Posts for 'News' Category

The iPhone now has another app in its huge library of apps that is going to bring yet another major social networking platform to the phone. That application is the MySpace app. MySpace has done a great job by bringing the app to the phone platform because Twitter and Facebook are also about to get into this market, but getting here earlier MySpace has ensured a great following that would make the social Networking site even more popular.

The MySpace app is currently released for the iPhone and the Android OS. On other platforms like Symbian it may release in the future, but seeing that iOS and Android are the leading mobile operating systems, this wasn’t a bad choice at all.

The MySpace app would contain a lot of the functionality of the main site except for some highly technical configurations. Still most of the activities could be carried out on a phone easily. The app would allow the user to log in their account and allow cancellation of automatic registration so that the user could go back to the regular session of MySpace with all records left blank. That option is in the top right corner of the screen. The MySpace mobile app is easily available at many locations for free.

Apple's announcement of Ping exploded the blogosphere with talk of the service being the final nail in the coffin for the former king of social media, MySpace. While this may be true, there is a way for MySpace to be relevant AND to get back into the players club of social media. Here's how:

Content — Social media is all about content. Without good content, users won't use the service. It's really that simple. For MySpace to make a comeback and be relevant, they should look to partner with serious recording studios and major artists. You're going to say, well, they already do that. Of course they do, but what's missing is the benefit for the end-user. How about record contracts? Free music? Exclusive deals to concerts?

Leap Frog their UI — MySpace has tried to improve their user interface, but it just doesn't cut it. People flocked to Facebook because of the simplicity of the service. And, since the network swelled to 500 million, it would be hard to get people to move back to MySpace. Users networks are there. They don't want to mess with that. So, if they changed their UI to do something that no other network does, they might have a chance.

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MySpace Hands Over Updates To Facebook: MySpace has surrendered to the power of Facebook, and users can now send their shared content on MySpace out to Facebook (and Twitter) with just one click. The functionality allows you to push photos, status updates, links and videos out to a Facebook profile or Page, and also Twitter. The move is not surprising considering MySpace's dwindling popularity, and Facebook's increasing dominance over the social aspects of the Web with its growing user base of over 500 million.

Despite MySpace's declining popularity, however, one advantage it had were the specially designed MySpace pages for musicians and celebrities. But with the increasing popularity of Facebook Pages, MySpace may have been feeling the pressure to finally tap into Facebook. With Facebook-MySpace integration, musicians, celebrities and regular users can still maintain their identities on MySpace, but reap the added advantage of sending content to Facebook as well.

After learning the identity of the driver who killed her brother Patrick in August 2008, Selena Simpson wanted to know more about the man behind the wheel. She Googled his name -- Scott C. Schuman -- and came across his public MySpace page on the Internet. There she found, in an online photo album, a picture of the Jeep that Schuman was driving during the accident that killed her brother. The caption said: "WHEN S*** IS IN YOUR WAY Run It The F*** Over!"

She found another picture of a Jeep on the website with its front end labeled "bambi basher." The images were the catalyst for a series of events over the next two years that included upgrading Schuman's offense from a misdemeanor to a felony and a judge's decision last week to uphold a sentence requiring him to serve 180 days in jail.

Simpson said she didn't know how important the pictures would become when she stumbled upon them two years ago. She only knew they lit something inside her -- a burning desire to find out more about the accident that killed her brother and why the driver was charged with only a misdemeanor.

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A local man accused in the kidnapping of a 14-year-old girl he met on MySpace is now facing new charges. Richard Sabatasse, 26, was in court today for a hearing.He is accused of meeting the girl in Connellsville, then bringing her back to his home where he allegedly held her against her will for two days. Sabatasse is now facing four new charges including statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault and furnishing alcohol to minors.

The new charges were filed just before today's hearing was set to begin on the kidnapping charges that stemmed from the alleged luring on MySpace. In light of the new charges, the hearing was continued until July 22. Sabatasse had nothing to say to the media today on the advice of his attorney.

MySpace announced Wednesday afternoon that it has integrated the site into Windows Live Messenger and Hotmail. According to the firm, the integration allows users of Messenger and Hotmail to sync status updates between MySpace and Messenger, see MySpace contacts within Messenger's dashboard, comment on MySpace status updates within Messenger, and email MySpace contacts from Hotmail. MySpace said it will begin rolling out the beta integration of the features to their users tomorrow.

MySpace on Monday named Dmitry Shapiro as its new chief technology officer of MySpace Music.

Effective immediately, Shapiro is responsible for all aspects of technical developments for the MySpace Music platform, including the next iteration of artist profiles and tools, as well as the overall music experience on MySpace.

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It takes a big man to accept his mistakes and failures. Just ask News Corp COO Chase Carey, who has done just that in relation to MySpace. MySpace was, at one time, the premier social networking site. And then it all went horribly wrong, partly due to a failure to evolve, and partly because Facebook arrived and showed there was a better alternative. Loads of MySpace execs departed, and so did many users.

But things are apparently back on the up. At least according to Carey speaking to Paley Center’s Max Robins recently. Who, according to PaidContent, said:Is it? Really? I think it’s telling that throughout the Facebook privacy row I haven’t seen anyone stating they would be leaving  Mark Zuckerberg and co. behind in order to head over to MySpace. It’s just not the social network that people talk about any more. Except when they’re criticizing it.

Late last week saw number two social network MySpace launch its MySpace Games Lab pilot program, which will bring third-party social game developers into MySpace's offices to collaborate. Partners who tested the program early on were virtual world Meez and social developer TheBroth. Now MySpace is opening the program so any MySpace developer can participate.

In addition to Meez and TheBroth, MySpace is working with Playdom to refine and develop its platform roadmap. Top social developer Zynga is also backing the Games Lab initiative and introducing the Bangkok location to the MySpace version of its Mafia Wars game. It's worth noting, though, that Zynga's top game FarmVille is still unavailable on the MySpace platform.

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A recent news report in the Wall Street Journal shows that both Facebook and MySpace pass along information to advertisers that can be tracked back to individual profiles. This is because either the MySpace user's profile name or Facebook user ID is included in the web address, or URL, of the page that the user is viewing. When users click on ads, the advertiser can tell what page the user came from, thus revealing the profile or user ID of the individual.

MySpace and Facebook have been facing a lot of news media attacks over privacy concerns lately, with the argument that both companies are sacrificing privacy for a more open model of information sharing. This argument gains ground when it appears that both MySpace and Facebook are moving to a more open model to benefit their own relationships with advertisers, and create an "advertising friendly" space.

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