f82018
Latest
WhatsApp will finally offer group video calls
WhatsApp may be a cornerstone of the chat world, but it's missing a feature rivals like Skype have had for years: group video chat. Or rather it was. Facebook has revealed that WhatsApp is adding a group video calling feature in the months ahead. There aren't many details at this stage, but it's clear the feature will allow four particpants and work with smartphones.
Facebook removes the middleman with its own dating feature
During the F8 developer conference keynote today, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook will be launching a dating feature. The CEO said that people often tell him that they met on Facebook and since so many relationships now being online, a dating feature seemed like a logical next step. Of course, a dark cloud of data privacy concerns are hanging over the conference and in light of that, Zuckerberg made sure to note that the upcoming tool was designed from the beginning with privacy and safety in mind. The dating feature won't suggest any of your Facebook friends as a match and your friends, even those that have also opted into the feature, won't be able to see your dating profile. And only your first name will be displayed.
Instagram allows you to post to Stories from other apps
Today, Instagram announced a new way to share your favorite moments to Stories. You can now post to your Instagram Story directly from a third-party app, so you can easily share what you're doing, what you're enjoying or what you're listening to without having to leave the app you're in. Instagram will automatically pull the image into its camera, at which point you can edit or tweak it. The feature will debut with Spotify and GoPro, with more on the way, and will go live today on Instagram and later on Facebook.
'Jurassic World: Blue' tells a dinosaur's story on Oculus VR headsets
Now that Oculus Go is here, you can expect a deluge of experiences built to take advantage of affordable VR -- and one of the first will be enticing if you're a Jurassic Park fan. Felix and Paul Studios (the team behind Jurassic World: Apatosaurus) has returned with Jurassic World: Blue, another VR experience based on the dinosaurs-run-amok franchise. The two-part companion to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is designed for both the Oculus Go and Rift, and follows its namesake intelligent velociraptor around Isla Nublar as she struggles against other dinosaurs as well as the island itself. Yes, it's a movie tie-in, but part of the attraction is an improved take on the behind-the-scenes technology.
Oculus Go review: Finally, cheap and easy VR for everyone
The Oculus Go is the most convenient and comfortable VR headset ever made. That might sound like hyperbole, but it's well deserved. With the Rift, its first headset to reach consumers, Oculus helped introduce us to high-end VR. And together with Samsung, it delivered the cheap Gear VR headset for smartphones. But the $199 Go has a far better chance of getting average consumers into virtual reality, because it's dead simple to use.
Facebook continues AR push with tracking, audio and location tools
Last year, Facebook revealed Camera Effects Platform and the associated AR Studio — tools to make it easier to create interactive experiences using the Facebook camera. The latter enabled developers to add animated frames, masks and effects for Live broadcasts. Today at the F8 summit in San Jose, California, Facebook is announcing a new version of AR Studio that the company says will make it even easier to create and distribute AR experiences.
Oculus TV launches this month with a ton of streaming partners
Given that the main function of an Oculus headset is to let you escape reality for a while, using one to watch TV seems almost pedestrian. Yet it's a feature that's often overlooked, until now. Oculus TV is launching later this month and it's got a raft of entertainment partners on board, including Hulu, Showtime, Red Bull and Pluto TV, with more, including ESPN, in the pipeline.
Facebook Messenger will begin translating English to Spanish soon
Messenger's built-in AI is getting a new trick. The M digital assistant will suggest translating a message to your native language if you get a message via Marketplace in a different tongue. It'll start with English to Spanish and roll out to users in the US over the next few weeks. Other languages and availability will come online later. This could make offloading that spare couch of yours a lot easier in the future -- especially if you're trying to communicate with a buyer while you're on the go.
Oculus Go standalone VR headset is now available for $199
Oculus' first stab at a standalone VR headset is finally here after several months of hype. The Oculus Go is now available to order from the company's website for buyers in 23 countries, with US pricing set at $199 for a version with 32GB of storage and $249 for a 64GB model. Americans can also buy the headset from a mix of online and physical retailers including Amazon, Best Buy and Newegg.
Instagram adds video chat to its stable of social features
Live video has been a popular feature on Instagram, and now the social network is taking that one step further. Soon, Instagram will roll out video chatting, allowing a user to talk one-on-one or with a small group of people directly through the service.
