Sina (SINA.NASDAQ) has begun testing a new version of its microblogging service – which will add features like privacy settings, photo albums and file attachments – a step towards reaching its goal of establishing a full-fledged social network, the Financial Times reported. The latest version, Weibo 4.0, is now being tested among hundreds of people and could be launched in several months. Weibo was a simple Twitter clone when it was first released in August 2009, but the company hopes to expand the service by including more traditional social networking features, like those found on Facebook. Both Facebook and Twitter are blocked in China. Weibo has more than 140 million registered users, putting it neck-and-neck with Tencent’s (0700.HK) microblog; however, Weibo users are believed to be more active.
