The Verge, covering Mark Zuckerberg's recent appearance at TechCrunch Disrupt:
"We're betting completely on it," he said, referring to native apps. "Native is going to be the approach that we go with for iOS and Android." Much of the same infrastructure that Facebook built for iOS will be re-applied to Android, but as for an ETA for the app, Zuckerberg said "it will be ready when it's ready."
A native iOS app might create a better experience? What a revelation.
The social networking giant’s stock once again hit new lows on Thursday, dipping more than 6% to close at $19.88 and coming dangerously close to falling to exactly half of its $38 IPO price. The reason for Thursday’s sell off was simple: some company insiders finally got their first chance to unload their shares and they did so with enthusiastic gusto, as Facebook’s trading volume totaled around 157 million on the day, or five times the average daily volume of 31 million shares.
Matt Jarzemsky, WSJ:
Facebook Inc. FB -6.27% shares sank 6.3% to a record low on Thursday, falling below $20 a share on a day when some early investors were allowed to unload their stakes, adding further pressure on the beaten-down stock.
No surprises here.
BGR:
The social networking giant recently removed Google’s Chrome Web browser, which is the most popular in the world, from its recommendation list and replaced it with Opera, further fueling the speculation of a potential buyout. While both Chrome and Apple’s Safari Web browsers are supported by Facebook, the Menlo Park-based company is recommending users to use Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, Mozilla’s Firefox and Opera for a better experience.
Makes sense if they're buying Opera. But, recommending IE? C'mon, guys.
Deep iOS integration with Facebook is just about the only thing that might make me consider using it again.
New York Times:
The company has already hired more than half a dozen former Apple software and hardware engineers who worked on the iPhone, and one who worked on the iPad, the employees and those briefed on the plans said.
Dan Frommer:
Bigger picture, Facebook didn’t buy Instagram because Mark Zuckerberg thought it was the perfect mobile photo app or the only one that Facebook needed. Facebook bought Instagram because it’s doing something new and different that’s special; because it represented the biggest existing threat to Facebook; and because it’s building an interesting new social network focused around photography. And Facebook wanted to own it.
A nice piece from Christina Warren at Mashable:
The app — which was in development before the social network made its offer to buy Instagram about six weeks ago — gives us a glimpse at how Facebook was planning to compete against the young mobile-first startup.
The beginning of the end of Instagram.
After opening at a share price of $36.53, shares of Facebook stock dipped by more than 10 percent below the company’s initial public offering price of $38, trading as low as $33 at one point on Monday morning.
"Not safe at all."
Tech Crunch:
Time spent on Facebook’s mobile site and apps per month (441 minutes) has finally surpassed usage of its classic website (391 minutes) — for Americans who use both Facebook interfaces according to the latest report from comScore.
Continues to support my theory that Facebook's exclusive focus for the future is mobile.
This furthers my theory for the reasons behind the Instagram purchase.
Om Malik:
My translation: Facebook was scared shitless and knew that for first time in its life it arguably had a competitor that could not only eat its lunch, but also destroy its future prospects. Why? Because Facebook is essentially about photos, and Instagram had found and attacked Facebook’s achilles heel — mobile photo sharing.