There was something of a bombshell greeting me when I awoke today, and it's probably fair to say that it is still sinking in. In fact, it is proving something of a big deal for many across the internet, if a quick skim of my Twitter and Facebook feeds are anything to go by.
Instagram - one of the hottest image-based social networks at this point in time - has just been acquired by the world's foremost social platform, Facebook.
Although Ice Cream Sandwich has been slated somewhat for lack of compatibility and very limited reach, the new design has been loved by many.
Due to its high usage, Facebook for iOS seems to bear the brunt of many a user's frustration, and it seems every update is greeted with hordes of disgruntled users complaining of bugs, connection errors, and other nagging problems.
With our mobile devices' cameras improving year in, year out, and supplementary apps making editing and manipulating easy for essentially anyone to master, social networks from Facebook to Flickr see billions of images uploaded to servers each year.
Social networks are great tools for a great number of things. Many of us use them to keep in touch with friends and family, especially those on the other side of the world. Others use it as a tool to promote a business, or perhaps a personal brand. Other just use it to keep up on all the gossip!
Oh dear, it seems someone not only got their facts all muddled up, but also managed to upset the world's largest social network in the process.
It’s no surprise when we hear reports about companies like Yahoo!, Google, YouTube and, Facebook accessing sensitive user data without their consent. These companies offer great services for free and millions of people use them every hour of every day. With so much user data available, it must be hard for them to not get greedy for just a little more as evidenced by apps accessing iOS devices’ address book and, today, Facebook reading text messages on smartphones which have Facebook’s native app installed.
Whenever I get a new or upgraded smartphone, the first application that I always head for is my preferred Twitter app but I concede that is possibly due to the fact that I am not really a Facebook user. With over 800 million active account holders, it is no surprise that the Facebook mobile application is one of the most downloaded pieces of software across all mobile platforms.
Facebook has become such an integral part of our lives that it really does act as a phone book, journal and collection of lives' little events for many of us, especially if you happen to have grown up with the social network alongside you.
