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Facebook makes code available

By Leanne Tucker
Johannesburg, 13 Dec 2007

Facebook makes code available

Facebook has announced that the architecture for its developer platform will be made available to other social networking sites, potentially dealing a huge blow to Google`s yet-to-launch OpenSocial initiative, reports CNet News.com.

Facebook senior platform manager Ami Vora posted a blog entry Wednesday with the announcement. "(We) want to share the benefits of our work by enabling other social sites to use our platform architecture as a model," Vora wrote.

"In fact, we`ll even license the Facebook Platform methods and tags to other platforms." A developer page elaborates that "the 100 000 developers currently building Facebook applications can make their applications available on other social sites, with no extra work."

FTC chief asked to recuse herself

Two privacy groups have asked the Federal Trade Commission chairman on Wednesday to recuse herself from considering Google`s purchase of DoubleClick, because of her ties to a law firm hired by the smaller firm, reports Reuters.

The Electronic Privacy Information Centre and the Centre for Digital Democracy said DoubleClick has hired the Washington law firm of Jones Day.

FTC chairman Deborah Platt Majoras was once a partner at the firm, and her husband, also an antitrust lawyer, is still a partner.

NHL fans get gaming

Technology-loving hockey fans are now able to start downloading hockey games through Apple`s iTunes, reports Canada.com.

The Internet music store began selling NHL games on their Canadian Web site Wednesday, along with a collection of comedy, drama and reality television programming.

"Offering NHL games through iTunes is another way we are serving our fans, who by nature tend to be tech-savvy and early adapters," an NHL representative said in an e-mail Wednesday.

MS pulls offer

Microsoft has withdrawn an offer for free copies of Windows Vista Ultimate and Office 2007 in exchange for consumers agreeing to install monitoring software, saying it had exhausted the supply of software, reports ComputerWorld.

Until mid-afternoon Tuesday, the company`s Windows Feedback Program was handing out copies of Vista Ultimate, Office Ultimate 2007 and other software to users who agreed to complete regular surveys and to install a program that tracked Windows and Office use for three months. The programme transmitted the information to Microsoft`s servers daily.

Under a section titled: "What about the free product?" the program`s Web site spelled out the freebie. "If you are a Windows Vista or Windows XP user and decide to join and participate in both programs, we will send you a free Microsoft product when you participate in the program.