Category: News

Google recently launched Google Keep, a mobile to-do list app for Android, which lets you keep notes, lists, pictures and voice notes. Today, the company announced the launch of a new Chrome app.

“The Google Keep Chrome app launches in its own window, so you can create notes, cross out your to-do lists, and attach photos to tasks while you work on other things,” says Google software engineer Eddy Mead in a blog post. “And if you don’t have an internet connection, don’t fret: the Chrome app works offline because we all know that ideas (big and small) can be sparked at any time.”

You can find the app in the Chrome Web Store here.

In semi-related news, rival Yahoo just acquired Astrid, another to-do list app, so don’t be surprised to see Yahoo launch its own Google Keep competitor in the near future.

Instagram is borrowing another feature from Facebook today, as they are rolling out true people tagging for both iOS and Android.

With the updated apps, you’ll be able to add people to photos for the first time. All you have to do is snap your picture, apply your favorite filter, and in the publishing phase of the process you’ll see a new “Add People” button. From there, you can tag friends, businesses, or anyone and anything with a username.

Of course, you’ve always been able to tag people on Instagram. But before, the tagging system worked a lot like Twitter – you could @ mention users but that’s about it. There was really no way of telling whether the photo’s @ mention was simply there to direct the user to it, or if it meant that user was actually in the photo.

“Photos are memories of the people, places and moments that mean the most to us. We have always sought to give you simple and expressive ways to bring the stories behind your photos to life. Your captions and hashtags capture the ‘what?’ and your Photo Map answers the ‘where?’ but until today we’ve never quite been able to answer the ‘who?’” says Instagram.

All of the photos you’re tagged in will now appear in a new profile section called “Photos of You.” The new feature will have all the same privacy settings of Facebook photos – mainly you’ll be able to control whether or not any tagged photo appears in your Photos of You section. You can adjust your settings to make sure you have to approve every tagged photo before it pops up for everyone to see.

Instagram is giving users until May 16th to familiarize themselves with the tagging feature before everyone’s Photos of You sections go public.

This new feature comes in version 3.5 on both iOS and Android. This update also adds a “report a problem” button to the app and also puts your privacy settings accesible on your profile screen.

Former Giants linebacker Michael Boley reportedly turned himself in to Alabama police back in February after a child abuse investigation stemming from a 2011 incident.

Boley’s 5-year old son was at the center of the investigation, which was allegedly due to physical abuse and not of a sexual nature. Boley pleaded guilty to the abuse as part of a plea deal, and has said that the allegations came from the child’s mother, who filed a lawsuit against him for child support payments. In 2008, he was arrested on charges of domestic violence after his ex-wife claimed he beat her, and though the case was never pursued by prosecutors, Boley was suspended for the first game of the 2009 season with the Giants due to a violation of the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy.

Part of the plea deal terms state that Boley must complete a diversion program in order for the charges to be dropped, which is rep says he will comply with. However, there’s been no comment on whether or not the Giants cut him from the team because of his legal issues or for another reason. He is currently a free agent.

Microsoft has been actively migrating customers from Hotmail to its Outlook.com service over the past six weeks. That migration ends today, as Microsoft announces completion of, not only the big move, but also that the company now has instant success from the latest web-based email offering.

“When Outlook.com came out of preview, it was already the fastest growing email service thanks to your support. The last two months have seen the release of a new, modern Outlook.com calendar, a refreshed Outlook.com app for Android devices, two-factor authentication for your account, new international domains for people around the world, and the release of a preview of Skype calling in Outlook.com” boasts Microsoft’s Dick Craddock.

The company does not stop there, though. It also boasts that Outlook online now hosts more than 400 million users, though this is due, in part, to wayward Hotmail customers who had no choice in this matter. Give Microsoft credit though, as the company managed to pull off a migration of 150 petabytes of data in just a six week period.

With the migration complete, Craddock promises that attention turns to new features. Plans include the removal of the “on behalf of” that appeared when a customer sent a message using a switched account such as Gmail. Microsoft also plans deep SkyDrive integration, allowing users to directly inset files and images from the cloud storage service.

Microsoft launched Outlook.com using a brand name that has been long known to both consumers and business customers and, at the same time, killed off another major service. So far, the company seems to be pulling this off, but tomorrow is a new day.

Photo Credit: Fer Gregory/Shutterstock

New York-based private equity firm Lightyear Capital has emerged as the lead bidder to buy SunTrust Banks Inc’s RidgeWorth Investments asset management unit, three sources familiar with the situation told Reuters this week, Reuters is reporting.

