Clinton Portis confirms he’s still alive after Twitter rumors
February 22, 2012 by admin
Filed under Twitter News
(John McDonnell – THE WASHINGTON POST)
Here was a weird thing that happened on Sunday and early Monday: people on Twitter started wondering whether Clinton Portis had died in a car crash. Like, famous people started wondering, too.
“What happened with clinton portis?” Maurice Jones-Drew asked on Twitter.
“Crazy people talking this Clinton Portis nonsense and I was just with the dude out…wow twitter sways people to say anything,” Redskins cornerback Josh Wilson wrote.
“Clinton portis is my family!!!! Alive and well! Whoever said that I wish I could c u in person! #TryYourLuck!!” Browns cornerback Joe Haden wrote.
Portis, naturally, chimed in on Twitter himself.
“Not sure about the rumor that’s out but I’m alive and well, before it even begins to spread of a car crash!!!!” Portis wrote. “I’m in bed goodnight world hopefully I don’t go in my sleep 2night!”
Still, people continued to speculate about Portis’s death for hours after that, and his name was trending for much of Sunday night and Monday morning.
If you wanted to know more, Portis was on 106.7 The Fan with Holden Kushner Monday afternoon, and he confirmed that he was not, in fact, dead.
“That rumor scared the mess out of me, got my mama calling me wanting to talk every hour,” Portis said. “I don’t know where the rumors came from, but I’m alive and well. Man, I done got calls from everybody. I guess it’s a trending topic on Twitter or whatnot….But I’m good, man. I appreciate the people that are worried, but it ain’t my time yet.”
Portis also talked about his potential comeback, saying he spent the last year traveling and being a dad, and also watching the Redskins. Which led to this.
“With the way Rex was playing, turnovers and all, your record 3-1, why go make the drastic change?” Portis asked. “Then all of the sudden you start the controversy in the locker room, and Beck comes in, and then you go back to Rex, and guys start to [get injured]….It was just a lot of shuffling, as usual.”
And he yet again wrapped up his tenure in D.C.
“I enjoyed my time with the Washington Redskins,” Portis said. “I don’t regret anything, I don’t look back and wish I would have changed anything. It was a moment in life. You know, everything comes to an end. That’s relationships, buying a new car, buying a new house.
“You always love it in the beginning, and towards the end, you see a new car that you want, or you feel like you need to upgrade and move, or you want to re-do your house. Nothing lasts forever, and I understand that. And I understand the decision that the Redskins made in moving on….I don’t have any regrets. I think Mr. Snyder gave me the opportunity to do something that most people would die for.”
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Twitter wags take digs at Saif Ali Khan’s ‘first solo hit’
February 22, 2012 by admin
Filed under Twitter News
The brawl between Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan and NRI businessman Iqbal Sharmaat at a hotel in Mumbai, which led to a police case against the actor, has inspired a spate of jokes on twitter.
Sharma was left with a broken nose after the mid-night brawl.
A user posted on twitter: “This was Saif Ali Khan’s first solo hit.”
“Breaking News: WWE talent scouts after Saif Ali Khan to sign a 5 year contract,” said another user.
Another joke went: Shah Rukh Khan has some competition now from Saif Ali Khan. Bhala uska bashup mere bashup se safaid kaise?
Shah Rukh had got into a fight with director Shirish Kunder a few days ago.
“Saif Ali Khan has a stunt to sell the tickets of agent vinod..its called “Beating Black” Ticketing Publicity stunt,” a user tweeted.
“Saif Ali Khan has assaulted a South African in the TAJ. Seem like this TAJ hotel is a pretty unSAIF place,” was another wisecrack.
“And this is the man some people have chosen as their Nawab???? Not a “saif” choice, I say!” a user posted on twitter.
Article source: http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report_twitter-wags-take-digs-at-saif-ali-khan-s-first-solo-hit_1653607
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Chris Brown Feuds With Miranda Lambert, WWE’s CM Punk
February 22, 2012 by admin
Filed under Twitter News
It’s an interesting time for Chris Brown. With several career highs, which include a Grammy win and performance at the show earlier this month, come several personal lows, including feuds with two other celebrities.
