Is Buffy, Facebook's New iPhone & Android Slayer?
I know I was scheduled to continue with my Internet Defamation & Serial Cyber Stalkers/Bullies this week, but I am tired of thinking about that for now. I will continue the series later this month.
Other News has captured my interest.
Have your heard?
The newly public company, Facebook is rumored to launch their very own smart phone. It was inevitable that Facebook would enter the smart phone industry. After the tempestuous initial stock offering, it won't come as a big surprise that Facebook will need to generate as many new sources of revenue as possible. Experts speculate that Facebook cannot survive indefinitely on income derived from advertising. Another possible source of income is the possibility of charging membership fees or continuing to offer the basic account membership free of charge, but adding a premium service with all the added bells and whistles with a monthly fee. Would you pay to have a Facebook account?
With Smart phones dominating the technological industry it actually surprises me that it has taken Mark Zuckerberg this long to recognize the potential and join the nimble, mounting market.
This won't be face book's first attempt to create a smart phone, but this time the story has substance as reported by The New York Times. in their story : Facebook Tries, Tries Again on a Smartphone. Their first attempt to launch a smart phone in 2010, was leaked by TechCrunch. In 2011, another attempt was made, but Buffy never materialized as reported on by Daily Tech.
Can a software company build their own smart phone?
Why not? They've built everything else. According to the NY Times report, Facebook has joined ranks with Taiwan's HTC Corp. TPE: 2498 to develop the hardware while Facebook will develop the software.
Facebook says it has 350 Million active mobile users and relationships with 475 global mobile operators. Although it is one of the most popular applications on nearly every phone for which it is available, Zuckerberg is not content watching his monumental social network play a supporting role as a mere app.
In many cases, Facebook is a free application that can be added by phone owners and used to update their own status, view friends' feeds and upload photos. Some applications that can be purchased for a small fee allow users to upload photos and videos directly from the photo taking app. A variety of other apps offer upgrades and options such as integrating a phone users address book contacts with their Facebook contacts, but none of the current applications give Facebook complete mobile control.
As the fight for mobile control intensifies, Facebook will continue to play a supporting role to the industries two smart phone operating system leaders, Google and Apple.
Facebook is rumored to take center stage with the new open source powered, Buffy smart phone which is reportedly being built by HTC, turning Facebook into a phone rather than just another app offered on a smart phone. The Buffy is rumored to run on an open source operating system like the Android, making it similar to the Kindle Fire by Amazon.
With many former Apple employees now working for Facebook on the design and creation of the new smart phone, Buffy, it will be interesting to see exactly what the new phone will look like. The modified Android version is said to look entirely different than any other handsets we are accustomed to seeing.
Would Buffy change or impact Apple's iPhone by entering the smart phone marketplace? Probably not. I have been spending some time comparing the pros and cons of Facebook and Google Plus trying to decide if Google Plus is worth the amount of time I initially devoted to Facebook. I see Buffy, as just another notch in the plus column for Facebook in the fiercely growing Facebook Vs. Google competition.
Google. which makes the Android operating system currently has the smart phone edge.
Google. which makes the Android operating system currently has the smart phone edge.
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Will you become a devoted Buffy the Slayer fan? Buffy the Smart phone Slayer fan that is. I like the name. I suppose I am partial because I loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the actress Sarah Michelle Gellar who played Buffy in the television series.