Have you ever snapped a photo of your food and posted it to Facebook or Twitter? Do you use social media while you’re eating? Have you ever turned to a website, app or blog to learn about food? If so, you’re not alone. A new infographic from Flowtown, in partnership with Column Five, shows that social sites and food just may be the perfect pairing.
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LinkedIn Launches iPad App With Bells and Whistles (SocialTimes)
Professional social network LinkedIn has finally launched an app for iPad. The social network obviously has a lot on its plate, having gone public and serving 150 million users per month, but it’s great to see that they took time to reach out to iPad users with a native app. The Washington Post LinkedIn says users often log on to the site through their iPads in the early morning to prepare for meetings and in the evening, on the couch. The iPad app targets these people with a calendar function and other features optimized for the device. Before, they had to use iPad’s Web browser or use an iPhone app that doesn’t take advantage of the iPad’s screen size. VentureBeat Typically, LinkedIn’s most avid users are a relatively affluent crowd, and they’re in their early 30s to 50s, which lines up nicely with tablet ownership demographics (college grads under 65 years of age who earn $75,000 or more per year). PCMag The new iPad app is available for free in Apple’s App Store. In addition to the app, LinkedIn also rolled out a new mobile website for the Safari browser on the iPad. Read more
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Introducing Google Drive… Yes, Really (Google Blog)
Just like the Loch Ness Monster, you may have heard the rumors about Google Drive. It turns out that one of the two actually does exist. BGR Google on Tuesday unveiled a new cloud storage service being billed as the next step in the evolution of Google Docs. Dubbed Google Drive and built to compete directly with Microsoft’s SkyDrive and other similar services, Google’s new cloud storage solution features 5GB of free space and deep Google Docs integration that allows users to collaborate and share all of their documents. GigaOM The new service will be accessible from a Web browser along with different client devices including Mac OS X, Windows and Android devices (tablets and phones). The iOS version of Drive will arrive soon, the company says. Lifehacker Each user gets 5GB for free, and can upgrade to 25GB for $2.49 a month, 100GB for $4.99 a month or even 1TB for $49.99 a month. If you upgrade, it’ll also raise your Gmail storage to that level. Read more
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Facebook Acquires AOL Patents From Microsoft (paidContent)
Facebook announced today that it will pay $550 million to Microsoft for the right to 650 patents and patent applications. Microsoft acquired those patents and hundreds of others in a deal with AOL earlier this month. The New York Times / Bits The deal allows Facebook to bulk up its intellectual property portfolio ahead of the social networking company’s initial public offering, expected next month, and it is a further sign of the growing importance of stockpiling patents in the arsenal of any big technology company. AllFacebook Facebook is currently embroiled in a controversial patent-infringement lawsuit filed by Yahoo in March. Meanwhile, last September, AOL, Yahoo and Microsoft joined forces to challenge Facebook on the online display advertising revenue front. PandoDaily Another thing is astounding about this story: The ever-bumbling AOL has actually done something smarter than Yahoo, the purple dinosaur. AOL sold and licensed its patents for a cash injection of more than $1 billion. Yahoo wanted money too, but it chose to use its patents to extort that kind of cash out of Facebook via a conveniently timed lawsuit — with zero attempt at negotiations before hand. Read more
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Twitter Promotes Patent Peace with Innovator’s Agreement (paidContent)
In a first among major tech companies, Twitter is taking steps to ensure that its patents don’t become fuel for future intellectual property wars. Twitter Blog It is a commitment from Twitter to our employees that patents can only be used for defensive purposes. We will not use the patents from employees’ inventions in offensive litigation without their permission. parislemon Hopefully other startups large and small will follow Twitter’s lead here. It would be really excellent if larger companies (*cough* Yahoo *cough*) did as well, but it’s hard to see that happening given the current state of things. This is a movement that will have to start from the ground up. AllTwitter Those “in the know” when it comes to patent law seem to approve. VentureBeat The Innovator’s Patent Agreement will take effect later this year; you can read the whole thing on GitHub. Read more
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Path Confirms Series B Funding From Redpoint, Richard Branson and Others (AllThingsD)
CEO Dave Morin noted the investors’ commitment to building Path “for the long term,” and said the funding would be used for “international growth and expansion as well as user adoption.” Inside Mobile Apps In February, Path revealed it has passed 2 million registered users, more than half of which had joined since the service relaunched in December as a personal journal app, pivoting from its original vision as a private photo-sharing service. GigaOM Ever since Facebook decided that Instagram was worth $1 billion, there has been recurring talk of Path, another social service being the next big buyout target. And while I am happy for the Path team, I find the comparisons with Instagram unfounded and premature. Business Insider Here’s what’s odd: RedPoint just invested in a startup that is in many ways very similar to Path: Caterina Fake’s new startup PinWheel. Read more
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Facebook Offers Rollout Begins, Delivers Local Deals Direct to Your News Feed (The Verge)
The system allows local businesses to use their Facebook pages to promote themselves direct to their customers, sending freebies and promotions straight to users’ news feeds. Gizmodo Following the huge success of services like Groupon and LivingSocial, it was only a matter of time before Facebook got into the business of deals. AllFacebook If anything, the greater novelty isn’t the rollout of offers, but rather the acquisition of Tagtile. Inside Facebook According to Tagtile’s website, its service “helps local businesses identify and engage their customers to increase revenue.” Read more
Last December we looked at research that showed how Twitter received more media coverage than any other social network in 2011, receiving approximately 50 percent of all media coverage of social networks throughout the year. Facebook was a close second at 45 percent, with LinkedIn (3.33 percent) a very distant third.
But has this trend continued into the first quarter of 2012, or is Twitter’s lofty position under threat from Facebook, and other, rising social platforms such as Pinterest?
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Facebook Allows Users to Download Expanded Archive of Their Information (Inside Facebook)
The “Download Your Information” feature now includes catalogues of friend requests a users make, IP addresses they’ve logged in from and any previous names they’ve used, among other Facebook actions. This is in addition to the copy of photos, posts, messages, chat conversations, friend lists and other information that Facebook first made available for download in 2010. The New York Times Facebook, which is preparing for an initial public stock offering, most likely in May, has been trying to accommodate government officials in Europe, where privacy laws are more stringent than in the United States. Mashable The archive still doesn’t include your friends’ photos and status updates, other users’ personal info and comments you’ve made on other people’s posts. Facebook This feature will be rolling out gradually to all users and more categories of information will be available for download in the future. Read more
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Google+ Gets a Redesign (Google Blog)
We’re introducing a more functional and flexible version of Google+. We think you’ll find it easier to use and nicer to look at, but most importantly, it accelerates our efforts to create a simpler, more beautiful Google. SocialTimes This update proves that Facebook really does have something to fear as Google has improved the user experience in a lot of innovative ways that may leave Facebookers envious. TechCrunch It’s interesting that Google+ has now changed its design, after its first efforts received such praise. BGR The new interface focuses on customization, Google’s Hangout video chatting service and features that will make it easier to discover new conversations and profile pages. Lifehacker The improvements are rolling out over the next few days. Read more
