of Facebook’s iOS apps in recent weeks. Version 1.8.1 includes a bug fix that was causing profile photos and friend pages to load slowly, something many FB iOS users have been complaining about. You will also now be able to see more of your top friends from within a compose window.

Yelp version 5.9.1: Yelp received a minor update today that includes a fix causing issues for Italian users.

Analytiks 2.0: Analytiks was recently updated to version 2.0. The app is an iOS-based hub for Google Analytics stats, and it provides a unique, stylish user interface unmatched by any other Google Analytics application.

Related articles

Scanner Pro updated with iCloud integration, revamped iPhone interface (9to5mac.com)
Apple launches updated iCloud website for developers with Notes, Reminders, improved Calendar and Find my iPhone (9to5mac.com)
How long does an iOS beta period last? (9to5mac.com)
iOS game, Angry Birds Seasons, (full version) temporarily FREE (9to5toys.com)

Former Apple employee discusses the App Store review process

Jordan Kahn Jul 4 2012 - 8:23 am PT

There are many examples of flaws in Apple’s App Store review process. We know Apple is quick to reject apps that mimic the core functionality of iOS, such as Voice Answer, Find My Facebook Friends, or Airfoil, but those developers all made tweaks to their apps and were later accepted into the App Store. Perhaps a bigger problem is apps sneaking their way into the store as offensive or stolen content. We came across an example of each with two apps recently accepted into the App Store: Bulimia Duck (pictured above), which is a Yelp-like restaurant finder with an obviously offensive name, and Dragon Ball Z Jump, which is a hybrid of stolen IPs including Dragon Ball Z and popular iOS title Doodle Jump. These are just two examples of the type of apps making their way into the App Store every week.

Today, we get a bit of insight into what goes on behind the scenes during Apple’s review process. A former senior engineer at Apple, Mike Lee, talked to Business Insider about the app review team:

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Parallels celebrates its birthday by dropping price to $28, giving away iPads and other schwag

9to5 Staff Jun 28 2012 - 6:00 am PT

From 9to5Toys.com:

From 9am-11am PT, Parallels drops the price of its flagship Parallels 7 desktop virtualization product to just $28 to celebrate its 6th birthday. The price will increase 5% every 2 hours, so obviously you’ll want to jump on this soon. Parallels is the best-selling, most-trusted solution for running Windows applications on your Mac – without rebooting.

It is also nice for running Linux or even another instance of the Mac OS and for $28 why not?
As an added bonus, Parallels is giving away a few ‘party favors’: just by sharing, you’ll have a chance to win an iPad 3, Parallels Mobile, and Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac.

More information is also available at the Parallels Consumer Tech Blog, or by following Parallels Desktop on Facebook and @ParallelsMac on Twitter.

Update: Originally story said 9am ET.

Parallels app is now iPad 3-optimized with iOS 5 compatibility (9to5mac.com)
Convertible Flip Case For Apple iPad 2 / New iPad w/ $2 credit for $14 + $3 s&h (9to5toys.com)
HHI Re-Elegant Stand Case for New iPad for $10 + $3 s&h (9to5toys.com)
Custom Case for iPad 2, New iPad for $40 + free shipping (9to5toys.com)
KEYDEX Hard Shell Ventilation Case for iPad 2 / New iPad for $6 + free shipping (9to5toys.com)

Facebook launching “blazing fast”, rebuilt iPhone app next month

Jordan Kahn Jun 27 2012 - 9:18 am PT

The New York Times’ Nick Bilton reported today that Facebook is planning on doing something about its “painfully slow” iPhone app. Citing unnamed FB engineers, the report claimed Facebook is going to release a new, “blazing fast” iOS app that is rebuilt “primarily using Objective-C”. However, according to Bilton who tested the unreleased app, it will be largely the same design as the current iOS app:

According to two Facebook engineers who asked not be named because they are not authorized to speak about unreleased products, Facebook has completely rebuilt its iOS application to optimize for one thing: speed… Many of the components of the current version of the Facebook app are built using HTML5, a Web-based programming language… The current version of the app is essentially an Objective-C shell with a Web browser inside. When it comes to speed, this is like putting the engine of a Smart Car in the body of a Ferrari…. Objective-C takes the opposite approach, taking full advantage of the hardware in the iPhone and then building most of the functionality directly into the application so it has to collect less information from the Web.

