What’s New With Facebook Inc. (FB) in 2017: Zuckerberg Reveals

 Going live on his Facebook profile, Mark Zuckerberg discussed some of the new features and upgrades that might be added to the world’s largest social media site in 2017.

Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) makes its employees take a day off every month or two to brainstorm on new ideas for the site. And after these Hackathons, the ideas are voted on by the engineering team. The top ones are presented to the CEO and his executive team.

According to the founder, Facebook Connect, Chat, Video, Facebook Live and some internal tools are the outcomes of such Hackathons. This time, Zuckerberg decided to go live with the hackathon prototype forum.

In the live stream discussion, Zuckerberg was joined by Jay Parikh (Head of Engineering), Deborah Liu (Head of Platform, Marketplace and Payments), Mike Schroepfer (Chief Technology Officer) and Chris Cox (Chief Product Officer).

OCULUS TOUCH CONTROLLERS:

The first prototype presented was an Oculus Touch Controller by the Oculus VR Team that simulated warmth or cold using embedded thermal coolers. A demo was shown where the controller physically turned hot or cold based on the game being played. The controller was ‘quite warm’ when hovering over a fire.

LOCATION REQUESTS IN MESSENGER:

‘Location requests’ will allow selected people to request for your location on messenger.

In case you go missing, your friend can send a location request to you. A custom timer is set. During this time, you can either accept or decline the request. The timer expires after a while. Once the timer goes off, your location is sent automatically.

Even if you are not accessing Messenger app at that time or the phone is in your pocket, this feature will work. Zuckerberg commented that this just added on to Safety Check of Facebook, that allows people to mark themselves safe during disasters.

GIFs IN FACEBOOK COMMENT:

The next feature was including GIFs in comments. You can search, upload or link GIFs in comments too.

The GIFs are searched from the same feeders that Messenger app uses. ‘This could be widely used’, Zuckerberg commented.

OFFLINE MESSAGING:

If somewhere you lose connection to the Internet or lose network, you can probably use Wi-Fi direct to chat with your friend in the vicinity. However, only Messenger Lite had the demo for the peer-to-peer communication due to time constraint.

Recently, offline messaging through third party phones is also being considered. ‘That’s really cool’ was the response from most of the teams, including Zuckerberg.

SHARED PHOTO AND VIDEO GALLERIES IN RECOMMENDATIONS:

Launched in October, Recommendations provides you with references to places, restaurants and businesses. Using machine learning, it selects these suggestions from your friends and provides them to you based on your preferences.

The new feature will let you add a shared album or video gallery to your friend. All the photos or videos that people might upload in comments regarding a post, will be shared as a photo album or video gallery on the person’s news feed.

For example, if I post a status asking for my friend’s birthday pictures or videos, people can share the photos and videos on my post. However, that won’t be necessary because Recommendations will share these photos and videos directly on my feed.

SOME QUESTIONS ANSWERED:

To round off, Zuckerberg talked about his Jarvis AI being his own personal Hackathon project. He also mentioned that he would give a demo of his AI butler before the year ends.

On asked if the public might be able to contribute to the hackathon, Zuckerberg spoke about maintaining the confidentiality of the company in such situations. However, Jay spoke about some hackathons that are sponsored for the community in campuses and other parts of the world.

Facebook has never failed to release new updates and features every year. It remains to be seen if some of these ‘hacks’ will become a part of future features of the social platform.

Dominating Features of Facebook:

Leaving behind its financial troubles of the past few years, Facebook has emerged to be a rival to Google this year. Facebook is establishing itself in every field out there. Some of the new features released this year are:

·         Dynamic Facebook Pages:

Facebook pages are no more unresponsive, static pages. Users can now call businesses, book services, buy products, book tickets and do more through Facebook pages. This brings a whole new market for major brands, businesses and sellers to reach out to customers directly through Facebook.

·         Messenger Platform:

It is the most optimal place for marketers as it has 1 billion monthly active users on its site. ‘Messenger Platform‘ has reformed the mobile shopping experience. Users can interact with Messenger Chat bots. The marketing messages are personalised for each consumer. It allows them to buy products and make payments without leaving the app.

·         Facebook Live:

Way back in April, Facebook announced Facebook Live, allowing people and pages to post live videos on the site. Brands have utilised this simple but effective marketing concept of Facebook to multiply their sales.

While many businesses haven’t caught on to the concept effectively, there have been many success stories of Facebook Live in the past few months.

