AB's Reflections

Author: Aditya

  • The New Microsoft?

    Just replace Google with Microsoft and turn back the clock by 15-20 years in the below article and you will notice striking similarities in their strategies to capture the market:

    Google’s iron grip on Android: Controlling open source by any means necessary | Ars Technica.

    The decisions make perfect business sense and is possibly the easiest way for Google to maintain control over Android while taking care of the fragmentation issues that have plagued the platform over the last few years. As an end user this has both positive and negative implications. The good part is that we do not have to depend as much on OEMs and carriers for Android updates and features. The bad news is mainly for the open source fanatics who thought that Android was “open”.

    Of course, if you are an Android device maker, particularly one that is floundering in the face of the Samsung onslaught, then you are in a tough spot. Case in point is HTC that has been making pretty distinct devices that get good reviews, but doesn’t have any profits to show. Good acquisition target for Amazon it seems.

    Then, there is also Google’s strategy to suffocate the Windows Phone platform by ignoring it and depriving it of first party Google Apps. Another strategy that makes very good business sense, but not really in the spirit of “Don’t be Evil”.

    In a broader sense, the “Don’t be Evil” Google is long gone, having been replaced by a business savvy one which is a natural transition for maturing companies to survive in the marketplace. I just hope that Google Services don’t do to the internet what Microsoft did with Internet Explorer and Office…

  • What is the most important thing you have learned about leadership?

    from a NASA Astronaut

    Answer by Garrett Reisman:

    I've been meaning to post about leadership for a while now, thanks for asking the question and giving me this opportunity.

    Here are some lessons that I have learned along the way from a variety of role models.

    1) Have a grand vision – Elon Musk, SpaceX CEO, CTO
    As a leader, you can inspire and motivate your team to tremendous effect by communicating a vision in a clear, straight-forward way.  But don't think small – raise the bar really really high.  Elon wants us to make the human species multi-planetary.  That's different than a CEO whose vision is to increase the company's market share by 10% within 5 years.

    2) Be Competent – Ken Ham, Commander Space Shuttle Atlantis, STS-132
    Being very good at what you do will inspire others to follow you and trust your judgement.  Ken is the best pilot I have ever flown with, and I've flown with a lot of good ones.  We did stuff in airplanes that I have only seen before or since in video games.  When he was at the controls of Atlantis, you had the feeling that everything was going to be ok.  Kind of like when Captain Kirk walks onto the bridge of the Enterprise.

    3) Take Care of Your People – Nancy Currie, NASA Astronaut
    This is an important principle that is ingrained into most military officers but is sadly often lacking in civilian managers.  Mentorship is important but moreover, doing whatever you can to advance the careers of your subordinates should be one of your prime duties.  Nancy was my branch chief in the Astronaut Office Robotics Branch when I was a rookie astronaut.  When a prime flight assignment became available for a skilled robotics expert, she went to the chief of the Astronaut Office and relentlessly championed me for the spot – despite the fact that she herself was a much better candidate.  Neither one of us got the job, but I never forgot her loyalty to me.

    4) Give Your People as Much Autonomy as Possible – Chris Brennen, Caltech Professor
    Resist the temptation to micro-manage.  If you telegraph the answer you expect to your team, then you are not going to get an innovative solution to a problem – or even a correct one.  When I would be struggling in the lab and talking to my Ph.D. advisor, Dr. Chris Brennen, he would work with me at his white-board just long enough to make sure I was heading in a pretty good direction.  Then he would take the maker out of my hand and say, "you'll figure it out, now let me show you where we should go canyoneering this weekend" and he would start drawing topo maps of the San Gabriel mountains on the board.

    5) Say What You Mean – Carl Fisher, former Senior VP of Northrup Grumman
    Be a "straight-shooter".  Don't be passive-aggressive and resist the temptation to tell people what they want to hear, only to proceed in a different direction.  This is harder to do than it seems.  As Carl advised me, "To be a good program manager, don't worry too much about making friends.  If you need a friend, buy a dog."

    6) Set the Bar High – Gerry Vandervoort, Parsippany High School Physics Teacher
    You should have very high expectations of your team members.  Don't berate them for their failures, but challenge them with goals that seem above their abilities.  Elon Musk is exceedingly good at this too, but I choose to use Mr. Vandervoort as an example.  His physics class was tough, and he didn't suffer fools.  You had to want to be there – but as a result I was instilled with a love of science that never waned.

