Twitter scores a touchdown and makes history with the NFL, meanwhile Snapchat is upping its game by closer connecting you and your friends, and Facebook is going futuristic by lending a voice to the visually impaired. Here are some major social media headlines in the news.
Twitter’s NFL Touchdown
Cord Cutters are doing their best End Zone Dance! That’s because Twitter signed a deal with the NFL to live stream 10 regular season Thursday night games. Twitter has yet to announce the full scope of their broadcasting capabilities, but one rumored method is streaming through Microsoft X-Box. Like a Peyton Manning 80-yd touchdown pass, Twitter will go the distance offering in-game highlights and pregame Periscopes from the players and the teams.
Twitter is rumored to have secured the streaming rights for $10 million, despite reports of higher bids. It looked as though there would be a fierce bidding war between social platforms, but Facebook recently withdrew its bid for the streaming rights. Twitter has been struggling with growth seen by other platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Will this be a game-changer? We will stay tuned.
Snapchat Introduces Chat 2.0
Snapchat launched its 2.0 update, and users are Snap Happy about the new features, including video notes, stickers and calls, Snapchat says the upgrade is “the best way to communicate – second only to hanging out face-to-face.”
Here are some of the new features:
- Send photos during both video and audio calls.
- Send chats to your besties with 200 fun stickers to choose from.
- Record audio notes
- Record 10 second videos that loop when a friend views it!
These features make Snapchat a phone alternative that brings it closer to rivaling both Facebook Messenger and Whatsapp. To access these features, swipe right on a contact you wish to talk to. This’ll open a Chat window with that contact. If you’ve never used Snapchat, we have a startup guide for you too.
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Facebook Bridges the Visual Gap for the Blind
It’s gotten to a point where it is impossible to imagine Facebook without its constant stream of photos. But for the blind, that has been their reality. Now, Mark Zuckerberg’s team has developed artificial intelligence to help the blind “see” the photos on their timeline. The new “automatic alternative text” recognizes the objects in each photo via machine learning. The technology allows your device to pick up on specific algorithms to make predictions on the object shown in the photo. The automatic alternative text allows iPhone’s VoiceOver feature to recognize and read descriptions of the photos out loud to the user. The technology is able to identify basic concepts in categories such as modes of transportation, nature, sports, food, of course selfies, etc.
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