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New Facebook-Branded Android Coming?
Earthquake Retrofit writes "The Register reports that 'Facebook has sent out invitations to an event at its Menlo Park headquarters next week that many believe will see the launch of a new, Facebook-branded smartphone...' I have lately become disillusioned with Google having so much power over my phone and the usual privacy concerns, so this announcement means I now have a choice. Oh, wait..."
who actually wants this?
It will probably be one of the only qwerty keyboarded android phones available.
Hilarious, a lot of the creepy Google privacy concerns are there because they've seen how far Facebook pushes the envelope and think they can too.
I'm under no doubt Facebooks phone will be sending constant tracking data to Facebook and they'll sell that data to anyone who wants it for any reason, and simply bury some button down in the privacy settings that defaults to consent.
Seriously though, any young teen who's already Facebook obsessed probably wouldn't think twice....not like some graybeard's privacy concerns matter (until they're that age, sigh..)
More tracking.
Except for the problem that none of MS's offerings could possibly installed on a low yo medium end smart device.
The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
Aren't they a couple years late on this front?
I'm sure folks at Google are filled with anxiety. You see, with Microsoft as a Facebook investor and Android being "open", Google products could be replaced with Microsoft's very easily. And that can't be good. Remember, we're addressing over a billion human beings at Facebook.
Google are too busy laughing their asses off right now. Microsoft...you might not have noticed, although I'm somewhat surprised, with their astronomical advertising budget. Have their own Windows Phone OS, its not very popular...but it has very little going for it, facebook was one of those things its what they paid for. Microsoft also have been pushing the idea of third platform (I'm not convinced either), but Facebook sound more credible than Microsoft.
Apple have already cut back their facebook integration after the facephone was announced (they should have started their own social network), and I expect to see much more Google+ all over the place...Google give Apple an Alleged $1Billion.
Personally I love the way Facebook has moved from Allie to Enemy to the benefit of Google, you have to remember that Facebook/Apple is a bigger threat to Google than Microsoft in the world of the Pack of four. Microsoft has more to fear from Chrome+Google Docs.
The only thing that google has, frankly, is the best mapping service on the planet. This is the only thing that keeps a smart phone from going google free.
"She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
It is said that people are buying samsung phones, not google phones
No people are buying Android (Which is Googles first Party Applications) phones...and Samsung make some best one [and advertise them successfully] , we have already seen HTC which rose on the back of Android, and fell from grace, because of successful *competition* from Samsung. For Samsung to cut Android (and its value) out of that equation its quite difficult. I suspect they will make a more serious push with Tizen.
There are not a billion humans on Facebook, sorry but that is absolutely wrong (though I don't doubt someone has posted that stat and that you believed it). There may be a billion accounts, but wholly shit man, use your head! A large portion of those accounts are people that quit using Facebook, but of course still count in the stats since their data is never deleted. A huge chunk of those accounts are businesses, not people. Some people may have 4-5 businesses so 4-5 facebook accounts (think Authors, Artists, Musicians). A huge percentage of those accounts are spam/bot accounts. And the largest percentage of real humans are not really users. They may log in once a month to read family updates, but that's not regular enough to be a user on any other system so should not be considered such on Facebook.
The real number of people actively using Facebook across the world is probably closer 100-150 million or so.
If you doubt my math, remember that the highest populated countries (China and India) have the largest populations living in poverty with no access to the Internet at all. It's maybe 1 in 100 people in China and India that have regular Internet access. Those other 99 out of a hundred would not have time to surf on the public computers, if they did they would starve. Now add in most of Africa, which has very smaller percentages of the population with Internet access. Some large portions of the Middle East also have no internet access.
If your number was correct, that would mean that 1 in 7 people in the world are Facebook users. Stop and think about how unrealistic that number is for a minute.
