FACEBOOK

Facebook Home takes up residence outside U.S.

Just days after its U.S. debut, Facebook Home, the social network's suite of applications for select Android devices, is ready for download in other countries.

Facebook made the push to international territories Tuesday as part of a colonization plan to get its freshest social-networking features in front of many people as possible -- and to up engagement levels, of course. A company spokesperson said that Facebook Home is now available globally.

Facebook Home arrived last Friday to give Android users with select HTC or Samsung devices Cover Feed, a home screen chock full of swipe-able and panning updates … Read more

Former Apple Maps lead finds home at Facebook

Richard Wiliamson, who led the Apple Maps initiative, is now providing direction for Facebook's mobile projects, according to Bloomberg.

The rebuffed lead behind Apple Maps landed at the social network sometime in the past few weeks and is a manager within the company's mobile ranks, two people with knowledge of the hire told Bloomberg.

Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Williamson, previously the senior director of iOS platform services at Apple, was reportedly fired late last year from the company where he had worked for more than 10 years. The ousting came a few … Read more

Facebook's iOS app gets stickers, Chat Heads

CNET Update starts a new type of sticker collection:

In this tech roundup, Google reveals the technical specs for Google Glass, and we also learn that it won't display ads in your eye (at least for now).

Only a select group gets the chance to buy this early version of Google Glass, but here's something Android fans can order now: The Samsung Galaxy S4. Preorders have begun for the smartphone at AT&T and U.S. Cellular, and the phones will ship on April 30.

Facebook found a way to bring Chat Heads to the iPhone, but … Read more

Facebook releases new News Feed look for iPad

Facebook is updating its News Feed for iPads, promising the bigger photos and more prominently displayed content that the social network has already launched on the desktop version of Facebook.

The update for the iPad app will be available for download in the iTunes store later today, according to Facebook.

The new News Feed means a new look for the iPad. "You'll see brighter, more beautiful stories," a Facebook blog post says.

The social network unveiled the overhaul of its most lucrative feature last month. Facebook is hoping the new News Feed equals a richer story design, … Read more

Facebook Chat Heads arriving today on iOS

Facebook Chat Heads, a messaging innovation the social network pioneered for its Facebook Home family of applications on Android, will be appearing inside the company's iOS application as soon as today, company executives said. But there is one little catch.

Facebook CTO Mike Schroepfer and Vice President of Mobile Engineering Cory Ondrejka told attendees at an All Things D mobile event today that the social network is about to push an update to its iOS application that would add its quirky messaging experience to Apple devices.

Chat Heads reimagines mobile messaging by coupling Facebook Messenger and SMS updates into … Read more

Facebook Home on Android? Good stuff, says Eric Schmidt

NEW YORK -- Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt enthusiastically supports what Facebook has done on the Google Android OS with its new suite of apps called Home.

Speaking at All Things D's Dive into Mobile conference here Tuesday, Schmidt reiterated the statement Google put out after Facebook launched earlier this month, defending the company's use of its open-source software to layer a new Facebook-centric experience on Google Android smartphones.

Some people, including Microsoft's head of Windows Phone Terry Myerson, have publicly speculated that if given the choice Google would try to take the Facebook Home app suite … Read more

Facebook reportedly wants $1 million for each video ad

Would you spend $1 million for a video ad on Facebook?

That's allegedly what the popular network is aiming to squeeze out of advertisers when it starts rolling out video ads sometime this summer, says a story today in Ad Age.

Citing information from one "executive briefed on the product," Ad Age reported that the video ads would carry a price tag upwards of $1 million, run for no longer than 15 seconds, and be scheduled so that no Facebook user sees more than three such ads per day.

Facebook has been chatting up ad agencies to … Read more

Facebook beefs up its entertainment pages

Facebook is beefing up its interest pages, giving the social network a better way to surface recommendations and offering advertisers a better way to target users.

The company today announced its partnership with Rovi Corp., a metadata company that will fill out the social network's already existing entertainment interest pages -- those pages you "like" if you are a fan -- and create new ones.

Metadata is a set of data that describes other data, allowing companies to easily organize or search the data. Facebook will make some of this data available to its third-party developers, which … Read more

No, Facebook Home won't be coming to the iPhone

Don't hold your breath for Facebook Home to make an appearance on the iPhone.

A Facebook executive told Bloomberg on Monday that the social networking giant is in talks to bring its newly debuted user interface to Apple's iPhone, as well as Microsoft's Windows Phone platform.

Earlier today, The Next Web reported that Facebook isn't in talks with Apple or Microsoft about porting over Home, citing unnamed sources familiar with the discussions.

Facebook Home is the social networking giant's way of increasing its presence in the mobile world without actually building a smartphone or mobile … Read more