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Facebook will soon let streamers charge for broadcasts
A bunch of livestreaming features are on the way to Facebook, Instagram and Portal.
Facebook tests a live video shopping feature
Facebook is testing out a new feature that lets merchants on Facebook show off their wares in live videos. Reports of the test first surfaced online but the company has since confirmed the feature to TechCrunch. Through the feature, merchants can notify their Page followers about their broadcasts, demonstrate or describe their products in live videos and take payments or reservations through Messenger.
Twitter makes it easy to share the best parts of live videos
When you want to show your Twitter followers a specific part of a live video, you have no choice but to tell them what time to skip to. Now, Twitter has rolled out a new feature called "Timestamps," which gives you a way to share live videos that start playing at that exact moment you want to show your audience. Say, your pal wiped out surfing a big wave or their cute pet stole their snacks, and you want to show that moment to your followers: all you need to do is scrub to the time you want your audience to see, like you would when you want to embed a YouTube video that starts at a specific part.
Twitter will broadcast local TV news to avoid misinformation
In an effort to curb the spread of misinformation, Twitter will begin broadcasting local TV news alongside the timeline when tragedy strikes. The microblogging service tested the feature yesterday, streaming news coverage of the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Miami. As Buzzfeed News reports, once you click on the live videos on the timeline, you'll be taken to another timeline populated by tweets about whatever's happening on the news.
Instagram’s new feature lets you draw on your friends’ photos
Instagram released a new feature today that lets you edit pictures friends send you via direct message. Here's how it works. Once someone sends you a photo directly, tap the camera icon in the bottom of that message to reply. Then snap a picture to send back. The original picture sent to you will be included within the photo you reply with and you can then change that original photo by moving it, resizing it, drawing on it, adding stickers or adding text.
Now you can ask to join a friend's Instagram live video
Just a couple of weeks ago, Instagram made it easy to invite a friend to view your live broadcasts on the photo sharing network. Unfortunately, the invitation was only one way. Instagram has fixed that, however, with a new option: you can now request to join your friend's live video.
Facebook slips a screen-sharing feature into Live videos
Facebook has quietly launched a new feature for Live videos that makes sharing your screen a painless experience. Instead of downloading a third-party service, you can now simply click the "Share Screen" button that appears once you enter the Live module on desktop. TheNextWeb's Matt Navarra has discovered the new sharing option, which doesn't seem to be experimental, because we were able to activate the feature for our account even outside the US.
Tweet back to live video through your Apple TV
The Twitter app came to Apple TV a year ago, bringing the social network's various video streams to your big screen television set. It added support for Twitter's live 360-degree video this past May, too. Now a new update will give you the power to tweet replies to live Twitter videos on your Apple TV via a connected iPhone or iPad.
The semi-nude lives of webcam stars
Harli Lotts (not her real name) knows her audience better than just about anyone I've ever met in online media. In just two years, the bubbly blonde from El Paso, Texas, has gone from manager of a rent-to-own store to rising internet starlet by making personal connections with a loyal online audience. She arrived at our interview on a sweltering Friday morning in a hotel suite on the Las Vegas strip with a small entourage of two other budding social media influencers, Amber Vixx and Stefanie Joy (also not their names). NSFW Warning: This story may contain links to and descriptions or images of explicit sexual acts.
Twitter's NFL show is a consolation for losing games to Amazon
During the 2016 NFL season, Twitter streamed the league's slate of Thursday Night Football matchups. The 2017 season will be a lot different for the social network as it lost those weekly livestreams to Amazon last month. Twitter won't miss out completely though, and its users can expect a daily dose of pro football coverage when the new season kicks off this fall.
Roku's Twitter channel brings livestreams to your living room
Twitter just announced a slew of new live content earlier this week and now Roku is giving its users a way to watch it all in their living room. The set-top box company revealed today a dedicated channel for all of Twitter's live video on its range of streaming devices. This means that you'll be able to follow along just like you would on any other Roku channel rather than through Twitter on mobile or the desktop.
Murders, suicides and rapes: Facebook's major video problem
A nationwide manhunt for Steve Stephens, the 37-year-old from Cleveland who uploaded a video to Facebook of himself shooting an elderly stranger in the head, came to an end today. Stephens committed suicide after a brief car chase with state police in Erie, Pennsylvania. His crime, which took place this past Sunday, sparked outrage not only because of the violence itself, but also the way Facebook handled the situation. It took the social network over two hours to take the video down, although it claims this was because it wasn't flagged immediately by other users. Facebook says Stephens' actions weren't reported until he used the Live feature to stream his murder confession, about an hour and 45 minutes after the shooting video was uploaded. His account has since been suspended.
Facebook Live adds a bunch of features for famous people
Mentions is the behind-the-scenes tool that public figures use to keep track of their brands on Facebook, and today it's getting three new features aimed at improving the Live video experience. New tools rolling out over the next few weeks include the ability to blacklist certain words or phrases from the comments, fresh customization options for live videos and the option to trim videos after the broadcast has ended.
Instagram Live brings streaming to your Stories today
Just a few weeks after Instagram announced that it's adding live video broadcasting to the app, the feature is now, well, live. To start broadcasting, just head over to your Stories camera and swipe over to "Live" mode. Viewers will know you're live with the "live" badge over your Story icon. From what we can tell, the interface is very similar to that of Periscope and Facebook Live. You can leave comments and tap the Heart button to send floating hearts into view.
Twitter will host a live Q&A with 'Rogue One' director and cast
We're just a few weeks out from Rogue One, the first in what will probably be a never-ending string of "stand-alone" Star Wars films. After last year's successful revival of the franchise, fans are chomping at the bit for more on Rogue One, and they'll get it this Friday. Twitter will be hosting a live Q&A and broadcast some unseen footage from the upcoming film.
Streaming to Periscope is no longer confined to phones
Twitter's livestreaming service is moving beyond the phone. Today, Periscope CEO, Kayvon Beykpour, announced that Periscope will stream videos from, well, anything. The new "Producer" feature is aimed at content creators who might not want to be limited to just streaming from their phone.
Periscope's website now organizes live videos into good old channels
Yup, Periscope is still a thing: Twitter's live video streaming service just announced some new discovery features to make its web portal to the world more useful. Taking a page out of the aging but still successful broadcast TV playbook, Periscope is offering up sets of "curated channels." Some are hashtag-driven, like #Music, #Food, #Art and #Travel -- those will be updated whenever some goes live on Periscope.
Twitter comes to the Xbox One, Apple and Amazon TV boxes
Much like Shia LaBoeuf declaring that he isn't famous anymore, Twitter is now out and proud about not being a social network. No, instead, Twitter is now a broadcasting platform, which means that it needs to put itself in the sort of places you use to watch TV. That's why the company has announced that it's launching apps for Apple TV, Amazon's Fire TV and Microsoft's Xbox One. It'll be on these that you can watch some of the new video content that's coming to the service, including Thursday Night Football.
Twitter can tell you when friends and celebs start livestreaming
Twitter is all about live content on this fine Monday morning. First up, Twitter has added a new notification option that alerts users when someone they follow shares live video in a tweet. To enable the function on mobile, navigate to the page of someone you follow and tap the new notification icon next to the follow icon. Then select the final option, "Only tweets with live video," and you're all set. The next time that account goes live, a red alert bar will pop up along the bottom of your feed, allowing you to tap and start watching.
