Why Facebook Could Beat Google

[Commentary] Facebook has set itself up to take on Google in a big way. It’s the hackers at Facebook against the engineers at Google -- and the hackers have a really good shot at winning. Here’s why.

• Identity -- Facebook has the potential to succeed where OpenID failed. With Facebook Platform and the huge benefits companies like Fab.com and Spotify have seen from building on the Open Graph, I only see more Web sites giving you the chance to login via Facebook. Facebook could easily become your default identity online.
• Social Search -- Right now, Facebook is killing Google in terms of self-reported knowledge. Sure Google knows what I search for or what emails I get, but it doesn’t know what I actually like and don’t like. It seems a much easier leap for Facebook to expand into search based on socially-relevant results than for Google to get the information I’ve already given to Facebook on Google+. Facebook already has the filter and the data is easier to acquire.
• Location and Mobile -- Facebook now has Instagram in its back pocket for mobile photos and the recently acquired Gowalla team working on location. Layer Instagram on search within Facebook and tie it with location, and I’ve got the chance to see pictures from friends of their meal at a local restaurant, at their favorite vacation spot and all sorts of other random activities that are the backbone of mobile photography. Couple that with check-ins, tips and reviews on a newly revamped location platform and Facebook becomes so useful you can’t even think about taking it off your smartphone.