text: Okay folks, we’re live at Facebook’s press event for… sure enough, its new mobile App Center, the one that started leaking out earlier today. The company shared most of the details about how the store will work during a May press announcement, but to review: it’ll be one central store for finding any app across web, iOS, Android, mobile web, etc. You’ll get app suggestions based on ratings and what your friends play, similar to previous recommendation features that Facebook has provided over the years. And, paid apps are also part of the deal. 
   
   We’re following up with further details, but for now, here’s the official announcement. 
   
   The App Center is launching tonight with more than 600 social apps, including Nike+ GPS, Ubisoft Ghost Recon Commander, Stitcher Radio, Draw Something, and Pinterest. 
   
   Each person will have a personalized experience in the App Center, with recommendations based on the apps they and their friends use, whether that be games or fashion, food, fitness, travel, or other lifestyle apps. 
   
   You’ll only see high quality apps in the App Center, based on user ratings and engagement. 
   
   The App Center is available on mobile via the Facebook apps for iOS and Android, or by accessing Facebook.com on mobile. 
   
   Stats: ||||| Facebook has launched an app store, similar to that for the Apple iPhone, in a bid to turn the social network into a key entertainment platform online. 
   
   The network announced its "App Centre" in a blogpost late on Thursday, confirming its first major move into a booming market of gaming, lifestyle and productivity applications. 
   
   The app store will be available only to US users from Friday, opening to each of Facebook's 901 million users in the coming weeks. It will feature 600 apps, including the popular Draw Something and Pinterest, and new games such as Jetpack Joyride and Ghosts of Mistwood. 
   
   "The App Centre gives you personalised recommendations, and lets you browse the apps your friends use," said Facebook's Matt Wyndowe in the blogpost. 
   
   "It only lists high-quality apps, based on feedback from people who use the app." 
   
   The move is designed to keep Facebook users on the social network for longer, giving them less reason to leave the site for a rival platform. 
   
   However, the focus on mobile apps is likely to attract criticism from those who see them as harmful to the future of the open web. Facebook has already faced criticism from internet rivals such as Google for its so-called "walled garden" approach to what can and cannot be released on its platform. 
   
   The app store will be available on Facebook's iOS and Android apps, as well as on the main website. Users can send an app on the website to be downloaded onto their mobile device. 
   
   Apps have quickly become a part of daily life for smartphone owners across the globe. Ushered in by Apple's iPhone and, later, by Google's Android and other mobile operating systems, an estimated 31bn apps were downloaded to mobile devices last year, according to industry analyst Juniper Research. 
   
   Although most apps are free to download, the still-nascent medium is delivering significant revenues for hugely popular games such as Angry Birds. Juniper Research predicts that by 2016 mobile apps will generate $52bn of revenues – 75% from smartphones and 25% from tablets. ||||| The social network just unveiled its App Center, and it's accessible on iOS and Android devices, as well as through the Web on Facebook.com. Here's what you can expect to see. 
   
   (Credit: Facebook) 
   
   Facebook's App Center has arrived, and it's got more than 600 apps in tow, including big hitters like Pinterest, Draw Something, Nike+, Path, and Ghost Recon. Let's take a look at how it all works. 
   
   The first thing you should know is that App Center is not a Facebook marketplace akin to Google Play or Apple's App Store. Rather, it's a hub for discovering new and interesting apps based on your Facebook activity and your friends' activity. In fact, whenever App Center recommends a mobile app, it actually links out to Google Play and iTunes so you can easily download it. 
   
   On the Web, you can access the App Center through a bookmark on the top left of your news feed page. Once you're in, you are greeted, front and center, with recommended apps and friends' apps. Also, along the left is a menu of categories like Games, Entertainment, Music, and News, through which you can browse. 
   
   App Center recommends apps based on the apps that you are already using. The more apps you use with Facebook log-in, the more attuned it will be to your tastes. The Friends' apps section also shows you recommendations, but these are based on, you guessed it, the apps that your friends are using. 
   
   Once you find an app you're interested in, you can click through to get all the details. If you'd like, you can also play it right then and there (if it's a Web app) or send an iTunes or Google Play link to your mobile device (for mobile apps). This latter feature is hugely convenient, but when using it, be sure to check what platform the mobile app is available for first. Case in point, I was able to send a Pinterest app link to my Android phone, when in fact, Pinterest is only available on iOS. This caused a Google Play error on my phone. Perhaps a more prominent display of the platform compatibility would help, because as it is now, that information is tucked away at the bottom of the app details page. 
   
   (Credit: Facebook) 
   
   Meanwhile, on a mobile device the App Center provides a significantly pared-down experience. In fact, it looks quite different from the desktop App Center, which, to me, was a bit disorienting. The App Center on mobile opens up directly to your Friends' apps, but on the phone it's called "Social Picks." Top Apps is another section that you can explore, which lists the most popular mobile apps for Facebook users. 
   
   One thing that needs work on the mobile interface is browsing. You can browse through Apps or Games, and that's about it. There are no other categories to help you navigate, like there are on the full desktop version of App Center. 
   
   Conceptually, App Center seems like a winner to me. I found its recommendations helpful and the Friends' apps list very interesting, to say the least. All that said, I can honestly say that I'll use it. Still, the interface has some kinks to work out, especially on mobile devices. 
   
   If you can't find App Center yet (it is gradually rolling out to users over the next few weeks), you can go to facebook.com/appcenter on your desktop browser or m.facebook.com/appcenter on your mobile device to try it now.
target: – The App Center Facebook announced last month is open for business. The phased rollout will ultimately give all its US users access to 600 apps, like Pinterest and Draw Something, reports TechCrunch. Unlike Apple's App Store and Google Play, though, Facebook's App Center is more of a discovery hub, taking users to Apple or Google or elsewhere to download the apps. And, of course, Facebook's App Center puts the emphasis on sharing, recommending apps based on what your friends are using. Some early reaction: "In a sense, it’s a defining moment in the world of apps," writes Mike Isaac at All Things D. "Unlike the Google Play app repository or Apple's App Store, Facebook’s App Center relies in part on social discovery. And it’s in line with Facebook’s overall philosophy: Everything should be social." While noting the App Center should spur Facebook users to spend more time using the social network, "the focus on mobile apps is likely to attract criticism from those who see them as harmful to the future of the open web," notes Josh Halliday for the Guardian. "Conceptually, App Center seems like a winner to me," writes Jaymar Cabebe at CNet. "I found its recommendations helpful and the Friends' apps list very interesting, to say the least. On the other hand, the interface still has some kinks to work out, especially on mobile devices."