Instagram Testing Out A New ‘Favorites’ Feature

Image credit – The Verge

When it comes to privacy on instagram, users have the option of setting their profiles to private or public. They can also block users, delete comments, and so on. However in terms of being able to share their content with a specific group of people, that’s one feature that has been missing from Instagram, but that could change in the near future.

In a report from The Verge, it seems that Instagram is testing out a Favorites feature that lets users choose who they want to share their content with. This sounds like it would be similar to Facebook where users can choose their audience, which groups of people to include or exclude, and so on.

This is something that users have been trying to do themselves for a while now which are called “Finstagrams”, where these are private Instagram accounts that only follow a handful of users and who only allow a handful of users to follow them, and photos are deleted once friends have acknowledged them with a “Like”. This is something that Instagram has recognized and is trying to solve with the new Favorites feature.

This lets users create a list of people they want to share their content with, and this is a list that can be edited anytime, so if you’ve had a falling out or if you want to add more people to that list, you can do so anytime. Like we said this is currently a feature that is being tested out, although Instagram does plan to eventually roll it out on a broader scale in the coming months.

Instagram Testing Out A New ‘Favorites’ Feature , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

Nike Is Turning To Augmented Reality To Sell Sneakers

If you’re looking to buy a pair of sneakers, you’ve got options that include going online or going to a brick and mortar retail shop. However Nike is changing that up by announcing a new app called SNKRS, which is an augmented reality-based app that will help their customers get their hands on limited edition releases.

This will debut with the launch of the Nike SB Dunk High Pro “Momofuku” sneakers which is released in collaboration with chef David Chang who owns the series of Momofuku restaurants. According to Nike, all users have to do is launch the app, point it at David Chang’s Fuki East Village menu, and it should unlock the sneakers within the app and given users the chance to buy it.

Nike’s instructions online reads, “Once the camera is open, find David Chang’s Fuku East Village menu online (hint, that’s it above). Or any of the special SNKRS posters inspired by the menu that are pasted up outside all Momofuku restaurants in the US.  Hover over the menu or poster with the camera and then tap to unlock it. The shoe will instantly pop up on your screen. If there are still pairs available, the invitation to purchase the Nike SB Dunk High Pro “Momofuku” will appear in your SNKRS Feed and Inbox.”

Now if you don’t happen to live near one of Chang’s Momofuku restaurants, not to worry as you can always use an online menu to replicate the effect. This does seem like a rather novel feature, but it’s nice to see more companies starting to embrace augmented reality tech.

Nike Is Turning To Augmented Reality To Sell Sneakers , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

Tim Tebow Gets Promoted In Minors Basically Because He's Tim Tebow

function onPlayerReadyVidible(e){‘undefined’!=typeof HPTrack&&HPTrack.Vid.Vidible_track(e)}!function(e,i){if(e.vdb_Player){if(‘object’==typeof commercial_video){var a=”,o=’m.fwsitesection=’+commercial_video.site_and_category;if(a+=o,commercial_video[‘package’]){var c=’&m.fwkeyvalues=sponsorship%3D’+commercial_video[‘package’];a+=c}e.setAttribute(‘vdb_params’,a)}i(e.vdb_Player)}else{var t=arguments.callee;setTimeout(function(){t(e,i)},0)}}(document.getElementById(‘vidible_1’),onPlayerReadyVidible);

A .220 batting average in minor league baseball generally would not earn someone a promotion ― unless maybe that prospect is Tim Tebow.

The New York Mets announced Sunday that the 29-year-old former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback will be moving up a notch in their farm system despite his tepid performance, according to outlets.

Tebow will ascend from low-Class A Columbia to high-A Port St. Lucie on Tuesday, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said.

Tebow, signed by the Mets to a minor league contract in September after his football career stalled, had just 3 home runs and 23 RBIs while striking out 69 times in 214 at-bats with Columbia this season.

“His on-base (percentage), isolated power, swing, exit velocity, a lot of different things have been much better in the last 15 games,” Alderson said, per USA Today. “On the other hand, we recognize this is not the normal, usual circumstance, but we just felt that given everything involved, this was about the right time for him to move up to high A.’’

“It’s not like he’s tearing up the league,” Alderson added, per Newsday. “But at the same time, all of the indications are positive in terms of various things that we look at.”

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

HTC Vive X welcomes 33 new startups to its accelerator program

In pushing the virtual reality market forward, it really isn’t enough just to have a VR headset or a set of demo apps and games. It isn’t even enough just to have a platform to build upon. You also need the builders that will utilize that platform. Last year, HTC announced its Vive X accelerator program in a bid to … Continue reading

You won’t have to wait too long for a Purism Librem Laptop anymore

Although the chatter, whistleblowing, and mudslinging revolving around data privacy and security have somewhat died down, it hasn’t completely vanished and is perhaps more critical than ever before. That is perhaps why Purism, the folks behind the privacy-focused Librem Laptops, have decided to take a more mainstream approach to their sales, shipping the laptops in just weeks after paying for … Continue reading

The Morning After: Monday, June 26th 2017

It’s Monday morning, and we’re talking about how tweets are now official presidential statements, the problem with the console wars and Snapchat Specs made for underwater.

