WhatsApp-Facebook Post-Acquisition Scenario: Is Telegram the next big thing in mobile messaging app?

WhatsApp, the leading messaging app with more than 465 million active users, is trying to justify its multi billion dollars acquisition by the social-media giant Facebook and promises to add free voice-call services by the start of second quarter this year.

Telegram emerging as WhatsApp's biggest competitor

“We are going to introduce voice on WhatsApp in the second quarter of this year,” WhatsApp founder Jan Koum said on the opening day of the four-day World Mobile Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

The 29-year-old billionaire Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook, was the star speaker on the opening day of the industry fair, announced a stock and cash purchase of WhatsApp on Wednesday.

But very few know right now that the other competitors of the WhatsApp have been witnessing a sizeable increase of active users since the jaw-dropping $19-billion deal last week. Other competing messaging apps like Telegram, TigerText and Confide have been reported to have millions of new users during the WhatsApp downtime.

Telegram, a messaging app with a focus on speed and security, alone saw 8 million downloads after Facebook tookover WhatsApp, reported by Tech Crunch. The fact ultimately pointing towards the unsatisfactory attitude of users towards Facebook’s own mobile messaging apps, which are specifically ranked lower than Telegram, WhatsApp and even Snapchat in the App Store’s score chart.

Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, has claimed that app’s growth rate has increased three times since the WhatsApp acquisition. It has gone to touch one million downloads per day from average of 300,000-400,000 downloads/day before the multi-billion dollars deal.

Now question is that in the wake of tough competition ahead whether WhatsApp will prove itself a profitable deal for Facebook or this deal was just to defeat rivals like Microsoft and Google.

On Monday, the star speaker of the event Mark Zuckerberg defended the price paid for a messaging service with negligible revenue. He maintained that rival services such as South Korea's KakaoTalk and Naver's LINE are already "monetizing" at a rate of $2 to $3 in revenue per user per year, despite being in the early stages of growth.

On the other hand, WhatsApp chief executive Jan Koum revealed the plans saying that the WhatsApp voice product would "focus on simplicity" as it has with its text-based messaging service. Tech gurus are expecting WhatsApp revenue jumping 5 times in 2014 if succeeded to maintain the growth rate they saw in 2013. Media reports suggest WhatsApp's revenue at about $20 million in 2013. 

Here comes Victoria's Secret in Europe -- First store in London to be opened on July 25

US lingerie retailer Victoria's Secret is set to open their first UK stores only two days before the 2012 Olympic Games kick off in London as the retailer aims to make the most from rumble of tourists expected to visit the city during the sports gala from 27 July to 12 August 2012.

Here comes Victoria's Secret in Europe -- First store in London to be opened on July 25

The company has confirmed that its first European flagship store will open in London on July 25.

According to details; the Victoria's Secret London outlet is being constructed right now and it occupies a high-flying place on New Bond Street – famous for designer boutique - and the corner of elegant Brook Street. 

A second Victoria's Secret store will open the on July 26 at Westfield shopping centre in Stratford, east London and it is just few yards away from the Olympic Stadium, which will host the 2012 Games from very next day of the opening.

Report Tags: Victoria’s Secret, Victoria’s Secret store in London, Victoria’s Secret store in Europe, Olympic Games, 2012 London Olympics, London Olympics 2012, London Olympics 

What is Facebook Under-13 Plan and How it May Affect You and Your Kids?? Experts' Views

Social networking giant Facebook is really going after the youth market. Yes, it’s no more a rumor now. 

What is Facebook Under-13 Plan and How it May Affect You and Your Kids?? Experts' Views

After having heard for past few weeks about the Facebook plans for expanding its reach to include children under 13, the report published in Wall Street Journal has confirmed that Facebook is actively testing options to create a safe, child-friendly space on the site.

According to details; Facebook may allow kids under 13 to create an account under parental supervision. Parents would be able to link their accounts to their children's and control friend requests and third-party applications. The under-13 features could enable Facebook and its partners to charge parents for games and other entertainment accessed by their children.

Facebook currently bans users under the age of 13, although officials admit that of the 900 million users worldwide, there are an estimated 7.5 million kids under 13 already using the popular social media site by lying about their age when they register. But why make it easier to the under-13 crowd to get access to Facebook?

There are some mix views from the masses about Facebook’s new plans to let children under 13 using an extended version of Facebook.  Some of the parenting experts have deemed it totally unnecessary to allow children under 13 to use Facebook whether independently or under the parents’ accounts.

James Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media - an advocacy organization for kids and media – responded to Facebook’s under-13 plans saying; there are enormous social, cognitive and development issues that have to be considered (when dealing with social media and kids) and Facebook has no expertise in that area. And there are currently enormous privacy concerns regarding the teens who already use it and the preteens who sneak on. Why on earth would we suddenly turn over our 8-year-olds to them while they haven't addressed very well many of those issues yet? It doesn't make sense.

SOURCE:

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2012-06-04/facebook-question-answer/55386056/1

 Wall Street Journal

 

Report Tags: Facebook, Social Media, Social Network, Facebook for Children, Facebook for Under-13, Baby Facebook, James Steyer, Social Issues,

NASA TV (Video): SpaceX Dragon splashes back into Pacific after historic space mission

"Welcome home, baby," said SpaceX's elated chief, Elon Musk, on Thursday after the Dragon capsule has parachuted into the Pacific Ocean that ended up a successful mission of ferrying the first private delivery to the International Space Station (ISS) and pioneers NASA's new approach to space exploration.

