Microsoft's latest software update that brought with it Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm, the Zune Marketplace and?Sky Player?in the UK is turning their gamers into social butterflies according to the latest figures released by the company.

Microsoft?has said that over 2 million Xbox gamers logged into their facebook profile on the console since the social network became available on the 17 November.

In a bevy of stats which suggest that gamers aren’t just gamers, Microsoft has said that users also made over 1 million Last.fm profiles, spending approximately 40 minutes using Last.fm on Xbox LIVE to discover music and customise radio stations, and have streamed more than 120 million minutes of music already.

Microsoft, who says it has around 20 million active members around the world also saw around 8% visit the new Zune video store, however they haven't stated how many actually watched anything.

They are still playing games though. More than 2.2 million unique gamers played "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" in one day on 10 November, the day of the launch, a new one-day record for Xbox LIVE the company says.

Related links:

• Link - Xbox.com

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Xbox Live Facebook Twitter Lastfm Microsoft Social networking

Xbox 360 gamers actually social butterflies originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:51:24 +0000

Stephen Fry reflected yesterday that the Internet is like a city with all the same cultural joys and societal problems of the physical world. So, in many ways, it's of little surprise that bullying is as much a feature of the world wide web as it is of the playground.

In fact, according to statistics gathered by Beatbullying, whose Anti-Bullying Week currently runs until 22 November, almost a third of all cyberbullying begins offline. The Internet and mobile phones have just become an extension of that arena - further tools for the tormentors to wreak the abuse.

For parents, of course, it's a double bind. As with the playground itself, there are both positive and negative sides to the Internet. It's an enriching experience and a potentially harmful one too, in indirect ways - as with unsuitable sites - and directly with exposure to bullying and abuse.

The frightening difference is that although there is supervision - as with the teacher in the playground - in the online world, the numbers are just too many to monitor. Social networks like, Bebo, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube all have people to whom you can report abuse except, unlike teachers, they're not actively watching. Worse, is with that IM services and mobile phones, there's nobody watching at all.

This week, the world and the online community is banding together to draw focus to the growing problem and to bring government legislation and a duty to the owners of these virtual playgrounds to help rapidly reduce bullying online, as it has been in our schools since the 70s and 80s. While it's impossible to completely shield children from the chance of cyberbullying at the moment, there are a few tips for parents to help with the problem.

1) Join their networks

To prevent your children from taking part in Facebook, Twitter, Bebo and others is equivalent to some kind of social death for them. Banning from these sites or the the Internet altogether is only going to make you the focus of their frustrations. It will not help bring in the sense of trust which children would need to confide in you to let you know that they're having the problems in the first place, be it online or in school.

Instead a sensible approach, that we heard from one parent, is to make a deal whereby your children can join social networks so long as you can befriend or follow them too. That way, you'll be able to see the way they're behaving towards the rest of the world and whether their responses might suggest that they are being bullied. Equally, you'll be able to see if they are the bullies themselves.

At the same time, you have to respect what it is they might say outside of this realm. You're not going to build trust by picking them up on their every word. It might also be advisable not to be active on their network either. It may well cause some embarrassment and open them up to ridicule.

2) Education

Make sure your children understand how to protect their data on a basic level when online. Be sure that passwords are not told to people outside the family. One classic bullying attack is for someone to post under your profile pretending to be you. It's not uncommon for fall-outs between best friends, so make sure that these passwords are kept as safe as they should be. For the same reasons, teach your children to log out of their profiles when they leave a computer - particularly important when using public machines.

Finally, teach them how to deal with abuse if it does come their way. The best ways to manage hurtful comments is to delete and ignore them and to block the attacker from interacting with you again. Each site has its own privacy settings and ways by which you can achieve this.

3) Consider limiting internet use

This is a tricky one as ostensibly there's nothing wrong with people sitting on the Internet all day. In fact, many Pocket-lint readers would be quite happy if their children wired themselves into their desktops. That said, some people may wish to limit the amount of time their children spend online. If you are going to, then make sure the deal is equitable. If your child is being bullied it may be that it's near impossible to get them off the computer and is something worth looking out for.

4) Monitoring software

This is not for everyone and Pocket-lint is not here to tell you whether it's a good idea or not but monitoring software is an option. Company's like Symantech offer complete solutions for tracking any computer and internet use on the machine on which it's installed, and if you want to know exactly what your children are doing on line then this is a sure way of finding out. It also might circumvent the desire to place a limit on their time online.

The obvious things to remember, though, are that people do not appreciate being spied upon and that obsessively trawling through transcripts of conversations is just as dangerous for parents. What's more, the younger generations are almost always more tech savvy and they will know that this software is running if you're not careful.

5) Look for the signs

Children and particularly teenagers do tend towards all sorts of mood swings anyway but some of the signs suggested by the anti-bullying agencies are worth looking out for. They may become obsessed with being online at all times or opt for a total avoidance of it whatsoever. As with all kinds of bullying, they may fear going to school more than usual. They more also withdraw from their social circles or exhibit increased anxiety, depression or anger. If your child is showing some of these signs then they might be being bullied, but there's just as good a chance that they're not.
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6) Report abuse

As we said before, social networks may not be actively watching, but they will listen if users report abuse. Facebook promises to get back these e-mails within 72 hours and sites like Bebo, which itself was the forum for 30% of the cyberbullying attacks as uncovered by Beatbullying, has dedicated buttons for reporting these problems. In some cases, the bullies may be kicked off the networks but, if you're not satisfied with how they deal with your issue then you can always take it beyond them for action.

7) Involve the Police

Harassment and defamation online is illegal, as are malicious or threatening phone calls, emails or text messages. The police will take these incidents seriously. Make sure to keep a log of abusive phone calls or IM conversations as they happen as well as screen grabs of social networking abuse to present as evidence if necessary. Without proof that it's happening, there is little the police can do.

