#MidweekMinute 5/15/19: Breakin' up is hard to do

Hot take: I don’t think we should break up Facebook. But plenty of people do. (Facebook itself, unsurprisingly, doesn’t.) Moving on…

Facebook is introducing Birthday Stories, which function like an event story insofar as they compile content from multiple users to tell a singular story, and even feature birthday song stickers. They’ve also got some new tools for small businesses, including automatic ads, appointment functionality, and new video editing tools within the platform (you can do text overlays! Fun!).

Facebook’s been testing a WhatsApp payments tool in India, and is now creating a new team to develop the feature’s international rollout, with primary offices in London and secondary staff in Dublin.

Instagram introduces @shop , an of-course-shoppable account to highlight shops and makers from across the platform. They also might be developing a Stories sticker that plays a music video snippet with some lyrics over it (though this whole story might just be one epic Rick Roll).

Instagram is also introducing some of Facebook’s fact-checker technology (that’s not really where I go for news and information… but people are, I guess?), and is going to be flagging anti-vaccination posts - though exactly what effect that “flagging” will have, I’m not sure.

MailChimp is introducing a bevy of new features, including websites (domains, templates, and hosting), ad retargeting on Google and social media, social posting, smart recommendations, recurring postcards, and a CRM (they already integrated well with several existing CRMs, but now are straight-up introducing their own), in the hopes of becoming a one-stop shop for small businesses’ digital needs. Not exactly social media, but worth having on the radar, as the new platform increases their integration with social media platforms.

MORE INFO ON ALL STORIES:

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#MidweekMinute 5/8/19: F8 wasn't the end of it...

Facebook has announced some loud & clear guidelines for how it’s shifting its algorithm with regard to video content - they’re preferring content that viewers return to repeatedly and deliberately, videos that keep viewers engaged for at least one minute and are at least three minutes long, and original content.

Facebook Messenger debuts a new Desktop app and some new features including co-watching (like Watch Parties), “Close Friend” designation, emoji status options, and a scheduling tool for appointment-based businesses like beauty and healthcare providers - and is planning to create interconnectivity between Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

Facebook’s enterprise-level tool, Workplace, has also experienced their first redesign in years, focusing on chat, News Feed, and groups, while also delivering notifications about the company.

We’ve known for years that Facebook was developing its own cryptocurrency, but that story is moving forward as they seek investors. The latest rumors state that the currency is intended to be stable (not prone to the fluctuations of currencies such as Bitcoin) and that it may even seek to replace credit cards by undermining their processing fee structure.

Instagram is Working on a New 'Join Chat' Sticker which would enable Stories viewers to join a private chat group, direct from a Story.

Twitter is now allowing GIFs to be added to retweets. (See reaction below.)

via GIPHY

via GIPHY

MORE INFO ON ALL STORIES:

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#MidweekMinute 5/1/19

Obviously, Facebook’s F8 conference - and the resultant announcements, and IMMEDIATE updates - is the big story this week. I’m even having a special livestream Thursday night with a few experts to go through some of the changes; join us live!

Facebook has announced they’re downplaying the newsfeed in favor of groups and events, making Messenger and direct communications with “close friends” a bigger priority, and upgrading the Dating features that they’ve apparently already had for a year in certain countries (did you even know? I didn’t; I recall announcing that it was coming, but didn’t know it had already happened!).

Facebook has also officially blocked surveys that mine for personal information (which is what got them in all of that privacy hot water to begin with).

Instagram has announced upcoming updates to their Camera feature, the immediate rollout of the Donate button for Stories that I mentioned last week, upgrading its Creator functions for more creative story options, and allowing influencers to sell things directly (more of an affiliate situation than a shop).

Twitter has announced several new live video content partnerships with content creators including Viacom, LiveNation, and the NFL. Not a fan of the new Twitter redesign? It’s all good; you can change it back. Twitter is also creating new tools for users to report misleading election-related posts, starting with India and the European Union - which, IMHO, is хорошая идея.

Meanwhile, LinkedIn is testing a “Services” feature for freelancers, which would help connect them directly to potential clients.

more info on all stories

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#MidweekMinute 4/25/19 (just past midweek...)

Disclaimer: this blog features 95% less scandal than that Wired expose.

