Amazon launches Giver and Grapevine Facebook apps

Facebook Applications
Share

amazon_facebook_blackberry_cartoon.gif

Yes, I realise most Facebook users have applications coming out of their ears, but Amazon’s rather late entry into the social networking scene has delivered two decent — dare I say useful — apps.

They won’t help you turn your friends in vampires, or tell everyone what your bodily functions say about your personality, or help you win virtual poker, but they might just give your friends a clue as to what you want for your birthday.

Amazon Giver allows Facebook users with an Amazon account to display their Wishlist — now anyone wanting to buy you a present can at least get an idea of the things you like (you created it, after all) and then totally ignore it and buy you tat instead.

It only works for the US Amazon store at present, but hopefully a UK version isn’t far down the line.

Amazon Grapevine gives you suggestions as to what your friends might like, and helpfully lists people in order of when their next birthday is.

It seems to be lifting this information from the interests that Facebook users have listed, and then matching it will products at the Amazon store, so there’s still a fair chance that, if you buy anything from these suggestions, you’ll get it wrong.

And vice versa, of course.

The services are fully opt-in. The applications won’t currently show what you’ve bought from Amazon — I’ll leave that up to you to decide if that’s a good thing or not.

Get ready for a ton of presents you didn’t ask for coming your way from your Facebook friends. Or none.

(Via TechCrunch)

Related posts
Guesss Whooo is the newest cool Facebook game?
Classic Jeff Minter game Gridrunner++ goes live on Facebook
Opinion: Why I’m not surprised people are bored of Facebook!

Andy Merrett
For latest tech stories go to TechDigest.tv