·         Facebook Marketplace

In October, Facebook introduced Marketplace, with the aim of dominating the e-Commerce industry. A marketplace is an enhanced buying and selling platform. It allows people to buy and sell products within a community. This is a major step for Facebook, as it has the highest number of users as compared to other players in the same field.

·         Workplace

With Workplace, Facebook hopes to jump into enterprise software, alongside rivals like Google and Microsoft. The workplace is basically a corporate messaging tool, that could replace emails everywhere. Soon enough, Facebook will also have companies posting job listings on the network.

·         Recommendations

Recommendations, as already mentioned, could revolutionise the user experience on Facebook. The new shared photo and video gallery feature hack could bring more attraction to the users.

Facebook Taking Over All Platforms:

The biggest question is why is Facebook so inclined on releasing new features and updates.

Facebook is touted as one of the biggest tech giants. Given the acquisitions, features and updates, Mark Zuckerberg seems to have a full-fledged plan of dominating the world across all industries. Courtesy the huge user base, Facebook is surely on the winning side!

In 2012, Facebook acquired Instagram and turned it into its own photo app. Today, companies and users can have a unified front on Facebook, Messenger and Instagram. Next, in 2014, Facebook bought out Oculus against many criticisms. However, with Oculus, Facebook has changed the face of VR in the recent times. Oculus now has a net worth of $700 million. And then comes the most popular purchase- Facebook bought out Whatsapp. It has only made way for the company to dominate the mobile messaging apps sector. Facebook also purchased TheFind, an e-Commerce platform, and jumped into the e-Commerce industry too. Still, the social media giant is not at peace. Why so!

Facebook still faces a stiff competition from Snapchat and has already incorporated most of the app’s features for Messenger and Instagram. It is also going hand in hand, in terms of revenue, with retail giant Amazon. And if you are thinking about the war between Google and Facebook? That will continue for a long time!

Dazeinfo had also reported that currently, LinkedIn and Twitter have a better marketing platform than Facebook.

Hence, Facebook still has a lot more to prove and many more hurdles to cross before it can claim its right as the biggest tech giant ever.

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Donald Trump and Narendra Modi: Both take calculated risks, blame their predecessors

Are the two leaders cut from the same cloth? One made a fetish of Made in India and the other went straight for Make in America. Both have gone on record as wishing to clean the mess, wipe out the rot. Both want to make their countries great again but neither has told their people when exactly they stopped being great.

US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

That chauvinism was further reflected in giving government back to the people. If you remember, Modi made much the same sort of promise which he then underscored with his demonetisation blitz to create the divisive ‘them’ and ‘us’ financial categories for the citizenry. Both blamed the rich and the privileged for the corruption of the national soul with an equally evangelical zeal.

Trump pandered to the segments who felt they had been left behind and Modi did much the same for India’s marginalized societies pointing a flinty finger at the enemies of the state…as he perceived them.  In their self-deprecation is a touch  of narcissism.

Modi said he is there to serve the people, they are the masters, we the servants of the people. Trump said the same thing, this is you, I am only the face.

They effectively use a different speech content by projecting answers and solutions rather than simply stating standard questions and problems. Whether there is action to follow is a moot point but it grabs the attention in what is now called ‘insurgent populism’ or what is easier explained as ‘make the people feel empowered.’

Both have squarely blamed their predecessors for the collapse of the empire and built their foundations on the bones of the past. And they strum the same string of fear, doubt, suspicion in the common man by offering him the enemy on a plate.

Though Trump squarely belongs to the fiscal high end he deftly identified with the poor and Modi has done much the same these past two years. From toilets to housing to employment he has promised to narrow the gap. The ‘victory’ of defeating and bringing to book the hoarders and the blackmarketeers that Modi has sneeringly depicted as a major blow to the venal and the vile was echoed to perfection in the Trump speech, except he went a step further by blaming the political entities as the leaders of the feral pack.

That ‘Robin Hood’ analogy holds good for the leaders of the world’s two largest democracies.

Both Trump and Modi have taken a calculated risk in using the race and religion cards and whether it is a lie or the truth, the perception of the gulf widening between castes and creeds in India  has strengthened. In the USA it has spiked to a new high of uncertainty and suspicion. Trump’s inauguration showed a marked absence of African-Americans even as Mexicans began to hunt for suitcases and feared deportation. As many as 11 million are in that firing line.

Race in America may not have been so overt in the Obama years but as he himself confessed there is a lot more to be done. In India caste raised its ugly head and continues to be used to feed political wiliness.

