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Spotify trials a TikTok-like vertical feed for discovering new music
Spotify is testing a new feature called Discover that lets users scroll through vertical videos and skip or like them, much like you do on TikTok.
Facebook's Discover app is a new take on its Free Basics internet service
Facebook's Discover app provides users with a daily balance of free data from participating mobile operators.
Google updates its Discover Feed to let you flag misleading articles
If you're a frequent Pixel or Google app user, you're probably familiar with the Discover Feed. In its various iterations over the last few years, Google has consistently tried to make it a go-to for finding news related to your interests. However, it recently started updating the tool to make it easier for people to report articles they think are misleading or harmful.
Facebook removes Discover tab in Messenger to simplify chat
Do you spend your days browsing Facebook Messenger's Discover tab for bands, games and chatbots? No? You're not alone -- and Facebook is doing something about it. The social network has confirmed to TechCrunch that it's rolling out a Messenger redesign that axes the Discover tab, leaving just Chats and People. You'll also see People split into both active chatters and Stories, while Instant Games (to no one's surprise) and Transportation are gone from the chat composer's utility tray. Bots, games and other features aren't completely gone, but you will have to search for them.
Snapchat's Bitmoji TV series will make your avatar the star
Snapchat's Bitmoji will soon have a role to play beyond the usual stickers, games and Stories. Snap has previewed a Bitmoji TV series for Discover that will feature the avatars of you and your friends in the leading roles. There will be a steady stream of hijinks, including secret agent missions, becoming zombies and crewing a Star Trek-style spaceship. The series doesn't premiere until February 2020, but you can subscribe to it in advance if you want to give it a try when it does arrive.
DAZN will provide boxing news and highlights on Snapchat
DAZN's boxing coverage is now headed to an unusual place: Snapchat. The sports service is teaming up with Snapchat to launch DAZN Fight Week and DAZN Fight Night shows on Discover that deliver boxing news and highlights in a cut-down form. Fight Week is available starting today (October 28th) and will cover the run-ups to big matches, starting with Canelo Alvarez's bout with Sergey Kovalev on November 2nd. Fight Night will arrive on November 2nd and deliver rapid-fire highlights from matches as well as weekly recaps.
Major credit card companies launch a one-click checkout button
If you're shopping on Cinemark, Movember or Rakuten any time soon, you might see a new click-to-pay button at checkout. American Express, Discover, Mastercard and Visa have teamed up to create the new option for fast, secure online purchases. Their vision is to have one standard checkout button across all online retail websites, similar to the PayPal experience.
Snapchat may add a dedicated news tab
Snap's efforts to bring news to Snapchat haven't gone so well. You've had to plow through entertainment and other material just to find news, and that's when creators aren't backing out. The social app creator might be willing to give things another go, however. The Information sources say Snap is in "early talks" with publishers to have them fuel a dedicated news tab in Discover. The exact partners and mechanics aren't available at this stage, but Snap reportedly wants the tab to go live in 2020.
Netflix tests an Instagram-style scrolling feed in its mobile app
One of Netflix's biggest challenges is helping users discover content. To address that, it's testing an Instagram-like scrolling feed that will show trailers, photos and alerts for shows and movies. The feature also encourages users to share those posts on third-party apps.
Google confirms ads are coming to your Discover feed for the first time
If you're one of the few people who wish for more advertisements across Google platforms, you're in luck. The search giant announced this week a whole heap of new ads that will be served up across a number of its mobile services. The personalized Discover feed in the Google app will be getting ads for the first time, while more promotional posts will be inserted within Google Images search results, YouTube feeds and Gmail inbox tabs.
Google's interest-focused Discover feed launches on mobile web
Don't be surprised if the Google homepage looks a little different on your phone. As promised back in September, Google is rolling out its reworked Discover feed on google.com (so far, only for the US) for both Android and iOS devices. If you're in, you'll see a stream of cards below the search box that typically revolve around your interests, whether it's hot-button political issues, hobbies or a favorite team. You'll also find sports scores, YouTube carousels and similar cards to pique your interest.
Google Feed gets renamed Discover, will appear on mobile homepage
Last year, Google announced Feed, a personalized news feed that lives under the Google search box in the mobile app. Today, however, the company is rebranding Feed to Discover. You'll still get the same listing of current topics and upcoming events, but it'll be even more tailored to your interests. But what's especially intriguing, however, is that Discover will now no longer live just in the app; it'll appear in the Google mobile homepage as well.
