Facebook Home and the HTC First [video chat]

Facebook has announced a new interface for Android devices called Facebook Home, as well as its first phone -- the HTC First, which is optimized for the interface.

Join us for a chat about these two new Facebook creations.

LIVE DISCUSSION: Join us as we talk about Facebook Home at 2 p.m.

Here’s what was announced:

Facebook Home, which is a free download available April 12, optimizes users’ smartphone screens in home and lock modes to keep them connected more directly to their social network friends.

The interface’s lock screen, which Facebook is calling Cover Feed, shows users the latest content shared by their friends. Users can go through the content by swiping on the screen, and they can ‘like’ or comment on posts directly from the cover feed.

Another feature called Chat Heads lets users quickly chat with their friends while running other apps on their smartphones. Chat Heads will show users their friends’ profile pictures in little bubbles that hover over whatever app the user is on.

Those bubbles can be moved around the screen or tapped to open up the text message or a Facebook Messenger conversation that the user and his or her friend are having.

A video showing Chat Heads in action can be seen on YouTube.

Facebook Home will be available for download from Google Play. The interface will work with the HTC One X, HTC One X+, Samsung Galaxy S III, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 smartphones, as well as the upcoming HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S 4.

It will also work with the HTC First -- which is being described as the Facebook phone, with Facebook Home built in -- that the Taiwanese phone maker also announced Thursday.

The HTC First, which can be pre-ordered as of today and will go on sale April 12, is listed at $99.99. The company called the device the “ultimate social phone.�

The device is exclusive to AT&T; and will be available in black, white, red or light blue. The HTC First features a 4.3-inch screen and runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The phone is powered by a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor.

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