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'Facebook phone' for Vodafone users

Vodafone is partnering social networking site Facebook to launch a 'Facebook' phone. This would give users one-click access to the site.

The partnership, according to sources close to the development, is expected to bring affordable pre-paid and post-paid data plans to allow users to surf, upload pictures, update status messages and chat with their Facebook friends.

While the details of the phone are not known, the sources say the device is likely to be similar to the one Vodafone unveiled last month, the Vodafone 555 Blue, which sports a dedicated Facebook button and comes with a proprietary operating system. Vodafone 555 Blue users are directly logged in to their Facebook accounts, as soon as they turn the device on. They can also sign up on the social network if they don't have an account already.

Vodafone's Facebook branded phone is essentially a feature phone that comes with a 2.4-inch screen, a QWERTY keypad. The phone lacks 3G & Wi-Fi connectivity and instead, works on 2.5 G and Edge networks. According to Facebook sources, this deal is the latest mobile partnership in India for Facebook, which has repeatedly denied reports that it is keen on launching a dedicated 'Facebook phone', saying it favoured a strategy of deep integration with many handsets.

Gartner principal research analyst Vishal Tripathi says, “Vodafone needs to price this feature phone aggressively, at about Rs 4,000-Rs 5,000, as vendors like Micromax have already launched Android smartphones at Rs 8,000. The data plans for such a device should be between Rs 250 and Rs 300, giving users the freedom to buy a daily pre-paid plan for Rs 10 or so.” He says most handset vendors have social networking phones in their portfolios, and the only way Vodafone can sweeten the deal for customers is by giving them a cheaper handset, with a closely integrated Facebook experience that is vastly better from what other feature phones deliver today.

Early this year, Facebook had announced similar tie-ups with device manufacturers INQ and HTC. Android devices from INQ—Cloud Touch and Cloud Q—featured Facebook integrations with a single sign-on and easy one-touch access to popular Facebook features. The home screen featured the user’s news feed, including friends’ updates, pictures, videos and links, and quick links to chat, messages, places and notifications. HTC’s ChaCha and Salsa phones, too, sport a dedicated Facebook button that gives a one-touch access to the social network’s functions. Facebook chat, messages and friends are closely integrated within these devices. When users make a phone call, the screen displays the friends’ status updates and photos, and even their birthdays.

With 33 million Indian users, Facebook maintains a strong lead over other social networking sites such as Google’s Orkut, the latest entrant, Google+, and micro-blogging site Twitter. According to Informate data, about 66 per cent of mobile handset users in India access Facebook on their mobile phones, and about 20 per cent of mobile subscribers use Facebook apps on their smartphones.

Handsets like the Vodafone’s 555 Blue complement Facebook’s efforts to increase its base in emerging markets like India. In May 2010, the social network had launched 0.facebook.com, a vanilla mobile site with zero data charges, together with Reliance and Videocon.

Though Apple is yet to launch integrated Facebook apps on its devices, it has reportedly struck a deal with Twitter, which is expected to be a flagship feature of its upcoming iOS 5 software upgrade.

Facebook pays homage to Google+

Facebook is about to go live with a bucket-load of improvements in a move that brings many of Google+’s most-loved circle-based privacy options to Facebook.
"Today we're announcing a bunch of improvements that make it easier to share posts, photos, tags and other content with exactly the people you want, "announced Facebook's Chris Cox in an August 23 post on the company’s blog.

“You have told us that ‘who can see this?’ could be clearer across Facebook,” he added, “so we have made changes to make this more visual and straightforward. The main change is moving most of your controls from a settings page to being inline, right next to the posts, photos and tags they affect. Plus there are several other updates here that will make it easier to understand who can see your stuff (or your friends') in any context.”

One of the biggest differences users will notice once the changes are implemented is Facebook’s much more prominent Inline Profile Controls. The Inline Profile Controls (which were previously relegated to Facebook’s various settings pages) enable users to choose who they share updates, photos and content with, post by post.


The privacy settings of each post can now be adjusted after posting content if you wake up one morning and decide that sharing your drunken photos with the entire web wasn’t the best idea.

Place check-ins on Facebook have also changed from a smartphone-only activity to all-encompassing location tags that can be added to posts, photos, or updates.

Facebook intends to give users more control over photos and posts they are tagged in too.

“You can choose to use the new tool to approve or reject any photo or post you are tagged in before it's visible to anyone else on your profile,” explained Chris Cox.

