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Facebook Updates Mobile Platform, Offers 'Deals' and Single Sign Ons

by Terrence O'Brien on November 3, 2010 at 03:05 PM

Facebook Updates At the Facebook Mobile Event earlier today, Mark Zuckerberg took the stage at the social network's HQ to discuss all things mobile. Zuck started by announcing updates to the iOS and Android mobile apps, and continued by "jammin'" through the site's updates, primarily consisting of improvements to the tagging and Places features. The Android Facebook app (developed in-house) marks the first time Places and Groups will be available on Google's mobile OS. The big news, though, was the expansion of the Facebook "platform" into the mobile space. This largely means bringing features you know from your desktop Web experience to the wireless, mobile realm. Read on after the break for all the gritty details.

Single Sign On (SSO)

With Single Sign On, Facebook is effectively extending Connect to the mobile world. Using SSO, developers can now allow users to create accounts or log into services using their Facebook accounts. As an example, a Facebook engineer showed off the Android Groupon app, which lets you sign up, or sign in, by clicking a "log in with Facebook" button, thus reducing the number of passwords you have to remember. It should be noted, though, that consolidating your identities under one login does increase the potential for serious harm if your Facebook account is hacked.

Location API

Facebook already opened its location service to developers with the debut of Places. Today, all three aspects -- read, write and search -- will finally be available for developers who want two-way communication with Facebook, and who don't already have large databases of locations.

Deals

Perhaps today's biggest news is that Facebook appears to be prepping a direct assault on apps like Foursquare, Gowalla and Yelp. Businesses can now tap into Places and offer 'Deals,' including coupons and free goods for customers. Users can pull up Places, and scan the surrounding area for things like drink specials at local bars. Initially, Deals will only be available using the iPhone app or touch.facebook.com, but expect it to pop up in the other native mobile apps soon. Check out the initial batch of partners -- including H&M, McDonalds, REI and Starbucks -- here.

The rumored Facebook phone (or even a Facebook specific mobile OS) didn't make an appearance. Zuckerberg seemed to dismiss the idea as ridiculous during his opening remarks. Facebook's focus, he explained, was offering a universal experience across all platforms, not building yet another competing platform for consumers. Today's announcements were hardly revolutionary, but they help to illustrate the ways Facebook is expanding beyond simple social networking to become a legitimate medium for developing apps, services and promotion.

Tags: android, apps, deals, facebook, ios, mobile, social networking, SocialNetworking, top, web

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