Facebook

As expected, Facebook launched its second Snapchat clone after removing Poke from the App Store last month. The new app allows users to send photos and video clips that disappear after a user swipes them away. Facebook's app differs from Snapchat because it forces users to send images or videos before they can view any sent to them. Facebook has been desperately trying to recapture its younger users who have been leaving the company's main service in droves for trendier products such as Yo.

Unfortunately for Facebook, Yo is already surpassing it in the App Store rankings. The messaging app is currently ranked number 5 on the Apple's Top Free Apps Chart, while Slingshot is nowhere to be found. Yo saw a surge in popularity after the Finacial Times published an article about the app which allows users to send the word "Yo" to their contacts.

This past week you may have received a notification from Facebook alerting you that the company is "making ads better and giving you more control". This is part of Facebook's plan to start pushing more targeted ads to your news feed based on your browsing habits. Even though Facebook is allowing users to add and remove certain ads from their news feed, some people do not like the idea of the company tracking their web surfing history.

UPDATE: Facebook has informed us they will "not share browsing history with advertisers and won’t do so even with these new changes. Facebook will include info from website and apps to inform targeting on Facebook. But no information is shared with advertisers."

Here's how to limit targeted ads on your iOS device and Facebook news feed:

On your iPhone navigate to Settings > Privacy > Advertising and tap the "Limit Ad Tracking" slider so it turns green.

On your Mac or PC you can use the standard Digital Advertising Alliance form to opt out of receiving interest-based advertising from participating companies.

Facebook's motto seems to be if you can't beat them, buy them, and that's exactly what Mark Zuckerberg tried to do with when his copycat app Poke could not recreate the success of Snapchat. According to reports, Facebook is trying once again to compete with the popular messaging app after failing to acquire the company for a rumored $3 billion.

Zuckerberg has been secretly overseeing the development of an app known as "Slingshot", which "allows users to send short video messages with just a couple of taps," according to The Financial Times. The new video messaging app features a "simple and speedy user interface" and could be launched this month if Facebook plans to proceed with the project.

Facebook is determined to make its iOS app even more useless by forcing users to download its standalone Messenger app. According to various sources, the company plans to remove the ability for users to send and receive messages directly from the main Facebook app.

Facebook has already begun sending notifications about the change to some users in Europe. These users will have around two weeks before Facebook rips the messaging tab from their apps. This will either force people to download Facebook Messenger, or cause them to only contact their friends through Facebook’s mobile website. Facebook eventually plans to implement this system worldwide.