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Snapchat's Cameo test slips your face into GIFs
GIFs are great for conveying your reactions, but they're not usually very personal -- and recording yourself probably won't be that exciting. Snap might have found a way to bridge those two worlds. The company has confirmed to TechCrunch that it's testing a Cameo feature which inserts your face into a selection of (currently pre-made) GIFs. You just take a selfie, pick a generic body type and your face will animate as if it were you, including mouth movements. Think of it like a deepfake, but this time friendly instead of creepy.
Snap teams up with Gucci on limited-edition 3D Spectacles
Snap is going all out to promote its latest Spectacles 3 AR glasses with a Gucci fashion collaboration and strange arty film by Spring Breakers director Harmony Korine. The limited edition "Spectacles x Gucci" design was also done by Korine. "Hand-painted in highly saturated tones, the color palette can be seen in Harmony's paintings and photography work," Snap wrote in a press release.
Bitmoji's custom clothing makes your avatar more true to life
It's now easier to be a rugged individualist... as far as a digital avatar will allow, anyway. Snap is rolling out a Mix and Match option for Bitmoji on Android and iOS that, as the name implies, lets you customize your virtual persona's clothing on a piece-by-piece basis. Venture into the Avatar Designer in the Bitmoji or Snapchat apps and you can choose different tops, bottoms, shoes and other apparel that matches what you actually wear, or at least what you'd like to actually wear. Want to dress like a hypebeast? You can probably get close enough to let everyone know your tastes.
Verizon will preload Snapchat on 'select' 5G phones
Snap Inc. and Verizon (Engadget's parent company) announced today that they are "official 5G innovation partners." As part of the alliance, Verizon will preload the Snapchat app on "select" 5G devices and offer exclusive deals through its Verizon Up rewards program. Snap will develop new AR features and experiences at Verizon's 5G Labs, and you can expect Verizon "premium sponsorship placements" in Snap Originals video series.
Snapchat's Time Machine lens lets you slide between young and old
Earlier this year, the FaceApp filter that made people look old and wrinkled in selfies went viral. Then we learned that the Russian-developed selfie-editing app was uploading users' photos to the cloud and that it required "full and irrevocable access to their personal photos and data." That temporarily killed the craze, but now, Snapchat is ready to introduce a new aging filter.
Snapchat fact-checks political ads where Facebook won't
Snapchat may have another way to compete against rival apps like Instagram: truth in advertising. Snap chief Evan Spiegel told CNBC in an interview that his company has a team that fact-checks all political advertising -- a sharp contrast to Facebook, which has refused to verify the accuracy of political ads so far. The company wants to "create a place" for these ads, Spiegel said, and it's particularly important given Snapchat's young audience. It wants these people to "engage with the political conversation," but it doesn't want false claims to slip into those ads.
Snapchat's latest Portal Lens takes you to a Gucci-filled beach
Snapchat's partnerships with all kinds of companies and brands provide you with a variety of Lenses to choose from, like artsy-filmlike filters and AR objects for sporting event tie-ins. Now, its latest team-up with Gucci will give you access to a Portal Lens -- Lenses that transport you to a 3D world, where you can interact with the objects -- that takes you to a beach filled with the luxury brand's signature handbags and accessories.
Snap Spectacles 3 review: A better, more sophisticated novelty
In case you've forgotten, Snap makes video-recording sunglasses called Spectacles. The first two iterations didn't do very well, and you had to go to a special vending machine to pay $130 or $150 a pop. Despite lukewarm reviews, Snap is isn't giving up on Spectacles just yet. In fact, it's ready to launch the third-generation. In addition to a glam makeover, the Specs 3 feature a second camera for depth effects that feature prominently in the company's push into augmented reality. Snap's goal here isn't to sell a million units, though. It's more of an experiment to see how people use AR in hopes that it can learn enough to finally make it "a thing".
VSCO's first Snapchat lens adds film-inspired effects
VSCO is giving Snapchat users a taste of what its photography app can offer. The popular photo-slash-filter app has teamed up with Snapchat and released its first lens for the platform called "Analog." It comes with two filters, and according to VSCO, they're new and exclusive to the platform. Film, the first of the two, mimics the light glares, leaks and distortion that can appear on film. Meanwhile, Prism can produce a whimsical, refracted double effect. Like any other filter, they can be used individually or combined -- they also work on both static photos and videos.
