Why we need another app for something that we already use in the Facebook mobile phone app? The answer is simple: because it loads quicker, have unique design and you can access a big functionality on Facebook just with one click over the app icon. So we wait for the next apps from Facebook: News Feed, Search, Notifications, Photos and Statuses.

Source Play Store

Let we see the Groups app.
It has a circle app icon and it look more in the iPhone iOS look. You can recognize the idea of the mind bubble. Light gradients and powerful colors. Facebook Groups use the same icon for iPhone and for Android, wich is not correct if you check the new Material Design guidelines.

Image copyright Sociotrope.com

Here is a example how it have to be for Android. The idea comes from the Material Design: "Product icon design is inspired by the tactile and physical quality of material. Each icon is cut, folded, and lit as paper would be, but represented by simple graphic elements. ... The matte-like finish interacts with light through subtle highlights and consistent shadows." Maybe Facebook Creative Lab will change the icon in future for Android phones.

You may have the problem that some uninteresting images or posts are showing on your Facebook News Feed. You have the option to hide some type of posts from specific person, website, group or page. Just click the arrow in the top right corner and you have many choices like: I don't want to see this, Unfollow, Hide all from specific website, Save for later or Turn on notifications.

Screenshot from Facebook.com showing a video from Save The Arctic page

You can help in the fight against the Ebola virus by donating with Facebook. Over 13 000 cases of this deadly disease are registered around the world. The most of it are in West Africa. The normal life in this places have been changed. Visit the special Facebook page Fight Ebola to learn more and donate.

Image copyright Facebook Newsroom

Facebook make 3 things to help: 

1. Internet connectivity in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea to connect aid and medical workers. 

2. In partnerhip with UNICEF, Facebook will share information about how to prevent, detect and treat Ebola.

3. Some of the non-profit organisations will be highlighted on Facebook. 

If you are an iPhone or Android user you will get the new updated version of the Facebook app.

The new thing is improvement to photo upload on Facebook mobile. It is easier to share multiple photos on mobile.

You are able to make your choice about the order of the photos.  Just click the first photo and select the next clicking on it. When you are ready click on Done.

You will get the preview of your photo story. Write intro text and add information about every photo if you like. Here you can delete some photos.

You can change the order in this screen by pressing down on a photo and just drag it up or down.

 

Now you have a beautiful post! You friends will see the story in a new layout with maximum 5 photos and the intro text. By tapping on a photo the full mini album will be shown in the order that you have defined.

All this software update on your Facebook iOS and Android App are available now.

All images copyright Facebook News Room

If you want to test something new, here is the new iOS app Rooms.
It allows you to create like in the old time chat-rooms but now you can post not only text but also photos and videos.

Images copyright Facebook Newsroom and Rooms

Start creating a room about something you love. Or just find an existing room and ask to join. Its like the groups in Facebook but you can customize the room like you like. Change color, the font, the name of  the "like button", add cover photo, dominant colors. This is only the basic Rooms. In future we will see more features. Take a try if you are an iPhone user and download the app from the Apple App Store.

Here are some screenshots from the Facebook Creative Lab about they new iOS app Rooms:

If something happens with the nature around us many friends asked if you are OK. They use social media to connect with you, to check your status or just to see where are you now.

Source Facebook Newsroom

Facebook created a tool that works on smartphones (Android, iPhone), feature phones and on your PC. If you are in an area where a major disaster strike you will receive a notification from Facebook. The message will me something like: Are you OK? It looks like you're in the area affected by an earthquake. Let friends know if you're safe. 

You have two options: I'm Safe or I'm not in the area. This update will generate a post in your timeline and every of your friends can see it.

If some of your friends are in such area you will have the option to see the list of your friends and how many of them are in safe.

Here is a video that shows how it works:


Introducing Safety Check from Facebook on Vimeo.

The founder of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg hosted a in-person Question and Answers Event in the Facebook building in Menlo Park, California, USA. He answered on questions from people all over the world. The public was 200 residents from San Francisco.

Image copyright: Facebook Newsroom

Facebook users asked question on the page "Q&A with Mark". This is the first Q&A session so follow the page and you will have the ability to ask question in the next round.

Here are some top questions:
1. Is Facebook going to do anything for supporting worldwide recognition and condemnation of Armenian Genocide?
2. Are you aware of browser extensions like Social Fixer that exist just to fix all the user interface and functionality problems that users have with Facebook?
3. Would you consider creating a Facebook site for kids?
4. What beer were you drinking when you created Facebook.
5. How many instagrams are in a kilogram?
6. When u gonna introduce the dislike button ?
7. We want organic reach back on our pages.
8. Are you ever tempted to shut it down just for an hour unannounced just to see the social impact?
9. How many times facebook shared our private information with government agencies?
10. What's your favourite feature Facebook developed but didn't release?
11. How much time do you spend on Facebook yourself on an average day?

Watch the answers of some of the questions and more here:

Post by Q&A with Mark.

As part of Facebook Internet.org want to connect the rest of the world with Internet. But how is possible to make a new network to the 5 billion unconnected people worldwide?

