instagram

Instagram: How to go from zero to $1B in under two years

Co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger started out with a straightforward but ambitious mission when they launched Instagram: "To change and improve the way the world communicates and shares."

And now they have done the unimaginable: Gone from zero to $1 billion in just 18 months, as the startup -- valued just last month at an already fat $500 million -- is selling itself to the powerhouse that Mark Zuckerberg built.

The $1 billion figure and the speed to get there sounds ripped right from the headlines of 1999. And the news is sure to have app makers … Read more

Instagram deal: Just the start for a new Facebook

This January at CES in Las Vegas, Facebook's platform partnerships guru Justin Osofsky shared a vision with me of a future in which Facebook is everywhere -- yes, even more than it already is.

But who would have guessed that could mean Facebook would purchase a tunnel directly into other social networks?

That's just one of the many things Facebook bought with its billion-dollar purchase of Instagram today. … Read more

Facebook hits a tired tech playbook: The rollup

Facebook is acquiring Instagram for $1 billion, covering its flank on mobile photo sharing and ensuring that it'll have user growth its first few quarters as a publicly traded company.

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO, said in the announcement today:

This is an important milestone for Facebook because it's the first time we've ever acquired a product and company with so many users. We don't plan on doing many more of these, if any at all. But providing the best photo sharing experience is one reason why so many people love Facebook and we knew it would … Read more

Will Instagram users quit now that Facebook owns the app?

Until last week, Instagram was exclusive to iOS users. Dubbed the No. 1 app in the App Store last year, its popularity soared. On April 4, it was finally made available to Android, and I wrote about the disturbing undertone of the reaction from some iPhone users.

After today's news, I wondered how those iPhone users feel now that their precious photo-sharing app is not only open to their OS rivals, Androiders, but all 845 million active Facebook users.

Facebook used to be about exclusivity, but now it's almost the antithesis of that: anyone of age can join, and it's free. Will that curdle iPhone users' blood? If Instagram's cool factor was threatened by Android, the massive Facebook population uploading filtered pictures would be even worse, right? … Read more

Why Facebook plunked down $1 billion to buy Instagram

Facebook, the largest photo-sharing site (and social network), announced today that it's buying Instagram, the wildly popular mobile photo-sharing app for smartphones. Quick analysis pegs this as a very strong tactical and strategic move for Facebook.

The key win for Facebook here is mobile engagement. Instagram has rocketed to 30 million users in under two years. Facebook has had a mobile app for years but it doesn't have the user love that Instagram does. By acquiring the best-of-breed mobile app -- at least in terms of audience development -- Facebook both takes out a future competitor and grows … Read more

How to delete your Instagram account while saving your photos

With the announcement of Facebook's acquisition of Instagram, some Instagram users are worried about information being passed on to the larger social network.

When you delete your account with Instagram, your photos, friendships, comments, and everything you've done with the service will be deleted. Before you pull the trigger, you can save your Instagram shots by using Instaport, an online app that lets you download your images or move them to other social networks. Simply log in to your account, give permission to Instaport to access your files, then start the download.

Now that you have your photos … Read more

Facebook 'likes' Instagram with $1B price tag

Facebook, just weeks away from what's expected to be the biggest Internet IPO in history, today signed a deal to acquire the hugely popular photo-sharing smartphone app Instagram in a cash and stock deal valued at about $1 billion.

Facebook has made a slew of acquisitions to date, but nothing of this scale. But Instagram is a 2-year-old startup that comes with some 33 million users and a growth rate that's the envy of Silicon Valley.

Photo-sharing has been a big part of Facebook's success, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is now making a big bet that it … Read more

Instagram for Android gets tablet, Wi-Fi, SD card support

Instagram seems to be on a mission to add hipster photo filters to all your mobile devices this week. First, the long-awaited Android version of the popular iPhone app dropped and quickly racked up over a million downloads, and now an update opens up support to tablets and Wi-Fi devices in the Android universe.

The news is more salt in the wound of scorned iOS users who were apparently under the impression that their Vegas honeymoon with Instagram would live forever, but times are changing and it doesn't make sense for many apps to be monogamous these days. … Read more

The 404 1,026: Where we were monitoring that scan (podcast)

Are you disappointed or psyched that so many new technologies draw inspiration directly from films and TV? First it was Samsung citing "2001: A Space Odyssey" as an influence for their Samsung Galaxy tablet and all the reports of "Minority Report" tech coming soon. And now Google looks like it watched too many Star Trek episodes while designing its augmented-reality glasses.… Read more

Browse your Instagram feed on your iPad with InstaPad

InstaPad is a free iPad app that allows Instagram users to browse their Instagram feed, comment, like, or even send an Instagram photo as a postcard. Now, I know what you might be thinking, you can just install the Instagram app on your iPad. Doing so would allow you to do everything you could possibly ever want to do with Instagram, including upload a photo! But, ask yourself do you really enjoy using a blown-up iPhone app on the iPad? I know I don't.

In the video below, you'll find a brief walkthrough of InstaPad. It comes with … Read more