Since the arrival of social networking newcomer Google+, both Facebook and Twitter appear to be ramping up their feature list in an effort to retain users and increase the amount of information their users share within the social networks.

Earlier in the week microblogging social network Twitter launched new photo sharing and user gallery features.

Hubspot, however, believes the increasing rivalry between these social networks has much more to do with user information and search share than it does with social media sharing or user numbers.

Facebook users should start to notice this latest set of changes in the coming days.

“When they reach you, you'll see a prompt for a tour that walks you through these new features from your homepage,” said Facebook.

While you wait for the changes to arrive you can check out the full list of Facebook settings and privacy controls that have been moved inline by visiting http://www.facebook.com/about/details/. Facebook has posted a series of videos about the changes on its YouTube page.

Has Social Become the New Search?

In the world of search engine marketing, no topic has dominated as much of the recent conversation as “social search.” Social search is the enhancement to core search engine results with social media annotations from an individual’s friends and those they follow online. The fundamental assumption is that people use social networks to connect with like-minded people, so the chances are high that “friends” will have referenced relevant content and/or websites.

This is a significant new norm. Not only have these annotations become commonplace, but also there is evidence that when social share data is present, those entries may appear more prominently across the results page. Now, creating content that is easily shared across social sites is a crucial tactic for the digital marketer.

But why would the search engines expend energy in integrating social data into their core results? Conventional wisdom would say that, as a result of the popularity and adoption of social media, there’s an incredible amount of consumer preference data available within the social graph. As users grow more comfortable sharing personal information and preferences online, incorporating that intelligence within search engine results seems to be a logical evolution. In the long run, it will help search engines maintain relevance as the Web becomes decidedly more complex and personal.

Does that tell the entire story though? What if the whole truth points to a far more ominous outlook for traditional search?

Along comes Google+

I posed these same questions in an article I wrote for MediaPost’s Search Insider a few months back. At that time, I went as far as to suggest that social search may represent a sign of desperation by the search engines; an extreme measure taken to remain relevant. With social media networks functioning as a primary source for information sourcing and dissemination for many, the search engines needed to tap into that larger social conscious. Social search seemed to be the response.

Google wasn’t content with social search alone though and in June launched its own social network, Google+. Seemingly overnight, it was no longer a bystander to the legitimate social scene (let’s forget about the Buzz debacle). Since then it’s become the fastest growing social network ever and has generally been met with critical acclaim save for a few gripes here and there.

But what are most intriguing about Google’s entry into the social space are the possibilities. Google will no longer need to rely on third-party share data alone. It also won’t be on the sidelines as other destinations facilitate fluid peer-to-peer communications. By joining the social arms race, Google has an opportunity to surround its users with a relevancy regardless of the specific touchpoint. Search is more social, and social is more … searchy.

It’s that last point that could help Google to achieve sustained success in social, and play defense against the current threat social poses to its dominance in search. If Google were to introduce core tenets of its search algorithm (authority and trust) to Google+, it may be able to deliver a more relevant experience to users. That experience may be something that Facebook and others find difficult to replicate.

The biggest challenge facing Google+ then is user adoption.

What does this mean for search and social marketers?

For the search and social marketer, a “wait and see” mentality is still largely required. Despite the seismic shifts occurring in the space, there remains little to do until the dust settles.

That said, there are some fairly pragmatic, necessary near-term actions. Silos need to be brought down. Search and social marketing teams need to collaborate, even join forces permanently. The new reality for these marketers is that everything is now interrelated under a common umbrella of “inbound marketing.”

Yes, social has become the new search. With Google’s recent entry, search may become the new social too.

Hewlett Packard's big strategic U-turn

The world's largest computer maker, Hewlett Packard, plans to sell its personal computers business, ditch its line of smart phones, and buy UK software company Autonomy for $11.7bn (£7.1bn) - but how does it all fit together?

For Hewlett Packard, it is a dramatic strategic turnaround.

In January this year, HP was gearing up for a huge surge in the market for consumer products.

HP would become "as cool as Apple," promised its new chief executive Leo Apotheker when I interviewed him on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

In February, he unveiled the Touchpad and a new range of "Pre" smartphones, based on the WebOS software that HP got when it bought mobile phone maker Palm. This was not just about challenging Apple's iPad and iPhone, and the many mobile devices using Google's Android software. WebOS, he said, would soon appear on PCs and printers, creating a new software ecosystem to excite developers.