Apple adds Avenir typeface to iOS 6 in Maps

Élyse Betters Jun 26 2012 - 12:55 pm PT

[tweet https://twitter.com/NathanBowers/status/212803875114201088]

Apple seems to now feature the Avenir typeface in iOS 6.

An interesting Reddit discussion popped up about the discovery of the font in both Maps and Siri, check it out:

I’m a big fan of the new typeface in iOS 6 maps

Avenir is completely new to iOS, because it does not appear in Apple’s font list for earlier versions of the mobile operating system. According to Fonts.com, designer Adrian Frutiger first released the sans-serif typeface nearly 25 years ago.

What do you think of the typography choice?

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San Diego Unified School District purchases $10M worth of iPads for students

Jordan Kahn Jun 26 2012 - 8:37 am PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJTZ_G7PpLI&feature=youtu.be]

According to several local media reports, including the one above from ABC 10News, the San Diego Unified School District recently purchased almost 26,000 iPads at a cost of over $10 million. The order, which will put iPads in approximately 340 classrooms for around $370 each ($30 off retail per unit), is the largest iPad rollout for a K-12 school district, and it will benefit children from fifth-grade to high school. SD Unified will also buy support and app packages, which likely explains the $15 million purchase reported by news outlets. 10News said some have questioned the district’s decision:

Some have questioned SD Unified’s purchase of $15 million worth of iPads for 340 classrooms. One 10News Facebook fan wrote: “I’m so confused. I thought we couldn’t afford to even pay the teachers, how can they afford 26,000 iPads???… 10News learned the district is paying for the iPads through Proposition S funding. The measure, passed in 2008 by 69 percent of the vote, specifically sets aside money for “up-to-date classroom technology.”

Facebook recruits Apple’s UI Design Manager

Jordan Kahn Jun 22 2012 - 9:10 am PT

As noted by InsideFacebook, Facebook recently picked up former Apple employee Chris Weeldreyer as its new product design manager. Weeldreyer previously worked as the UI Design Manager at Apple for over eight years since joining the company in November 2003. According to his Facebook page, he officially started his new role at Facebook on June 18, 2012.

In May, the New York Times reported Facebook “has already hired more than half a dozen former Apple software and hardware engineers who worked on the iPhone” and tied it the old Facebook phone rumor.

As for Weeldryer’s work at Apple, he certainly worked on at least iWeb. He is listed as an inventor on several Apple Inc.-filed patents including iWeb for iPad, multi-touch and gesture-related inventions, as well as a number of security related patents. Weeldryer’s LinkedIn lists his specialties as: industrial design, interaction design, user interface design.

Facebook working on ‘major update’ to its SDK for iOS, acquires Face.com

Élyse Betters Jun 18 2012 - 10:12 am PT

Facebook just teased more iOS integration in a short post on the company’s Developers page amid buzz that it bought another successful company with an iOS app at its core.

According to the social network, it is working on a “major update” to the Facebook SDK for iOS that will launch soon:

We’re very excited about the Facebook integration in iOS 6 that Apple announced last week at WWDC 2012. We’re working on a major update to the Facebook SDK for iOS that will launch in the coming weeks. It includes significant new features and enhancements that make it easier to add Facebook to your iOS apps, along with support for the Facebook integration in iOS 6. Stay tuned!

There are no details on the update, but TheNextWeb speculated it involves the Open Graph, “allowing iOS developers to easily hook into your Timeline and its News Feed and Ticker products has become a way to send an app’s growth into the stratosphere.” The publication also wondered if the update would help developers launch apps in the App Center more easily.

