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Facebook, Dropbox Apps Store Personal Info…
Facebook, Dropbox Apps Store Personal Info In Unsecured Plain Text Files
A somewhat troubling security flaw has been found in the mobile apps for Facebook and Dropbox. It seems that both apps (and others, presumably) store access tokens in an unsecured plain text .plist file that can be easily accessed with certain free file management tools. Also, the flaw is found in both the iOS and Android versions of Facebook, though Dropbox’s Android version stores the file more securely.
The problem was first discovered by Gareth Wright, who was exploring the practice of modifying .plist files as a means of cheating on certain iOS games. When digging through OMGPOP’s popular Draw Something app, Wright found an access token for Facebook stored in plain text within the app.
This led him to begin poking around the Facebook app itself, where he discovered that the app stored an oAuth key in plain text as well, completely unencrypted. This key allowed complete access to Wright’s Facebook account when he transferred it to a friend’s phone. When Wright contacted Facebook about the problem they replied that they were aware of it and working on a fix.
Following up on Wright’s work, The Next Web managed to get a fuller statement out of Facebook. They claim that the exploit only works if a user’s phone is jailbroken. This, however, is false, as the tool Wright was using, iExplorer, works perfectly well on non-jailbroken devices. Moreover, Wright says that it also works on passcode protected devices.
The Next Web was also able to duplicate Wright’s work with the Dropbox iOS app. Using iExplorer, they copied a plain text .plist file from one device to another, and used it to gain access to the first user’s Dropbox account on the second phone. When asked for comment, Dropbox told them that it was aware of the issue and was currently preparing an iOS update that would fix the problem.
Now, before you get too freaked out about this flaw, it’s worth noting one important fact: tools like iExplorer have to be physically connected to your device in order to gain access. That means that for someone to access these plain text files on your phone, they have to actually have possession of it. Which means that only someone to whom you give your phone, or who finds it when you lose it, or who steals it could possibly be able to use this exploit to get at your personal data. That means that while this is a pretty serious oversight, it’s not much of a direct threat to the average user, as long as they retain physical control of their device.
Posted under Facebook, Security | No Comments
Apple and Facebook Should Be Terrified Of Google-Tinted Glasses
Google’s augmented reality eyewear is coming to disrupt your face and your business model. If you don’t even have to pull your phone out to take a photo, get directions, or message with friends, why would you need to buy the latest iPhone or spend so much time on Facebook?
It could be a year before Google eyewear reaches stores, but that’s why these and other tech companies need to strategize now. If they wait to see if the device is a hit, the world could be seeing through Google-tinted glasses by the time they adapt. Apple and Facebook’s bet might be to team up…
If you haven’t heard, Google today announced it is beginning public tests of augmented reality glasses with the codename Project Glass. A mouthwatering mock-up video of what the device might eventually be capable of shows someone using voice commands to send messages, take photos, share to Google+, see the locations of friends, view maps, get directions, set calendar reminders, and more.
Cramming all the functionality into a sleek set of glasses is going to take time and effort, but the Google(x) skunklabs is on it. There’s a dozen ways the product could flop, most obviously if the glasses are awkward and unstylish, but also if they’re too heavy, expensive, fragile, or the world is just not quite ready. Let’s forget those for a second. Say Google figures it out and the retail version of Project Glass (which may end up being called Google Eye) becomes wildly popular. How will this disrupt Apple and Facebook, and what should they do to defend themselves?
Here’s what I see as their best courses of action:
Apple Should Compete
Project Glass takes a ton of the things you use your iPhone and iPod for and puts them into your glasses. The glasses will likely run a version of Android and since they’re voice controlled, they could turn into Google’s competitor to Siri. People might buy Google glasses rather than snapping up the latest Apple device.
But Apple is the world’s greatest hardware company. Hopefully somewhere deep inside its headquarters there are some scientists figuring out how to turn an iPhone into glasses, not just a wristwatch.
