Computerworld Facebook News

Zeus variant tricks Facebook users into exposing card data

(Lucian Constantin) — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:17:00 GMT

A new variant of the Zeus trojan tricks users into exposing their debit card details by displaying rogue offers when they visit Facebook, Gmail, Yahoo and Hotmail, according to researchers from security firm Trusteer.

QuickPoll: Is Facebook's IPO overhyped?

Tue, 15 May 2012 19:24:00 GMT

Facebook has raised the price range of its stock shares just days before the company's highly anticipated initial public offering. Is Facebook's IPO overhyped?

U.S. Facebook users skeptical of site's privacy, longevity

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:01:00 GMT

As the hype over Facebook's upcoming IPO continues to grow, a new survey indicates that not everyone is confident in the social network's long-term success.

With IPO looming, Facebook boosts stock price range

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:42:00 GMT

Facebook has raised the price range of its stock shares just days before the company's highly anticipated initial public offering.

Facebook privacy head suggests company will serve ads on other sites

(Cameron Scott) — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:44:00 GMT

Facebook's head of privacy policy, Erin Egan, hinted in a Web chat on Monday that Facebook would begin serving targeted ads to users on third-party websites.

With another CEO out, Yahoo's turnaround stalled

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:19:00 GMT

For the second time in eight months, Yahoo is without a permanent CEO. The latest development brings more trouble to a company struggling to regain its stature in the industry.

Elgan: How I publish from Google+

(Mike Elgan) — Sat, 12 May 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Columnist Mike Elgan offers tips on how to post to Twitter and Facebook, send a newsletter and more all from a Google+ account.

Facebook proposes more changes to privacy policy

(Cameron Scott) — Sat, 12 May 2012 01:12:00 GMT

Facebook said on Friday that it intends to make further changes to its privacy policy in order to respond to an audit by the Irish government, but privacy advocates saw the move as an inadequate attempt to quell privacy concerns prior to Facebook's planned initial public offering.

Microsoft Bing goes social in search war with Google

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Fri, 11 May 2012 18:02:00 GMT

Microsoft's move to boost Bing's social networking feaures could finally give it an opportunity to truly take on Google's dominant search engine, analysts say.

Facebook IPO's elephant in the room -- mobile

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:52:00 GMT

While Facebook executives talk to the country's top investors about its 900 million users and its powerful global reach, analysts say they need to explain how they're going to fix one glaring problem -- mobile.

California moves to stop employers demanding Facebook passwords

(Cameron Scott) — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:41:00 GMT

The California assembly passed a bill on Thursday that prevents employers from demanding job applicants' passwords for accounts on Facebook or other social networking sites.

FTC could delay Facebook's Instagram buy, report says

(Cameron Scott) — Thu, 10 May 2012 22:42:00 GMT

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has launched a probe of Facebook's proposed acquisition of Instagram that could delay the closing of the deal, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.

Facebook App Center targets mobile users

(Cameron Scott) — Thu, 10 May 2012 10:29:00 GMT

Facebook said Wednesday that it will launch an App Center where users can browse "high-quality" mobile apps that integrate with the social-networking site.

Study: Facebook relies on good design to retain users

(Joab Jackson) — Wed, 09 May 2012 21:12:00 GMT

What is Facebook's secret to keeping the world's largest user base content? Sticking to well-proven software design principles, one study has concluded.

Hoodie Gate: Facebook CEO's attire a sign of 'immaturity'?

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Wed, 09 May 2012 20:05:00 GMT

Of all the things discussed and analyzed surrounding Facebook's upcoming initial public offering, perhaps the most surprising -- or just plain funniest -- is co-founder Mark Zuckerberg's hoodie.

Bobsled Calling for iPhone and iPad

(Joel Mathis) — Tue, 08 May 2012 19:52:00 GMT

It's tempting to treat Bobsled Calling as a variation on Skype. And while there are a lot of similarities between the two apps, there are also some crucial differences.

