Software : Nike denies that FuelBand's race is run, but new devices appear unlikely |
- Nike denies that FuelBand's race is run, but new devices appear unlikely
- Beats Music subs now available through iTunes as service tries to keep track
- Facebook plans to share Nearby Friends location data with advertisers
- Facebook Paper for iOS adds birthdays, photo comments and more
| Nike denies that FuelBand's race is run, but new devices appear unlikely Posted:  Nike has moved to calm reports it plans to ditch its completely FuelBand wearables division following layoffs this week. A report on Friday claimed the sportswear giant had fired the majority of staff in charge of developing the fitness wristbands, in order to focus solely on software. While Nike confessed to a "small number" of layoffs, the firm says it remains committed to selling existing products and developing the accompanying apps. "The Nike+ FuelBand SE remains an important part of our business We will continue to improve the Nike+ FuelBand App, launch new METALUXE colours, and we will sell and support the Nike+ FuelBand SE for the foreseeable future." Warning sign?Despite Nike seemingly quelling the reports, the statement mentions nothing about the development of new hardware, only a desire to continue selling the current generation devices. Judging from the statement, it appears the prospect of a third-gen FuelBand device may be distant one. Nike's potential departure from the emerging wearables market, while it is still relatively young, could act as a rude awakening for those firms betting the family farm on the sector exploding. |
| Beats Music subs now available through iTunes as service tries to keep track Posted:  Fledgling streaming service Beats Music has issued an update to its iPhone app, allowing prospective users to subscribe through the iTunes ecosystem. With Beats struggling somewhat to establish itself among the streaming elite, the firm has made the decision to sacrifice 30 per cent of the subscription fee on those coming through iTunes. As a rule, Apple requires that cut for all in-app purchases and Beats seems to have admitted defeat in the uphill struggle to grow significantly without the ease offered through iTunes. The company's CEO Ian Rogers told Recode that working within iTunes is simply "what you have to do if you want subscribers." He added: "If you don't care if people subscribe or not, and you've got a free product, maybe then you wouldn't do it." Can Beats compete?The move will raise doubts over the initial uptake of the Beats service and its ability to compete with the likes of Spotify, Rdio and Pandora. Rogers said plenty of people are "trying it" and is claiming conversion rate wins from a promotion through the AT&T network in the United States, but it appears there is plenty of hard work ahead. He added: "We've had far more people try the product than projected. Clearly the marketing works. The conversion rate on the AT&T plan is off the charts. It's safe to say the biggest problem is coveting iOS users, and we've just fixed that." |
| Facebook plans to share Nearby Friends location data with advertisers Posted:  Facebook has confirmed the data mined through the new Nearby Friends feature may one day be used for advertising and marketing purporses The new tool, which is rolling out to iOS and Android apps in the coming weeks, allows users to share their location with select friends enabling pals to detect when they're in the locale and arrange meet ups offline. At the time of the announcement on Thursday, Facebook made no mention of sharing the data with advertisers, which would have no doubt coloured the reaction to the feature. Belatedly, a Facebook spokesperson has confirmed to TechCrunch: "At this time it's not being used for advertising or marketing, but in the future it will be." Tracking your travelsFacebook is pitching the tool as a valuable new feature for users. It sends occasional notifications informing them how often friends, who've also agreed to be seen, are in the locale. It will also follow users on their travels, allowing friends to pitch in with suggestions or recommendations wherever they roam around the world. Knowing the end goal may be (or always was?) geared towards targeted advertisements may see some users change their views on the feature. Will you be switching on Nearby Friends when it hits your smartphone? Let us know your thoughts below. |
| Facebook Paper for iOS adds birthdays, photo comments and more Posted:  Those using Facebook Paper on their iPhones are getting a drastically different Facebook experience from everyone else. Today, that experience just got better. Facebook Paper update 1.1 recently hit the App Store, bringing about what Facebook called in a Paper blog post are its most requested features. The update adds birthday and events notifications to Paper, and users with the latest version can scroll past their notifications to see this info. In addition, Facebook Paper users can now leave their own photos as comments on friends' posts. More Paper improvementsFacebook Paper's support for Facebook groups has improved as well, with unread counts so users can see which of their groups have new posts. The update also includes improvements to accessibility support, new indications for unread stories, and reliability and speed improvements overall. Finally, Facebook commissioned designer Sharon Hwang to design new covers for articles from Bloomberg News, Mashable, FT, kottke, Fox News, Popular Science, The Hollywood Reporter, Vanity Fair and Hacker News. Work aheadTen weeks after Facebook Paper's launch, the social network says users read an average of 80 stories every day across five or six different sections, the most popular being Facebook, Headlines, Tech, Ideas, LOL and Pop Life. Facebook says more niche sections like Pride are popular as well. "Ten weeks have passed since we launched Paper and we want to thank you for being part of our community," the Facebook Paper team wrote. "Our vision is to make Paper the best way to experience stories from friends and the world on Facebook. "We know we have work ahead of us - and that's why we appreciate your feedback and support." |
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