Berlin-based Spectrm delivers the news via Facebook Messenger

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Screen Shot 2016-08-08 at 12.58.32 PM The media industry is changing rapidly, and publications are forced to adapt accordingly. That’s where Spectrm, a new Berlin-based startup, comes into play.
Spectrm bets big on bots, delivering news content via messaging platforms like Facebook Messenger, Slack, and Telegram on behalf of publishers.
Since launch in the summer of 2015, Spectrm has been able to give unique insights to… Read More

NBCUniversal is bringing mini TV shows to Snapchat

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The Voice hosts NBC 2016 NBCUniversal is expanding its relationship with social networking platform Snapchat, according to an announcement out this morning detailing a new content and advertising partnership between the two companies. The deal will see the media and entertainment brand developing mobile, short-form versions of several of its popular shows, including NBC’s “The Voice” and E! Read More

Neon Fever Dream is a gripping thriller set at Burning Man

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Credit: Jim Urquhart, Reuters Below is an excerpt from Neon Fever Dream by Eliot Peper. Neon Fever Dream is about a dark secret hidden in the swirling dust and exultant revelry of Burning Man. It’s a fast-paced thriller with a diverse cast that weaves together everything from the ripple effects of the Sri Lankan civil war to the impacts of new technology on international organized crime. I chose this excerpt because… Read More

Facebook snatches up team from Eyegroove, a musical selfie app

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eyegroove The team from a startup called Eyegroove, a “musical selfie” app, has joined Facebook. According to a message on the company’s website, most of the small team who worked on the app will now be focused on building new experiences for Facebook users that will help them to “create, share and connect.” Founded in late 2013, the Eyegroove application was the… Read More

The social app redundancy engine

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social-tumbler Tumbled glass has a definite appeal: It’s eye-catching, has a pleasant variety of colors, and feels nice in the hand. And making it just takes time, and repetitive motion – throw some glass in a rock tumbler for about a week and voila – what comes out is better than what came in. But it’s also ultimately just glass. The social apps we use every day are starting to look… Read More

Facebook’s redesigned business Pages roll out to all

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Facebook Shutterstock If you’ve visited a business or brand’s Facebook Page in recent days, you may have noticed things look a little different. The company is now finalizing the rollout of a new, cleaner look-and-feel for Pages, which does away with tabs in favor of left-hand side navigation, and makes the Page’s call-to-action button – like “Sign Up,” “Shop Now,”… Read More

Facebook tests MSQRD selfie filters and opening your camera atop feed

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TechCrunch Facebook Camera Feed Snapchat opens to the camera by default to spur content creation, and now Facebook is trying the same starting with an Olympics-themed test in Brazil and Canada. Instead of just the “What are you doing?” text status update prompt, users will see an open camera window as Facebook executes on Mark Zuckerberg’s promise to put “video at the heart of all of our apps.”… Read More

Twitter’s latest test encourages users to Direct Message brands, not tweet at them

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shutterstock_329646476 A number of businesses use Twitter to interact with their customers and offer support. But that often means responding to angry tweets directed at their account, then switching users over to private messaging to deal with the issues at hand. Now the company is testing a new feature for brands that puts its “Messaging” button front-and-center, thereby encouraging customers to… Read More

This neural network tries to tell if you’re being sarcastic online

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image: shutterstock/majcot One of the perils of text-based communication is the lack of cues that clearly signal irony being employed — no doubt we’ve all had our own mishaps behind this particular issue. Researchers from Portugal have had enough, though, and built a neural network that tries to determine whether you or your virtual interlocutor is being sarcastic. Read More

Facebook built, but won’t launch, a “Facebook Stories” Snapchat clone

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Facebook Stories Snapchat Instagram Facebook built its own version of Snapchat Stories, called Quick Updates, but will not release it. Though Instagram Stories launched this week, Facebook isn’t going to follow suit. Quick Updates created a special place to share within the Facebook app but outside of the News Feed. Accessible from a button at the top of the feed, Quick Updates would have let people share 24-hour… Read More