Home app extends time spent on Facebook by 25%
Facebook's Home application has reached its first million downloads. Cory Ondrejka, Facebook director of mobile engineering, says that's right on target and the use of the app that puts Facebook front and center on supported devices has had the intended effect of increasing engagement time by 25%. An updated version of the Facebook application and the Home app were released Thursday. Network World/IDG News Service
(5/9)
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Google paints a picture of how mobile is changing in-store shopping
Almost two-thirds of mobile users prefer websites to applications for shopping and about 8 in 10 use their devices while in stores, according to a Google survey. The survey also found that more than half use their phones for price comparisons. The results suggest that "smartphones are changing the in-store experience, and that winning the key decision moments at the physical shelves mean owning the digital shelves too," argued Adam Grunewald, Google's mobile marketing manager. TechCrunch
(5/9)
Facebook eyes mobile ads in reported pursuit of Waze driving app
Facebook is moving to improve its mobile ties by holding talks to acquire the social navigation application firm Waze, in what could be a $1 billion deal, sources say. Waze's driving directions to its almost 50 million users include help from members who provide information about traffic conditions. Members can also exchange comments on message boards and coordinate their routes directly with friends. Waze could help Facebook draw more mobile ads by exposing more members to its mobile applications. The Wall Street Journal
(5/9), Computerworld
(5/9)
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EBay couples Now app with roving trucks for one-hour delivery
EBay is presenting free delivery through its mobile application eBay Now to promote Mother's Day sales, including last-hour gifts in San Francisco; San Jose, Calif.; and New York. Among the partner offerings, eBay is curating beauty gift sets from Benefit Cosmetics and putting trucks on the road in those three cities for the one-hour delivery option. MobileCommerceDaily.com
(5/10)
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Nokia revises Asha platform, offers new SDK
Nokia's new operating system platform for Asha devices offers a fresh opportunity to developers, Nick Summers writes. The Nokia Asha Software Development Kit 1.0 "includes a Web Development Environment and an integrated development environment which developers can leverage to create, test and edit their Web apps before launching them on the new Asha platform," Summers writes. TheNextWeb.com
(5/9)
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Bill would put consumer-privacy onus on app developers
A bill introduced in Congress this week would require consumer consent before an application could track the user's behavior and personal information. App developers would also have to formulate a privacy policy that includes informing consumers how long their data is kept and allowing them to selectively delete data or refuse to have it collected. The mobile sector is arguing against such legislation, preferring self-regulation. Computerworld/IDG News Service
(5/9), Computerworld
(5/10)
Groups protest Facebook over Fwd.Us causes
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's Fwd.Us advocacy group is being criticized for member companies aligning themselves with ads backing several conservative causes, including the Keystone XL pipeline project and Republican Sen. Marco Rubio's plan for immigration reform. The Sierra Club, the League of Conservation Voters and MoveOn.org have said they are pulling ads from Facebook in protest. "I'm proud to support Fwd.Us as they work to pass comprehensive immigration reform," Accel Partners' Jim Breyer says. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)
(5/8)
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Optimism is essential to achievement and it is also the foundation of courage and true progress."
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