Facebook Confirms Launch Event; Will It Be 'Awesome'?

Mark Hachman - PC Magazine

Facebook has scheduled an event for next Wednesday, most likely the "awesome" launch that chief executive Mark Zuckerberg tipped earlier.

"Please join us for an event at Facebook," the invitation reads, together with an icon that appears to be somewhat of a cross between Facebook Messages and Facebook Groups. The event is scheduled for 10 AM on Wednesday, July 6.

On Thursday, chief executive Mark Zuckerberg told reporters in the company's Seattle office that Facebook would "launch something awesome" next week. The project originated from the Seattle office, he said.

Speculation has grown that Facebook's announcement may be a tablet app, including an iPad app, or a photo-sharing app for the iPhone. A Facebook app for the HP TouchPad debuted Friday. Although designed by HP, not Facebook, PCMag.com ranked it 3.5 stars out of 5.

"And what a Facebook app it is. Using the TouchPad's large 9.7-inch display to full effect, this is the most highly interactive version of Facebook we've ever seen," Alex Colon wrote. "It's still missing some major features like Chat and Groups, and takes some getting used to, but it'll more than do the trick to scratch your social networking itch.

More importantly, the launch or announcement may be an opportunity to quiz Facebook executives about Google+ and the way Google approached social networking. One of the best things about Google+ - or the dumbest, depending on who you ask - is Circles, Google's way to separate the user's social life into different buckets, depending on the user's preference. Interestingly, Monster.com announced a similar capability this week with BeKnown, which separates one's career and business contacts from family and friends via a Facebook app.

Mobile Facebook apps and phones have also surfaced in the past few days.

AT&T and HTC announced the first Facebook phone for the U.S., the HTC Status, on Wednesday, but social networkers in four other countries have had a Facebook phone for a while: the INQ Cloud Touch, which isn't coming to the U.S. PCMag.com spent some time with the phone for a hands-on of the INQ Cloud Touch.