8) Video bullying

There are many well documented cases of cyberbullying on video websites, like Happy Slapping attacks. This is, of course, illegal and YouTube and others will immediately remove these videos. From your perspective, make sure to take a look at the user account of the person who posted the footage. There may be clues as to their identity - other videos or profile details - and it may also be possible to get help in tracking them down by their IP details.

Capturing a copy of the footage might also help for when presenting to the police. Do make sure to be discrete about this though. Remember that this evidence might be painful to see again for those bullied.

9) Be supportive and seek outside help

It takes a great deal of courage for anyone to admit they're being bullied, whether you're a child, teen or adult, so make sure that you are supportive as a parent, if you're lucky enough for your child to come to you for help. According to the survey, 69% of young people who have been cyberbullied would take advice from their peers online whereas not as many would go to an adult. BeatBullying runs a CyberMentor service where victims of bullying and abuse can talk via IM online with trained young people aged between 11-25. If you suspect someone of being bullied online, it might be a good idea to point them to CyberMentor in as subtle a way as possible.

The important thing in all of this is to make sure you take action of some sort if you do think that your child, or anyone you know, is being bullied online. Remember that the victims far outnumber the bullies and the more those affected speak up, the more this issue is brought to light. The Internet is still young and it's taking time to learn how best to regulate it and for it to regulate itself. It will take time for the authorities to work out how best to deal with online attacks but so long as the bullied, and those who witness it, don't stand for the abuse, then the problem will be halted.

For further reading and advice, please visit BeatBullying.

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Related links:

• News - Facebook offers cyberbullying prevention advice
• News - WEBSITE OF THE DAY - Parentline Plus

Tags: Software Online Facebook Bebo Cyberbullying Social Networks Features

Help for parents on cyberbullying originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:05:29 +0000

As do other such companies, the New Oxford American Dictionary has revealed the new words it is considering for inclusion, and revealed its choice of "Word of the Year" for 2009.

The 2009 Word of the Year has been named as "unfriend" with the definition reading "unfriend – verb – to remove someone as a 'friend' on a social networking site such as Facebook".

"It has both currency and potential longevity", says Christine Lindberg, senior lexicographer for Oxford's US dictionary program.

"In the online social networking context, its meaning is understood, so its adoption as a modern verb form makes this an interesting choice for Word of the Year. Most 'un-' prefixed words are adjectives (unacceptable, unpleasant), and there are certainly some familiar 'un-' verbs (uncap, unpack), but 'unfriend' is different from the norm. It assumes a verb sense of 'friend' that is really not used (at least not since maybe the 17th century!). Unfriend has real lex-appeal".

Other words that were considered are heavily influenced by another social networking site - Twitter - with "hashtag" high on the list, while "Notable Word Clusters for 2009" include the following:

Tweeps, Tweetup, Twitt, Twitterati, Twitterature, Twitterverse/sphere, Retweet, Twibe, Sweeple, Tweepish, Tweetaholic, Twittermob and Twitterhea.

Do you know what they all mean?

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Tags: Software Dictionaries Facebook Twitter Social networking OUP

"Unfriend" named Word of the Year by OUP originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:04:26 +0000

Web visionary, Tim O'Reilly, has suggested that we could be heading into an "ugly time" on the Internet possibly mirroring the browser wars of the nineties.

Talking at the Web 2.0 expo in New York, O'Reilly warned that a number of moves by big organisations like Apple, Google, Facebook and Digg could make the Web a closed system.

O'Reilly believes that things like the Digg bar, Facebook warning you about going out into the Web, and the possibility of News Corp signing a specific deal with Bing over Google could all damage the way the Web works.

"Take the mobile phone industry for example. Apple decides who gets to put an app up, decides how it works. That's not how the web works," says O'Reilly.

Suggesting that we are going to see a showdown, O'Reilly believes that "exclusive" features for specific browsers or mobile phone operators will end in a "one ring to rule them all" scenario.

Offering advice to Google, O'Reilly says that they should be committed to being rigorous in ensuring that the user benefits rather than trying to "eat other companies' lunch" like launching Knol, Checkout, and Froogle.

Praising Microsoft for its embracing of the Wolfram Alpha and Twitter results, O'Reilly?quotes Jeff Jarvis of CUNY saying that companies should "Do what you do best. Link to the rest".

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Tags: Software Online Google Microsoft Apple Facebook Twitter

O'Reilly: Ugly times ahead for the Internet originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:36:44 +0000

Following the screenshots unveiled recently, Sony is now offering an early peek at PlayStation 3 v3.10 firmware update.

Keepin' up with the Jones, the update incorporates Facebook into the PS3 experience with the option for the PS3 to automatically update Facebook News Feeds with Trophy and PlayStation Store activity.

Other 3.10 highlights include the photo category on the XMB getting revamped, a modification to the PSN Friends List and the option to choose a colour for a PSN ID on the XMB.

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Tags: Gaming Sony PS3 Software updates Facebook Video

VIDEO: Sony unveils 3.10 PS3 update that brings Facebook originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:34:08 +0000

Facebook's European director of public policy, Richard Allan, has written a blog post to address the slowly growing problem of cyberbullying on the service. It coincides with National Anti-Bullying Week in the UK, and?BBC Radio 1, BBC 1Xtra, and websites like Bebo, Habbo, MSN, MySpace and YouTube have teamed up to try and deal with the issue.

For its part, Allan has offered five tips to users to prevent them from being a victim of aggressive wall posts and chats. Firstly, only accept friend requests from people who are your friends. Secondly, use the Block feature to deal with people who you don't want seeing your profile.

