The New York Time’s Nick Bilton reported recently, citing unnamed sources, that Facebook is hoping to release its own smartphone by next year. Bilton’s sources include Facebook employees and several engineers who have been sought out by recruiters there, as well as people briefed on Facebook’s plans, he says. Those briefed on the plans told Bilton that the company has already hired more than six “former Apple software and hardware engineers who worked on the iPhone, and one who worked on the iPad.” Read more at CNET.