Thousands of night owl Facebook users got a surprise Tuesday night when they logged in and got a message saying they’d been chosen to beta test the new “Facebook Lite,” which was billed as a “faster, simpler” Facebook. But just as suddenly as the “new” Facebook appeared it vanished, leaving only the several “Facebook Lite more »

Looking to expand its online reputation, Facebook just finished off an acquisition of FriendFeed, an online service for sharing links and such for an undisclosed price. Facebook and FriendFeed have many similar goals, so it makes sense for Facebook wanting to acquire the lesser known FriendFeed. In addition, FriendFeed has access to the 250 million more »

Google Reader is down with the whole social scene, just like Twitter, Facebook, and Friendfeed with 4 new ways to share content. Google Reader is adding “fun” social elements like following, liking, and searching. But is it too little too late?

Google Reader used to be the place where I got all the breaking news. The problem? RSS isn’t real-time. Twitter has taken over that job for me and for folks like the mighty Robert Scoble and Friendfeed fills the niche. Google Reader, presumably feeling the Twitter effect, is fighting back. At least a little bit.

Today, the Google Reader Blog pitches us 4 new ways users can get social, but not too social if that is your bag.

Robert Scoble asked the question this morning, “is the real-time web a threat to Google”. Many followers of Scoble on Twitter and Friendfeed (he unabashedly loves both) have admitted to searching their social network for answers/opinions before going to Google. This segmentation of the search market is something new and something to note. I see more »

FriendFeed launched a new feature last night, real-time updating. With this feature, you can see all the most recent FriendFeed posts without even having to refresh the page. As nifty as this new feature is, it can also get a bit crazy.

The site has essentially turned the web into a giant chatroom according to Robert Scoble. You’ve got it all going on here, not just the chatting, but videos, photos, tweets, and more. Every item has its own URL, as well as its own RSS feed. You’re able to comment on everything there, not just on the “commentary” like in a chat room.

Much more after the break!