Facebook opens mobile development program to all developers

Facebook just announced that its FbStart program is now open to all mobile developers and not just to f8 attendees. The program aims to help developers by giving access to free tools and services worth up to US$30,000. Mobile developers with apps that have been live for at least a month can apply to be part of FbStart. They also do not need to be integrated with Facebook to participate. Those chosen will get credits for Facebook and Parse and free tools and credits from partners such as Adobe, Desk.com, HootSuite, MailChimp, SurveyMonkey, etc.

Those who apply can choose between two tracks: Bootstrap and Accelerate. Bootstrap is for developers starting out and Accelerate is for those trying to grow and scale an app that already has initial traction. Facebook said they also plan to offer programs, events, and best practices for the participants and their will continually engage with the developers. For more information about the program, you can read about it here.

Live from Facebook's f8 keynote stream in Toronto

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

We're on hand at the MaRS Discovery District in downtown Toronto where Facebook has brought together developers to partake of its f8 developer conference. This is the first major Facebook event or announcement that we've attended here in Canada even if it is a stream of the actual event taking place in San Francisco which has 2,000 developers in attendance.

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Facebook introduces video and faster selfie uploads to Messenger

Facebook is ready to take on Snapchat with the new features the company is introducing to its Messenger app. The messaging app now lets you share videos and improves upload speeds for photos. Video uploading wasn’t previously available for Messenger but now you can both send and watch clips in-line. You can’t record videos in the app though. But you can upload selfies and other photos quicker. Facebook Messenger now even lets you download stickers the person you’re chatting with uses with a long press on the sticker until the download starts. The update is rolling out for iOS today and will come to Android within the week.

Source: TechCrunch

Facebook starts rollout of Nearby Friends feature for iOS and Android

If you want to know where your friends are at any given time, then Facebook is giving you an opportunity to find that out with a new feature they're rolling out for their iOS and Android apps. Nearby Friends lets you see what city or neighbourhood your friends are in, how long they have been there, and how many miles away from you they are.

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