These thirty applications for Facebook should be enough to
keep you engaged on the social network for hours, and many make it more useful
than ever.
1. Band Profile
www.facebook.com/appcenter/rn_my_band
If you've got a band and you've realized that maybe, just maybe, you'd be better off promoting yourself somewhere other than Myspace, then you should look into Band Profile. This app lets you put a music player with your songs on your profile or fan page. More than 2.2 million Facebook users already use it to share their own music.
www.facebook.com/appcenter/rn_my_band
If you've got a band and you've realized that maybe, just maybe, you'd be better off promoting yourself somewhere other than Myspace, then you should look into Band Profile. This app lets you put a music player with your songs on your profile or fan page. More than 2.2 million Facebook users already use it to share their own music.
2. Causes
www.facebook.com/appcenter/causes
Want to make a difference via Facebook? This is the app for activists who want to take advantage of social networking to spread the word and raise funds for important social or political causes. Sometimes all supporters have to do to raise a few cents is watch a commercial (and take a quiz), but there's also an option to donate directly. And, of course, there are plenty of petitions to sign. Maybe yours will be the next influential one.
www.facebook.com/appcenter/causes
Want to make a difference via Facebook? This is the app for activists who want to take advantage of social networking to spread the word and raise funds for important social or political causes. Sometimes all supporters have to do to raise a few cents is watch a commercial (and take a quiz), but there's also an option to donate directly. And, of course, there are plenty of petitions to sign. Maybe yours will be the next influential one.
3. Flixster
www.facebook.com/appcenter/flixster
Why visit Flixster's website when the app lets you instantly rate movies—even if you haven't seen them yet? You can tell friends and family whether you want to see a movie or aren't interested, all from inside your Facebook community.
www.facebook.com/appcenter/flixster
Why visit Flixster's website when the app lets you instantly rate movies—even if you haven't seen them yet? You can tell friends and family whether you want to see a movie or aren't interested, all from inside your Facebook community.
4. ONErpm
www.facebook.com/ONErpmApp
Do you think Myspace is the best social network for musicians? ONErpm wants you to think again. Its service lets anyone with a fan page upload original music for fans to enjoy and, better yet, purchase. You'll keep 70 percent of the sales and can set the per-track and album price yourself.
www.facebook.com/ONErpmApp
Do you think Myspace is the best social network for musicians? ONErpm wants you to think again. Its service lets anyone with a fan page upload original music for fans to enjoy and, better yet, purchase. You'll keep 70 percent of the sales and can set the per-track and album price yourself.
5. Someecards
www.facebook.com/appcenter/someecards
Arguably the funniest e-cards available on the Internet come from Someecards. Many are NSFW and most are politically incorrect, but that's what makes them hilarious. With the app, you can send them to Facebook friends, post them on friends' walls, or post them on your own wall.
www.facebook.com/appcenter/someecards
Arguably the funniest e-cards available on the Internet come from Someecards. Many are NSFW and most are politically incorrect, but that's what makes them hilarious. With the app, you can send them to Facebook friends, post them on friends' walls, or post them on your own wall.
6. SoundCloud
www.facebook.com/appcenter/soundcloud
Music sharing isn't just for the SoundCloud website. SoundCloud also provides an app integrated right into Facebook (and likewise uses Facebook Connect at its site and on mobile apps to enhance the ability of users to find existing friends). It's perfect for sharing not just music, but any voice or audio you record, and you can share it publicly or keep it private between your friends.
www.facebook.com/appcenter/soundcloud
Music sharing isn't just for the SoundCloud website. SoundCloud also provides an app integrated right into Facebook (and likewise uses Facebook Connect at its site and on mobile apps to enhance the ability of users to find existing friends). It's perfect for sharing not just music, but any voice or audio you record, and you can share it publicly or keep it private between your friends.
7. Where I've Been
apps.facebook.com/whereivebeen
Are you a big traveler? Do you like to brag about it? The Where I've Been app powered by TripAdvisor is here to make that bragging even easier by providing a one-stop-spot to tell all your Facebook buddies where you've been, where you're going, whom you travel with, and where you'd most like to go. Hopefully, any annoyed friends won't tell you where they'd most like you to go.
apps.facebook.com/whereivebeen
Are you a big traveler? Do you like to brag about it? The Where I've Been app powered by TripAdvisor is here to make that bragging even easier by providing a one-stop-spot to tell all your Facebook buddies where you've been, where you're going, whom you travel with, and where you'd most like to go. Hopefully, any annoyed friends won't tell you where they'd most like you to go.
8. Angry Birds
Friends
www.facebook.com/appcenter/angrybirds
Rovio's Angry Birds Facebook was renamed "Friends" even though you can't do multi-player with actual friends. You can, however, invite friends to games, gift power-ups to other players, and, of course, make a customized bird icon for your Facebook profile pic.
www.facebook.com/appcenter/angrybirds
Rovio's Angry Birds Facebook was renamed "Friends" even though you can't do multi-player with actual friends. You can, however, invite friends to games, gift power-ups to other players, and, of course, make a customized bird icon for your Facebook profile pic.
9. Bejeweled Blitz
www.facebook.com/appcenter/bejeweledblitz
Almost 8.4 million people on Facebook play this game where you compete with friends to get a top score in a 60-second sudden-death attempt to match up gems. If you make a match, the jewels detonate and you score. If you can't do it with blazing speed, you don't stand a chance.
www.facebook.com/appcenter/bejeweledblitz
Almost 8.4 million people on Facebook play this game where you compete with friends to get a top score in a 60-second sudden-death attempt to match up gems. If you make a match, the jewels detonate and you score. If you can't do it with blazing speed, you don't stand a chance.