Snapchat's latest effect lets you draw in AR
If Snapchat's canned effects aren't enough for you, there's now a simple solution: draw your own. Snapchat for iOS now includes a 3D Paint feature that uses the camera to draw augmented reality visuals on top of whatever you see, whether it's your face or a cute-looking car. It's a bit like Samsung's AR Doodle, but it isn't strictly locked to one platform.
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.
Snap continues to add new users
After struggling to grow its user base for awhile, Snap has recently managed to make some headway in that mission. Its last earnings report showed the company managed to grow its daily active user (DAU) number seven percent over the quarter prior. From its third-quarter results released today, it appears Snap is continuing to do well. In the last quarter, the company managed to add 7 million users. Today, Snap is reporting that its DAUs have increased by 13 percent from the same period last year, with a total of 210 million users to date.
Snapchat users can share Reddit posts directly with their friends
Snapchat is rolling out an easy way for you to share the best things you find on Reddit with your friends. You'll see Snapchat among the options when you tap the share button on Reddit, as long as you have both apps installed on an iOS device.
Adidas made a Snapchat game to drop limited, 8-bit-themed baseball cleats
Adidas is teaming up with Snapchat on a unique way to launch a product. The sportswear giant has created an 8-bit game you can play in Snapchat, called Baseball's Next Level, where you'll have the chance to buy its new 8-bit-themed baseball cleats. Produced in partnership with developer AvatarLabs, Baseball's Next Level is a home run derby, old-school style title that will let you play as some of Adidas' Major League Baseball athletes. That includes Aaron Judge (Yankees), Carlos Correa (Astros), Alex Bregman (Astros), Justin Turner (Dodgers) and Kiké Hernandez (Dodgers), all of whom have their own Adizero or Icon V cleats in the Adidas 8-bit collection, which you can buy directly from the game.
Instagram’s Threads is compelling, but kind of creepy
Look, I'm not one to constantly post selfies. I'd rather just take pictures of random buildings or my sneakers. But, when I do take a selfie, it's mostly just so I can share a goofy face with my family or best friends. I've mentioned this before in previous stories about Facebook, Instagram has become one of my main messaging apps -- right up there with iMessage and WhatsApp. That's why the idea of Instagram's new Threads app, which is designed specifically for private messages between you and your closest friends, sounds so intriguing.
Snapchat's first swipeable lens is an AR partnership with Tinder
Tinder recently launched Swipe Night, an app that lets you choose your own adventure by -- wait for it -- swiping left or right. If you want to check out the experience without actually downloading Tinder, Snapchat has you covered with the new Swipe Night Lens. It will give users a sneak peek at the experience by bringing up various scenarios from Swipe Night and letting you swipe left to "save yourself" or swipe right to "save the world," according to Tinder.
Instagram's Threads is a camera app for sharing with your closest friends
If you want to get a glimpse of Mark Zuckerberg's "privacy-focused" vision for Facebook, then look no further than Instagram's new social app: Threads. This new standalone, camera-first messaging app is an extension of Instagram's Close Friends feature on Stories, which lets you share pictures, videos and more only with groups of people you've carefully selected. As the Facebook CEO has said in recent months, his plan is to take Facebook into an era of "simple, intimate places," where individuals can have a dedicated space for private interactions on its family of apps. And with Threads from Instagram, which launches today on iOS and Android, the company is taking a step in that direction.
Snap's 'Project Voldemort' dossier detailed Facebook's copycat moves
Facebook hasn't been subtle about duping Snapchat features and otherwise undermining its competitor. Don't think Snap just shrugged its shoulders and focused on adding and opening up features, though -- apparently, it's been taking notes. Wall Street Journal sources claim Snap has documented Facebook's alleged anti-competitive moves in a collection of files nicknamed 'Project Voldemort.' Clearly, Snap sees Facebook as a villain worthy of taking on Harry Potter. Many of the perceived offenses are well-known, such as copying Stories and preventing people from linking to Snapchat profiles, but the Voldemort documents also accuse Facebook of intentionally suppressing Snapchat-related content.
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.
Snapchat makes your selfies more animated with new 3D effects
Get ready for your selfies to have a little more pop on Snapchat. Today, the company is introducing 3D Camera Mode, a new feature which lets you take Snaps that can change perspective and appearance as you move your smartphone around. To make this effect happen, Snapchat is taking advantage of Apple's TrueDepth camera system, which the Cupertino firm uses for features such as Face ID and Animojis. Naturally, this means the new 3D Camera Mode only works for Snapchatters with an iPhone X and above, although these three-dimensional Snaps can be viewed by anyone on the app. So, if you have an Android phone, you can enjoy your friends' 3D selfies, you just can't create any of your own.
