Facebook unveils major new look

SAN FRANCISCO -- Facebook has a new face and voice.

The social-networking service used by 800 million people gave itself a major face lift on Thursday that its CEO Mark Zuckerberg says "is an important next step in telling your life."

The changes were rolled out at f8, the social-networking company's annual developers conference.

The crown jewel of the new Facebook look is Timeline, a profile interface that lets users share photos, music, TV shows, movies and other content in real time, simply by sliding or hovering their cursor over content. The function also lets them play games at the same time.

As part of the revamped user profile, Facebook struck up deals with content partners ranging from online music services such as Spotify and Rdio, to online-video services Hulu, Netflix and Color, a next-generation video service.

"It's a big day for everyone who loves music," Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said. "Music is one of the biggest social vehicles."

Timeline became available on Thursday and is being rolled out to Facebook users in the next few weeks.

The feature is a summary of what you have done, by month or year, for instance. "We want to design a place that looks like your home," Zuckerberg said.

Equally important, the passel of product enhancements clearly throws down the gauntlet to Google+, Google's new social-networking service, which is aggressively pursuing Facebook's users.

Google declined to comment.

"The next five years will be defined by apps and the depth of social engagement," Zuckerberg said.

But in piling on features, Facebook could overwhelm its users, who are typically resistant to changes to their profiles, says social-media observer Steve Rubel.

"These changes should not be issued all at once, but steadily over time," Rubel said. "Google can take more risks since it's new. Facebook should be somewhat more cautious, since people tend to view the experience as theirs, and take it personally when the social network makes a dramatic shift."

In a press conference afterward, Zuckerberg said users have control of which features they choose to use and the privacy settings they prefer.

Still, Facebook users are app hungry. Last week, for the first time in a single day, 500 million people used Facebook, Zuckerberg said.

In the days leading up to the news, rumors swirled about what Facebook was up to.

Hundreds lined up outside the San Francisco Design Center at least an hour before the highly anticipated event. An estimated 2,000 people crammed into an auditorium for Zuckerberg's keynote speech.

But it was Saturday Night Live's Andy Samberg who ambled on stage, impersonating Zuckerberg down to his hoodie, jeans and flip-flops. Zuckerberg joined him for a few minutes of scripted banter.

"Facebook is at the intersection of technology and social change," Zuckerberg said of the new Facebook look, which has been in the works for a year.