Hell, my estimate considers that the US has 10% of the population using Facebook, which is extremely generous. Out of my family (100 or so people) I can think of 3 people that are Facebook users. Only 20 or so have a Facebook account at all, many of which were created by the 3 regular users. It's not like my family is all out scratching dirt for a living, they just have no interest in surfing the Internet at all, let alone using Facebook.
-The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.
" Remember, we're addressing over a billion human beings at Facebook."
http://www.socialbakers.com/facebook-statistics/united-states
I think that's unlikely, Facebooks users represent 71% of US internet users... which is basically impossible, more likely 20% accounts, 20% fake accounts, 20% dead accounts, 11% robots.
Similar problem with their UK numbers, they claim 29 million active users... out of 43 million UK Internet users. Unlikely.
I'm kind of suspicious of FB, their numbers don't add up and they keep getting caught and admitting a little bit of their scams.
e.g. The 'likes' problem, BBC has researched quite a few of these games. e.g. their virtual bagel company seemed to be getting fake likes from the advert despite doing nothing at all, and being a fake company:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18870170
Or the US researcher who spotted they were incrementing likes for comments:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19832043
Why would they need to do that if they have 71% of Internet users???? Dodgy.
So they'll come out with a phone that does Facebook (that would be all phones now), with Microsoft services (Bing etc.) yet that's what the Nokia phone is and its not selling, so why would FB's? I'm sure the phones Facebook page will get a lot of likes mind you!
They also have a great mail experience, and one of the best data-sync implementations around. Calendars scheduling and sharing is pretty well done too. Google-drive is very nice, and probably under-used by most for what it's capable of. Reader was nice ... I'm going to miss that. I rarely use Google maps myself, and MS has a decent mapping capability, although I haven't tried it on a phone. I think It'd be pretty easy to go Google-free on a smart phone if you have only a single device, but if you have multiple I think I'd find it quite hard to get the same level of seamless integration between phone, tablet, and desktop. With 'Google-Now' doing some interesting things by combining your data it's even more integrated. A little creepy, but pretty cool.
The Windows phone -- the Zune of smart phones!
I think the Zune comparison is a kindness, Zune never failed through its own merits, it sort of failed by being second best, but it was positively received. I think since then Microsoft has burned through too much karma, but Zune was built on the back of the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_PlaysForSure PlayForSure betrayal....at least it killed OGG ;). We are still waiting for Microsoft to betray Nokia and produce the Microsoft Windows Phone...which would be the Zune of Smartphones...I give it [and Elop] six months.
I think you're confusing a billion pages and 'users' with a billion actual people. There is nowhere near a billion people using Facebook. I would wager that there is maybe half a billion actual, real people who use it. The rest are interest pages and duplicate accounts. I know several people who have multiple accounts of their own, and a few who actually have dozens to spam likes and comment blasts for fun and profit.
Google would not benefit from the use of Android in this phone. Likewise, they won't lose if they decide NOT to use Android as a base. Hell, if they decide to go with Microsoft, when(not if) Microsoft screws something up completely and their products have some huge fiasco that drives people away, Google-based handsets are perfectly in line to greet the exodus.
If the only way you can accept an assertion is by faith, then you are conceding that it can't be taken on its own merits
They call it "ecosystem", but "Walled Garden" or "Prison" is a more apt term. They're not selling hardware; they're selling a gift-that-keeps-on-giving... to the seller. An Iphone (that isn't jailbroken) can only buy apps from Apple's approved store, with Apple getting its 30% cut. MS and Google and FB etc, etc want in on that scheme.
I'm not repeating myself
I'm an X window user; I'm an ex-Windows user
FB has to try this because the media says they do, and thus, so do their investors. And when it flops, because it will, this will be the final step in FB's rise to prominence and the first media -identified step on their path to being the next Myspace.
Besides... HTC? Really? That's like betting your future on a brand that may cease to exist any moment. What is FB thinking? Maybe they can blame any flop on the poor choice of partner.
Sig for hire.
Aren't they a couple years late on this front?
