'FarmVille' to close its doors on Dec. 31

Source: Zynga

It's time to say goodbye to the original FarmVille game on Facebook. Zynga announced it'll be shutting down the once-popular web game as Facebook will stop supporting Flash games at the end of the year. On December 31, FarmVille will be going away on that same day that Adobe will also shut down the Flash player altogether.

FarmVille players can still make in-app purchases until November 17; after that, the payment system will be shut down. But if you still can't get enough of the game, FarmVille 3 will be coming to mobile soon. If you're like us who were addicted to the game once, this development does feel like the end of an era.

Source: The Verge

Facebook test lets some users view Instagram stories on main app

Source: ec_wife/Twitter

A new test Facebook is running allows some of its users to watch their Instagram stories on the main app. You'll be able to differentiate between Facebook and Instagram stories by the colours around the profile photo. Facebook stories will have blue circles, while Instagram stories will have the pink and orange hue of the app's icon. 

Facebook emphasizes that only your Instagram followers who have linked their Facebook accounts (and who initially can see your stories) will see this new option on Facebook. But they will need to opt into this setting. Facebook is doing a "limited test," with a company spokesperson confirming the feature "respects all existing privacy settings," and that Instagram users who want to keep their stories off of Facebook altogether can do so 

Source: The Verge

Facebook to drop its 'classic' website look in September

Whether you like the Facebook redesign on the web or not, you're going to be stuck with it soon. Facebook is letting the "classic" look disappear in September. The redesign first appeared in May and became the new default for users. But you could still opt out of using it. That option will be disappearing next month. If you still want to hold onto the blue theme, you have less than a few weeks to enjoy it.

Source: Engadget

New update merges Instagram, Facebook Messenger chats

We've known for a while that Facebook plans to allow cross-messaging among Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. And now, it looks like the integration between Instagram and Messenger is live, at least for some users. The Verge reports that a notification has shown up on iOS and Android devices for some of their editors, letting them know that "There's a New Way to Message on Instagram." It listed a few features, including a "new colourful look for your chats," swipe-to-reply, emoji reactions, and "chat with friends who use Facebook."

If you activate the feature, the regular DM icon changes to the Facebook Messenger logo. Chats appear more colourful, with the sender's messages shifting between blue and purple as you scroll. At the moment, it doesn't seem possible to message Facebook users from Instagram. But with the feature now available, we expect that to arrive soon.