Ad firm settles suit alleging Facebook 'bait and spam'

(Jeremy Kirk) — Tue, 08 May 2012 02:56:00 GMT

The Washington State Attorney General's office reached a settlement on Monday with an advertising company it alleged baited and spammed Facebook users with salacious content in order to direct them to unrelated advertising.

Facebook kicks off IPO roadshow in NYC

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Mon, 07 May 2012 19:40:00 GMT

Facebook launched its IPO roadshow in New York, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg pitching the company's stock to potential investors.

Less than half of Facebook, Google users understand sites' privacy policies

(Cameron Scott) — Fri, 04 May 2012 22:24:00 GMT

Most users of Facebook and Google had fundamental gaps in understanding, even after reading privacy policies, about how the websites handled their information and how other Web users could discover it, according to a study released by the digital branding firm Siegel+Gale.

Will Yahoo CEO's misstep kill company momentum?

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Fri, 04 May 2012 20:19:00 GMT

All the momentum and vision that Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson has been building for the struggling company may have been thrown off course.

Facebook IPO won't be derailed, analysts say

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Fri, 04 May 2012 17:14:00 GMT

As the expected date of Facebook's long-awaited initial public offering nears, analysts and investors are taking a last, close look at the financial, legal and other details that could help or hurt what could be the biggest IPO in tech history.

Gartner says half of enterprises are wasting money on social media

(Brandon Butler) — Fri, 04 May 2012 14:30:00 GMT

Getting a positive return on investment from a social media campaign is about more than tracking the number of your Facebook fans and Twitter followers. It's about linking the social strategy to measurable business objectives, according to Gartner, which says most businesses aren't doing this.

Yahoo informs Facebook of more potential patent infringements

(John Ribeiro) — Fri, 04 May 2012 06:35:00 GMT

Yahoo is said to have written to Facebook indicating that it believes that 16 patents it claims to hold "may be relevant" to open source technology allegedly being used in the data centers and servers of the social networking company, according to a regulatory filing by Facebook on Thursday.

VMware ups its collaboration offering with Lithium integration

(Brandon Butler) — Thu, 03 May 2012 23:32:00 GMT

VMware Thursday announced that its SocialCast sharing tool will now work with Lithium Technologies tools to capture and integrate external customer data.

Facebook's valuation for IPO will be lower than initially expected

(Cameron Scott) — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:53:00 GMT

Facebook will be valued at US$85 billion to $95 billion, rather than the $100 billion that had been widely rumored, The Wall Street Journal reported reported Thursday.

Location-based services: Are they there yet?

(Brian Proffitt) — Thu, 03 May 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Mobile apps that use your location to offer services are no longer new. But are they truly useful to businesses? We look at Facebook, Foursquare, Google Latitude and Yelp to see how they're doing.

Facebook's open-source data-center project gains ground

(Agam Shah) — Wed, 02 May 2012 20:21:00 GMT

Facebook's year-old project to develop open-source hardware designs with the aim to build efficient data centers gained momentum on Wednesday, with some top technology companies joining the effort and introducing server designs.

Facebook roadshow starts Monday; IPO on May 18?

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Wed, 02 May 2012 20:11:00 GMT

Facebook officials continue to decline to respond to speculation on when the social networking company will pull the trigger on its highly-anticipated initial public offering

With money in the bank, Twitter in no rush for IPO

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Wed, 02 May 2012 17:11:00 GMT

With Facebook's IPO looming just ahead, Twitter CEO Dick Costolo says his company is in no hurry to follow suit.

Facebook stretches social boundaries to help organ donors

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Tue, 01 May 2012 18:37:00 GMT

While Facebook made its fortune on people -- about 800 million users worldwide today -- posting funny pictures of their cats and kids, the social network is also taking advantage of its ability to be helpful to those in need.

Facebook looks to connect patients with organ donors

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Tue, 01 May 2012 11:55:00 GMT

Facebook launched a new tool today that co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg hopes will help connect patients with needed organ donors.

AT&T, Google among top lobbying spenders in Q1

(Grant Gross) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:13:00 GMT

AT&T spent nearly $7.1 million on lobbying Congress and President Barack Obama's administration in the first quarter of 2012, making it the leading corporate spender on lobbying, with Google, Comcast and Verizon Communications also making the top five.