Thirdly, Allan recommends that you report any abusive behaviour to administrators, and also says that you should customise your privacy settings so that you're in control of your info, and just delete posts you don't like - because bullies often just want a reaction.

Oh, and if there's someone posting messages to you that you don't like, Allan says that "you should consider removing the sender from your friends list". Seems simple enough, but could easily be forgotten in the heat of the moment.

Have you had a cyberbullying issue that you've successfully resolved? Share your tips for combating online bullies in the comments below.

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Tags: Software Online Websites Facebook Social Networks

Facebook offers cyberbullying prevention advice originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:37:07 +0000

Compared to the might of the iPhone App Store, and slightly-less-but-still-respectable presence of the Android Market, Palm's webOS App Catalog, used by the Pre and the Pixi, looks decidedly lacklustre.

However, it has just got a tiny bit bigger with the addition of an official Facebook application. It's not exactly extensive - just delivering an unfiltered live stream of your friends' activities with the ability to comment and "like" particular items.

You can post to it yourself, and add a picture, but that's pretty much it. No events, information, search or anything else. Still, something is better than nothing, right? You'll need webOS 1.3.1, and you should be able to find it in the webOS App Catalog.

Let us know what you think of the app in the comments.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Facebook Palm Pre Palm Pixi WebOS

Palm Pre and Pixi get Facebook app originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:56:05 +0000

A survey of 2000 internet users in the UK from GfK NOP has found that iTunes still remains by far the most popular music service, but that new entrant Spotify is shooting rapidly up the charts, despite having only just celebrated its 1st birthday.

The survey asked participants which music services they used, and 11% said Spotify. That puts it in fourth place behind Real Player (13%), Amazon (24%) and iTunes sitting at the top with 50% approval rating. Spotify sits ahead of the slightly older Last.fm (7%), MP3.com (5%) and Napster (4%). 60% of users stream music direct from the Web.

In the navigation arena, Google Maps dominates with 72% of those surveyed saying they used it. The AA came in second place with 40% and Multimap was third with 35%. Behind that came Mapquest (7%), MSN Maps (4%), Yahoo Maps (4%) and Streetmap (3%).

When it comes to social networking, new boy Twitter draws for second place with MySpace - but both only have 4% of people who use them as their main social network. Bebo is even lower with 2%, but Facebook romps home with over 74% of users picking it as their favourite.

IM is similarly dominated by one provider - Windows Live Messenger. 50% picked it as their main provider, with 16% going for Facebook chat, Yahoo IM coming in third with 8%, Skype at 6%, AIM at 5% and Google Talk coming in at just 2%.

Webmail is closer - 33% opt for Hotmail, but Yahoo Mail was chosen by 14%, 10% picked their own ISP's service, and only 6% have "Gone Google" and picked up a Gmail account. Interestingly, a further 6% said they used email provided by a social network - is this MySpace mail?

Lastly, Skype wins out when it comes to VoIP - 60% of respondents picked it as their favourite online voice-calling app. Google Talk was second with 13%, and VoIP.com and Gizmo came in third with 3% each.

Of course, while the best provider is winning the day in some categories, others are dominated by bloated former giants commanding the attention of people who are too lazy to make a change. Which would you pick as your favourite in each category? Let us know in the comments below.

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Tags: Software Online Websites Music IM Mapping Software Social Networks Email iTunes Spotify MySpace Twitter Facebook Amazon Lastfm Gmail Hotmail Skype Yahoo Microsoft Google Statistics

iTunes still most popular music service by far originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:41:43 +0000

Microsoft has confirmed that it will be releasing its latest Xbox 360 update on the 17 November to all LIVE members.

The new update, which was first announced in June, will bring with it Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm and Zune video to the console.

The Facebook integration will be through Facebook's Connect sign-in programme and will see users able to see their Xbox LIVE buddies as well as their Facebook friends.

Microsoft says: "Using Facebook Connect, you can share your greatest moments in gaming by posting updates and screenshots from supported games directly to Facebook".

The Twitter application will allow Xbox gamers to sign into the popular service via their console.

Sony has also today said that it will be adding Facebook integration to its console.

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Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Twitter Facebook Microsoft Zune HD Lastfm

Xbox 360 social update dated originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:40:03 +0000

Some images have emerged of a forthcoming firmware update for the PS3 that introduces Facebook functionality to the games console. The integration with the world's biggest social networking site is already available on the rival Xbox 360, but not on the Nintendo Wii.

Also in the images is the option to change the colour of your gamercard, as well as a new interface for looking through photos that are stored on the console. Not quite as exciting as the Facebook integration, but may be of some interest to those who just aren't satisfied with the default gamercard colours.

It's not clear exactly when the next firmware update will be issued - right now these are just screenshots found on Sony's PlayStation website. What's clear, though, is that Sony needs integration with web services - and soon - to compete with the Xbox, which is rolling out similar features at an ever-increasing rate.

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Tags: Gaming Sony PS3 PlayStation Facebook Rumours Software updates

PS3 update bringing Facebook integration originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:25:51 +0000

UK Labour MP Tom Watson has formed a political pressure group called "Gamers' Voice", designed to "discuss how UK video gamers can find their voice in newspapers and government". The MP announced the creation of the group, which currently manifests itself on Facebook, via his Twitter account.

The group says, in its description: "Are you sick of UK newspapers and (my fellow) politicians beating up on gaming? So am I. The truth is, UK gamers need their own pressure group. I want to help you start one up. I don't know how it should work yet but please register your interest if you agree that gamers need their voice heard in the corridors of power".

An article in the Daily Mail prompted Watson to create the group after it claimed that Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 "allows players to plot terror attacks against civilians". The article has now been updated, to remove those claims, following outrage in the comments.