Google Chrome Gets Picture-In-Picture Video Support In Android O

Image credit – Android Police

Given that due to the way our phones are built physically, its software also needs to be configured in such a way that works with the way it has been designed. This also means that in some instances, what we can do on a computer might not necessarily be able to be replicated on our smartphones.

For example on computers we could have multiple windows running side-by-side, letting us surf the web, type up documents, and watch videos all at once. That’s something that Google has been working towards since Android Nougat, but now with Android O, the good news for Chrome users is that Google is finally adding picture-in-picture video support.

Basically what this means is that when you watch videos using Chrome, you no longer have to choose between either watching a video or replying an email. All users have to do is go full-screen in your video in Chrome, tap the Recents button twice, and you’re good to go. Note that other apps have already started to support this feature, such as VLC, Duo, and Play Movies, so this is more geared towards those who rely on Chrome pretty heavily for video watching.

At the moment Android O is still in its developer preview stage and we have no idea when Google plans on unleashing it on the masses, but presumably it should be released alongside the new Pixel phones which should be announced sometime in Q3, assuming Google doesn’t deviate from what has become an annual tradition.

Google Chrome Gets Picture-In-Picture Video Support In Android O , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

Snapchat Introduces ‘Snap Map’ Location-Sharing Feature

With apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook’s Messenger, sharing your location with a friend is pretty straightforward. However for some reason despite introducing features such as geofilters, Snapchat has been missing a location-sharing feature, but not anymore as the developers have since announced “Snap Map”.

The concept of Snap Map is pretty straightforward: users can share their locations with their friends, although it will differ slightly from what other messenger apps are offering. For starters Snap Map will be displayed on a map and users will appear in Bitmoji form, which we guess lends itself to a bit of fun and novelty.

There will also be heat zones being displayed on the map which will show users where a lot of snaps are being taken. In a statement sent to The Verge, a Snap spokesperson said, “These Snaps are sorted using advanced machine learning techniques that aim to surface interesting Snaps that are also safe and fun for our community.”

For those who are concerned about privacy, not to worry as Snapchat claims that your location is only updated whenever you open the app. This means that you don’t have to worry about the app tracking your location as you move around and updating the map constantly, which is good to know not only in terms of privacy, but also in terms of data and battery usage. The changes should be live so fire up Snapchat if you want to check it out.

Snapchat Introduces ‘Snap Map’ Location-Sharing Feature , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

Periscope Lets Users Tip Broadcasters With ‘Super Hearts’

Those who live stream their gaming on Twitch as their full time job obviously need a way to make money. Sure, there are sponsorships, but it’s always nice when the community helps out too, and Twitch introduced an official way to tip broadcasters last year through a feature called Cheering.

Now it looks like the folks at Twitter are looking to do the same with their live streaming platform, Periscope, as they have since announced an official method of tipping which is through a new feature called Super Hearts. The concept is similar to Twitch’s Cheering where users can purchase Super Hearts using real money, and then sending those hearts to their favorite broadcasters. Essentially you’re kind of like buying credits, with Twitter paying creators every month based on the number of hearts they’ve received.

Given that these hearts are purchased in-app, there will be a usual cut taken by either Apple or Google, and whatever’s left will be split 70-30, where 70% of the cash value of the hearts will be given to broadcasters, while Twitter will keep the remaining 30%. As it stands it seems that this feature is only available to those living in the US, so if you’re streaming in another part of the world, you’ll have to continue to rely on more “traditional” ways of receiving tips, such as through PayPal or maybe even setting up a Patreon.

Periscope Lets Users Tip Broadcasters With ‘Super Hearts’ , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

The Reason Why Apple Made The iPad

When Apple first launched the iPad, many made fun of its name, but safe to say that Apple has had the last laugh as not only did the iPad help made regular folks want a tablet (whereas before it was seen as mostly an enterprise tool), but for many years Apple continued to dominate the tablet market and make tons of money off it.

However for those interested in a little history, did you know why Apple made the iPad? During an event held at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, former Apple exec Scott Forstall revealed the reason behind the creation of the iPad, which on hindsight sounds a bit petty, but we’re sure Apple probably isn’t too fussed about the whys.

According to Forstall, “iPhone had a very circuitous route by itself. We’d been working on a tablet project, which has a really odd beginning. It began because Steve hated this guy at Microsoft.” This is in line with Walter Isaacson’s biography on Jobs in which he wrote,  “This dinner was like the tenth time he talked to me about it, and I was so sick of it that I came home and said, ‘F**k this, let’s show him what a tablet can really be’.”

It also turns out that the iPad was actually in the process of being made even before the iPhone was conceived, and it was only after Jobs and other Apple execs realized that phones could end up making iPods redundant (which they have) that they decided to work on a phone instead, where is where some of you guys might be familiar with the story of how Jobs had asked Forstall and Tony Fadell to each come up with an operating system that would work on a smaller device.

The Reason Why Apple Made The iPad , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.