Google's Image Verification and AR Beauty Tools, LinkedIn’s Collaborative Articles, Instagram’s Looping Videos and More!

Final Cut Pro Creative Summit 

The Future Media Conferences Final Cut Pro Creative Summit will be hosted on Apple’s campus from November 6 - 8 2023. The summit will offer attendees an immersive journey filled with insights about the next phases of the expanded Final Cut Pro ecosystem. 

TikTok Tests 15-minute Videos

TikTok is testing out a 15-minute video upload option. The app has continually been expanding the maximum length of videos which is currently at 10-minutes.

Instagram Adds Polls to Comment Sections

Instagram is testing the addition of polls being added to comment streams on feed posts and reels. Polls are a popular interactive feature on the app which have already been made available on Stories and in Direct Messages. 

Create Stickers From Photos for Instagram

Instagram is testing a new sticker option which lets users isolate parts of their photos to create stickers to share in Stories and Reels. According to Adam Mosseri, stickers can also be created from eligible images seen on Instagram. 

Meta’s AI to Replicate How Humans Perceive Images

A “brain decoding process” is detailed in Meta's research paper. This AI process seeks to understand how humans think by simulating neuron activity, essentially replacing the human brain in digital form. 

WhatsApp Tests User Accounts

WhatsApp launched a version of the app where users can alternative between accounts without having to log in and out every time. Setting up a second account requires a second phone number and SIM card from a multi-SIM device or an eSIM. 

LinkedIn’s Collaborative Articles Update

LinkedIn is updating its Collaborative Articles feature. Currently, it uses AI-generated prompts on a chosen topic and then invites LinkedIn members to share their expertise. The updates include a change in the layout to put grater emphasis on contributions. To further incentivise people to engage with this feature, LinkedIn offers a “Top Voice” badge to constant contributors. 

YouTube’s Authoritative Sources for News

YouTube is curating news about topics from what they deem as “authoritative sources.”  This will be displayed on the homepage and in search results with a newspaper icon. This feature is being rolled out to users in 40 countries. In addition to this, YouTube is also launching a “Shorts Innovation Program for News” which seeks to help news organisations to share short-from content within the app. 

New Features on YouTube

YouTube’s new features are plentiful, with multiple additions to enhance the user experience for the likes of playbacks, searching and in-app functionality across devices. These updates come as YouTube premium prices have increased. Another notable new feature is designed to enhance product ad targeting by adding timestamps to tagged products. YouTube is taking measures to improve the shopping experience with the likes of YouTube Studio which will reveal which affiliate products generate the most revenue.

Instagram’s Moves Toward Looping Videos

Instagram is testing a new feature in the Direct Messaging Notes feature which enables users to share selfie videos. This adds an active element to updates. Another feature expected soon is creating a short looping video to use as the default profile photo. 

Google Search Can Verify the Origins of Images

Google is rolling out an “About this image” tool to help provide context about images in Google Search results. By closing on a menu, searchers will be able to see the first time the image was indexed and meta details to determine whether it was AI-generated. 

Google’s Updated AR Beauty Tools

Google is expanding its AR shopping feature to allow shoppers to virtually try on beauty products in their mobile browsers and Google Shopping ads. This includes a hair colour category and foundation shades. In certain instances where the person can’t try it on themselves, they’ll be able to see the products displayed on models.

Google Tests Overview Dashboard for Advertisers

A new Google dashboard is being tested within the Google Ads console. It offers customisation and lets advertisers scroll through more content in a carousel format. This update is designed to save time by letting people view relevant information in their preferred format. 

AI Image Generation for Amazon Ads

AI-generated images can be used in ad campaigns on Amazon. This feature is being tested along select advertisers via the Amazon Ad Console which shows various lifestyle and branded imagery based on product details. These images can then be customised using text prompts and pre-set themes. 

Pinterest’s Creator Hub

Pinterest has launched an educational hub for creators. This will provide resources and insights about how to maximise  your presence on the app with guides, tips, and best practices. 

Broadcast Channels on Facebook and Messenger

Broadcast channels are coming to Facebook and Messenger. These channels will share Page updates with Facebook users. These broadcast messages will not be like direct messages. Instead, they will be made public with discoverable chats.

Simulcasting for Twitch Streamers

Twitch is expanding its simulcasting policy to include all live streaming platforms. Following a recent update to their guidelines, this policy change opens Twitch streams to using other web-based platforms. 

X to Launch Premium Tiers

Elon Musk published a tweet saying that X will be launching different Premium subscription tiers soon. These subsection tiers will lessen and remove ads. 

X’s New Source Reference Requirement 

The latest Community Notes update requires a source as a reference to support their contextual additions.  

DALL-E 3 for Chatgpt Plus and Enterprise Users

OpenAI's AI image generator, DALL-E 3, is now integrated into ChatGPT for premium users. This enables them to use text prompts to generate realistic images.

Snapchat’s New Tools for Creator Collabs

Snapchat announced new ad tools for collaborations between creators and brands. Sponsored posts will have paid partnership tags to offer more transparency. Snap’s Creator Marketplace is also reportedly expanding. 

Threads Posts Shared Across Meta

Meta is showing Threads posts on Facebook and Instagram.