Tom Watson has a long history as perhaps the most geek-friendly MP. This move will no doubt further that reputation, depending on how successful it becomes.

(Thanks to Alan for the tip)

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Tags: Gaming Politics Tom Watson Facebook Twitter

MP Tom Watson forms gamers' pressure group originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:00:35 +0000

Orange's terms and conditions for its mobile internet ban applications like Spotify, AudioBoo, Ustream, Facebook and YouTube, something which could be of concern to those considering buying an iPhone with the mobile network.

In the company's T&Cs, it says:?"Not to be used for other activities (eg using your handset as a modem, non-Orange internet based streaming services, voice or video over the internet, instant messaging, peer to peer file sharing, non-Orange internet based video). Should such use be detected notice may be given and Network protection controls applied to all services which Orange does not believe constitutes mobile browsing".

That covers a whole host of different applications that are wildly popular on Apple's handheld computing platform. The company also limits its "Unlimited" plan to just 750MB per month, as Dan pointed out in his comparison feature the other day, which might be worth considering if you're planning to use these apps heavily.

The issue was spotted and pointed out to the BBC's Rory Cellan-Jones, who says: "if too many power users start streaming TV and playing online games on their phones, the Orange network may buckle under the strain".

Orange has, however, commented to the BBC - saying: "We do recognise that iPhone customers will use popular streaming services such as YouTube, Spotify etc. As a result we do not intend to apply network protection controls to anyone, as long as they are within their usage allowance. The T&Cs are in place to reserve the right to restrict access should they continue to exceed our Fair Usage policy, and our other Mobile data users suffer a reduced data experience as a result".

If you don't mean it, Orange, why put it in your T&Cs?

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Orange iPhone O2 Spotify Facebook YouTube

Orange T&Cs ban Spotify, Facebook and YouTube originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:52:50 +0000

Living has launched "Liv", the UK's first online TV channel, offering "style and celebrity" programming.

Live from 2 November, the IPTV channel can be viewed at www.livingtv.co.uk as well as through its own YouTube channel and can be downloaded via a "state of the art Facebook application to enhance viewers' interactive experiences".

"Highlights" of forthcoming shows include "Celebs off Duty", comprising of showbiz news from one of the "world's leading paparazzi agencies" and Amy Winehouse's Dad Mitch interviewing celebs in his taxi.

There's also "Dress Famous Liv Famous", a makeover series hosted by a former Britain's Next Top Model contestant.

Tags: Home Cinema Living Liv IPTV Online Virgin Media Facebook

Living launches "Liv" online TV channel originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:15:16 +0000

Rock band Foo Fighters have announced that they'll be streaming a free gig on Facebook on 30 October. The show will come live from the band's Los Angeles HQ and the stream will begin at 7pm PST (that's 3AM GMT). It'll be powered by Livestream.

Fans can RSVP to the show from the event page and when it begins the stream will be available from an application. Fans are also being asked, during the show, to update their status messages to reflect what they think of the performance, which will hopefully then bring other viewers in.

MySpace has undertaken a few live gig streams, and YouTube has covered a few, but Facebook has stayed relatively clear of the action until now. Are you planning to watch the show? Or just grab a copy from a file sharing network the following morning? Let us know in the comments.

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Tags: Audio Music Online Foo Fighters Facebook

Foo Fighters stream gig over Facebook originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:16:50 +0000

It's been revealed how much money Facebook has been awarded in damages over a recent anti-spam case against internet "marketer" Sanford - or as he's known Spamford - Wallace.

Facebook filed the anti-spamming case in February after Wallace accessed people's Facebook accounts and sent phony mail and posts.

The Californian court awarded the social networking website $711.2 million in damages. This follows an $870 million award Facebook won in November 2008 against a different spammer.

It seems Wallace has not learnt from past mistakes - Wallace was ordered to pay MySpace $230 million in damages back in May 2008.

"While we don't expect to receive the vast majority of the award, we hope that this will act as a continued deterrent", Facebook said.

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Tags: Software Online Facebook Lawsuits Spam

Facebook awarded $711 million from spammer originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:53:41 +0000

Facebook has quietly launched a new feature that allows users to mark profiles of dead users as being a "memorial". Friends and family will be able to report to Facebook the fact that a user has passed away, offering "proof" via an obituary or news article.

The move comes after a few awkward cases where users were receiving updates from their dead friends. If a profile is "memorialized" then status updates and contacts will be removed from the page and will no longer be available. Special privacy settings will also be applied, where only friends will be able to view the profile.

Max Kelly, Facebook's privacy boss, wrote on the company's blog: "When someone leaves us, they don't leave our memories or our social network.?To reflect that reality, we created the idea of 'memorialised' profiles as a place where people can save and share their memories of those who've passed".

The company asks anyone who wants to submit a profile as deceased to fill out a webform.

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Tags: Software Online Website Facebook

Facebook offers memorial option for profiles originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:35:33 +0000

Guitar Hero is the first console game franchise to surpass 1 million Facebook fans, says developer Activision.

As the number one best-selling third party video game franchise in America and Europe this year to date, since its release, more than 38 million games have been sold worldwide.

The most recent release "Guitar Hero 5" launched in September and is said to be the "most social and interactive Guitar Hero game ever".

The million-strong Facebook fans can get the latest info on Guitar Hero games and the artists in the games, as well as share their favourite artists, songs, and Guitar Hero experiences.

