Facebook finally deletes the deleted
Facebook finds a fix for erasing the past, Google makes app updating easier, and Instagram maps out your photos.
- Bridget has spent over 18 years as a consumer tech reporter, hosting daily tech news shows and writing syndicated newspaper columns. She's often a guest on national radio and television stations, including ABC, CBS, CNBC and NBC.
The top tech headlines for this photo-fun Friday:
Ustream will soon launch an app that lets you stream live video to your Facebook page. Called BFF (Broadcast for Friends), it'll be available in the coming days on Android and Apple devices.
Facebook has found an answer to the photo deletion issue that Ars Technica uncovered three years ago. The problem: Once you deleted a photo, it could still be found if you had the original URL. But now, Facebook says when you delete a photo it will be gone within 30 days. Ars Technica reported that it saw photos gone within two days of being deleted.
The folks at Android Police noticed that Google may have activated delta updates for apps. It's the ability to update an app by just downloading the new bits, instead of re-downloading the entire program. Less time, less battery drain, less bandwidth. (But you can never have less corny, as today's video sets out to prove.)
Magic can no longer find a gathering on eBay. The online seller has banned spells, potions, curses, and psychic readings. Since the ban takes effect in September, this could be your last chance to spend $131 on a genie manifestation potion. For it being Merlin's own formula, it's a steal at that price!
The streaming video network Crackle, owned by Sony, has added its mobile app to Windows Phone and Nook. It'll also soon available on Amazon's Kindle Fire. Crackle features many films, TV and original web series, including Jerry Seinfeld's new show, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.
There's an update to the photo sharing network of Instagram. The app now will display photos by location with a new mapping feature. But if you don't want your photos mapped, you can avoid it from the start. Once the app is updated, select the ones you want to have mapped. And, as always, be mindful of which photos you map. (Don't cause yourself a headache by tagging yourself at home and making it easy to find where you live.)
Subscribe: iTunes (HD) | iTunes (320x180) | iTunes (640x360)