(Reuters) – New York-based private equity firm Lightyear Capital has emerged as the lead bidder to buy SunTrust Banks Inc’s RidgeWorth Investments asset management unit, three sources familiar with the situation told Reuters this week.

SunTrust also received bids from two other private equity firms: New York-based Crestview Partners and Chicago-based Thoma Bravo LLC, said two of the sources, who declined to be identified because they are not authorized to talk to the media.

Lightyear is likely to pay between $250 million to $300 million for RidgeWorth, one of the sources said. RidgeWorth and its boutiques managed approximately $50.4 billion in assets as of March 31, according to the firm’s website.

A spokesman for Atlanta-based SunTrust declined to comment. A Lightyear spokesman did not return a request for comment.

For SunTrust a sale of RidgeWorth would mark the end of a process that has been on and off for the past three years.

SunTrust first tried to sell its asset management business, which includes six managers and its own RidgeWorth Funds, to Henderson Group Plc (HGGH.L) in 2010, but those talks fell apart. At that time the purchase price was estimated at $300 million to $400 million, according to media reports.

Earlier this year, SunTrust provided a handful of private equity firms with updated information about mandates that RidgeWorth had won from institutional investors, in hopes of selling RidgeWorth, the sources said.

SunTrust, which suffered large losses during the financial crisis, was one of the few large U.S. banks whose capital plans such as raising dividends and initiating stock buybacks were rejected by the Federal Reserve Board last year in its stress-test reviews.

The post Lightyear Capital is Lead Bidder for SunTrust’s RidgeWorth: Sources appeared first on peHUB.

14 percent of all broadband households owned an Apple TV, a Roku box or another kind of dedicated streaming device in 2012, but 25 percent owned a smart TV with an embedded app platform, according to the Diffusion Group’s latest Defining the In-Home CE and Network Ecosystem 2013 report.

The ownership of Smart TVs has roughly doubled over the last year, with 25 percent of broadband households owning at least one Smart TV, compared to 12 percent in 2011. Dedicated streaming devices on the other hand grew slower, inching up from 12 percent in 2011 to 14 percent in 2012.

Of course, one should note that owning a device isn’t the same as using it. Only 69 percent of Smart TVs are connected to the internet, according to the report, whereas one should assume that most streaming boxes are connected (safe for the ones used as paperweights).

The most popular device for internet video remains the game console, with 62 percent of broadband households now owning a next-generation game console such as the Sony PS3 or the Microsoft Xbox 360. Almost a fourth of the time spent with these consoles is spent on online video viewing.

Altogether, 56 percent of broadband households now have at least one TV connected to the Internet.

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Soon after its IPO, Zynga’s share price spiked above $15 in early 2012. Very little has gone right since then. Just last month, Zynga issued yet another warning and its share price now hovers just above $3. On Thursday, Zynga’s latest flagship game, Draw Something 2, dropped out of iPhone’s top-10 paid app chart after having spent only six days there. The original Draw Something spent nearly three months on the iPhone’s top-10 chart in early 2012.

Continue reading…

Twitter has released Twitter for iOS 5.6 and Twitter for Android 4.0.2, minor updates to its official apps for iPhone/iPad and Android mobile users. Both apps extend support for trend filtering by location to the mobile platform, the feature is already present in the web-based app.

Other changes to the iOS build include improved playback of Vine video, and the addition of an option to invite other people to join Twitter from within the app. Android users also gain enhancements to the menu button.

The option for switching between tailored and location-based trends is accessed from the Discover tab on the iPhone, iPod touch or Android phone — tap Trends, scroll down and the new “Change location” option will appear at the bottom (Android users will also need to tap the menu button). Tapping this then allows users to first select a country and then a city or town. At the present time, only major cities are featured.

Version 5.6 for iOS also follows the recent Vine app update in improving the playback performance of Vine videos. It also changes the way replies to retweets are handled – now both the original tweeter and the person retweeting are included by default when replying. Finally, users can now invite other people to join Twitter from directly within the app itself.

Android users gain improvements to the menu button, tapping this now adds options for switching accounts and accessing the settings screen. Both mobile app updates are rounded off with the usual raft of non-specified bug fixes and performance improvements.