Tags: Gaming Guitar Hero Music games Facebook Statistics Activision Software Audio

Guitar Hero rocks 1 million Facebook fans originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:16:17 +0000

Facebook is a funny old creature and it does like to throw changes at its users faster than most. Well, good on Zuckerberg Inc for doing its best to keep up with the times - it's just a shame that for many it can cause a little confusion as to where to find all the bits and pieces that we've only just got used to. So, with today's little switch-aroo on the world's favourite social network, here's the Pocket-lint guide to News Feed and Live Feed, which to use and just where everything else has gone anyway.

News Feed

When you log in to Facebook and navigate to the home page, you'll find the real-time feed - the central column - looking a little different. It now comes in two different formats according to which words are highlighted at the top of the feed. The default setting will be News Feed and what company has done here is to bring back a couple of features that were lost last time around and make this into more of an overview of the activity in your social network

Instead of offering a chronological view of what's been going on, it presents users with what it thinks are the most interesting updates at the top of the list moving down to the least important ones at the bottom - if you really want to go back through that many years worth of notifications that is. That idea is that it offers a better overview of what's been going on and it works it all out with an algorithm which factors in how recent the update has been made, how many friends have liked it, how many have commented on it and how likely you are personally to interact with the news at all.

What's it best for?
Don't use the news feed option if you're the kind of person who sits on Facebook 24 hours a day. This isn't a blow-by-blow account of what's going on. The News Feed works best as a quick catch up tool. If you've either been away from the internet for a few days - heaven forbid - or perhaps for your first check of the day, or if you're not someone who uses Facebook on a daily basis, then this is the one for you. It's an excellent way of catching up on the important stuff quickly.

The downside is that the algorithm used to work out what should be at the top of the list is only as good as you are. If you never comment on other people's updates, then the system won't have a very good idea of what and who you like most, so the updates will pretty much come in the order of the time they came anyway. Otherwise, it works well.

Live Feed

Your other option is the Live Feed which is much more like the real-time stream used to be. Without ever having to manually refresh the page, the Live Feed offers all the updates of everyone in your network - no matter how large or small - with the latest appearing at the top of the list as it happens.

If you hit the options next to the updates on either feed, you can customise your streams to edit out and block anyone who you don't want to listen to. They won't be notified of the fact and you can always reinstate them in the Edit Options section any time you like.

What's it best for?
The Live Feed is the much more Twitter-like approach from Facebook. All the really big notifications will get lost of the pages just as quickly as the small stuff, so this is the option that's more for people who monitor their stream on a regular basis. If you just dip in and out once a day, then stick to the News Feed, but if you want a real-time chat-type minute-by-minute interaction, then the Live Feed is the one to use.

Are there any other changes?

Apart from these major shifts, the birthday notifications box is more in-depth than before and in a better place - not lost quite so far down the screen. Then other change is that the highlights box has been axed with the idea that its function is mostly served by the News Feed option. Coincidentally, it also frees up a nice bit of real estate above the fold in the top right corner where the company can render the sponsored ads.

Related links:

• News - Facebook makes more homepage changes
• News - Facebook touchscreen homepage launches
• News - Facebook has added music to its gift store
• Link - Pocket-lint Facebook page

Tags: Software Facebook Social networking Websites Online Features

The new Facebook feeds and which to use originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:07:11 +0000

Facebook has made more changes to its homepage that go some way to undo recent tweaks by offering a more tailored version of the stream of info that users see.

The social networking site is now offering two views of News Feed: a summary view of the "most interesting" activity that's happened in the last day and a real-time view that shows what is happening right now.

"You will be able to catch up on what you may have missed while you were away from Facebook and then easily switch to the real-time stream when you want to see posts as soon as they're shared", says Facebook.

The "most interesting" things that happened in the last day are chosen on a variety of factors including how many friends have liked and commented on it and how likely you are to interact with that story.

As it suggests "Live Feed" lets users see what's happening right now, offering a more Twitter-esque view of happenings.

"Some of you may ask why we are changing the home page again. Like you, we know it can be disruptive when things are moved around, but we hope that these changes make Facebook a more valuable experience for you", says Facebook.

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Tags: Software Facebook Social networking Websites Online

Facebook makes more homepage changes originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:17:05 +0000

Facebook?has released a new homepage for users of touchscreen phones that can't or don't want to be burdened with downloading a dedicated app.

The new homepage, available at touch.facebook.com has been optimised for handsets like the iPhone and Android powered HTC Hero.

Users will get a tabbed system to access their Home page, Profile, Friends and Inbox as well as News Feed, Events and Requests. You'll also get to see your latest notifications as well.

Available to all handsets and desktop machines via the url, the experience is unlikely to be as good as a dedicated app, but will appeal to those just wanting a quick glance at what is going on in their social circle.?

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Tags: Software Online Facebook Social networking

Facebook touchscreen homepage launches originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:17:30 +0100

Remember those Facebook "gifts" that the social networking site used to push on you? They quietly disappeared in one of the various redesigns that have taken place on the site over the last year or so, but it looks like they're coming back.

The New York Times is reporting that companies will soon be able to add their own virtual items to the gift shop. Companies like American Greetings, SomeeCards and JibJab are already signed up, and LaLa will apparently be joining them according to a source quoted by the paper.

Once you buy a song you'll be able to embed it on a person's Facebook profile and then play it forever. For a dollar, the recipient gets the ability to download a track too - though it's not clear yet what format or audio quality the downloaded file will be in.

It's also not clear whether this will be limited to the United States or rolled out across the whole world. We'd guess the former for now, but if we hear anything different we'll update this post.

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Tags: Software Online Websites Facebook

Facebook has added music to its gift store originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:43:14 +0100

Atari has launched a new social networking app - Atari Photo Sauce. This new application lets Facebook users "express themselves" by dragging and dropping digital stickers across their pics.

The stickers include "cute graphics, irreverent sayings and funny accessories", such as "gold chains, teddy bear helmets and over-sized shades".

