Saturday, June 1, 2013

Software : Facebook's Home's latest ad strategy is 'don't worry, you can turn it off'

Software : Facebook's Home's latest ad strategy is 'don't worry, you can turn it off'

Facebook's Home's latest ad strategy is 'don't worry, you can turn it off'

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Facebook's Home's latest ad strategy is 'don't worry, you can turn it off'

It's fair to say that Facebook probably envisioned a little more success and traction than its Home launcher for Android has achieved since its launch in April.

However, we hadn't realised the company had become so desperate to convince Android owners to give it a try that it would issue a 'don't worry, you can turn it off if it sucks' assurance on its own website.

In a post on the Facebook Mobile feed, which TechCrunch reports appeared in ads on some users' news-feeds, the company advised users they could get rid of Home whenever they needed some 'alone time'.

The post read: "Cover feed on the HTC First keeps your friends close by. But if you need some alone time, simply turn off Home and use your phone as usual."

HTC First and Last

The HTC First, of course, is the first handset to launch with the Facebook Home experience built in, and judging by the commercial reception, it's likely to be the HTC Last also.

Just this week, the company expressed acknowledged that, for some, the overbearing nature of Facebook Home had put off some Android users.

Speaking at the D11 conference COO Sheryl Sandberg said version one of the app was a 'love it or hate it' deal, and said the company or working to make it more appealing to lighter Facebook users.

She said: "For the people who don't love it, they don't like how it takes over their phone. They don't like how the launcher re-organizes the apps they've already launched, but for the most part they actually like the two core features we launched which are Cover Feed and Chat Heads. So what we are doing is getting that feedback. I don't know how long it will take. I think it will be a long road. but we really believe we're on a path to making phones more social."

Is there a future for Facebook Home among the masses? Or will it forever be consigned to those Facebook-obsessed smartphone owners who wish to use their device for little else?

Google announces not one, but two live 'special events' for Chrome Mobile

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Google announces not one, but two live 'special events' for Chrome Mobile

Google has announced it is holding a pair of 'special events' for the mobile version of its Chrome browser, during the next two weeks.

The web giant has posted YouTube live streams for events on June 7 (that's this coming Friday) and June 13 on its Google Developers website.

Hitting play on the streams activates a countdown clock, but the company has revealed no other information about what it has in store for the events other than to say 'more details coming soon.'

The timing for the events is quite curious, given we're just a couple of weeks departed from Google I/O, where the company seemed to take care of most Chrome-related business, which included a new Siri-like voice search feature.

What gives, Google?

So that begs the question: What is Google cooking up for these events in the next couple of weeks?

It must be something pretty newsworthy, otherwise the team would just fold it into an update and chuck a post up on the official blog explaining the new features, which is what the company normally does.

And why two events, one week after the other? SlashGear speculates that its one event for Android and another for iOS, which sounds about right to us.

What do you think Google has in store? Let us know in the comments section below.

Sky's Android apps make triumphant return to Google Play following hack

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Sky's Android apps make triumphant return to Google Play following hack

Sky has announced that its suite of Android apps have been restored to the Google Play store, following last weekend's hacking incident at the hands of the Syrian Electronic Army.

The company had temporarily removed the likes of Sky Go, Sky+, Sky Wi-Fi and Sky Movies when the Google Play pages were compromised, with logos and app descriptions replaced.

The broadcaster's Twitter support account was also taken over, with tweets sent out advising users to uninstall the apps until further notice. Later that day Sky itself issued a statement, telling users not to do so.

The company affirmed that the apps themselves had not been affected, but only the Google Play pages housing them.

Now the apps are back, with the @SkyHelpTeam Tweeting: "All our Android apps, which we removed from the Google Play last weekend, are now available to download!"

Who's next?

The hack was the latest in a series of attacks on the western media, believed to be perpetrated by the Syrian Electronic Army, a group sympathetic to the country's government.

The Financial Times, BBC, The Guardian and US-based network NPR also fell victim. Where will the group strike next?
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