The new mobile apps follow hot on the heels of Twitter for Mac 2.2, a surprise update that added Retina display support, a new camera icon to the redesigned Tweet compose box for easy sharing of photos and support for 14 new languages, including French, Chinese, Spanish and German.

Twitter for iOS 5.6 is a free download for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.Twitter for Android 4.0.2 requires Android 2.1/2.2/2.3 or 4.1, and is also compatible with Kindle Fire and B&N Nooks. Twitter for Mac 2.2 requires OS 10.6.8 or later.

Netflix reported another great quarter last month, with big subscriber and stock growth. It’s hard to believe it was just two years ago that the company and its CEO were widely ridiculed — and even subject to a Saturday Night Live parody.

Certainly much credit is due to adding new tricks to its tool kit by creating new content like House of Cards, a programming success that’s highlighted how it is using its analytic power to find news ways to satisfy customers.

I’ve written three HBR posts on Netflix since its difficult 2011. All were bullish on its future. I had many left-brain reasons why to be bullish — the quantified upside of digital streaming, its leadership, distribution and analytics advantages, etc. But I think there was emotional ‘data’ that I’ve acquired as a 10 year subscriber that stitches all the rational reasons together and amplifies them.

Put simply, Netflix is a generous company. And generosity can be a highly effective growth strategy.

Most business is viewed as zero sum when it comes to competition — and too often when it comes to consumers. But Nordstrom’s generous return policy and customer service has been highly effective. Costco is well known for its veritable free lunch buffet with its samples. Gillette gives away free razors to teenagers for their first shave. How about even “discount brands” like Southwest and its bags-fly-free campaign?

Here’s the singular theme that is common across these brands. They are all great products and experiences. And they know that giving you a little taste of something great will have you coming back for a lot more — at full price.

A more left brain way of articulating this is Value = Benefits/Price. When consumers see benefits exceed price for something they want, they sign up. The trick is to find Benefits people want and deliver them in a way that Costs less than the Price you charge. Said another way, generosity can help you grow when Value = Benefits > Price > Costs

There are several ways to make benefits > price > costs and profitably grow.

• Offering things that make consumers feel great with low cost. Commerce Bank (now TD Bank) found free coin changing machines drove new accounts. Consumers felt it meant the bank wouldn’t nickel and dime them.
• Seeing giveaways as high impact, low cost marketing. A sampling study from Knowledge Networks PDI noted that sampling programs (the kind used at Costco) drove a 475% sales lift on the day of the event.
• Offering benefits in exchange for strategic information. Most free warranty programs are there to gather detailed consumer information for customer relationship management purposes.
• Betting on life time value. A single transaction might be a loss leader, but generosity has a big impact on loyalty and lifetime value. It’s why Gillette samples at the age of 18 and not 38.

All of these generosity strategies are at play in Netflix’s strategy and execution with House of Cards.

• Releasing all 13 episodes at once didn’t increase the total production cost, but made Netflix binge viewers very happy.
• This generated a ton of positive PR buzz and goodwill among consumers. As CEO Reed Hastings noted, the big bang of releasing all 13 episodes at once “reinforced our brand attribute of giving customers complete control over how and when they enjoy entertainment.”
• It was a great way to to quantify the emerging demand of binge watching — something that Netflix’s competition on regular TV can’t easily accommodate.
• It drove far more new subscribers with lots of goodwill vs. people trying to cheat the system. Netflix has always offered consumers a free one-month trial of its service, and one of the main concerns of Wall Street was people would take advantage of the free trial month, watch all 13 episodes of House of Cards, then quit. Netflix said that fewer than 8,000 actually did this, or about 0.6% out of the 1.3 million people who signed on for the free trial in January. Consumers tend to respond in kind when they are treated generously and with respect for something they value.

But it’s not just tactics, but also how generosity flows throughout the Netflix brand and business model. Last quarter Netflix said that its subscribers watched 4 billion hours of TV across a total subscriber base of 36 million. Per Nielsen, the average person watches 34 hours of TV per week. That means Netflix subscribers watch about 15 billion hours in a quarter. The latest numbers suggest Netflix accounted for approximately one quarter of total TV viewing for its subscribers. But at $7.99 per month, Netflix only charges 10% of the cost of the average cable bill, which is around $80.

If some skepticism remains about generosity as a growth strategy, then consider the alternative…stinginess as a growth strategy. Does that ever work in the long-run? How does it work in the social era, where singular acts of generosity or stinginess spread like a virus? If Twitter is the TMZ for corporate behavior — good and bad — might generosity be the only viable choice in a digitally connected world?

