Hasta La Gadget!

This week is not a fabulous one for Facebook as its stock price dipped to nearly the lowest price its been since the company’s IPO and a customer satisfaction analysis placed it amongst the 5 lowest major social networks on the web. As the ACSI notes, this year’s study collected information from users of Internet Social Media outlets such as Wikipedia, Google+, Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook showed the recently public web-based network to be at the bottom of the list for customer satisfaction. Satisfaction was recorded at 61 percent for Facebook, this 2 points below the next lowest score, 63 percent for LinkedIn.

The list published by the analysis group also showed Google+ to be tied for first place in this list for customer satisfaction with Wikipedia, both groups grabbing an impressive 78% rating. Of course one must consider that Facebook has million more users than Google+ while Wikipedia has been at the top of this list since the company started recording such tests. Twitter was also low at 64%, with YouTube grabbing 73% and Pinterest ringing in at 69%.

The group ForeSee, partnering with ACSI for this survey, note that Facebook users mentioned the Timeline layout as one of their main reasons for being dissatisfied in this modern iteration of the social network. Furthermore Larry Freed, president and CEO of ForeSee, had the following to say:

“Facebook and Google+ are competing on two critical fronts: customer experience and market penetration. Google+ handily wins the former, and Facebook handily wins the latter, for now. It’s worth asking how much customer satisfaction matters for Facebook, given its unrivaled 800 million user base … if Facebook doesn’t feel the pressure to improve customer satisfaction now, that may soon change.” – Freed

Of the three years this study has been run, this is Facebook’s lowest approval rating with 64% being their first year in 2010 and 66% showing up in 2011. This is accompanied by Facebook’s stock prices this week which have once again fallen as low as 27.04 a share – the lowest this stock has gotten is a bit below 25 a share.

Check out the timeline below to see how Facebook has done over the past few weeks, and keep in mind that the stock price is once again rising here in the middle of the week, currently reading out at 29.04 at the time of this posting – keep running!

Facebook reaches new satisfaction low while stock dips is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Version 1.5 of TweetDeck has arrived, with a heavy emphasis on ensuring you can navigate those columns easily. The update adds arrow buttons, a horizontal scroll bar and gesture support if your trackpad is similarly enabled. There’s also a new action button appended to each tweet, which will give you all the powers of the web version in a single click, ensuring you can follow (or otherwise) anyone who catches your eye in an instant. It’s available right now for Windows, OS X, online and as a Chrome app — there’s even an informative video available after the break.

Continue reading TweetDeck version 1.5 arrives with columns, lots of columns (video)

Filed under: Internet, Software

TweetDeck version 1.5 arrives with columns, lots of columns (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jul 2012 19:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Social media is a godsend of a tool for military families because it lets them communicate from thousands of miles away. But it can also be totally damaging to Operational Security (OPSEC), if a photo posted or a status reveals covert location data, which is the type of mistake that’s happened in the past. So the Air Force has published a 41-page guide to effective social media use in order to avoid major screw-ups, maintain OPSEC, and create a standard operating procedure. More »

The mapping scene has seen plenty of activity lately — what with Apple ditching Google to launch its own service while the latter continues to layer on improvements such as better walking directions and more Street View coverage for its maps. Now a new app called “Recce” is trying to elbow its way into the conversation by using a free, searchable 3D mapping system that not only serves up location-based services but also location-based games. Named after military slang for “reconnaissance,” Recce is the brainchild of former Psygnosis co-founder Ian Hetherington and Google engineering director Rian Liebenberg, who formed London-based developer eeGeo. The app works by pulling together a slew of data feeds from sources such as map providers and social networking services to provide an interactive 3D view of an area. It can also be used to update services like Twitter so your followers can know exactly where you were when you saw Justin Johnson, er, Bieber speeding away from the paparazzi in his chrome Fisker Karma. Do note that data is limited to central London at the moment, though San Francisco and New York are slated to get their 3D closeup next.

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Tablet PCs, Software

New Recce 3D map app offers location-based services and games, Sim City possibilities abound originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Jul 2012 09:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What do the folks at Twitter do when they aren’t adding new features or likely having semi-erotic daydreams about an IPO? Justin Bieber flashmobs in the company cafeteria. Swoon. More »