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Six Apart wrestles the social-media dragon

The Web might have just gotten one step closer to a universal "social dashboard" capable of managing an array of blogging, messaging, networking, and media applications. It's a small step, but still a move in the right direction.

Six Apart, the software company behind blogging platforms TypePad, Movable Type, and Vox, has launched a new Facebook application called "Blog It." Facebook members who install the application can post to multiple blogging services at one time, update their Facebook status in sync with micro-blogging services like Twitter, and have updates from the app appear in their Facebook Mini-Feeds.… Read more

Buddy Media raises $6.5 million, launches ad network

Buddy Media, a New York-based company that operates a number of social-media developer platform applications including Pirates vs. Ninjas, Zombies vs. Werewolves, Pub Darts, and a Sudoku game, announced Tuesday that it has raised $6.5 million in Series B funding in a round led by Softbank Capital.

A number of big-name investors like Ron Conway, Greycroft Partners, and the European Founders Fund (which has reportedly put cash behind Facebook) also contributed to the round along with 14 of the company's Series A investors.

Buddy Media uses a loyalty program called AceBucks across all its gaming applications, in which … Read more

Lexicon: Meet Facebook's answer to Google Zeitgeist

Are Facebook members more likely to be talking about hamburgers in January or May? Well, you can find out.

The social network is about to launch Facebook Lexicon, a new feature that tracks exactly what users are chatting about in their public posts on each others' "walls," based on search queries, and turns them into graphs and charts.

"Facebook Lexicon aggregates and analyzes millions of Wall posts on the site every day to provide a snapshot of the collective conversation on the site," the company explained in an FAQ. "Users can query as many as … Read more

Facebook mini-feeds get hungrier: Yelp, Picasa, Flickr, Delicious

This post was updated at 2:54 PM PT with comment from Facebook.

Facebook members now have the options to import their activity from a number of external social-media sites into the "Mini-Feeds" on their profiles, a post on the company blog explained on Tuesday.

Currently, this is limited to business reviews site Yelp, bookmarking site Delicious (owned by Yahoo), and photo-sharing sites Flickr (also owned by Yahoo) and Picasa (owned by Google). More are on the way, including Digg, the post by engineer Harry Huai Wang assured members.

With aggregation the hottest topic in social networking these … Read more

First Look: Facebook for BlackBerry

You won't be able to turn people into zombies with Facebook for BlackBerry (quick link), but you will be able to perform the essential Facebook maneuvers to keep up with your friends. Since launching in late October 2007, the wildly popular app has topped 1,000,000 downloads. With intuitive actions and a familiar look and feel that mimics the online site, it's easily a must-have BlackBerry app.

Be forewarned that the application doesn't scrimp on profile photos, so data transfers can sometimes limp along. Have patience. Also, since Facebook for BlackBerry's functionality is currently limited … Read more

Did a new court development spark Facebook-ConnectU settlement?

Earlier on Monday, reports surfaced that Facebook may be close to a settlement on its longstanding legal dispute with former rival ConnectU, after several years of dismissals, appeals, and general unpleasantry. But a recent court ruling suggests that the timing may not be entirely random: a judge in a U.S. court of appeals ruled that ConnectU was allowed to reinstate its case, reversing Facebook's request for dismissal.

Documents filed last Thursday from ConnectU vs. Zuckerberg et al., which has been handled in a Massachusetts district court, reveal that a senior circuit judge in the court of appeals opted … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 697: Men behaving badly

In the news today, men are scamming and being scammed online, Jerry Yang (Yahoo) and Steve Ballmer (Microsoft) are getting nasty (in a legal-sounding way), the official Craigslist blog calls the unofficial Craigslist blog a deceptive text-ad-runner, and we ladies are just over here in the corner being nice to each other. Er, except the ones with the AVPR1a gene. Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 697

Yahoo versus Microsoft: Thanks for the letter Steve; Now give us more money or get lost http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=8396 http://www.nypost.com/seven/04072008/business/ yahoo__sets_reply_to_microsoft_attack_105424.htm … Read more

Hands-on: Facebook Chat

So far, Facebook Chat is indeed rolling out slowly. Of my 130-odd friends, only 5 show up Chat-ready, but more seem to be appearing as the hours tick by. At first, the limited list makes for an uncompelling experience, but as all Facebook users gain access, the experience will change. Imagine: stumbling across a old high school friend on Facebook and immediately engaging in conversation. (Or, worse, immediately finding all about your college ex's wonderful new life.)

The Facebook Chat Web app itself is easy and straightforward. Look to the bottom-right corner of an open Facebook browser window to … Read more

Facebook reportedly will settle ConnectU lawsuit

You're likely to be disappointed, those of you who were secretly hoping for an over-the-top, preppies-gone-nasty legal battle between Facebook's founders and the former Harvard classmates who claimed they filched their business plan.

According to Brad Stone of the New York Times, Facebook is reportedly close to settling the lawsuit that the founders of onetime social-networking site ConnectU have been pursuing for several years now.

According to the founders of ConnectU, twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss and their business partner Divya Narendra, they hired current Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg as a programmer for ConnectU when they were all … Read more