"Atari introduced the world to computer entertainment with simple and fun games for everyone", says Paulina Bozek, development director at Atari London Studio.

"Atari Photo Sauce builds on that heritage with a social application that is universally appealing and instantly fun, allowing social networkers, who share billions of photos online, a new way to be creative with photos and share them instantly with friends everywhere".

Tags: Software Online Facebook Atari Social networking

Atari offers "Photo Sauce" Facebook app originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:23:53 +0100

Microsoft's digital head Qi Lu has confirmed, as rumoured earlier today, that it has signed a non-exclusive deal with Twitter and Facebook to provide status updates to its Bing search engine.

The two new services will allow users to use Bing to search tweets in real-time posted on the micro-blogging service.

"We have two deals to announce", said the demo man at the Web 2.0 summit conference. "The first is Twitter, which will be going live in the beta straight away, the second is Facebook which will come later".

Both systems will access all public data, leaving direct messages secure and out of sight.

The tweets will, however, be vetted for quality and factor in a number of features including quality of tweet, the length and relevancy of the tweet, the twitter users social standing (ie number of followers) as well as the tweet is being re-tweeted.

Users will be able to search tweets via a real-time stream as well as a cloud trending option.

Microsoft has also said that it will strip out bit.ly links turning them back into full url's so users can see what the domain is before clicking on it.

The beta, which can be accessed via bing.com/twitter should be live in the next hour.?

UPDATE: Google has now said that it will be offering Twitter status updates as well.

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Tags: Software Online Social networking Search engines Microsoft Twitter Facebook Bing

Twitter comes to Bing originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:45:55 +0100

Microsoft is about to sign up both Twitter and Facebook in a non-exclusive deal to help improve the Bing search engine.

The deal, which will see both sites integrate their real-time feed of status updates into the Bing search engine is, if true, expected to give Microsoft's fledgling offering a massive boost in the real time search game.

According to All Things Digital "sources, Microsoft (MSFT) digital head Qi Lu will announce the deal onstage in a few hours at the Web 2.0 Summit".

Although the article states that neither offering is expected to be up and running for weeks if not months, it does expect Qi Lu to demo the new project at the conference.

However, the article also states that any deal is expected to be non-exclusive suggesting that similar offerings could be coming to Google as well.

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Tags: Software Twitter Bing Facebook Social networking Search engines Microsoft Biz

Twitter and Facebook Status updates coming to Bing originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:50:13 +0100

It's being reported that Facebook has rolled out an update to its BlackBerry client. Version 1.7 is now available and can be found and downloaded on both on the BlackBerry App World and on blackberry.com/facebook and m.facebook.com.

The new features list isn't very long, and revolves mainly around the news feed. You can now set the news feed as your landing page when you start the app, and the desktop version's "filters" are also present, meaning that you can view just status updates, for example, or photos, or links.

There's a menu option that allows you to view your own profile now, too, as well as a number of caching improves that'll mean your handset's memory won't be battered by the app. Lastly, you'll no longer have to wait while your Facebook feeds are updated - they get pre-fetched.

If you're living in BlackBerry-land then give it a try and let us know what you think of Facebook version 1.7.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones BlackBerry App World BlackBerry Facebook Mobile phone apps

Facebook for BlackBerry gets updated originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:24:27 +0100

Twenty years ago you couldn't help but marvel at the site of a stadium twinkling with thousands upon thousands of camera flashes and wonder just how much money Kodak was raking in. This year the last roll of 35mm Kodachrome colour film will leave the production line, bringing to an end a great part of history. At the dawn of the digital age, Kodak saw 35mm film sales plummet from $15 billion to $200 million in under 5 years. If you haven't heard much from the tech giant in the interim, aside the odd photoframe, it's because it went from a consumer facing family name to a 70% B2B specialist at almost the click of a shutter.

A few years on and Kodak is on the march once more with its familiar gold logo appearing on our shelves on increasingly desirable products. 97% of cinema films are still printed on Kodak - for the time being, at least - but now half of the company's 19 lines are digital, including consumer photo printers and more recently the Kodak Zi8 - arguably the top pocket camcorder on the market today. What's more, even though time may have been unkind to film, the number of photos we're taking has hit astronomical figures and, as far as Kodak is concerned, there's a huge part to play in that. It may have been a while since consumers saw the brand on a daily basis but Kodak still has one thing that you simply can't buy. Trust.

This year has seen Kodak reach out even further to the public with a series of blogs, a Facebook app and an iPhone app that connects consumers directly to the Kodak Gallery, a user site for uploading images where they're safer and higher in resolution than any other such service on the net. The latest step from the company in its embrace of the digital age has been to conduct a survey of the birth of the digital family called The Future of Reconnectivity. Entitled both with the public's concern over our increasingly virtual lifestyles and as part of Kodak's fact finding for future product strategy, the report sampled 2,500 consumers from France, UK, Germany, Italy and the US and asked them just how they use photos in social networking and what they hold dear in their digital lives.

By far the most telling stats were those associated with Facebook. It turns out that people with more Facebook photos have more friends. Now, that could be that they have more photos because they have more friends who take more pictures of them in the first place. They also discovered that people who smiled more in photos had more friends too. Perhaps we all like to know happier people? But probably the one that's harder to explain is that those who post more videos have more people in their networks. The report describes these users as part of a growing "digital aristocracy" and, for those who simply must be a part of it, you can help yourself out with photo editing software that will automatically remove frowns from pictures and turn them into smiles. In reaction, you'll also find groups on Facebook for people who like images of sad and angry faces. Good for an amusing browse.
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In general, there were also patterns that emerged in what kinds of pictures were taken by different age groups. Those in their 20s predominantly took what the study referred to as "vertical photographs" - those in which the subjects were mainly on their feet. Probably something to do with youth and all that energy they have. By the 30s it was more what was described as "10 o'clock photos" where subjects were mostly sat down and largely more sedate. By our 40s, it's all about photos more for business and by 50s and 60s, it's all about family shots which seems to make sense.

