Facebook Archives - Page 3 of 40

Immersive Facebook 360 app hits the Samsung Gear VR
By Julia Breakey on 9 March, 2017
Facebook has released an app that makes finding 360 degree photos and videos that much easier on Gear VR, the company announced yesterday. Facebook 360, which can be downloaded from the Oculus app, is a "one-stop shop" for all the 360 content that Facebook provides. The app allows users to view saved content, content from those they follow, their own timeline, and an "explore" feed that will feature the most popular 360 degree content on Facebook. The app also provides the ability to share, save and react to the 360 degree content as users see fit. According to Facebook, more than 25-million 360 photos...
Facebook cleared in fake news defamation case
By Julia Breakey on 8 March, 2017
Last month, Syrian refugee Anas Modamani filed a lawsuit against Facebook after a barrage of fake news linked an image of him and German chancellor Angela Merkel to terrorism. The photo, taken in August 2015, was used by many right-wing fake news sites last year. Modamani's selfie was linked to attacks like the ones in Berlin and Brussels last year. Modamani requested that Facebook take the articles down, but it refused -- forcing the 19-year-old to take the issue to court. The Syrian's lawyer, Chan-jo Jun, argued that he was a victim of libel and that Facebook needed to do more...
College dropout Mark Zuckerberg is finally getting that Harvard degree
By Andy Walker: Editor on 8 March, 2017
The relatively-famous Mark Zuckerberg is finally getting his Harvard degree nearly 12 years after he dropped out to create that small global experience we know today as Facebook. Zuckerberg left the institution in 2005 to set up the social network's current home in Palo Alto. Back then, Facebook was but a fleck on the surface of the internet. Now, the social network commands monthly user numbers in excess of 1.8-billion. "Zuckerberg originally intended to return to Harvard, but the immediate success of the enterprise led him to devote his full energy to the company," Harvard writes on its website. Mark Zuckerberg dropped...
Facebook Live implements suicide support
By Julia Breakey on 2 March, 2017
Facebook's suicide prevention tools are being extended to Facebook Live in an attempt to decrease the number of people taking their own lives on the platform. In January this year, aspiring actor Jay Bowdy used Facebook Live to threaten suicide. Despite friends and family contacting police, Bowdy took his own life an hour after the livestream. In the same month, a 12-year-old and 14-year-old livestreamed their deaths on two separate occasions. Facebook has featured suicide prevention tools for 10 years, but the new Live platform has presented a new set of issues to tackle. "Our suicide prevention tools for Facebook posts will now...
Facebook digging the dirt to bring internet to Uganda
By Staff Reporter on 27 February, 2017
Not content with launching satellites or unmanned solar-powered gliders, Facebook is taking a more based approach to bringing internet to Africa. According to a new Recode report, the company alongside Airtel and BCS, will be trenching Uganda to lay fibre cables. Around "500 miles" of cable is being planned, and will aim to be a backbone for wireless service providers and the country's telcos. Facebook, Airtel and BCS will lay fibre in Uganda to strengthen the country's internet infrastructure This isn't the first time Facebook has looked to Africa in its quest for global internet coverage. In 2015, the company launched its...
Disable Facebook autoplay videos on all platforms: a how-to guide
By Andy Walker: Editor on 15 February, 2017
Few things are more annoying than runaway videos on your devices thanks to Facebook autoplay. You can be mindlessly scrolling through your timeline one minute, and the next, some rando in a chicken suit starts dancing on your screen. No one wants that. Thankfully, this system, along with audio accompaniment, is coming to mobile devices too! But did you know that you can switch off the Facebook autoplay system entirely? Absolutely. And here's how you can do just that on Desktop, Android, and iOS. Desktop On Facebook's desktop website, you'll need to navigate to the top right of the site's headline bar and click...
Facebook videos will now autoplay on your phone with sound
By Julia Breakey on 15 February, 2017
Facebook announced yesterday that it will roll out a feature that plays sound on videos whenever a phone's sound is on. "People are watching and sharing more video on Facebook than ever, and we’re focused on continuously improving the video experience," the statement read. In the future, when a user is scrolling their feed with sound on, the sound for videos will fade in and out. They do not specify how long the video will be on screen before the sound will play. To keep sound off, users will have to keep their phones on silent, or disable the setting within the...