On Tuesday, Brown took to Twitter to address some comments made by WWE wrestler CM Punk in a video he released on TMZ, which itself came in response to an ongoing Twitter feud the guys have been having.
“I’m a lifelong proud, drug-free, straight-edge individual, so Chris and I come from two completely different worlds,” Punk said in the video, referring to a previous tweet Brown had posted accusing Punk of taking steroids. “I don’t have a manager, I don’t have a bodyguard, I don’t have an assistant, I have no need for a PR team what to tweet or when to delete tweets, and I don’t hit women. Period. In my world women are to be revered and respected and I firmly believe that in this life there are consequences and repercussions for people’s actions, and I don’t think Chris has paid for what he’s done. Picking up trash on the side of a highway does not make amends for repeatedly striking a woman in her face and sending her to hospital.
“So if Chris wants to throw stones my way now, I say that’s fine. Let’s put some gloves out and get in the ring and I will choke you out and I will make you feel as weak and as powerless and scared and alone as any woman who has had the misfortune of knowing a sad, cowardly, little boy such as yourself. And all proceeds can go to a women’s shelter of my choosing … Chris Brown isn’t a man and that’s fine. I just know that someday, somewhere, somehow, somebody will put Chris Brown exactly where he belongs and that obviously doesn’t have to be me, I would just really like it to be.”
After the video was released, Brown responded, “@cmpunk the video u just posted was cute! It’s so funny how defensive u are. And the fact that I really don’t know who you are and could give a sh– is the funny part! I miss the real wrestlers! (Hacksaw Jim duggan, Brett the hitman heart, coco beware, rowdy roddy piper) #Notnopunks.”
Several tweets later, he brought it back to Punk, but noted that he would no longer be addressing the issue. “Note: today will be the last day I bring @cmpunk existence up! The confrontations that people continuously bring my way are very amusing,” he wrote. “Cuz honestly, that sh– is too time consuming to argue wit every person who has their own issues to deal with!”
It all started on February 20, when Punk tweeted about Brown’s 2009 assault of his then-girlfriend Rihanna. From there, the two became involved in a Twitter back-and-forth. Since Brown’s last tweet about the video, as of press time, Punk has not tweeted about it again.
This is hardly the first bit of criticism that Brown has received since his Grammy win on February 12. While a number of celebrities tweeted their criticisms of Brown’s win and performance that night, country star Miranda Lambert has been the most vocal about it.
Brown responded to her post-Grammy tweets, writing, “Using my name to get publicity? I love it! Perform your heart out! Go buy Miranda Lambert album! So motivational and ‘PERFECT’!”
Not only did she tweet about it, but in concert last week Usmagazine.com reported Lambert addressed the issue further, saying, “I just have to speak my mind, because where I come from, beating up on a woman is never OK. So that’s why my daddy taught me early on in life how to use a shotgun.”
Article source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1679663/chris-brown-feud-miranda-lambert-cm-punk.jhtml
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Display advertising: Facebook first, but Google gaining
February 22, 2012 by admin
Filed under Facebook News
The 360° Conversation around Cloud Computing
TECH VISUALIZER brings the social conversation to life… powered by Brocade
Article source: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/facebook/display-advertising-facebook-first-but-google-gaining/9408
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Apple Mimics Facebook With High Desert Data Center
February 22, 2012 by admin
Filed under Facebook News
Apple will build a data on the Oregon high desert — right next to Facebook’s. Image: Screengrab from Wired video
Apple has confirmed that it will build a data center in Prineville, Oregon — next door to the massive computing facility Facebook opened last year — and according to the Prineville city engineer, Apple is planning to build a facility that’s “similar” to Facebook’s energy-conscious design, which the social giant has “open sourced” to the rest of the world.
Last week, according to the Central Oregonian, papers were filed with the Cook County Clerk’s Office that said Apple has purchased a parcel of land near Prineville for $5.6 million. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but the company confirmed the purchase with a local TV station.
Then on Tuesday, Prineville city engineer Eric Klann tells Wired, the city received a land-use application for the property in question. According to Klann, the application says that development will begin with eight modular data center units built by the San Jose-based outfit NxGen Modular, and if “all goes well,” Klann says, the plan is to build a larger facility “similar” to Facebook’s.
