Facebook Roundup: Stock, Vietnam, Oregon Data Center, Adaptly, Questions, Pixable, Cars and More

Weekly Facebook Developer Blog Update -- This week's Platform Update to the Facebook Developers Blog announced that developers can now upload videos using the Graph API, and can batch upload binary data, including photos. It also reminded developers not to use fake accounts as admins of their apps, or their apps could be disabled. Developers should use real accounts to create apps, and Graph API-based designated test accounts for testing. Facebook Unblocked in Vietnam? - Vietnam’s telecom company, FPT, signed a partnership with Facebook this week wherein the company will help promote and sell ads, as well as consulting developing Vietnamese apps for Facebook. The news was reported in PC World Vietnam, which hints that Facebook may be unblocked in that country soon. Facebook Considers Censorship - Responding to questions about how Facebook sees working in countries that restrict free speech, aspokesperson told The Wall Street Journal that "Maybe we will block content in some countries, but not others. We are occasionally held in uncomfortable positions because now we're allowing too much, maybe, free speech in countries that haven't experienced it before." Facebook, like Google and other tech companies, do censor some information in specific interests (Nazi propaganda in Germany being an easy example, or hate speech), but have so far resisted widespread censorship of users over political or cultural issues. Uganda Set to Block Facebook - Facebook is increasingly a target for blocking among governments, regardless of how it handles its service -- the free-wheeling nature of the communication medium is what some fear. The government of Uganda is set to order ISPs there to block Twitter and Facebook in the face of widespread protests in the face of high food and fuel prices. Facebook Increases Lobbying Spending in DC -- Although not by much. Spending is up to $230,00 in the first quarter of this year from $41,000 a year before. Other companies and organizations spend many millions of dollars per quarter. A Look Inside Facebook’s Oregon Data Center - Data Center Knowledge went on a tour of the servers at Facebook’s Prineville, Oregon datacenter and included photos and a video. Robert Scoble also went on the tour an includes more information and photos, such as that Facebook’s datacenter is the most efficient in the world. [Image via Facebook] Winklevoss Twins Are Back in Court, Again - Although last week we reported that the Winklevoss twins had lost their latest challenge in an ongoing series of lawsuits against Facebook, they’re back. This time, the twins and another UConnect co-founder Divya Narendra, claim that Facebook hid instant messages that could have aided their cause during the course of their lawsuit (the newly-produced emails from a separate case against founder Mark Zuckerberg, from Paul Ceglia). One User’s Question Goes Viral With 4M Votes - A random Facebook user, Heather Marie Hollingsworth, recently posted a question to her friends that ended up getting 4.11 million votes. AllThingsD reports that the virality designed into Facebook’s Questions product was likely responsible, as Hollingsworth simply asked her network whether they wanted to stay on her friends list as she began to clean it out. Facebook Glitch Resets Email Notifications - Facebook reported it fixed a glitch that affected the amount of emails users receive from the social network, which users adjust in their account settings. All told users may receive email notifications for up to 73 different actions, such as being tagged in a photo. Latest Android for Facebook Released - Facebook for Android v1.5.3 was released this week; the latest version allows users to tag friends in status updates, bug fixes and a friend finding feature. FormSpring Names Former RockYou Executive as COO - Ro Choy, a former business executive at the social developer, is now the chief operating officer of the question and answer site that makes heavy use of Facebook features. Compete: Financial Services Ok on Facebook - Compete studied the state of financial services firms on Facebook and found that State Farm, Capital One, Progressive beat out iTunes and Ford. Pixable Raises $3.6M - Pixable, which created the Photofeed app that helps people discover their friends’ photos, raised $3.6 million this week in a second round funding. Adaptly Raises $2.7M - Adaptly raised $2.7 million this week in seed and Series A funding from investors that included First Round Capital, Charles River Ventures and a group of angels. The money is set to help Adaptly continue to help advertisers spread their message across social networks, not simply Facebook. Which Green Cars Capture the Most Chatter? - Social media analytics company Infegy ran an analysis of which “green” vehicles captured the most social chatter. Their analysis found that the Chevy Volt, then Audi A3 Diesel and Ford Fusion Hybrid were the top three midsize cars, whereas compacts were the Toyota Prius, Mini E Electric and the Nissan Leaf. American Express Holds Small Business Contest - American Express Open and Facebook are partnering to hold a contest for small business owners to get a “small business makeover” at Facebook’s headquarters. The contest will award 5 business owners an all-expense paid trip to Palo Alto, California for a two-day, one-on-one business makeover, along with $20,000 to revamp their business’ social media strategy.

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Facebook Roundup: Stock, Vietnam, Oregon Data Center, Adaptly, Questions, Pixable, Cars and More

Sara Inés Calderón

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Sara Inés Calderón