Instagram takes on Snapchat and YouTube with IGTV
Where there's smoke, there's fire. For Instagram, that smoke recently came in the form of rumors about it launching a feature to host curated, long-form videos in its app. And well, there's fire, alright. Today, at an event in San Francisco, Instagram made IGTV official, a new standalone app geared toward creators like those on YouTube and Snapchat Discover. As expected, this is all about giving users the ability to upload videos that are longer than a minute (up to an hour). And yes, the footage is vertical, as this is intended to be a mobile-first experience. IGTV will be available on Android and iOS "in the coming days," but you can watch the longer videos starting today inside the main Instagram app.
Snapchat backtracks on its redesign to highlight friends' Stories
When Snap unveiled its giant Snapchat redesign in fall 2017, it was emphatic that your friends' content would remain separate from superstars and media giants. The company might be having second thoughts about that strategy, though. Snap has confirmed to Recode that it's testing a Snapchat change that would put your friends' Stories in the Discover section alongside all the others, effectively reverting to its old model. A spokesperson explained the move only by noting that Snap is "always listening to our community" and will "continue to test updates" that might improve the experience, but there are some potential explanations.
Credit card companies unite for a checkout button to take on PayPal
Even if you don't use PayPal to send money to friends, there's a good chance you've reached for their checkout button in online stores, which is tied to all of your payment information. It's simply easier than getting up and finding your wallet. Now, the major credit card companies -- Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover -- are joining forces for a checkout button of their very own, the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg report. And yes, it means the end of Masterpass and Visa Checkout, services that attempted to replicate the easy PayPal experience.
You won't have to sign for credit card purchases much longer
For all of the progress the US has made in payment technology, it still clings to the past when it comes to credit card payments. You still have to sign for many in-person purchases, which is downright backwards in an era of chip-based cards and digital tokens. And the financial industry is finally ready to kiss them goodbye. As of later in April, four of the biggest credit card networks (AmEx, Discover, Mastercard and Visa) will no longer require signatures for these credit card transactions. It's up to retailers to decide whether or not to ditch handwritten approvals. As the New York Times noted, though, it's doubtful many retailers will keep up the tradition.
Snapchat adds Giphy's GIF stickers to liven up your Stories
Usually you see Instagram borrowing features from Snapchat, but the reverse is true this time around. Snapchat has added GIF stickers from Giphy's library to its Android and iOS apps, giving you a considerably wider selection to choose from when crafting your Stories -- just like Instagram did a few weeks ago. The stickers are singled out in the app when you search for them, so you don't have to wade through regular Snap-created stickers if you're looking for some variety. There are some interface tweaks coming along for the ride, too.
Snapchat swaps mess for money
Snap Inc. took a major risk when it completely redesigned Snapchat a few months ago -- it's no secret that people don't like change. But after constantly struggling to add new users since going public last February, the company decided it needed to make adjustments in order to attract people and keep others coming back. The solution was to refine the app with an easier-to-use layout and to separate friends' posts from media content. Suddenly Snapchat became a more refined app. It no longer feels like an overwhelming, discombobulated mix of stories from people you know, others you don't and publishers that are trying to get your attention. And based on Snap's Q4 2017 earnings report, the move seems to be paying off.
American Express will stop requiring signatures for purchases
Mastercard and Discover both announced in recent months that, starting next year, they would no longer require signatures for credit card transactions. Now, the Verge reports, American Express has announced it's also moving away from signatures. As of April 2018, American Express signature requirements will be no more and the company says it's because technology advances have made them obsolete. "Our fraud capabilities have advanced so that signatures are no longer necessary to fight fraud," American Express Executive VP Jaromir Divilek said in a statement.
Nobody knows if Snapchat shows are actually successful
Snapchat hasn't been coy about its obsession with making original video content. Snap Inc., its parent company, sees TV-like programming as the holy grail and key to its long-term success. The quick, raw, disappearing videos that made Snapchat popular with teens are no longer enough to keep users locked in. Especially as Instagram has started stealing its most popular features, like Stories. Snapchat won't admit it, but Facebook may have inadvertently driven its push into original programming. Conquering that world won't be easy, and right now there are more questions than answers about whether Snapchat shows are working and how viable they are.
