Send virtual gifts on Facebook through Needdit and Amazon

Snimple launch Needdit, social shopping application for Facebook that catalogues Amazon US products

Application development company Snimple has launched its new social shopping application for Facebook, Needdit.

Needdit allows Facebook users to browse Amazon?s product database and buy virtual gifts for their friends at Amazon?s cost price.  Damiaan van der Heijde from Snimple comments, ?We think the Facebook community can really get something out of the Needdit application.  Since people are already arranging their entire lives on Facebook, why not integrate the shopping experience? It?s one of the things people do most online and this utility helps them do it in a fun and easy manner.?

When users add the Needdit application, they start with a virtual budget of $1000 USD to buy virtual gifts, they can grow their balance by writing reviews or sending application invites.  The application itself takes up the whole width of the Facebook page, with the right-hand-side column listing user?s friends, giving them quick and easy access to see what type of music, books and other activities they are interested in ? Snimple hopes this will make the online shopping experience more useful.

In addition to being able to buy virtual gifts, there is the option of adding items to a real shopping cart, where the customer can complete the shopping experience directly within the Needdit application on Facebook.  The service is currently limited to Amazon US.

Late last year, Facebook courted much controversy over the introduction of Beacon to its Facebook Ads, the social utilities new advertising model.  By signing on as a partner of Facebook's Beacon, brands were able to add a small amount of code on their website which then fed back details of a Facebook-users activity on that site.  Brands, which included Sony Online, eBay, Blockbuster and Amazon were quick to sign on.

Through Beacon, Facebook then automatically published these details to a users friends list via its popular News Feed and Mini Feed features.  Fuelled by public backlash and concern regarding privacy,  MoveOn.org stated that through Beacon, Facebook could cause embarrassment to its users and subsequently set up a Facebook group "Petition: Facebook, stop invading my privacy!" which grew to over 60,000 members.

The company later apologised and changed Beacon from automatically opt-in to auto opt-out.