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Facebook partners up to bring music, news and videos to your profile through Open Graph (video)
Facebook's f8 developer conference is going on today, and Andy Samberg Mark Zuckerberg has just revealed another part of his master plan for the social network. Open Graph will now integrate many of your favorite news and music services, including Spotify, Rhapsody, Rdio and MOG onto your Facebook page with custom apps, and will also bring video from Vevo, Netflix, Hulu and many more. The media platform's already up and running, so you can see (and hear) the results of Mark's labor right now. Update: Unfortunately for Facebook users in the US, Netflix has confirmed that its Facebook integration will only be available in Canada and Latin America initially, due to a US law that "creates some confusion over our ability to allow U.S. members to share what they watch." That doesn't apply to the music services, however, and you can get an idea how Spotify will work in the video after the break. Even TiVo's gotten in on the action, announcing new sharing buttons for its iPhone and iPad mobile apps, although there's no direct DVR integration mentioned yet.
Facebook outs Timeline, gives your profile page a new outfit (video)
Well, Mark's just unveiled Facebook's new look at his f8 keynote, and he's calling it Timeline. The idea is to make it easier to see events, pics and posts from your past by placing a, surprise surprise, timeline on the right edge of your profile page that breaks down your content by year and month. It's a much more visual experience than Facebook's previous incarnation, and Timeline Views allow you to filter the content by photos, locations (courtesy of Bing maps integration) and much more. You can also add apps, "likes", and all of your other content in neatly organized panes on your profile page to let you "tell the story of your life" in the way you want to -- including the ability to go back and add stuff to your timeline after the fact, no flux capacitor required. Timeline's going live in beta immediately for some, and a broader roll-out will be happening over the next few weeks. Get ready people, Facebook's future is here. Update: Facebook's Timeline promo vid is now embedded after the break.
Google: iOS Google+ hangouts "coming soon"
Google is pushing out a significant update to its Google+ social network that will improve both its website and mobile versions. For iOS users, the Google+ app is getting Hangout support. Similar to Facetime and Skype, hangouts will let users chat with their friends using the front-facing camera. This feature is already present in the Android version and will be available for iOS soon. Besides mobile hangouts, Google + also includes a new "on air" hangout feature that lets you broadcast your video stream to a wider audience. Other smaller features include screen sharing, Google Doc integration, and the ability to name hangouts. Best of all, Google + is now open to everyone without invitation.
Google+ moves from field trial to beta, adds Hangouts on phones, search and more
Well, it looks like the "field trial" is officially over. Google today announced that its Google+ social network has moved up to beta status and, as a result, it's now open to everyone (no invitation required). It's also rolled out a slew of new features for the occasion, including a number of improvements to the Hangouts video chat service. That includes Hangouts on your phone (Android 2.3+ only, for now), a new Hangouts On Air feature for public broadcasts, and a number of "extras" including screensharing, a sketchpad and shared Google Docs (not to mention Hangouts APIs). Google's now also finally added search functionality across the site, and it's renamed the Huddle group chat feature to Messenger (which also includes a number of new tweaks). Hit the links below for the complete rundown on what's new.
BBM Music gets official for BlackBerry owners lusting after Spotify
Nothing warms our hearts quite like the thought of corporate suits and government workers pumping out the tunes of Iris DeMent and Amy Martin as they scurry throughout their busy days. As we've previously speculated, a new service for BlackBerry Messenger -- dubbed BBM Music -- has now become real official. For $5 per month, users may keep up to 50 songs in their personal library, which is kinda reminiscent of the wistful days filled with 128MB MP3 players. Fortunately, it gets better. A social component allows you to add BBM Music friends, which gives you access to their current 50 songs, too -- and serves as a real incentive to grow your social circle. Once you get bored of your jam selection, up to 25 songs per month can be swapped out for new ones, and your current library can be stored locally on the handset. The new service begins today in closed beta for residents of the US, Canada and the UK, but more countries will be added down the road. Curious if yours made the list? Just hop the break for the full PR to find out.
