Twitter urges its users to change their passwords due to a bug
Twitter is currently urging over 330 million of its users to change their passwords following a bug that was identified on the social media platform. While the bug has since been fixed, the company assures users there were no signs of breach or misuse of the passwords by anyone.
Facebook wants to make your virtual self appear as real as possible in VR
Photorealistic avatars would make your virtual self appear as real as your physical self in virtual reality, and Facebook revealed that has been making progress on the technology to make that happen. This would help to blur the line between the real and virtual worlds as you step into virtual reality.
Facebook utilizes Instagram photos and hashtags to create a smarter A.I.
Why manually label images when you already have a source for millions of images labeled via hashtags? Facebook recently designed an A.I. program using Instagram images and hashtags to teach object recognition. But first, the researchers had to learn to sort through all the hashtags.
Cambridge Analytica closes as former executives create another data company
The Facebook data breach scandal was too much for Cambridge Analytica to weather, and the company announced it is shutting down. After reports that Cambridge Anayltica had misused consumer data, the company says it was not able to attract new clients, and it lost existing business due to negative media coverage.
Just who saw that post anyways? A guide to Facebook privacy settings
Facebook offers a myriad of different privacy controls -- but they are sometimes hard to understand and to top it off, aren't even all on one page. Here's what Facebook users need to know about privacy, including what each setting means, and how to change your Facebook privacy settings.
Snapchat redesign slows user growth, confirming predictions
Snap Inc. CEO Evan Speigel said the redesign would temporarily disrupt the company -- and that disruption is here with a slowed user growth and a dip in revenue. The company is working to continue optimizing the design, including moving Stories and rebuilding the Android app from the ground up.
Facebook steps into 3D memories and photos without a specialized camera
Facebook is working to make even the photos captured before 3D and 360 cameras existed a thing of the past. The experimental A.I. tool re-creates spaces from images, then pastes the actual image inside the space. 3D Photos will come to the news feed even sooner, however, using only a smartphone camera.
Facebook and cinema firm Red team up to build a more realistic VR camera
Facebook's virtual reality camera prototypes are continuing to move forward -- this time, with the help of cinema camera company Red. The two companies announced a partnership to build a professional, probably expensive VR camera using Facebook's depth sensing and Red's high dynamic range sensors.
All the new features coming to the Facebook app and Messenger
At Facebook's F8 developer conference, the company introduced a variety of new features and updates users will see over the next few months. From a new dating app to more privacy controls, here's what you can expect to see on both the Facebook and Messenger apps in the near future.
From video chat to AR filters, Instagram builds long list of new tools
Tired of typing in that group message? Instagram will soon add video chat to messaging, alongside several upcoming changes announced during the Facebook F8 conference. New brand-designed AR filters, a redesigned Explore tab, easier Stories sharing, and a bully filter for comments are also on the list.
Facebook F8 2018 Keynote recap: Everything Zuckerberg and co. announced
The Facebook F8 developers conference has officially begun! While the conference is meant primarily for developers, the keynote often gives us a good idea of what to expect from Facebook in the coming months and years. Here's everything we learned from the 2018 Facebook F8 Keynote address.
Facebook’s Clear History feature aimed at helping protect user privacy
Facebook announced its new tool to help protect user privacy. A new feature called Clear History will help give people more information and control over the data Facebook collects from other websites and apps. The control allows you to clear your browsing history on the social media platform.
How to unblock someone on Instagram
In the age of social media, you occasionally have to block people on social media. The reasons vary, but sometimes, you may decide to unblock them later. If you want to share your cool posts with someone you've previously blocked, here's how to unblock someone on Instagram.
Don’t drown your phone for an Instagram — GoPro now has Stories built in
Got a great shot of your day on a GoPro? GoPro is making it easier to share action cam footage to Instagram Stories via integrated sharing, along with tools to convert the video into the "proper" format. The tool allows users to crop for a vertical Story and shorten for easy shares.
Facebook Messenger now lets businesses show off products in augmented reality
Facebook has announced a few new features for Facebook Messenger, including the ability for businesses to show off their new products through augmented reality in Messenger. On top of that, Facebook is updating its digital assistant, M, to be able to translate for businesses in Marketplace.
Facebook’s downvote test has made its way to New Zealand and Australia
Facebook previously confirmed that it had begun testing a downvote button for comments on Pages posts for a small percentage of Android users in the U.S. Now Facebook is introducing the downvote button to some of its users in Australia and New Zealand, though there's no word yet on further expansion of the feature.
WhatsApp co-founder to depart after apparent clashes with Facebook
WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum announced on April 30 that he is leaving the company. Reports suggest he has become frustrated with the direction in which parent-company Facebook is taking the messaging app, with particular concerns centering on data privacy and business strategy.