While Trump is a misogynist and has shown a contempt for women here Modi might differ in that crudeness has not been part of his public persona. However, there is no move by either (certainly not the KKK types that fill the Trump cabinet)  to reduce prejudice against the LBGT groups, against those who look different or speak different and there is again in India that same sense of insecurity over attacks on women and girls as there is in US about not being white.

In both cases Trump and Modi choose not to blame the desultory or biased responses of the police to acts of sexual violence.  The two of them have set to music their affection for the armed forces ( the OROP ordeal notwithstanding) and use every opportunity to sing the praises of their generals and the men under their command.

Both have an adversarial relationship with the media what with Trump showing his dislike personally to specific organisations and individuals while Modi is a lot more subtle but no less ‘cool’ towards the fourth estate whom he does not trust.

The two of them share a passion for tweeting and talking directly to the public on inconsequential issues  while concealing the warts with clever oneliners thereby bypassing the mainstream media.  Their mindsets of being democratic despots in that ‘we know best’ are scaringly similar.

This modern version of the Roosevelt fireside chats, Modi and Trump believe their strength lies in establishing a direct contact with the people. They are both very religious and make a show of it. By that token the two also love to eschew protocol and engage in one to one with the people whether it is on social platforms or through chatty, folklorish speeches.

Both give the impression of being unforgiving, holding grudges and getting even. Trump a hair more aggressively. Finally, neither likes argument or resistance; either you are with me or against me.

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Shocking news WhatsApp will stop working on millions of phones in feb 2017

If users want to continue using the messaging app, they will need to upgrade their phones.

Expected changes coming to WhatsApp, which has more than one billion users, will not be

compatible with older devices.

By June 30 2017, the seven-year-old app will no longer work on BlackBerry OS and 

BlackBerry 10, Nokia S40, Nokia Symbian S60, Android 2.1 and Android 2.2, Windows 

Phone 7 and the iPhone 3GS/iOS 6. 

A WhatsApp spokesperson said: ‘While these mobile devices have been an important part 

of our story, they don’t offer the kind of capabilities we need to expand our app’s features in 

the future.’

Adding: ‘This was a tough decision for us to make, but the right one in order to give people 

better ways to keep in touch with friends, family, and loved ones using WhatsApp.

‘

If you use one of these affected mobile devices, we recommend upgrading to a newer 

Android, iPhone, or Windows Phone before the end of 2016 to continue using WhatsApp.’

               

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What makes WhatsApp Plus different from WhatsApp?

There’s been a lot of talk about WhatsApp Plus. Here, we’ll show you how it differs from the original version so that you can decide if it’s worth making the switch.

WhatsApp Plus is a modified version of WhatsApp for Android, created by the Spanish developer Rafalete in 2012. The app itself is free, but the user license is the same as WhatsApp. It’s also known as WhatsApp+ and WhatsApp Plus Holo, and has a blue icon.

We still don’t know if using WhatsApp Plus is legal – we’ve asked WhatsApp for clarification with no response – but what we do know is that it works very well. Installing WhatsApp Plus is really simple, but it does require removing the original WhatsApp.

The big question is, is it worth deleting the original WhatsApp for a new one? First, we have to see what functions WhatsApp Plus has added.

Visual themes added

The most notable feature of WhatsApp Plus (and why it was created in the first place), is the ability to completely change the look of WhatsApp, which can be done by choosing new styles or visual themes.

Themes are installed directly from WhatsApp Plus, and are free. There are over 700 themes, and you can sort by downloads, name, version, and date.

The original WhatsApp doesn’t have anything similar; the Plus themes not only change the background of the chat, but the bottom of the contact list, and the colors of the bar and texts.

New emoticons added

If WhatsApp doesn’t have enough already, another feature of WhatsApp Plus is the addition of new emoticons, including the smileys from Google Hangouts. You can see all the WhatsApp plus emoticons below:

These are all the additional emoticons from WhatsApp Plus

There is, unforunately, a “but”– these emoticons can only be seen by otheres who have also installed WhatsApp Plus. If you send an unofficial emoticon to someone who uses the classic WhatsApp, all they’ll see is a question mark.

What someone who doesn’t use WhatsApp Plus sees when you send a new emoticon

Hide your last connection / status

For years, one of the star features of WhatsApp Plus has been hiding the last time of  access, which usually betrays your presence in WhatsApp. although it’s a function you have to pay for

Recently, the official version of WhatsApp for Android has added the same function, which is a blow to WhatsApp Plus.

