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Instagram used Halloween to test a new, curated video channel
Snapchat has its Stories, Twitter has moments and, as of Halloween, Instagram has 'Best Videos.' It's not the catchiest name in the world, but it delivers. The feature launched with a curated collection of holiday-themed Instagram videos all bundled under a simple headline: "Watch Halloween's best videos." Clicking it presents you with a continuous stream of trick-or-treating, singing, scaring and, of course, Thriller dance-offs.
Facebook's changing the way News Feed videos display, but it's mobile-only for now
Facebook's experimenting with a new way to play videos uploaded to its News Feed, but not everyone will get to take part -- not yet, anyway. This new Vine-like feature, which will begin rolling out to a limited group of US-based mobile users, allows for videos viewed on mobile to play silently as a user browses the News Feed. Audio will only play when a user elects to click on the video, at which point it will expand for the duration of the clip. So far, Facebook is limiting these auto-play videos to those that come from accounts with verified pages (read: celebrities) and individual users, not marketers. So you don't have to worry about your News Feed getting spammed for now, although the company is evaluating whether or not to let the big bad wolves of the ad world join in. For a preview of what this new video tweak will look like, head on past the break.
YouTube founders create Mixbit: Vine-like video sharing with a difference
Social Network-backed video sharing apps are all the rage, and now the biggest boys in school have woken up to the idea. MixBit is the brainchild of Chad Hurley and Steve Chen, better known as the founders of YouTube, and is a Google Ventures-backed iOS app that lets you record up to 16 seconds of video. Unlike Vine, however, you don't just have the ability to edit your own clips, but also to remix other people's contributions to create movies up to an hour long. Another difference is that each submission is anonymous and there's no commenting system, lessening the impact of that big-budget twerking video you put together. Android users won't have to feel put out for too long, either, as the pair has pledged that the app will arrive on the platform in the next few weeks.
The Daily Roundup for 06.20.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
