Facebook has introduced augmented reality objects to Messenger, following Snapchat’s introduction of similar features. Facebook has been investing in AR for a while, and now this is starting to develop into features users can, well, use.
Facebook has launched a library of free audio clips for users to add to their videos. The ‘Sound Collection’ makes sure that copyright infringement won’t be an issue in user-generated content. This simple feature could help Facebook make its video-first future a reality.
Rather than getting lost amongst other users’ comments, tweet threads will now be easier to create, find and read. #Threads have always been widely used on Twitter, but now a thread is a full-fledged feature. But does this mean the micro-blogging platform will just become… a blogging platform.
Twitter revealed that is has secured more live streamed sports content for their platform. The micro-blogging platform has the advantage of being used more ‘in the moment’ than its competitors. Maybe the 2020 Olympics will feature on the Twitter channel…
Visual
Instagram is testing a new feature that recommends content to users based on what their friends have liked. Although the new section can be hidden, this promises to change how users discover content on the platform.
Instagram has introduced a new feature called Hashtags. Users can now choose to ‘follow’ a specific hashtag, in the same way they would follow another user, meaning top content under that hashtag would appear on their home feed. This could give the app more powerful ad targeting data in the future.
Winner
An Airbus A380 made a festive test flight over Germany on Wednesday, making the shape of a Christmas tree when seen on a flight tracker. The stunt was the idea of Airbus engineers and pilots. The resulting GIF made a great impression on social media… But was the plane reporting for duty really Sleigh One?
Loser
We all know that our favourite digital services gather data on us… But Netflix made this a little too obvious with its tweet on Monday, making fun of the 53 people who have watched the romantic film ‘A Christmas Prince’ for 18 consecutive days. Some users felt the post was invasive and even dystopian. So Netflix, how many people will re-watch Black Mirror this weekend?
Creative
New Twitter ads released this Thursday make fun of how difficult some users find their initial steps with the platform. Deadpan delivery from comedian Romesh Ranganathan nicely delivers how simple (in theory) understanding Twitter is. Hopefully, these adverts will help Twitter increase its number of new users.