    7)  Lead by Example – Roman Romanenko, Russian Cosmonaut
    What you do is so much more important than what you say.  As a leader, you should be the hardest worker, the most well-prepared and the one willing to do all the things no one else wants to do.  When we did our winter survival training in Moscow, our commander Roman was always the first to go out to chop more firewood, the last to eat, and the one who carried the heaviest load through the forest. 

    8) Allow Your Subordinates to Tell you That you are Wrong – Garrett Reisman
    Often leaders who do their job too well end up surrounded by a bunch of "yes-men/women".  This can have disastrous consequences.  When I was the leader on a desert survival course our task was to navigate to a water source by map and compass.  I studied the map and proclaimed that a certain mountain peak in the distance was the one indicated on the map.  Then I told my team – it is the job of each and every one of you to prove to me that this mountain is not the one on the map.  We found the water and lived to tell the tale…

    View Answer on Quora

  • On the Canon 70D Image Quality and other stuff

    The other stuff is pretty interesting, plus the praise for the Nokia Lumia 1020…

    Fake Chuck Westfall's avatarFake Chuck Westfall

    Being the first is overrated. What matters is being the best. Google wasn’t the first search engine, but it’s the best. Facebook wasn’t the first social networking website, but it’s the best. Nikon was the first to deliver autofocus in video mode. But Canon now has the best implementation as seen on the recently released EOS 70D, thanks to the new on-sensor dual pixel autofocus technology. Take that Nikon and Sony.

    We had to wait a little for it, but with this kind of technology I’m all for Canon Inc. taking their time to come up with a good solution rather than a crappy first implementation. This is also why we haven’t yet seen a flip out LCD screen on the higher end models, and why there’s no electronic viewfinder in our DSLRs yet. Trust me on this, once we get our electronic viewfinders out, combined with fast on-sensor…

    View original post 1,686 more words

  • How has your age affected what is important to you?

    Answer by Stan Hayward:

    I am 83. Several years past my 'Sell by Date'.

    I try to keep fit, and make more effort (though with less success) than when younger.

    I don't make new friends, and every year I lose one or two, and forget to contact one or two others.

    I spend much time trying to sort out things that need to be sorted by the time the end comes.

    I put greater value on smaller things. That is, I try to enjoy everything I do; eating, walking, talking, and playing with the cat. It is a sort of reversion to childhood where you live for the moment.

    I am a great believer in the philosophy of 'Plan as though you will live forever, but act as though you will die tomorrow'.

    I no longer dwell on minor irritations, peoples faults, or things I have no control over.

    I live a natural life of eating when hungry, sleeping when tired, and generally doing what I feel like doing most at the moment.

    I don't dwell on dying, and rarely think of it except as an item in general planning.

    Though some people of my age have been isolated by technology such as being computer illiterate and not comprehending the young of today, that has not affected me at all as I worked for years in the Computer animation field, which has always been at the forefront of technology.

    So, how has my age affected what is important to me? It affects me in the same way as it affects everyone, and will affect you eventually.

    It makes me put a value on who I know that I love, and what I have that gives me pleasure or helps my survival.

    It enables me to see life in its simplicity, and gives me hope that the world in general will one day have enlightenment to live in peace.

    A baby has three cries: I am hungry, I am lonely, I have pain. They are the only cries one needs to survive. Recognising those cries enables one to help others in need, and helping others makes it all worthwhile.

    It is called Experience.

    View Answer on Quora

  • What are the most difficult things people have to learn in their twenties?

    "There  has never been a generation of twenty somethings who haven't identified  many of the ways earlier generations have "got it wrong." I have a  question for you. You are 26 years old. Except for identifying problems,  what have you, personally, done to help any one of the problems you  have identified? You are 26 years old. You have had plenty of time to  have started some improvements, somewhere. So many people want someone  to start the process of revolutionary change but are not willing to put  themselves out there and generate some of those changes, themselves. So,  I challenge you to move forward. You have identified problems, now make  a plan and execute it."

    Answer by Kathy Hurst Davis:

    I recently had a conversation with a young woman who was 26 years old. She was very intelligent and very opinionated about many of the things that were wrong with this country.

    Yes, she had it all figured out, from the problems with our two party system, down to the evils of WalMart who had run small business out of existance. She kept saying,  "We need a revolution. We need to make some positive change."

    I told her, "You are not going to like what I am going to say." She said, "I hope it isn't the same thing my dad told me. He said that nothing was going to change." I told her, "No. That isn't it." Here is what I told her.

