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"The big question is whether the company will be able to create a brand that users appreciate," said Josh Crandall, principal analyst of Netpop Research.

There are also those lagging privacy and security concerns.

"Will Facebook continue to undermine users' trust by exposing what they read, watch or listen to to their friends without explicit approval?" wondered Crandall.

"Does my friend even realize that I know they read '5 Reasons Why She Isn't Attracted To You' in The Washington Post? For me, this reflects poorly on Facebook and reduces my affinity for their brand," he told the E-Commerce Times.

Facebook has an advantage in that the lessons of past dot-com burnouts can be easily recalled, even if the general public has a short memory for such things. This could work to Facebook's benefit.

"Facebook will need to adapt as users become more savvy with social media," emphasized Crandall. "Consumer memories are short, and the mistakes that Facebook has made will fade quickly."

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While Yahoo has had a run of negative media attention, the fact is that it is still a powerful company.

"It's amazing that through all of the bumps and bruises, Yahoo is still the fourth-largest Internet property in the world," said Josh Crandal, principal analyst of NetPop Research.

"People who rely on Yahoo continue to use Yahoo because it is what they know," he told the E-Commerce Times. These aren't your tech fanboys, but rather average users who don't particularly care for technology , and it's very hard to change these users' behavior. They are loyal to Yahoo, and management needs to serve their needs first."

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"There isn't much to the FTC investigation," said Josh Crandall of Netpop Research. "The timing is unfortunate for Facebook, but the FTC is only following routine policy. This is just a blip on the screen."

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"Media coverage plays a big part in consumer attention towards privacy controls," Josh Crandall of Netpop Research told TechNewsWorld. "Consumers must be aware of how companies and the government store and use personal information. From civil liberties to the companies we decide to rely on, the issue of privacy will become more pronounced as we continue to shift our lives online."

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Facebook alone enjoys broad adoption across age groups and genders, reports Netpop research. As MarketingProfs described the findings, “Other social media sites do not have such ubiquitous appeal."

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Instagram May Light the Way

While Instagram has only been around about 18 months, the photo-sharing service became an almost overnight sensation.

"Instagram is an explosive property," said Josh Crandall of Netpop Research. "They captured the 'fun' in sharing photos by adding filters. Now, the everyman is the cameraman. They have fun making art out of their snapshots."

Instagram is also really more of a feature than a company, added Crandall, who noted that the Facebook acquisition could signal an about-face for the growth of the photo-sharing service.

"I wouldn't be surprised if growth at Instagram declines as the capabilities are integrated more seamlessly into Facebook," he said.

Staying Innovative

On the other hand the acquisition of Instagram may prove to the world that Facebook is still an innovator.

"As long as Facebook carries its momentum forward, Mark will be a trailblazer," said Crandell. "Will the next generation of new users want to adopt the same social network their parents and older siblings are on or not? Whether or not Zuckerberg and the company can continue to be relevant and trusted remains to be seen."

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Nokia's haptic tattoo patent application may seem like the stuff of science fiction. However, "when you consider the nanobiology and synthetic biology applications, the possibilities of having a fully functional local device attached to the body becomes very likely," said James Canton, CEO of the Institute for Global Futures. "With this convergence, you start to see a new technology platform, one that could make mobile phones of today seem like a very minor story."

Another possibility goes beyond communications to the world of entertainment, which could become all the more interactive.

"When considering its application, one must think about entertainment as well as telecommunications," said Josh Crandall of NetPop Research. "I can imagine this type of technology being used for tactile response from games, in particular. Perhaps it would spawn a new category for computer 'shock' games."

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The Pay Wall The solution that some media outlets have followed in recent years is actually going back to an old model -- offering online content on a subscription model.

"Newspapers have operated successfully with subscription models since door-to-door delivery began," Josh Crandall of Netpop Research told the E-Commerce Times. "It is a proven model, and it can work for loyal readers."

However, with so much competing news and other content out there vying for eyeballs, will consumers pay for what they can get for free with just another click of the mouse?

"The trick is to convert new readers into paying subscribers," added Crandall. "The question is not if, but how newspapers invest in creating interfaces easy and enjoyable to scan and read, along with improving how readers discover articles that will determine how effective they can compete against free content that's available from a variety of other sources across the Web."

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Sen. Charles Schumer has written to the FTC asking the commission to investigate issues regarding mobile device applications and user privacy. Over recent weeks, several reports have highlighted ways in which mobile applications on platforms like Android and iOS can snatch user data like address books and even photos. Read the full article.

Former Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz has launched a social network for caregivers that places privacy front and center. For a modest fee, users can have all the advantages of sharing on their own terms, without worrying about the site using their personal data to lure advertisers. CareZone isn't a "niche" site, said Schwartz. Caregiving is "what the vast, vast majority of people on Earth do every day." Read the full article.