Facebook has made some major changes to their apps system by announcing an updated version of their Open Graph API at the 2001 F8 conference last Thursday.
In addition to updating the Facebook Open Graph API used by developers when creating apps, Facebook also announced the over 30 launch partners that have already developed applications with the new API in anticipation of the public release of Facebook Timeline.
List of Facebook Open Graph Launch Partners:
- AudioVroom
- BlockBuster
- Cinemur
- Cineplex
- Dailymotion
- Deezer
- DirectTV
- Earbits
- Hulu
- Flixster
- iHeartRadio
- Izlesene
- Jelli
- MetaCafe
- Miso
- Mixcloud
- Mog
- My Video
- Netflix
- PitchFork
- Rdio
- RelikeTV
- Slacker
- Songza
- Spotify
- The Daily
- The Guardian
- The Independent
- The Washington Post
- TuneIn
- TurnTable
- Vevo
- Yahoo
After watching Mark Zuckerburg’s key note presentation on Thursday, I was quite impressed by the functionality of the new apps system being released by Facebook.
What Features Will the New Facebook Apps System Include?
A few examples were given at the conference on how the new Open Graph API being released by Facebook will be used.
Spotify and Netflix were the two headliners that really got me excited to use Facebook again. You can now connect Spotify with Facebook and share music with your friends.
I’ve written an overview of the how Spotify and Facebook work together if you’re looking for more information.
Netflix is already integrated with Facebook in over 40 countries but because of certain U.S. privacy laws, Netflix will not be available for U.S. Facebook users when the system is planned to launch on Thursday, September 29.
Once Netflix is available for U.S. Facebook users, you will be able to see what movies your friends are watching in real-time, recommend movies for your friends to watch and browse movies based on your friends opinions.
Obviously Spotify and Netflix are only two of the many companies that will be leveraging the new Facebook Open Graph API.
Other examples of how the service will be used include sharing what meals you’re cooking with your friends, sharing the details of your morning run and allowing your friend to see what articles you’re reading on sites that have implemented the new system.
Overall Opinion of the New Facebook Apps System
There are obviously some privacy concerns with the new Facebook platform but based on the fact that Facebook has close to a billion users (even Facebook claims they’ve stopped counting), I’m sure whatever apps are created will be used by certain users. If you don’t feel comfortable using a particular app then don’t use it!
It is amazing to see how far social media and information sharing has come in the last 5-10 years and it is almost scary how connected are real lives are becoming with our digital lives.
Facebook’s updated apps systems and the 17 launch partners that come along with is just the tip of the iceberg in respect to the future of social media and I am very excited to see where it all leads!
