The latest updates made by Facebook such as the new layouts, improved photo uploader, features like game dashboard has left many people excited, and majority of the users are still waiting for the update to come to them. Though all this new excitement haven’t sank yet, we would like to pass on another big news, actually a  rumor to you.

According to TechCrunch, Facebook is planning of rolling out yet another big change. Facebook is said to be completely rewriting their messaging product behind the scenes and is preparing to launch a fully featured webmail client and the product is internally known as Project Titan.

Though the move is a big one, this doesn’t comes entirely as a surprise. The current Facebook messaging system have seen some improvements over the years, but it hasn’t been a fan favourite.

So, the move can be called as a fullfillment of a long-awaited feature from a site like Facebook who has now touched 400 million users.

It may also be noted that, MySpace has already launched its email service last year replacing it’s internal messaging system, though with moderate success. But, unlike MySpace’s implementation, Facebook’s email service is expected to have full support for POP and IMAP, making it possible for the users to access their email accounts from desktop or mobile clients. As for the address, it is said to be based on a user’s chosen vanity URL nickname, something like vanityurl@facebook.com

“Tacking a real webmail product on top of those vanity URLs and Facebook connect is something even Google may shudder at. Gmail killer? I don’t think so. But a strong product move nonetheless,” says the blog writer Arrington.

[Source: TechCrunch]

We all know that Facebook Photos are massively popular. According to the company, a whopping 2.5 billion photos are uploaded every month. As we know Facebook has hit the 400 million user milestone, the number above is going to grow higher.

Though many users just go well with the current photo uploading process, the company received a lot of feed-backs that indicates many people struggle with the current photo uploader due to various technical issues, while other are confused by the installation process. If you belong to the latter group then the good news is – this scenario is going to change, as the company is rolling out an improved version of photo uploader, more specifically a photo upload browser plugin.

This new uploader will be roll out gradually over the coming weeks. Facebook user have to install the Facebook plugin first before uploading photos once the upgrade has been launched for them.

The new photo uploader includes a new photo navigator that should make it easy for anyone to choose and upload their favorite photos. Another neat feature is the asynchronous uploading. This allows users to navigate/browser to a different page while the uploading process runs in the background.

This improved photo uploader looks promising. Hopefully, this new upgrade will receive more thumps up than otherwise.

Days after the new privacy policy was updated, Facebook on Thursday made a slight change to a new Friends List setting.

Initially, users had the option to check a box so that their friends would not be able to see everyone on their friends’ list. Those lists, however, were considered “publicly available” by Facebook, so people who were not logged in could see them.

This caused an uproar from the users and prompted several complaints and feed backs. Facebook promptly made the change and let it known through their recent blog.

“Now when you uncheck the “Show my friends on my profile” option in the Friends box on your profile, your Friend List won’t appear on your profile regardless of whether people are viewing it while logged into Facebook or logged out. This information is still publicly available, however, and can be accessed by applications,” Facebook wrote in its blog post.

So, i want to let you know that your Friends list is not public after all or anymore.

Let us know how you feel about the recent privacy settings update.

[Source: Facebook blog]

A tech-obsessed groom who loves social networking as much as his bride whip out his cell phone to update Facebook and tweet.

Dana Hanna of Maryland whipped out his Blackberry on his wedding day, somewhere between “I pronounce you man and wife” and “You may kiss the bride.”

He pulls out another phone and hands it to his stunned wife to do the same. The minister informed the puzzled guests that “Dana is updating his relationship status on Facebook.”

Once the texting was through, the minister pronounced, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. It’s official on Facebook; it’s official in may book.” to the amazement and laughter of the guests.

Hanna later said only he and the minister knew about the prank.

“This was just done to be funny — we really don’t Facebook THAT often ,” he wrote on YouTube. “I have lot of family scattered around the country and we all use Facebook a lot to keep in touch.”

“To all the criticizers of my video out there questioning my sanity: You don’t get it. I was having fun at MY wedding! Loosen up, have fun!’”

Well, have fun dude!, you really brought giggles and laughter and had fun. Moreover, you have made your marriage unique and something memorable not only to you, but thousands other. Good Luck!!!

[Source: WPIX , YouTube ]

Yahoo Inc. is getting friendlier with Facebook if the news are to go by.

The two companies are in an expanded partnership announced Wednesday, which will enable Yahoo users with Facebook accounts to blend material from the two web sites without having to leave one site for the other.

This move will deepen the bond established when Yahoo home pages began presenting a glimpse of Facebook updates.

The current deal will intergrate the Facebook Connect service across yahoo, which will allow users to see their Facebook streams on yahoo’s email, Flickr, news, sports and finance sites. On the flip side, personal meterial from Yahoo such as e-mail, movie reviews, and photos can be more easily share on Facebook. Users will also be able to view and update status messages from Yahoo.

These tools are scheduled to be activated somewhere in the first half of 2010.

“As the place where over 500 million people visit every month, Yahoo!’s goal is to bring together social experiences from across the web, and provide one place for people to access information and stay in touch with the people they care about most,” Jim Stoneham, vice president of Communitites for Yahoo! wrote in a blog.

[Source: Associate Press , Yodel Anecdotel blog ]

In an open letter to users that appeared on the site Wednesday morning, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said the social networking site has outgrown the usefulness of regional networks.

With roughly 350 millions users, Facebook is enhancing its privacy controls and eliminating its regional framework for online communities.

When Facebook launched in early 2004 as an online network for college students to stay connected, the model centered on sharing information with “networks” of school friends. Over time, the network expanded to companies and regions as well.

Almost 50 percent of all Facebook users are members of regional networks, with some regions encompassing entire countries, such as India and China.

“As Facebook has grown, some of these regional networks now have millions of members and we’ve concluded that this is no longer the best way for you to control your privacy,” Zuckerberg said.

“We are adding something that many of you have asked for – the ability to control who sees each individual piece of content you create of upload. In addition, we will also be fulfilling a request made by many of you to make the privacy-settings page simpler by combining some settings,” he said.

“The plan we’ve come up with is to remove regional networks completely and create a simpler model for privacy control where you can set content to be available to only your friends, friends of our friends, or everyone.”

In the letter, Facebook’s users will be asked to review and update their privacy settings. A message on the site will explain the changes and take users to the page where they can update the settings, Zuckerberg said.

So far, more than 22,000 users have posted comments on Zuckerberg’s letter, most of which are positive feed backs.