Stay up-to-date on the top tech news and trends each week with our Weekly Top 10 Tech. See something we missed? Tag @swebdevelopment on Facebook and Twitter! Here’s our top 10 for this week:
1. Instagram Makes Posting Photos And Videos Easier For iPhone Owners
The latest version of Instagram now allows iPhone users to post photos outside of the app and from Apple’s native Photos app and even third-party photo apps. Users can add a caption to their photos, but tagging users within the caption or using the Instagram filters outside of the app are not available at this time.
2. Facebook Is Disabling Messaging In Its Mobile Web App To Push People To Messenger
This summer Facebook will be removing the messaging capability from its mobile web apps, with the reasoning that users will have the best messaging experience within the dedicated Messenger app. This change is being received with mixed reviews, but it’s coming nonetheless.
3. Snapchat Launches Massive Redesign To Get People To Read More Stories
Snapchat’s redesign puts its paid publishers and curated live videos across the top of a user’s story page tiles, also allowing users to subscribe to their favorite publications.
4. Alphabet Wants To Beam High-Speed Internet To Your Home
Despite Google laying down fiber cables for the past four years, parent company Alphabet now wants to use new technology to send high-speed internet straight to your home–wirelessly. Executives believe they can transmit internet connections at the same speed Google Fiber promises, and they have plans to test the technology in Kansas City for the next year.
5. Facebook is taking on Amazon’s live video-game streaming service
As Facebook expands its Live video efforts, it now wants a piece of the live video-game streaming pie. This won’t become their main focus, but if they garner enough interest, they’ll be able to prove that gamers can reach big crowds and make money doing so.
6. Samsung May Release Phones With Bendable Screens
Samsung is considering releasing two new phones with bendable screens as early as next spring, which would be a game changer for the company and possibly give them a leg up over their main competitor, Apple. Their biggest obstacle was in creating durable transparent plastic, which seems to be resolved now.
7. How Design Is Shaping The Future At Tech Giants Like Facebook
Design is a major component behind the success of every major technology company, and Wired shares insights from 7 tech leaders on how design impacts their business.
8. Motion Stills – Create Beautiful GIFs From Live Photos
There’s a fun new app on the scene that turns your Live iPhone photos into whimsical GIFs that are easy to share across all social channels. The app loops a series of Live photos together–along with the sound captured with them–and turns them into a motion still. We’re definitely having fun with this one!
9. Wix Announces AI-Designed Websites
Website builder Wix has announced what it calls Artificial Design Intelligence, ADI for short, which purports to use artificial intelligence to create the websites of the future. On closer inspection, it really just seems to be a glorified template browser–artificial intelligence will not be replacing web designers and developers any time soon. We certainly think it’s our personalized human touch and expertise that makes for a great custom website!
10. Getty Launches VR Group With 12,000 Stock Images
The renowned stock-image site, Getty Images, is betting big on 360 degree images, launching a new VR division called Getty Images Virtual Reality Group. The division is already home to 12,000 360-degree images, with plans to grow exponentially as it equips their photographers with 360-degree cameras to cover the 2016 Rio Olympics. With Getty hopping on the 360-degree train, VR images are sure to only gain momentum in mainstream media.
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