The news is another sign that Apple has big plans for its iCloud service and other software tools that store user data in the proverbial heavens. But Apple’s plan also reaffirm Facebook’s new approach to data center design. Traditionally, the big internet players — including Google and Amazon — have said very little about the design of their new-age data centers, but Facebook is openly sharing its designs in an effort to improve the efficiency of facilities across the net.
Facebook’s data center uses outside air from the Oregonian high desert to cool its server rooms, eliminating the need for energy-sapping electric chillers, and its electrical system significantly reduces power loss by cutting down on the number conversions between AC and DC power. In April, the company open sourced not only the designs for the data center but also the designs of the servers that work in tandem with its revamped electrical system.
Last fall, Klann told us that two separate companies — codenamed “Maverick” and “Cloud” — were looking to build facilities in Prineville using Facebook’s data center designs. “Cloud” is Rackspace, the Texas-based cloud computing outfit, which has apparently decided not to build in Prineville. But “Maverick” is Apple.
Facebook and Apple were attracted to Prineville not only because of the cool air on the high desert, but because the local government is providing extensive tax breaks. Attracted by similar tax breaks, Google has also built a data center in rural Oregon.
At its Oregon site, Google pioneered the use of data center modules, piecing together its facility using shipping containers pre-packed with servers and other hardware, and others, including Microsoft, have followed suit. It’s unclear whether Apple’s NxGen modules are just a temporary solution or part of its permanent plan for the Prineville site.
Article source: http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2012/02/apple-facebook-data-center/
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Study: Facebook profile beats IQ test in predicting job performance
February 22, 2012 by admin
Filed under Facebook News
Can a person’s Facebook profile reveal what kind of employee he or she might be?
The answer is yes, and with unnerving accuracy, according to a new paper published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology.
And if you are smugly thinking to yourself, “I’ve carefully wiped my Facebook page of any incriminating photos, comments and wall posts,” — well, it turns out you may still not have hidden your true nature from future employers: On a rating scale that examines key personality attributes that indicate future job success, you might get rated high in conscientiousness and possibly low on extroversion.
Other things a prospective employer might be able to glean from your Facebook profile is openness to new new experiences (vacation pictures from a glacier off New Zealand), emotional stability (are your friends constantly offering you words of comfort?), and agreeableness (are you constantly arguing with “friends?”)
In a series of two studies conducted by researchers at Northern Illinois University, the University of Evansville and Auburn University, six people with experience in human resources were asked to rate a sample of 500 people in terms of key personality traits using only the sample group’s Facebook pages as a guideline.
The raters were told to spend roughly five to 10 minutes with each person’s Facebook page, and work on the project for no longer than one and a half hours per day to avoid fatigue. They were asked to rate members of the sample group on what is known as the “Big Five” personality traits, which includes extroversion, conscientiousness, emotional stability, agreeableness and openness to new experiences. High scores on these traits are generally accepted by human resources managers as an indication of future good job performance.
Members of the sample group were asked to give a self-evaluation and took an IQ test. In one study, researchers followed up with the employers of people in the sample group six months after their personality traits were rated, to ask questions about job performance.
The researchers found that the raters were generally in agreement about the personality traits expressed in the sample group’s Facebook page, and that their ratings correlated strongly with self-rated personality traits. More importantly, they also found that the Facebook ratings were a more accurate way of predicting a person’s job performance than an IQ test.
Although the study does suggest that looking at a job applicant’s Facebook page can prove useful for employers, Donald Kluemper, the lead researcher on the study, said employers need to tread carefully here.
A Facebook page can provide a lot of information that it would be illegal for an employer to ask of a candidate in a phone interview. For instance, a person’s gender, race, age and whether they have a disability might all be visible on that person’s Facebook page.
Still, a 2011 study conducted by the social media service Reppler found that 90% of recruiters and hiring managers look at an applicant’s Facebook page whether they should or not.
“This was an effort to provide some evidence that checking on a person’s Facebook page might be valuable and might be useful,” Kluemper said. ”But I wouldn’t go so far as to say that one study should be used as a reason to start using Facebook in hiring.