Edit file sharing options

Another WhatsApp Plus option lets you change the size limit of sent files from 2, to 50 MB. There are also options for maintaining the size and quality of images and videos.

Edit appearance and settings of everything

In addition to the skins menu, WhatsApp Plus has no fewer than 6 menus for editing appearance and settings:

·         Header, colors and size of chat images

·         Header and size of contacts’ image

·         Appearance and size of pop-up notifications

·         Disabling of functions (voice notes, animations)

·         Size and colors of widgets

·         Color of launcher icon

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F-35 Lightning II

The F-35 Lightning II is at No. 1 to the word’s most advanced jet fighters. The aircraft is designed with the modren battle space in mind. It is the most flexible, technologically sophisticated, fifth-generation multirole fighter ever built. With advanced stealth capability, F-35 delivers innovative capabilities to meet security needs for nations across the world.

The F-35 Lightning II is a 5th Generation fighter, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations and advanced sustainment. Three variants of the F-35 will replace legacy fighters for the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps, and 10 other countries around the world.

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Lamborghini Veneno <$4.5 million >

The $4.5 million Lamborghini Veneno Roadster is going to be a pretty common site, at least compared to the hardtop example of this outrageously expensive exotic car.

Earlier this year, during the annual Geneva Motor Show, Lamborghini pulled the sheets off the $3.9 million Veneno supercar. The exterior design was absolutely bristling with air intakes and enormous wings and spoilers.

Only three would be built, and Lamborghini let the world know every example had been pre-sold prior to the car’s grand unveiling.

Now comes the drop-top version, the Veneno Roadster, and news that Lamborghini plans on building a whopping nine examples in total.

That's right, the Veneno Roadster is going to seem downright common compared to the cheaper (but rarer) hardtop. Right?

Well, let's just say you’re unlikely to see two of them parked in a McDonald's parking lot at the same time. Despite the strange mathematics going on here, it's safe to assume Veneno Roadster buyers won't mind a couple more of them being on the road - or tucked into secret underground lairs.

While the price is hard to stomach, the car's specs sound delicious.

Positioned behind the 2-passenger cockpit is a 740-horsepower 6.5-liter V-12 engine that also sees duty in the Lamborghini Aventador.

Power is delivered to all four wheels via Lambo’s 7-speed “ISR” transmission. This slick gearbox is capable of shifting gears almost as quickly as transmissions used in Formula One racecars.

The Veneno’s boisterous body-work is crafted entirely out of carbon-fiber to keep weight to an absolute minimum. Some have criticized the Veneno's design as being over-the-top, even for a Lamborghini. Then again, potential buyers probably don't want their multi-million dollar supercar to blend into the background.

Lamborghini says the Veneno Roadster can hit a top speed of 221 mph and sprint from zero to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds.

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iPhone 5 with gold and diamonds surfaces, costs $15.3 million

Stuart Hughes, a Liverpool-based jeweller had earlier built a diamond iPhone 4, Platinum MacBook Air and Gold iPad 2. Now, the enthusiast has built an iPhone 5 with gold and diamonds, making it the world's most expensive smartphone.

According to the designer, the custom made iPhone 5 took him 9 weeks to build and the complete device has been made by hand. The outside casing of the smartphone is said to be made up for 24-carat gold, while the home button consists of 26-carat black diamond.

The Apple logo and the corners of the smartphone are built using the white diamonds. The device is encrusted with 600 precious stones, out of which, 53 are housed in the Apple logo at the back. The world's most expensive smartphone was ordered by a Chinese based businessman, who owns the black diamond that went into the construction.

The special luxuries edition of iPhone 5 costs £10 million (about $15.3 million). However, there are simpler versions of the device too, which is made of gold and goes for the much easier to swallow $33,800.

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The 10 Most Anticipated Motorcycles of 2017

These days, it’s not at all uncommon to hear the roar of a motorcycle on American streets and highways, but this wasn’t always so. The now famous ride debuted during the 19th century as a more economical and convenient way to get from here to there. It was faster than traveling by foot or public transport, yet not as expensive as owning a full fledged car, so most in other countries people saw it as a neatly packaged compromise. When motorcycles came to the States, they were steam powered, just like early cars.

