Facebook adds drag-and-drop photos, trials simplified Timeline and delivers new privacy controls

Facebook adds drag-and-drop photos, trials simplified Timeline and delivers new privacy controls

Anyone who's returned from an event with a virtual armful of photos may have been frustrated with Facebook's upload interface, which until now has involved a less-than-intuitive file browser. The company is quietly solving that problem: an update pushing out to individual users lets them drag-and-drop photos into a new post, like we've seen on other social networks, and to a newly streamlined Messages format that's rolling out at the same time. A much smaller circle is seeing a second update. Facebook has confirmed to ABC News that it's conducting limited trials of an updated Timeline that moves the news feed to a single column, replaces the thumbnail navigation with simpler-looking tabs and makes all profile page information available through scrolling. A spokesperson wouldn't say if or when the new Timeline would reach the wider public, but history points to "when" being more likely. They did however mention that the new privacy shortcuts, activity log and untagging tool would be going live for all users starting tonight, and we've already seen them pop up on some of our accounts.

Google is Working on a 'X Phone' to Rival Apple and Samsung

Google is Working on a 'X Phone' to Rival Apple and Samsung

Google's engineers at Motorola are working on a 'X Phone' to rival the high end offerings of Apple and Samsung but the team has run into difficulties, reports the WSJ.

Motorola wants the marquee handset to have features that make it stand apart from existing phones when it is released next year. However, hurdles with manufacturing and supply-chain management have forced the company to rethink some of its ideas such as a bendable screen, better color saturation, and panoramic shots.

Some of the features were found to drain battery life or already have been incorporated into popular new devices, such as the iPhone 5 that launched earlier this year, they added. Motorola also ran into difficulties when it looked into using a bendable screen and materials such as ceramics that would allow the company to make the X Phone more stress resistant, use more colors and mold into different shapes, these people said.

One source told the Journal that Motorola will enhance the phone with its recent acquisition of Viewdle, a developer makes image and gesture recognition software.

The handset is expected some time next year.