Facebook Apologies, Starbucks goes Instant

I like to think that pictures that I upload from my camera on to my profile are still in fact my property. But last week, Facebook was trying to tell me something different, along with its 175 million other users. It was a change the average college-goer would of left unnoticed, for how often, if ever, do we read the Terms of Use on any one of the countless internet persona’s we accumulate? Last week Facebook’s Terms of Service changed as fast (and stealthy) as you can de-tag Thursday nights (or Friday’s, Saturdays and Sunday’s) pictures. The TOS used to say when you closed your account, you basically took any rights to the original content you uploaded with you. But not anymore. Their TOS now reads, in lots of legal jargon, that if you do choose to remove your content off the site aka close your account , the Company may still retain achieved copies of your User Content. And yes, that includes those pictures of you eating pancakes off your kitchen floor in a princess costume.

But after countless protest groups and blogs popped up on the Web, Facebook has apologetically removed the new clause on their Terms of Service and given you the right back to your stuff. And while I personallly felt attacked by their infringement on my personal property/debauchery, I realized the apology note that popped up in my profile this morning was not actually VIP treatment from Mark Zuckerberg, but a network wide note. Anyway, apology accepted. Thanks for my stuff back, FB.

This morning, President Obama released the details of his $75 billion mortgage relief plan. It is meant to stabilize the housing market and reduce foreclosures for responsible homeowners who qualify. In an hope to revive the economy, the revealing of the plan has done little for the market, although stocks are modestly higher than yesterday. The Dow is up a few points, as well as The Standard & Poor’s 500 and Nasdaq. Opponents of the bill argue it’s mostly a missed opportunity and giant waste of money, while proponents are confident that doing nothing would of proved worse.

In Apple news, Apple (AAPL) saw a decline in year-over year sales of the Mac and iPod in January. Mac units fell 6% and iPod units fell 14%. As I browse around other blogs and financial sites, I had noticed a lot of Apple fans professing their die hard faith in the company and their belief that Apple was indeed recession proof and that sales will not decline because of Apple’s target consumer group. While Apple has certainly fared better than most (if not all) companies in our economy, I take these numbers as a sign that nothing and no one is safe from the impacts of the recession. I wanted to see how investors took these numbers and it looks like sentiment is becoming more bullish. Apple is down today about half a point. My guess is that investors are still optimistic about Apple mainly because everyone is seeing losses right now, but Apple isn’t seeing that much. So, I have actually predicted UP today for Apple, although we’ll see how this goes tomorrow.

Starbucks has introduced their new take home instant coffee packets called Via. Some analysts are saying this is weakening their brand and image but I personally think its a great idea. For some, the price of Starbucks is not so much a deterrent as the time that it takes to enter a store. Instant coffee that I can make at home would save me tons of time without having to compromise taste, as Starbucks promises it tastes just as good as their in-store brew. Also, for people who already make coffee at home, this may entice them to upgrade. As any young adult (or college kid who makes coffee in their apartment) sometimes Folgers just isn’t gonna cut it. You get to bring the brand home. For some, this is a reputation they want. I think Starbucks has made an excellent move in adapting to our changing economy. Those who don’t change will not survive. Starbucks (SBUX) investors seem to be a little weary and hesitant of their new move, as sentiment is currently heading down to become bearish. But SBUX is only down half a point today and I think that once investors and consumers alike realize Starbucks is simply innovating to evolve as a company they may become more bullish.

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