Google shuts YouTube channel implicated in Kremlin political propaganda ops
A YouTube channel that had been implicated in Russia disinformation operations to target the U.S. 2016 election has been taken down by Google. Read More Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techcrunch/social/~3/s4ysSPZ-kF8/
Twitter says it may “refine” its policies after reversing position on Blackburn campaign ad
For the second time in less than three weeks, Twitter has said it will look at its policies following controversy over tweets by a politician. On Tuesday, Twitter reversed a decision it made the day before to block a campaign video from Rep. Marsha Blackburn, a Republican representative from Tennessee, for breaking its ad policies. In a media statement, a Twitter spokesperson said “While… Read More Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techcrunch/social/~3/WQWridHnMio/
Facebook seriously needs its own Bitmoji
Your Facebook profile used to be the online version of “you”. But over the past year, Bitmoji has usurped Facebook to become the preferred way to share your identity over the web. The Facebook profile assembles a collection of text and real-world photos into a fixed set of poses, making it more of a snapshot of the offline you ported into the digital realm rather than a vision of… Read More Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techcrunch/social/~3/sAHNUb1CWY0/
Social media monitor Brandwatch acquires content marketing platform BuzzSumo
Brandwatch, a social media monitoring company, has acquired BuzzSumo, a content marketing and influencer identification platform, for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition adds an important arrow into Brandwatch’s quiver. Expect more from this company, which seems intent on creating a suite of powerful tools for online marketers. Read More Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techcrunch/social/~3/LbItfYCX144/
Snapchat is building a secluded R&D lab in Lehi, Utah
It’s hard to build something secret in LA or SF without anyone finding out. So Snap Inc. is building a new R&D office in the remote location of Lehi, Utah — 30 miles south of Salt Lake City. The distance from Facebook and other tech companies could allow Snapchat to develop new app features or hardware devices beyond the prying eyes and ears of its competitors. Read More Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techcrunch/social/~3/OiWtkhXiGWI/
Twitter launches ‘Happening Now’ to showcase tweets about events, starting with sports
Twitter is today releasing a new feature called “Happening Now” aimed to make its service more accessible to newcomers by highlighting groups of tweets about a topic, beginning with sports, before expanding to other areas like entertainment and breaking news. If this sounds similar to Twitter’s existing Moments feature….well, it is. Moments, too, offers a way to learn… Read More Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techcrunch/social/~3/IpU2HdEMzUM/
Twitterrific returns to Mac as a customizable Twitter client, but at twice the price of Tweetbot
After raising upwards of $100,000 via a Kickstarter campaign earlier this year, the team at Iconfactory has brought back one of the more popular third-party Twitter clients, Twitterrific for Mac. Effectively abandoned years ago when Iconfactory shifted its focus to mobile, the Kickstarter was meant to establish demand for a Mac app ahead of devoting developer resources to building it.
Today… Read More Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techcrunch/social/~3/ffHzPwDjcWM/
Ex-TechCruncher Billy Gallagher announces book on Snapchat’s origin
“So much of it is stranger than fiction. It’s a great story, I knew that if I didn’t write the book, someone else would and I’d regret it,” says Billy Gallagher, author of “How to Turn Down a Billion Dollars: The Snapchat Story.” The book follows CEO Evan Spiegel from the Stanford dorms where Snap was invented, to rejecting Facebook’s… Read More Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techcrunch/social/~3/z-kZiS7-Rbc/
Snapchat’s new Context Cards use Snaps for spontaneous discovery
Snapchat is introducing a new feature that will transform the experience of using the apps at a fundamental level. They’re called ‘Context Cards,’ and they’re new ways to find out more info about any Snap shared by users, providing access to things like restaurant reviews, reservations, Uber and Lyft ride hailing, contact information and more. This is where Snapchat has… Read More Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techcrunch/social/~3/ryrBZDhUIQg/
Cortana will now interrupt your Skype chats
Microsoft’s virtual assistant Cortana has finally arrived in Skype. Announced at last year’s Microsoft Build 2016 event, the assistant’s integration was also previewed when the company released an overhauled, Snapchat-inspired version of its mobile messaging app this summer. But Cortana for Skype wasn’t ready at that time. Now, the feature is live, offering users… Read More Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techcrunch/social/~3/b4OacPbx9TE/