The concern for Kodak more specifically is how to get the most out of our digital photo stock or how to bring out the "digital shoebox" as Kodak chief marketing officer Jeff Hayzlett puts it. On the virtual side of things, Kodak is looking at easier methods of sharing digital photos both across networks and anywhere in the home between photoframes that are yours and those perhaps at another family member's house hundreds of miles away. A large focus of the company's business now is, of course, home printing of shots but for those that wish to send their stills in the other direction, it's actually possible for to get metadata from scanned hard copy photographs. The paper on which Kodak prints were made contains all sorts of detail including when and where the printing was done. Very useful for mass digitisation and sorting.

There's clearly plenty of inroads for Kodak and enough faith from the general public in the name of the brand the world knows so well. The big question is whether or not the products and services can deliver as well as the competition. This time there's no relying on George Eastmen to invent the revolution. The technology is already there and Kodak has been behind the digital pack so far but with a combination of legacy and innovation anything is possible. What we can say for sure is that we'll be seeing more from the New York company in the consumer space to come but it's another thing altogether of how the B2B side of the business will cope as more and more cinemas go digital too.

Related links:

• News - WEBSITE OF THE DAY - Kodak Gallery
• Features - Five great rangefinder cameras

Tags: Cameras Camcorders Kodak Kodak Zi8 Printers Features Facebook Surveys

Is Kodak coming back? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:48:20 +0100

Microsoft has, just like earlier in the year, offered its users the chance to take a look at the forthcoming dashboard upgrade a little early in the hope of getting rid of any bugs that testers might not have spotted.

The next version of the dashboard will have, as previously reported, integration with Twitter, Facebook and Last.fm, as well as the Zune video marketplace and its associated instant-on 1080p high definition streaming. Here in the UK, we'll also be getting the Sky Player. For most of that lot, though, you'll need an Xbox Gold subscription.

If you'd like to sign up, you'll need to be in an Xbox LIVE region, know your console ID, ISP, make and model of your TV and router, and how you connect your Xbox to your network and your TV. Even then, there's no guarantee that you'll get in - Microsoft is being picky about who gets early access.

If you still feel like trying your chances, then head over to the Xbox Live Update Preview and fill in all your details. Good luck!

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Related links:

• News - Sky Player coming to Xbox 360 in October?

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Xbox Live Microsoft Facebook Twitter Lastfm Sky

Xbox 360 Dashboard preview program reopens originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:11:31 +0100

Following some tragic news regarding the negative side of Facebook, the social networking site has announced it has improved its process to better respond to offensive behaviour on the site.

In a blog post, Facebook says: "While only a small fraction of people on the site ever experience abuse such as bullying, harassment, unwanted contact or offensive behaviour from others, we're constantly improving our processes to better respond if you do have a problem".

Facebook says that after its users have provided them with "accurate and detailed information", via a new, more detailed form system, it will be able to "locate and remove abuse on the site as quickly and efficiently as possible".

Users can report abuse on the site by selecting the "Report" link located near photos, videos, notes or other content they find offensive or inappropriate, however, "keep in mind that we won't remove a photo or video just because it's unflattering", says Facebook.

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Tags: Software Websites Facebook Online Social networking

Facebook improves system to report offensive behaviour originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:24:03 +0100

It's no great secret that Spotify is expanding sideways at a rate of knots. Now that it's got its core desktop music-streaming experience locked down, it wants more little added benefits that it can turn over to premium subscribers to convince them to shell out an tenner a month.

Among those little added benefits are the removal of ads, higher audio quality, mobile applications, exclusive content, and they could soon be joined by the ability to stream music through your games console - specifically the PS3.

MusicAlly has spotted that during a presentation showing distribution strategies for the music service, a slide titled "Consumer Electronics" mentioned?games consoles, media extenders and TVs. Some of those emerged the other day in a deal with Telia, but as MusicAlly points out - we've not heard anything on the console front and the slide was illustrated with a shot of a PS3.

Meanwhile the same article also shares a rumour about a Spotify Facebook app being on the cards. It will initially revolve around expanding the Facebook sharing functionality to get more info out of Spotify (rather than just an URL and a green logo, as it currently is) but could eventually expand into a Facebook app that can play music.

We'll bring you more news of both rumours as we get it, but neither seem out of the realms of possibility.

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Tags: Audio Spotify Music Rumours Facebook PS3

Is Spotify coming to the PS3? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:58:37 +0100

Maxi Sopo, a Camaroon-born fraudster on the run from US authorities, has been arrested in the Mexican beach resort of Cancun after posting about what a lovely time he was having in a series of Facebook status updates.

The updates were seen by a former US Justice Dept official who he'd added to his friends list. The man in question, who hasn't been named, said that he'd only met Mr Sopo a few times and didn't know that he was a fugitive. Mr Sopo had falsely obtained more than $200,000 in credit from banks, according to the US authorities.

Sopo's status updates said that he was "born to party", "loving it", said he was "living in paradise" and that he was "just here to have fun". The Justice Dept official worked out where he lived and tipped off the Mexican police, who then arrested him.

"He was definitely not living the way we wanted him to be living, given the charges he was facing", said assistant US attorney Michael Scoville. "He was making posts about how beautiful life is and how he was having a good time with his buddies".

So if you're reading this, and on the run, then we advise you leave a comment below letting us know what a fantastic time you're having. We promise we won't tell anyone. Honest!

