Tavis J. Hampton


Latest from Tavis J. Hampton

Facebook’s ‘Safety Check’ lets families stay connected during disasters

Facebook, Inc. announced a new service Wednesday that sends users a notification during a disaster to check if they are safe. Their friends and family are then notified that they are alive and well. The Safety Check tool is activated automatically during disasters. The idea for Safety Check focuses around the fact that families, friends ...

Facebook introduces stickers to timeline comments

Facebook, Inc. is now rolling out stickers for users’ timelines. The feature was previously only available in the messaging section and Facebook Messenger app. Timeline post, group post and event post comments will now allow for the large-format post-emoticon age stickers. A good portion of the stickers are what many would consider “cute” and “cheerful”, ...

Don’t let the machines takeover: The 5 basics of smart home security

For many, having a smart home might still seem more like science fiction than reality, but the market for smart homes is expected to grow tremendously over the next six years. “There is a big difference between the Internet of Things and other security issues,” warned Joshua Corman of I Am The Cavalry, a group ...

Teens share Instagram photos to Twitter, not Facebook

Piper Jaffray & Co. has released its semi-annual “Taking Stock With Teens” survey, and the results suggest that teens are leaving Facebook in favor of a Twitter + Instagram combination. An infographic, released as part of the survey report, shows that Instagram tops the list of social networking sites for teens with Twitter second and ...

An anonymous Facebook experience, coming soon to your smartphone

Facebook, Inc. recently revealed its plans to create a new mobile social app that allows users to interact anonymously with their friends. It will be a standalone mobile application that will connect users to their contacts but allow them to use pseudonyms to preserve their anonymity. Facebook’s app will follow the same trend started by ...

Facebook completes Whatsapp acquisition

Facebook, Inc. has completed its $22 billion acquisition of Whatsapp, Inc., according to a report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The two companies agreed to a deal in February of 2014 but needed to overcome a number of legal obstacles to complete the acquisition. Whatsapp rose to prominence in 2009 when it ...

Track Ebola’s US spread with these 5 tools

Ebola is one of the more deadly communicable diseases in the world. With today’s technology, including Big Data’s advanced analytics capabilities, there is no need to remain in the dark about Ebola and developments concerning its spread in the U.S. and around the world. What follows is a list of resources and services for tracking Ebola, ...

Hacked screenshots reveal Facebook mobile payments feature

Facebook, Inc. will allow its users to send mobile payments via Facebook Messenger, according to a report from Techcrunch. Screenshots from a video taken by Andrew Adue, a Stanford computer science student, revealed that the functionality already exists within the iOS Facebook Messenger app, but that Facebook has not yet enabled it. If one assumes ...

Facebook apologizes for controversial real-name policy

Facebook, Inc. apologized yesterday for its real-name policy that offended transgender and drag queen users who were unable to use gender-bending names in their profiles. Facebook product chief Chris Cox posted a status update that reflected his remorse over offending members of the LGBT community and their supports and also clarified the company’s stance on ...

4.4 Billion still without Internet access, Facebook report shows why

For many people, Internet access is now essential. It is as common as electricity or even access to water. But for 4.4 billion people in the world, the Internet does not exist. A new study by McKinsey & Company, Inc. in collaboration with Facebook, Inc. points to a number of barriers that prevent this large ...