Facebook is once again refining (read: changing everything around in) Ads Manager. They’re also testing upvotes and downvotes for comments, a la Reddit.

Facebook is also expanding their 3D image offerings - 3D images can now be added to Stories, Android users can now create and post 3D images, and even desktop users can make 3D images (though it’s a slightly more elaborate process).

Many had originally speculated that AI assistant functionality - much like Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, or Google Home - would be part of Facebook’s Portal videochat device… it wasn’t, and isn’t yet, but Facebook has confirmed that they are now developing one. (Any bets on names? Mark? Zuck? Comrade?)

Instagram has rolled out a multiple-choice Quiz sticker for Instagram Stories (a welcome upgrade to the previous “yes or no” surveys), and announced plans to introduce a “Donate” sticker, bringing the ease of Facebook Donations to the Instagram Stories platform.

Instagram is also considering tinkering with possibly hiding “Like” counts on pictures. (But how will we know who’s popular???). This echoes comments from Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, who, in an interview at TED, expressed regret at the platform’s early focus on follower count and likes, and said that he would like to see Twitter move away from followings and more towards interest-based browsing - echoing Facebook and Instagram’s shifts towards “meaningful interaction.”

For now, Twitter is testing updated desktop layouts, has announced the upcoming rollout of a mute replies button and other options to combat abuse, and has acquired Highly, an app that turns article quotes into tweets.

LinkedIn has added the ability to label your “team mates,” to better prioritize updates from your most relevant contacts. They’re also discontinuing their standalone Job Search app, reabsorbing the app’s functionality into the main LinkedIn app, and added a calendar integration feature for Android.

LinkedIn has also revamped its advertising tools, adding Lookalike Audiences, Audience Templates, Interest Targeting, and Bing search data (because Microsoft).

MORE INFO ON ALL STORIES:

View my Flipboard Magazine.

#MidweekMinute: App Tweaks

Now that we’ve all recovered from the FB/Insta/WhatsApp outage (honestly, I didn’t even notice it - I must have been busy on Twitter that day - or even IRL (gasp!)…

Facebook is experimenting with a few changes to the user experience. First up, they’re considering merging the newsfeed and Story feed into a single side-swipe interface (in a continued effort to get you to actually use stories on Facebook). They’re also testing bringing Messenger back into its main Facebook app, instead of forcing you to open the separate Messenger app to read messages on mobile. (That’s not the only change for Messenger - they’re also discontinuing Messenger Scan Codes.)

Instagram, meanwhile, is tinkering with their algorithm to demote content deemed “inappropriate” - sparking debate over what exactly that means. (Fewer belfies?)

Twitter is playing with a whole bunch of app changes in its new twttr experimental app (available by application only); they’re playing with swipe gestures (swipe to like!), improved conversation-thread tools (identifying authors, nesting original tweet context into replies), and creating a “true black” dark mode to save battery on mobile devices.

LinkedIn continues their march away from professionalism and into “social media” by adding reactions (and more photo stickers).

learn more:

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#MidweekMinute 5/16/18: take a break

As stated last week, everyone's all abuzz that Facebook might - MIGHT - be developing their own cryptocurrency. Facebook also still hasn't escaped its data privacy woes: it just banned an additional 200 apps for illegally accessing or utilizing user data. In other, more popular news, Facebook's popular Live feature has unveiled the option of streaming across several pages at once, and is testing a "rewind" tool for live videos. (Cue Cher.) Facebook is also rolling out 3 new Facebook Story features to India first, with the intention to release them to the rest of the world soon thereafter: audio posts, archives, and the ability to save past story footage in your actual Facebook account (rather than on your phone).

Instagram has launched an emoji slider for Story polls, so you can tell us how you REALLY feel. And those ever-curious Instagram code spelunkers have unveiled the existence of an unlaunched "Time Spent" metric that can tell you precisely how much of your time you've spent scrolling through vacay shots

YouTube aims to keep you from frittering away too many hours passively watching by taking a leaf from Netflix's book and asking you periodically if you are still engaged in the platform, or if you need to "take a break" (you can control how long before it asks you in Settings). They're also rolling out a "voice remote" feature for Android.

Snapchat's redesign has been rolled back via yet another redesign, but users still aren't happy, claiming it keeps several of the redesign's least popular features.