The etymological root of generosity is the same as genesis, genius, and generate. Generous companies appear to be proud of what they make. Panera is another example of a generous company. Panera knows that putting their great food in people’s mouths–and letting those same people talk it up to others–is the best marketing for them. That’s why Panera’s donations-only café are breaking even on average. Panera estimates ~60% of customers pay the suggested donation, 20% pay less (or nothing) and 20% pay more. And Panera knows that generosity is highly empowering for employees, and leads to wonderful stories (and PR).

Reed Hastings recently expressed it this way in the New York Times, as he realized the 2011 was a mistake from the thousands of emails that poured in from angry customers. “I realized, if our business is about making people happy, which it is, then I had made a mistake. The public shame didn’t bother me. It was the private shame of having made a big mistake and hurt people’s real love for Netflix that felt awful.”

Most CEOs don’t talk about love very often. But by giving consumers benefits that feel generous, Netflix and other companies are creating an effective way to grow.

If you are a BlackBerry 7.0 customer and you haven’t already updated your software to BlackBerry 7.1 OS, now is definitely a good time to do so. For a limited time, when you update from BlackBerry 7.0 to BlackBerry 7.1 OS, you’ll get access to download select premium apps for free*.

On top of that, you’ll find new built-in features in BlackBerry 7.1 that are not in BlackBerry 7.0 OS including: Mobile Hotspot, FM radio, BlackBerry Tag and WiFi calling**.

The update is available in select countries on these BlackBerry smartphone models:

• BlackBerry Curve 9360, 9380
• BlackBerry Bold 9790, 9900
• BlackBerry Torch 9810, 9860,
• Porsche Design P’9981

Have a look at the list of amazing apps that are included in this promotion:

• EA SPORTS FIFA 13-Electronic Arts
• The Sims 3TM Supernatural-Electronic Arts
• BeWeather-Bellshare GmbH
• Screen Muncher™-Motek Mobile
• Color ID FREE-Motek Mobile
• InstaPhoto-Smarter Apps
• DriveSafely Pro-iSpeech
• N.O.V.A for BBM-Gameloft
• UNO and Friends-Gameloft
• Photo Studio PRO-KVADGroup

To learn how to update your device visit: www.blackberry.com/update. And check out these tips for updating from my friend Ty over at the Inside BlackBerry Help blog. This limited time offer runs until June 30th, 2013

* Free downloads available until June 30, 2013. Available only in France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom for BlackBerry 9360, 9380, 9790, 9810, 9860, 9900 and 9981 devices running BlackBerry OS 7.1. Data charges may apply to use certain features or to download content and applications over the wireless network. User is responsible for all data charges. Please check with your service provider for availability, costs and restrictions. Offer may change without notice. Void where prohibited.
**Features not available in all countries or with all carriers. Check with your service provider for availability, costs and restrictions.

As if Google Glass wasn’t enough, Google decided they want to take over your wrist too, filing patents for a new smartwatch with some features similar to Glass. This is definitely not the first Android-powered watch, or even the first watch design from Google, but it does seem to be at least very different from its competitors. Combining what appears to be two touchpads on either side of the watch’s face will allow for gesture-based control such as “pinch, stretch and scroll on a platform with limited space available for user input” not unlike Glass. However, with any luck the watch will not be voice-controlled.

Speculation aside, 2013 is looking to be a good year for Android-powered watches with Samsung also working on a watch of their own. Check back with us for more information on these projects as we get it.

Source: USPTO

 

 

Come comment on this article: Patent filed for Google smartwatch with touchpad functions similar to Glass

We’ve been busy updating our social media apps for BlackBerry OS 5 and higher. Now, Twitter users can share in the excitement because today we’ve issued the update for Twitter v4.1! As someone who pretty much lives on Twitter, I couldn’t be more excited to pass along these new features to you.

New Features for Twitter v4.1:

• More tools to discover friends, content and stay connected to your social networks.
• Easier to sign up –signing up is easier than ever with pre-populated the name and email fields from your BlackBerry ID (BBID) credentials. All you have to do is enter a new password – it’s that simple.
• Enhanced Profile – Enjoy an enriched Profile experience that has been redesigned with a swipeable banner of your bio.
• Better notification support – The option to activate notifications for Retweets, Favorited tweets and new followers, means you’re fully in control of your Twittersphere.

