Your Time On Facebook
Facebook has confirmed to TechCrunch that it is testing a “Your Time on Facebook” feature in an unreleased version of its app. The “Your Time on Facebook” feature would show users how much time they spend using the service over the last week and the average time spent for the total week.
Jane Manchun Wong, an engineer that has successfully discovered leaked features in the past, originally spotted the feature in the Facebook app for Android:
Facebook-owned Instagram is also testing a similar feature. And Instagram is also adding a “You’re all caught up” indicator to suggest users when to take a break.
Partially Reinstating Cryptocurrency Ads
Facebook has decided to partially reinstate certain types of cryptocurrency ads, according to Forbes contributor Emma Woollacott. The banning of cryptocurrency ads was applied back in January. Advertisers that set up cryptocurrency promotions will have to be “pre-approved.”
“Advertisers wanting to run ads for cryptocurrency products and services must submit an application to help us assess their eligibility — including any licenses they have obtained, whether they are traded on a public stock exchange, and other relevant public background on their business,” wrote Facebook product management director Rob Leathern. “Given these restrictions, not everyone who wants to advertise will be able to do so. But we’ll listen to feedback, look at how well this policy works and continue to study this technology so that, if necessary, we can revise it over time.”
Facebook is going to continue prohibiting ads that promote binary options and initial coin offerings (ICOs).
New Fundraising Features
According to USA Today, Facebook is going to be expanding upon its fundraising features. This news comes on the heels of a noteworthy fundraising campaign where a California couple sought to raise $1,500 on behalf of the migrant children separated from their parents due to the Trump administration’s zero-tolerance policy at the U.S.-Mexico border.
That campaign — which was set up by the Texas-based refugee nonprofit RAICES — ended up raising $20 million through Facebook’s fundraising feature. And as a result, this was the largest single fundraiser in Facebook’s history.
Facebook is going to allow users to automatically set up recurring monthly donations to nonprofit organizations. And Pages will also be able to donate directly to nonprofit fundraisers directly going forward.
“It’s been a pretty inspiring set of weeks,” said Facebook’s head of product for social good via USA Today. “It’s been amazing to see the movement that’s been building.”
Patent For Listening Through Your Phone Mic
Recently, details about one of Facebook’s patents surfaced where it describes technology that could be used for activating the microphone of a user’s device to listen as TV ads are being watched. The patent — which is called “Broadcast Content View Analysis Based On Ambient Audio Recording” — was discovered by Metro.
And the concept is that there would be secret messages embedded in TV ads to be used for activating the device microphones, but it cannot be heard by the human ear. In a statement to Engadget, Facebook VP and Deputy General Counsel Allen Lo said that the company filed the patent “to prevent aggression from other companies.” And Lo said that the technology in this patent has not been included in any of its products and “never will be.”
Back in April at a congressional hearing, CEO Mark Zuckerberg was actually asked whether Facebook listens to conversations through a device’s microphone. Zuckerberg denied it and said it was a “conspiracy theory.”
Music For Instagram Stories
This past week, Instagram rolled out the ability to add music to Stories for Android and iOS users across 6 countries. This was made possible through Facebook’s partnership with several music labels. Some of the most popular artists that you can choose music from include Bruno Mars, Calvin Harris, Demi Lovato, Dua Lipa, Maroon 5 and Guns N’ Roses.
When you tap to add a stick to a photo or video in Stories, you will see a music icon. And then tap on it to open the song library and search for a “specific song, browse by mood, genre or what’s popular and tap the play button to hear a preview. When you’ve selected your song, you can fast-forward and rewind through the track to choose the exact part that fits your story.”
You will also be able to choose a song before capturing a video. And when you open the Camera, swipe to the “Music” option under the record button. Then search for a song, select the portion you want to use and record a video as the song plays in the background.
As your friends watch the story, they will hear the song playing as they view the photo or video. And they will see a sticker showing the song title and artist name.
Instagram told TechCrunch that the musicians will receive compensation for the use of the songs, but it is unknown how that would work. And when Facebook users add copyrighted music to their own videos before upload it, they will not be taken down as was done before. Separately, Facebook is testing a Lip Sync Live feature.
Recently, Instagram announced it hit 1 billion monthly users and Stories was seeing 400 million daily users itself.
Snap
Game Platform Rumor
Snapchat is preparing to launch a gaming platform this fall, according to sources with The Information. Snap has also reportedly partnered with one gaming publisher company for making a title for the Snapchat gaming platform.
Snapchat may even launch its own internal app store for the gaming platform. And it is believed that Snap will be utilizing technology it acquired from PlayCanvas to develop the mobile gaming software.
Originally posted by FORBES
