Facebook Places Going in a New Direction?

Wednesday, August 24th, 2011

PCWorld reported today that Facebook’s Places is doing more than adding new functionality, it is taking geo-location to another level. That is not to say it’s a better level, just another level.

According to the article, Facebook’s Places will be focusing more on what you’re doing while at a particular location rather than the ever popular – yet relatively pointless – focus on simply checking in for the sake of checking in. This adjustment in primary focus removes the gaming aspect of geo-social that many social users aren’t as much in to and emphasizes usability in everyday social-net life.

The change is slight, but it just may have the impact Facebook is looking for in location-based services (LBS). Facebook is looking to integrate it into our every day lives, make it part of the ‘standard’ social experience and generate a comfort level with letting the world know where you are.

One way they are doing this is by allowing “Deals” to only be used once you’ve checked in at a location. You will no longer be able to see and use the Deals from near-by locations. Oh, and don’t even think about using a deal from your laptop while chilling at your local coffee shop. Deals will only be available via a mobile device.

While I can see the potential benefit of these changes, I’m not 100% sure they will have any short-term impact on the use of Facebook’s LBS arm. Maybe they should merge it will Farm-ville instead. Just a thought.

New Facebook Chat Features – 4 Ways They Will Improve Your Life

Friday, July 8th, 2011

As of Wednesday (July 6, 2011), Facebook has revamped its chat client. These upgrades range from subtle to game-changing, but they all have one thing in common: they can make your life – in one way or another – easier.

1)     Keeping in touch with grandma – First and foremost is the much-awaited video chat feature courtesy of Skype. According to the unveiling presentation put on by Skype and Facebook execs Tony Bates and Mark Zuckerberg, video chat has been in the works for over a year, and it certainly shows. After an initial – and relatively simple – video chat client installation, the interface is slick and fast, allowing 1-click video calling with any Facebook friend quickly and easily. This means that whether you are talking with grandma, your parents, or any of the other technologically challenged in your life, they will be able to – for better or worse – easily video chat with you without having to create a Skype account.

2)     Productivity – An unexpected benefit of the new Facebook chat interface is more efficient screen real estate utilization. If you are like me and like to have 20 things open at once the fact that the new chat bars adjust size based on your browser’s size is a very, very good thing. Screen space is a precious commodity, so the fact that when I’m working and chatting simultaneously I don’t have to search through layers of windows to find what I want means that I can be more productive with my time.

3)     Making plans made simple – For those of you that have tried to set up plans with friends through Facebook chat, this next feature will be a breath of fresh air. Facebook has seamlessly integrated group chat into their system, meaning that the back-and-forth confusion of Facebook chatting with multiple people about the same issue is now a thing of the past. Simply click on your chat window and choose to add a friend. It’s so easy and useful it makes you wonder how the world’s largest social network didn’t do it sooner.

4)     Spend more time talking, less time searching – If you are like 99% of Facebook users you have plenty of friends that you just honestly don’t really care about. When searching through your chat window for people to talk to you end up sifting through 70 different names, 10 of which you actually care about. As an answer to this issue Facebook has created the “people you message most” bar. It is exactly what it sounds like, and it is extremely useful. It, like the rest of the chat windows, also orients itself to your browser size. So those of you with widescreens rejoice; Facebook is finally taking advantage of all of that horizontal screen space. It even displays friends that aren’t online so that if you choose to invite them to the chat they will be brought into the conversation if they come online while you are talking. Equally cool, if they don’t come online during the conversation they will receive a summary of the conversation the next time they log on. All in all, you will spend far less time filtering through the chaff and instead use that time talking to your wheaty friends.

As a whole and individually, the new Facebook chat features stand up to even the more critical of eyes. From the slick interface to the undeniable utility that the features bring, Facebook chatting has certainly taken a turn for the better.

FaceTime Follow-Up Week: QR Codes

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

This week I will be going back and checking in on some of the topics I have recently written about.  First up, QR Codes.  My last QR code post focused on their practical uses, potential to improve print and outdoor advertising, and whether or not it will catch on in the United States.  Well, they may have found their ticket.

There is a rumor spreading that Facebook is experimenting with using QR codes on its site.  One blog predicts Facebook will use the codes for profile information and status updates, citing convenience for those who use Facebook on their mobile phones.  I think the effects will cover a much broader range than just Facebook users, but that broader range won’t be reached without Facebook’s help.

The future of "Friend Requests"??

Facebook’s numbers are staggering.  There are over 400 million active Facebook users, with over half logging on daily, and the average time spent on the site 55 minutes/day.  While the online stats are great, the mobile numbers should easily drive Facebook into QR code usage.

Facebook Mobile Statistics

• There are more than 100 million active users currently accessing Facebook through their mobile devices.
• People that use Facebook on their mobile devices are twice more active on Facebook than non-mobile users.
• There are more than 200 mobile operators in 60 countries working to deploy and promote Facebook mobile products

The practical use for QR codes have been written about for years, and I believe Facebook could provide the distribution required for QR Codes to take off in the United States.  With Facebook on board, it would be impossible for marketers to ignore QR codes any longer.  The potential to drive consumers to their Facebook sites, where they can interact directly with the company and its content, would skyrocket and become a necessary component of promotions.  Also, if the demand for QR code reader technology increases with Facebook’s adoption of the codes, it will likely become a standardized option on mobile devices.

Do you think Facebook could successfully launch QR codes into the United States?  Other than distribution, what else would QR codes need to be used in the United States?