"Facebook Will Allow Users to Share Location" By Nick Bilton

I know, I know. Another blog about Facebook. It has literally taken over my life. Another improvement (or is it?) to Facebook will begin starting in April. A new status updater is coming to the Facebook world, and this status seems a bit more intrusive. In the next month, Facebook will be adding a new application of sorts, we will be able to post our current location, or get to see the current location of our FB friends. Eh. No thanks. 

With this new addition to the highly popular social network, you can post to your friends or whoever else you want to see, where you are. I think I have seen something like this recently on there, but maybe this is something different. Anyways, the same rules apply. The privacy policy will allow you to chose who you want to see this status and who you don't. This article states that with the 400 million FB users, 50% log in once a day, while 100 million use their mobiles. The FB team takes into consideration the feedback that its users have, their 'likes' and 'dislikes', which is why they are taking their time with this new design. Google and Twitter both have added this type of application to their sites as well. 

I don't know about you guys, but I feel like this is getting one step closer to stalker-nation. I mean, really, do we need this? I think people complain about how Twitter seems to invasive with the constant updates of what people are doing or thinking, and now on Facebook we get to actually see where you are in the world!? I just don't understand. I don't know how this is all going to fold or what it will look like, but I definitely feel that it is unnecessary. 

What are your thoughts? Should we start a group to stop it? 

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/facebook-will-allow-users-to-share-location/?ref=technology

Is the IPhone the New Ad Frontier? By Om Malik

As the IPhone becomes more and more popular, and more inventive, the application world is growing. Since the IPhone came out, the Apps store has become the new thing. People downloading apps for things that you would never think a phone would have. In this blog Malik writes, he explains that many people are selling their Apps to the Apple store which has become widely popular, and even those who are giving their apps. for free are making a very good name for themselves. Now in this world of the mobile Internet, a mobile advertising company, AdMob has produced a free ad-supported application. 

AdMob has teamed up with many well-known names such as Herbal Essences, DirecTCV, and CBS News, just to name a few. With this new App. these brands will be promoted through the IPhone. This new idea of the advertising through mobiles is becoming a hot ticket for these agencies, and will help boost sales and recognition for these already popular names. (In this Blog, Malik states that he has only did research on this through 1 company working with some brand advertisers, but there is time to tell whether this is a hit or not) 

I think that the IPhone has become such a craze ever since it came out, why not have an App that supports click-through advertisements. It gets brand-names out, and helps remind people of their products and such.  With the craziness technology has produced in the last 5 years or so, you might as well get on the band-wagon and start using these mobile's as a gateway for advertising strategies. People are always using their phones, they check their email on their phones, Facebook on their phones, play games on their phones (thanks to all of those great apps!), go on AIM on their phones, the list goes on. Networking these brand-names through this new App is a smart way to attract consumers. SO many different people use the IPhone, so their interests may latch on to this advertisement application. I think that this could make way into a new world of advertising.

http://gigaom.com/2008/09/08/is-iphone-the-next-ad-frontier/