back to article Facebook fone? Feh, says Facebook

Facebook has been busy denying rumours that it's planning to manufacture its own mobile phone, though not everyone is convinced. The story stared with TechCrunch's Michael Arrington, who reported the secret project to create a phone with an integrated Facebook experience. The report mentions staff assigned to the project, and …

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  1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
    Badgers

    A phone with an "integrated Facebook experience"?

    What the...? What the hell does this mean? A LOT of unmentionable thoughts come to mind. This will roll around my mind for the next few hours.

  2. The Indomitable Gall

    Surely

    Surely the point of a Facebook phone would be to have a native client with direct support for adverts?

    The need for a native client would be justified by allowing you to align your phonebook with your Facebook friends, even if they didn't have their phone number in their profile, so that you could phone direct from Facebook, without having to go back to the address book.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "an integrated Facebook experience"

    like Hell has an integrated torture experience? Dog turd has an integrated odour experience? Debt collectors give you an integrated leg breaking experience?

    You see, the marketing folks think you're dumb. They're selling essentially the same crap they always were, only now you get "an experience" with it, and if you really want to get high tech - it's "integrated" oooOOoOOOooOOOo.

    And another thing that chaps my ass about Marketing types, based on the surveys they produce, is their extreme insistence on personifying dull merchandise.

    Stupid questions like "If Coke was a person, what kind of person would he or she be?" or "Where would Pepsi fit in your circle of friends?". I have strong reservations about living in a society where we'd slaughter our school mates WITH PLEASURE and our best friend is a can of Dr Pepper.

    What's the worst that could happen? You could wake up one day and realise that your life sucks. But don't worry - you have a chemical imbalance see. That's right, the old noggin needs a tune up and do we have just the pill to sell you. We know that there is a significant chance that our product will cause suicidal ideationbut that doesn't mean we can't get rich rich rich. And how.

    1. Mike Smith
      Grenade

      We make everything you need and you need everything we make

      If you need a hand in terminating marketing folks with extreme prejudice... give me a call.

      I think it's about time Max Headroom hit our screens again. I've got a few old episodes on tape, and it's genuinely scary to see just how close it is to reality today.

      1. Will Leamon

        Max Headroom

        I just got Season 1 on DVD. Don't know if you're in the states but have a look see and see what you find.

  4. Pandy06269

    Apple don't manufacture phones?

    "before you know it you can call yourself a phone manufacturer - works for Apple."

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but Apple do manufacture phones. They don't pay the likes of HTC to make the hardware and chuck iOS at them.

    Or am I wrong?

    1. steady1

      Google "Foxconn Suicides"

      The factories here, with about 400,000 employees, make products for global companies like Apple, Dell and Hewlett-Packard.

    2. Anomalous Cowturd
      FAIL

      Re: Correct me if I'm wrong, but Apple do manufacture phones.

      You're wrong!

      Apple don't make phones, they make "fashion accessories".

      EOT.

    3. fandom

      No

      The actual manufacturing is made by Foxconn

      http://www.macnn.com/articles/10/09/10/production.demands.expensive.hardware/

  5. steady1
    Linux

    Android as linux on the phone

    Is there any reason why FB wouldnt/couldnt push a branded Android phone? There are many versions of linux that I can download to my PC... what is the difference between the PC and a phone that would stop people creating their own version of Android? Isnt that what you already get at cyanogenmod.com ?

  6. Phil.A
    FAIL

    Just think of the integration...

    If they do make a Facebook Phone, just think of the amazing new levels of integration you'll get...

    Sending a text message, and the (hard to find) permissions will automatically post it to your Wall.

    You'll be able to "Like" a test message and it'll make a public post about it.

    Sharing your phone contacts with all of your FB friends without your knowledge, until you realise that 3 levels deep there is a permissions option which stops it.

    What joy it'll be to use!!!!

  7. Rob Davis

    Critical mass users, 'Fone' could be hit. Phone nos, emails, post address change, Facebook constant

    They're onto something here, I think.

    Maintaining contact with Facebook is more certain than other means, like it or not, as the account (id) can remain the same when every other contact means changes: phone numbers change (due to moving house, changing mobile deals) postal addresses change (moving with work, moving in with partner, etc.) and email addresses change (switch from ISPs own to gmail etc, register own domain etc).

    New possibilities for interaction - Agree with @Phil.A about these and Facebook is a big Johari Window experiment. Also about the contact sharing on Facebook - good point Good point @Phil.A: it's curious that by default this is exposed whereas not many people would do this with their mobile phone contacts list.

    Facebook friend list can be hidden from your friends, actually, - or indeed a subset of them (using the lists). Go to the Account Settings and there is a setting called something like 'basic directory listing' (I can't confirm it here as writing this on work machine and we don't allow it here). I hide mine for the same reason I don't reveal my mobile phone/contacts book. Facebook still shows your mutual friends when your account is viewed by another friend - and I think that's a good thing, after all it's not about oneupmanship of friends count but to help maintain your genuine friends.

    VOIP integration with Facebook contacts will profoundly change how we phone people: no numbers to remember. A new shift in the same way some folks shifted to seldom use landline phones even at home (except for the broadband) owing to the convenience and call plan deals.

    Other synergies might be the new Facebook locate check-in, Facebook Applications. They have a rich platform with immense crowd behaviour so the possibilities are intriguing if not alarming. They perhaps see market to be won from specialised services like Skype by providing convenience of everything in one place.

    Perhaps they will call it the Fone - Facebook PhONE. One place for all your contacts and friends.

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