In March, Mr Apotheker outlined a sweeping vision for HP being the "platform for the cloud and connectivity," with HP setting itself up to become one of the world's top providers of cloud computing services.

HP, Mr Apotheker implied, was the one company capable of combining cool design with security and reliability, to straddle the consumer space and corporate computing.

Beige is profitable

The Touchpad proved not to be a challenger for the iPad

No more. Instead of becoming cool, HP is decidedly turning corporate beige again.

The thing is, beige is very profitable.

HP's strategic turnaround is not an attempt to move the company into Mr Apotheker's comfort zone of enterprise computing (before running HP, Mr Apotheker was chief executive at German enterprise software giant SAP).

Rather, it is a sign of the brutal competition in the computer industry.

Yes, HP was - and still is - the world's biggest maker of personal computers. It has a 17.6% market share, well ahead of second place Dell (12.5%).

But the industry's profit margins are razor-thin; it's the result of technology commoditisation, where there is not much left to distinguish one PC from another. Only Apple has a brand that consumers perceive as so desirable that they are happy to pay a hefty premium for what in the end are perfectly ordinary computers.

Doing an IBM

Commendably, Mr Apotheker did not take long to realise that both the Touchpad and the Pre smartphones flopped with consumers, and that HP would struggle to out-Apple Apple.

So he is taking the bold move to "do an IBM".

When the company that invented the PC was struggling, it sold most of its hardware business to China's Lenovo and built its business around highly profitable services and hardware for enterprise customers.

HP will do the same, focusing on services, servers and software (although it will keep its printer business, which serves both consumers and corporations).

This is where the purchase of UK software firm Autonomy fits in.

Companies have one big IT problem right now: how to process, store and understand the rapidly growing data deluge that is flooding in from ever more connected devices and web services.

It's called "business intelligence" or "business analytics", and Autonomy - best known for software that searches and organises vast amounts of unstructured data - has been pushing hard to make its name in the field.

Can HP elephant dance?

Mr Apotheker's strategy is not without risk.

For starters, he has no buyer yet for HP's computer business, the "Personal Systems Group" (PSG). He hopes to find one over the next 12 to 18 months.

Given today's speed of computing, that's a couple of generations away, and PSG will suffer.

Talent may leave; corporate customers may hesitate. IBM's deal worked because it had lined up a willing buyer.

And while Mr Apotheker knows all about enterprise computing, any IT firm would struggle to integrate successfully a large new division like Autonomy.

It can be done. The man who saved IBM, Lou Gerstner, put it thus: "Who says elephants can't dance?"

Mr Apotheker may be remembered as the Lou Gerstner of the 21st century.

But to succeed, Mr Apotheker will need a lot of luck, and very patient shareholders.

Quit Smoking, Live Longer

Smoking is a growing problem in England where thousands of people succumbs to death because of it.

Every year, medical authorities spend nearly £60m to provide services to smokers to help them quit smoking.

Recently, figures revealed that for the current year the NHS Information Centre invested an amount of £84.3m, which was more than £500,000 of previous year. However, the number of smokers for the period has remained steady at 22% men and 20% women.

There are many trying to quit smoking. According to a report, about 384,000 smokers were successful in quitting smoke 2001/2002. Since then they have not picked up smoking again. A Spokesperson for the Department of Health said, “A record number of people have stopped smoking, which is a testament to the excellent work of NHS professionals in local stop smoking services”.

Google’s Most Ambitious Photo-Sharing App Photovine Grows Ready For Public Use

Google’s Slide team has been busy. In the past few months,they’ve unleashed a range of social apps meant to fulfill different needs. But the strange thing is that Google hasn’t done a thing to promote any of them. That has been on purpose. Google is giving the Slide team, which operates on its own within Google, room to maneuver and fly under the radar. But with Photovine, they’re actually communicating a bit. And for good reason — the app is pretty slick.

If you’ve heard of Photovine before, it’s either because you read that Google registered the domain, or that they pushed the app into the App Store. But until now, the app has been in closed beta testing with a very limited number of users. Not anymore. As of now, the app is open for all to sign up.