If you’re using a BlackBerry OS 5smarpthone or higher, be sure to download the latest version of Twitter and let us know what you think in the comments below.

Please note that it can take up to 24 hours for the new app version to appear in BlackBerry World.

I’ve seen a lot of crazy things happen while on the road course, however what you’re about to witness trumps most of them. You see most drivers are at least aware of what type of transmission is in their car before they drive it at high speed. This guy though… this guys got no clue.

Scary stuff.

Source: Youtube.com via Jalopnik

Last month HTC released their financial results for the first quarter of 2013 and the numbers were unpleasant reading. In a recent conference call, HTC sought to put some context to the numbers for the benefit of investors and analysts. CEO Peter Chou acknowledged the problems supply chain delays had caused for HTC and the release of the HTC One. Nevertheless, he believes HTC ultimately had a successful launch of the HTC One and looks forward to sales of about 10 million units during 2013. Most of that will take place during the final three quarters of the year as analysts from CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets project only 750,000 units were sold during the first quarter. For comparison, Samsung is projected to to sell 60 million Galaxy S 4 units.

While HTC maintained profitability during the first quarter, the margin was not very large as revenues slid to NT$42.8 billion ($1.45B USD). However, with sales of the HTC One in full swing, those numbers are expected to rebound to the NT$70 billion ($2.37B USD) range during the second quarter.

It appears many people think HTC has turned things around. Both HSBC and Daiwa upgraded their ratings on HTC, partly due to all of the positive reviews of the HTC One. Investors seem to agree as the stock price has been rising ever since release of the flagship device. Analysts also point to the recent partnership with Facebook to bring the HTC First to market as a positive step for HTC. Although the HTC First is more of a marketing move for the company, it is evidence the company is taking several small but sure steps as it regains its footing.

What do you think – has HTC turned the corner?

source: CNET

Come comment on this article: HTC adds context to first quarter financial numbers

MediaTek is best know for producing inexpensive, quality processors for cheaper smartphones, and they’ve just announced another chip to their lineup. The MT6572 system-on-a-chip is a next-generation processor for entry level phones, many of which will likely be Android devices. It’s based on a 28nm dual-core A7 CPU and boasts clock speeds up to 1.2 GHz, and can handle up to 720p video playback, along with support for 5 megapixel cameras and 540 by 960 screens. As for connectivity, it has integrated HSPA+/TD-SCDMA radios.

Nothing ground breaking here, but it’s going to be a solid chip for upcoming entry level phones. Hit the break for the press release.

Come comment on this article: MediaTek announces dual-core MT6572 SoC for entry level smartphones

San Jose State University, one of the biggest academic supporters of the growing MOOC (massive open online course) movement, apparently has some vocal dissenters in its ranks.

In the past year, the university has welcomed MOOC providers like edX and Udacity with open arms — in addition to launching a first-of-its kind program with Udacity to award college credit for courses taken on its platform. The school has a growing partnership with edX and plans to create a dedicated resource center for California State University faculty statewide who are interested in online content.

But discord seems to brewing among some faculty.  This week, professors in the Philosophy department said they refuse to teach an edX course on “justice” developed by a Harvard University professor, arguing that MOOCs come at “great peril” to their university.

In an open letter (first published by the Chronicle of Higher Education) to the Harvard professor behind the course, the San Jose State faculty members argued that while they believe that technology can be used to improve education (by enabling instructors to record lectures so students can replay them, for example), they believe MOOCs could “replace professors, dismantle departments, and provide a diminished education for students in public universities.”

Will MOOCs lead to two classes of universities?

Not only do they worry about a future in which fewer perspectives are offered by universities (“the thought of the exact same social justice course being taught in various philosophy departments across the country is downright scary — something out of a dystopian novel,” they say), the professors argue that the MOOC model will lead to two classes of universities.

“One, well-funded colleges and universities in which privileged students get their own real professor; the other, financially stressed private and public universities in which students watch a bunch of video-taped lectures and interact, if indeed any interaction is available on their home campuses, with a professor that this model of education has turned into a glorified teaching assistant,” the letter says.

In the past year, MOOCs have picked up considerable momentum – Coursera, for example, says more than 3 million students have enrolled in a course and 62 top universities from around the world have signed on as partners. And they’re starting to show their effectiveness in blended learning classrooms. In a pilot program at San Jose State, a professor leading an introductory course on electrical engineering incorporated content from the edX course “Circuits and Electronics,” assigning students videos and problem sets to review outside of class. According to edX and San Jose State, the pass rate in that blended class was much higher than the pass rates in conventional classes.