Facebook’s ad tracking system now updates in milliseconds
By Julia Breakey on 13 February, 2017
Facebook announced Friday that it would be providing marketers with in-depth analysis on the ads they pay for. Over the course of the year, the company intends to detail to buyers the milliseconds an ad is on screen -- that is the milliseconds 50% of an ad was on screen, and the milliseconds 100% of an ad was on screen. The company also intends to offer buyers more choice in how they pay for ads. The three new options are completed-view buying, two-second buying and sound-on buying. Completed-view will allow advertisers to pay for video ads that have been viewed in...
Facebook Safety Check will let you be a mini-hero during disasters
By Andy Walker: Editor on 10 February, 2017
Facebook's Safety Check system has been one of the company's more notable additions to the site in 2016. The system -- which triggers when disasters are mentioned on the site, and allows users to mark themselves as "safe" -- now allows those who can to do their bit to help others affected by disasters. We're not saying that Facebook wants to make a super hero out of you, but it does want to "empower the community to help one another," according to its VP of social good, Naomi Gliet The new addition, called Community Help, will let "people find and give help...
Facebook one step closer in quest for original content
By Julia Breakey on 9 February, 2017
Facebook has been dropping heavy hints that they intend to prioritise original content in the near future, and have had no shame in picking up TV executives on their way. MTV executive Mina Lefevre announced Wednesday that she would be joining Facebook as Head of Development, teaming up with Ricky Van Veen (of former CollegeHumour fame). This isn't the first sign that the platform will be pushing for original video. On 26 January, Facebook announced that they would be placing a greater emphasis on longer videos in the News Feed. The company included "percentage completion" to their algorithm -- determining a...
Over 200m people are now using Facebook Lite
By Andy Walker: Editor on 9 February, 2017
Around 1.8-billion people now use Facebook on a monthly basis, but what about Facebook Lite? The social media giant has today announced that over 200-million people are using the Lite version of the app monthly, which aims to cater for lower-bandwidth areas of the globe on cheaper, less powerful devices. "While we continue to make all Facebook apps a great experience, we heard from people they want an even more lightweight option," the company states in a press release. Facebook Lite is only available for Android devices at present "To help make sure everyone can have a great Facebook experience regardless of where...
Facebook’s fake news tools coming to France ahead of elections
By Andy Walker: Editor on 6 February, 2017
According to a report, Facebook will implement fake news checking systems in France ahead of the country's elections. The move is in a bid to quell and expel fake news from Facebook's network, and prevent the backlash the company faced in light of Donald Trump's US Presidential win in late 2016. Many believe that fake news on the social network aided Trump in his campaign and during the elections. To prevent a similar story in France, the network has announced that it will partner with eight of the country's media outlets, including the likes of the AFP, BFM, and Le Monde,...
5 impressive numbers from Facebook’s latest earnings report
By Staff Reporter on 3 February, 2017
Facebook is an internet colossus in the same way we viewed Google a few years ago. The company is riding a remarkable growth curve, a trend that it has again cemented with the release of their Q4 2016 earnings report. The report, published at the turn of the month, sheds some light into the company's manic growth, clear focus areas and user statistics. Here are some of the tastier numbers and factoids lurking within the report. 1.23-billion The number of daily active users on the 'Book in December 2016 Yes, you read that correctly. Daily. Nearly a sixth of the world accesses Facebook...
Facebook’s next destination could be your television
By Staff Reporter on 1 February, 2017
Facebook has been on a roll in January, spitting out updates to its multiple services and outlining its future plans. But the latest report from the Wall Street Journal could see the company take over your television set. According to "people familiar with the matter", the social network is planning both content deals with media companies, as well as an app for media consoles, like the Apple TV. Both suggestions seem highly likely. The network has been popular for live broadcasters in recent months, with the US PGA deal, in addition to users' Facebook Live broadcasts. The company clearly no longer...
CNN’s Facebook accounts briefly breached by OurMine
By Staff Reporter on 30 January, 2017
CNN's Facebook accounts were briefly compromised this weekend by hacking collective OurMine, Mashable reports. The group, now infamous for gaining access to accounts to peacock their security products, hit CNN's primary, International and Politics pages early morning in South Africa. This isn't the first time OurMine has been in the news in the past six months While the group didn't post anything incriminating or vile, it did flood the pages with its posters, and its usual message: "Hey, it's OurMine we are just testing your security, please contact us for more information." It seems that the group's chief motive was publicity. looks like @CNN...