    There has never been a generation of twentysomethings who haven't identified many of the ways earlier generations have "got it wrong." I have a question for you. You are 26 years old. Except for identifying problems, what have you, personally, done to help any one of the problems you have identified? You are 26 years old. You have had plenty of time to have started some improvements, somewhere. So many people want someone to start the process of revolutionary change but are not willing to put themselves out there and generate some of those changes, themselves. So, I challenge you to move forward. You have identified problems, now make a plan and execute it.

    She was a bit speechless.

    People in their twenties need to learn that they have much to offer and they should not wait for someone else to begin. Don't present a problem without presenting some solutions.

    View Answer on Quora

  • What are the most difficult things people have to learn in their twenties?

    View Question on Quora

  • So you really want to buy a DSLR?

    Now that you have made up your mind on buying a DSLR and have hopefully allocated a budget, let me present you with what I think are your best options to spend your money based on my experiences over the last 3 years. I have kept the recommendations as platform agnostic as possible and tried to present options that will give you the most value in the long term. To start off, you’ll need to DSLR body and a lens to go with it. You can then add on other lenses and accessories over the course of your photography journey. You also need to choose the company whose platform you want to buy into as this will determine not just your initial options, but also your upgrade roadmap.

    It makes sense to split your budget into two in order to choose the lens and body. A 50:50 or 60:40 split (lens:body) should give a good balance. The table below is based on Indian market prices, so if you decide to get the equipment from abroad, you should be able to get them 15-20% cheaper at the very least.

    Body

    Choosing the right DSLR body is an important first step, and the cost can range from around Rs 20,000 to a few lakhs. We are already in a situation where even the starter bodies give excellent results. However, investing in a higher end model gives you more room for growth as you get accustomed to the DSLR system. Typically, the starter models have the least capable sensor (about sensor formats), while the mid-range to pro\semi-pro models have similar ones. While megapixels should not be a driving force in Point & Shoot or Smartphone camera buying decisions, they still have some value in the DSLR arena. The images you obtain using a DSLR are of a much higher quality and more megapixels give you more cropping room.

    Higher end bodies also have better construction quality with the pro models being weather sealed when paired with a suitable lens. Of course, this also means that higher end models are heavier. Apart from this, higher end models have a lot more controls in the form of buttons and dials. This makes it easier to access a lot of the advanced functions that a DSLR offers, but you will appreciate this only later on. In fact, buying a higher end body can seem intimidating if you are not used to tinkering with camera controls. The camera manual is something you should be prepared to read if you want to make the most of your new purchase.

    Auto focus performance is an area where a higher end body will have a big leg up on the lower end models. This can make a tangible difference in the images you capture, particularly for moving subjects. Of course, the lens also plays a major role in this area.

    A few other features to consider are touch screen capabilities, tilt & swivel screens and wireless flash control capability. While the first two features can make your life easier while using the camera and composing images, the third option is something that you will need a capable external flash to appreciate. An external flash is one of my recommended accessories, and this feature will help you use it even better (explore the Strobist blog on this topic, though you will appreciate it a lot more down the line). This feature is available on most of the mid-range bodies and higher up. Some OEMs (Sony, Olympus, Pentax) also offer image stabilization built into the camera body and this can make for cheaper lenses while making the feature available at all times.

    My recommendation is to invest in a mid-range body (unless you can get a relatively recent pro\semi-pro model second hand) as they offer a good set of controls. Also, it is better to buy the model from a year or two earlier as the price will be a lot more reasonable, while offering similar image quality and features to the current year’s model. Starter models, while cheap will begin to feel limited in a couple of years once you get used to the system.

    Lens options

    First thing you need to do is to make yourself familiar with the terms like aperture and focal length as these are the basic parameters based on which you will be choosing lenses. Secondly, you need to understand that lenses do not come down in price unlike the DSLR bodies. So, it is better to either buy the lens that you want right now or save up for it rather than buying a lower quality lens and upgrading later. Thirdly, lenses are made not just by the companies that manufacture DSLR bodies, but also by other companies like Tamron, Sigma and Tokina for these DSLR platforms. Their lenses are usually cheaper than the OEM versions and can be a good deal on a limited budget.