In New Delhi, India, Mark Zuckerberg started the first Internet.org summit. The main problem is that devices like laptop, tablet and smartphones does not provide support in local language and relevant content.

Here comes the Mark Zuckerberg speech:



The participants wanted to start develop and distribute web content for the people in India. Only 19% in India (243,298,994 People) have access to Internet. Here is the statistic for the rest of the world (source Wikipedia):

As part of Facebook, Instagram is the leading photo app for Android and iPhone.
The Instagram developer team has created a new app called Hyperlapse.

Image copyright: Facebook Newsroom

What is Hyperlapse? It is a video capture application that can speed up your video up to 12 times. It comes with a stabilization of the picture and your time lapse video looks perfect even in motion. Create moving, handheld time lapses like in the professional movies. You don't need to buy expensive equipment. Just take the app for your iPhone and capture the sunset, your bike ride or the cars in the city.


Introducing Hyperlapse from Instagram from Instagram on Vimeo.

The former baseball player Pete Frates, who played in Boston College, made a unique challenge to inform the people around the clobe about his illness ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Over 2.5 million videos with #icebucketchallenge are shared on Facebook. More that 30 million people have posted, commented or liked an Ice Bucket Challenge post. Here is a map where you can see how everithing starts from Boston.

Copyright Facebook Newsroom

The most of the participants are from USA, following by Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Germany.
The most viewed videos are from public videos like Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates.

Here are some other popular videos:

GoPro are cameras to make beautiful pictures and videos from unique perspective. With a special lens "fish eye" they record heart-stopping moments from an unusual view.

Image copyright: Facebook for Business

Let's see how GoPro made it possible to increase the traffic to they e-commerce website GoPro.com using Facebook.

First give you time to watch what you can do with the latest GoPro camera Hero3:



The idea of the GoPro Facebook page was to give the film producers a place where they can share videos and photos every day with the audience. As Andie Woodman, Social Marketing Manager of GoPro says: "GoPro is the fastest growing camera company in the world. And we think that what we do on Facebook has been an integral part of that." The company started to post photos and videos from the moments of real people with a "normal" life: mountain biker, captures from air plain, deep water divers, sky divers etc.

Every day a new ad was created to share the best captured content. With this plan GoPro have over 9% more traffic to the official sales website GoPro.com and the Facebook site is now the #1 photo sharing site for GoPro.

Now it is possible to save links, places, events and more on Facebook. It is live for both desktop and mobile. Just click on the right top corner and press Save.

Image copyright: Facebook

It works only with special posts in connection to a Facebook page, event, movie etc.
You can find the saved things on the special Facebook page Saved or just click on the quick links on the top of this page. You can write on Facebook search bar "save" and the page will appear. Once you save something a new icon in the navigation of the News Feed will be shown:

Screenshot from Facebook News Feed

Facebook will remind you about saved thing in the News Feed.

Share photos and videos with your friends using the new app called "Slingshot". The idea is not only to share in one way, it is to answer with a reaction - photo, video or comment. Now you can see what is shared with you.


Slingshot is avaible international for iPhone and Android, so have a try: slingshot app.

Facebook data team make it possible to see how we say to our friends that our team score in a soccer game.

Lets start first with the length of the word "goal" in different countries. On the world map bellow you can see that the dark regions like South America like to write the word as long a possible (i.e. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!"). The winner here is Venezuela with 21 characters.

Image source Facebook

The longest word "goal" written in Facebook during the world cup in Brasil comes from Argentina and is 20400 characters long (gooo....oool). If you try to write this word again you will need to hold down the letter "o" for 12 minutes!

If you want to learn how to say goal in different languages see the list bellow:
Gol (Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese)
Goal (English)
ประตู (Thai)
Tor (German)
ゴール (Japanese)

Facebook starts a new page where you can explore all the posts with hashtag worldcup.
Trending World Cup page (www.facebook.com/worldcup) allows you to join the conversation about the 2014 soccer event in Brasil. You can write something, upload photo or video, or share a link with #worldcup.

Image source: Facebook

A great place to see the reactions in real time. This dedicated hub for the soccer fans have also latest scores from the games, real-time posts from friends and the top players and national teams.

The interactive atlas "Fan Map" shows the fans of the best players. You can try an see how many fans have Rolando, Messi or Neymar.

Image source: Screenshot Facebook 

Don't forget to be close with you friends during the matches. Take you phone and add status updates on your facebook page - tap the smiley icon and select "watching".

Image source: Facebook

Image source: Facebook

New update in your Facebook App allows you to use your microphone and music app to identify the currently playing TV show or song whenever you begin to post.

Facebook is trying to identify what you're watching or listening to. You can turn this feature on or off. Background noise or conversation can't be identify. Sounds are never stored on the Facebook server. Of corse you can choose whether to share it or not.



Simple answer the question "What are you doing?" and add your feelings, show what you are watching or reading, drinking and eating, what are you playing right now.

Image source: Facebook

Image source: Facebook

The "Feeling proud" feature will be available on the Facebook app in the coming weeks.