Meet Explorest, the photo-scouting app curated by real photographers
Tired of cat photos and selfies when trying photo scouting apps? Explorest is hand-curated by real photographers for pro photos and details. The app shares profit with photographers, Instagrammers, and travelers to create a curated list of photo spots. The app recently expanded to the U.S.
Facebook’s F8 starts Tuesday. What do you want to hear about?
Facebook's reality has been plagued by questions on privacy and sharing, but it could turn to a brighter virtual reality with Oculus at F8 to appease users and developers. With Oculus, Facebook may give developers the tools to build virtual worlds without sounding the privacy alarm for consumers.
Twitter doubles list of original shows with new deals, renewals from MTV to ESPN
Ready for more Twitter original shows? Twitter today announced a list of more than 30 new deals and renewals for original series and live content, effectively doubling the number of originals from last year. The list spans topics from news to gaming and includes several big brands, like MTV and BuzzFeed.
Twitter sold tweets to the guy who made the Cambridge Analytica app
As Facebook faces privacy criticism, Twitter confirmed that Aleksandr Kogan, the researcher behind the thisisyourdigitallifeapp, accessed Twitter data. Unlike the original Cambridge Analytica scandal, only public tweets were accessed, but Twitter also sold that data through its data licensing program.
Social (Net)Work: Fake news spreads faster than truth, but bots aren’t to blame
A recent MIT study suggests that fake news spreads farther, faster and deeper than the real thing. Don’t point fingers just yet though -- data suggests the bots aren’t to blame.
Twitter will now highlight news stories shared by your network
Over the past couple of years, Twitter has made a strong push into the news market. The social network's newest feature is based on that goal and will make it easier to see news stories shared by your friends.
Trying to understand Facebook’s Community Standards? Here’s the gist
Facebook recently unveiled its Community Standards so that the world can know what kind of content the social network will allow moving forward. The standards cover multiple pages and various topics, however, so if you simply want to know the important bits, here are the highlights.
Social Feed: Challenge Facebook friends with a donation match
In this week's Social Feed, see how Facebook is expanding the platform's fundraising tool (while earning less money with lower fees). Pinterest also sees updates for the visually impaired on the web and apps, while YouTube turns 13 and Facebook begins vetting political advertisers in the U.S.
Parents can now limit their kids’ access to the Facebook Messenger Kids app
Facebook has updated the Messenger Kids app with a new feature that parents might appreciate -- the ability to set when kids can and can't access it. The new feature is called Sleep Mode, and is apparently Facebook's answer to concerns about the effects of social media on kids.
Fake ‘Mark Zuckerberg’ accounts are scamming people out of cash
Facebook scammers are setting up fake accounts in the name of Mark Zuckerberg and using them to trick users into handing over cash. The deceit is a variation on the once-popular advance-fee email scam that gets people to wire small sums of money in expectation of receiving a larger sum.
Pinterest tests ‘a more inclusive’ search, adds a skin tone filter for makeup
Finding the right makeup can depend on skin tone -- so Pinterest is helping Pinners find more custom beauty results by introducing a skin tone filter. The filter includes four skin tone ranges and is only available for specific beauty queries. Pinterest says the platform doesn't store each user's preference.
Mozilla’s ‘Hubs’ builds a chatroom in VR for any browser and headset
Mozilla introduced a new social experiment called Hubs on Thursday that creates a private chat room in virtual reality. It's based on WebVR, meaning it works in any browser and on all mixed reality headsets spanning Google Cardboard to the HTC Vive headset. It's primitive for now but shows potential.
Despite #deletefacebook, Facebook’s user count (and revenue) keeps growing
Think everyone is leaving Facebook? Think again -- the social media giant is reporting another quarter of growth, both in user counts and revenue. Facebook now has 2.2 billion monthly active users, though the growth is largely in India, Indonesia, and Vietnam, while revenue grew by 49 percent.
The new version of YouTube Kids lets parents pick videos for their children
YouTube is updating YouTube Kids. Soon, parents will be able to hand-pick specific videos, collections of channels, and more, for their kids to watch. On top of that, parents will also be able to limit the search bar to content that they approve, meaning kids won't stumble across something they shouldn't.
Snapchat’s new Snappables Lenses are AR games you play with your face
Ready for Snap's take on games? Snappables are new Snapchat games that use facial expressions, motion, and touch to control the game. The games can be sent as Snaps to challenge friends, or to invite friends to a virtual dance party. The augmented reality games are located inside the app's camera.
Automatic game posts will disappear as Facebook makes more app changes
Facebook is unleashing a second round of new limitations for third-party apps using the platform's API. This time, Facebook is preventing apps from posting to a timeline on a user's behalf, instead of requiring a publish prompt for each post. Changes to the Instagram API are also included in the list.
Senators craft bill to tame social media with privacy requirements
Lawmakers in the U.S. will soon consider a bi-partisan bill that creates several requirements for social media companies in order to protect the data of its users. The bill would require companies to notify users of a privacy breach within three days, along with clearer policies, opt-in requirements and others.