“Any other selection tool that is out there has been studied hundreds of thousands of times. Basically, there needs to be a lot more work done in this area.”
ALSO:
Google ‘smart glasses’ reportedly launching this year
Flying squid: The rocket science behind cephalopods
Nomophobia — fear of being without your phone — is on the rise
Article source: http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-study-facebook-profile-predicting-job-performance-20120222,0,835939.story
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Chris Brown, Rihanna collaborations spark controversy
February 22, 2012 by admin
Filed under Twitter News
“YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!” That’s how Chris Brown, 22, tagged his remix of “Turn Up the Music,” one of two collaborations with ex-girlfriend Rihanna, 24, that the pair intentionally leaked via Twitter on Monday.
The blogosphere has been on fire since late last week when the two dropped cryptic tweets alluding to a duet. After producers of Rihanna’s lusty track “Birthday Cake” tweeted the remix would shock the world, rumors immediately circulated that Rihanna would celebrate her birthday by releasing an extended take of the track featuring Brown’s vocals.
It was an unlikely collaboration to say the least, considering Brown is currently serving five years’ probation for brutally assaulting her three years ago on the eve of the Grammy Awards. But they are back together again, at least on the two songs.
Hip-hop blogger/tastemaker Karen Civil, who unveiled details of the collaboration on her popular, self-titled blog last week, said that given Rihanna’s knack for being provocative, the track shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.
“I think that it can only help them both at this time,” Civil said. “We can’t go back and change what’s already been done, or recorded and released in this case. Will it hurt Rihanna’s career? Perhaps, in the aspect of standing up against domestic violence. However a listener or fan cannot dictate someone’s life, and she is entitled to her own decisions.”
The controversial songs, which weren’t officially released by either artist’s label, come on the heels of Brown’s performance and win at the 54th Grammy Awards last week.
He became a trending topic on Twitter that evening, as did the phrase “wife beater.” There was furor that the Recording Academy they invited the singer to perform twice and rewarded him with the trophy for RB album. His awkward shuffling onstage demonstrated he hadn’t expected the win, and the relative hush of the audience seemed to say, “You should not be here.”
“Chris Brown twice? I don’t get it. He beat on a girl … Not cool that we act like that didn’t happen,” tweeted country music star Miranda Lambert.
The producers were also criticized for giving the singer two performance slots as the academy struggled with how to pay tribute to pop titan Whitney Houston, who passed away on the eve of the telecast. “Congrats to Chris Brown!,” wrote a reader in response to The Times coverage of his win. “Proving that even if you’re a worthless human being who savagely beats women you can still be granted fame, fortune and professional accolades! Well done sir!”
Recording Academy President Neil Portnow defended the decision of booking Brown, remarking that evaluating artists on their personal lives is a “slippery slope that we wouldn’t want to get into.” “What he did was a personal thing — it had nothing to do with his career,” he said.
Grammy Awards executive producer Ken Ehrlich went on to say, “We’re glad to have him back. I think people deserve a second chance, you know. If you’ll note, he has not been on the Grammys for the past few years and it may have taken us a while to kind of get over the fact that we were the victim of what happened.”
As the blow back intensifies this week with the release of the singles (Brown can now be heard serenading her with, “Girl, I wanna … you right now, Been a long time I been missin’ your body” on “Birthday Cake”), the big question becomes whether people can forgive Brown if Rihanna has.
If the Grammys were any indication of the general consensus about Brown, the answer is a resounding no. But other artists such as James Brown, Ozzy Osbourne, Creed frontman Scott Stapp and Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee have been arrested on domestic abuse charges and the general public seems to have forgotten or at least forgiven.
So why is there still such a reaction to Chris Brown? What makes him any different from the laundry list of celebs that have rap sheets, yet continue to find success? The performer has remained compliant with the terms of his probation, and pleaded his case on the talk show circuit following his arrest.
But his subsequent missteps — including Twitter rants, a violent meltdown backstage at “Good Morning America” and the leak of a nude photo — certainly didn’t help his case. Plus, his happy-go-lucky demeanor that had served him so well as an RB/pop heartthrob drew criticism from former fans who felt he wasn’t remorseful enough.
