Editor’s Note: Related tickers: Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB)
Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) had a big day in the options pits on Friday; call volume totaled nearly 224,000 contracts (twice what is typically seen on an average trading day), while put volume was three times the normal level, at 176,000 contracts. Much of the activity (specifically, 85,000 of each option type) was the result of a large-scale, long-term collar strategy, executed by a trader who has a cautiously bullish outlook for the next 17 months. …It’s notable that Friday’s massive long-term trade crossed the tape ahead of the stock’s earnings report after Wednesday’s close. Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) has reported earnings four times since debuting for public trading.
Facebook reaches 100 mn basic feature phone users (LiveMint)
Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) said on Monday that 100 million people access the social media service globally from basic feature phones, helping the company make inroads into developing markets such as India, Indonesia and the Philippines. Facebook has about 1.1 billion users globally. The “Facebook for every phone” application offers popular features such as news feed, messenger and photos even on phones that come with a colour screen, standard Internet connection and a camera, as opposed to smartphones. The free app is optimized to consume less data than other applications and mobile websites, making it more affordable to try and use, said Ran Makavy, growth manager at Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB), in a post in Facebook newsroom.
A Facebook Member’s Dream — No Advertising (247WallSt)
No less a person than Biz Stone, a founder of Twitter, suggested that one of the ways to revive faltering Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) is to offer an advertising-free version for members. Of course, Facebook must get something out of it. Stone suggests that members pay for the privilege of this ad-less environment. The irony of Stone’s suggestion is that Twitter has had trouble finding its own advertising model. Marketers have not warmed to buying little ad tweets in among the real ones posted by users. Ads often open these marketers to public ridicule, if Twitter users are unhappy with them. A bank may find Twitter members who do not like its ads accusing it of lending money to old ladies at usurious rates.
Facebook board game encourages players to stop using the internet (Polygon)
A Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB)-based board game from graphic designer Pat C. Klein encourages players to get off their computers and meet with friends in real life. According to Klein’s website, Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB): The Board Game was created “to persuade people to stop using the internet forever.” “As a young person living in the digital age, I feel as though the internet is affecting our ability to communicate with one another,” Klein wrote on his site. “Research done by Stanford University has indicated that social networking sites like Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) can increase loneliness, depression and insecurity.