    The lens choice might seem pretty simple to begin with as most DSLR bodies come bundled with a lens or two (usually called kit lens). However, lenses can make the biggest difference in the type and quality of images you can take and it is typically better to skip the kit lens keeping the photography journey in mind. You could go for the kit lens in a few scenarios:

    • Constrained budget (option 1 of the table) – the kit lenses still give you really good images, way better than any Point & Shoot can offer. Plus you get 2 lenses covering a long focal length range (the lenses by themselves would cost over Rs 20,000).
    • 6 figure budget in which case the bundled lenses are actually premium ones
    • You will be shooting a lot of videos in which case going for the silent and smooth focusing kit lenses (Canon uses the STM moniker) makes sense

    Other parameters to consider when choosing a lens (apart from focal length and aperture) are availability of image stabilization and the kind of focus motor being used. The former can help when shooting handheld while the latter can make for faster and silent focusing. If you plan to use circular polarizing filters with the lens, it also helps if the front element of the lens does not rotate when focussing or zooming.

    My recommendation for a starting lens is to go for a general purpose zoom as this will let you shoot images in different scenarios. A lot of people suggest to start with a prime lens (fixed focal length, i.e., no zoom). While it does help you become a better photographer, a prime lens will make it difficult a lot of images as there will be situations where you won’t be able to move close enough or far enough to compose your shot. However, a prime lens makes for an excellent second lens and my recommendation is to get one of the 50mm versions eventually, unless you have gone for a wide aperture (f/2.8) zoom lens.

    Even in general purpose zooms, you have quite a few options – starting from third party zooms like 17-50mm f/2.8 costing around Rs 20-25K to premium first party models like the 24-70mm f/2.8 costing around a lakh. Here’s a brief explanation of my recommendations from the initial table:

    • Kit lenses (normal zoom + telephoto zoom) – typically the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 & 55-200mm or 55-250mm f/4-5.6. These offer good value for money, but not the best possible image quality or convenience (particularly CPL filters).
    • Wide aperture zoom – typically the 17-50mm or 17-55mm f/2.8 lenses available from both OEMs and third parties. Both image stabilized and non-stabilized versions are available. While they may seem to be similar to the kit lens in terms of focal length, the image quality is considerably better due to the better quality elements used (check out the comparison image in the middle of this review). The other tangible benefit is the constant wide aperture of f/2.8 that results in a 2 stop advantage at the long end. Not only does it help in low light shooting (lower ISO or faster shutter), but it can also help you blur the background when taking portraits. You will also appreciate the constant aperture across the focal length range when shooting in manual mode as you don’t need to adjust the settings when shooting wide open.
    • Ultrazoom – typically the 18-200mm to 18-300mm variable aperture, again available from both OEMs and third parties. These may not offer very good image quality (on par with the kit lens), but make up for it with their focal length range. You are basically paying for the convenience of not having to carry around and change between two lenses. If you are not sure of what situations you will be using your camera or plan to travel quite a bit, this makes for a good choice.
    • High quality zooms – these are usually premium lenses made of high quality components giving you shaper and more colourful images. Most of these lenses have constant apertures and offer fast and silent focusing. Which lens you choose will be governed by your budget and focal length requirements.

    Accessories

    This is an area where you may not choose to invest immediately, but over time you can add on some basic equipment like a flash and filters for some interesting effects. At times in low light, you will find that even a DSLR does not give you the kind of images you had hoped for and the on camera flash makes things even worse. That will be the time to create your own get an external flash with a tilt and swivel head. Tripods are another frequently recommended equipment, but thus far I have not felt much need for it as I prefer handheld photography and image stabilization takes care of my needs. If you do want to go for a tripod, don’t bother with the cheaper models as they will not be very stable and I doubt you want your investment on the camera to come crashing to the ground. Instead, do some shooting and figure out whether you actually need one, and then be prepared to invest Rs 10-15K on a decent model.

    You will also need to good camera bag to carry around your equipment and you are likely to get a decent one bundled with your initial purchase. That should take care of your needs till you decide to buy more lenses and\or a flash.

    Which system to choose

    My recommendation would be to choose either Canon or Nikon (especially if you are in India) due to their market presence and lens range, while Sony is a distant third option. Olympus also has its DSLRs, but they use a smaller sensor and their network and lens range is limited. Pentax is pretty popular in the USA, but their presence is practically non-existent in India. There are also the mirror-less models from Sony, Canon, Nikon and Panasonic but the lens options are again quite limited and they don’t really give you much advantage over a full-fledged DSLR in terms of size or weight.

    Another aspect to factor in is which system your friends and relatives are using and choosing accordingly. This will enable you to borrow and exchange equipment, particularly lenses and open up more avenues for experimentation.

