LinkedIn, Twitter “should become Facebook apps”
Thursday marked the announcement of a raft of media apps for Facebook – from Spotify and Hulu to the Washington Post.
But its social rivals LinkedIn and Twitter ought to go one radical step further and consider moving wholesale to the Facebook platform, according to Bill Nguyen, co-founder of the Color photo sharing service, which has now done just that. Read more
Facebook debuts “Timeline” redesign, announces content deals
Facebook has introduced a major redesign of its social feeds and users’ profiles at its annual f8 event for developers in San Francisco.
In a keynote speech, Mark Zuckerberg, the social network’s founder, also unveiled a big expansion of apps and categories on the service, including the introduction of music services where users can share what they are listening to with friends. For thoughts and commentary on the main announcements as they happened, read our live blog of the event after the jump. Read more
Sony’s Home improvement
Sony has been giving the media a sneak peek of the biggest makeover in the short history of Home – the games platform and online virtual world accessible through the PlayStation 3.
Games are being placed front and centre in the redesign, which was announced last month and will be introduced in the autumn, and the Home environment itself will become a game with the introduction of quests. Read more
Tech news from around the web:
Apple is expected to hold its next big media event on Tuesday October 4, where it will unveil the next iPhone model, according to AllThingsDigital. Meanwhile, Mashable reports that a remark made by Apple board member and former US Vice-President Al Gore at the Discovery Invest Leadership Summit in South Africa – “Not to mention the new iPhones coming out next month. That was a plug.” – has sparked speculation of more than one iPhone5 model.
TechCrunch reports that a deleted tweet from Facebook creative director Ji Lee may point to a special feature in the social network’s long-anticipated music service. In a tweet that was deleted minutes after it was sent, Mr Lee wrote:
The “Listen with your friend” feature in ticker is blowing my mind. Listen to what your friends are listening. LIVE.
Zynga IPO odds lengthen as profits fall
Zynga reduced the odds of its IPO on Wednesday as it revealed worsening financial numbers and complained of market volatility.
The social gaming company is earning less but is still worth more, according to an amended IPO filing . Read more
| About this blog | Blog guide |
Richard Waters has headed the FT's San Francisco bureau since 2002 and covers Google and Microsoft, among other things. A former New York bureau chief for the FT, he is intrigued by Silicon Valley's unique financial and business culture, and is looking forward to covering his second Tech Bust.
Chris Nuttall has been online and messing around with computers for more than 20 years and since 2004 has reported from the FT's San Francisco bureau on semiconductors, video games, consumer electronics and all things interwebby.
Maija Palmer has been writing about technology for the FT since 1999 and is fascinated by cybercrime, privacy and all the other issues of the information society. Based in London, she covers European tech companies and hopes that they won't all get acquired by American rivals.
Robin Kwong is the FT's technology, media and telecoms page editor in London. Formerly he was the Taipei correspondent and wrote about the companies that manufacture the vast majority of the world's computers and gadgets. He is interested in the intricacies of the technology supply chain and how China is increasingly changing the tech landscape.
Tim Bradshaw is the FT's digital media correspondent, and has just moved from London to join our team in San Francisco. He has covered start-ups such as Twitter and Spotify, as well as the online ambitions of more established media companies, such as the BBC iPlayer. He also covers the advertising, marketing and video-game industries. Tim has been writing about technology, business and finance since 2003.
