Hashtags arrive on Facebook

The wait is over…hashtags have finally wormed their way into the vast world of Facebook. This symbol of 21st Century communication has not only become a way of collating social media information (primarily on Twitter up to this point) but has found its way into SMS messaging, emails and even standard conversation #takingovertheworld. So with the launch of the hashtag on Facebook, we can start to watch timelines of information we actually care about. For brands – there are few things to consider. 1. Facebook has just become real-time. 2. Users (fans) of brands can now experience a more timely and relevant Facebook page – brands must target this. 3. Once fully live and running (i.e. mobile devices), Facebook will become an alternative to scanning a Twitter feed. So, as the hashtag continues on its journey of global communication domination, we are witnessing yet another development in the way we use, interact, engage and utilise the world’s largest social media platform….#everchanging

This week the creator of Firefox, Mozilla, announced that it has plans to allow its 450 million users to block third party tracking that currently monitors their online activity. Not surprisingly, advertising agencies have slammed the move, as they track user’s habits and tastes to send targeted ads, without it, it will just be a stab in the dark. With an increasing rise in concerns over how much of our personal data is accessible to large companies, online consumers have welcomed the plans. Web users will have control over which sites they allow to track their movements, block cookies and limit the level of tracking by social media sites once they have logged off.

Facebook is trying to crush Vine before it’s too late. Facebook will reportedly be adding Vine-like, short video clips to its Instagram service later this month. This could be a pivotal moment in the obscure and potentially highly annoying art of posting seven-second stop motion video clips of people re-enacting the Siege of Gondor on their coffee tables. A Facebook/Instagram entry would inevitably mean an avalanche of media coverage, boosting the public awareness of this type of app.

In light of Siren Communications recent trip to the Middle East for this year’s ITT Conference we thought it appropriate to drop in this incredible timelapse of Dubai – grab a cuppa and have a watch – it’s fantastic!

Major League Baseball’s San Francisco Giants unveiled their new "@Cafe" this week, summing up the team’s online buzz in one standalone location for supporters to visit before, during or after games. The cafe’s centrepiece is a giant video screen that shows Giants-related posts to Twitter and Instagram from fans around the world, as well as tickers tracking the team’s legion of online followers. Fans can also peer into the team’s social command centre, where staffers track online conversations and approve posts for inclusion on the big board. Check out this Vine video from the space’s grand opening on Monday.