Self-Driving Cars, Instagram Stories, Amazon and More — Digital Roundup | # 28
Self-driving cars are coming, Mixer Create is a fun new app you might want to check out, Amazon is rolling out updates to their Influencer Program, and so much more.
Self-Driving Cars
Samsung officially got approval to test out their self-driving cars on the public streets of California.
The future is near. According to the California DMV there is a laundry list of companies they have granted autonomous testing permits to. Tech and motor vehicle companies obviously make up the majority of the list.
Samsung, which is at the bottom of the DMV list, (meaning they were the most recent of all the companies to get their permission) will need to work out any kinks if they want to beat out the other companies on the list that have had the ability to test drive for much longer. How do you feel about self-driving cars on the road with you? Let us know in the comments.
Mixer Create
Have you heard of Mixer? It’s a platform, much like Twitch TV, that allows you to live stream the video games you’re playing and interact with viewers tuning into your stream. Mixer Create, it’s app counterpart, just got out of beta and is ready to be enjoyed on iOS and Android.
The app allows you to stream games you’re playing on your phone, co-stream with friends, and even vlog. Co-streaming allows up to four streamers to combine their streams into one for a smooth viewing experience.
Mixer Create is fully available on Android and still has a little updating to do until it’s 100% on iOS, but rest assured, it’s coming!
Instagram Stories
Snapchat’s most direct competitor—Instagram Stories, which is currently used more times daily than Snapchat (at the moment—however, we all know this stuff changes constantly) is coming to web.
Currently you can view Instagram posts on Instagram.com, but cannot view stories or post. In the coming months this will be changing to where you can not only view your friends’ stories online, but can post as well.
While adding Stories to web may seem trivial, it broadens access that affects Instagram’s bottom line. Roughly one-in-five Stories posted by businesses receive direct messages, so the shift to web adds another attractive component to advertisers and businesses trying to reach customers in a more direct and personal way.
Amazon’s Influencer Program
Amazon’s Influencer Program is expanding itself to verified YouTube accounts. The program, which allows social media “celebrities” to earn commission on the Amazon products they promote, previously was in closed beta, so users had to be invited to participate. Now, they’re opening the program up just a bit and including YouTube “celebrities” to the mix.
Over time other social media icons (think: bloggers) will be able to apply for the program to receive commission as well, but Amazon isn’t quite there yet, and is highly vetting it’s YouTube applicants’ channels.
Keep an eye on the program, they’ve been keeping updates pretty hush hush but you wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity to get affiliate commission!
YouTube Goes Dark
If you use YouTube frequently, like most people (did you know almost 5 billion videos are watched on Youtube every single day?) you’re probably used to their white background.
That bright white background can often cause eye strain, especially at night when everything else is darker. YouTube quietly rolled out a way for your background to go dark and alleviate issue.
By switching on the “Dark Theme” in your settings tab, you’ll experience less wear on your eyes. Good job to YouTube for constantly working to improve their user experience. Will you be trying this new feature out?
That’s all for this week’s digital roundup. Be sure to catch up on last week’s if you haven’t yet, and we’ll have more for you next time!
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