The Tech Landscape #184 đ
Video social, video calling, and video try-ons: this is issue 184 of The Tech Landscape, a weekly collection of news about consumer digital technology. Stories are selected by me, Peter Gasston, with a little insight and opinion where appropriate.
âThis might be the last newsletter of the year, depending on what gets announced this weekâ, I wrote in the last edition. Then there was a flurry of news stories, leading to what I believe is the longest newsletter Iâve writtenâand in a week where fewer of you are going to read it. Eh.
Also of note this week: two more antitrust cases against Google from US states (Wired has a good explainer) and Facebook ran a campaign claiming Apple is hurting small businesses with its new privacy changes. Tech companies are fighting each other, and governments around the world. Itâs going to take a while to shake out, but technology is becoming a regulated industry.
Right, this is definitely the last newsletter of the year. Merry Christmas and happy new year to all of you.
Social & Video
Iâve lumped these two categories together because I think that social networks are undergoing a big change, heavily influenced by TikTok and Snapchat, to include more video (and audio) entertainment and collaboration features.
Social Walmart and TikTok announced a partnership to test live-shopping on the platform. It started with a âholiday shop-along spectacularâ with 10 TikTok creators selling Walmart goods through live streams. Lots more of this to come in 2021.
techcrunch.com/2020/12/17/walmart-to-pilot-test-live-streamed-video-shopping-on-tiktok/
Social Snapchat launched Bitmoji Paint. The multiplayer game lets Snapchat users in groups of hundreds create on a giant canvas. Massive interactive live events (MILEs) is an area many companies are exploring.
theverge.com/2020/12/14/22170223/snapchat-bitmoji-paint-game-party-release-talk-friends
Social Reddit bought short-form video platform Dubsmash. The app will continue to run separately, as well as have its creation tools built into Reddit. Everybodyâs in the short-form video game.
redditblog.com/2020/12/13/reddit-welcomes-video-platform-dubsmash-to-team/
Video Facebook released Collab to a wider audience. The collaborative music video app, launched earlier this year as a limited-access beta, is now available to all iOS users in the US.
techcrunch.com/2020/12/14/facebook-publicly-launches-its-collaborative-music-video-app-collab/
Social Twitter launched a closed beta of Spaces, its audio social feature. Spaces requires (at least for the beta) a host to moderate every group, and is being tested with selected individuals from largely under-represented groups in order to explore potential avenues of abuse.
techcrunch.com/2020/12/17/twitter-launches-its-voice-based-spaces-social-networking-feature-into-beta-testing/
Social Periscope is shutting its app next year. It was bought by Twitter in 2015, and much of its technology has already made its way into Twitter so the standalone app no longer makes sense.
periscope.medium.com/farewell-periscope-164db2742b7c
Being Apart Together
Just in time for Christmas in the pandemic, lots of video messaging upgrades. When the pandemic has passed, weâll still have all these video calling services availableâwhat will we build on them?
Messaging Googleâs Nest Hub Max improved its video calling capabilities. It added new Meet features, including more layout and view options, and added Zoom calling for users in the UK, US, Australia , and Canada. A very 2020 upgrade.
androidpolice.com/2020/12/14/nest-hub-max-doubles-down-on-video-calls-with-new-zoom-support-and-big-google-meet-improvements/
Messaging Alexa is gaining new group audio and video calling features. Users in the US can initiate group calls with up to seven guests on Echo devices. Alexa can also join Amazon Chime and Zoom calls, and Fire tablets running Amazon Kids can also join in Echo calls.
aboutamazon.com/news/devices/new-ways-alexa-can-help-you-stay-connected-with-loved-ones
Messaging Voice and video calls are rolling out to users of the WhatsApp desktop app.
androidpolice.com/2020/12/17/whatsapp-voice-and-video-calls-are-live-for-some-on-desktop-and-web/
Everything Else
XR Google is adding AR makeup try-ons and visualisations to search results. In partnership with Perfect Corp and LâOrealâs ModiFace, users can visualise different makeup tones or try them on virtually. Digital makeup has had a big year.
blog.google/products/shopping/shopping-beauty-product-try-it-google/
XR Snapchat launched a new Snap Original series which teaches dance moves with AR Lenses. The series, Move It!, uses full body Lenses to first teach the move, then enhance it with special effects.
tubefilter.com/2020/12/01/snapchat-michael-le-dytto-move-it-spotlight-monetization/
XR Unity has bought RestAR, which creates 3D models from smartphone camera scans. It makes 3D object creation incredibly easy, and is already used by fashion brands and ecommerce platforms.
businesswire.com/news/home/20201215005325/en/Unity-Acquires-RestAR-to-Enable-AI-Based-3D-Capture
Assistants & Voice Alexa can now operate your smart home without you asking. Alexa Hunches, which suggest actions you might want to take based on your behaviour, no longer need your permission to operate if you opt in.
voicebot.ai/2020/12/15/alexa-can-now-act-on-hunches-without-needing-to-ask/
Assistants & Voice Google redesigned its Assistant Routines and added sunrise/sunset triggers. Routines are shortcuts to Assistant functionality and can be triggered with a key phrase or timerâthe new options are useful for smart home objects (my Christmas Tree lights come on every day at sunset, for example).