Last weekend Brown tried to convey those very sentiments — why me? — on Twitter. He said he found it “strange how we pick and choose who to hate! Let me ask u this. Our society is full or rappers (which I listen to) who have sold drugs (poisoning)” … “but yet we glorify them and imitate everything they do. Then right before the worlds eyes a man shows how he can make a Big mistake and Learn from it, but still has to deal with day to day hatred.”
Fans of Rihanna expressed disappointment when the pair began to follow each other on Twitter last year, and when she made a request (also last year) to reduce a restraining order against Brown to Level1, meaning the two can have contact, provided Brown doesn’t “harass, annoy or molest” her.
Rihanna defended the decision, telling Rolling Stone: “I just didn’t want to make it more difficult for him professionally. What he did was a personal thing — it had nothing to do with his career. Saying he has to be a hundred feet away from me, he can’t perform at awards shows — that definitely made it difficult for him.”
Harvard psychiatrist Dr. John Sharp, who appears on “Celebrity Rehab,” thinks the two can have a successful reunion. However, because they are in the public eye, they should address why they believe it’s healthy to have contact again. “You have to be very careful. There’s not a lot of good statistics … [The singles and their public communication are] going to draw a lot of attention, but it’s not going to answer a lot of questions,” Sharp said. “In this case, their business has been in the public eye and if they are going to get together for music, or whatever, they have to say something about it to make it clear.”
When Billboard drafted open letters to the singers expressing concern, Rihanna dismissed them both on Twitter when she wrote she was, “Chiefin’ while ppl spend hrs on letters.” She paired the tweet with a “kanyeshrug” and an expletive.
It’s an about-face from when she sat down with Diane Sawyer in 2009 and addressed why she reconciled with Brown briefly after his arrest. “When I realized that my selfish decision for love could result in some young girl getting killed, I could not be easy with that part,” said the singer. “I couldn’t be held responsible for telling them ‘Go back.’ Even if Chris never hit me again, who’s to say that their boyfriend won’t?”
Now in “Birthday Cake,” she purrs, “Remember how you did it, if you still wanna kiss it, then come and get it.” On Brown’s track, she sings, “I love you, baby.”
“What’s the fundamental motivation?” Sharp asks of the songs. “Is it designed to be the best musical collaboration, or is it two people who have not made these necessary changes together? We just don’t know. The good news is sometimes when you have a couple that’s in the spotlight like this they can be a little more accountable. Maybe this could work to their advantage. You could hope. It’s dangerous. But accomplishable.”
gerrick.kennedy@latimes.com
Article source: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/music/la-et-brown-rihanna-story-20120222,0,5932773.story
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Twitter adds another wave to the small business marketing ocean
February 22, 2012 by admin
Filed under Twitter News
Let’s not forget that Facebook launched something very similar in September of last year, again specifically targeting the small business market. The thinking behind this is simple: there are only so many companies around the world that can pay the tens of thousands of dollars that it usually costs to advertise effectively on Facebook and Twitter. Rather than limit themselves to a very narrow market of advertisers, both companies have scaled down their ad platforms and made them more user friendly, targeted and cheaper. This allows them to reach the tens of millions of small businesses that are looking for ways to drive customers to its site and its doors.
Small businesses will soon be able to use promoted tweets, or advertisements sourced directly into a potential customer’s Twitter stream, to drive awareness and traffic to a certain site, page or offer. And like Facebook, Twitter uses a cost per click model that only charges when someone actually takes action on your ad, be it retweeting, responding, or clicking on the link. Twitter is also partnering with American Express, offering $100 in free advertising credits to the first 10,000 eligible businesses to sign up with an Amex account. How popular is Twitter you might ask? The site was set to surpass 500 million users as of today. That’s a very large pool of potential customers, regardless of the business.