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Tags: Software Online Facebook

Fugitive caught after Facebook updates originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:53:05 +0100

A Tennessee woman is facing jail time thanks to a simple Facebook poke. Shannon D. Jackson, of Hendersonville, TN, has been arrested and sent to the Sumner County Jail after she poked another woman on Facebook, violating the terms of a court order that stated: "no telephoning, contacting or otherwise communicating with the petitioner".

A bond has been set at $1500, and if she's found guilty of the poke then she could face even more jail time - up to 29 days and a fine of up to $2500. Local paper The Tennessean said:

"According to the affidavit filed in Sumner County General Sessions Court, Jackson is accused of using the “poke” option on Facebook to contact a Hendersonville woman, thus violating the terms of the order of protection…Hendersonville police have made copies of the page in which the alleged victim is shown to be “poked”, according to the affidavit".

The lesson to be learnt here is that if someone's taken out a restraining order against you, then be very careful who you poke.

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Related links:

• News - Firebox launches Poken social networking USB gadget

Tags: Software Online Facebook

Facebook poke lands woman in court originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:54:04 +0100

Coke is launching a "worldwide social networking experiment", otherwise known as a publicity stunt, to help people find their doppelgangers.

With the laughably tenuous link that "if Coke Zero has Coke's taste, isn't it possible someone out there has your face?", the fizzy pop giant is creating a database of faces to match up look-a-likies.

Hit play now to see Coke's teaser ad for the service, which is due to go live as a Facebook app soon.

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Tags: Software Websites Facebook Coke Advertising Video

VIDEO: Coke using Facebook to find your evil twin originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:32:10 +0100

3, no stranger to Twitter-friendly phones, has announced it is to offer a special version of the Sony Ericsson T715, featuring an integrated Twitter application that is available only on its network.?

The integrated Twitter application gives users one click access to their Twitter page, where users can read, reply and search for Tweets, upload photos via Twitpic and view profiles.

The T715 on 3 also features an integrated Facebook application, as well as a YouTube uploader pre-loaded on to the device, Windows Live Messenger and free Skype to Skype calls.

The slider gets a 2.2-inch screen and a 3.2-megapixel camera. It's available in galaxy silver, rouge pink and petrous grey and is available in 3 Stores from now on costing ?99 on PAYG or free on the ?15 Texter tariff.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones 3 Twitter Facebook Sony Ericsson Sony Ericsson T715

Sony Ericsson T715 gets integrated Twitter app on 3 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:53:55 +0100

As well as upside-down English and pirate, Facebook is now available in the mother of all romance tongues, Latin.

In a blog post, the social networking site says: "Most of the time when we stumble upon a Latin phrase, it's etched in stone: carved in the hallways of universities, chiselled on facades of government buildings or carefully imprinted in cathedral foyers and churchyards. The language seems almost immovable. Yet beginning today, Latin - the staid and reliable language - springs to life on Facebook".

Now users can select to answer "quid cogitas?", rather than "what's on your mind?", keep their charta up to date and, of course, connect with their amici.

Azeri, Faroese, Georgian and Nepali also join the 70 plus languages that Facebook is available in.

Those who want to change their account settings to see the site displayed in the dead language need to go to Facebook's language drop-down menu and select it there.

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Tags: Software Facebook Websites Social networking

Facebook now available in Latin originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:31:16 +0100

Playfish has launched another casual game to appeal to the masses on Facebook. This one's called Quiztastic and lets players create and customise a TV-style quiz show to play against friends and Playfish users.

Playfish doesn't seem to be doing too badly out of its social gaming push. The company's most popular title - Pet Society - has 18 million players a month, and in total its games hit about 50 million monthly unique users.

Quiztastic is available now, though you'll obviously need a Facebook account to use it. Anyone who wants to play with you will need to allow the app access to their profile, too.

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Related links:

• News - Playfish hits 100 million installed games

Tags: Gaming Playfish Facebook

Playfish debuts Quiztastic Facebook game originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:26:42 +0100

It's rumoured that the next Xbox 360 update will be arriving in October. The October issue of Sky Magazine says that the Sky Player will be avaialble to download on the console, and a web address that the publication links to also features "OCT" in the url.

The service was announced earlier in the year, but hasn't been available until now. To use it, you'll need two active subscriptions - one for Xbox Live Gold membership, costing ?40 per year, and one for Sky Player - ?15 per month, which is ?180 for a year. Is on-demand TV on your Xbox worth ?220 per year to you?

Along with Sky Player, it's expected that the already-announced Facebook and Twitter integration (which also require Xbox Live Gold) will be included in the update. We'll bring you more news of the Dashboard refresh when it's officially announced.

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Related links:

• News - Sky Player comes to Xbox 360
• Link - Sky Player on Xbox 360 coming soon

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Microsoft Sky Home Cinema Twitter Facebook Rumours

Sky Player coming to Xbox 360 in October? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:31:04 +0100

3 has announced it will be offering consumers the chance to earn cash by promoting free Pay As You Go SIMs to their friends and family using social networks.

The "3 Free Agent" programme is said to be the first scheme of this kind available in the UK.

3's head of online, Ash Roots says, "The idea is simple. Use your social networks to give free 3 PAYG SIMs to your mates".

"As soon as they put their free SIM into a 3G phone and top-up, you'll get ?5 cash paid into a PayPal account and your friends get ?2 extra applied to their PAYG credit. Get 10 friends signed up and topped up and that's ?50 in your pocket".

Those interested need to register at Freeagent.three.co.uk, while a Facebook widget that will see the scheme promoted via the site is coming soon.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone industry 3 PAYG Tariffs PayPal Facebook

3 Free Agent programme goes live originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:35:46 +0100