10. Dragon City
www.facebook.com/appcenter/dragoncity
Farmville is for crops, but Dragon City is for (you guessed it) dragons. Breed them, raise them, train them, and sell gold to buy new dragons—or food for your hungry pet. You can win gems by playing other players or finishing quests with your large, fire-breathing saurian. Don't worry if you're scared of monsters because these dragons are all cute as the dickens.
www.facebook.com/appcenter/dragoncity
Farmville is for crops, but Dragon City is for (you guessed it) dragons. Breed them, raise them, train them, and sell gold to buy new dragons—or food for your hungry pet. You can win gems by playing other players or finishing quests with your large, fire-breathing saurian. Don't worry if you're scared of monsters because these dragons are all cute as the dickens.
11. CityVille
apps.facebook.com/cityville/
Zynga's game for the city-slickers is named, naturally, CityVille. Use it to build and increase the population of neighbors in your little (but soon to be metropolitan) digital municipality—just like a Facebook-based SimCity. Eleven million Facebook users are actively using it.
apps.facebook.com/cityville/
Zynga's game for the city-slickers is named, naturally, CityVille. Use it to build and increase the population of neighbors in your little (but soon to be metropolitan) digital municipality—just like a Facebook-based SimCity. Eleven million Facebook users are actively using it.
12. Scrabble
www.facebook.com/ScrabbleEA
With this app, you can pick from a million competitors and start laying down tiles for a triple score on a bingo (that's using all seven of the tiles in your hand). You can also take your games wherever you go because you can play games that are tied to your Facebook account using the official Scrabble app on handhelds and tablets.
www.facebook.com/ScrabbleEA
With this app, you can pick from a million competitors and start laying down tiles for a triple score on a bingo (that's using all seven of the tiles in your hand). You can also take your games wherever you go because you can play games that are tied to your Facebook account using the official Scrabble app on handhelds and tablets.
13. SongPop
www.facebook.com/appcenter/songpop
You may not be old enough to remember the TV game show Name That Tune but Song Pop is the modern equivalent. Guess songs as quickly as you can to test your music recognition prowess, then measure your knowledge against others, both friends and strangers. You can also play it on your mobile phone.
www.facebook.com/appcenter/songpop
You may not be old enough to remember the TV game show Name That Tune but Song Pop is the modern equivalent. Guess songs as quickly as you can to test your music recognition prowess, then measure your knowledge against others, both friends and strangers. You can also play it on your mobile phone.
14. Words with
Friends
apps.facebook.com/wordswithfriends
A straight-up Scrabble impersonator? Yes, but it's almost (almost!) better in some ways. It has higher scores and more triple word scores, and (also like Scrabble) it's multiplatform so you can continue games on your phone or tablet when you're not at the desktop on Facebook. Play both to get the full cross-section of opponents among your friends list.
apps.facebook.com/wordswithfriends
A straight-up Scrabble impersonator? Yes, but it's almost (almost!) better in some ways. It has higher scores and more triple word scores, and (also like Scrabble) it's multiplatform so you can continue games on your phone or tablet when you're not at the desktop on Facebook. Play both to get the full cross-section of opponents among your friends list.
15. Aviary
apps.facebook.com/aviaryeditor/default.aspx
The standard image editing tools at Aviary.com are already pretty good, and now you can access them right within Facebook to make edits to your uploaded images. You can crop, resize, change brightness or contrast or saturation, draw upon, type a caption, fix redeye, and apply effects to any image in your albums or on your timeline.
apps.facebook.com/aviaryeditor/default.aspx
The standard image editing tools at Aviary.com are already pretty good, and now you can access them right within Facebook to make edits to your uploaded images. You can crop, resize, change brightness or contrast or saturation, draw upon, type a caption, fix redeye, and apply effects to any image in your albums or on your timeline.
16. PiZap
apps.facebook.com/piZap_editor/
PiZap is for editing photos right on Facebook without an external editor. Access it to make a collage of your photos, add a background, create cool covers images for your timeline, or just make simple photo fixes.
apps.facebook.com/piZap_editor/
PiZap is for editing photos right on Facebook without an external editor. Access it to make a collage of your photos, add a background, create cool covers images for your timeline, or just make simple photo fixes.
17. Picasa
Uploader
apps.facebook.com/picasauploader/
Do you want an easy way to share the pictures that you have perfected and organized with Picasa? You can instantly post them on Facebook with this uploader tool that puts the Facebook upload button right into the Picasa software.
apps.facebook.com/picasauploader/
Do you want an easy way to share the pictures that you have perfected and organized with Picasa? You can instantly post them on Facebook with this uploader tool that puts the Facebook upload button right into the Picasa software.
18. SocialCam
www.facebook.com/socialcam
While primarily for mobile use (SocialCam is an iOS and Android app that lets you upload video), the Facebook app gives you priority access to the video uploads from others, be they strangers or friends. You can prioritize seeing the SocialCam video from folks on your friends list by following them.
www.facebook.com/socialcam
While primarily for mobile use (SocialCam is an iOS and Android app that lets you upload video), the Facebook app gives you priority access to the video uploads from others, be they strangers or friends. You can prioritize seeing the SocialCam video from folks on your friends list by following them.
20. BitDefender
Safego
www.facebook.com/bitdefender.safego
Like Norton (below), BitDefender safego checks your wall and news feed for possible infection, but does so in a much nicer interface. It will tell you if your friends have infections that you should warn them about.
www.facebook.com/bitdefender.safego
Like Norton (below), BitDefender safego checks your wall and news feed for possible infection, but does so in a much nicer interface. It will tell you if your friends have infections that you should warn them about.
