Facebook made its NASDAQ debut on Friday. Mark Zuckerburg appeared via a video link from the firm's headquarters in California to introduce the stock. However, technical glitches at the Nasdaq Stock Market delayed the trading  by half an hour. Facebook shares ended their first day of trading at $38.23, barely above the company's initial pricing of $38. Shares in the social network initially rose more than 10% to $42, before quickly falling back.

According to the BBC's director general Mark Thompson, Cyber attacks are the latest attempt to undermine BBC Persian television broadcasts in Iran. "There was a day recently when there was a simultaneous attempt to jam two different satellite feeds of BBC Persian into Iran, to disrupt the service's London phone lines by the use of multiple automatic calls, and a sophisticated cyber attack on the BBC," said Thompson. 

The BBC is developing an iTunes-like service that would allow UK viewers to download old and new BBC TV shows. According to PaidContent, the BBC wants to make all of its shows available as download-to-own (DTO), at about £1.89 per show. The BBC has been negotiating for rights with independent producers that make some of their shows. The service could serve as a new source of revenue and serves as an opportunity to defend their broadcasting against piracy.

Apple has unveiled its new iPad that features a high-resolution screen. The resolution of the new display screen is said to be 2048 by 1536 pixels. The tablet is also powered by a new A5X chip with improved graphics performance. Chief executive Tim Cook said the tablet was "redefining the category that Apple created". The new iPad also features a 5-megapixel camera sensor and will be able to run on 4G networks where the service is available.  

According to a study by analysis firm Ovum, mobile operators must "work together to face the challenge from major internet players". The firm studied global use of popular services like Whatsapp, Blackberry Messenger and Facebook chat, and concluded that social messaging applications cost mobile network operators $13.9bn in lost SMS revenue in 2011.

Two global broadcasters are in talks with Middle Eastern media companies about launching channels in the region. The Indian company Viacom18 has opened an office in Dubai, and is pursuing agreements in several Middle Eastern countries, while the BBC says it is in discussions to launch more of its English-language stations in the region.

The BBC plans to produce an Arabic version of its popular show 'Question Time'. The show features a range of politicians who answer questions that are asked by the audience. The show has been perceived as a reponse to the publics' need for increased political participation and dialogue. "We don't have an agenda, but we are trying to respond to the audience's needs," said Naglaa El Emary, Cairo bureau chief and regional special projects editor for BBC Arabic. "Our plan is to focus more on young people, social media and documentary making."