Apple should seek to capitalize on Google’s lack of hardware experience, and spend some of its cash reserves to lock up critical component manufacturers. Even if Project Glass ends up an ugly mess, Apple could still make eyeglass computing beautiful. This technology sure seems like the future, so Apple needs to be ready to pounce. But the problem remains that it has no social network or other key services to power its own version…”
Facebook Should Team Up With Apple
Facebook is no hardware company and isn’t big enough to become one. Not having its own mobile OS or device is hurting Facebook, and eyeglass computing could turn into round 2. The video already showed Google+ as the preferred sharing method. Unlike an Android phone where you could just open the Facebook app, Project Glass won’t necessarily allow third-party apps, at least at first, and could make them harder to access than Google+ which will be baked in.
Though Facebook and Apple have been on strained terms so far, and Facebook hasn’t even gotten directly integrated into iOS like Twitter, the two companies could bond over the common threat of Project Glass. Apple needs somewhere to share the content you’d create with its glasses, or why create it in the first place? Facebook needs to make sure Apple lets it get deeply embedded, with or without Twitter alongside it. (Though, Facebook, should probably start with today’s iOS).
Postscript: If Apple or Facebook consider eyeglass computing as marketable to mainstream in the next few years, today should give them a jolt. It’s early though, so they’ll only need to be scared if they don’t plan.
But here’s the kicker…
Despite its lack of hardware experience, Google is the best positioned company to make, or at least provide the software for eyeglass computers. It has Android, Google+, Maps, Gmail, Gcal, Latitude, and more. Glass might go belly up, but if not it could breathe life into some of these sluggish services. That’s why it’s ridiculous when people call Project Glass a diversion or waste of resources. Seems to me like Google’s vision is 20/20.
Josh Constine is a technology journalist who specializes in deep analysis of social products. He is currently a writer for TechCrunch.
Previously, Constine was the Lead Writer of Inside Facebook, where he covered Facebook product changes, privacy, the Ads API, Page management, ecommerce, virtual currency, and music technology.
Prior to writing for Inside Facebook, Constine graduated from Stanford University… → Learn More
Posted under Apple, Facebook, Google, Web Development | No Comments
Facebook Brand Timeline Deadline Approaches: Are You Being Rushed?
Will your fans like the change?
By Chris Crum
Brands have had a month to prepare their Facebook Timelines, but on Friday, their Facebook Pages will be switched to the new Timeline format whether they like it or not. You will no longer have a choice, so I hope you weren’t too fond of your Facebook Page. The good news is that there is a lot to like about the new format, but it’s still created some issues for some businesses, and the deadline means if you haven’t prepared for it, you may have a less-than-favorable Facebook presence representing your brand for Facebook’s over 800 million users. For that matter, you don’t have to have a Facebook account to view a public Facebook timeline, so it’s really, potentially, representing you to even more people.
A lot of users didn’t like the timeline format for their personal profiles, so it stands to reason there will be plenty of complaints from brands as well – especially those who are unprepared. Is your Timeline ready? Have you felt rushed? Do you even like it better than the Page format? Let us know in the comments.
There is a lot for brands to like about the new Timelines (we’ll get to that later), but it’s not all unicorns and rainbows. DreamGrow lists some pros and cons of the brand timelines. Among the cons mentioned are the inability to have a custom landing page and the visibility of certain data. “At present, only your page admins can see your recent likes, visitor reach and people ‘talking about’ your brand,” the post notes. “This data is now readily available for your followers to view. Brands that are experiencing a bout of negative PR or backlash from fans could find this new feature rather unwelcomed.”
Mercury News has an interesting story about a brand who changed to the timeline and upset a bunch of fans (mainly elderly people), who became “so angry and vocal,” that they had to be banned. So there is the possibility that fans who aren’t savvy about Facebook’s dealings may be unjustly upset with brands. The report’s author, Mike Swift, writes:
It’s unclear whether older users are less happy about the switch to Timeline than younger Facebook members, but some sites that serve older users are bracing themselves for the upcoming change.