Miramax offers video rental via Facebook with iPad support
Miramax is kicking off a movie rental service that'll let you rent movies on Facebook. The Miramax eXperience app is a Facebook app that lets you browse through a starter catalog of twenty movies in the U.S. (10 in the UK and Turkey). Additional movies will be added in September. Each rental costs 30 Facebook credits (about US$3) and must be watched within 30 days of payment. Once the movie is started, you have 48 hours to finish it. There's also a social gaming component that lets you cast your friends in different roles of select movies. Besides Facebook, Miramax rentals can be watched on the iPad and on a Google TV. The iPad app is not a native iOS app, but a web-based Facebook app that has been optimized for the iPad. You can check it out here using Safari on your iPad. [Via Electronista]
Photovine grows out of private beta, begins sprouting on iPhones everywhere
It popped up in private beta earlier this summer, but Slide's Photovine is now open to the public, available as a free download on Apple's iOS App Store. Surprisingly there's no Android app yet -- a curious move considering Google (Slide's parent company) isn't known to exclude its own mobile platform with new product rollouts. Huff Post went hands-on with the app, summing it up as "Instagram meets Piictu," also noting the bizarre exclusion of an option to add your Gmail contacts -- though you can import your friends from Twitter and Facebook. It's probably safe to say that an Android app will be coming soon -- or perhaps some other indication that Google and Slide do in fact share the same roof -- but for now, iPhone owners can slide on down to the source link to get their photo sharing fix.
Twitter.com for iPad eyes-on, now with 100 percent more HTML5
Even if you weren't waiting for it, it's finally here. Next time you grab your iPad and want to check Twitter sans official app, you'll be able to do it in tablet-optimized form. The San Franciscan company just outed a delectable HTML5 redux of its desktop equivalent, carrying over the animated two-pane design of its forebearer, while replicating niceties like pull-to-refresh and scroll bouncing from its native iOS app. Unfortunately, we couldn't get to the goodness from our Galaxy Tab 10.1, but given the open nature of the web, we're hoping an Android compatible version isn't far off. And if you're not seeing the refresh on your iPad yet, sit tight; the company's rolling out access throughout the week. In the meantime, feel free to ogle at the bevy of snaps we grabbed below. %Gallery-129892%
Facebook burns a little cash, buys group messaging and digital book outfit
Facebook gone and done some serious damage to the company credit card, but thankfully, it's being used for more than replacing chimneys and repairing pool liners. Zuck's prized possession has just snapped up Push Pop Press and Beluga, with the former being best known for creating interactive digital books, most notably gadget junkie Al Gore's "Our Choice" book for iPad. Beluga on the other hand, gained lots of attention for its group messaging app built for iOS and Android. Push Pop Press co-founders (and former Apple engineers) Mike Matas and Kimon Tsinteris were quick to say that Facebook has no plans to publish digital books; they did confirm, however, that "the ideas and technology behind Push Pop Press will be integrated with Facebook, giving people even richer ways to share their stories." Mysterious. Could the Push Press Pop acquisition be the key to the fantasmical iPad app we've yearned for since the dawn of the new millennium? Beluga confirmed the future of Facebook mobile messaging when it said, "we're excited to build our vision for mobile group messaging as part of the Facebook team." Equally mysterious. Unfortunately, no concrete details are being made available, with each site's homepage simply confirming that It's Complicated.
Who should I follow? Engadget editors on Twitter
Twitter's a rad place to hang and scope out the latest debt ceiling debate or find out what's up with Tiger's ongoing caddy search, but sometimes you just need another place to totally nerd out, you know? A safe haven for rampant geekery -- that's what we strive to make our personal Twitter stream -- and we're here to help you with that. It's been awhile since we've updated this here list, so we figured... there's no time like the present. Have a gander below at the Engadget editors toiling hard behind the scenes, and feel free to add 'em if you so desire. Engadget @engadget Engadget Mobile @engadgetmobile Engadget HD @engadgethd Engadget Spanish @es_engadget Engadget Germany @de_engadget Engadget Japan @engadgetjp Engadget Chinese @engadgetchinese Editors Tim Stevens @Tim_Stevens Darren Murph @darrenmurph Donald Melanson @donmelanson Christopher Trout @Mr_Trout Richard Lai @richardlai Sean Cooper @sean_cooper Kevin Wong @KevinMWong Ben Drawbaugh @bjdraw Brian Heater @bheater Zach Honig @ZachHonig Michael Gorman @Numeson Joe Pollicino @akaTRENT Sean Buckley @seannicus Joseph Volpe @jrvolpe Terrence O'Brien @terrenceobrien Amar Toor @amartoo Sharif Sakr @shotsheriff Myriam Joire @tnkgrl Zachary Lutz @zacharylutz Brad Molen @phonewisdom Richard Lawler @rjcc Dana Wollman @danawollman Jesse Hicks @jhicks23 Dante Cesa @dantecesa Billy Steele @wmsteele Daniel Cooper @danielwcooper Lydia Leavitt @lydialeavitt Jon Turi (Intern / all-around know-it-all) @jonturi Ross Rubin (Senior columnist) @rossrubin Joshua Fruhlinger (Editorial Director) @fruhlinger And of course, don't forget, you can always befriend us on Facebook. We like that, too.