Twitter will start identifying and hiding tweets that "detract from the conversation."

LinkedIn attempts to tell you how well your profile information matches what an employer has stated they're looking for before you even apply for a job.

View my Flipboard Magazine.

#MidweekMinute 5/9/18: taking care of business

Facebook appoints new head of blockchain development, opening the door for potential cryptocurrency integrations or even creation; Avatars, spotted in Android app code, look a lot like Snapchat's Bitmoji, and could allow for a greater range of emotive reactions; dating service won't have ads; a possible ad-free subscription model is being tested; and image and object recognition AI has been using Instagram photos for training.

Twitter is working on secure, encrypted DMs.

Instagram has introduced powerful new business tools including integrated ecommerce and business messaging tools with direct calls to action; Android app may soon allow Song Stickers within Stories; new dedicated beauty partnership unit.

WhatsApp integrates Facebook & Instagram video viewability within the app, including picture-in-picture functionality.

Pinterest announces Hootsuite integration.

View my Flipboard Magazine.

#MidweekMinute 5/2/18: A twist of F8

Facebook’s Hate Speech-reporting function, still in testing, was set live by accident, for every single post (don’t worry, they’re not going to be quite THAT sensitive in the future); Messenger Bot development is back up and running, and both translation & AR functions are being rolled into the platform; Facebook is also adding dating functionality later this year, and bringing 3D photos and a creepy new photo-environment-mimicking VR Memories feature to the feed; VR Oculus Go headset hopes to bring VR mainstream; virtual home assistant "smart speaker" (think Google Home/Alexa) may launch abroad before the U.S.

Instagram has officially launched group video chats, third-party app integrations with GoPro & Spotify (with more to come), and a new Camera Effects platform which will allow development of custom AR filters, stickers, and other items to customize stories. Rumor has it they're also testing story reactions, slow-mo video, muting of specific users, and a calendar to more easily navigate back posts. The Explore section will now more customized to your interests and more easily navigable by topic. AI will police online bullying by targeting language typically used to harrass users.

Twitter will continue its progression into a news source by promoting news higher in feeds and lumping together tweets around the same news stories.

Snapchat has officially launched their new water-resistant Specs, which feature LED lighting and the new Snappable AR game. Snapchat continues to expand their advertising accessibility by brings Story Ads to the self-service ads platform and taking a leaf from YouTube's book by testing non-skippable 6-second ads. And, of course, they're rolling back elements of the controversial app redesign by moving some features around.

Pinterest expands their usefulness to ALL by filtering beauty pins by skin tone and adding features to help the visually impaired navigate the service.

View my Flipboard Magazine.

#MidweekMinute 4/25/18: Greater transparency for all

Facebook provides new levels of transparency in how they identify controversial content (as does YouTube), and provides greater transparency into their privacy settings (as does Twitter).  In video news, Facebook introduces "Premieres," which streams pre-recorded video as live, and introduces pre-roll ads to a wider variety of videos from smaller creators than before. In advertising developments, Facebook is testing playable game preview ads, adding "loyalty prediction" settings for advertisers to attract fans who are more inclined to be brand-loyal, and people placing political ads on Facebook will need to register and prove their IRL identities. Instagram now allows batch uploads of up to 10 photos/videos to Stories. Snapchat adds a playable filtered selfie game, enters into additional exclusive programming deals with Viacom, and adds tabs to their redesign (but only for some users). Pinterest continues development of cool features to business profiles, introducing dynamic cover images and monthly page views. Reddit wades a little further into the advertising world, expanding its team and courting brand partnerships.

View my Flipboard Magazine.

#MidweekMinute 4/18/18: Putting the FACE in Facebook (& Snapchat!)

Facebook gets into legal trouble over facial recognition technology. Snapchat doubles down further on facial technology by opening up lens creation to all, and enabling ecommerce. Facebook Stories get AR drawing tools. Instagram lets you download your full history. LinkedIn adds GIFs for some reason.

Special guestpert: the ever-fabulous, always-on-the-move Chris Strub!!!

We had technical difficulties, so today's video is in TWO parts:

Part 1 of 2:

Part 2 of 2:

View my Flipboard Magazine.

#MidweekMinute 4/12/18: No advertisers were harmed...

