Periscope becomes Etch-a-Scope with new sketching feature

Posted on by SJ Azar
Periscope becomes Etch-a-Scope with new sketching feature

Twitter has just announced that it is testing a new feature on Periscope that allows broadcasters to sketch as they stream.

In a Periscope stream of the beta test, which Twitter user Matt Navarra posted, we see a live broadcast in progress with the broadcaster being able to sketch basic line drawings via touch. The sketch is up for a few seconds before fading away, leaving the screen blank again as the broadcast continues.

The feature is only available to broadcasters for the moment, and not to viewers of the Periscope. We can only guess at what the most-drawn object would be if that were the case! (Hint: penises for days.)

A Twitter spokesperson told us, "We're testing Sketching with a small group of people. This feature makes it fun and easy for broadcasters to draw on the screen while broadcasting. Coming in a few weeks for everyone!"

So, expect to see your Periscopes to get a bit more interesting in just a few weeks. Speaking of, take a look at what social networks may look like in VR:

YouTube : youtube.com/watch?v=sk2riRCsx8o








Instagram has quickly fixed the disappearing Log Out button

Posted on by SJ Azar
Instagram has quickly fixed the disappearing Log Out button

Update: Well, that didn't take too long - Instagram has released a new update which brings back the Log Out button that had dropped away for some users after its last iOS update a few days ago.

After you update to 7.19.1 version of Instagram, which is available now through the Apple App Store, The Log Out button should be back in the Settings menu where it has always lived.

Original article...

Some Instagram users have found themselves unable to log out or switch accounts following the latest iOS update.

The Log Out button usually appears at the bottom of the Options menu, which is accessed by tapping the cog icon at the top right of the profile screen. Instagram has said it is aware of the problem and a fix is currently being worked on.

We noticed the techradar account was locked after the update, and it only seems to only be affecting iOS at the moment.

"We're aware of an issue that's preventing some users from logging out or switching accounts," the Instagram account tweeted. "We're working on a fix."

We've asked Instagram for an update on where it is in the fixing process, and we'll update when we know more.










Paid streaming subscription service coming to SoundCloud

Posted on by SJ Azar
Paid streaming subscription service coming to SoundCloud

SoundCloud, the music service beloved by indie musicians everywhere, has today announced it is joining the likes of Spotify, Apple and Napster with SoundCloud Go, its first paid music streaming service.

Priced at $9.99 through its website or Android app (or $12.99/month through the Apple App Store), the premium experience will shoo ads and enable users to take their favourite tracks offline.

Known for its grassroots community approach to music, the firm has recently come to an arrangement with the Performing Rights Society to ensure royalties are paid correctly to its thousands of unsigned musicians as well as signed artists. In addition, SoundCloud Go adds new licenses to the fold from labels including Warner, Sony and Universal.

With criticism mounting on how any freemium services were able to continue operating, this announcement seems a step towards protecting the company financially for the next few years.

One has to wonder if the world really has room for another music subscription, and if the bulk of those seeking one have already chosen their partner. That said, SoundCloud does have a differentiated produce that will appeal to those who favour discovery over all, and it should be noted that the free product isn't going away.

SoundCloud Go is available for download on its website, Google Play and the App Store but only in the US for the moment. As for the rest of the globe? We've pinged for comment, and plan to update this here article once we hear back.










Brilliant at Snapchat? This company wants to hire you

Posted on by SJ Azar
Brilliant at Snapchat? This company wants to hire you

One US company has stretched the boundaries of social media by offering people the chance to apply for an internship using Snapchat.

Most people may balk at the thought of mixing business and personal social accounts, but it gives creatives a chance to show off their skillset - you're your best brand advocate when it comes to job hunting in the world of social media.

The idea from media agency Space150, while not strictly new - Netflix recruited a role via Instagram recently - is the first time Snapchat has used geofilters to recruit applicants since they were introduced a few months ago.

Snapped up

The firm created custom geofilters for its three US-based offices hiring for the Social Engagement Intern role, encouraging local Snapchatters to follow its channel and apply for the role via a task that was later announced on Snapchat.

The task in this case was to create a Snapchat story for one of the agency's clients around the theme 2020. As the agency has some pretty big clients such as Sony, Disney and Nike, it's a huge opportunity for the would-be hires to show their skills off to prospective employers.

This is the first time we're aware of where custom filters have been used to specifically entice people to apply for roles, but we're sure it won't be the last.










Want PlayStation games on your phone? It’s happening…

Posted on by SJ Azar
Want PlayStation games on your phone? It's happening...

Sony is standing up to its ever-growing competition among phone and tablet games, and it's going as far as forming a new company that'll bring PlayStation titles and characters to mobile devices.

