Instagram’s streak of sniping features from Snapchat isn’t about to stop with today’s new addition of Face Filters.
Location-based stories are set to be the next big feature Instagram adds to its toolset, only instead of just copying the way Snapchat curates stories, Instagram plans to tap into one of its ‘hidden gems’ to make stories a powerful tool for all users.
Instagram’s fight to stay ahead of Snapchat involves stealing its best features so that users have no reason to switch. That continues today with the introduction of Face Filters, which, just like Snapchat’s, apply things like glasses, hats, animal ears, and more to your selfies.
Ever wanted to run your own AI startup, hopefully without bringing about the end of humanity in the process? A new game from the maker of the popular CARROT series of iOS apps gives you exactly that opportunity.
That’s just one of the great apps we’ve got covered in this week’s Awesome Apps roundup. We’ve also got a Snapchat update, a Steam gaming classic finally landed in the App Store, and a great Myst-inspired architectural puzzle game. Check out our picks below.
You can get a good idea of what the iPhone 8 might be like to use, thanks to a new concept video that imagines how redesigned apps will look on the device.
Apple is supposedly going with a bezel-free design this year, which could give developers more space for new features. Viewing pictures will also be an incredible experience if Apple includes an edge-to-edge display that makes it feel like you’re holding a photograph.
Check it out:
Snap Inc apparently wants in on the hottest new trend among tech companies: TV shows.
Following the lead of Amazon and Twitter, Snapchat reportedly plans to start showing vertical short films in its app. Only instead of doing all the work on its own, the company is inking deals with some of the biggest names in media.
Apple’s biggest competition in the music streaming business may be preparing to become a hardware rival, too.
Jobs listings posted by Spotify indicate the company is planning to make a hardware play. Spotify says it’s working on a “category defining product,” but based on what the company compares it to, Apple might not have much to worry about.
Snap, Inc., the company behind Snapchat, just paid a staggering $7.7 million to acquire a “geofilters” patent and prevent it being snapped up by Facebook.
It is believed to be “by far the highest amount paid” for a single patent in Israel — the previous record was less than half that — and it goes to local firm Mobli.
Apple has paved the way for its Live Photos to takeover the web with a new JavaScript API that makes it easy for developers to embed the moving images onto websites.
Sending a saucy pic to a significant will no longer put your naughty bits in danger of being exposed to the entire internet, thanks to a new app from PornHub.
The new app called TrickPics taps into the power of augmented reality to cover up your private parts. It’s basically like Snapchat lenses, only instead of turning your face into a cute puppy, it turns package into a Christmas gift box.
Instagram has retooled its Direct feature so that users can combine disappearing photos and videos with permanent text and image messages in the same thread.
The new Direct is the latest in a series of upgrades Instagram has made to reverse a dip in daily engagement and take on its biggest competitor, Snapchat.
McDonald’s Australia has begun taking job applications through Snapchat in an effort to attract young people to its workforce.
The “Snaplication” process, believed to be a first for both McDonald’s and Snapchat, requires applicants to submit a 10-second video of themselves while using a new filter that applies a McDonald’s hat and uniform.
Apple’s new Clips app wants to be your go-to for making short, fun videos geared for social networks. Clips is the perfect tool for the social media generation, allowing users to bust out engaging videos in seconds.
While the user interface is pretty simple, Clips packs a bevy of tools that help put a unique spin on your shots. Getting the hang of all the features can take a while, so we’ve rounded up some pointers on how to make the most of the new app.
Follow these Clips tips to make your videos pop.
Microsoft is the latest tech giant to get in on the craze of fun camera apps like Snapchat, which are currently all the rage among teens.
The company’s new app, Sprinkles, launched today on iOS as a featured app. While it looks like just another Snapchat wannabe on the outside, Microsoft threw in some crazy AI technology that makes it easier than ever to create and share silly photos.
Facebook is the latest company to jump on the Snapchat-inspired fun photo and videos sharing bandwagon, with an update to iOS app rolling out a new camera with special effects, among other features.
To access the feature, users simply have to tap the camera icon on the top left corner of the standard Facebook app, or else swipe right from News Feed.
Scoring the No. 1 app on iOS doesn’t guarantee developers an extended stay on the App Store charts, according to a new study that found the shelf life for top apps is surprisingly short.
Apple’s “surprise” announcement of new products and software wasn’t all that surprising if you’ve been keeping up with the latest rumors.
Today’s updates were practically announced yesterday when the company said its store would be down in the morning for “maintenance.” Despite all the rumors of new iPads and RED iPhones that have been out for weeks, Apple still managed to sneak in a few surprises that were both good and bad.
We’re eagerly awaiting Apple’s rumored April keynote, but here’s the biggest, most surprising news from today’s teaser.
The photo sharing and messaging app Snapchat is a hit with kids, but on Thursday its parent company was fun for investors who made it the day’s most heavily traded stock on the New York Stock Exchange.
Snap Inc. made its debut with shares priced at $17, but high investor demand quickly raised it to $24, putting the tech company’s value at close to $33 billion, according to reports.
Snapchat Spectacles can finally be purchased online.
Until today, the glasses were only available from a popup store in New York City, or from bright yellow vending machines that popped up randomly in different cities for just 24 hours. Now anyone in the U.S. can get their hands on a pair through the new Spectacles store.
It’s one of the more ridiculous rumors we’ve heard in a while: Apple is teaming up with Zeiss to create augmented-reality glasses that will be unveiled later this year, according to long-time tech blogger Robert Scoble.
Don’t believe him.
Instagram’s move to adopt features similar to SnapChat seems to have paid off for the globally popular photo-sharing network.
On its blog Thursday, Instagram sent a thank you note to its community, a number that surpassed 600 million users since it was founded in October of 2010.
A secret team of Apple employees are working on a project that will turn iPhone cameras everywhere into a portal for augmented reality.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has said he’s bullish on the future of AR, and according to a new report the company is working on a total game changer.
After Google released a limited number of Google Glass devices to eager beta testers a few years back, I found myself one day sitting next to a kid in a coffee shop wearing one.
I waited for the jerking gestures of his head to pause to ask him how he liked this much-hyped future of personal computing. He loved it but wondered if people would ever stop worrying about whether he was covertly filming them.
The first debate between U.S. presidential nominees Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is set to kick off tonight at Hofstra University in New York — and you can catch all the action on any Apple device.
Apple updated its “Watch the Debate Live” section today on both App Stores for iOS and Apple TV, giving users multiple places to catch what is expected to be the most-watched political debate in history.
Here’s how to livestream it:
Admiring the details of your friend’s amazing vacation pics on Instagram is going to require a whole lot less squinting, thanks to a new update that finally brings zooming to the popular social network.
Creating your own Snapchat geofilter for parties and other special occasions just got a whole lot easier thanks to a new web-based tool Snapchat unleashed on the world today.
With competition intensifying from Instagram’s new Stories feature, Snapchat is expanding the revenue it gets from geofilters by charging a small fee to create your own for a short period of time. The tool lets users either upload their own art or modify existing templates, setting up custom filters to be the next big thing.