“If we had a choice, we wouldn’t switch over to the Facebook Timeline format — yet — because our community is not a big fan of ‘big’ changes,” said Kim Hong, social media and community manger for San Mateo-based Winster, a website that features social games and is heavily used by baby boomers and seniors.
Swift says one brand ran a poll about whether its fans liked the changes, and a whopping 98% said they either didn’t like them or didn’t understand them. If it’s an issue for one brand, it could be an issue for others.
Brands have ups and downs throughout their lives just like people, so brands need to review what is actually on these timelines very carefully. That’s where the approaching deadline is of incredible significance. Some brands have been around longer than others, and a month may not be enough time to get everything in place that they want on the timeline. The timeline will let you go as far back as 1000 A.D. If your brand is old, and you have a rich history, this is probably going to be an ongoing project – just the filling in of the past – let alone keeping it fresh with new stuff.
@JessColumbo
Jess ColumboFBs “deadline” for brand timelines & my running out of milk have both caused me considerable stress as of late #humblefirstworldfail
9 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
@CrineyInsalata
Criney#Facebook Timeline deadline for #brands is tomorrow. Is this what is keeping brand owners/users awake at night? 5 hours ago via web · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
@jenpolegatto
jenpolegatto#march30 looming facebook timeline deadline certainly was felt today! is your brand ready? http://t.co/C3uFldC0 1 day ago via web · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
@jeffstewart81
Jeff StewartRoughy 1/4 of brand pages have switched to #Timeline ahead of the deadline. They have roughly 3/4 of all page fans. http://t.co/DYNOGvME 3 days ago via HootSuite · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
That last tweet references a report from Virtue:
There’s a new study from Simply Measured indicating that brands get more engagement per post with the Timeline.
The firm says that based on its sample of early adopters, brands saw a 14% increase in fan engagement, a 46% increase in content engagement and a 65% increase in interactive content engagement (videos/photos). Interestingly, status engagement appears to go down, but if you’re trying to promote content on your site, you want the link engagement rising (as it is, in the study).
Edelman put together a great infographic breaking down the timeline. Pay special attention to the tips at the bottom:
Additionally, Reach Further put together a nice slide show about getting your new timeline ready:
7 steps to enabling your new Facebook timeline for business
Do you think the brand timeline will make the Facebook experience better for your brand? For your fans? Do you feel like you’ve been rushed into switching? Share any and all of your thoughts in the comments.
By the way, feel free to like the WebProNews timeline.
Posted under Facebook, Web Development | No Comments
7 Sneaky Ways to Use Facebook to Spy on Your Competition
via Kristi Hines @ KISSmetrics
Previously on KISSmetrics, I covered the art of 7 sneaky ways to use Twitter to spy on your competition. I don’t really consider it spying so much as simply competitor research, but spying makes it more James Bond-like. And who doesn’t want to pretend to be a secret agent every now and again?
If your competitor doesn’t have Twitter, or you’ve exhausted what you can learn in 140 character bites, let’s continue by learning how to use Facebook for competitor research. Here are some sneaky (or little known) ways to use Facebook to learn more about your competitor’s online marketing strategy.
1. Find out your competitor’s strength on Facebook.
When it comes to competition, the first thing people want to know is if their competitor is using something and how well are they using it.
Facebook offers a simple link.getStats console that will give you basic statistics about any domain’s popularity on Facebook.
For example, if you wanted to check out the popularity of Southwest.com on Facebook, enter southwest.com and click on Call Method to get the following:
This shows the number of likes and shares for their root domain, along with other interesting tidbits of data.
You can also enter the fan page URL in the Test Console of your competitor to get some basic popularity data about their fan page as well.
Note that you’ll need to visit their Facebook fan page and grab the URL directly out of the browser as it won’t return any data for http://www.facebook.com/southwest but will for http://www.facebook.com/Southwest simply because of the capitalization of Southwest.
