Facebook to launch Open Graph apps

Facebook is set to launch apps based on its Open Graph and Gestures platform, which it debuted late last year, reports AllThingsD.

The apps, which are created by outside developers, allow user behaviour to be “frictionlessly” and “continuously” shared back to Facebook after a user has given them permission to do so.

“The new apps behave similarly to the ‘read’, ‘listen’ and ‘watch’ Open Graph applications that have already rolled out in the past few months, which include the Washington Post, Spotify and Hulu,” reports AllthingD.

These apps allow you find out what books, music or movies your friends are reading/listening/watching on Facebook and you could even join them and read at the same time.

According to AllThingsD sources, the social network has invited press to an “unveiling event” on Wednesday evening in San Francisco — where it will supposedly launch its first batch of apps.

The new Open Graph platform is different in three major ways compared to the old Open Graph, in as much as:

• Apps no longer have to ask for permission to post content to Facebook over and over again. Instead, a new Facebook permissions screen explains exactly what type of stories will be shared the first time you give an app permission to post to your Facebook. Once completed, it will no longer have to ask for permission.
• Updates through the new Open Graph appear in the ticker automatically, but do not appear in the News Feed unless it’s an important event. This makes it easy to discover new content from your friends in real-time.
• Users can share experiences, such as listening to music, through the new Facebook Open Graph and the ticker.

Following the global rollout of Timeline late last year, the social juggernaut, told developers that it would begin Open Graph Actions approvals in January.

AllThingsD sources say that in “the lead-up to the launch, Facebook has been busy working on things like how to conjugate the verbs for the Open Graph Actions.”

Facebook has told developers these actions must be “simple, genuine and non-abusive.”

So far Facebook has not commented on the launch.