    Personally, I am a Canon user (EOS 550D), and my decision was based on having used the Canon system of Point & Shoot cameras starting with the PowerShot A300 and moving up to the A630. Plus, the 550D was the best mid-range model in 2010 (Nikon had the D5000 then).

    What you get for your money

    Today, when you buy a DSLR, you are entering not just the world of still photography, but also that of videography. It will also be your first step towards building your photography platform of choice. If you are coming from a Point & Shoot or camera-phone background, then you will really appreciate the better quality images to begin with. Over the course of your journey, you will also experience the images that were not technically possible on your previous cameras due to their limited low light capabilities and slow focus. Just remember to carry your new DSLR on your expeditions.

    The road ahead

    I hope that I have given some basic guidelines that will make it easier to choose which DSLR to buy. You can always read up more on the web and check out the current market prices of the bodies and lenses. So, do some more research, make up your mind on what to get, and go get that DSLR.

    It will be pretty tempting to spend more money on equipment once you have got the camera. However, the main area where you should be investing after getting your camera is in improving your skill (shoot as much as you can) and buying a few photography books should be a worthwhile investment.

    If you want some ideas from me on what you should do with that DSLR of yours, stay tuned for my next post in this series.

  • Samsung faces sanctions over latest dirty trick in Apple case

    That’s quite a distinguished list…

  • So you want to buy a DSLR?

    It’s been over 3 years since I got a DSLR, and 4 lenses, tons of book and a bunch of accessories (and overall expenses just a bit south of Rs 2L) later here’s my take on whether you should get a DSLR (yes, whether) and what you should start with if you decide to take the plunge.

    First things first

    A lot of it depends on your budget – not just the initial amount but also the amount you will be spending (or be tempted to) after you have taken the plunge. The minimum amount you will have to spend to start off will be in the Rs 25 – 30K range (unless you bag a second hand deal) and this will net you a starting DSLR body plus a kit lens. However, if you really want a decent starting combo then be prepared to invest at least Rs 40-50K. If you have a lot of money burning a hole in your pocket, then the good news is that you can easily spend over Rs 1.5 lakh and get a pro level kit and have the option of spending lots more in the future as well. Then again, I doubt that you would be reading my post if that were the case. As for your options, I’ll come to that in a bit after I’ve covered my second point.

    The Second thing (or the first thing actually) – Why do you want a DSLR?

    If you are thinking of taking the plunge solely for better photographs, then think again. Most mid-range Point & Shoot cameras give pretty decent images these days and will cost you half to a third of the starting DSLR option. Plus, they are a lot more convenient to carry around and the ultra-zoom models (we’re in the 50X+ zoom range now and they’ll cost you about as much as a starting DSLR kit) will easily outrange your starting DSLR kits. In fact, you will need to spend upwards of Rs 1 lakh to match the range of even a 20X ultra zoom P&S.

    If you really want to spend Rs 30K on a new camera for better quality photos, take a close look at the Sony RX100. It has a pretty high resolution large sensor for a Point & Shoot which will give you near DSLR quality images (should match the quality of 5-6 year old DSLRs easily) in a pocket friendly form factor. Plus, it uses a Carl Zeiss lens with a pretty good range (28-100mm), something that will require you to spend 10-15K more on a starting DSLR kit. The camera also has an amazing burst rate of 10 fps that rivals the top end pro DSLR models.

    The second generation model of the RX100 is also out and it costs almost 50% more, but gets you a tiltable screen and a better sensor among other improvements. For more compact options with larger than usual sensors, you can also check out the Canon PowerShot S series.

    Another option to explore, particularly if you have an old smartphone (or none at all) is the Nokia Lumia 1020 with its large 41 MP sensor that enables lossless zooming and excellent low light capabilities. It is hands down the best camera smartphone around and gives mid-range P&S cameras a run for their money. This will not just enable you to take better photos, but it will also be with you all the time so that you can capture all those moments that you’d miss with a dedicated camera. Plus, you can edit the photos directly on your phone, back them up online and even share them easily through online services and social networks.

    The above two options also mean that you will save a lot of money in the long term and not lose out on much on the photo quality front. Think about them long and hard…

    Nothing doing, I really want a DSLR

    Well, that was pretty quick, but it is always good to know your options and rationale before taking the plunge. So, why should you get a DSLR? Better image quality is just one part of the equation, and this too is mostly applicable to low light scenarios. What else do you get? Better control over the images you take for one, though this is partly covered by advanced settings available on many Point & Shoot cameras and also in Nokia’s Pro Camera app on its high end Lumia phones (plus similar apps on other smartphone platforms).