Some key innovations from industry veterans including Daimler-Maybach and Excelsior Motor Company not only improved the design of the motorcycle, but upgraded its style and flair as well. Post World War II the ride started gaining its rough and tough image, and Harley-Davidson was one of just two American manufacturers of motorcycles. The Harley is still an ever-popular favorite, but Japanese manufacturers dominate the market now and have brought new technology to motorcycle production and design. For the 2017 model year, some exciting additions will hit the scene.

Here are 10 of the most highly anticipated motorcycles coming out in 2017.

1. 2017 KTM Super Duke GT – $19,500

One of the most smartly designed motorcycles to premiere in 2017 is the KTM Super Duke GT. This sport touring bike packs plenty of speed, but it’s also fairly easy to ride. It definitely looks different from your typical sportbike, plus it has tons of features that make it a great buy including heated grips, a true handlebar rather than clip ons, cruise control, and a comfy passenger seat. In addition, the 2017 KTM Super Duke GT comes equipped with a quick shifter, traction control, and has an engine that produces 173 hp.

2. 2017 Honda CRF450R – $16,250

Honda’s latest iteration of the CRF450R comes with improved handling, greater power, and more standout features than ever. This is a fitting way to continue the line, which is entering its 15th year of production. Admirers of the model will be pleased to see how Honda has revamped it inside and out.

3. 2017 Kawasaki KX250F – $7,749

The Kawasaki KX250F is another ride that will come on the scene with a ton of changes, all of which make it a better ride. It’s not only lighter, but speedier and easy to handle. A better chassis and suspension, increased ergonomics, and superior power are just a few selling points of this model. The lime green gem will be equipped with a four-stroke single cylinder water cooled engine.

4. 2017 Yamaha FZ-10 – $12,999

This one of the most anticipated naked motorcycles of 2017, and will essentially be a tweaked version of the YZF-R1. If you wanted to, you could enjoy a relaxed ride on this bike. However, the FZ-10 is powerful and its look, feel, and racing heritage may tempt you to put it to the test. In addition to containing the latest cross-plane crankshaft engine from the brand, this bike will have an awesome slipper clutch, redesigned stainless steel exhaust, and titanium muffler.

5. 2017 Honda CRF450RX – $16,500

The Honda CRF450RX is a brand new bike, and the hype over it has been going strong since off-roading icon Johnny Campbell made a surprise appearance with it during the company’s media presentation to unveil another model. This is the bike to watch out for if you’re looking for an off-roader with powerful, performance geared features and a great design. It’s especially well suited for competitive riding.

6. 2017 Yamaha SCR950 – $8,699

One of the motorcycles that enthusiasts have been waiting for is the Yamaha SCR950. In addition to its attractive price, the street bike will have a four-stroke V-twin engine with four valves per cylinder. It will be available in two great looking color schemes: Rapid Red and Charcoal Silver. The hidden storage area, comfortable seat, and retro styling on this model are simply icing on the cake.

7. 2017 Suzuki SV650 – $6,999

Suzuki’s storied SV650 is back, this time with a style upgrade and some key updates that make it a good performer. Rather than go the way of flamboyance with this model in 2017, Suzuki has instead opted for a more classic design that will surely have wider appeal. The new SV650 is a V-twin that’s set to be a joy for just about any rider, and Suzuki is hoping to return the model to its former greatness.

8. 2017 BMW R1200GS Adventure Triple Black – $18,600/

There are motorcycles with smooth style, and then there’s BMW’s special edition Triple Black bike. This iteration of the R1200GS Adventure is cravable in every way, and the tech incorporated into its design is top notch. Of course, quality is a given with the BMW name, and this luxury ride is going to turn heads once it starts hitting the streets.

9. 2017 Kawasaki Z125 Pro – $2,999

Among the most affordable motorcycles coming out in 2017 that still manages to maintain a big dose of style, performance, and quality is the Kawasaki Z125 Pro. The sub-$3,000 price point is one of the most notable things about the bike — you’ll be hard pressed to find a better deal if you’re fine with getting a smaller ride. Aside from its price tag, this mini-bike provides a ton of fun and has some nice features, such as its LCD dash with a slew of handy indicators. The engine runs smoothly, the clutch pull is light, and riders won’t be able to help but have a good time with it.

10. 2017 Moto Guzzi MGX-21 – $21,990

The new Moto Guzzi MGX-21 is a bold head turner, but don’t be fooled by its looks — it’s definitely a bagger, not a sport tourer. Whatever you want to label this bike, it performs like a dream and has engineering and style that are worth every penny of its price tag. From its Dunlop tires to its striking red premium calipers, there’s very little not to love about this upcoming model.

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