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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.
I'm sure that MS thought the same thing about the Kin when they tried that. Didn't work out so well, I'd be surprised if a FB themed item did very well.
" 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!
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.
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.
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.
That's the the point, you mindless parent, read statistics, not "the news". The news don't give you a reasonable overview over what to worry about, they mostly hype random stuff while distracting you from things that actually matter. That you're a parent doesn't entitle you to be stupid, it's actually the other way around.
You'd rather hand over ALL children to the predators that is marketing, just so you know where the kidnapping of a select few (in comparison) took place? Let's just throw the kids to the lions, on the off chance they might be kidnapped, because journalism can't be arsed to inform citizens on the stuff they need to keep their democracy intact and movies are so scary. That's nuts to me. It's not like it can prevent anything, or will magically make them easily retrievable, you know, it just might help a bit after the fact.
Just because it is put on the news more often these days doesn't mean that it happens more often. In fact in Europe and the US child abduction happens less these days than 20 or 40 years ago. Still not a good idea for kids to to walk off with strangers but not the minefield the media will have you believe.