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Why investors are brushing off Facebook's home on Android

The Facebook "phone" is a snooze fest -- at least, that's Wall Street premature take. Investors haven't batted an eye at various rumors and reports about the social network's new home on Android, which will arrive on April 4.

Facebook shares opened today at an unremarkable $25.60, and have since lost around half a percent in value.

The itty-bitty decline immediately follows Facebook's late Thursday announcement about an Android-related event, which led many to speculate about the potential unveiling of a long-rumored Facebook phone. The latest leak suggests Facebook will show a special … Read more

Police said to use Facebook to stop punk rock house parties

Police going undercover on social media to catch gangsters and murderers is one thing, but posing as punk rockers to catch bands playing illegal house parties?

That's just what Boston police are allegedly doing, according to Slate.

After a nuisance control ordinance (PDF) passed last year, the city has been working to squelch local punk and indie rock parties featuring loud bands. And to find out where these raucous festivities are taking place -- in order to break them up before they get started -- the police are supposedly sleuthing out party addresses via e-mail and social media.

Acting … Read more

Tracking the rumor that just won't die: The Facebook phone

Facebook executives love to do verbal tap dances around the idea of a phone. It's been going on for years: reports, denials, reports, denials. And now, just two months after a categorical denial from CEO Mark Zuckerberg himself, it seems that at its event next week, Facebook may well go ahead and release what arguably amounts to a Facebook phone.

OK, it's not really a Facebook phone that Facebook watchers are expecting. But this time, it's undeniably something phone related. The social network on Thursday sent out media invitations to "Come See Our New Home on … Read more

In your face, Facebook style

I get it. All grown up (more or less) and a publicly traded company to boot, Facebook thinks day and night about how to better delight its advertisers and convince Wall Street that it's quite serious about monetizing the folks who use its social network.

Just look at Facebook's News Feed redesign and it's clear the powers-that-be have some very smart ideas about how to satisfy those first two constituencies. And what of those hundreds of millions of people who use Facebook to catch up on cute cat photos and the latest apercus from slightly batty relatives? … Read more

Path plots subscription service for 2nd quarter

Path, the social network designed to be more personal than Facebook, will be launching a subscription service in the second quarter of this year.

Path co-founder and Chief Executive Dave Morin told CNET that a premium paid version is the next step for monetizing the young app, but he did not reveal what features users would paying for in a subscription, or how much it would cost.

Launched in 2010, Path is an app that's marketed as a network just for close friends and family members, limiting users to 150 friends. Because of that, it encourages users to share … Read more

Facebook on the verge of announcing HTC smartphone?

Rumors of a Facebook phone have been flying around for years. But has the time come for that chatter to become reality?

Word has it that the social network may be making the big announcement at an upcoming press event next week. Facebook sent out invites today asking members of the media to "Come See Our New Home on Android" on April 4. If history is any gauge, Facebook announcements with invites like this tend to be grand in scope, such as Graph Search and the News Feed redesign.

Facebook has reportedly been working on an advertising campaign … Read more

Facebook says come see 'new home on Android' on April 4

Facebook today invited members of the media to attend an Android-related product announcement at its Menlo Park, Calif., headquarters on Thursday, April 4.

The invitation, as pictured above, says, "Come See Our New Home on Android," and includes no other details as to what may be unveiled.

History tells us that the April 4 news will be as grand in scope and implications as Graph Search or the new look for News Feed, two major product announcements that Facebook announced at its campus earlier this year.

Why Facebook isn't rushing the rollout of its new News Feed

So you want Facebook's bigger, better News Feed? Too bad -- unless you're one of the chosen few. The social network is taking a painstakingly slow approach to releasing a remarkably overhauled version of the stream, having given the new look to only a "small group" of users on the desktop so far.

Three weeks ago, Facebook unveiled a new look for News Feed to make its often overwhelming stream of updates feel less cluttered. The new News Feed features photos and stories that are twice as big as before, individual feeds for filtering the stream … Read more

Facebook makes risky bet on News Feed ads that track you

Forget the fluffy promise of increased engagement. Facebook knows the quickest way to make more money is to give advertisers what they really want: immediate results. The social network is doing just that by opening up its News Feed to retargeted ads, eerily aware messages that marketers love and members won't be able to miss.

Facebook announced Tuesday that it had started a small test to let advertisers and agencies use Facebook Exchange (FBX) to serve retargeted ads -- specifically called "Page post link ads" -- to your News Feed, which, of course, is Facebook's prime … Read more

Facebook gets approval to build plush second campus

Menlo Park's city council has officially given Facebook the go-ahead to break ground on its swanky second campus.

The council voted 4-0, with one member absent, to let the social network build its 433,555-square-foot building that was designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry, according to the Mercury News.

"Congratulations," Menlo Park Mayor Peter Ohtaki told Facebook officials yesterday, according to the Mercury News. "Where's the 'Like' button?"

It was revealed in August 2011 that the social network had plans to build a second campus. The site is located next to its current Menlo … Read more