Get ready for friend requests from the developing world. Facebook will make a play to bring the social-media network to the 4 billion or so in the developing world without Internet access by launching Internet.org, which will drastically cut the cost of delivering the Internet on mobile phones. A handful of other tech giants, including Samsung, Nokia, Qualcomm, and Ericsson, have also signed on to the initiative. The goal is to simplify phone applications so they run more efficiently as well as allow phones to transmit more data while using less battery power. It follows similar initiatives from Google (which began a program with phone carriers last year to offer wireless users in developing countries free access to Gmail) and Twitter (which has struck its own deal with 250 cellphone companies in 100 countries to offer free Twitter access).
