#Newsfeed: ‘Facebook Rewards’ QR codes trial uncovered; Twitter partners with Bloomberg for 24/7 streaming video news; Victoria to expand anti-scalping legislation to include live music
And yes, Instagram is bugging out for everyone.
According to reports from TechCrunch, Facebook is looking to drive more brick-and-mortar foot traffic with its latest feature test. The previously unreported Facebook feature allows users to scan a personalised QR code to score discounts or bonuses when they buy something in-person at certain stores. Some users are reportedly seeing the Rewards feature listed in the More tab of their Facebook mobile app.
Read more about this developing feature here.
Twitter looks like it’s getting back on track, thanks to finally securing an exclusive video deal – this time, with news outlet Bloomberg. 24/7 video news broadcasts will be offered on Twitter, as well as original reporting from Bloomberg’s various global news offices, and content created and posted by Twitter users themselves (as curated and also verified by Bloomberg before being reposted to the channel).
Read more about the deal here.
Had Instagram stopped working for you this morning? It would appear that you’re not the only one! Instagram announced there was a known problem with its service shortly before 6am AEST this morning. While people could open their Instagram app to see photos, the bug for many people meant they could not share their latest photo or post to Instagram Stories.
Read some of the heated reactions to the bug here.
It’s no secret that ticket scalping is getting worse in Australia, and the Victorian Government has announced plans to combat the dishonest practice. The state has begun discussing an extension of its Major Sporting Events Act to include protecting music fans from ticket scalpers, to “give fans of all types a fairer go” according to sports minister John Eren.
Read more about what the Victorian music scene is doing in light of this news here.
YourTechExplained founder and 9to5Google contributor Ben Schoon has spoken out against the continuing decline of YouTube, both in terms of the search algorithm and the decreased traffic it’s generating, and advertisers reducing spend on the platform following the latest series of pre-roll debacles. “Creators are what makes YouTube what it is, and with the course the service is currently steering itself toward, there won’t be as many amazing creators left,” Schoon writes. “There will just be the ones who are too big to fail or the ones who don’t care about their audience.”
Read his opinion piece in full here.
- Facebook rejects claims it targets ‘insecure’ teens [via Mumbrella]
- Facebook gives its Marketplace a colourful redesign [via TechCrunch]
- ‘Facebook Rewards’ QR codes dangle discounts for offline purchases [via TechCrunch]
- Facebook tapped a New York Times vet to help fight fake news and make money for publishers [via Business Insider]
- Twitter will offer 24/7 streaming video news in partnership with Bloomberg [via TechCrunch]
- Twitter stock jumps 5 per cent after Bloomberg deal [via CNBC]
- Instagram Stories are busted and we’re not ok [via Mashable]
- Frustrated people share their pain on Twitter with Instagram down [via News Limited]
- Zan Rowe: The most powerful women in Australian music [via Stoney Roads]
- Victoria to expand anti-scalping legislation to include live music [via The Music Network]
- Ed St John steps back into the biz with Music Australia [via The Industry Observer]
- Ja Rule and Fyre Festival Crew Hit With $100 Million Lawsuit [via Pigeons & Planes]
- Jimmy Barnes, Holly Throsby Shortlisted For Prestigious Book Awards [via TheMusic.com.au]
- Opinion: YouTube channels are dying left and right, and Google isn’t doing enough about it [via 9to5Google]
- Report: Apple likely to reveal Siri-powered Amazon Echo competitor next month [via The Next Web]
- Amazon, Google Maps, and eBay quietly pulled their apps from Apple Watch [via Digital Trends]
- The world’s last male northern white rhino is now on Tinder to help sustain the species [via The Next Web]
- The ‘Why I left BuzzFeed’ video meme is somehow getting millennials to talk about labour issues [via Mashable]
- How to Set Up a Facebook Messenger Ad [via Social Media Examiner]
- TRENDING: #EmreCan, #SydneyAirport,
#BBMAs
JADEN JAM: Food as cutlery is a debated topic in our office (one staff member was caught using a Kit Kat Chunky as a spoon recently), but now the idea doesn’t seem so crazy afterall! Because McDonald’s wants us to eat our burgers with a fork made of fries.