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Although most people tend to use Facebook in order to keep in touch with friends and family and to expand their social networks, it is also possible to do a number of other things on the site. You can, of course, follow bands and various public figures on the site and you can also play social games with other users.

Some of the social games found on Facebook include things like FarmVille, Mafia Wars and City of Wonder. These are games that users participate in alongside other users from all over the world.

The global expansion of Facebook is now set to include gift cards for the social games found on the site. Initially only available to customers of the United States retailer Target, the gift cards will allow users to buy applications that are available through Facebook so they can enhance their experience of the site. The cards are to be available in $15, $25 and $50 increments.

Mark Schindele, who is the senior vice president of merchandising for Target Corp explained the retailer’s decision to embark on the partnership with Facebook. In a statement, Schindele said:

With social gaming becoming increasingly popular, Facebook Credits gift cards provide an easy and convenient option for Target guests to purchase virtual goods.

More and more members of the British public are hooking up to the internet according to the latest statistics. Apparently a massive 73 per cent of British households now boast an internet connection, which is testament to the importance of the internet as a resource for information, communication and entertainment.

The Office for National Statistics is behind the latest figures to be published and it states that 19.2 million UK homes are now online. A similar study last year clocked the figure at 18.3 million so the latest results indicate a steady increase.

According to the results, more than 30 million adults use the internet every day for various purposes, including shopping, conducting research, social networking and reading and sending emails. However, 9.2 million adults are still completely unfamiliar with the internet, with most in this bracket aged 65 and above.

Mark Williams of the ONS emphasised the role of mobile connectivity in the results of the study, explaining:

We have also seen changes in the way people connect and in the frequency of connection, with 31 per cent of Internet users connecting via a mobile phone in 2010 compared to 23 per cent in 2009. The use of Wi-Fi hotspots continued to rise with 2.7 million people using wireless hotspots at locations such as cafes, restaurants, and hotels.

The Bing app for mobile phones that use the Android operating system is receiving high marks from reviewers. Essentially, the Microsoft’s Bing app, which has just been released, is a mobile version of its internet search engine, but the transition naturally involves a few tweaks.

The mobile version of Bing is apparently tuned in to the kind of information that you are more likely to be after when you are on your mobile as opposed to your PC or laptop. This means that it can cleverly target what you want when you are on the move.

The features that are immediately noticeable alongside the usual web search and image search options are searches for directions, maps, movies and a special feature that can pinpoint amenities in your local area by linking up with the phone’s GPS.

The fact that all of this comes in one app is the thing that is currently impressing most reviewers. Users can find all the different bits of information they want without having to launch all sorts of different apps at once. It is effectively a one-stop-shop for answers on the move.

At this moment in time, only Verizon customers can use the Bing app, but it is likely to be available on a much wider scale in the near future.

Advertising on the internet is something that has grown and grown since marketers first recognised the incredible potential online advertisements have for reaching wide and varied audiences. However, website ads are now so prevalent that they are now being targeted by the Advertising Standards Authority as it seeks to bring infringing advertisements into check.

The ASA will have its work cut out as the internet is an entirely different kettle of fish to television and print when it comes to advertising. Nevertheless, the body is pushing ahead with its aims and it has managed to get Google on board.

Google is co-funding the initiative and will also remove paid-for adverts which link to content that is not compliant with the Authority’s new rules. It will also name and shame those who persistently break the rules.

Chris Smith chairs the ASA and he explained:

This is the advertising self-regulatory system doing what it is rather good at, which is responding to changes in the market place, changes in the way in which advertising is happening, and putting in place a system to ensure that the messages given to consumers are legal, decent, honest and truthful.

He also explained that the move is a response to an increase in customer complaints regarding online marketing activity.

For some time, YouTube has been experimenting on a small scale with the idea of providing pay per view services. It is perhaps unsurprising that the video site, owned by Google, is drawing up plans to extend its per pay view ideas to bring the film industry into the modern age.

At the moment, reports are suggesting that Google is negotiating with film studios in order to stream movies online for a fee. So far, a price of around $5 for each movie has been stipulated. Any move that Google makes in this market is likely to initially take place in the US before it is rolled out more widely.

Already currently operating in this market are one or two of Google’s rivals. Netflix already streams movies online within the boundaries of certain agreements it has made with television and film studios in the US. Apple is currently lining up plans to go ahead with a scheme whereby users can watch television shows for 99 cents on Apple TV.

The news that YouTube is now to enter the arena could mark the beginning of a difficult period for Netflix and Apple TV due to the strength of the YouTube and Google brands.