Facebook requires new verification and transparency for those placing political ads; Messenger obtains "un-send" functionality, which corporate apparently already had(!); Facebook is trying tweaks to encourage more people to use Stories; FB & Twitter back the Honest Ads Act, which would bring transparency to ads; Instagram developing Snapcode-esque Nametags; Instagram Story adds background-blurring Focus Mode & stickers for tags; Snapchat debuts ultra-realistic lenses exclusively for iPhoneX, brings the feed algorithm back to semi-chronological order for some users, registers the second edition of Specs with the FCC, & partners with Tegna to broadcast Snaps on the news; Twitter postpones announced tweaks to their API after backlash from third-party apps; LinkedIn confuses some users with a half-baked test of adding hashtags to updates; Pinterest's Propel advertising program & Promote button expand to additional markets.

For more info on all stories:

View my Flipboard Magazine.

#MidweekMinute 4/4/18: Data squeeze

Facebook further diminishes ad targeting options based on user data, including severing ties with third-party app data and getting tougher on email marketing permissions (used for custom audience targeting), and makes it easier to remove yourself from apps & games you've previously approved. Facebook also adds HD video & 360 photos to Messenger, and improves the VR in its Spaces feature. Instagram also restricts third-party app partnerships, and brings GIFs back to stories (which now have auto full screen ads). Snapchat has beat Instagram to the video-chat-party punch, announcing video chats for up to 16 people. Pinterest splits its feed in two: one for exploration and discovery, and one for people you're following. LinkedIn debuts video on company pages & video ads. YouTube debuts short ads with a reach component.

Flipboard is acting wonky this week (Mercury Retrograde!), so the articles are out of order, but here's more info on all stories above & then some:

View my Flipboard Magazine.

#MidweekMinute 3/28/18: Insta listens to the people (not in a creepy way)

The FTC is investigating Facebook's privacy practices, following disclosures by Cambridge Analytica. Mark Zuckerburg took out full-page ads in a few newspapers to apologize to users for the breech, and has announced new restrictions on access to user data, as well as making privacy controls easier to find and to use on the platform. Facebook has apparently kept extensive data on calls and texts by users of Android cellphones, but this may have been with users' permission, via the terms of service for their Messenger app.

Mozilla Firefox has released the Firefox Facebook Container extension, which will allow users to keep their Facebook data isolated from other apps. Facebook has also removed a filter that allowed advertisers to target ads based on user’s expressed relationship preferences, and expanded its push to prioritize local news globally.

Instagram has announced a change to their newsfeed algorithm, bringing it closer to a chronological feed and allowing greater control as to when the feed refreshes. They've also introduced account tags and hashtags in user profiles.

Snapchat is rolling out the new Map Explore feature, which will allow users to track friends who share their location. They've also purchased VR and 3D gaming startup PlayCanvas, and are developing the ability to sign into other apps via Snapchat, raising potential privacy concerns.

(Thanks so much to Instagram expert Jenn Herman for her Instagram insights!)

View my Flipboard Magazine.

#MidweekMinute 3/21/18: Brought to you by Big Data!

Facebook gets broiled over Cambridge Analytics data abuses, announces new subscription-model monetization tools for content creators, opens Instant Games to developers, and introduces Express Wi-Fi app for remote locations; Twitter tests putting breaking news at the tops of users' feeds, tests a Snapchat-esque "camera-first" feature for Moments, introduces business advertising subscriptions, and joins Facebook & Google in banning cryptocurrency ads (as does, newly, Snapchat); Instagram adds story sharing, expands shoppable posts internationally, and denies chronological feed rumors; LinkedIn adds video filters and "Request Referral" button; Pinterest expands shopping ads availability; YouTube expands livestreaming to desktop and adds picture-in-picture functionality.

For more on these stories, see my Flipboard:

View my Flipboard Magazine.

#MidweekMinute 3/14/18: Blue checks all around!

