It's only been a couple of days since Mark Zuckerberg announced its new Facebook Home for Android home launcher, and with the feature set to roll out to the vast majority of handsets over the coming months, the Palo Alto-based company is already looking to raise awareness. The very first advertisement for Facebook Home has just been released via the company's official page over on YouTube, and focuses on just how much more interesting those boring business trips can become with the fun and social prowess of Facebook Home for Android.
As anticipated, Mark Zuckerberg has taken to the stage at Facebook’s Palo Alto HQ to announce Home, which touts deep integration with the Android infrastructure in order to revolutionize the way we interact with Facebook on our mobile devices. The social network’s CEO describes it as “a new category of experiences” which “sets the tone” for Facebook on Android. More details can be found right after the jump.
Google set the tone nicely for this year's April Fools by announcing the closure of YouTube alongside a new "Treasure Mode" for its popular Maps service, but the Big G isn't the only company feeling a little mischievous this Easter Monday. Many other big names, from Twitter to Samsung, have joined in the camaraderie, and here, we take a look at some of the good, the bad, and the downright hilarious of today's spoofs.
Facebook's 'new home on Android' announcement on April 4th could, if the latest reports are to be believed, take the form of a home screen dedicated to the social network. The WallStreetJournal has learned that next week's event will give us an overview of the home screen which will apparently "display content from users' Facebook accounts on a smartphone's home screen." More details after the jump.
Facebook is the world’s most favored and popular social network for a reason; the web application-plus-social platform has evolved so much over time, that if you were to put its earlier editions next to the current shape and look of the website, you would barely be able to make any connection (except maybe the familiar blues). From the photo sharing experience to availability (and playability) of the games, the groups and assorted communications, the improved messaging interface and the integrated video calling, along with almost everything else, has improved by leaps and bounds over time. However, that doesn’t imply that all areas of Facebook are an absolute delight, and one of the worse examples comes in the form of Facebook Chat.
Facebook is already the biggest social network on the planet, but that doesn't mean it has everything its own way. For every user that actively updates their feeds with new content for their friends to read, there must be many, many more that simply visit Facebook in order to keep up with what their old school pals are doing.
Former NBA star Shaquille O'Neal reflects fondly on a time when he used to pester former Apple CEO Steve Jobs to allow him an early look at the iPhone. As one of the most famous names in sporting history, Shaq was accustomed to companies falling over each other to have him endorse and use their products for promotional purposes, but despite calling Jobs every other day, the late, great Apple co-founder refused to budge. In a rather heartwarming tale of conversation between two legends in their own right, Jobs had to contend with an almost daily barrage of "Stevey baby, it's Shaqy, can I get one of those iPhones?"
In this Digital Age, we're certainly using paper a great deal less than we used to. Whether reading, writing or corresponding, the ease in which one can send an e-mail, purchase and read a new book or create a document is something often taken for granted, but as one French company has correctly pointed out, there are still plenty of uses for paper in our day-to-day lives. Humorously portrayed in an advertisement, a husband constantly taunts his bemused partner by enjoying a more efficient, digital life than his altogether more traditional other half; but soon comes a cropper in a certain situation where a tablet simply cannot be of any use.
Everyone is very quick to accuse Facebook of trying to take over the world, but Twitter has thus far gone somewhat under the radar. Often thought of as Facebook's poor relation, Twitter is also looking to make itself indispensable to its users by branching out from simply offering a way to share 140-characters worth of text.
Google has just announced that Andy Rubin, chief of the search company's Android mobile platform, is stepping down from his role, with Chrome and Apps Vice President Sundar Pichai taking his place. Rubin has been at the helm of Android since the company acquired it way back in 2005, and has helped it become one the most widely-used mobile OS in the world. Pichai will take the reigns at Android, but will also continue his role as VP of Chrome and Apps for the foreseeable future.
