Here for an instant, then gone
Instagram is rolling out its live video feature and it has an interesting twist. The new Instagram feature doesn’t have a fancy name, and will join an increasingly crowded field of live video apps out there, which includes parent company Facebook, Twitter’s Periscope, YouTube and so on.
Oh, and that twist? Just like original video streaming pioneers Meerkat, you can’t save Instagram live videos and watch them later. Miss it, and you missed it.
Naming contest begins now: Semantlock? Locktec?
There’s been another tech merger of note. Online security and virus sniffer Symantec has bought personal information protection firm LifeLock for $2.3 billion. Symantec, of course, has been an industry leader in online security for many years. LifeLock, well, not so much. The company had to pay $100 million to the FTC last year for failing to properly lock up their customers’ information.
They also had to cop to some deceptive advertising complaints. And one of LifeLock’s paid spokesmen? Rudi Giuliani, who may be headed for a post in the Trump administration. The deal is expected to finalize early next year pending regulatory approval.
Oh I have lots of battery left, how are you doi-
Some Apple iPhone 6 owners say their phones have been acting odd and shutting off when they still have a lot of battery power remaining, and now Apple says they will fix those phones for free. A post on Apple’s site says phones will first be examined at an Apple store to see if they are eligible for a new battery – and please be sure and back it up before you bring it in to the Apple doctors. If the phone is defective, Apple will replace the battery, not the whole phone.
Apple says only a “very small number” of phones are affected, and they’re not about to explode or anything like that. Go here for more information from Apple.