Software : Instagram comes under fire again, this time for shoddy update

Instagram comes under fire again, this time for shoddy update
New Facebook privacy tools roll out, now there's nowhere to hide
Flipboard app brings personalized news e-zine to Android tablets
Facebook testing paid message delivery system
Tux gamers salivate as Steam for Linux enters open beta

Instagram comes under fire again, this time for shoddy update

Posted:

Heavily criticised photo-sharing app Instagram has come under fire again, this time for a bug in its latest update.

The latest version of the app is receiving one-star reviews from disgruntled users. "Danwolfe" sums up the gripe in his review: "For anyone using a private album, don't download the update," he writes. "The 'Photos are Private' switch turns itself off with this update and when you attempt to change it back, switches itself off again. Deleted the app and re-downloaded, problem persists."

Instagram has acknowledged the problem, but says users' photos will stay private if they selected the option. The issue is just with what the switch says, apparently. Instagram is working on a fix, it says.

But still, it seems it can't do any right at the moment.

The update brings a new filter, called Mayfair, and 25 new languages. It supports Facebook iOS 6, and it sees the return of the option to share photos from any album, instead of just the camera roll.

Photo furore

Instagram recently caused uproar with changes to its terms. It initially said it would reserve the right to sell users' photos to advertisers, and keep the money for itself. Then it reneged. But that doesn't mean adverts won't show up on the app.

For some it's too late. National Geographic has already suspended its account. And look - Kim Kardashian is rumoured to be upset about it as well, and is considering leaving. Things don't get much worse than that.

Via The Next Web

New Facebook privacy tools roll out, now there's nowhere to hide

Posted:

Facebook's new privacy tools have started to roll out.

The social network touted them last week. They should make it easier to control who sees what you post, but you won't be able to remove your profile from searches.

Facebook is dropping the feature because only a low percentage of users take advantage of it. Now, the only way to hide on the social network is to block each individual user from finding you.

But new Privacy Shortcuts should make it easier to keep tabs on your profile. Options include: Who can see my stuff? Who can contact me? How do I stop someone from bothering me?

Before, you had to navigate multiple pages to adjust Timeline settings, so bringing it all together in one place should simplify things.

App permissions have also changed.

Changing its own privacy policy

Facebook also outed a new feature that lets you drag and drop images straight into the social network. Which should make it even simpler to upload snaps. Though it could be dangerous this time of year, what with all the Christmas parties happening.

Facebook itself is looking to enact new privacy policies, which will change how it shares your data. It also wants to stop letting you comment on planned policy changes.

Via CNET

Flipboard app brings personalized news e-zine to Android tablets

Posted:

The digital, personalized news magazine Flipboard made the jump to Android tablets Thursday.

Flipboard found its new home just days before the holidays, when Flipboard Head of International Development Eric Alexander expects an influx of Android tablets to arrive under trees and in stockings.

Alexander said in a statement, "As more people buy Android tablets for themselves or others over the holidays, we wanted to make sure Flipboard is part of their tablet experience and deliver on a top request from our readers," as reported by CNET.

Flipboard began life as an iOS app over two years ago, and over the summer it became available for Android smartphones, Amazon's Kindle Fire line and Barnes and Noble's Nook e-readers.

Your personal digital magazine

Flipboard serves as a visual aggregator for both "world news" and "social news," according to its official Google Play page description.

Users can sign into their various social accounts and tell Flipboard what subjects they care about (i.e. video games, marine biology, etc.).

Flipboard then creates a custom e-zine tailored to your tastes, pulling news, photos and updates from sources ranging from the BBC, National Geographic and The Verge to Instagram and Twitter.

And best of all, Flipboard is free on all platforms.

Flipboard goes big

The new Android tablet Flipboard app sports custom page layouts for the devices' wider screens, which will reportedly make room for longer article excerpts and other improvements.

According to CNET, Flipboard has been working with Samsung for a year to ensure that the app is up-to-snuff on Samsung's numerous Android tablets.

In August, Flipboard celebrated its second anniversary and revealed that it had 20 million users.

