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Facebook goes all Google+

The big news from Facebook last night was a major overhaul of its news-feed interface, the main talking point being the similarities to the layout of Google+. It isn’t difficult to see why, side by side they do appear to have been made by the same team, as Mashable’s image below demonstrates.

Looking past the design similarities, Facebook has added in multiple news feeds, which in truth have been there for a while but were much more hidden, now they form an integral part of the new look, giving access to more specifics such as photos, music and celebrities you follow.

Facebook will start to roll out the changes almost instantly but it may take time to filter through to everyone, you can however get hold of it earlier here, just scroll to the bottom of the page.

Tweetdeck to remove apps

Big news for those of us who use Tweetdeck on a daily basis, the twitter management tool has announced it will no longer be supporting its apps.

Instead Tweetdeck will be focusing on its web browser offering and Google chrome plug-in, meaning the Windows and Mac versions of the programme which many rely on will have little attention going forward. The latest update to the Windows app already has issues ( at least it does for us) and major updates have been thin on the ground for some time.  It will be interesting to see with less platforms to focus on and an increased staff level what Tweetdeck comes up with over the coming months.

Google Maps Update

Google Maps, the knight in shining armor after the Apple Maps debacle, has just added another weapon to its armory with a vastly improved local search capability. For example, you can choose from a number of options to find the nearest coffee shops, along with being able to locate where friends live in your contact list are.

Nielson, famous for measuring television analytics in America, have been looking into how promoted tweet campaigns influence their audiences. Not a report for everyone but if you work within the realms of digital, marketing, SEO, etc. this is a hugely informative report on a form of marketing which is still in its infancy. It’s not very long, we promise!

Bloggabase Launched

Another one for digital marketers and bloggers, a new service launched this week aims to bring bloggers, and those who wish to reach bloggers, together in joyous digital harmony.  The service was in beta for a number of months, so is well tested and contains thousands of bloggers, more than 2,000 according to the site. With the recent Interflora issues and dodgy SEO tactics this could be a perfectly timed piece of kit!

Membership rates start at £100 p/m and rise to £500 p/m if you want all the bells and whistles.

Facebook banking

Commbank have given Facebook users in Australia the capability to bank using the social media platform, here are the four activities they will allow:

-Pay Facebook friends or anyone with an email address or Australian mobile number and an Australian bank account
-Request payments from more forgetful friends
-Gift payments to friends and family on Facebook for special occasions such as birthdays
-Make payments to Facebook events

The big question is whether or not users will feel comfortable banking on a site which is more often than not associated with having privacy concerns. It’s a real question of trust and Commbank being able to show their customers that it is safe to use.  Would you bank using Facebook? Let us know in the comment box in the blog.

Qoura

Quora is adding new features almost monthly it would seem, the latest from their production line is the ability to add product reviews for items such as books and DVDs. They hope to give a formal structure to the reviewing process, building on what the site does best, answering questions.

And finally….

How to cheat at Twitter

Ever wanted someone to see a direct reply but didn’t want to make it obvious?

Well check out the link above and all is revealed!