So what is Photovine? It’s a photo-sharing application for iOS that puts an emphasis on “vines”. That is, photo-centric moments or ideas that connect you with other users. Yes, that sounds a bit pretentious. And the best way to understand it is to watch the video below. But think of it this way: you take a picture of your favorite cologne. This prompts another user to take a picture of their favorite fragrances. And that prompts another user to do the same. Etc. It’s more or less theme-based picture-taking.

This is an interesting concept because it spurs users into action. With an open-ended picture app you can take a picture of anything, and to some users, that’s daunting. What do you take a picture of when you can take a picture of anything? With Photovine, the experience is more guided. Or, if you wish to take a picture of anything, you can simply start your own vine.

In Google’s view, this amounts to storytelling with pictures. Maybe a picture tells the story of your “perfect weekend”. Someone else sees that and takes a picture to tell their own story of the same idea. Fundamentally, the idea stems from the staring up at the stars at night and wondering who else is doing the same thing? Point being, there are thousands, if not millions, of people around the world doing what you’re doing at the same time. Photovine’s goal is to connect those people.

If you’ve heard of the app Piictu, this is similar. But unlike so many Google products, Photovine is very well designed. In fact, it’s one of the more slick-looking iOS photo apps out there right now — again, just to be clear, technically Google-made.

Naturally, none of this ensures that app will find success. But it’s a compelling idea with a good user interface. It reminds me a bit of Treeshouse, a former Y Combinator-backed project — which shouldn’t be surprising at all considering that the founder of that startup, Chrys Bader, now works for Google/Slide on this project.

And yes, Photovine includes ways to share images out to Facebook or Twitter. But the actual social graph is their own.

You can find Photovine in the App Store here.

iPad 3 Debut Pushed Back to 2012

The 2011 launch of the iPad 3 that was never announced has already been canceled, according to a DigiTimes report. The site says the debut of the third-generation tablet has been pushed back because of a shortage of high-resolution screens in the supply chain.

The report says the issue is that the 9.7-inch panels capable of 2048 x 1536 resolution are only available from Sharp, and Apple's other suppliers, like Samsung and LG, have not been able to deliver the needed screens. It seems Sharp hasn't been able to meet a low enough price point for the screens for Apple's requirements.

The so-called "retina display" would double the resolution of the current iPad. Apple is also rumored to be looking at a much smaller screen improvement, according to Bloomberg.

Digitimes says there may also be issues with getting the light source to work to Apple's satisfaction since the higher-resolution screen would require a more powerful light, something that could be tough to pull off without sacrificing the iPad's trademark thinness.

There had been speculation that Apple would launch the iPad 3 in 2011 with a supply volume of up to 2 million units in the third quarter, and then ramp up production to 5 to 6 million in the fourth quarter, but apparently suppliers have seen those 2011 numbers zeroed out.

There may be no need for Apple to rush out the next-generation iPad anyhow, with its new A6 processor due in 2012 and iPad 2 sales continuing at a brisk pace with more than 9 million units sold in the last quarter.

HTC sues Apple, again

HTC filed another lawsuit against Apple alleging patent infringement, further escalating their legal battle.

Reuters reported today that the Taiwanese handset manufacturer filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Delaware, claiming that Apple is violating two patents by selling its line of Mac computers, iPads, iPods, iPhones and other devices. HTC is seeking to halt the importation of Apple products into the U.S., and is seeking compensatory damages, as well as three times the normal damages for willful infringement.

The companies weren't immediately available to comment on the latest suit.

This is just the latest in a myriad of lawsuits filed between the two companies, seen as a proxy for the wider fight between Apple's iOS platform and Google's Android operating system. HTC was the first target of Apple, which has gone on to sue other Android partners including Samsung Electronics and Motorola Mobility and set off a number of lawsuits and complaints with the U.S. International Trade Commission.

The increasing frequency of the legal skirmishes pushed Google to make a surprise acquisition of Motorola, which has a war chest of 17,000 patents that can be used to provide legal cover for other Android vendors. Google has yet to take direct action against Apple, and likely won't until the deal closes, which is expected by year's end or early 2012.

HTC sought its own protection when it acquired S3 Graphics for $300 million. The company's patents won an initial ruling from the ITC against Apple, giving HTC some leverage in potential cross-licensing negotiations down the line.

Apple and HTC's dispute has hopped from one court to another. The ITC said earlier this month that it would review a complaint filed by Apple against HTC. The ITC has the power to ban the importation of devices to the U.S., although that penalty has never been enforced because settlements are made before that happens. Apple also has several lawsuits filed in Delaware against HTC, alleging patent infringement through the sale of its smartphones.

