Sep 24
Everyone you know has Facebook unless they’re weird, but Facebook still has territory left to cover, specifically in the developing world. That plan for global domination includes making Facebook free on mobile. More »
Sep 24
Facebook has frequently been at the receiving end of criticism when it comes to guarding user’s privacy. Although the social network has strived hard over the years to ensure user privacy, every few days a new issue pops up which pins the blame squarely at it.
Now, for instance, reports from a number of Facebook users are trickling in, suggesting that they are able to view private Facebook messages being publicly displayed on their Facebook Timelines. (more…)
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Facebook “Registered to Vote” Timeline event now available, Facebook allows users to delete search history,
Sep 21
Last week at TechCrunch Disrupt, Mark Zuckerberg let loose that Facebook would create a search engine “at some point,” and today the firm snuck in a smidgen of emphasis on queries into the Activity Log. Over the coming weeks, your searches on the social network will appear alongside the links, comments and other actions that are normally aggregated in the feature. Worried that friends will learn of your quest to find My Little Pony pages? There’s nothing to fear as the log is for your eyes only. However, if a particular search blemish needs to be scrubbed from the list, each entry can be individually nixed like posts on a Timeline.
Filed under: Internet
Facebook brings search history to Activity Log, keeps queries private originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Sep 2012 19:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sep 21
Facebook has just announced a new update for its Activity Log, saying that it will soon show your search history along with all of your other activity on the social network. Activity Log is already pretty creepy in that it keeps track of everything you do on the social network, but now things just got a touch creepier. Soon, you’ll be able to see a record of everyone and everything you’ve searched for on Facebook, with the company saying that the feature should be available to all users in the coming weeks.
The good news is that your Activity Log can only be seen by you, so even though it will display your search history, no one else will be able to see who you’ve looked for. You can delete past search queries from within Activity Log, though to be honest, we’re not sure why would need to if you’re the only one who can see your Activity Log records. One thing is definitely certain, though: it’s time to get a little more guarded when it comes to where you access Facebook – having your Facebook search history out in the open could prove to be quite embarrassing, after all.
In fairness, there could potentially be some instances where having your search history logged comes in handy. For instance, if you ever forget the name of one of your favorite groups, you could use your Activity Log to quickly find it again. Aside from that, though, we’re kind of at a loss when it comes to the benefits of having your search history available (and the group example is already a bit of a stretch).
This update was released today, which means that some Facebook users should already have access to their search history in the Activity Log. It will be rolling out to everyone over the next few weeks, though Facebook doesn’t say specifically when everyone should have the feature active. What do you think of Facebook’s latest Activity Log update?
[via Facebook Newsroom]
Facebook releases Activity Log update, adds search history is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Sep 21
Call it a hunch, but we suspect that at least a few of you picked up an iPhone 5 today, or at least made the leap to iOS 6. If you’re in either position, you may be wondering just what apps to feed Apple’s flagship (or that fresh new firmware) once it’s ready to go. We’ve got a quick-hit list of titles that have been updated to take advantage of the tall display and new OS that go beyond Apple’s own work. The biggest upgrades of the lot come from keynote darling CNN as well as Flipboard: both have done more than add extra columns on the iPhone 5, offering an interface you won’t see on any mere 3.5-inch iPhone. Some bread-and-butter apps have made the launch week cut as well, such as Facebook and Twitter.
There’s even more if you’re willing to dig deep. Third-party Twitter client Tweetbot beat the official app to the punch by days, and we’ve likewise spotted updates to Evernote, its rival Remember the Milk and Yelp. We know some apps aren’t fully iPhone 5- or iOS 6-native — Instagram, for example, and most anything from Google — but it’s apparent that the holdouts are increasingly the exception, rather than the rule. Did you catch any other noteworthy apps that received a boost in recent hours? Let fellow owners know in the comments.
