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Facebook gives U.S. users free calls in Messenger for Android

Facebook is bringing its voice-over-IP calling feature to even more of its users on the Android platform.

On Thursday, the company added the free calling functionality for U.S. users of Facebook Messenger for Android -- and Facebook Home, which runs Messenger, by association. The rollout will take place throughout the day and does not require an application update, a company spokesperson told CNET.

The addition introduces a "Free Call" button accessible from a Facebook buddy's contact page. Those with Facebook Home also can initiate calls from Chat Heads, although it requires several clicks to do so: … Read more

Facebook 'hacks' teen safety with Project:Connect

Facebook is applying its "Hacker Way" to help youngsters be more responsible in the social-networking realm.

On Thursday, the company announced Project:Connect, a partnership between the social network, the MacArthur Foundation, Mozilla, and the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) that's designed to shed light on what it means to participate responsibly in digital environments. Together, the partners will host an all-day hackathon in New York on May 9.

"We need to give youth the tools they need to become engaged and responsible digital citizens," Connie Yowell, director of education at the MacArthur Foundation, said … Read more

Will video ads supercharge Facebook's revenue engine?

Yahoo's Marissa Mayer describes her scheme for fueling company growth as a kind of chain reaction. It goes like this: great people leads to great products and increased ubiquity, which drives user growth and higher engagement, leading to higher advertiser spending and ultimately more revenue.

That chain reaction underlies almost every business offering free services dependent on advertising to pay the bills. Like Mayer, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg is seeking ways to get his chain reaction into a higher gear. Last year, Facebook generated more than $5 billion in revenue, but spent more than $4.5 billion to produce … Read more

Facebook launches new tools for mobile, including Open Graph

Facebook on Thursday announced three new products, including Open Graph for mobile, to boost its presence in the fast-growing smartphone and tablet markets.

The company said in a blog post and at its mobile developer conference in New York that along with making it easier to implement Open Graph on mobile, Facebook also is improving Facebook Login and is releasing a new SDK 3.5 for iOS.

In addition, Facebook also announced a new partner program to help developers integrate Facebook on a variety of mobile platforms. Some early partners include C# SDK for Windows 8 by Microsoft, Corona SDK … Read more

Facebook Home takes up residence outside U.S.

Just days after its U.S. debut, Facebook Home, the social network's suite of applications for select Android devices, is ready for download in other countries.

Facebook made the push to international territories Tuesday as part of a colonization plan to get its freshest social-networking features in front of many people as possible -- and to up engagement levels, of course. A company spokesperson said that Facebook Home is now available globally.

Facebook Home arrived last Friday to give Android users with select HTC or Samsung devices Cover Feed, a home screen chock full of swipe-able and panning updates … Read more

Former Apple Maps lead finds home at Facebook

Richard Wiliamson, who led the Apple Maps initiative, is now providing direction for Facebook's mobile projects, according to Bloomberg.

The rebuffed lead behind Apple Maps landed at the social network sometime in the past few weeks and is a manager within the company's mobile ranks, two people with knowledge of the hire told Bloomberg.

Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Williamson, previously the senior director of iOS platform services at Apple, was reportedly fired late last year from the company where he had worked for more than 10 years. The ousting came a few … Read more

Facebook releases new News Feed look for iPad

Facebook is updating its News Feed for iPads, promising the bigger photos and more prominently displayed content that the social network has already launched on the desktop version of Facebook.

The update for the iPad app will be available for download in the iTunes store later today, according to Facebook.

The new News Feed means a new look for the iPad. "You'll see brighter, more beautiful stories," a Facebook blog post says.

The social network unveiled the overhaul of its most lucrative feature last month. Facebook is hoping the new News Feed equals a richer story design, … Read more

Facebook Chat Heads arriving today on iOS

Facebook Chat Heads, a messaging innovation the social network pioneered for its Facebook Home family of applications on Android, will be appearing inside the company's iOS application as soon as today, company executives said. But there is one little catch.

Facebook CTO Mike Schroepfer and Vice President of Mobile Engineering Cory Ondrejka told attendees at an All Things D mobile event today that the social network is about to push an update to its iOS application that would add its quirky messaging experience to Apple devices.

Chat Heads reimagines mobile messaging by coupling Facebook Messenger and SMS updates into … Read more

Facebook reportedly wants $1 million for each video ad

Would you spend $1 million for a video ad on Facebook?

That's allegedly what the popular network is aiming to squeeze out of advertisers when it starts rolling out video ads sometime this summer, says a story today in Ad Age.

Citing information from one "executive briefed on the product," Ad Age reported that the video ads would carry a price tag upwards of $1 million, run for no longer than 15 seconds, and be scheduled so that no Facebook user sees more than three such ads per day.

Facebook has been chatting up ad agencies to … Read more