So what does this mean for small businesses? Basically, things just got a little bit more complicated for you as a small business owner. It’s now possible to be hosting ads or spending money and time on a number of social platforms – including Google AdWords, Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, Groupon or any number of online review, group buying or location based social sites. The online advertising landscape has become a ferocious ocean that’s difficult to navigate and even more difficult to fish successfully in. Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and every other social platform are ultimately going to rely heavily on the millions of small businesses around the world for advertising dollars and traffic. While they may not spend tens of thousands of dollars on one campaign, as a group it far outnumbers the Fortune 500 that can. With enough volume, small business owners represent a huge opportunity for social networks to build their own businesses on.
Despite Twitter’s emergence in the space, the important lessons for small businesses owners when it comes to advertising spend hasn’t changed. Ultimately it’s going to come down to how each one of these advertising options can potentially impact your specific business, drive revenue and customers online. If you find that any of these social ad platforms can’t, won’t, or aren’t performing the way you had hoped, put those hard earned dollars into something that will. And as always focus is key. Putting your eggs into many different baskets without clear line of sight into what’s coming in versus what’s going out will never make for an effective marketing program. As more and more options pop up, don’t feel like you have to use all of them, or even one of them. Do some homework and even dedicate a small spend to testing each out before making a big investment.
What do you think, is Twitter a platform you as a small business would use? Or is it just another social network that your customers aren’t using yet, and isn’t worth the advertising investment?
Article source: http://www.boston.com/business/specials/small_business_blog/2012/02/twitter_adds_another_wave_to_small_business.html
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Twitter Tweaks iOS App, Adds Ice Cream Sandwich and Other Android-esqe Devices
February 22, 2012 by admin
Filed under Twitter News
Maybe this is Twitter’s way of acknowledging the heat that its feeling from competitor clients with all their fabulous features. Maybe Twitter is returning to its own feature-rich roots. Either way, The latest Twitter updates to iOS devices, plus additions of other Android devices is sure to get people to refresh their app update screen.
Both regular Android and iOS devices get the ability to swipe on tweets to reveal additional options like reply to, retweet, favorite or share it, or view the Twitter user’s profile, without leaving your timeline. Additionally, a simple, yet recently relevant change is now Twitter does a better job of letting you know that it will be uploading (not just scanning) your contact information to help you suggest other users to interact with.
iOS specific updates include more sharing options when you touch and hold links in tweets, more control over your DM’s and fonts, and brings back copy/paste tweet functionality. Twitter adds ICS-compatible Android devices as well as the Amazon Kindle Fire and Barnes Noble NOOK tablets into the mix that take advantage of the various screen resolutions.
If you prefer official apps versus 3rd-party ones, check out the latest Twitter version and let us know what you think in the comments section.
Article source: http://appscout.pcmag.com/apple-ios-iphone-ipad-ipod/294395-twitter-tweaks-ios-app-adds-ice-cream-sandwich-and-other-android-esqe-devices
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Facebook readying new premium ads?
February 22, 2012 by admin
Filed under Facebook News
Leaked document shows ad upgrade presentation apparently targeting the friends of advertisers’ fans.
A snapshot of the leaked advertiser materials.
(Credit:
GigaOm)
Facebook is expected to launch an upgrade next week to its premium ads program that will target the friends of advertisers’ fans.
The new ads, which will launch February 29, will be created from content posted organically to pages, according to a purportedly leaked document (see below) obtained by GigaOm.
“Anything you can post to on your page, you can turn into an ad,” the document says. “Upgraded ads can be targeted to anyone you want.”
When the users seeing the ad are friends with fans of the page, Facebook will automatically expand the ad and provide social context about the friends. The ads will also feature an expanded interface allowing fans to comment on the post directly from the ad.
The social network promises advertisers that the new ads will be in a larger format, boosting engagement by 40 percent and increasing retention by 80 percent. Fan rates are also expected to increase 16 percent, as well as purchase intent, according to the documents, which appear to be a presentation prepared for Facebook advertisers.
The new premium ad types can feature a photo, video, question, status, event, or link. They will replace “classic” ad options such as Premium Like (Photo and Video), Pemium Event, Video Comment, and Premium Poll (Photo and Video), which will be phased out on February 29. Marketplace ads on the right column will not be affected.
Facebook representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Article source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57382395-93/facebook-readying-new-premium-ads/
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