The recently held quasi-annual conference by Facebook, dubbed “F8,” may already have come and go and might have left some people who were out of the loop uninformed at the event’s historical happening.
But while you may be among the unlucky bunch who did miss out on the event, do not fret. You will not be totally left out with the juice info as we fill you in with the facts that took place in this almost yearly event by Facebook.
Facedate
You had probably heard of love stories which might have developed in the virtual world such as in Facebook. Although those stories may be inevitable in a socially-connected platform as Facebook, this social media was not originally designed with dating in mind. That is, in fact, very true until Zuckerberg’s announcement of the up and coming dating feature within the social media itself called Facedate.
Unlike the traditional Facebook account, any person who is in the looks for love outside of his social circle will find great boon with Facedate as it scours for people whom you may not know but share similar goal—to find a romantic partner within the large ocean of people using Facedate. You can read more about it here.
“Clear History”
In light with the recent scandal which revealed Facebook’s practice of collecting data of its millions, if not billions, of users, the company seemed poised at amending its mistake by making a feature which will enable users to delete any potential data gathered by Facebook at whim.
Video chat and anti-bullying measure at Instagram
Instagram has been the social media of choice among image enthusiasts who like to share meaningful pictures to the world. But this will be changed with the previously announced feature which will give IG users the ability to video chat within the platform itself. In addition, Instagram-owner Facebook is also launching a security protocol within the system which will protect users from bullies.
See also: How to disable Facebook photos auto tagging feature
App Review Process Reopened
The recent scandal involving Facebook and Cambridge Analytica shook the world of social media which placed many users in agitation. Consequent to the problem, many are finding suspicions that certain apps installed with their account might be in collusion with the entities behind the scandal.
In an attempt to address the issue, Facebook has reopened its so-called “app review process” where users can report certain apps which they deemed as either suspicious or malevolent to their privacy.
Oculus Go on Sale
The advent of the VR world has brought with it a piece of technology that is pricey for the common consumer. But at a price of $199 for the 32Gb variant and $249 for the 64Gb one, the Oculus Go—a standalone VR headset for Facebook—went on sale.
Simplified Messenger and with Added Translation Feature
In the context of going for a more “lightweight” and cleaner look, the Facebook Messenger will be seeing a trim in its features such as the removal of the games and camera tabs. In lieu of these removed elements, however, is a more robust translation capability within the app itself, beginning with both English and Spanish languages.
Three-dimensional Imagery and VR Memories
Facebook is going 3D with its News Feed by bringing along 3D images and converting 2D pictures as 3D illustrations, called the VR Memories.
Related: How to deactivate or permanently delete your Facebook account
WhatsApp Status hit a milestone 450 million user
In a statement which suggests that imitations can at times be paramount to the original, Snapchat Stories copy WhatsApp Status has attained a new milestone by having 450 million daily concurrent users. By comparison, that’s twice as much as the total number of users which Snapchat has.
Furthermore, as added improvement to the app, WhatsApp is getting more stickers and a feature which lets its users do group video call.
Giving more apps direct access to Facebook and Instagram’s Stories
The need to always go directly to either Facebook or Instagram when sharing your personal experience—or Stories—is circumvented by giving third-party apps, starting from GoPro, Soundcloud, and Spotify, direct entry in either social media platform for publishing content.
The launch of the Oculus TV
You may not be into VR to actually consider owning an Oculus Go. But with the release of the Oculus TV which will allow you to view TV content while wearing the headset, the idea may not be that bad after all. The benefit is likely to be further compounded with the entry of other applications like Netflix and Hulu as added entertainment source option in the platform.