Facebook is working on a standalone mobile news application, which is being built to send you breaking news alerts directly to your smartphone. It comes with character limit much like Twitter, in the new App Facebook is limiting the notifications to 100 characters. It seems to be a part of Facebook for business initiative.
Users will need to select topics out of the selected publications which Facebook is currently partnering with, which will be increasing before the launch of the application. When your selected publication posts an update, it will be forwarded to the users through the app. All the subscribers will be getting the update on the app, the notification will be limited to 100 characters much like twitter. When you click on the link in the notification you will be directed to the publication’s website.
We cannot compare it completely with Twitter as there doesn’t seem to be an option for users to interact between each other. We can compare it with the like of Flipboard and Pulse which are news sharing apps which also do not allow interaction between users. Restricted character limit is the only thing similar to Twitter. The App is still in its Alpha testing stage and Facebook has denied to comment on it.
Facebook has chosen some companies to pilot the new app and is maintaining it a secret, without revealing anything about it. Users only have the ability to choose between the publications, news of which they want to see. Other than that users will have no control over the application. Twitter has always been the best platform for getting live updates on events and news. Facebook is trying to compete with the feature in Twitter which brings you latest new updates.
With the app being still in its Alpha stage, it will take sometime before we get to try the app and get some information about the features of the application and how effective it is going to be in delivering breaking news to users. We have to see if the app will be working independently or will be paired with Facebook app and take some clues from the users account on what kind of news to show.
