LONDON: Facebook Business is planning something new – a standalone news app. citing a source related to Facebook Business, Business Insider has got its hands on screenshots of a new product that works just like Twitter. The report also adds that a few companies are being chosen by the social network to pilot the app.
The new Twitter-like product is now in alpha testing stage and details about it are still vague. Here’s how it reportedly works – Users will have to download a new mobile app by Facebook and then choose partner publications that they would want to follow and also topics on which breaking news alerts they want to receive.
These publications can create mobile notifications whenever there is breaking news. The alert will allow ‘100 characters’ of text and a URL to the article. Sounds familiar now?
“The Twitter-Flipboard hybrid app sounds interesting since Facebook has grown into a platform bigger than simple social networking. People use Facebook to share images and photos and converse with family members, but they also catch up on news,” points out TheNextWeb.
For now, the social site has only select partner publications. Also, it should be noted that Twitter is also working on its own platform to offer breaking and developing news via the iPhone app using a feature called Project Lightning.
“Facebook keeps growing as a news source, so it makes sense it would somehow try to capitalize on that, even if this app sounds like it’s not much more than a medium for publications to funnel their content through,” writes TheVerge.
However, there is no official word from Facebook yet, and the company calls it a mere rumour.