Image source: facebook-studio.com

The best in business chose the best work on Facebook for 2014.
The full list of the winners you may check in the website of 2014 Facebook Studio Award.
Here is a selection of some of the best:

Léon Vivien
The story from 1914 of the fresh soldier Leon Vivien made in Facebook.




The Most Powerful Arm
A robot arm sign signatures for a Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) disease petition that will be send to the Australian goverment to give money to reseach into DMD.



If We Made It
Newcastle beer have no money for big ads, but they made the most discussed super bowl ad this year.

If you turn the Nearby Friends on and you are traveling, your friends will see where are you in realtime and you may receive several recommendation for places to visit. You can add friends that see you location or make it visible to all you friends. Turning on and off allows you to share you location only for specific time. Here is a video how Nearby Friends works:


Video source: The Verge

Image source: facebook-studio.com

Every year Facebook give awards to the best creative campaigns and apps on Facebook. Hundreds of works have been submitted and the finalist have been chosen. You may see the winners next week on this page. Here are some of the finalist:


Audi #onemillionreasons

Beacon Web

Full list is here

With nearby friends you can make you place visible to others and to find your friends near you. A great tool to find and to be found. You can hide yourself be turning this option off.

Image source: Facebook Newsroom

In the cinema or on a concert you may find your friend easy. Nearby Friends will notify you which friends are there, the time from the last detection and the distance between you and the friend. It will available for US users next weeks.

Image source: Facebook Newsroom

If you are an desktop user you can use this link. Works with some users and you can see nearby places like restaurants, bars and parks.

Image source Facebook for Business

How to reach 15 million unique 16 to 24 years old people and uplift 4 times the purchase? Here is the successful Facebook story of Cadbury Creme Eggs.

There was a plan comes from Cadbury to reach tens of millions of young people to buy a single Creme Eggs. With Facebook it is a easy job. Put some creative ideas and you have the best mix.

The solution was to focus on News Feed, to increase the money for social media and to have great postings. They use the Publishing Garage in order to make popular posts. In 2 days workshop the new ideas came. The used products are "Page publishing", "News Feed Placements" and "Boosted Posts".

The ideas are to create fun, and to be engage with the consumers.
I love eggs, Smell like a Creme Egg, An American Beauty response and more. Here are some examples from the official Cadbury Creme Egg Facebook page:

You may know that Facebook News Feed has a new design and is improved in the way what shows.
Facebook will try to show you the most important for you post and stories. As result of years researches the new home page will not show spammy images.

Some examples of such post are shown below.

Like-Baiting is a post that want from you to share, like or comment a an answer of a question.

Spam post in Facebook

Many people flag such post like spam therefore Facebook will try not to show you such images.

Frequently circulated posts are contents that are uploaded to Facebook many times. Now they will be found with a special algorithm and you will see it less.

Spammy Links trying to take you to websites that contents only ads. There are a lot examples for these case: fake picture gallery, videos that ask you to share something before you saw the video.

The new news feed will show you more relevant and trustworthy content from you friends, pages and groups.

You will find next months the new design for Facebook ads in the right part of the site. Facebook make this because they want better visibility for the ads, which are the main source of profit for the company. This is a good news for ads designers, because the new ads will have the same proportion as the Facebook posts. It will be very simple for the advertisers to create ads. Here is the first screenshot for the new Facebook ads:

Image source: Facebook

What can make 5 friends with a car and a lot of tinfoil? Watch the video to see the answer.

Image source Facebook for Business

If you like cooking you will like the Neff Facebook page Bake It Yourself - the online community for those that love baking. But how to make profit from one Facebook page. Here is the successful story form Neff.

Image source Facebook for Business

Neff make ovens with modern design. You will love to cook in your kitchen. But what how to make the cooking a social activity. The answer is sharing and inspiration form others in the Facebook community. Over 400 000 followers are in thus Bake It Yourself community - Europe's biggest baking group in Internet.


To bake at home is no more boring. Neff offers tipps and tricks, posts recipes and make a flurry of excitement for the Facebook members.

A 45 days campaign that gives £100 vouchers for those who buy a Neff oven (model Slide&Hide®). With a canvas app on Facebook the existing and new users can receive this voucher code via email and use it in some stores.



And here are the results: 38% conversion rate, +9% more recognition of Neff, + 40% recommendations for Neff products.

The top developers will join the F8 2014 party at The Concourse in San Francisco. Coders from Facebook, Parse and Instagram will share the past and the future of the Facebook products.

Learn how to reach more clients and how your apps can make more. F8 will give you many sessions from 4 different tracks.

The Garage is the place where you can bring your laptop and to hack a little bit.

With Parse tools  you can develop mobile apps and games. Learn to increase the users of you applications. Some of the updates will be information for mobile ads, push notifications and social sharing. Successful stories from developers and they apps.

A Look Back is an facebook video experience that compiles your highlights since joining Facebook. You’ll see a video, a collection of photos or a thank you card, depending on how long you’ve been on Facebook and how much you’ve shared.

Here is the link to this project: facebook.com/lookback