CNN – App Store
Evernote – App Store
Facebook – App Store
Flipboard – App Store
Kindle – App Store
Pulse – App Store
Remember the Milk – App Store
Tweetbot – App Store
Twitter – App Store
Yelp – App Store
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
iPhone 5 / iOS 6 app update roundup: new versions for a taller world originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Sep 2012 19:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sep 21
Do you like looking at the profiles of people you don’t know that well on Facebook? Of course you do, because we’re all sick and it’s fun. One wrinkle: there’s now a list of everything you search for on FB. More »
Sep 21
Search histories are perhaps the most incriminating tracks we leave on the internet. Google’s allowed its users to delete search data for a while, and although few choose to, it makes a lot of people feel better. Facebook’s search history may be even more incriminating than Google’s history. Have you ever searched for a ex? Facebook today allowed users to delete their search histories.
To take a look, go under the Activity Log button on your homepage. In addition to the ability to delete it, you can look back over your previous searches–try not to feel too embarrassed. Since this is now on your page when you’re logged in, signing out becomes more important. Not only can someone who is signed into your profile read your old messages, but your old search queries as well. So you should definitely log on and take a look at what you’ve searched, and if you don’t like what you see, please, for everyone’s sake, delete it. Nobody should read someone else’s diary–or search queries.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Goodbye fake accounts: Facebook is asking your friends if you’re using your real name, Facebook disables facial recognition in the European Union,
Sep 21
Facebook has already dealt with plenty of negative attention over its facial recognition technology, both here in the US and across the Atlantic in Europe. Things are looking up for those who don’t want to be included in Facebook’s facial recognition program, however, as the company has decided to stop using the tool in Europe. The Irish Data Protection Commission announced that Facebook was pulling the plug on facial recognition today, after privacy officials in Europe began reviewing Facebook to make sure it was complying with privacy requests and recommendations made back in December.
It seems that Facebook wasn’t required to shut down its facial recognition entirely, but the fact that it did signals that the company is ready to work with privacy officials to come to an agreement on the highly controversial tool. “I am particularly encouraged in relation to the approach [Facebook Ireland] has decided to adopt on the tag suggest/facial recognition feature by in fact agreeing to go beyond our initial recommendations, in light of developments since then, in order to achieve the best practice,” DPC commissioner Billy Hawkes said in a statement today.
It gets better too, because the DPC says that its reviews has found that Facebook complied with most of the recommendations made by the Commission. Discussions about the facial recognition tool were constructive, and Facebook is getting better at being transparent about the way it uses the data it collects. Companies complying with government requests for more transparency isn’t exactly a common thing, so we may as well relish it while we have the chance.
Issues arose when European privacy officials found out that not only was Facebook building a database of user images to aid this facial recognition tool, but it was doing so without the consent of its users. It isn’t illegal for Facebook to build that database, but it is illegal for the company to do so in Europe without the consent of users. Talks with Facebook are still ongoing, but it seems that the company and data protection officials are making some real progress. Stay tuned.
[via PCMag]
Facebook ditches facial recognition in Europe after months of talks is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Sep 21
For many good reasons, anonymity is important on the Internet. It’s handy for unfettered discussion, whistle-blowing, and dissent under oppression! For the general preservation of privacy, it’s nice to go nameless. More »
Sep 21
Goodbye fake accounts: Facebook is asking your friends if you’re using your real name
Posted in: Today's Chili
Facebook really wants you to use your real name. The company’s name policy is clear and unequivocal: you should be using the name on your Governement ID. Maybe, if your name is Robert, you can go by Bobby on the social network, but that’s about it. While this is a longstanding policy, Facebook hasn’t been able to enforce it as thoroughly as they’ve wanted. It seems like they’ve found a way to determine who’s using a fake name: they’re going to ask your friends.
This weird decision for Facebook was spotted by Twitter user @chapeaudefee, and it shows you a friend and asks you, “Is this your friend’s real name?” You get four options, and only four options (there’s no option to close the popup): “Yes,” “no,” “I don’t know,” and “I don’t want to answer.” It’s a intimidating tactic, and it doesn’t make you feel warm and fuzzy about Facebook. What Facebook doesn’t realize is sometimes a pseudonym on the internet is not only safer, but the smart decision. But that doesn’t fit in with Facebook’s business model, which is to become the identity for the internet. It can’t do that if s0me people aren’t who they say they are.
Most Facebook feature rollouts happen incrementally, so you might not see these popups if you log on today. But if you do, and you tell Menlo Park my real name isn’t “Princess,” remember: snitches get stitches.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Facebook allows users to delete search history, Facebook disables facial recognition in the European Union,
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