Anonymity has proven a dangerous path for startups like Secret, so Yik Yak is pushing a soft pivot towards connection with people close by. You can still share anonymous quips on the sagging college app, but now it’s forcing you to add a handle and photo. Then it wants you to post status updates about what you’re doing that day, and browse and contact nearby Yakkers. Changing course… Read MoreLegit Coder
Anonymity has proven a dangerous path for startups like Secret, so Yik Yak is pushing a soft pivot towards connection with people close by. You can still share anonymous quips on the sagging college app, but now it’s forcing you to add a handle and photo. Then it wants you to post status updates about what you’re doing that day, and browse and contact nearby Yakkers. Changing course… Read More The big risk of Facebook launching the Messenger platform was that spammy bots could drown out your friends. Now Facebook is formalizing rules to prevent that. Messenger API experiences may only respond to users who initiate conversations. They c...
Facebook fights Messenger spam with Asimov’s three rules of bots
Can Google spring back from its social failures with a bare-bones video calling app that unites iOS and Android users? Today it’s launching Duo, which lets you 1-on-1 video call people via their phone number. The problem is they’ll have to download the app, but won’t get any bells and whistles, nor the ability to connect with Google Chat, Hangouts, Spaces, the upcoming… Read MoreGoogle launches Duo video calling app, a dull cross-OS FaceTime ...
Snapchat could help you organize a night out with friends or get a digest of the day’s news thanks to its acquisition of mobile search startup Vurb. TechCrunch caught wind of the impending deal over the weekend and now The Information reports Snapchat is in the closing stages of talks to pay $110 million for Vurb (75 percent stock, 25 percent cash). Snapchat is also said to offer $75… Read MoreSnapchat is acquiring mobile search app Vurb for $110M+
Facebook can’t build everything. For a decade, its strategy has been to provide the canvas, then let developers paint it however they want. That’s because there’ll always be another game. Another app. Another…selfie filter? Read MoreFacebook’s next big platform: Your camera
Today’s AdBlock Plus workaround to Facebook’s adblock bypass ham-handedly removes posts from friends and Pages, not just ads, according to a statement provided by Facebook to TechCrunch. “We’re disappointed that ad blocking companies are punishing people on Facebook as these new attempts don’t just block ads but also posts from friends and Pages. This isn’t… Read MoreFacebook will soon update code to nullify AdBlock Plus’ workaround
News outlets may get back some of their mojo stolen by a June Facebook feed algorithm change that preferred friends over publishers. Today Facebook will start predicting stories that are informative and highlighting them to people if they’re “related to their interests, if they engage people in broader discussions, and if they contain news”. Facebook surveyed tons of people… Read MoreFacebook feed change that predicts what’s informative could reprioritize news
Don’t expect Spotify’s lackluster attempt at original video to help it defeat Apple Music or YouTube. The three-minute clips produced in partnership with new media company ATTN are no more compelling than any freely available videos on the web. Spotify’s first series called “Deconstructed” features animated shorts about outdated national anthems, LGBT rappers,… Read MoreSpotify’s first original videos are boring behind-the-music cartoons
Facebook has to train people how to make great video if it wants it “at the heart” of its services like Mark Zuckerberg promised, so today it launched a slew of new video analytics. Creators can now see the audience demographics of their video viewers, what moments were most engaging in their live broadcasts, and how shares and cross-posts boosted their view counts. But… Read MoreFacebook’s 360 video Guide and Heatmap can steer or track ...
This is the strategy behind Instagram Stories.
Snapchat invented a brilliant format for sharing day-to-day life: photo and video slideshows jazzed up with commentary that disappear after 24 hours so you’ll share an unpolished window into what you see. It quickly eclipsed the popularity of Snapchat’s 10-second exploding private messages, and made the app grow to 150 million daily… Read More