Twitter's Jack Dorsey considers verifying ALL actual, human Twitter users, thus changing that little blue check mark from a badge of importance to a mark of authenticity; Facebook pulls data-mining App Lock app, plans to roll out a News for Watch, adds yet another music licensing deal (this time with Warner), rolls out location-based AR experiences, and might be introducing disappearing Messenger massages (a la Snap); Snapchat adds user-generated AR lenses to their filter carousel, adds Instagram-style tagging in stories, and allows branded ads from Explore publishers; Snapchat and Instagram take down GIPHY temporarily after a racist GIF made its way into the library; Instagram's algorithm might be veering more towards the chronological again; Microsoft Pix app scans business cards to automatically add the user to your LinkedIn network; LinkedIn beefs up their business news; Brian Wallace of NowSourcing reports live from his ninth(!) SXSW, which, like social media, has made a noticeable shift from flashiness to actual human interaction & value (I can't wait to go next year!!!).

I'm trying something new this week. Instead of a bunch of links in a blog post, I'm embedding a Flipboard custom magazine into my #MidweekMinute. Let me know if you like this format or the old one better!

View my Flipboard Magazine.

#MidweekMinute 3/7/18: News you can USE!

NEW & IMPROVED #MidweekMinute!!!

This will now be a longer broadcast on Wednesdays, 2 pm ET, where I tell you how you can actually USE the week's big social media headlines. Future weeks will include special guests providing further insight on their platform of expertise.

So, let's get on with this week's news...

Have you downloaded Vero? If so, what the heck do you do with it?; Snap doubles down (literally) on Specs, tests Hands-Free mode & Full Body lenses; Instagram detectives have discovered evidence in the code of untapped Video/Voice Calling and Portrait Mode functionalities; Twitter introduces private Bookmarks feature; Facebook nixes Explore feed (huzzah!), labels Breaking News, introduces pricey & untargeted Facebook Video Ad Buy program (only $250K/month!), advertises to those considering vacations, and tests Voice Clip statuses and Messenger Broadcast feature.

Also? I'm sick. Send soup.

Vero

Vero: Hot Instagram alternative, but will it stick around? (The Sumter Item)

Tiny app’s big surge challenges Instagram (The Register Guard)

The controversial Vero is this week's David Pogue's Rated:App (Yahoo! Finance)

New Snap Specs

Exclusive: Snap to Release New Spectacles This Year (Cheddar)

Snapchat Developing $300 Spectacles Successor, Another Upgraded Model (International Business Times)

Snap reportedly working on new Spectacles, including two-camera version (Tech Crunch)

Snapchat Lost Millions on Spectacles, So Now It’s Gonna Make More (NYMag)

Evan Spiegel Is Doubling Down on Snapchat’s Biggest Failure (Vanity Fair)

Snapchat Hands-Free & Full Body Mode

Snapchat is quietly testing a hands-free mode and new, full-body camera lenses (Mashable)

Instagram Video/Voice Calling

Instagram code reveals unreleased voice and video calling (Tech Crunch)

Instagram Portrait Mode

Instagram’s code reveals a potential portrait camera mode (The Verge)

Report: Instagram developing its own Portrait Mode-like camera feature (9To5Mac)

Instagram has an unlaunched “Portrait” feature hidden inside (Tech Crunch)

Twitter Bookmarks 

Twitter launches Bookmarks, a private way to save tweets (Tech Crunch)

Save Tweets You Want to Read Later With Twitter's New Bookmarks Feature (Lifehacker)

Facebook nixes Explore

News Feed FYI: Ending the Explore Feed Test (Facebook)

Facebook ends its experiment with the alternative ‘explore’ news feed (TechCrunch)

Facebook ends test of split News Feed (Mobile Marketer)

Facebook Breaking News

Facebook swings at Twitter with Breaking News label (Tech Crunch)

Facebook Inc (FB) Takes Swipte At Twitter With New "Breaking" Label (StockNews.com)

Facebook Video Ad Buy Program

Facebook pitches brand-safe video ad buys for $750,000, but lack of control irks buyers (Digiday)

Facebook Trip Consideration

Reach Travelers When They’re Deciding Where to Go with Trip Consideration (Facebook)

Facebook’s New Tool Allows Travel Brands to Shape Vacationers’ Plans From the Start (AdWeek)

Facebook Voice Clips

Micropodcasting? Facebook tries Voice Clip status updates (Tech Crunch)

Facebook Messenger Broadcasts 

Facebook’s next money-maker: Messenger Broadcasts (Tech Crunch)

#MidweekMinute (sorry, no video!)