9to5google.com/2020/12/15/google-assistant-routines-redesign/
Smart Home Google-powered smart displays are getting more game options. New puzzles for adults and games for children are available through a redesigned games lobby. Iâve said this before, but its interesting to see Googleâs smart displays, which were touted as being ambient and unobtrusive, becoming a much more interactive second TV.
blog.google/products/assistant/ready-play-new-games-your-smart-display/
Video TikTok is launching an app on Samsung TVs. It will focus on the most popular videos on the platform, as well as educational content. The app will launch across Europe, starting with the UK.
businessinsider.com/tiktok-app-tv-samsung-2020-12
Services The Apple TV app is coming to Google TV. As I mentioned last week, all rivalries are put aside for subscription services, where everyone needs to cooperate for broader reach. Google TV now has all major rival apps on its platform.
blog.google/products/google-tv/apple-tv/
Camera The latest iOS update, 14.3, extends camera support to embedded web views. Among other use cases this means that Web AR services like 8th Wall can more easily be shared through social apps.
medium.com/8th-wall/8th-wall-now-works-across-all-major-ios-apps-including-instagram-snapchat-and-more-637c6b6a3f6d
Camera Apple launched its QR-like App Clip Codes. App Clipsâlightweight mini-apps available through the App Store with no installationâwere introduced in iOS 14 and could previously be launched with links, banners, Maps cards, NFC, or QR codes. App Clip Codes are a proprietary extra method.
9to5mac.com/2020/12/14/app-clip-codes-are-now-available-for-ios-developers-and-users/
Camera Google Photos can now turn photos into 3D âcinematicsâ. Using depth calculation, still photos have a smart zoom effect automatically applied. This is a tiny little step towards making media have a spatial dimension, something weâre going to see more of in future.
blog.google/products/photos/new-cinematic-photos-and-more-ways-relive-your-memories/
Messaging Samsungâs Messages app is starting to roll out Googleâs RCS messaging. RCS (âSMS 2.0â) has been available in Messages for a while but required network carrier support; Google bypasses network carriers to speed up adoption. For RCS to succeed it needs to be on every phone, so Samsung adoption is a big step.
9to5google.com/2020/12/16/samsung-messages-rcs-google/
Audio Apple revamped Shazam with an app redesign and a new web interface. Since it bought Shazam a few years ago Apple has removed all the advertising features and made it more integrated with Apple Music.
9to5mac.com/2020/12/14/apple-revamps-shazam-ios-user-interface/
Assistants & Voice Alexa can now explain the rules of football. Itâs a tie-in with Amazon Prime Videoâs Premier League football coverage.
blog.aboutamazon.co.uk/innovation/alexa-becomes-worlds-first-voice-assistant-referee
Fintech WhatsApp will start selling financial services to users in India next year. Its partnering with local companies to offer more financial options in the country. Expect the big tech players to move further into fintech services next year.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/buy-insurance-on-whatsapp-by-year-end/articleshow/79770441.cms
Gaming Roblox has acquired Loom.ai, which makes real-time facial animation for 3D avatars. The technology can be used for player avatars or more guest appearances like the recent Lil Nas X show.
corp.roblox.com/2020/12/roblox-acquires-loom-ai-accelerating-development-avatar-realism-emotions/
Gaming Esports will be a full-medal event for the first time at the 2022 Asian Games. Itâs not clear yet which games will be used, or if esports will follow breakdancing into becoming an Olympic sport in 2024.
scmp.com/tech/article/3114298/esports-debuts-official-medal-event-hangzhou-2022-asian-games
Ecommerce Gucci is launching a store on Alibabaâs Tmall ecommerce app. Gucci has been operating in China for a few years, largely on social, but this is its first move into a pure ecommerce play to reach Tmallâs 750m users.
voguebusiness.com/companies/gucci-ties-with-alibabas-tmall-in-china-e-commerce-race
Operating Systems Google and Qualcomm announced better long-term support for Android updates. Phones using Qualcommâs latest chips can now offer three Android version updates, and four years in total of security updates. Itâs up to individual phone makers to enable this, though. Itâs interesting to see Google collaborating much more closely with Qualcomm recently, to improve Android phones for everybody.
androidpolice.com/2020/12/16/google-and-qualcomm-just-announced-huge-news-for-android-os-updates/
Operating Systems Google is ending Android Things, its âinternet of thingsâ platform. It seems that it just wasnât as successful as it had hoped.
9to5google.com/2020/12/17/android-things-shutdown/
Operating Systems Google acquired Neverware. The company makes Cloudready OS, which is used to turn old PC laptops into Chromebook-like devices. Itâs likely to use the technology to create Chrome OS devices instead.
9to5google.com/2020/12/15/google-acquires-cloudready-os/
Advertising Snap and Unity are partnering to bring ads to Snap, and Snap tech to Unity. The gaming platform has its own ad network, which is now extended to advertisers on Snapchat, and SnapKit will be an option for game makers to include Bitmoji and the Snap Camera in their games.
venturebeat.com/2020/12/17/unity-teams-up-with-snap-to-extend-the-reach-of-its-ads-and-game-engine/
Advertising Facebook released details of upcoming changes to mobile web ads. Apple is enforcing strict new rules on mobile web advertising from next year; Facebook is not happy.
developers.facebook.com/blog/post/2020/12/16/preparing-partners-ios-14-mobile-web-advertising/
Health The EU approved Googleâs acquisition of Fitbit. Google had to agree not to use fitness data for advertising targeting, and to keep Fitbit technically distinct from the rest of the company, to get the approval. Australia still has to approve the deal before its completed, but if that happens Wear OS will get a much-needed boost.
theverge.com/2020/12/17/22158271/googles-fitbit-deal-eu-regulator-approval
Privacy Facebook will now process UK user data under US law. As a result of Brexit, GDPR protections no longer apply to UK data.
reuters.com/article/britain-eu-facebook-exclusive-idUSKBN28P2HH
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