2. Get the competitor’s raw Facebook data using the Facebook Open Graph.
By using Facebook’s own Graph API, you can view the basic data setup of any Facebook entity.
Let’s say you’re in the process of setting up your fan page. Maybe you’re not sure what category you should place it in or what information you should fill out. By finding your competitor’s fan page and appending their username or fan page ID number to the http://graph.facebook.com/ URL, you can see all their basic details in one shot without even liking their page!
If you put one of my personal favorite restaurant fan page’s username into the URL, for example, you would get the following.
Fan Page URL: http://www.facebook.com/chipotle
Open Graph URL: https://graph.facebook.com/chipotle
For fan page URLs that don’t have a simple custom username, simply put their fan page ID number in place of the username. The fan page ID is the 15 digit number at the end of fan page URLs in this format: http://facebook.com/pages/page-title/123456789012345/.
You can see even more applications of this on the Graph API page. You can use it to grab basic information about events, groups, applications, status messages, photo albums, and much more. Basically, anything that isn’t private can be discovered.
3. Find out what freebies excite and encourage your competitor’s fans to like their page.
One of the best ways to get more likes on Facebook is to offer a freebie in what is known as a reveal tab or fan gate.
Red Bull, for example, found that extreme videos would attract more people into liking their page, and with 21 million fans, they must have been right! If your competitor has a similar tab with content promised to people who like their page and their page has lots of fans, you might want to try this strategy for your own fan page.
4. See what the competitor’s fans love and hate about their brand.
One of the best things about Facebook fan pages is that the majority of information is open and available for public consumption. You generally don’t even have to like the page to find out what people are saying – just go directly to the wall and ignore the welcome tab / reveal tab.
Once you’re there, you may only see updates from the page itself, and that’s not where the gold lies. Just below the photo strip at the top, you will want to select the Top Posts link and then filter with Most Recent. You’ll be able to see posts by the page and posts by fans on the wall in chronological order. Then you can read the updates and find out exactly what fans of your competitor love.
This includes everything about the brand like the products and services they provide as well as everything about their status updates, photos, videos, etc. This can give you a great idea of what you should be doing with your business and your Facebook strategy if you want the same love from fans too!
The flip side to seeing everything a fan loves about the competition is seeing what the fans despise. Surprisingly, a lot of people will like a fan page just to complain about the products and services of the brand who owns the page.
This can give you some key insights into what things your brand can improve upon in hopes that the people who are unsatisfied with your competitor may come check you out instead!
5. Learn how to respond to criticisms.
Whenever you see complaints on the competitor’s fan page, you might want to laugh unless you have been struggling to find better ways to respond to criticism on your own fan page from disgruntled customers. If that is the case, you can learn how your competitors respond to negative posts on their wall.
Having the interaction lumped into one update makes it much easier to follow the conversation from complaint to resolution compared to when a customer and competitor are going back and forth on Twitter.
6. Follow all of your competitors in one place.
Ok, this one isn’t necessarily sneaky, but it helps you organize your sneaky spying. 
At the bottom of the left sidebar of a fan page (usually beneath the number of people who like the page or the list of pages that the fan page likes), you can find a Subscribe to RSS link.
Using this option, you can then subscribe to all of your competitors fan page status updates in your favorite RSS reader. This means you don’t have to like the page to see what their latest updates are and you don’t have to visit multiple pages regularly to check on their updates.
My preferred choice is Google Reader because you can also easily search the updates using the search feature for particular keywords and you can organize your pages into folders by type.
The only downside of this is you’re only getting the updates by the fan page itself, and not any updates posted by fans. But it’s still a nice way to monitor your competitors’ strategies without having to keep visiting their page routinely.
7. Advertise to your competitor’s fans.
This one is a bit of a dirty trick more than a sneaky trick, but I’ve seen other brands use it to some successful degree, so it felt wrong not to mention it.
Imagine your biggest competitor is having some kind of crisis. For hosting companies, it would be massive server downtime. For automobile makers, it would be major recalls. For a restaurant, it would be an outbreak of food poisoning. This is all stuff you can learn about if you are following your competitors closely via their fan pages as previously mentioned.
