Facebook replaces Chrome recommendation with Opera, foreshadowing?

Facebook has reportedly dropped their support for Google’s Chrome web browser, instead replacing it with Opera on their recommended browser list. The move could signal that a rumored acquisition of the browser maker is nearly complete.

When a user visits the social network using a browser that isn’t official supported, Facebook redirects them to a page that lists browsers they say will give users the best experience. Until recently, that list included Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Chrome. Observant viewers have since noticed that Chrome has been replaced by Opera in this list, although independent testing on my end with Chrome didn’t trigger the same browser warning that others are experiencing.

As briefly alluded to in our weekend news roundup several days ago, all rumors are suggesting that Facebook is preparing to buy Opera. Company stock is still reeling after a poor IPO showing and with roughly $16 billion now at their disposal, making a big acquisition sooner rather than later could be just what the company needs to restore investor faith. Acquiring Opera would mean that the social network wouldn’t have to build a browser from the ground up, yet another boon.

The Norwegian-based Opera was initially released in 1994 although a mobile version of the browser has been available for only a few years. The company claims to have over 200 million users worldwide, or roughly 20 percent of the user base that Facebook has.

Analysts are predicting that the acquisition could cost Facebook over $1billion. Lest we forget that Facebook spent $1 billion to acquire Instagram not too long ago in a deal that hasn’t even been finalized yet.

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Posted in: Chrome,Facebook,foreshadowing,Opera,recommendation,replaces

Facebook launches its app store

10 May 2012 Last updated at 11:29 Facebook has admitted that growing mobile phone use could hurt future revenue Facebook has launched its own app store to promote mobile programs that operate using the social network.

The company said the App Center will become the "new, central place to find great apps like Draw Something" and other titles.

Developers will have the ability to charge a fee for apps sold in the store in the near future, Facebook said.

The announcement came as Facebook admitted growth in mobile use could hurt future advertising revenue.

Ahead of its initial public offering, Facebook told potential investors in a statement: "If users increasingly access Facebook mobile products as a substitute for access through personal computers, and if we are unable to successfully implement monetisation strategies for our mobile users, or if we incur excessive expenses in this effort, our financial performance and ability to grow revenue would be negatively affected."

'Start preparing'

The App Center is expected to be rolled out globally in "the coming weeks", said Facebook's Aaron Brady in a post on the network's developer blog.

"All developers should start preparing today to make sure their app is included for the launch," he wrote.

However, Mr Brady said the store was not designed to compete head-on with the likes of Apple's App Store and Google Play.

"The App Center is designed to grow mobile apps that use Facebook - whether they're on iOS, Android or the mobile web," he wrote.

"From the mobile App Center, users can browse apps that are compatible with their device, and if a mobile app requires installation, they will be sent to download the app from the App Store or Google Play."

The store will follow the well-oiled app browsing format - and will be available on mobile

Only apps which make use of Facebook's log-in system Connect are eligible to be included in the store.

'Attract more ideas'

Saverio Romeo, an industry analyst from Frost & Sullivan, said the store announcement suggested an aggressive push by Facebook to become a bigger player in mobile.

He said Facebook needed to become "more significant, to attract more ideas and get more experience in the mobile space".

"I think the store is an important element - a community of developers is a fundamental element in the growth we have seen with Apple and Android," he told the BBC.

He also said he believed Facebook could position itself as the first major app store to be platform-agnostic - that is, not tied to a single platform such as iOS or Android.

"The type of applications that the Facebook community can develop can have an incredible open horizon.

"Facebook is ubiquitous - it does not have any preferential routes. The question is the monetisation of all this."

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Posted in: Facebook,launches,store