‘Messenger Day’ launches in Australia as the first English-speaking country in trial
Before it decides whether or not to roll out this feature out globally, Facebook has decided to use Australia as the world’s English-speaking guinea pig. Will we go for this crazy new concept of creating short snaps and videos with added stickers, text and doodles that disappear after 24 hours? Hmmm…seems like another company may have considered this question before? Nope, it escapes me…
After a bit of playtime, I can say firsthand that the user experience isn’t great – it feels like one app has literally been laid on top of another. Uptake with consumers seems limited as well, with most stories still coming from other social media marketers. It will be interesting to see if Facebook pursues this space or lets Snapchat (sorry, Snap Inc.) own it.
I do, however, enjoy their use of avocados…
Facebook wants to be your everything with food ordering and ticketing launched for US users
In their ever-evolving journey to be like China’s WeChat (i.e. your portal to practically everything), Facebook users in the US can now order food, request an appointment, get a professional services quote, and buy movie and event tickets without leaving leaving the platform. With so many people using Facebook Events every month, the move is expected to speed up ticket sales and make the path to purchase far easier for users. No doubt we’ll see this one roll out to the land of Aus soon. Stay tuned, consumers!
Facebook Live broadcasts can now be scheduled in advance
Facebook is helping broadcasters plan and promote live streams ahead of time so they can line up viewers before the cameras roll. The move means that instead of having to pre-announce a stream with no link to share, broadcasters can create a link up to a week in advance. The tool is currently only available to Verified Pages and will roll out to all Facebook Page owners in the coming weeks.
Messenger to launch “Conversation Topics” feature to help you be a better friend
Run out of things to say? You might think the sensible move would be to stop talking, but Facebook disagrees. The platform is trialling a ‘Conversation Topic’ prompt in Messenger based on what you and your friends have been up to. This means if you’ve checked in at a gig, posted holiday photos or shared a tune on Facebook recently, your mates could see a handy ‘reminder’ prompt so they can ask you about it. The creepy new tool (which I’m actually really excited about) is currently only available in test for a handful of users at the moment.
Now you can stream Facebook to your TV
Facebook has launched a new feature that lets you stream video clips from your Timeline to your AirPlay or Google Chromecast devices. The feature is now available on iOS and will come to Android soon. To use it, just find a video in your phone feed, tap the TV button in the top right, and select the device you want to stream through. Seems easy enough, but is it really necessary to have Facebook on another device? Oh, the distraction!
‘Workplace’ by Facebook is now live and ready to make your employees more productive
I mean, we’ve already been on it for months now… #humblebrag
Workplace will differentiate itself by charging a small amount per active user per month rather than per seat. That said, it’s backing itself to actually be used regularly by employees and trusted by companies. Do you see success for the office-friendly service? Tell us in the comments!
Instagram lets Stories run free on its ‘Explore’ tab
So-hot-right-now photo platform Instagram is rolling out Stories into its Explore tab to allow people to browse photos and videos posted by strangers. Instagram says the new ‘suggested stories’ section highlights the most interesting stories from across Instagram’s vast global community and tailors them to users’ interests. Just what will they think up next…?
Instagram rumoured to be testing live streaming
….apparently, live streaming!A new report from a Russian news site shows live functionality embedded into Instagram Stories with a bold “LIVE” banner on what looks like a live video appearing at the front of the Stories feed. Sounds a bit speculative at this point, but the report from T Journal also shows the user interface going live from Instagram, which includes a giant red button reading “Go Insta!” Instagram has so far declined to comment, but let the social gossip begin!
eBay testing shopping assistant Bot on Facebook Messenger
Because I know you needed more reasons to shop, eBay is testing a friendly little ShopBot for Messenger that will use – you guessed it – artificial intelligence! The bot will learn about you through your Facebook profile and help find you that perfect knockoff handbag or $1 case for your iPhone. Happy $hopping!
A new tool helps you donate to the Clinton campaign every time Trump tweets
Not sick of hearing about the US election yet? Well, now supporters of the Clinton campaign can sign up to donate $0.50 or more to her election campaign for every time Donald Trump sends a tweet. The Troll Trump tool also offers a pledge that users can send to him when they sign up:
Does this accept Aussie dollars? Asking for a friend…
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