A new BlackBerry to be unveiled tomorrow, or so Facebook would have us believe
What's made by Research in Motion and is "shiny, new, and social all over?" No one can say for sure, but according to BlackBerry's Facebook page, we're going to find out tomorrow. Might it be the Torch 2 come calling, newly acquired FCC badges in tow? Perhaps Waterloo's hinting at the Bold Touch, its phone of many flavors. Or, maybe it's something yet unseen that will blind all who perceive it with a corona of social networking awesomeness. Whatever BlackBerry's got in store for us, let's hope it's not just another phone with a Facebook button.
Did Google's Photovine sprout from Piictu?
"Plant a photo, watch it grow." Photovine's tagline is just as catchy as the concept behind its launch -- a mobile app-based picture sharing service that groups images together using common photo-driven themes. These groupings, called vines, let you connect with strangers while sharing photos of everyday items that you wouldn't otherwise have any interest in photographing. You can have a vine focused on Swingline staplers, or magazine covers, or bottle caps. But as clever as this concept may seem, it's difficult to ignore Piictu, which budded several months before the Google app. It's certainly not uncommon for duplicate services to sprout, all based on the same underlying concept. But Photovine doesn't stop there -- the app's design is also remarkably similar to Piictu, down to page layouts and even main category tabs. For Piictu's "Following" tab, Photovine has "Watching." Piictu's "Latest" section is matched with "Fresh," and Photovine didn't even bother searching for a synonym for "Popular," which you'll find in both apps. Jump past the break for a deeper look, along with statements from the makers of both apps.
Post to Google+ on your iPhone using DoAT
Reading something interesting on your iPhone and frustrated you can't easily post it to Google+? Now there's a solution that takes some of the pain out of using Google+ on the iPhone. No, it's not the native client from Google. It's DoAT, a content aggregating and reading app. DoAT is one of the first iOS apps to support sharing with Google+. There is no official API support yet, so DoAT uses a little hackery to get around this limitation. It uses the mobile web version of Google+ and inserts both the name of the page you are viewing and the link automatically. It's easier than doing it manually, and DoAT is a fun app if you haven't checked it out yet.
Microsoft leaks Tulalip internal project, planning to launch social search... thing?
Google's Social Search may have to make room for an extra guest at the table, now that Microsoft has leaked the homepage for what looks like a new social service -- of some sort. Fusible first discovered the page sitting at socl.com, a domain that MS recently purchased. Known as Tulalip (also the name of a group of Native American tribes near Redmond), the project promises to help users "find what you need and share what you know easier than ever" -- which, at this early stage, is pretty difficult to do, considering that the page's search field is non-functioning. The platform also features sign-in buttons for Facebook and Twitter, the latter of which leads to an authorization page explaining that Tulalip is an "experimental app," and that it will be able to "update your profile" and "post tweets for you" (see the screenshot, after the break). It's too early, of course, to say whether or not the service will launch as a direct competitor to Social Search, or if it'll even get off the ground, though Microsoft insists that it didn't mean to tip its hand so early. The Socl.com welcome page now reads: "Socl.com is an internal design project from one of Microsoft's research teams which was mistakenly published to the web. We didn't mean to, honest." [Thanks, Brian]
Google teases Photovine, slides back into image sharing
Remember when Google acquired Slide way back in 2010? A year after coasting smoothly down the chute into Mountain View, the social gaming company has finally begun to make a splash, launching Prizes (beta) last week, and now teasing Photovine, a social networking app that lets you connect with people through photo-driven themes. You could participate in a vine about your crazy weekend at the lake, join other users in a thread of kitten shots, or share unboxing pics of a new gadget while comparing regional discrepancies with users from around the world. For now, Photovine is little more than an amateurish three-page website with a brief FAQ and a somewhat-hidden reference to Slide and Google, but the service's objective seems to be on-point, and it has potential to attract a diverse group of users. We look forward to watching the vine bud and grow after its yet-to-be-announced public launch, but head over to the source link for a more detailed look in the meantime. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
HTC Status ships July 17th, currently in a pre-order relationship with AT&T
Following the usual leak + wait-and-see saga, AT&T has today confirmed that it'll be the exclusive home to one half of HTC's Facebook-infused duo. The so-called Status will be making its way onto Ma Bell's airwaves on July 17th, with eager social networkers able to get their pre-orders in today. It'll sell for $49.99 on a two-year agreement, with that tally netting you a dedicated Facebook "Share" button that'll allow photos / videos /websites to be instantly uploaded to your account. We're also told that it'll ship with Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread) onboard, with an "enhanced version" of HTC's Sense overlay. Other specs include a 5 megapixel camera (with autofocus and LED flash), a 2.6-inch touch panel, 480 x 320 screen resolution and capacitive navigation buttons. Oh, and if you're uninterested in the hue you see about, Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile standalone stores will feature an exclusive mauve edition in due time. Fancy.