ForwardWorks, revealed as the name of the new branch in a press release, will cater to "users with opportunity to casually enjoy full-fledged game titles in the new field of the smart device market".

Little is known about the new software company at this time other than its intentions, although the press release also states that for the time being at least, the games will only be delivered to the Japanese and Asian markets.

This makes sense, considering there is ever-growing competition in the mobile market with Nintendo making a play for younger users on mobile with its new Miitomo app an avatar-based community experience, that bridges the gap between gaming and tools like WhatsApp.

ForwardWorks will come into being on April 1, the same time as Sony is set to change into Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc., a move, Sony hopes, will "vigorously maximize the corporate value and create new business opportunities".

Hope it's not an April fool's joke!










WhatsApp’s new document-sharing feature is another shot at Slack

Posted on by SJ Azar
WhatsApp's new document-sharing feature is another shot at Slack

WhatsApp will now let users share documents with one another, another move to take on business-focused apps like Slack.

Right now documents are limited to PDFs, but you'll be able to pull them from cloud services such as Dropbox and iCloud. The update is available right now for both Android and iOS users. Once you've got it, you'll just need to hit the attachment button where you'll now see an option for 'Share Document'.

WhatsApp passed the 1 billion users mark in February, and now it seems all efforts are focused on providing those users with functionality beyond just messaging and voice calls. Many small businesses use WhatsApp, and the ability to share documents will no doubt be a welcomed feature.

WhatsApp's expansion of numbers of users in groups was the last hint that it's moving in Slack's direction, but it still has a way to go. Slack has grown at a phenomenal rate and it will take some serious work from WhatsApp if it ever wants to be the big player in the business domain.










Now you can see how many people have seen your crazy cat video on Instagram

Posted on by SJ Azar
Now you can see how many people have seen your crazy cat video on Instagram

It seems to be update roll-out month over at Instagram as it's just announced the addition of video view counters to the platform.

Normally on a video, you'd only see the number of times people have engaged with the content by liking it so essentially Instagram has given us slightly better analytics with the counter view.

Until now, Instagram analytics have only been available by third parties but the number of influencers and power-users is growing and it needs to cater more to their needs in the future to retain them so this seems like a logical step for the company.

Now everyone will see how well your content is performing, which could be a great or bad thing if you don't have many followers and are sensitive about how well your content does, especially with publicly-viewable figures.

This is the second major update for the Instagram platform in a matter of days following the announcement that the social network was supporting multiple logins.










1 in 7 people in the world now use WhatsApp

Posted on by SJ Azar
1 in 7 people in the world now use WhatsApp

WhatsApp hit a major milestone yesterday with the company reporting a user base of over one billion. Just over a year ago, WhatsApp celebrated it's half-billion milestone so it seems the app has defied being the centre of an encryption debate, to see its user numbers soar regardless.

Not only has the company hit a target that means 1/7th of the world's entire population is using it, but it also recently announced it was going completely free, ditching its micro-subscription annual charge in the process.

In a recent blog post, WhatsApp revealed that it intends to keep focus on the core value of the business.

"WhatsApp began as a simple idea: ensuring that anyone could stay in touch with family and friends anywhere on the planet, without costs or gimmicks standing in the way."

Only 6 billion more to go

The challenge now is to find a way to keep increasing the service capacity, speed and security and get the rest of the world, another 6 billion users, to install it.

It remains to be seen if removing the fee will be enough to sustain the company with WhatsApp planning to connect brands and users directly within chats. Let's hope that feature is easy to turn off.










Fallout 4 emoji keyboard will let you bombard your friends with Vault Boy gifs

Posted on by SJ Azar
Fallout 4 emoji keyboard will let you bombard your friends with Vault Boy gifs

Bethesda's latest addition to its growing list of Fallout 4 merchandise is a set of emojis that will let you express your excitement for the upcoming game/exhaustion with the endless promotions.

Available on Android and iOS for no money at all, the Fallout 4 C.H.A.T. which stands for Vault-Tec Communications Hub And Transmitter, is a free emoji keyboard.

There are big letters, icons of the pose-loving Vault Boy, and plenty of gifs to bombard your friends with. You do have to paste each emoji into the message area, making it a little clunky to use, but some of the animations are pretty cool. And hey, it's Fallout. We all love Fallout, right?

The Fallout C.H.A.T emoji keyboard is available on the App Store and Google Play now.










QUIZ: Quiz: are you an Apple or an Android person?

Posted on by SJ Azar
QUIZ: Quiz: are you an Apple or an Android person?

It's Apple Day, the day when we hear the latest on the iPhone 6S, iOS and other Apple-related news, from 6pm UK time, all eyes will be on the technology company for a series of announcements.

So, in honour of Apple Day we're asking one very important question:

Are you an Android or an Apple type of person?

Before we can find out, you'll need to take our quiz down below.