Facebook announced a new security feature that will allow users to check if they are logged into their accounts on a different computer and log out of it remotely.
This feature will enhance user control over their accounts and curb abuse of Facebook accounts as many people tend to forget to log off after using Facebook through friends cell phones and laptops or even on public computers. Doing so is risky especially on public computers, because users leave their accounts open for abuse by whoever happens to visit Facebook next on that system.
This new security feature, as usual, will be rolled out gradually and once live, users will be able to access it through the “Account Security” section of the ‘Account Settings’ page. Users will be able to see what devices are logged into their account and remotely log off their active accounts.
(Source: Facebook)
Facebook says in a blog post:
There, you’ll see all of your active sessions along with information about each one. That information includes the login time, device name if you’ve previously named it through our login notifications feature, the approximate location of the login based on IP address, and browser and operating system.
In the unlikely case that someone accesses your account without your permission, you can shut down the unauthorized login before resetting your password and taking other steps to secure your account and computer.
Stay tuned for more news on this new security feature from Facebook.
Palm has announced the release of Facebook update for webOS, which is now available for user running webOS on both Palm pre Plus and Pixi Plus.
Apart from the regular optimization and bug fixings, Facebook for Palm webOS 1.3 includes a host of new features and enhancements like revised photo tagging, selectable news feeds, support for landscape viewing, clearing multiple notifications, one click comments and more.
As for those feeling a little adventurous, users can try out the beta version available at Palm’s developer’s portal.
While Verizon Palm Pixi Plus owners can lay their hands on webOS version 1.4.5. The new update is expected to offer better 3D gaming experience, improved web text input and other bug fixes.
A North Carolina Woman was found shot dead along with her ex-boyfriend at her home.
Karen Ann Rooney, 63, and Peter Terrance Moonan, 62, had reportedly dated for 16 years before ending their relationship earlier this year.
The incident happened after Rooney updated her Facebook status about her engagement with William Jenkins.
According to the police, Rooney’s ex-boyfriend shot her and then turned the gun on himself.
Police believe the Facebook post might have triggered the incident.
Electronic Arts has launched its highly successful Madden NFL Superstars game, that let players create a fantasy football team and compete with others, on Facebook.
Players upon joining the game receive 10,000 coins, which is just enough to purchase the lowest value team. From there, the main objective of the game is to build up a championship team and guide them to the Super Bowl.
Instead of the traditional work of a manager like dealing with drafts, auctions, and trades, the game implements game cards, which the players can purchase using either the earnable game coins or the game credits that can be bought with real cash. A pack of football cards contains 5 players, and the game-store contains 5 different player packs. Limited edition player card gives different bonus boost to the teams ability.
Players need to play and win games, progress through increasingly difficult seasons, and finally make it to the Super Bowl. Players can also make their team practice to keep them fit and increase the teams ability. Apart from that, players can upgrade and buy amenities for their home stadium. Fans are gained through leveling up and through gifts from friends.
As for the social mechanism, the game feature achievements, leaderboards, sending and receiving gifts, and lastly a scrimmage feature that allows players to compete agains one another without using up Game Ticket. Game Ticket is an-energy like mechanism of other social games, which are regenerated over time and are used up while playing matches in the game.
One more thing! The game also has “game changer” cards that typically helps the players team score a quick touchdown. Matches are fully automated and the outcome is determined by the team you possess. Points accumulated from practice accounts for one-third of the teams ability.
Madden NFL Superstars will be well received by football fans and some other groups but it doesn’t have the offerings like FarmVille or Mafia Wars that carter to wider social audience.
(Go to the application)
Greenpeace along with its 500,000 supporters on Facebook reminds Facebook to stop using coal to power its Data center, with coal being the largest source of global warming pollution.
Facebook got a lot of support from locals when it decided to open a data center in Prineville, Oregon but also came under criticism from environmentalist for its plan construct coal-powered data center. A campaign to get Facebook to “Unfriend Coal” started soon after Facebook announced its plan.