More faculty members show resistance

But as MOOC providers carve out a bigger presence for themselves in higher education, university faculty members are beginning to raise compelling concerns. Last month, faculty at Amherst College voted to reject a partnership with edX, citing similar concerns about the long-term impacts of MOOCs on the U.S. university system. Namely, they argued that they would perpetuate an “information dispensing” model of teaching and lead to a centralized system of higher education that weakens middle- and lower-tier schools.

The San Jose example shows that just because university administrators are willing to embrace the MOOC format, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t deep resistance from their faculty. And, given that some believe that the MOOCs’ honeymoon period is winding down, it wouldn’t be surprising to see more examples like this emerge.

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The collective criminal justice systems of America figured out a long time ago that speeding tickets were a reliable source of revenue. At first the American driver fought back, with contested court cases and innovative new radar detectors. After a while, the police ground them down. Now nearly 95% of people accused of speeding meekly pay their tickets without seeking their day in court. Radar detectors are illegal in many of the states that ticket the most, and such enormous population centers as California, Texas, and New York make an average of $150 each off of each person they ticket. More than one in eight drivers will get a traffic citation in the next year. This economic toll fuels the entire American criminal justice enterprise.

Radar detectors have been around since the 1970s, but they reached the apex of their popularity in the 80s and 90s. Since then police departments, buttressed by compliant legislation, have installed radar detector detectors and moved to new systems like “lidar” that cannot be detected by radar detectors or jammed by ordinary methods. Lidars use laser light, instead of radio waves, to measure the speed of a moving vehicle. They can be foiled by specialized detectors or jammers. Ingeniously devised light-absorbing paints, polarized license plates covers, and banks of reactive LEDs can all defeat lidar. However, that is not a cost effective strategy when it is unknown to the driver which agencies have lidar and which have other systems.

Even if the specific speed detection system used by police is known to the driver, the legal liability citizens expose themselves to by owning a detector can cost more than a ticket. Several states have strict anti-detector laws, as radar detectors cut directly into their revenue source. There are advanced radar detector detection systems, so the police can triangulate and home in on anyone using such a device. Windshield mounting of radar detector systems is against the law in California and Minnesota, and there are many more laws besides these. Radar detectors are thoroughly discouraged by the law enforcement community of America.

Source: TopCriminalJusticeDegrees.org

Instagram plans to announce Thursday that it’s adding a new “Photos of You” feature on the app where users can see Instagram photos that they’ve been tagged in. The new feature makes sense for the company as it thinks about how to make money on the app, since users can tag both people and brands, and the photos will then display Facebook-like tags on a user’s profile screen.

In a blog post, the company described the update, which will be available on Instagram for iOS and Android:

“There will now be a Photos of You section on your profile. When someone adds you to a photo, you’ll receive a notification and the photo will appear in your Photos of You. Want to make sure you like the photo first? No problem: you can easily adjust your settings so nothing appears on your profile until you approve it. Before your Photos of You section is visible to other people, you’ll have until May 16th to play around and get used to the feature.”

Tagging someone is different than just mentioning them in a comment, so photos you’ve previously been @-mentioned on will not appear on your profile page immediately.

The focus on people and tagging your friends and favorite coffee shop is quintessentially Facebook, a company that’s always talking about people, whether it’s the launch of Facebook Home and a phone organized by “people instead of apps,” or the re-launch of News Feed with the emphasis on large photos of people.

And by being able to tag businesses, like your favorite coffee shop, in addition to your friends, the update points a clear path to Instagram setting up for advertising, which Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg hinted at on Wednesday’s earnings call.

“I’m really proud of how Instagram is going,” Zuckerberg said on the call Wednesday. “Kevin and his team made incredible progress since last april, and the Instagram community is growing even faster than the Facebook community did when it was this size.”

Zuckerberg said advertising on Instagram is “something we’re thinking about,” which wouldn’t be surprising as Instagram moves into its second year under Facebook’s ownership, a deal that was announced in April 2012, but hadn’t produced many changes to Instagram at first. However, tagging people and having a page aggregating photos of you are both very Facebook-like features, and being able to tag brands would set the company up to create brand-specific Instagram accounts and features like Facebook Pages.

For users, it’s important to note that the “Photos of You” will become visible to your followers on May 16, so you can play around with the feature until then and approve photos before they go live to others.

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