Share your iPhone photos to Google + with Piconhand
iOS owners using Google+ are in limbo until Apple approves the official Google+ application. Users can view their stream and send updates using Safari mobile, but they cannot upload photos via this web interface. Thanks to the tight integration between Google's online services, Google+ users can use Google's Picasa online photo service to serve up photos to their circles. This workaround uses Piconhand, a free Picasa client for iOS. All you have to do is upload your photos to Picasa using Piconhand and they will appear in your Google+ library. You can then pick which photos to share with your different circles. You can grab the Piconhand app here and head over to Mashable for the step-by-step details. [Via Redmond Pie]
Google+ recommends that businesses hold back for now, says current offering is consumer-focused
So, Johnson & Johnson -- you're a male, right? If you've tried looping your business into Google+, you may have noticed that it's not exactly setup for that right now. In case you didn't, however, Goog's own Christian Oestlien has a bit of intel he'd like you to know. For now, Google+ remains a consumer-oriented affair, but he did say that there's a team of engineers toiling away on "an amazing Google+ experience for businesses." As for features? Mum's the word, really, but we are told that it'll "far exceed the consumer profile in terms of its usefulness to businesses." The company's asking for patience while the finishing touches are made, and Google's going to be testing the waters with a few marketing partners over the next few months. As for when your own LLC can take advantage? "Later this year."
Facebook video chat and Skype 5.5 beta hands-on
Earlier today, Facebook and Skype got a little friendlier, making it easy to find your Facebook friends in Skype and -- more importantly -- video chat with your Facebook friends in Facebook, a service powered by -- you got it -- Skype. Since you're using Skype either way you slice it, we're not interested so much in the call quality as we are the ease of use. Just how easy is it to make video calls using Facebook chat, which, simply put, has never been our favorite IM service? And what's it like seeing your list of potential Skype callers expand to include all your Facebook buddies? Let's venture past the break to find out. %Gallery-127843%
Skype comes to Facebook, and Facebook comes to Skype (update: available now!)
It ain't the first time Mark Zuckerberg has taken the stage to announce... something, but today's shindig is resulting in "something" that's a bit more exciting for the average user. As rumored, the world's most notable VoIP service is set to become exceedingly integrated with the world's most notable social network. Skype has just thrown up a teaser page for v5.3 for Windows (and v5.5 Beta), noting that Skype and Facebook will aim to provide "the best of both worlds." Zuck is primarily announcing three main things today: group chat, a new way to chat ("an easier way to find someone who is online") and Skype-enabled video chat. Oh, and the tiny, tiny fact that there's now 750 million Facebook members. What's notable is just how easy it is to fire up a group chat (or send transcripts to group members who miss out) and get a video call going using your existing Skype contact list. A single click is all it takes, and we're told that it'll be rolled out to everyone "over the next few weeks" in 70 different languages. The new chat design will be scalable based on your browser size, and the company made a point to mention that it'll be listening closely to user input in order to iterate as it moves forward. Tony Bates stepped up to the plate, and noted that over 300 million videocall minutes a month are going through Skype, and at peak times, over half of its traffic is video. He also noted that the technology behind it was "tough" to construct, but somehow it managed to hammer this whole thing out in around six months via joint development. There's also talk about future "paid products" in due time, and it's strikingly clear that this partnership isn't going to fade anytime soon. If you're looking to take a dive yourself, hit up the source links below for the Windows applications, and wear that F5 button out over at Facebook's homepage if you're more of the "in-browser" type. Oh, and if you're curious about mobile -- video chat isn't active on that front yet, and Mark's not spilling any details on "when." To quote him on a question of time tables: "We'll see." Update: Those on the web can get started right now. Of note, this forces open the familiar chat bar, so it doesn't much look like you can hide from "those people" while attempting to find folks on Skype. Sadly, we're also seeing that doing so can add loads of Facebook contacts to your Skype program, and there's no real way to see that it's happening until it's too late. Clever, Mark. Update 2: We've spent a little time with both of the new options, and you can read up on our impressions here!