Now image you could put an ad right in front of all of their fans that addressed their biggest concern. For hosting companies, it could be an ad that says 99.9% uptime guaranteed. For automobile makers, it could be an ad that says your brand has the least recalls of them all. For a restaurant, it could be an ad that says they have a five star rating!
Well guess what? You can! Facebook Advertising lets you target ads down to specific demographic details.
The best part – you can also target your ad to fans of a competitor’s fan page using Precise Interests!
Once you enter a brand, it will estimate the people you will reach (assuming that you have a country selected). You can even add in multiple brands and competitors for each ad.
Your Sneaky Facebook Strategy
There you have it – seven great ways to use Facebook to learn more about your competitors and their Facebook strategy. How do you use Facebook for competitor research? Please share your thoughts in the comments, and happy spying!
Posted under Facebook, Marketing, Social Media | No Comments
10 Ideas to Get More Comments on Your Facebook Posts
via fanpageflow.com
So, you’ve built a Facebook presence for your company or organization, you’ve added tons of fans, and now you wonder, what’s next? Sure, you use your Facebook page to share the latest news about your company and to reach out to new customers, but most of the time your page just sits there. Look at some of the big Facebook pages, what do they have going for them that you do not? The answer is interactivity. The best Facebook pages are those that have posts, likes and especially comments from the fans. Therefore, if nothing exciting is going on, here are some ideas, fun and practical, for posts you can make to get your fans talking back.
1. Spoilers
This is one of the best ways to build suspense and excitement about your product or service. Give your fans a taste of what is coming up, without completely giving it away. Similar to a movie trailer or promo spot for a television show, pique their interest.
2. Personal Insight
Use your Facebook posts to give your fans a little insight into who you are as a person. People want to relate to the products and services they use, and if they learn more about the person behind the page, they will feel that connection with you.
3. Topical Jokes
Find jokes, comics or puns related to your company or industry. Generally if people bother to “like” your page, they at least have a passing interest in the field you’re involved with. This may take a bit of effort on your part, but find posts to make your fans smile.
4. Links
Along the same lines, share useful and fun links with your fans. You do not want to bombard them with hundreds of messages like this, but if you find a useful app, page or even an amazing video, do not be afraid to share it with your fans.
5. Challenges
This is especially useful for Facebook app pages, but can be adapted for nearly any page. Challenge your fans to beat a high score, discover new content or add something to your page. People naturally want to prove themselves and a challenge is sure to appeal to those with a competitive side.
6. Contests
You do not have to offer anything major, but hold a drawing, ask a trivia question or any otherwise host a contest for your fans. Just giving away a T-shirt with your logo or a credit for your services will encourage your fans to jump in and participate.
7. Requests for Input
Very few companies actually solicit advice from their customer base, and this is a shame. Ask your customers what you can do better, what products or services they are looking for or anything else on which you want input.
8. Holiday Wishes
Take time to wish your customers and fans a happy holiday. You don’t have to limit yourself to the more typical holidays. Wish your fans a happy Chinese New Year, Cinco De Mayo or even “Talk Like a Pirate Day.”
9. Fun at the Office
Another way to prove yourself as a “real” person instead of just a faceless corporation is to give your fans an insight into the company. Take some pictures of you and your staff at work or play and share these with your fans.
10. Commentary on Current Events
This is one you want to be careful with, you likely want to avoid strong political leanings, but mentioning current events is always a great way to get people talking; everyone has an opinion.
These are just a few of the types of posts you can make that will get your fans interacting on your Facebook fan page. If your page is more interactive, not only will your current fans be more likely to come back and check out what’s new, they may share your posts on their own feed, which will lead new fans directly to your page. Take the time to make regular posts on your Facebook page so it does not become stagnant, and you are certain to reap the benefits of a larger and more active fan base.
Posted under Facebook, Marketing, Web Design | No Comments
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