NEW & IMPROVED #MidweekMinute!!!
This will now be a longer broadcast on Wednesdays, 2 pm ET, where I tell you how you can actually USE the week's big social media headlines. Future weeks will include special guests providing further insight on their platform of expertise.
So, let's get on with this week's news...
Have you downloaded Vero? If so, what the heck do you do with it?; Snap doubles down (literally) on Specs, tests Hands-Free mode & Full Body lenses; Instagram detectives have discovered evidence in the code of untapped Video/Voice Calling and Portrait Mode functionalities; Twitter introduces private Bookmarks feature; Facebook nixes Explore feed (huzzah!), labels Breaking News, introduces pricey & untargeted Facebook Video Ad Buy program (only $250K/month!), advertises to those considering vacations, and tests Voice Clip statuses and Messenger Broadcast feature.
Also? I'm sick. Send soup.
Vero
Vero: Hot Instagram alternative, but will it stick around? (The Sumter Item)
Tiny app’s big surge challenges Instagram (The Register Guard)
The controversial Vero is this week's David Pogue's Rated:App (Yahoo! Finance)
New Snap Specs
Exclusive: Snap to Release New Spectacles This Year (Cheddar)
Snapchat Developing $300 Spectacles Successor, Another Upgraded Model (International Business Times)
Snap reportedly working on new Spectacles, including two-camera version (Tech Crunch)
Snapchat Lost Millions on Spectacles, So Now It’s Gonna Make More (NYMag)
Evan Spiegel Is Doubling Down on Snapchat’s Biggest Failure (Vanity Fair)
Snapchat Hands-Free & Full Body Mode
Snapchat is quietly testing a hands-free mode and new, full-body camera lenses (Mashable)
Instagram Video/Voice Calling
Instagram code reveals unreleased voice and video calling (Tech Crunch)
Instagram Portrait Mode
Instagram’s code reveals a potential portrait camera mode (The Verge)
Report: Instagram developing its own Portrait Mode-like camera feature (9To5Mac)
Instagram has an unlaunched “Portrait” feature hidden inside (Tech Crunch)
Twitter Bookmarks
Twitter launches Bookmarks, a private way to save tweets (Tech Crunch)
Save Tweets You Want to Read Later With Twitter's New Bookmarks Feature (Lifehacker)
Facebook nixes Explore
News Feed FYI: Ending the Explore Feed Test (Facebook)
Facebook ends its experiment with the alternative ‘explore’ news feed (TechCrunch)
Facebook ends test of split News Feed (Mobile Marketer)
Facebook Breaking News
Facebook swings at Twitter with Breaking News label (Tech Crunch)
Facebook Inc (FB) Takes Swipte At Twitter With New "Breaking" Label (StockNews.com)
Facebook Video Ad Buy Program
Facebook pitches brand-safe video ad buys for $750,000, but lack of control irks buyers (Digiday)
Facebook Trip Consideration
Reach Travelers When They’re Deciding Where to Go with Trip Consideration (Facebook)
Facebook’s New Tool Allows Travel Brands to Shape Vacationers’ Plans From the Start (AdWeek)
Facebook Voice Clips
Micropodcasting? Facebook tries Voice Clip status updates (Tech Crunch)
Facebook Messenger Broadcasts
Facebook’s next money-maker: Messenger Broadcasts (Tech Crunch)