Twitter’s Snapchat-like stickers are now available to all
After announcing its intentions late last month, Twitter has finally jumped on the sticker bandwagon. The company announced it has completed the rollout of its “visual spin on hashtags,” allowing you to furnish your photos with strategically-placed emoji and other custom-made cartoons. They’re searchable too, just in case you want to see other people’s crazy creations.
In the past year, apps like Snapchat and Facebook Messenger have helped popularize stickers, at least in the west. Asian messaging services like Line have been on board for some time and sell branded packs from popular franchises like Hello Kitty. It’s logical to assume that, like custom emoji, Twitter will seek to monetize its graphics and allow brands to pay cold hard cash to add their own.
If you’ve been looking to up your sticker game, or just think your dog could use a nice pair of cartoon sunglasses, Twitter will now place a small smiley icon on the bottom-right part of a photo you wish to attach. Once you hit the button, you’ll be presented with a menu of available stickers that are loosely grouped by category, allowing you to select, quickly place and post to your followers.
Source: Twitter
Facebook will refund app and game purchases made by minors
Parents, take note: if your child bought in-app or in-game purchases on Facebook without your knowledge or consent, you can get your money back. A California court has ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit originally filed by two kids and their parents back in 2012. The judge ordered the social network to provide refunds at parents’ request. Those kids bought Facebook Credits (now known as Facebook Payments) using their parents’ cards without their consent and racked up a few hundred to a thousand dollars in debt.
The website’s lawyers argued that the kids got what they paid for, but the plaintiff’s legal counsel reminded the court that the kids were minors and didn’t exactly understand that they were using their parents’ money. According to The Guardian, the whole case was centered around a California legislation called the Family Code, which applies not just to the state, but the whole country. That code voids contracts made with kids below 18 years old. It’s thanks to this case that Facebook had to launch a way for parents to get their money back. So, if you have a kid fond of playing with your tablet or phone, you may want to bookmark the Payments support page, just in case.
Source: The Guardian
Twitter Debuts ‘Stickers’ as it Faces Slowest Revenue Growth in Three Years
Twitter today will begin rolling out its new “Stickers” feature for iOS and Android devices, which it first announced in June, letting users choose from a set of custom-made stickers in order to customize photos before posting them to the micro-blogging social network. The update brings Twitter a step closer to the comical editing capabilities of Snapchat, where users can place, enlarge, and filter emojis layered on top of their pictures.
But, ahead of the official launch of Stickers, Twitter reported “its slowest revenue growth since going public in 2013.” As reported by Reuters earlier this week, Twitter’s most recent earnings forecast referenced a “disappointing” near future for the company as it struggles to keep pace with services that are catching fire, like Snapchat and Instagram.
Now, everyone can use #Stickers on photos! Celebrate with us tomorrow as we #StickTogether . pic.twitter.com/LOh2jygRno
— Twitter (@twitter) July 27, 2016
Overall, this year the company’s user base expanded 1 percent from Q1 (310 million monthly active users) to Q2 (313 million MAU). Revenue during the second quarter also hit below expectations, as the company’s current quarter forecast of between $590 million and $610 million fell below analyst estimates of about $678.18 million.
The question now for investors, and executives at Twitter, is whether the service should pivot into a “niche product,” now that its days of booming growth are behind it, and most people sticking around are longtime, loyal users. Either way, the company is said to have a plan in mind to turn things around, focusing on five key areas: its core service, live-streaming video, the site’s “creators and influencers,” safety, and developers.
“Clearly, the turnaround is still a work in progress and the question of whether being a platform for a mass audience versus a niche audience needs to be answered,” said James Cakmak, analyst at Monness, Crespi, Hardt & Co.
“We are a year into Dorsey coming back and there is really no end in sight of when it is going to start picking up to where investors are going to be happy,” said Patrick Moorhead, analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy.
During the earnings call (which the company has streamed on its own live-streaming app Periscope in the past), CEO Jack Dorsey pointed out small, incremental changes brought to Twitter that he believes will help make bigger differences in public opinion in the long run. These amount to gaining the most out of its 140 character limit, including not counting links and mentions — and soon media links — in a tweet’s character count. Presumably, beginning today, he and Twitter also hope Stickers will help bridge the divide between potential new users and their reluctance to commit to the service.
