Social networking pioneer Friendster of Mountain View has given itself a makeover to appeal to more young users in Asia - and according to a published report, is preparing itself to be sold by the end of the month.

Friendster was long ago eclipsed in the social media world, first by MySpace and now by Facebook, but maintains a significant base in Southeast Asia. More than 75 million of its 115 million users and 90 percent of its daily traffic come from that region.
And 80 percent of its users from that area are in the 16-to-24 age bracket, which is why the company says it replaced its old blue Friendster logo with one that spells out its name in script inside a bright green cloud.
The company also introduced a new green-themed layout, which resembles Facebook, and introduced several other features, such as micropayments and a virtual gift shop. There are also virtual games, including one called “The Farmer” (FarmVille on Facebook has nearly 70 million players.)
“We've responded to the needs and wants of our core user base, Asian youth,” said Friendster spokesman Jeff Roberto. “Friendster is dominant among the youth sector in Asia, and today, Asia represents the largest and fastest growing Internet and mobile phone user populations in the world.”
Still, Palo Alto's version of Big Blue, Facebook, just passed the 350 million worldwide member mark and added more than 17 million users in Asia in recent weeks, especially among Friendster's target audience.
Roberto would not comment on a Reuters story that Friendster will be sold by the end of the year for more than $100 million to a firm based in Asia.
(Source: San Francisco Chronicle)