HTC was among the early high-flyers when Android took off, as it was the first company to make an Android phone. It quickly gained prominence among the carriers for its ability to cater to their specific needs, building the first WiMax phone last year for Sprint Nextel and the first 4G LTE phone for Verizon Wireless earlier this year. The company's Sense user interface has also won critical praise for its intuitive nature.

Five of the best free Android apps for travel

Your smartphone is great for checking emails and surfing the web when you're travelling around, but it can also be useful for helping you flag down cabs, finding out travel news and directions. Here's five free apps for Google Android handsets that will help you when it comes to travelling.

Kabbee

If you're stuck in London and can't find a cab, or don't want to get ripped-off for your journey, then this is the app for you. Kabbee lets Android users enter the journey details and in return will offer a list of licensed cab companies, the time the journey will take and the price. They can then be compared the most appropriate one booked using the app.

Travel News

This is the government's official app that utilises a user's location and Department of Transport data to alert Android users on any delays on roads, trains, tubes, trams and ferries. The information also offers information on the type and length of delay.

Google Maps for Mobile

Google Maps for Mobile comes pre-loaded on Google Android handsets, but if for whatever reason you don't have the app, its available as a free download from the Android market. The app lets you access driving, public transport or walking directions, based on your current location. The app was recently updated to include Public Transport directions in London too and for Android based handsets only, users can receive alerts as to when they need to get off a bus or tube during their journey.

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor's Android app ensures the hotels and flights review website is optimised for use on your iOS device. As well as allowing you to browse millions of reviews, opinions and photos of hotel and flights, you can also save these pages to ensure you can quickly access them again.

TripIt Travel Organizer

This free app lets you combine all of your travel documents such as flight confirmations, hotel details and meeting schedules, all in one place on your Android smartphone. Once you've downloaded the app simply forward these emails to a dedicated email address or fetch them from your Gmail inbox automatically to offer easy access on the go.

The Google Plus Song' Explains The New Social Network (VIDEO)

Since Google's social networking answer to Facebook Google Plus launched this summer, many users have been unsure of what to do with their new profiles.

How is this different from every other account we already have? How many ways do we possibly need to connect with our friends and family?

But the more time you spend on the service, the more its differences and assets start to stand out. Namely, the circle feature.

This song breaks down the Google Plus user experience -- from the wobbly beginnings to the flat-out addiction that follows.

DATA COMMUNICATION AND NETWORKING, B.A. FOROUZAN

DOWNLOAD NOW.

How About Google Plus Currency For Google Plus Games And Apps?

You must be aware of Facebook virtual currency- Facebook Credits that people use at various stages throughout their Facebook experience. Whether in playing games or purchasing apps, it is an easy way of currency flow within Facebook. On the same line, may be Google can bring this feature on Google Plus too.

As per the news around the web, Google has brought out Google Plus games and working hard for its development. If Games would be accessed by a stream and APIs would be provided to third party developers, may be Google Plus Currency is the next step to cover the buying & selling experience within social games and apps. Also, an effective way for developers to generate revenue from their apps and games.

Games (Finally) Come to Google+

Today CEO President Vic Gundotra posted on the Google Blog, making the official announcement that the long-awaited (or long-dreaded) gaming feature had been introduced to Google’s increasingly popular Google+ social network.

According to Google Mobile Engineer Punit Soni, the games will be rolled out to the over 20 million Google+ users, over time. If you are a Plus user, expect to see a games icon at the top of your stream, according to Gundotra. Simply click on it to see which games are available - largely Zynga offerings, which is to be expected as Google has invested heavily in the gaming company recently.

Whether you are an Angry Birds player, a Bejeweled Blitz lover, learning the ropes at City of Wonder or are a Zynga Poker user, there are a variety of initial games to choose from.

According to Gundotra’s Google Blog post, the games will have an invite feature, as well as status-related updates, which have been a thorn in many a Facebook and Twitter user, as they have cluttered their streams. According to Gundotra, on Google+ much of this information appears separately under the Games section, and is shown only to those in your Circles who are playing the same games.

Not interested in Google+ Games at all? Simply ignore the Games button, and Google+ will continue sharing great information from the people you have Circled.

But c’mon, don’t you want to help me build that Great Coliseum in City of Wonder?