What’s happened this week:
- Microsoft refocused its core proposition by offloading Maps to Uber and the display advertising business to AOL
- PayPal acquired Xoom, a money transfer tech company, as it strengthens its mobile commerce strategy before splitting from eBay
- Snapchat have dropped ‘tap-and-hold’ in favour of ‘tap-to-view’ – a move to make longer form content easier to access?
What we have learned:
- Fashion brands have increased their Instagram following by 160% over Q2 2015 (source: L2 Think Thank)
- 34% of video traffic globally is mobile (increasing to 41% when including tablet) according to Ooyala
- And speaking of video, Facebook mobile app install ads with video show a 16% lower cost-per-install than image based ads according to latest studies
Cool stuff:
- Game of Quotes – Thrones fans can troll each other with quotes from the series with this mobile keyboard plug-in
- This prototype helmet suggests augmented reality could be the answer for safer cycling in the future
- Selfie for your money! MasterCard are testing an app that uses facial recognition to confirm payments
Where to find more:
- “It’s not the technology that entertains people, it’s what you do with the technology” – great insights from John Lassiter, Chief Creative Officer at Pixar, on technology and storytelling
- Watch, Music – done. Now what does Apple have planned for the Home?
- Managing the rise of the machines – read why Elon Musk (founder of Tesla) donated $7m to researchers working to make artificial intelligence stays safer
