iPhone app: Feature laden Facebook 3.0 arrives [u]
By Ronald O Carlson
The most popular app on the iPhone and iPod touch has gotten and major rewrite, and packs a large array of “new” features that bring it mostly up to par with the browser-based version. Come on inside for a snapshot overview of what’s hot and what’s not in this major update.
It’s been nearly a year since version 2.0 shipped and, although there were utility boosting point updates between then and now, Facebook on the iPhone and iPod touch left much to be desired. Facebook 3 for iPhone (free, iTunes) arrives and makes good many of the issues, both small and large, this social networking application has vexed users with since the beginning.
Top new features:
• Landscape mode
• Like posts and photos
• Integrated web browser
• See your friends’ birthdays
• See upcoming events and RSVP
• Same news feed as seen in your browser
• Write notes and read your friends’ notes
• Upload videos from an iPhone 3GS
• Complete photo management
Obviously, this is a major, major update with landscape typing and viewing, as well as the ability to view the same news feed as you get in the full-fledged browser version of Facebook being the features that most please me. That said, version 3.0 requires iPhone OS 3.0, which is a $10 upgrade for iPod touch users.
If you’re a FaceBook junkie and you’ve been holding off applying the iPhone OS 3.0 on your iPod touch, this is the excuse to part with a tenner that you’ve been waiting for.
Get in the picture
As you can tell from the list above, Facebook 3.0 seriously improves photo management and even allows iPhone 3GS owners to upload video, which is an awesome way to update friends, family, clients or co-workers from the field. It’s important flourishes like this that really bring home the importance of marrying powerful mobile devices with social networking.
As before, Facebook opens to your news feed by default. However, that’s about the only interface element holdover from version 2.0 with the home screen offering at-a-glance navigation to the major features. Further, there’s a second blank home screen that’s ready to accept your own custom bookmarks.
The one major missing feature on everyone else’s list is push notification, though I can’t say its absence vexes me at all — I’ve got plenty automatic irritation in my life without it. Nevertheless, I’m really liking Facebook 3.0 and I haven’t come across any major issues so far and it seems quite stable, as well.
Dig in and come to share your impressions below…
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on Friday, August 28th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
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October 17th, 2009
Dis mite sound a little bit stupid to yu lot but is facebook + msn free on ipod touch?