Integration between Apple and Facebook unveiled last Monday for both iOS 6 and Mountain Lion during the Worldwide Developers Conference.

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Phil Schiller: App Store is more democratic than traditional retail, Passbook is not a direct payment service

Jordan Kahn Jun 13 2012 - 9:39 am PT

In a recent story about growing concerns among app developers who want better ways to promote their apps in the App Store, The Wall Street Journal published quotes from an interview with Apple’s Vice President for Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller about the “tremendous amount” of work Apple does to help new apps get discovered. Schiller also talked about how things will improve with the redesigned App Store, Facebook integration, and new user tracking tools for developers in iOS 6:

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UN’s ITU wants to tax biggest US websites including Google and Apple

Jordan Kahn Jun 8 2012 - 7:37 am PT

The United Nations is considering a new Internet tax for U.S. websites and content providers including Google and Apple, according to leaked proposals from the European Telecommunications Network Operators Association:

The United Nations is considering a new Internet tax targeting the largest Web content providers, including Google, Facebook, Apple, and Netflix, that could cripple their ability to reach users in developing nations…The European proposal, offered for debate at a December meeting of a U.N. agency called the International Telecommunication Union, would amend an existing telecommunications treaty by imposing heavy costs on popular Web sites and their network providers for the privilege of serving non-U.S. users, according to newly leaked documents.

Facebook’s iOS App Center going live tonight?

Jordan Kahn Jun 7 2012 - 10:28 am PT

[tweet https://twitter.com/sondheim4dinner/status/210812155879096320]

Update: Facebook confirmed to TechCrunch it has been “testing it with a small percentage of users” since it launched last month, but the social network has “no further details to announce at this time.”

The image above is a screenshot just posted by TechCrunch. A reader who claims to be seeing the Facebook App Center already live in the iOS app sent it. As noted in the report, Facebook has an “app-themed” event in San Francisco tonight where we could see more of the App Center. The company announced the new HTML5-based App Center last month and said the iOS and Android Facebook apps would have access to the app marketplace in the coming weeks.

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Apple to include Facebook integration in iOS 6

Jordan Kahn Jun 1 2012 - 1:12 pm PT

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook hinted this past week during his interview at D10 that we could expect closer ties with Facebook and to “stay tuned” when asked about Twitter-like integration in iOS. Now, according to a report from TechCrunch, the much-anticipated integration of Facebook will happen in “the latest version of iOS.” There are not many details provided by the report, but it did note Apple is still trying to decide “exactly how sharing will work” and that things could change before iOS 6 is unveiled:

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Tim Cook hints at improvements to Siri in coming months, says ‘We have a lot that Siri can do’

Jordan Kahn May 29 2012 - 7:44 pm PT

Some more noteworthy comments from Apple’s CEO Tim Cook coming out of tonight’s interview with Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher at D10 in California. We just heard Cook’s thoughts on deeper Facebook integration and Apple TV sales, and a few moments ago he hinted improvements to Siri will arrive “over the coming months.” He also noted that there is “a lot that Siri can do,” and he said they are doubling down on the tech with “a lot of people working on it.”

“I think you are going to be really pleased with where we take Siri.”

Cook’s comments via The Verge:

Customers love it. It’s one of the most popular features of the 4S. But there’s more that it can do, and we have a lot of people working on it. And I think you’ll be really pleased with some of the things coming over the coming months. The breadth of it. We have a lot that Siri can do… That’s what I’m talking about. People have dreamed of this for years, and it’s here. Yes it could be broader, but Siri as a feature has moved into the mainstream. So I think you’re going to be really happy with where it’s going. We’re doubling down on it.