    The real power (and real costs) of DSLRs is in their interchangeable lenses. They allow you to take photos in many different scenarios that would not be otherwise possible, like in low light without a flash in the case of wide aperture lenses, or from far far away like in the case of telephoto lenses used by wildlife and sports photographers (P&S may give you better range, but not the quality), or big picture scenarios possible through wide angle lenses (one area where Point & Shoot cameras are really lacking). Depending upon the lens the focus speed can also be blazingly fast (handy for action shots).

    Then there is the whole new world of accessories like flashes, lights and filters that allow you to sculpt the kind of images you want to. Then there is also all the jargon that you will have to get used to (don’t worry, it takes a year or so), and also the constant gear temptation that you will have to put up with.

    To put things in perspective on the gear and expenses front, the cheapest lens you can buy for a DSLR cost around Rs 6-7K and does not zoom (the nifty fifty, i.e. 50mm f/1.8). So, you are looking at investments (or splurges) in the 10s of Ks range at the bare minimum. Basically, buying a new lens will cost you as much as buying a decent entry level to mid-range Point & Shoot camera at the very least, and decent quality lenses will cost you as much as the good quality P&S like the Sony RX100 I had recommended earlier. As for the pro lenses, they run into the 6 figure range.

    Another thing to keep in mind is that lenses don’t really come down in price unlike electronic items. In fact, their prices may even go up dramatically (10-20%) depending on supply and demand. You will also find that some of the lens designs are really old (10-15 years), and have not really come down in price. Plus, the second hand market and lens rental options are also pretty limited in India (rentals and second hand are two of the common suggestions on online forums). Of course, this is where having a bunch of DSLR touting friends comes in handy as you can share a bunch of gear among yourselves.

    So, what should I get?

    I’m going to give you some more time to think about what I have covered in this post, and cover the options in the second part of this series. Just be prepared to increase your budget to around Rs 40-50K, and ditch that kit lens.

  • Relook at Windows Phone 8 quirks after Amber

    The good news is that the Bluetooth freezing issue seems to have been ironed out after the Amber update on my Lumia 720. Originally, the phone used to freeze upon disconnecting my Bluetooth headset, but after the Amber update the phone seems to behave normally (almost). The main quirk that I noticed is the screen responding erratically at times (culprit seems to be the Facebook app).

    I had initially thought that the Bluetooth freeze had been replaced with this touch issue, but some troubleshooting last night seems to suggest otherwise. The touch issue that I have been facing is that the phone does not respond to screen taps. Turning the display off and then on seems to fix the issue, but it can occur again at random. It can be especially annoying when you try to receive calls and the phone ignores your tap on the answer button. This issue does not seem to be restricted to the Lumia 720, as my mother who has a Lumia 520 also faces a similar issue.

    Also at times, the phone seems to go on a tapping spree of its own resulting in false taps akin to having a keyboard key stuck. I have faced this issue when entering the lock screen pin resulting in invalid entries, and also having emails deleted due to the phone deciding to tap on the delete button on its own. It seems that the region just above the home\Windows button has this issue. Again, a turning the screen off and then on seemed to fix the issue.

    I had initially suspected the extra sensitive touch capability of the Lumia 720 causing the problem (the Lumia 520 has this feature as well), but since I’ve never enabled this feature I ruled it out as a cause. The main culprit seems to be the Facebook app, as I had it controlling my lock screen backgrounds (same as my mother’s Lumia 520). I uninstalled the Facebook app yesterday, and gave the phone some time to behave itself. Things seemed to be ok, and I went ahead and installed the app once more. Things seem to be ok so far.

    A couple of other quirks that I noticed with the Facebook app is that the built in Windows Phone chat for Facebook messages seems to have connectivity issues with the app installed. It happily showed me as online after I uninstalled the Facebook app. Things were back to the “Can’t connect” state soon after I reinstalled the Facebook app. The other quirk was concerning the album list in the Facebook app lock screen setting. I had set the custom album option and selected a few albums from my album list. However, the album list was missing the newer albums and this got updated after the app reinstall.

    Bottom-line seems to be that the Facebook app has some issues that seem to get sorted out on an app reinstall (different issues on different platforms going by my Android experience). So, if you have the Facebook app controlling your lock screen backgrounds and are facing issues like me, try a reinstall.