Facebook gears up to announce 'life-saving' tool

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:33:00 GMT

Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is taking to the network news Tuesday to announce a new tool that is supposed to have the power to save lives.

Strategic Guide to IT Talent Management

(CIO staff) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:48:00 GMT

Download our ebook for advice from peers about how to recruit and nurture the types of IT professionals you'll need to gain a competitive advantage. Insider (registration required)

Yahoo claims Facebook bought patents to countersue it

(John Ribeiro) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:44:00 GMT

Facebook purchased in the last five months eight of ten patents it has cited in a counterclaim to a patent infringement lawsuit filed by Yahoo, and several were purchased after Yahoo filed the suit, the Internet portal claimed in a filing on Friday before a federal court.

Facebook Likes Could Get You Fired, and Legal Options are a Challenge

(Christina DesMarais) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 17:19:00 GMT

Facebook "likes" can possibly get you fired, and if you take your employer to court over the punishment you may have an uphill legal battle.

House passes CISPA cyberthreat sharing bill, despite privacy concerns

(Grant Gross) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 23:19:00 GMT

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a cyberthreat information-sharing bill that critics say will give U.S. government agencies access to the private communications of millions of Internet users

Facebook hacker comes clean

(Jeremy Kirk) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

The hacker who stole Facebook source code has gone public with a deeper explanation of how he penetrated the most popular social network in the world.

Big acquisitions, distractions may delay Facebook IPO

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:12:00 GMT

Less than a week ago, the Internet was abuzz with reports that Facebook's IPO would come in mid-May. Today, news reports are adding several more weeks to that timeline.

CISPA sponsors support amendments addressing privacy concerns

(Grant Gross) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 21:41:00 GMT

The sponsors of a controversial cyberthreat information-sharing bill will offer new amendments to address privacy concerns, with changes focused on limiting how government agencies can use information shared by private companies, as the bill comes to a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives this week.

How Secure Are Your Facebook Apps?

(Kristin Burnham) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:07:00 GMT

How well do Facebook apps protect your privacy? Before you download something new and agree to share information, check out how Privacyscore rates its first.

Facebook profit falls as sales increase by 45%

(Cameron Scott) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:30:00 GMT

Facebook announced on Monday that its total revenue rose 45% year over year in the first quarter of 2012, but its profit fell 12%.

Facebook to pay Microsoft $550M for AOL patents

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 19:18:00 GMT

Facebook on Monday continued its latest spending spree by agreeing to pay Microsoft about $550 million for some 650 former AOL patents and patent applications.

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols: Facebook + Instagram = one big acquisition flop

sjvn@vna1.com (Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Facebook's foolish buyout of Instagram is a waste of a billion of its pre-IPO dollars, but it's not the all-time worst tech business deal.

Career Watch: Should you surrender your Facebook password?

(Jamie Eckle) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Career coach and author Roy Cohen says you can refuse, but negotiation might be a better tactic.

Berners-Lee: Demand your data from Internet companies

(Cameron Scott) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:53:00 GMT

Tim Berners-Lee has said that the problem with companies like Facebook and Google is not that they collect vast troves of data about their users, but that they don't share with them what they learn from it.

Does timing of Facebook IPO matter?

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:14:00 GMT

Reports circulated Thursday that Facebook's initial public offering could arrive on May 17.

Security, privacy ideas emerge at Demo Spring conference

(Stephen Lawson) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 17:38:00 GMT

The cool new Internet ideas of yesteryear often create the headaches of today, and some startups at the Demo conference are starting to try to solve those problems.

Music Artists Get 'Listen' Button on Facebook

(John P. Mello Jr.) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 23:30:00 GMT

Facebook added a "Listen' button Tuesday to the pages of music artists on the social network.

Ban.jo for iPhone

(Joel Mathis) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:56:00 GMT

Feel like you're missing nearby friends or nearby fun? Ban.jo, a free iPhone/iPod touch app, is designed to fix that problem.