Spotify updated with push notifications

Jordan Kahn May 29 2012 - 8:10 am PT

Spotify just released version 0.5.1 of its universal iOS app. The new version adds push notifications for updates to playlists that you are subscribed to, new subscribers, and when a friend joins Spotify. The update also brings a number of fixes, updated artwork for Retina displays, and Retina graphics for offline playlists. We are not so sure how many people will find push for Spotify useful, because those subscribed to many playlists will likely be bombarded by notifications. The good news is you can switch them off from Settings. Unfortunately, you cannot specify notifications for specific playlists. You can check out the full list of changes from the update below:

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NYTimes: Facebook is hiring Apple iPhone hardware and software engineers to build its own phone

9to5 Staff May 27 2012 - 12:36 pm PT

Stop us if you have heard this one before: Facebook is building its own smartphone, claim “employees of Facebook and several engineers who have been sought out by recruiters there, as well as people briefed on Facebook’s plans,” according to the New York Times.

The company has already hired more than half a dozen former Apple software and hardware engineers who worked on the iPhone, and one who worked on the iPad, the employees and those briefed on the plans said.

This is the third effort for Facebook, according to the report, with a HTC joint venture codenamed “Buffy” still in progress. HTC released a set of Android phones last year named “Salsa” and “Status” with deep Facebook integration on the way to hugely disappointing sales and earnings.

One engineer who formerly worked at Apple and worked on the iPhone said he met with Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s chief executive, who then peppered him with questions about the inner workings of smartphones. It did not sound like idle intellectual curiosity, the engineer said; Mr. Zuckerberg asked about intricate details, including the types of chips used, he said. Another former Apple hardware engineer was recruited by a Facebook executive and was told about the company’s hardware explorations.

Apple was mere betas away from releasing iOS 4 with Facebook integration—the way Twitter is currently built into iOS. Something at the last minute, perhaps related to Facebook pulling support for Ping, made Apple pull the plug. Apple then integrated with Twitter a year later.

Facebook recently announced a cross-platform web App Center for mobile device application distribution that is aimed at building a smartphone platform, an updated Messenger app with read receipts, a Pages Manager, as well as a specialized photo application that replicated features of Instagram (which it purchased just weeks before).

Facebook is approaching 1 billion users globally with more than half of them being mobile. Apple CEO Tim Cook expressed appreciation for Facebook and its founder Mark Zuckerberg.

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Apps and updates: Mule Radio, Sonic the HedgeHog 4 Ep. 11, The Daily, and more

Élyse Betters May 18 2012 - 2:12 pm PT

[slideshow]

A few of the most noteworthy apps in the iOS ecosystem either landed on the App Store recently or received much-welcomed updates, such as the launch of Mule Radio, CNNMoney, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II, and LA Clippers, or performance enhancements for Official UEFA EURO 2012 and The Daily.

Check out the full slate of notables below.

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‘Details matter at Apple. A Lot’

May 16 2012 - 12:10 pm PT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob1rKcC3cgc

On the award that is given to employees who have been at Apple for 10 years:

[tweet https://twitter.com/markkawano/status/202797380129660929]

[tweet https://twitter.com/markkawano/status/202835462535118848]

Apple patent details steering wheel remote control (9to5mac.com)

Adobe Photoshop Touch updated to version 1.2

Jake Smith May 11 2012 - 4:18 am PT

The Adobe Photoshop Touch iOS app received a slew of fixes and small new features this morning after being updated to version 1.2 overnight. The most notable feature in version 1.2 is a new maximum resolution of 2,048-by-2,048 pixels for images. The default measurement will still be 1,600-by-1,600 pixels, but for those looking for a little more can change it in the app’s settings. Sadly, Photoshop Touch still is not Retina-compatible. Other new features include:

Automatic synchronization with Creative Cloud
Available in 6 languages (English, French, German, Japanese, Spanish, Italian)
Added export to PSD and PNG via Camera Roll or email.
Improved rotate and flip image workflow.
Added ability to transfer images to desktop via iTunes.
Added two new Tutorials.
Added four new Effects (Watercolor Paint, HDR Look, Soft Light and Soft Skin).

