Facebook announced new updates Monday that allow users to book tables at restaurants or browse through TV listings from within the Facebook mobile app.
Facebook, world's largest social networking site, has introduced two new updates to its mobile app. Facebook mobile users now can reserve a table in a restaurant and see what's showing on TV. The number of Smartphone users has increased rapidly and now more people are using their mobile devices for just more than calling and sending text messages. Over 800 million people access Facebook on a mobile device every month, according to the social network.
Facebook has integrated with OpenTable, an online real-time restaurant-reservation service, which allows members the option to book a table in a restaurant by accessing the restaurant's Facebook page. The feature will include more than 20,000 North American restaurants. Users will not be redirected to the restaurant's official page or have to open a separate tab to process the reservation. Facebook members can directly book a table without being a registered member on OpenTable.
In addition, owners of Apple devices who use Facebook on their mobile phones can see what's showing on TV by accessing the Facebook Pages for U.S. prime-time television shows and movies. The feature will display the TV listings along with local air times, channel information and brief description of the show. It remains unclear if Facebook will add this feature to other mobile platforms. The addition of the new feature has replaced the "listings that exist in cable box guides, magazines and newspapers" and placed it on the "Facebook Pages of peoples' favorite shows," the company said in a blog announcing the update, Monday.
Facebook said that both features will update automatically like the News Feed without the need to sign up or register.