Twitter will launch a bookmarking tool in the near future
Twitter confirmed it’s planning to launch a bookmarking feature to save tweets for later reading. The addition will help users keep a separate list of items they want to refer back to, instead of using the heart (aka “favorite”) button, which can indicate more of a “like” – similar to the “thumbs up” button on Facebook. The feature’s… Read More Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techcrunch/social/~3/WEb9Yil69FA/
Google’s probe into Russian disinformation finds ad buys, report claims
Google has uncovered evidence that Russian operatives exploited its platforms in an attempt to interfere in the 2016 U.S. election, according to the Washington Post. Read More Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techcrunch/social/~3/E4tH_GdEaus/
Angry young men
I used to build bombs in my basement. My friend, a guy who called himself Damage Inc. on the BBSes, built pipe bombs and made a rocket launcher that shot small Estes rockets tipped with razors. We set them off in abandoned fields and fired rockets into trees. We lived in Columbus, Ohio, where there were wide stretches of open field and wide vistas of open time and we were bored and we made and… Read More Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techcrunch/social/~3/ZlGsOGXgw6I/
Facebook security chief rants about misguided “algorithm” backlash
“I am seeing a ton of coverage of our recent issues driven by stereotypes of our employees and attacks against fantasy, strawman tech cos” wrote Facebook Chief Security Officer Alex Stamos on Saturday in a reeling tweetstorm. He claims journalists misunderstand the complexity of attacking fake news, deride Facebook for thinking algorithms are neutral when the company knows they… Read More Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techcrunch/social/~3/2G9Gd3qh2Oc/
AOL Instant Messenger is shutting down after 20 years
The pioneering chat app that taught us to text is pulling the plug. On December 15th, AOL Instant Messenger will shut down after running since 1997. AIM dominated online chat in North America at the turn of the century. But with SMS and social apps like Facebook and WhatsApp having conquered chat, AOL is giving up the fight with no planned replacement. Read More Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techcrunch/social/~3/27-qbSLwa0Y/
Facebook quietly launches Mac and PC Workplace Chat apps with screen share
TechCrunch has discovered that Facebook has stealthily launched official desktop PC and Mac chat apps with screen sharing — two features users have been begging for. Right now, they’re only available for Workplace, Facebook’s enterprise collaboration software that competes with Slack and other business apps. But users would surely enjoy if the consumer Messenger app got its… Read More Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techcrunch/social/~3/XkE0afViVyU/
Facebook tries fighting fake news with publisher info button on links
Facebook thinks showing Wikipedia entries about publishers and additional Related Articles will give users more context about the links they see. So today it’s beginning a test of a new “i” button on News Feed links that opens up an informational panel. “People have told us that they want more information about what they’re reading” Facebook product manager… Read More Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techcrunch/social/~3/3_dW4i0D0Sc/
21Buttons, a social-commerce app dedicated to fashion, closes $10M Series A
21Buttons, a social-commerce app that lets fashion influencers share their wardrobe, has closed $10 million in Series A funding. The round is led by Kibo Ventures, and JME VC. Read More Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techcrunch/social/~3/V9nXkwAxFvU/
Instagram Stories launches cross-posting to Facebook Stories
Facebook Stories might not be a ghost town for long. After testing in Portugal last month, TechCrunch spotted the option to syndicate your Instagram Stories to Facebook Stories appearing to US users. Now Facebook confirms this feature is officially rolling out, and everyone should have it soon if not already. The only exception is businesses, since they’re not allowed on Facebook… Read More Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techcrunch/social/~3/xt-bXVA9V2Q/
Senate Intel committee calls on Facebook to release Russian ads
In an update on the progress of its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election, the Senate Intelligence Committee weighed in on recent revelations that have implicated major tech companies. The committee plans to hear open public testimony from Facebook, Twitter and Google on November 1 pertaining to their role in selling political ads to Russian government entities. Read More Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techcrunch/social/~3/mlmyzFaFGwI/ Source: https://techcrunch.com/
