photo-sharing

Path: The smaller, simpler alternative to Facebook

At a time when Facebook seems to keep adding apps, curating news feeds, and pushing users to connect with as many other users as possible, Path, the blossoming social-sharing app for iOS and Android, is doing just the opposite. It's trying to keep things small and simple.

While the idea of social networking on a smaller scale may seem strange, it makes a lot more sense once you get to know Path. With no brand pages, groups, event invitations, or Bejeweled requests to clutter its experience, this young social network is all about sharing personal moments with loved ones. … Read more

Zuckerberg did $1 billion Instagram deal on his own

Facebook shocked the tech community with its $1 billion acquisition of Instagram, but perhaps more shocking is the price the photo-sharing app's CEO originally wanted for his company: $2 billion.

During three days of quiet negotiations, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg halved Kevin Systrom's asking price -- all without involving bankers or his own board of directors, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal (subscription required). In fact, Zuckerberg, who controls roughly 57 percent of the company's voting rights, had pretty much closed the deal with Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom before even informing the board of … Read more

A beginner's guide to Instagram

Maybe you heard the news last week (as if you could escape it): Facebook bought Instagram.

Insta-what? Although this app/service launched back in October 2010, and has snowballed in popularity ever since, not everybody knows an Instagram from a telegram. (Wait, what the heck is a telegram? Yeah, obviously I'm skewing toward an older audience here.)

If you've been sitting on the Instagram sidelines, here's your chance to find out what all the fuss is about and get started using Facebook's new baby.… Read more

Instagram takes the title of No. 1 free app on iTunes

Instagram has terminated Draw Something's long-time reign over the No. 1 free app spot on iTunes' download charts.

"Instagram is #1 in the @AppStore for the first time ever! Thanks everyone!," Instagram announced on Twitter today.

Most likely this has something to do with Facebook's acquisition of the photo sharing app yesterday. With widespread news that the social networking behemoth laid down $1 billion for Instagram, people who weren't familiar with the app must have gotten curious.

It's been a big last few days for the 2-year-old startup. Not only did it cash in … Read more

Instagram users are young and Facebook users are old

Instead of exuberant rejoicing over the announcement of Facebook's mega-acquisition of Instagram yesterday, there's been a lot of woe-is-me chatter among the photo app's users. One of the reasons may be because the two social networks cater to different groups of people.

Instagram's users, on the whole, are quite a bit younger than Facebook's, according to a study done by consumer behavior research group Experian Hitwise.

"The audience for Instagram is relatively young, with over half of the visitors to the Instagram website are under the age of 35," research director at Hitwise … Read more

Seven Instagram alternatives for the iPhone

Instagram created a social-media uproar last night when it changed its terms of service to state that it could license user photos for display by advertisers without consent and without compensation. Granted, Instagram isn't the first social-networking service to claim the right to use uploaded content, but the broad language with phrases like "without any compensation to you" spurred a quick and vocal backlash. And rightly so.

Fortunately, it took less than a day before Instagram began to realize its mistake. As rivals began to pounce on its fumble and users threatened to leave, CEO Kevin Systrom … Read more

The 404 1,029: Where we're never going on a cruise (podcast)

There are few words to describe people that don't know that the movie "Titanic" was actually based on a real Titanic, and even fewer to describe the bravado in tweeting about that ignorance, but Jeff musters a few adjectives.

On today's episode, we'll cover the $1 billion Instagram buyout and what you can expect to change once Facebook takes over, all four major U.S. wireless carriers joining forces to create a "lost my phone" database, smart touch-screen displays replacing payphones in New York City, and the shaky future of Best Buy and its former CEO.… Read more

Instagram for Android grabs 1 million downloads on first day

Eager Android users awaiting the release of Instagram scooped up a million copies in less than 24 hours.

The free photo-sharing app made its official appearance on Google Play yesterday following a pre-registration period on March 24 that captured 430,000 interested users. Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom told The New York Times yesterday that the app was grabbing 2,000 people each minute following its debut.

Instagram has already proven a hit among iOS users, named by Apple as the iPhone App of the Year in 2011.

The app initially launched in October 2010 as a way to tweak and … Read more

Instagram logs 2K signups a minute

Instagram is an instant hit with Android users.

The photo-sharing app, which was made available to Android phone users today, was signing up new users at a rate of 2,000 people a minute, Kevin Systrom, Instagram's chief executive officer, told The New York Times.

The free app has been around since 2010, but only for iOS devices. However, with more than 430,000 Android users on the app's waiting list, it's no surprise that there would be an immediate influx of sign-ups. … Read more

Instagram for Android imminent: Now taking sign-ups

Good news for Android users who've had to sit by the sidelines watching their iOS friends have all the Instagram fun. The company yesterday opened a sort of registration for Android users, giving them the chance to be "first in line" for the app made for Google's platform.

We knew Instagram for Android was coming really soon. Founders of the popular photo-sharing app, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, said as much at South by Southwest earlier this month. "In some ways, it's better than our iOS app. It's crazy," Systrom said about … Read more