Those interested can learn more about Stickers here, and anyone who has yet to do so can get the Twitter app for free from the App Store. [Direct Link]
Tag: Twitter
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Phil Schiller Named to DNA Sequencing Company Illumina’s Board of Directors
DNA sequencing and array-based technologies company Illumina today announced that Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller has joined its board of directors.
“Phil’s track record and global experience in bringing world-class products to market will help guide us as we continue to develop innovative new solutions for our customers,” said Francis deSouza, Illumina President and Chief Executive Officer. “His vision, integrity and passion are fully aligned with Illumina’s core values.”
Schiller has been part of Apple’s senior executive team since the late Steve Jobs returned to the company in 1997. He has helped market several products, including the Mac, iPod, iTunes, iPhone, Apple TV and the Apple Watch, and he has managed the App Store across all Apple platforms since last December.
Illumina, founded in 1998, is a San Diego-based biotech company focused on genetic research solutions to fuel advancements in life science research, translational and consumer genomics, and molecular diagnostics. It ranked third on MIT Technology Review’s list of the top 50 smartest companies in the world in 2016.
Schiller holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from Boston College, where he graduated from in 1982.
Tag: Phil Schiller
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LG V20 is coming later this quarter
LG posted its second quarter earnings earlier today, in which the company revealed that a new phone in the V series will make its debut later this quarter. While LG didn’t name the device, it is likely that it’ll be called the V20.
LG didn’t specify a launch date, but rumors suggest that the phone will be unveiled sometime in the month of September, barely 10 months after the LG V10 hit store shelves. The expedited timeline may have something to do with the company’s mobile business, which recorded a loss of $132 million this quarter and $170 million in Q1 2016. Samsung’s decision to unveil the Galaxy Note 7 on August 2 may also have played a part.
Either way, the V20 is coming this quarter, most likely in the month of September. With the LG G5 failing to meet expectations, LG needs a strong contender to the Note 7 in the V20. Last year’s V10 was a decent phone in many regards, but LG wasn’t able to translate that to strong sales. Here’s hoping the brand does better this year.
What do you guys want to see in the LG V20?
Amazon launches its Dash grocery scanner in the UK to help you order stuff
Amazon has launched its Dash grocery scanner in the UK to help consumers quickly and conveniently add items to their basket for easy checkout by scanning barcodes. Once the items have been added, all that’s required is to complete the checkout process on a PC or using one of the official Amazon mobile apps.
As noted in Engadget’s report, should two Amazon Fresh orders be completed before August 28, the Dash can be delivered for free. For those who don’t, it’ll set them back £35. There’s also voice support, in case you’d rather say what you wish to have ordered, as opposed to messing around with scanning individual products.
All we need now are the Dash buttons so we can maintain an unhealthy supply of Monster energy drink.
Where to buy Google Play gift cards
Where can I buy Google Play gift cards?
Looking to buy a Google Play gift card for that special Android user in your life? We at Android Central just want to let you know that you’re a good person.
Google Play gift cards just don’t seem to be as ubiquitous as iTunes gift cards, but they’re actually a lot easier to find than you think.
Here’s where to find Google Play gift cards in your region!
