Facebook battles YouTube by rolling out video ads July 3, 2015 Facebook is taking on YouTube, as the platform is set to start paying video creators for uploading clips, through a share of the ad revenue. Facebook has been getting serious about video for some time, and is now launching a curated feed of “suggested videos”, where clips will play interspersed with adverts. Creators of popular [...]
Is Facebook looking to join the music streaming party? July 2, 2015 Is Facebook looking to join the music streaming party? The company has been in talks with Sony Music, Warner and Universal to discuss a serious foray into music, but exactly what form it will take remains unclear. Read more: You can now sign up for Facebook messenger without having a Facebook account According to the Verge, [...]
Mark Zuckerberg’s Q+A with Stephen Hawking and the Terminator Arnold Schwarzenegger July 1, 2015 Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg often turns to Facebook (where else?) to hold Q+A sessions so those around the world can raise a question with him. Last night, though, the billionaire social network founder was joined by a line-up of star-studded questioners which included scientist Stephen Hawking, media darling Arianna Huffington and even the Terminator himself, Arnold [...]
You can now sign up for Facebook messenger without having a Facebook account – but not in the UK June 24, 2015 You can now sign up for Facebook messenger without having a Facebook account. In another sign of the power of the smartphone, users won’t even require an email address. Disappointingly for UK users, the service is currently only available in Canada, the US, Peru, and Venezuela. Read more: Facebook Messenger adds 300m users since messaging [...]
Why Russia’s new data law targeting Google, Facebook and Twitter will cost its economy billions June 18, 2015 A new law being introduced in Russia which will force many of the world’s largest tech companies to hold the personal data of Russian citizens within the country's borders, will cost the Russian economy billions of dollars and damage its standing on the world stage. The data privacy law, which will come into force in [...]
Dislike: Belgium thinks Facebook tracks too much personal data, so it’s taking it to court June 16, 2015 Another day, another country in Europe takes a dislike to the activities of large American tech firms. This time, it's Belgium, where regulators have given a thumbs down to the way Facebook is tracking users information via cookies, as well as "likes" and "shares". Facebook uses this kind of information to sell advertising. The Belgian [...]
Facebook’s new photo-sharing app Moments uses artificial intelligence to recognise your face June 15, 2015 Sociable smartphone users looking to share photos with friends but somehow not satisfied with Facebook, WhatsApp, Snapchat or Instagram may have finally found the app they've been waiting for. Facebook Moments is the social media company's latest app which allows users to create shared photo albums stored in the cloud for free. Unlike existing apps, Moments [...]
51 per cent of Facebook’s advertising revenue comes from overseas June 10, 2015 Facebook brings in more advertising revenue from overseas than it does in the United States, company executives have said. Some 51 per cent of global advertising sales in the first quarter of 2015 were from overseas – with the fastest growth in Asia. Total advertising revenue for the first quarter increased 46 per cent – [...]
Sheryl Sandberg’s full, moving Facebook tribute to her husband Dave June 4, 2015 It's been a month since Surveymonkey chief executive Dave Sandberg died from a head injury while using a hotel gym in Mexico. Last night his wife Sheryl, the chief operating officer of Facebook, posted a moving tribute to him on the social network. "I know I will never feel pure joy again," she wrote. "There [...]
Facebook AI research: European robot lab opened in Paris to explore artificial intelligence June 2, 2015 Facebook has expanded its exploration of robot technology with the opening of a new European research centre. The Facebook AI research centre in Paris will be its third, building on existing teams in Silicon Valley and New York, and its first in Europe, looking into the application of artificial intelligence technology. "…[the] team will work [...]