NASA TV (Video): SpaceX Dragon splashes back into Pacific after historic space mission

 The unmanned capsule parachuted into the Pacific approximately 805 km off Mexico's Baja California, bringing back more than a half-ton of old station equipment. It was the first time since the space shuttles stopped flying last summer that NASA got back a big load from the orbiting lab.

Splashdown came at 8:42 a.m. (11:42 a.m. ET), about two minutes earlier than expected, SpaceX and NASA reported. Musk was on hand at the company’s mission control center near Los Angeles as operators monitored the descent, and called the mission a “grand slam” in a briefing later Thursday.

"You can see so many ways that it could fail and it works and you're like, 'Wow, OK, it didn't fail'," Musk said.

“This has been a fantastic day,” Musk said, adding, “I’m just overwhelmed with joy.” He said recovery crews have reached the capsule and report it “looks really good.”

Watch video of Dragon splash back into Pacific:

 Report Tags: SpaceX, Elon Musk, Cape Canaveral, dragon capsule, Falcon 9, Tesla Motors, PayPal, Gwynne Shotwell, International Space Station, ISS

Really Futuristic: Physics student developed new space driving force using Casimir-Polder Effect

I wonder if NASA have ever think about the method of driving spacecrafts and satellites through space using something else other than ordinary rocket engines; but a 19-year-old student from Egypt has actually made it possible.

Really Futuristic: Physics student developed new space driving force using Casimir-Polder Effect

Aisha Mustafa, a university student of Physics, has patented her invention - with Egyptian Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT). Her invented method is a new type of propulsion system for spacecraft that uses cutting edge quantum physics instead of rockets and thrusters.

The Mail Online has described the achievement of Aisha Mustafa as ‘the invention 'leapfrogs' NASA research, and uses a hi-tech quantum effect to drive satellites through space, rather than ordinary rocket engines.’  

Mustafa invented a way of tapping this quantum effect via what's known as the dynamic Casimir-Polder Effect. This uses a "moving mirror" cavity, where two very reflective very flat plates are held close together, and then moved slightly to interact with the quantum particle sea. 

Continue reading about the brilliant student from Egypt:

Madn3wz 

Video Collection: SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket's Successful Liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Station

Pioneering a new era in private space flight, the US company SpaceX on Tuesday became the first commercial company to launch its own spacecraft toward the International Space Station (ISS).

SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket's Successful Liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Station

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket liftedoff early Tuesday, at about 3:44 a.m. EDT, carrying a reusable cargo capsule ‘Dragon’ filled with a load of supplies for the International Space Station (ISS). 

"Three, two, one and launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, as NASA turns to the private sector to resupply the International Space Station," said NASA commentator George Diller, as the spacecraft blasted off at 3:44 am (0744 GMT).

Contrary to Saturday’s aborted liftoff, all of nine engines of the Falcon 9 rocket kept firing all the way through liftoff this time. A faulty valve of engine 5 was replaced on Sunday by SapceX engineers.

Read Saturday's story of Falcon 9 Failed Launch, HERE.

The test flight of the Dragon space capsule, which launched atop SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, aims to show that commercial industry can restore US access to the ISS after NASA retired its space shuttle fleet last year.

The real test comes Thursday when the Dragon reaches the surroundings of the International Space Station (ISS). It will undergo practice maneuvers from more than a mile out. If all goes well, the docking will occur on Friday (May 25).

Watch exciting videos of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 liftoff carrying Dragon Cargo Capsule:

SOURCE: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/story/2012-05-22/SpaceX-rocket-space-station/55126570/1

Online Live Broadcast (VIDEO): SpaceX Falcon 9 ready for historical space travel destined to ISS

After a long wait and several delays, finally SpaceX - the private space exploration company founded by PayPal and Tesla Motors co-founder Elon Musk - set to make history as the first mission anchored by a private company to send cargo to the International Space Station (ISS) will begin in the early hours of Saturday (May 19).

Online Live Broadcast (Video): SpaceX Falcon 9 ready for historical space travel destined to ISS

 At just a few hours at 1:55am Pacific Time (which is 4:55am Eastern time) Saturday morning, SpaceX will attempt to make the first ever privately-funded launch to head to the International Space Station ISS) from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The launch will be made with its Falcon 9 rocket, which is set to launch its Dragon capsule.

Talking to media ahead of historical launch Gwynne Shotwell, the president of SpaceX, told media, “We know this has been touted as a huge mission. We keep trying to say it’s a test. Nonetheless, it’s a big job.”

The launch will be webcast live and will be repeated by NASA hour at 2:25am Pacific Time (5:25 Eastern time) for those who could not stay awake until dawn. Shortly later, a post-launch conference at 5:30am Pacific Time (8:30 pm Eastern Time) will give more details on the mission.

Watch exclusive video below:

Here the link to watch the launch live.

According to latest news from Cape Canaveral, the launch of Flacon 9 has been aborted at the last moment for some mysterious technical reasons. Fina the full story HERE.

SpaceX ready for second attempt to launch Falcon 9 today (Monday, May 21), read here. 

SOURCE:

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

http://techcrunch.com/2012/05/18/real-tech-alert-elon-musks-spacex-falcon-9-ready-for-takeoff-to-international-space-station/

Report Tags: SpaceX, Elon Musk, Cape Canaveral, Dragon Capsule, Falcon 9, Tesla Motors, Paypal, Gwynne Shotwell, International Space Station, ISS