Facebook simplifies ad metrics, encourages local news subscriptions, posts local job offerings across the socioeconomic spectrum, allows users to opt-out of facial recognition, & considers entering streaming music market; Facebook Messenger allows users to add friends during calls & creates a customer chat plug-in for business; Twitter limits automated tweets from multiple accounts; YouTube adds location tagging, automatic captioning, & chat replay.

(No video this week, since I was too preoccupied at #SMMW18 to pull it together!)

Facebook Simplifying Metrics for Ad Performance

Facebook Simplifies Metrics After Data-Reporting Issues, Advertiser Confusion (The Wall Street Journal)

Facebook says it’s clarifying its ad metrics (Tech Crunch)

Facebook is removing 20 outdated, redundant ad metrics; adding methodology labels (Marketing Land)

Facebook Facial Recognition Includes Opt-Out Option

Facebook's New Face Recognition Features: What We Do (and Mostly Don't) Know (Gizmodo)

Facebook’s vaguely worded face recognition “announcement” coincided with a legal setback (Fast Comppany)

Facebook is starting to tell more users about facial recognition (the Verge)

Facebook Boosting Local News Publishers 

Facebook program aims to boost local news subscriptions (Engadget)

Facebook launches a local news accelerator for publishers (Tech Crunch)

Facebook is dead serious about getting you reading more local news (MIT Technology Review)

Facebook Launches Job Postings

Facebook rolls out job posts to become the blue-collar LinkedIn (Tech Crunch)

Facebook May Enter Streaming Music Market

Facebook Could Be Preparing to Enter the Streaming Music Market (Fox Business)

Facebook Messenger Allows Adding People During Calls, Adds Customer Chat Plugin

Facebook Messenger now lets you easily turn one-on-one video calls into group calls (9TO5Mac)

Facebook Messenger now lets you add friends during calls without stopping the party (The Next Web)

Facebook Messenger now lets you add more people to in-progress calls (Tech Crunch)

Facebook Messenger Adds Customer Chat Plugin For Businesses (ZD Net)

Twitter Limits Automated Tweets

Twitter bars tactics used by 'bots' to spread false stories (Reuters)

Twitter cracks down on automated tweets (The Hill)

YouTube Adds Chat Replay, Automatic Captions, Location Tagging

YouTube Live gains automatic captions, chat replay and more (TechCrunch)

YouTube Live gets automatic English captions, live chat replays, and more (Venture Beat)

YouTube Goes Local With Location Tagging for Uploads and Live Streams (Variety)

#MidweekMinute: Adding more functions all around

Facebook users can now create a new type of post called Lists, and is making publishers happy with a new Paywall feature and video news on Watch; Instagram Direct adds controls over how quickly message content disappears; Snapchat adds a GIPHY library and tabs to organize content streams; Snapchat teams up with Nike for a special eCommerce launch; Twitter livestreams news & drops Mac app; LinkedIn estimates salaries for job postings and makes scheduling meetings easier.

Facebook Lists

Facebook’s colorful new feature makes public to-do lists a ‘thing’ (The next Web)

Facebook's Lists are its latest attempt to encourage oversharing (Engadget)

New Facebook 'Lists' Feature Lets You Share Your Travel Plans (Conde Nast Traveler)

Facebook Publisher Paywalls & Video News

Facebook to Launch Publisher Paywalls, Video News Section (Billboard)

Facebook tells publishers to take it or leave it (The Verge)

Facebook’s Campbell Brown: “This is not about us trying to make everybody happy” (Nieman Lab)

Instagram Direct

Instagram Direct one-ups Snapchat with replay privacy controls (TechCrunch)

Instagram Direct adds new replay options as it looks to compete with Snapchat’s most popular feature (9 to 5 Mac)

Instagram’s Latest Direct Messaging Feature Challenges Snapchat Again (Tubefilter)

Snapchat Tabs & GIFs

Snapchat taps Giphy to let you add animated GIF stickers to your photos and videos (Venture Beat)

Snapchat now has Giphy integration and will introduce a Tabs function for Stories (The Verge)

Snapchat adds GIF stickers via Giphy, plus new Friends and Discover screen tabs (Tech Crunch)

Snapchat e-commerce

Nike teamed up with Snap and Darkstore to pre-release Air Jordan III ‘Tinker’ shoes on Snapchat (TechCrunch)

