WhatsApp to bring voice calling to Android and iOS in Q2 2014

News by:  Jared Peters 24th Feb 2014

As we all know that Facebook had bought the WhatsApp, and here comes the new announcement from WhatsApp under new management from Facebook, has shifted course slightly on its 2014 roadmap. At MWC this year, CEO of the company, Jan Koum, announced that WhatsApp users would be seeing a new feature rolled out in the next few months: voice calling.

Voice calling will initially become available to Android and iOS users in Q2 of 2014, with BlackBerry and Windows Phone users seeing the addition later on in the year. They didn’t reveal any details about how the voice calling would work, but it’s very likely that it will work like WhatsApp’s normal messaging service in that users will get a free trial period, then have to pay 99 cents per year to keep using it. Of course, if that is the plan, it’s still as cheap as ever.

So far, it’s looking like Facebook plans to keep WhatsApp separate, but continue to drive new features for the app. Voice calling is just the first step, and I imagine we’ll see more news from the company later this year.

news source: talkandroid.com

Read More

Facebook is going to acquire WhatsApp in $19B deal

News by:  Jeff Causey 19th Feb 2014

Facebook announced that an agreement had been reached for the social media giant to acquire WhatsApp, one of the most popular, fastest growing mobile messaging platforms. The deal includes a cash payment of $4B, the issuance of $12B worth of Facebook Class A common stock, and another $3B in restricted stock to be issued to WhatsApp employees. Combined, the new stockholders from WhatsApp will represent almost 8% of Facebook shareholders. Shortly after the announcement, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum held a conference call to provide additional details and insight into the deal.

Zuckerberg said the acquisition of WhatsApp aligns with Facebook’s own goal of moving to be more mobile oriented and ultimately to connect everyone on the planet. In looking at WhatsApp, Zuckerberg and his team think the platform will reach 1 billion users in the next few years based on their current growth of 1 million new users per day. Zuckerberg also addressed concerns about Facebook Messenger, saying “WhatsApp is more about real-time and we see those as two very different use cases.”

Koum said he is “excited and honored to partner with Mark and Facebook as we continue to bring our product to more people around the world.” During the conference call, questions were raised about advertising appearing in WhatsApp and about whether current rates, only 99 cents per year, might increase. The two CEOs pretty much avoided answering the questions directly other than to say advertising probably was not the best way to monetize WhatsApp and messaging in general.

No timeline was provided for the deal to close, though no regulatory stumbling blocks are anticipated so it should occur before the end of the year. At least for the short term, WhatsApp is expected to continue to operate independently post-acquisition.

news source: talkandroid.com

Read More

Facebook working on unbundling features and functions

News by:  Jeff Causey 16th Jan 2014

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said “in the future, we expect to develop more of these services to help people share” in reference to separate apps like Instagram and Messenger. It appears that Zuckerberg dropped a big clue to the company’s 2014 strategy even though many glossed over the comment when it was made, a move to unbundle some of the buried features in Facebook and turn them into standalone apps.

Sources indicate Facebook’s developers are working on unbundling features and functions that Facebook offers to make them more friendly, and hopefully more used, on mobile platforms. The company has had mixed success in this area. Instagram is seen as Facebook’s standalone photo app and has proven to be quite popular, especially amongst younger users who have moved on from the main Facebook platform. The Messenger app received an overhaul this past year, including elimination of much of Facebook’s branding, and is reportedly the most used messaging app in the U.S. On the iOS platform, Messenger moved into the number one slot over the holidays, topping apps like Instagram, Snapchat and others. Facebook has also seen its share of flops with apps like Poke and Camera failing miserably.

Going forward, one area where Facebook may look at unbundling is a “personalized newspaper” type app that is separate from the main Facebook app. Facebook has indicated their data shows users want more breaking news stories. At the same time, they claim most of their users do not use RSS readers or even Twitter. To be able to compete with “personalized newspaper” apps like Pulse, Flipboard, or Circa, Facebook has started to intersperse news into users news feeds. However, this may not work well when posts from friends are mixed in with news on mobile platforms. Thus, the company appears to be planning to launch a newsreader type app in the near future.

A couple other areas that could hold promise for Facebook is in the area of calendars and search. Facebook already has some supporting infrastructure in place for both of these functions. Facebook Events is a popular way for users to share personal invites, yet it does not integrate well with other calendars and is littered with stuff like “Sponsored Events” and suggested parties. A standalone app that focused on helping users manage their calendars while also helping them keep up with things like friends’ birthdays could prove popular and useful. Facebook also introduced their Graph Search product on the desktop, yet has not made it available on mobile platforms. A separate mobile search app that uses data from friends could prove popular, especially when searching for restaurants or things to do.

news source: talkandroid.com

Read More

Facebook Messenger Is redesigned and Currently Only Available To Limited Users, But You Can Get It Now

News by:  Bertel King  30 October 2013

Facebook is redesigned. The new version is currently rolling out to a limited number of users, with a wider release planned for the coming weeks.

What's New:

Facebook said they're removing SMS support, but the app currently still wants the ability to read and send text messages. Though, there is a chance this could have something to do with two-factor authentication. You can see the full list for yourself below, just keep in mind that these permissions could change before the wide release.

The introductory splash screens also leave the impression that Messenger maintains support for SMS. It prompts for your phone number, but this is there just so you can use it to verify your account if you lose your password. A separate screen invites you to text friends, but it really wants you to invite all of your contacts into Facebook and use the service as your new way to send texts between phones. This version allows people to message contacts that they aren't Facebook friends with, scanning their list of phone numbers for those with Facebook accounts associated with them and letting users communicate without having to send out a request.

 The new interface looks more iOS 7 than holo, but it's smooth and zippy. Facebook should tread carefully if it doesn't want its apps to end up looking too much like Skype.

Sending messages is quick, and while the new look is far airier, it still manages to feel familiar. The location tracking toggle is still present, and massive smileys are tucked away where you remeber, just waiting to scar unexpecting Facebook friends.
Messenger now has a tab that makes it obvious who is currently active on Facebook and shows whether they're using a web browser or a mobile device. A blue badge also shows who has the Messenger app installed. I would call this page one of the more delightful additions to the app.

Update: The new version also has a tablet UI that slightly differs from what you see above, a first for Facebook Messenger.

Download:

Before downloading the new version from either of the two mirrors provide below, there are a few things you must do. First, you need to uninstall the previous app. Then you have to go to the Play Store and disable auto-update. For whatever reason, Messenger internally carries a lower version number than the app currently offered on Google Play, so your phone will want to "update" back to the previous release.

There you go. Have at it.

Download link: FB Messenger-Mirror1,FB Messenger-Mirror2

news source: androidpolice.com

Read More