Facebook announced a series of features and updates at
its annual F8 Developer Conference in San Francisco on Wednesday, and while the
news is mostly targeted for developers and app designers right now, it could
eventually mean big things for Facebook users. CEO Mark Zuckerberg kicked off the two-day long conference
with a major update to Facebook Messenger, the social network's chatting tool.
Users will be able to send photos, GIFs, music and integrate with apps like
ESPN and the Weather Channel. Other
improvements were made to Facebook's video player and its app analytics
platform. The social network announced it's getting into the Internet of Things
trend, too.
Facebook Messenger as a hub
Perhaps
the biggest update unveiled during Zuckerberg's keynote is that Facebook
Messenger is becoming a massive communications hub, where users will be able to
do much more than chat with others via the service. In the
future, for example, a developer could be able to add a Messenger button within
a movie ticketing service app, so after a customer makes a purchase, they could
share those details and movie times with a friend on Facebook. Many of the
early partners working with Facebook Messenger are focused on photos and
entertainment. Some apps were developed specifically for the platform, while
others are building Messenger in as an added feature.
A
noteworthy feature of the growing platform is Messenger Business, which will allow users to
communicate with merchants by sending them a direct message or making a
reservation and checking shipping information. People will be able to have
personal conversations with companies — specifically, customer service
representatives — and be able to make requests, asks questions and get quick
responses in an ongoing thread, the company said.
Spherical Videos
Facebook spent some stage time talking about the future of
video on the site. To start, the social network will soon support "spherical videos" — immersive, 360-degree
videos that work right in Newsfeed. The videos will run natively in Newsfeed
and will be shot with 24 high-resolution cameras. These videos will also work
with virtual reality headsets, like the Samsung Gear VR and, of course, the
Facebook-owned Oculus Rift. Conference attendees will be able to experience
spherical videos in its "Teleportation Stations."
Embeddable videos, refreshed comments
Facebook
is rolling out a new social plugin that lets publishers embed native Facebook
videos across the web. This means a video uploaded (and hosted) on Facebook can
now be embedded on other websites. Although you'd think Facebook's video player
would already have the ability to embed videos on other sites, the move is now
a part of a larger effort to catch up with YouTube. Facebook also pushed out
another social plugin update to its Comments feature. Users will be able to log
into their accounts and comment on a webpage, but now the message will be
duplicated on the official Facebook-shared story, too.
Analytics for apps
The
company introduced a new Analytics for Apps tool that provides a dashboard of
data so developers and marketers can better understand their audience.
The Internet of Things
Facebook introduced a software developer kit (SDK)
to support the growing influx of web-connected devices for the home, like smart
garage door openers and refrigerators. The company will be opening its mobile
app building suite, Parse, to web-connected devices to support the Internet of
Things.
The
Internet of Things refers to products — and, well, things — that are connected
to the web. This includes everything from smart thermostats and garage doors to
toothbrushes, tennis racquets and even your bed. They collect data about your
usage patterns and habits, and typically connect to an app that offers feedback
to improve your lifestyle (or your racquet swing, for example). It's unclear as
of now how exactly Facebook will incorporate Internet of Things technology into
its platform, but perhaps dimming the lights at night or opening your garage
door could one day all be possible from directly within the social network.
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