This week saw the launch of digital initiative timeto.org.uk which aims to combat sexism harassment in the workplace, a flurry of new Apple releases, and Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, revealed that his 11-year-old child is mining Ethereum on a computer he built.
HEADLINES
- Snapchat, up against YouTube and Instagram’s IGTV, has extended its content offering with 25 new shows for the UK.
- Pinterest has launched a new promoted Carousel ad format.
- Facebook’s average revenue per user (ARPU) increased despite slow user growth. Plus: they’re reorganising their VR/AR capabilities for the long haul and are looking to build a TikTok competitor.
- WhatsApp have announced that they will be putting ads into the Status.
- Google matches with Tinder, supplying the ad tech for the dating app. They have also created a newsfeed with their new Discover section, leaving some wondering: will it face the same issues as Facebook has?
- Amazon is testing search-based retargeting, the first time it will allow its search data to be used outside of their walls.
INSIGHTS
- Buzzfeed is getting further into product development.
- Here are some learnings from Facebook Watch’s evolving commissioning strategy.
- Have we reached peak smartphone? Sources suggest there might be a dip in smartphone sales next year.
COOL
- Are you ready to read fiction in Facebook Messenger? James Patterson debuted his first interactive fiction on the platform.
- Forget 280 characters — this one tweet contains the entire collected works of William Shakespeare using a technique called steganography.
- This computer game faithfully restores colour to Ancient Greece.
DEEP READS
- Facebook has opened up some of its AI functionality for developers and brands.
- Celebrities are now digitally preserving themselves to ensure their careers live on beyond the grave.
- Are we on the brink of a visual search revolution?