GoPro makes it easier to share footage as Instagram Stories
While you can post GoPro photos and videos as Instagram Stories, the process takes quite a few steps to accomplish and sometimes even requires the use of a third-party app. Well, the action cam-maker worked with Instagram to launch a direct way to share your adventures, like say a diving expedition, a trek up the mountain or an ordinary day at home playing with your dog, through the social network's ephemeral feature. Starting today, you'll see Stories as an option when you share videos and photos from within GoPro's application.
Facebook is adding AR to Messenger for #brands
Facebook is bringing augmented reality to Messenger. Rather than being a feature you can use when talking to friends though, the first application of the tech is for #brands. Facebook puts it like this: "When a person interacts with your business in Messenger, you can prompt them to open the camera, which will be pre-populated with filters and AR effects that are specific to your brand. This feature leverages the nature of messaging to help people get valuable, instant feedback about purchases, customizations, and more, without ever needing to set foot in a store."
Facebook provides more ways to help in a crisis
Facebook is offering two new ways to contribute when lives are on the line. For starters, it's launching a Blood Donations on Facebook feature that moves beyond signing up for donations to a full-fledged hub where you can find people and facilities looking for donations. You'll not only see nearby requests, but the urgency and specific details (say, the eligible blood types). From there, you can get in touch if they don't accept walk-ins.
Facebook will let users see which sites are tracking them
Facebook is kicking off its F8 conference by heading off everyone's most pertinent question: What is the platform doing to address user data concerns? The answer, it seems, is Clear History, a new feature the social network is building to give users more control over the information it collects from your browsing history.
Watch Facebook’s F8 opening keynote at 1PM ET
After a few turbulent weeks for Facebook, it's now time for the company to host its annual F8 developers conference in San Jose, California. And kicking off the event is none other than embattled CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who's expected to talk about a wide range of topics. That, of course, includes user data and privacy -- the thing everyone wants to know about right now, after what happened with Cambridge Analytica. But, that won't be it: Zuckerberg will likely also touch on the overall state of the business, like the present and future of Messenger, Oculus, Instagram, Whatsapp and much more. You can tune in at 10AMPT/1PM ET right here.
$199 Oculus Go VR headset is ready for pre-order on Amazon
We're just hours away from the first keynote speech of Facebook's F8 event where we're expecting to hear about all kinds of things, including its mass-market standalone VR headset. Facebook showed off early standalone VR work with "Project Santa Cruz" two years ago, then last year revealed the Oculus Go and its $199 price. We got some hands-on time with its comfy wireless experience at GDC recently, but now Amazon watchers Wario64 and the Tracker App note that Monday night it became ready for pre-ordering. If you're already sure you want one of the headsets that will bring a VR experience without requiring any help from a PC or phone then you can go ahead and get in line now. The only issue remaining (other than any idea about details or software support) is the release date, which Amazon has filled in with a likely placeholder of December 31st. Update: After debuting at F8 earlier today, the headset is now officially on sale, and you can read our review right here.
What to expect at Facebook's F8 conference this week
This week, Facebook will hold its ninth developer conference, and this time, the mood is a little... different. After all, the company has been embroiled in scandal after scandal over the past year, the most recent being the Cambridge Analytica controversy that raised questions over how Facebook handles data privacy, and even led to a rare congressional appearance by CEO Mark Zuckerberg. It's no surprise, then, that everyone is paying a great deal of attention to what Facebook is doing. Which is why this week's F8 conference is the perfect opportunity for Facebook to make several key announcements. Here's what we expect to hear in the days ahead.
Facebook reportedly pauses smart speaker plans for obvious reasons
Even though it seems like everyone is selling some sort of smart speaker, Bloomberg reports that Facebook will not be the next company joining in and has scuttled plans for a reveal at its F8 developer event. Despite earlier rumors of a device that would compete with the likes of Echo, Home, and HomePod, it seems that the company has considered its current privacy debacle and decided this isn't the right time to try and sell customers (and, likely regulators) on an always-listening assistant/video chat device with built-in facial recognition. Of course, the market hasn't exactly been receptive to Facebook's previous hardware efforts either -- remember the HTC First with Facebook Home? -- so the potential of anything beyond Oculus Go remains hazy. Consensual or not, there are already rumors-that-won't die about Facebook and Instagram listening in on your conversations, and we'd expect some solid answers on privacy before there's any movement in that direction.