Really they are doing this post IPO which is kind of why they did it, and their is still an awful lot of dumbphone to smartphone comparison, and Apples mark share is shrinking; Microsoft if failing to prove itself the third ecosystem(sic); No other serious competition [although lots of it]. The only thing they have missed out on, is I suspect they could have converted those feeing blackberry users faster than Apple or Google.
Google specifically doesn't do it, so I don't know why you're lumping them in the same basket. You can get applications from non-official sources straight off, no rooting or hacking involved. Alternative markets? Sure, there's plenty. Plain and simply download and install an app? Yep, that too. If there's one thing you can't accuse Google of, it's trying to make a walled garden. At worst, it's a slightly overgrown garden with the sign "beware of the leopard" on the unbarred exit.
I use bing now. sadly, it's not as good. but google is just going bad. I actually believe MS when they do the scroogled ads. I'm not saying they are more privacy conscious out of the goodness of their heart, but I believe they see it as a wedge issue and will stick to it for now it least. Needless to say I don't facebook either.
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
citation needed. x10 or so.
Seriously. I've been to both countries, and I think you're making shit up.
Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
http://www.microsoft.com/privacystatement/en-gb/bing/default.aspx
"We collect information when you register, sign in and use our sites and services. We may also get information from other companies. We collect this information in a variety of ways, including from web forms, technologies such as cookies, web logging and software on your computer or other device.
When you conduct a search, Microsoft collects the following:
Search term and time and date of your search
IP address, browser configuration and approximate location
Any unique identifiers contained in the cookies"
and...
"we may use search query data for the purpose of personalising the ads we display to you as you use our services or those of our advertising partners."
and...
"Using our sites, applications and services - We collect information that tells us how you interact with our applications or services, including the browser you’re using, your IP address, location, cookies or other unique IDs, the pages you visit and features you use.
Data from other sources - We may get additional information about you, such as demographic data we purchase from other companies. As discussed in the Facebook Personalization section below, we may also obtain certain information from Facebook to enable personalization features."
We all know here than Microsoft is using a Double standard here, and is a more oppressive company.
This is sadly true.
Window phone 8 isn't horrible. But they seem to be way too slow getting top end phones to market, the best WP8 phones are still dual core. When android is talking about 4+4 core GS4's or the like.
Ironically, Microsoft might actually be the lesser of the available evils when it comes to privacy, development environment, support and they could easily be more pro hacking than they are now. But well... they're 3 years late to the party.
Facebook is at a disadvantage because it does not have a mobile profile.
Facebook is at a disadvantage because it doesn't have a foundry or any hardware fab facilities. For facebook to have a facebook branded phone they need to go to companies that make android phones and ask them to make one with a facebook logo on it.
One of the things that has happened is that western design firms who were outsourcing production to Asia suddenly got cut out of the process when those companies decided to make their own damn phone. Facebook would be trying to enter into that market in the absolutely worst possible place. At least nokia and RIM did some assembly in house, but that's of little value.
Windows Phone
No Windows phone is terrible,in every way. The latest saga of bribing developers to set up RSS web site applications to artificially inflate their App store numbers is a disgrace. Windows phone 7 actually gained some positive reviews and since then its just been burning through that karma. As for Privacy, Microsoft is a disgrace, I think the way they acted in china says it all. http://searchengineland.com/google-china-congressional-praise-38796
While I think a lot of people would want this and buy this (the facebook addicts who are constantly posting that is), Facebookstrikes me as the web company with the worst outlook to privacy out of the lot. They seem to change their T&Cs to suit them and only apologise when they are caught in something nefarious.
The problem is that (I cannot see) a useful alternative. Facebook and Google have integrated themselves so into the general internet that even Slashdot seems to have Google and Facebook login options. Google seems to be slightly better with regards to privacy, but their recent actions have made me actually switch from Chrome back to Firefox. I've even started investigating moving some of my 'services' to smaller brands, running services on my Synology NAS, or even thinking of hosting my own virtual server for privacy.
