Tech

Facebook launches its own app store with App Center

Facebook has announced it will launch a new tool to allow users to discover the best apps, games and services that connect with the social network.An app store of sorts, the new App Center will become a key feature of the Facebook.com website as well as the apps for iOS and Android when it launches in the coming weeks.App Center will rank the likes of Spotify, Pinterest and Draw Something through user ratings, average time spent using the app, and how often it is voluntarily shared by users. Each user will see a list of top apps, designed for them based on their own usage patterns, so personal leaderboards will not be dominated by the the same old apps that simply boast the most users.The centre of your social app worldIn a post on the Facebook developers’ blog Aaron Brady says: “For the over 900 million people that use Facebook, the App Center will become the new, central place to find great apps like Draw Something, Pinterest, Spotify, Battle Pirates, Viddy, and Bubble Witch Saga. “Everything has an app detail page, which helps people see what makes an app unique and lets them install it before going to an app.”Success through the App Center is tied to the quality of an app. We use a variety of signals, such as user ratings and engagement, to determine if an app is listed in the App Center.”The company will also let developers charge a one-off fee to use their service through Facebook and is encouraging developers to create their ‘App detail page’ today.Open Graph extendedThe move comes months after the launch of Facebook’s Open Graph initiative.This has allowed many top content providers to integrate their services into Facebook, with activity appearing in the user’s Timeline or within the Live Ticker.A fully-customised app discovery hub, which directs users to the best services with Facebook integration seems to be the next logical step.

Published

9 years ago

May 10, 2012

Zhang Fang

Each user will see a list of top apps, designed for them based on their own usage patterns, so personal leaderboards will not be dominated by the the same old apps that simply boast the most users.The centre of your social app world In a post on the Facebook developers’ blog Aaron Brady says: “For the over 900 million people that use Facebook, the App Center will become the new, central place to find great apps like Draw Something, Pinterest, Spotify, Battle Pirates, Viddy, and Bubble Witch Saga. “Everything has an app detail page, which helps people see what makes an app unique and lets them install it before going to an app.”Success through the App Center is tied to the quality of an app. We use a variety of signals, such as user ratings and engagement, to determine if an app is listed in the App Center.”The company will also let developers charge a one-off fee to use their service through Facebook and is encouraging developers to create their ‘App detail page’ today.

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Facebook launches its own app store with App Center

Myanmar

Digital Revolution and Repression in Myanmar and Thailand

Activists have also proactively published social media content in multiple languages using the hashtags #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar and #WhatsHappeningInThailand to boost coverage of events on the ground.

Published

2 days ago

April 16, 2021

Headline Editor

By Karen Lee

Following the February 1 coup, Myanmar’s netizens became the latest to join the #MilkTeaAlliance, an online collective of pro-democracy youth across Asia.

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Ecommerce

How will oil prices shape the Covid-19 recovery in emerging markets?

Published

4 weeks ago

March 24, 2021

Oxford Business Group

How will oil prices shape the Covid-19 recovery in emerging markets?

– After falling significantly in 2020, oil prices have returned to pre-pandemic levels
– The rise has been driven by OPEC+ production cuts and an improving economic climate
– Higher prices are likely to support a rebound in oil-producing emerging markets
– Further virus outbreaks or increased production would pose challenges to price stability

A combination of continued production cuts and an increase in economic activity has prompted oil prices to return to pre-pandemic levels – a factor that will be crucial to the recovery of major oil-producing countries in the Middle East and Africa.

Brent crude prices rose above $60 a barrel in early February, the first time they had exceeded pre-Covid-19 values. They have since continued to rise, going above $66 a barrel on February 24.

The ongoing increase in oil prices, which have soared by 75% since November and around 26% since the beginning of the year, marks a dramatic change from last year.

Following the closure of many national borders and the implementation of travel-related restrictions to stop the spread of the virus, demand for oil slumped globally.

In the wake of the Saudi-Russia price war in early 2020, Brent crude prices fell from around $60 a barrel in February that year to two-decade lows of $20 a barrel in late April, as supply increased and demand plummeted. The value of WTI crude – the main benchmark for oil in the US – fell to record lows of around $40 a barrel last year on the back of a lack of storage space.

While global demand for oil remains low, one factor credited with reversing the trend is the decision to make significant cuts to oil production, which subsequently tightened global supplies.

Tech

How the Rural-Urban Divide Plays Out on Digital Platforms

It is one thing for entrepreneurs, whether urban or rural, to create and operate an online store, as some digital platforms have made it relatively easy to manage an e-store – even by using just a smartphone.

Published

4 weeks ago

March 24, 2021

Insead Knowledge

In the West, villages are emptying out due to the lack of economic opportunities. Consider Italy where, in a bid to attract newcomers, a handful of municipalities have turned to selling houses for €1.

(more…)