As for fixes, Adobe corrected the supported languages in iTunes and fixed an issue with logging in via Facebook. You can grab this update over on the App Store.
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Facial recognition app KLIK comes out of testing with v1.0, debuts filters and learning mode

Élyse Betters May 10 2012 - 9:47 am PT

Face.com’s facial recognition iPhone app, KLIK, just released version 1.0 today with filters and a new learning mode.

The app’s previous “testing” version, as Face.com’s co-founder and CEO Gil Hirsch described it to 9to5Mac exclusively, debuted in January. However, the latest flavor exhibits face-friendly filters akin to Instagram and improved recognition capabilities that also Facebook-tags people, while remembering those features for future occurrences in case the social network cannot (some Facebook users’ privacy settings do not allow for photo-tagging).

“We looked at the photos people were taking and chose filters suitable for people’s pictures,” explained Hirsch to 9to5Mac. “Our filters are face-friendly.”

Hirsch detailed how KLIK’s artistic filters compliment faces due to their subtle colors and saturations, while other apps’ filters are more generalized for pictures of animals or objects and are often too harsh. Meanwhile, the face-learning software not only tags friends in images, but it quickly trains itself to remember them. The team behind KLIK noticed Facebook users do a lot of uploading, but not much tagging, and that decreases the amount of sharing. Therefore, the facial recognition may not always be on par, but the app’s new learning mode quickly corrects this lapse.

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Facebook announces App Center for all platforms and devices

Élyse Betters May 9 2012 - 2:15 pm PT

Facebook just announced that it is launching a new App Center—but it is not just for Facebook apps.

9to5Mac reported for months that Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg and company were planning a web-based alternative store to Apple’s App Store and Android’s Google Play dubbed “Project Spartan.” Speculation said the project is a framework for apps that would use social hooks, while working inside of Facebook’s ecosystem.

It seems those reports are ringing true, because the highly-anticipated HTML 5-based App Center will give Facebook users access to iOS, Android, web, mobile web, and desktop apps. Interestingly, Facebook reiterated that it is not competing directly with Apple or Google, because the App Center will send users to both the iOS and Android platforms. For example: If you are visiting Facebook’s App Center on an iPhone, and then enter Words with Friends, or one of the many Facebook-compatible games, you will soon beam to that app’s App Store page for installation. The same holds true for Android users.

“In the coming weeks, people will be able to access the App Center on the web and in the iOS and Android Facebook apps. All canvas, mobile and web apps that follow the guidelines can be listed. All developers should start preparing today to make sure their app is included for the launch,” explained Software Engineer Aaron Brady in a Facebook Developer’s blog post.

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John Browett’s first outreach to store team

Seth Weintraub May 8 2012 - 7:10 am PT

Apple Store employees who opened the Retail Me app were greeted by the above message last night, which iFOAppleStore relayed.

[tweet https://twitter.com/#!/ifostore/statuses/199822529269997569]

This reminds us of the inspiring note that Apple gives to its new employees:

Apple Marketing SVP Phil Schiller dumps ‘Instagram’ over expansion to Android

Apr 19 2012 - 1:04 pm PT

Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey is not the only photo-loving business executive upset by Instagram in recent weeks. While Dorsey stopped posting photos on Instagram after Facebook reportedly beat his Twitter to an acquisition of the app, Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller quit Instagram for another reason: Android.

A reader noticed Schiller deleted his Instagram account (@schiller), and then reached out to Apple’s most visible public speaker by Twitter for confirmation. Schiller told the reader that he quit the rising photo-based social network, because the app “jumped the shark” when it launched on the Android platform.

In terms of iOS marketing, which is something that Schiller runs at the highest level, Instagram could have been seen as a pull for smartphone buyers to the iOS platform. The fun, convenient, and growing network was featured several times in Apple’s App Store—even winning “App of the Year” recognition. As marketing chief at Apple, seeing one of the platform’s most popular third-party pieces of software running on millions of Android phones is a disappointing sight.

Update: 9to5mac reader Clayton got in touch (we verified headers) with SVP Schiller who clarified his position… a little:

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