Hackers claim they harvested personal data of Facebook users
A couple of self-proclaimed “fans” of Facebook say they were able to gain access to the private information of Facebook users, including Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg.
The site FBHive said today that it found a security loophole in Facebook that allows anyone to view the social network’s private data about users. The data in private profiles is accessible even if that information has been hidden via privacy settings. Facebook said it has verified the loophole… Continue Reading
Facebook vanity URLs: First-come, first-served this Friday night
For some time, Facebook has been handing out vanity URLs (www.facebook.com/username) for personal and public profiles piecemeal, but now it’s letting everyone jump in. These URLs are easy to remember and will show up in search results — they help individuals and brands get more traffic.
On Friday, June 12th, at 9:01pm Pacific Time, you’ll be able to register a URL. But if you have a generic name like John Smith (no offense, just saying) you’ll… Continue Reading
Facebook simplifies currency ahead of wider roll-out
Credits, Facebook’s nascent virtual currency of sorts, is getting a simple change tonight. The company is marking down items in its gift store from 100 credits to 10 credits, and reducing users’ corresponding number of credits.
Facebook users who are worried about losing the last zero off their credit supplies can take comfort in the fact that they can still buy the same number of gifts as they had before. So if you had 200 credits,… Continue Reading
Question for new CEOs at MySpace and Project Playlist: Now what?
After an abrupt series of events this week, former Facebook executive and Project Playlist chief executive Owen Van Natta is now officially the CEO of MySpace. Meanwhile, Project Playlist has named MTV Networks cofounder and executive John Sykes as its new CEO (no, he’s not that John Sykes). MySpace cofounders Chris DeWolfe and Tom Anderson have meanwhile been reduced from CEO and president jobs to peripheral advisory roles.
So the question for both companies is: Now… Continue Reading
Google Friend Connect’s event gadget: Useful, but not a Facebook killer
Google is announcing a new way to promote and get people to sign up for events online — a gadget powered by Google Friend Connect, the search giant’s service for letting developers add social features to web pages.
Setting up an event is pretty easy: Just enter the basic details like time, location, and relevant images, and Google will generate HTML code that you can add to your site. Then, when people visit your site, they’ll… Continue Reading
Skateboard champ Tony Hawk caught regifting fruitcakes
I got a fruitcake from skateboard champ Tony Hawk and I’ve regifted it. I was the 6,281st person to do so. This was a virtual fruitcake that is making the rounds on Facebook as part of a charitable campaign.
I happen to agree that the fruitcake is the perennial lousy holiday gift, right up there with the tie. It gets passed around so much that it’s the perfect analogy for spreading word about something through viral… Continue Reading
Dear Facebook, please make me a supermodel
Public event listings on Facebook have been used to influence politics and organize protests. But now events organized through Facebook — and their chaotic aftermath — may just lead to… a modeling contract?
Two weeks ago, British teen Georgina Hobday posted a Facebook event to announce her birthday party, one worthy of MTV’s reality series My Super Sweet Sixteen (where spoiled rich teens throw lavish, themed tantrums to celebrate their coming-of-age, often with ponies and Range… Continue Reading
Revenue search continues, as Facebook (and LinkedIn?) employee stock sale begins
Christmas may come a little early for Facebook employees who own stock in their company. This summer, we learned the social network was planning a unique method of keeping talented employees happy before a surely-distant initial public offering. The company began the program on Nov. 1, we’ve confirmed. We also hear that LinkedIn has a nearly identical — if not fully identical — employee stock sale plan, but we don’t have more details on it… Continue Reading
Still not registered to vote? Head to Facebook.
Facebook is well aware of its potentially influential position when it comes to the young adult demographic. Perhaps that’s why the social network has launched a voter registration application today, with Rock the Vote and powered by Creedo Mobile. The application allows Facebook members to register to vote online, without even having to leave Facebook. If you’ve come across any of the Rock the Vote registration widgets on the web and even on the Xbox… Continue Reading
Significant new features coming to Facebook: More privacy, and chat
Finally, Facebook is giving you more control over your privacy. Starting tonight, you’ll be able choose to create lists of friends to share information with, such as photos, rather than having to share with all of your friends. Also, Facebook Chat is on its way, but it’s not launching for another few weeks. More on that below.
The new privacy features are built around the concept of the friends list that Facebook began testing last December,… Continue Reading