- USA
- Canada
- UK
USA
Denominations: $10, $15, $25, $50
In-store: You can find Google Play gift cards at the following retailers:
- Target
- Sam’s Club
- CVS
- Kroger
- Walgreens
- Best Buy
- 7-Eleven
- GameStop
- Dollar General
- Rite Aid
- Safeway
- Walmart
Online:
The good ol’ U.S. of A. is the only place where you can send someone Google Play credit online and you can even gift Google Play Music subscriptions. You just have to make sure that the recipient is registered for Google Play in the U.S. as well. To share the Google Play love:
- Send Google Play credit
- Gift a Google Play Music subscription
Canada
Denominations: $15, $25, $50
In-store: You can find Google Play gift cards at the following retailers:
- Shoppers Drug Mart
- Sobeys
- Safeway
- Loblaw
- 7-Eleven
- Best Buy
- Mac’s/Couche-Tard
- London Drugs
- Walmart
- Circle K
- Provigo
Online:
You can’t send Google Play credit from one Google Play account to another in Canada right now, but you can gift a Google Play Music subscription:
- Gift a Google Play Music
UK
Denominations: £10, £25, £50
In-store: You can find Google Play gift cards at the following retailers:
- Tesco
- Morrisons
- Sainsbury’s
- ASDA
- WHSmith
- Currys PC World
- Boots
- Clintons
- Wilko
- McColl’s
- Co-op
- Argos
Online:
You can send Google Play credit in the UK, but you can give the gift of tunes in the form of a Google Play Music subscription:
- Gift a Google Play Music subscription
Amazon Dash available for AmazonFresh customers
AmazonFresh customers in and around London will be able to use the company’s Amazon Dash device to now scan and dictate their shopping order around the house.
Costing £34.99, the Dash device, which has been available in the US for a number of years already, lets users scan a product barcode or say the name of a product to add items automatically into their Amazon.co.uk basket.
Already very popular in the US, the Dash device is a handheld stick roughly the same size as a packet of Smarties. There is no screen, or login credentials needed each time and the dash connects to your home’s Wi-Fi network and recognises millions of items available on AmazonFresh and Amazon. When you’re finished shopping, you can view the list on your desktop or mobile device, then simply checkout, and schedule a delivery.
To help promote the service, users can opt to skip paying the £34.99 cost of the device if they place two grocery orders before the 28 August 2016.
The service will be available inititally in 128 London postcodes suggesting it will expand around the UK in time. Like competing services from company’s like Tesco or Ocado, Amazon offers one-hour delivery slots from 7am to 11pm, seven days a week, with same-day delivery available from 5pm for orders placed by 1pm.
Level-5’s 3DS puzzle series is back with ‘Lady Layton’
It’s been awhile since Professor Layton has graced the 3DS with a puzzle-filled adventure, but the famous detective is finally back. Sort of. Level-5 has announced that the next game in its long-running puzzle series will star not Hershel Layton himself, but Catriel Layton — the original character’s daughter. That tweak aside, Lady Layton: The Conspiracy of King Millionaire Ariadne looks like a direct sequel to the original series.
The announcement trailer shows Catriel taking over her father’s detective agency, and teases both new puzzles and beautifully animated cutscenes — but long-time fans of the series will know that the new lead isn’t the only thing different about Lady Layton. The Conspiracy of King Millionaire Ariadne will be the first game in the mainstream Layton series to be made without master puzzle designer Akira Tago, who passed away earlier this year.
The game is slated is confirmed for a spring 2017 launch in Japan on both 3DS and mobile devices. So far, international audiences have missed out on Layton’s smartphone adventures — but it’s likely the US market will at least get the 3DS version of the game. Check out the full trailer at the source link below.
Source: YouTube, IGN
Adobe’s virtual oil paint adds texture to digital painting
While there are plenty of apps that can realistically emulate the look of brushstrokes on a 2D digital canvas (and even some in 3D space), none have accurately simulated the way a paintbrush actually behaves in a realistic, 3D environment. Now a new collaboration between Adobe and NVIDIA called Project Wetbrush claims to do just that by simulating the movements and interactions of each virtual bristle and rendering the results in three-dimensional virtual paint.
The simulated paint in Project Wetbrush actually mimics everything from the viscosity, color mixing properties and drying time of real world oil paint. So, even when using a stylus to paint on a touchscreen, the end result is a 3D virtual object with layers of thickness, depth and texture. Since a richly textured oil painting needs good lighting to be fully appreciated, NVIDIA contributed additional processing power to render the scenes.
The Project Wetbrush team claims their simulation is the first of its kind, and the plan is to observe digital painters and apply NVIDIA’s deep learning expertise to add realism to synthesized effects and filters like Prisma in the future. Imagine, if you will, taking a photo of a Parisian cafe at night, running it through an app and coming back with a realistic, 3D-printable approximation of a Van Gogh.
AIVAnet 