We Are Social: Tuesday Tune-Up #233

News
jack.breen
Facebook’s F8 conference delivers the goods
Coachella hasn’t been the only buzzed-about thing coming out of California these past few days – Facebook gave the festival a run for its money on social media with their annual Global Developer Conference in San Fran. Less crop tops and lasers, more announcements, developments and futuristic gizmos. Just what we needed, Zuck!

The CEO took the stage to tell the world the company’s 10-year roadmap, which focused on three main phases: improving Facebook proper over the next three years, strengthening Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and other key products over the next five years, and developing virtual reality, AI and worldwide connectivity over the next 10 years. So, nothing too ambitious…

Mark Zuckerberg at F8
Still, no laser lights, but for your entertainment we’ve recapped some highlights:

Facebook Surround 360

KFC Australia’s NSFW Tweet makes headlines
Last week, the fast food chain’s Australian branch tweeted this spicy photo, which was promptly deleted about an hour after posting.
KFC Tweet
The actual media reported on the incident within minutes of it being deleted, and everyone from Huff Post Canada to Pedestrian were quick to comment on the ill-advised tweet. Wait, hang on a minute…

Pedestrian KFC Article

Instagram bringing more video to the Explore tab
After an overhaul of Instagram’s Explore tab, there will now be more video channels, which will include features such as Videos You Might Like and Featured – a Snapchat-style channel to curate live events (the first of which was none other than #Coachella, of course).

The new feature is only in the US for now, but will be rolling out to the rest of the world “soon”.
Instagram Video

More new features for Facebook Messenger
In their continued quest to be the world’s ultimate messaging app, Facebook has added even more features to Messenger. You can now drop files straight from your Dropbox into your chats. Also, while you’re having a video chat through Messenger, you can now switch to “persistent Chat Heads”.

This is possibly the only thing that makes me feel disappointed to be an iOS user. Only Androiders will be able to keep video chat bubbles on screen in any app, while us iOS fans will be restricted to using Chat Heads within Messenger only. Apple, you’re officially on notice!

The update will be rolled out across the world over the next couple of days.

Facebook Video Chat Heads

Snapchat launched dynamic emojis
Ok, now I’m seriously considering the Android switch. Either that, or I wait until Snapchat gives me the right to add a moving emoji that attaches itself to objects in my snaps, too! The emojis change size and even orientation as the subject moves, but they are only available to Android users at the moment. iOS is said to be added “shortly”, so stay tuned and prepare your cat…



Ticketmaster partners with Facebook to sell tickets on the social platform
Now if you want to buy tickets to your favourite concert, you may not even have to leave Facebook to do so. Ticketmaster will start selling tickets for certain events on Facebook this month, and they will be taking an affiliate fee for doing so.

“By putting the ability to buy tickets directly within Facebook, we hope that we’re going to provide a more seamless purchase experience and sell more tickets”, said a Ticketmaster spokesperson.

And if the transaction is made within Facebook, Ticketmaster can’t target me with 50 optional extras and competitions to enter throughout the checkout process, right? Bring it.

Ticketmaster on Facebook