Facebook testing paid message delivery system

Posted:

Facebook invited a limited group of users Thursday to test a new feature that lets members of the social network message folks they aren't connected to for a fee.

The feature is being tested in the U.S. only at the moment, and for now the fee is set at a mere $1 to make sure your message is delivered to the recipient's inbox rather than the Other folder.

During this experimental phase, Facebook will try a variety of different prices in an effort to gauge what its users are willing to pay to have an important message delivered to someone in a situation where "neither social nor algorithmic signals are sufficient."

Currently, such algorithms are used to determine whether or not the users are actual friends of the person they're messaging, or friends of friends.

Money maker

The feature can only be used once per week, and both the sender and the recipient must be active Facebook users (brands and pages are excluded) in the U.S.

Facebook believes charging a minimal fee will help relevant and important messages get through, while keeping unwanted and inconsequential queries from filling up inboxes.

Of course, what it also means for Facebook is a source of revenue, something the company has struggled to tie down. Just how much people are willing to spend to send a message we may never know if FB decides not to move forward with ubiquitous use, but it's an interesting play for profits nonetheless.

LinkedIn has a similar service with InMail, though that service is offered with premium accounts that users pay a monthly fee to run.

Filtering updates

In addition to testing out the new pay-to-send system, Facebook also implemented some new filtering upgrades to the existing Messenger for everyone to use.

There are now two new filtering options available to allow users to better determine which messages make it through to their inbox or are automatically pushed to the Other folder.

Basic filtering will let through messages from friends, as well as friends of friends, to the inbox without interruption.

Strict filtering will only let messages from people users are actually connected to in the first degree to appear in the inbox.

Both sets of filters now better manage messages sent from Messenger for Android, or from people with @Facebook email addresses.

More updates are expected to come to Facebook Messenger in the coming months, and we'll keep a special eye out for that fee-based messaging system.

Tux gamers salivate as Steam for Linux enters open beta

Posted:

The closed beta of Steam for Linux is over, and that can only mean one thing: Valve changed its mind and shut down the project entirely.

Just kidding! It means that Steam for Linux is in open beta as of Thursday, available to all who would like to try out some organized tux gaming (so called for Linux's mascot penguin).

Linux has been getting a lot of love ever since beloved-by-gamers Valve CEO Gabe Newell publicly decried Windows 8 over the summer, calling it "a catastrophe" for everyone who uses PCs.

Ever since then, Valve has been hard at work getting Steam and a small selection of games ported to Linux.

Steam for the holidays

When Steam for Linux entered closed beta in November, Valve issued a call-to-arms seeking "experienced Linux users" to test it out.

Then, on Wednesday evening, Valve announced in a Steam community post that the Linux Steam beta was open to the public as "an early holiday gift."

Valve also announced that bugs should now be submitted via the Steam for Linux GitHub repository, which went live on Wednesday evening.

As of Thursday, there are 39 games available through Steam for Linux, including Team Fortress 2, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP, Serious Sam 3: BFE, and more.

It's not much, but it's certainly a start.

Users react

Forum users and commenters expressed near equal amounts of joy and disparagement about Steam for Linux on Wednesday and Thursday.

"Reducing dependency on Windows and encouraging platform agnostic code is a good thing for PC gaming going forward," wrote NeoGAF user Interfectum.

On the other hand, "Steam for Linux is a nice extra for Linux users as they gain some native games," wrote Engadget commenter boe2BE, adding, "For most gamers, the migration to linux is still a bad idea however, since the vast majority of games are not supported and never will be."

That remains to be seen, but it's certainly true that Valve has a long way to go if it wants to make Linux gaming an actual, viable alternative.

In addition, Valve's "Steam Box" living room PC hardware, thought to be launching next year, may or may not have something to do with Steam for Linux - there's no way to know until Valve decides to tell us.

Either way, it's clear that the market for Linux Steam games exists, however small, and that tux gamers are just as eager to play Half-Life 3 as anyone.

Yahuui Blog

Friday, December 21, 2012