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Facebook adds content from Flickr, Pinterest, Tumblr & Instagram to Home lock screen

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Zuckerberg recently announced that the company had plans to bring content from additional online sources to the lock screen for those using Facebook Home, and today that feature has officially been introduced in the latest Facebook for Android beta release.

At first, Facebook is adding content from Flickr, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Instagram to the Facebook Home lock screen allowing users to swipe through photos and posts alongside Facebook content. Here’s how it works:


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Facebook’s Android SDK updated with share dialog and new login interface

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Outlined in a new Developer Blog post, Facebook has updated its Android SDK with an easy-to-integrate Share Dialog and new login UI.

Rich native sharing experiences

The Share Dialog offers a lightweight and consistent way to enable sharing to significantly enhance people’s sharing experiences from your app.

People now have the option to share activity from your apps without needing to login to Facebook first, eliminating up to 3 extra steps required for login when sharing via the feed dialog. With just one line of code, you can enable people to start sharing in an engaging way that lets them tag friends and share where they are. In addition, the Share Dialog includes support for publishing Open Graph actions to make it easier for people to tell their stories.

Improved Login UI:

The updated Facebook Login UI not only looks better, but our tests also show it converts at a higher rate. We’ve refreshed the design in the LoginButton control and changed the default text to read – “Log in with Facebook.” Your apps gain the benefit of the redesigned UI without any code changes, and you can still override the default text via localization.

The new tools will allow developers to more easily take advantage of the social network’s sharing and user-information features.

Meanwhile, the company’s “Home” application for Android devices has continued to receive updates as Facebook aims to re-imagine the home screen experience.

Facebook Home gets new dock to quickly launch apps, folders and widget support coming soon

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Facebook-Home-iconFacebook is today rolling out updates to its Android apps today that add a few notable features including a new favorites tray for Facebook Home users.

After getting some complaints from users about being able to quickly access apps via the app launcher when using Facebook Home, Facebook is including in today’s update a new dock that lets users quickly launch a selection of their most often used apps. The feature will let users customize the”app launcher by dragging the apps you use most to a new favorites tray.” It also told us folders and widget support is on the way.

Other improvements in the update today for the Facebook for Android app include the ability to change select who sees the content you share, support for sending multiple photos in a message, and other memory/stability enhancements.  
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AT&T denies plans to cancel the HTC First phone prematurely, says no decisions have been made

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BGR this morning said that AT&T wasn’t happy with the HTC First, the phone with the Facebook Home built in.

BGR has confirmed that HTC and Facebook’s little experiment is nearing its end. BGR has learned from a trusted source that sales of the HTC First have been shockingly bad. So bad, in fact, that AT&T has already decided to discontinue the phone.

Business Insider hears the same.  The chatter likely increased after AT&T dropped the price of the First to essentially Free last week.  An AT&T spokesperson just told us:

“As mentioned previously, we do pricing promotions all the time and have made no decisions on future plans.”

Clearly there is wiggle room on both sides here but no one can say that Facebook’s venture has been successful so far.
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HTC First Mother’s Day giveaway from 9to5Google and @ATT

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TkKJR38nEgE

You may not want an HTC First Facebook Android phone but your mom probably does. So AT&T and 9to5Google are giving you a chance to win one with no contract or obligations (You can also get one ON CONTRACT for $1).

Mother’s Day is right around the corner and AT&T is celebrating moms with a fun, shareable video e-card for a special edition of the popular “It’s Not Complicated” campaign. In a new rendition of the commercial that will air Friday through Sunday, mediator Beck Bennett strays from his usual, “what’s better, bigger or smaller?” and instead asks, “who gives the best hugs?” to a unanimous response – mom does! The video e-card can be personalized, offering consumers a simple Mother’s Day themed e-card video, with Beck and the kids, to share with mom via social media (Twitter, Facebook, email). Make your own personalized version of the “It’s Not Complicated, Moms are the Best” video e-card at ATTMothersDay.com.   

You know the rules: To enter, simply follow @9to5Google and retweet this post telling us why your mom would love an HTC First Facebook phone.

We’ll pick the winner on Mother’s Day.

Update: We have a winner!


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Facebook Home hits half million downloads in a week … but how many kept the 2-star app/overlay?