Shortly after beginning works on the data center, Facebook made another announcement to the dismay of environment activist about doubling the size of its data center at Oregon.
The Facebook campaign to “unfriend coal” has grown to half-a-million supporters this week.
Greenpeace regularly uses Facebook to engage its supporters and their friends to hold corporations accountable for their environmental impact,” wrote Greenpeace International Executive Director Kumi Naidoo in an open letter to the founder and chief executive of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg. “Facebook is uniquely positioned to be a truly visible and influential leader to drive the deployment of clean energy.”
Naidoo also urged Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to “exercise bold and immediate leadership in addressing climate change” for the interest of the Facebook, its users, and our planet.
Though it is unlikely for Facebook to take immediate decision or action to “unfriend coal” at its data center, it is taking up the issue of energy conservation into consideration, according to their blog post.
Time and again, Facebook users seem to overexpress themselves, and the result weren’t too good.
The latest victim of Facebook post to make the news is a Michigan juror who was removed from a trial after posting verdict on Facebook before the case concluded.
Hadley Jons, 20-year-old, juror in a case of resisting arrest reportedly wrote on her Facebook post, “actually excited for jury duty tomorrow. it’s gonna be fun to tell the defendant they’re GUILTY. 
.”
Fortunately or unfortunately, son of defense attorney Saleema Sheikh discovered the post.
Jons was promptly replaced with a alternative. She could be charged with contempt of court, and the decision for which is due Thursday, Sept. 2.
Last week, an excited Swedish schoolgirl posted how she and her friend were going to bug their teachers on Facebook and got themselves charged.
The much hyped anti-Facebook project, Diaspora, the “privacy-aware, personally controlled” social network is due to release on September 15.
Public alpha version is expected to launched somewhere in October.
Unlike Facebook or Twitter, the concept of Diaspora is, to keep all its user data on a central server, and allow users to create “seeds” or personalized web servers. From these seeds, users can add their own networks and control what information goes to what network.
The Diaspora team raised more than $200,000 in 6 months with more than 31,000 followers. Even Mark Zukerberg gave to the cause, saying he saw something of himself in the team, spending many nights sleeping on their lab floors.
An ambitious summer project of four students – Daniel Grippi, Maxwell Salzberg, Raphael Sofaer, and Ilya Zhitomirskiy, Diaspora has attracted worldwide attention.
Though dubbed as the anti-Facebook social network, it is highly unlikely to take your grandparents away from Facebook.
Facebook rules because even more matured users find it is easy to use, while the concept of Diaspora itself is hard to comprehend for the general masses.
So, “Will Diaspora be able to get worldwide acceptance once it is launched?” is yet to be seen.
36-year-old Anthony Lozano was arrested for allegedly torturing and imprisoning his girlfriend for four days over messages on his girlfriend’s Facebook page.
Lozano was apprehended at his residence. He reportedly alleged that his girlfriends was having an adulterous affair. He was accused of grabbing the woman’s hair, dragging her and threatening to kill her before choking her with a rope.
Sheriff Commander Dave Putnam disclosed that the couple’s child and another child belonging to the victim were in the house at the time.
Lozano remain in detention at the Kings County on Monday with a bail of $725,00.
Once a bitter competitor, MySpace has finally decided to walk beside Facebook by allowing users to sync status updates with Facebook.
MySpace has already launched Sync for Twitter last year. News about Facebook and MySpace working on a deal that would let MySpace users share content on Facebook first came out almost a year ago.
Sync for Facebook enables MySpace users to broadcast their status updates, share links, photos, videos, music and applications from MySpace to Facebook.
But the sync is only one-way. Facebook users will not be able to share their updates on MySpace through this Facebook-MySpace sync. Users can expect two-way sync in the near future.
Yahoo made a similar move, while AOL launched a two-way sync with both Twitter and Facebook for AIM last year.
This move will give a big boost to MySpace users, dominated mostly by music artist and celebrities, to reach out to bigger audience.
MySpace is also expected to launch a new version of its service this fall.
