ReadWriteWeb

The proliferation of apps is creating a bit of a challenge for the enterprise that does significant software development.

But it is also in many ways what is propelling a new generation of SaaS services that add features at an exponential rate compared to on-premise counterparts.

Facebook has just added a new photo uploader tool to their Prototypes directory, the "labs" section of the social network where new programs are released for testing prior to their public rollout. The uploader dramatically improves on what was previously one of the worst experiences on Facebook: adding photos. Despite the fact that Facebook hosts over 80 billion photos and adds around 2 billion more each month, the process of adding new photos to your profile was cumbersome, slow and buggy. Even Facebook itself admitted there were problems saying that most users found the tool "functional, but only just." They also discovered that a significant percentage of users couldn't even upload photos due to technical issues. Because of these complaints, the company finally decided it was time to revamp their uploader for good.

Facebook just announced passing the 300 million active user mark. In early April ReadWriteWeb asked about the size of Facebook with the answer being - "bigger than the population of all but 4 countries in the world." As of today it's bigger than the population of all but 3 countries in the world and it's gaining on the US. Like any great nation, Facebook is asking it's citizens to pitch in. The company just launched Prototypes - a demo site for members to test early stage beta products. Similar to other lab environments, the company will offer users a chance to test new tools and give their feedback.