I even found an extension called Ghostery which disables advert tracking in Firefox and it is quite astounding how much tracking gets done on the internet. Whilst I appreciate you can't get something for nothing, we (as a society) seem to now throw our privacy more and more out the window without realising the implications. Facebook's alledged phone is just another nail in the coffin of our privacy.
Everyday these kind of news get more and more hilarious.Soon the owner of the coffee shop accross the street will make his own smartphone brand.(Because an app was too mainstream)
No, what got me was Googles change of privacy policy linking all the data together ...
the way I can't like a site using a gmail account unless I agree to sign up to G+
so you're upset that you can't use features of G+ without signing up to G+ and wish you could just use your gmail account. you think it would be better if they just merged the two into say, one single account?
i spent five minutes thinking and all i got was this crappy sig
Everyday these kind of news get more and more hilarious.Soon the owner of the coffee shop accross the street will make his own smartphone brand.(Because an app was too mainstream)
Except a Facebook phone was inevitable; Of the "Pack of four" only Amazon is yet to release a kindle phone that is a done deal, Microsoft don't have a surface phone yet, and that is inevitable [once there is only patents to pick from Nokias Carcass]. Other than that its the same electronics companies that have been around for years. There are a few competing Linux based OS's but those are going to be whittled down very quickly.
China's Internet Users Cross 500 Million (article from January 2012)
At the end of December, the country had 513 million Internet users...This puts the country's total Internet penetration at 38.3 percent...Analysts, however, have said the statistics provided by the CNNIC are inflated. The CNNIC defines users as people, ages 6 and above, who have connected to the Internet in the past six months.
so it's probably above 10%. but also probably lower than you would have expected.
Seriously. I've been to both countries, and I think you're making shit up.
i'm guessing you've been to some areas of both countries and thus witnessed what life is like for a small percentage of their total populations.
hell even in my own country my experience would tell me there are a lot more internet users than there actually are - that's because i experience a very small subsection of what life is like in my country.
i spent five minutes thinking and all i got was this crappy sig
It might be helpful here to know that Microsoft was an early investor in Facebook, and retains a significant stake.
Help stamp out iliturcy.
I wouldn't be too worried if I were Google.
The only reason why Facebook needs this because it has no real mobile monetization plan in place. What this is supposed to do is bring mobile share across to Facebook so they can sell ad space, however, the struggles are numerous and to just touch on a few we only have to look at what other companies have had to fair over the past 5 years.
So consider this how much money are they going to spend in tandem with the likelihood that a dwindling Chinese manufacturer such as HTC is even going to make a dent in to the likes of Apple and Samsung?
Rather than say "oh Google should be scared" how about HTF (How the fuck) is HTC and FB going to fair the smartphone shit fight?
I'd say it's a fly by nighter, once off, grab an expiring marketshare that wont lead anyway into the future, Like i've always said, FB should of made a camera not a phone.
Google's "garden" isn't exactly "walled". It's more like a chest-high hedge with broad openings on every side. You know, what with being able to install software not explicitly approved by Google or listed in their marketplace and all -- a system that we should hope makes a comeback in other places.
If you're on Facebook they already have facial data, retina data, associations, extremely accurate psych profile and now you can let them track and store your position with a phone and get a voice sample too.
Maybe they will include a free fingerprint scanner app in the for "security".
"If any question why we died, Tell them because our fathers lied."
but wholly shit man
LOL
== Jez ==
Do you miss Firefox? Try Pale Moon.
Personally I'm really fed up with the way my android behaves. Compared with Windows and a pre installed IE, that phone is a nightmare. I wouldn't know where to begin the list of pre installed SHIT that you can't remove.
Also. What would you do with your computer if suddenly after an update, your whole system behaves differently.
On, when YOU want to install an other OS, then ok. But this feels like some ass telling me I need a different OS and pushes it down my throat.
So: No thanks.
Privacy is terrorism.