Nike’s latest Air Jordan sneaker ‘drop’ showcased the potential of Snapchat commerce (Recode)

Snapchat Opens A Store–And Takes Aim At A Trillion-Dollar Industry (co.design)

Twitter Live News

Twitter to live stream major breaking news (Fox News)

Twitter's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Live Stream Was Part Of A New Initiative (Buzz Feed)

Twitter Dropping Mac App

Twitter discontinues its Mac desktop app after years of spotty support (The Verge)

Twitter Discontinues Twitter for Mac App (MacRumors)

Twitter shuts down official Twitter for Mac app (Apple Insider)

LinkedIn Scheduler

Linkedin Adds ‘Scheduler’ Feature to Simplify Recruiting Process(Coherent News)

LinkedIn Launches New ‘Scheduler’ Feature for Recruitment Simplicity (HR Technologist)

LinkedIn’s new Scheduler feature automates interview scheduling (MS Power User)

LinkedIn Salary Insights

LinkedIn’s new tool will tell you how much your new job should pay (Social Barrel)

LinkedIn Will Soon Tell Job Seekers How Much Their Desired Role Pays (PSFK)

#MidweekMinute: Snap, Pinterest & Google expand interactivity

Facebook tests downvote button, develops animation tools for Quill VR app, adds a $10 million community grants program, and extends intellectual property searches and reporting to Instagram content; Instagram adds ability to share Stories, the first native in-app sharing it's introduced yet; Snapchat opens its marketing API to developers, brings its Maps feature off-app to the web, opens custom filter & lens creator tools to the general public (SpaceX even has an AR lens that takes you to the Tesla that's currently in space!), and lures advertisers from other social media platforms (most notably, Instagram) with free ad offers; Pinterest is FINALLY letting you rearrange pins, and has strengthened its visual search capabilities by allowing them to bolster text searches; Google AMPs up the Gmail experience - as well as Google search results - with new integration of Accelerated Mobile Pages and search "stories".

Facebook Downvote Button

Facebook testing Downvote button, but says it’s not a Dislike (9to5MAC)

Facebook confirms test of a downvote button for flagging comments (TechCrunch)

Facebook Announces Animation Tools for Quill VR App

Facebook brings animation tools to its Quill VR painting app (TechCrunch)

Oculus' Quill tool now lets you animate VR (Engadget)

Facebook Introduces Free Animation Tools For Quill (Cartoon Brew)

Facebook Extends Intellectual Property Protection Tools to Instagram

Instagram Now Lets Content Owners Scan for and Block Copyright-Infringing Video

Facebook Extended Its Rights Manager to Instagram (AdWeek)

Facebook Community Grants

Facebook’s plan to build community with hiring and $10M in grants (TechCrunch)

Facebook Offers Grants To Build 'Communities' (Digital News Daily)

Facebook creates $10 million community leadership program (CNet)

Instagram and Sharing Stories

Instagram Unleashes the Ultimate Weapon for Marketers (AdWeek)

Instagram tests its version of the retweet but thru Stories (Marketing Land)

SNAPCHAT OPENS MARKETING API

Snapchat’s Marketing API is now available to all developers (Venture Beat)

Snapchat Is Opening Up Its Marketing Platform to All Ad-Tech Players and Agencies (Ad Week)

Snapchat Courts Creators With New Audience Analytics (The Hollywood Reporter)

Snapchat Snap Maps

Snapchat's Snap Maps is now available online (Mashable)

Snapchat brings Snap Maps to the web in latest push outside of main app (9to5MAC)

Snapchat brings its Snap Map to the web (BGR)

Snapchat Custom Lenses

You can now create your own custom face lenses on Snapchat (The Verge)

Snapchat launches custom filters and lenses for all users from $10 (9to5MAC)

A New VR And AR Snapchat Filter Exists And You Can Do Some Pretty Cool Stuff (LADBIBLE)

Snapchat Lens Portals Lets Users Travel to Elon Musk’s Space Tesla (PressKS)

Snapchat Luring Advertisers with Free Ads 

Snap is trying to lure Instagram advertisers by offering them free ads on Snapchat(ReCode)

Snap is trying to capitalize on its killer earnings by launching a direct assault on Instagram (Business Insider)

Snap offers free credits to brands running vertical video ads on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, elsewhere (MarketingLand)

