Superzoom on My Nose Hairs
Instagram Stories is introducing Superzoom, which lets you make your own “dramatic chipmunk” style video. With a single tap, Instagram will shoot a stuttered zoom-in on your lovely face and pair the flattering video with sound effects. The video lasts three seconds, but you can extend it to 15 seconds by holding down the shutter button. Since Snapchat and Instagram both have AR masks, Instagram has been pushing for differentiating features like Superzoom, Boomerang GIFs, Hyperlapse time-lapse, and Layout collages. Hooray for having more toys to play with! (Source: TechCrunch)
Amazon Books Aren’t Flying Off the Shelves
Remember the hype around Amazon Books physical bookstores? As part of its Q3 earnings results, Amazon reported that all physical stores sales, including Whole Foods and Amazon Books, were $1.276 billion; they later stated that Whole Foods alone brought in $1.3 billion. Basically, Amazon Books sales are a rounding error compared to the non-GMO dough that Whole Foods makes. Granted, Whole Foods has been around for decades and has around 460 locations, compared to two-year-old Amazon Books with 12 stores. Hmmm… I wonder if there’s enough room to pack in a tiny Amazon Books store in each Whole Foods market? (Source: CNET)
Oversharing is Caring
The Verge and Reticle Research recently conducted a survey on people’s attitudes towards technology. Here are some of their key findings:
- People trust Amazon almost as much as they trust their bank
- Most people think news on Facebook is about as accurate as news found elsewhere
- Fewer people say Twitter has a positive effect on society
- Most people don’t know that Facebook owns Instagram
- Passion for Apple lags behind Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook
Click here for the full report and other great nuggets of information. (Source: The Verge)