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Facebook Home, the Android front-end that claims to offer a people-centric rather app-centric approach, has hit half a million downloads in its first week, noted Benedict Evans (via TNW).

It’s an impressive number for an overlay that works only on a handful of handsets so far. However, we note that the poor reviews continue, with an average of 2.2 out of 5, and 1 star by far the most common vote. Based on the ratings, we suspect at least half of those downloads were people made curious by the hype and who removed it after a fairly brief play (like our own experience).

Facebook Home for Android now live on Google Play

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiqbNxRurFA

Earlier today we told you that Facebook had updated its Messenger app for Android with the new “Chat Heads” feature from its Facebook Home platform. Today also marks the official launch of Facebook Home for the initial list of supported devices and now the app is finally live on Google Play and available to download.

Facebook Home is the mobile experience that puts your friends at the heart of your phone. From the moment you turn it on, you see a steady stream of friends’ posts and photos on your home screen. Upfront notifications and quick access to your essentials mean you’ll never miss a moment. And when you download Facebook Messenger, you can keep chatting with friends when you’re using other apps.

In addition to the new HTC First, Facebook Home is currently supported on the HTC One X, One X+, Samsung Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note II, and eventually the HTC One and the Galaxy S4.

You can learn more about Facebook Home from our coverage of the launch event here and check out a gallery of screenshots below:
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Facebook updates Messenger for Android with Facebook Home’s ‘Chat Heads’ feature

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Chat-heads-Facebook-MessengerWhen Facebook unveiled its new Facebook Home Android experience set to roll out on number of devices today via Google Play, one of the most talked about features was “Chat heads”. The feature allows users to quickly access Facebook messages and SMS through circular profile pictures that users can access from anywhere in the OS and organize freely on the screen.  Today, seemingly as part of its official roll out of Home, Facebook has updated its Messenger app for Android bringing a small piece of Home functionality to all Android users.

The updated version of Facebook Messenger implements the new Chat Heads feature, allowing you to see a small round icon with the face of the person you’re talking to hovering on the display even when you exit the app. When engaged in a conversation in Messenger, exiting the app will automatically create a chat head floating on top no matter where you navigate, allowing you to quickly jump back into the conversation. The chat heads can be arranged freely and dismissed at any time by dragging them off the bottom of the screen.

On top of rolling out the first device to come with Facebook Home stock– the HTC First– Facebook Home will also initially be supporting the HTC One X, One X+, Samsung Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note II, and eventually the HTC One and the Galaxy S4.
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Facebook First and Home review round-up: beauty is only skin deep

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Last week, Facebook announced two new products to expand their reach in the mobile market: Facebook Home, a downloadable Facebook-intergrated skin for Android phones and the HTC Facebook First, the first official hardware by the company. The First is scheduled to be released April 12th for $99 exclusively through AT&T. Naturally, the First comes pre-loaded with Facebook Home.

Facebook Home is a downloadable launcher for Android phones only, and a few of its key features such as Chat Heads are getting much praise by reviewers. On the other hand, the First is being criticized for its lack-luster hardware such as the mediocre 5MP camera and lack of a dedicated shutter button.

If you want to read all about Facebook’s new duo of software and hardware, below is a round-up of some of the reviews from around the web…

Engadget:

The HTC First is compelling for two reasons. For Facebook fans, it’s now easier to maintain social connections with friends and family. For the tech-savvy crowd who has little interest in the service, the phone is a stock Android 4.1 device that comes with AT&T LTE, which is still something of a rarity. Including this opt-out was a smart move on Facebook’s part, because it’s difficult to recommend that consumers sign two-year contracts on an unproven product that depends so heavily on their engagement with Facebook. Worst case, it’s a decent mid-range phone for $99 on contract (or $450 without any commitment).
Facebook Home isn’t perfect, nor will it convince many non-Facebookers to start Liking and commenting with reckless abandon. But it’s aesthetically pleasing, and surprisingly polished for a 1.0 product.

CNET:
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Leaked version of Facebook Home available to install on your phone (update: fixed)

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Update: …annnndddd it has been disabled serverside:

If you’re keen to try Facebook Home, and are brave enough to install pre-release software, MoDaCo has the files available for download


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