PINTEREST BOARD EDITS

You can finally reorder pins on Pinterest boards (Wired)

Pinterest now lets you archive your boards and rearrange pins (Venture Beat)

Pinterest iOS app now allows you to rearrange pins, reorder sections, archive boards (9 to 5 Mac)

Pinterest Lens Adds Visual Search

Pinterest will let people use its image-recognizing Lens feature to augment text searches (MarketingLand)

Refine Pinterest's Lens visual searches with text suggestions (Engadget)

Not happy with Pinterest search results? Refine it with text and photo queries (Digital Trends)

YouTube Announces New Sanctions

YouTube will remove ads and downgrade discoverability of channels posting offensive videos (TechCrunch)

Google Brings AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) to Gmail... 

Bringing the power of AMP to Gmail (Google Keyword Blog)

Gmail will let you browse websites in your email with new AMP support (The Verge)

Google launches AMP for email to bring web-like actionable content to Gmail(Venture Beat)

Google's AMP coming to Gmail to make email more 'interactive' (CNet)

...AND TO SEARCH RESULTS.

AMP stories: Bringing visual storytelling to the open web (Google Developers)

Snapchat-Like Stories Arrive in Google Mobile Search Results (PC Magazine)

Google launches its own version of Snapchat Stories (CNet)

Google plans Snapchat-esque stories for mobile search results (Engadget)

#MidweekMinute: better visuals & more advertising power

Facebook is NOT limiting your feed to 25 friends; Facebook's Watch eyes more of a YouTube model; Facebook's audience insights get even creepier; Google Pixel 2 Visual Core enabled for Instagram, Snapchat, and WhatsApp; Snapchat introduces more colorful text options, the ability to mute, and an in-app merchandise store; Instagram Stories has fun with type, introduces longer Story ads, and is still probably working on video chat; Maisie Williams introduces Daisie.

Facebook Friend Limit

Does a New Facebook Algorithm Only Show You 26 Friends? (Snopes)

Facebook limiting status updates in news feed to 25 friends? That's a hoax, pass it on (USA Today)

No, Facebook isn't limiting you to 25 friends' status updates (CNet)

Facebook Expanding Watch

Facebook is talking to advertisers about a more direct assault on YouTube (CNBC)

Facebook Is About to Declare War on YouTube(The Motley Fool)

Facebook may share ad money to lure creators from YouTube (Engadget)

Facebook Estimates Users' Socioeconomic Status

Facebook patent tries to guess users' socioeconomic status (Axios)

Facebook patents technology that would estimate users' socioeconomic status (The Hill)

Google's Pixel 2

The Pixel 2’s Visual Core photo processor now works with Instagram, WhatsApp and Snapchat (TechCrunch)

Google expands Pixel Visual Core’s HDR+ to Instagram, Snapchat, and WhatsApp (9To5)

Google enables Pixel Visual Core for better Instagram, Snapchat, and WhatsApp photos (The Verge)

Google Flips the Switch on Its Pixel Visual Core (Wired)

Snapchat Redesign

Snapchat redesign gets colorful text, while all users can mute specific chats (Digital Trends)

Snapchat slips in features like fonts and do not disturb amidst redesign (TechCrunch)

Snap Store 

Snapchat’s new Snap Store teases in-app commerce potential (TechCrunch)

Snapchat launches in-app merchandise store, opening the potential for mCommerce (Mobile Marketing)

Snapchat opens in-app shopping section with Snap Store(Marketing Land)

Instagram Type Mode

Introducing Type Mode in Stories (Instagram)

Instagram Adds Text-Only Feature to Stories (NY Mag)

Why Can’t I Change My Instagram Story Font? Type Mode Is A Game-Changer (Bustle)

Instagram Carousel Ad Format

Instagram triples length of Story ads with carousel format (Marketing Land)

Instagram’s Carousel ad format is coming to Instagram Stories (TechCrunch)

Instagram Video Chat

Instagram Leak Reveals Radical New Video Feature (Forbes)

Instagram video calling leak hints at major future feature (Slash Gear)

Report: Video chats coming to Instagram (Phone Arena)

Daisie

Actress Maisie Williams to launch Daisie, a social app for talent discovery and collaboration (TechCrunch)