Allo Allo

Google has launched a new messaging app for Android and iOS including Smart Reply and a AI helper named Google Assistant. Google Allo integrates Google search with a messaging platform and is a strong contender against Facebook’s Messenger. Google Assistant has removed the necessity to leave the chat if a user wants to look up something online, such as an address of a restaurant or a news article. It can also be summoned into group chats by typing ‘@Google’ so that it can help answer any pertinent questions you may have. 

The Smart Reply feature which is another brilliant add-on, seeks to learn your speech habits over time so that when you are on the go, Google Allo can offer a choice of responses to choose from. Additionally, the app also lets you change the size of font, scribble on photos, and use custom-designed stickers. Our favourite new feature is the Incognito mode which lets messages to be set on a timer and expire after a set period of time.

Google Allo will be available worldwide in the next few days from time of writing.

Yours, furious of Essex

Next time you want to tweet a rant to a company, you may have your issue resolved with a bit more haste. Twitter has always been viewed as a customer service tool, from answering enquiries to dealing with complaints. However, a new update is now making it a lot easier for brands and customers to communicate on any tricky matters. Companies can now activate their ‘Provides Support’ button on their Twitter profile so that it can be clicked on by customers to initiate a conversation. Additionally, profiles can now also display a business hours to help set people’s expectations for when they may get active support. This is a great way to improve customer service on social media, and hey, might even win you some more business in the process. Who da thunk it.

WhatsAppening to our privacy?

Messaging service WhatsApp is being threatened with legal action by the German watchdog over its data-sharing deal with Facebook. Both companies have received huge numbers of complaints when they announced that personal information from WhatsApp would be passed on to Facebook for paid search targeting purposes. “We are extremely concerned about this insidious trend: consumers are losing step by step the ownership of their data. Their private sphere is in danger,” the watchdog’s statement reads. Us too *sad face*.

Suits you sir

Facebook’s extension of its dynamic mobile ads should appeal to businesses with brick-and-mortar stores. Based on a user’s online activity and interests, Facebook can now incorporate this data to marry local product indicators, pricing and special offers into more targeted ads. So instead of just showing an image of a particular product, these ads can now locate what stores the product is available at and at what price. Retail therapy just got that bit smarter.

The post Say hello to Google Allo first appeared on 24 fingers.

The post Say hello to Google Allo appeared first on 24 fingers.

The social conversation around GoT has always been colossal, and the hype is certainly not set to die soon since it has now broken the record for the highest number of Emmy Awards won by any drama series.  The HBO fantasy has slayed at the award ceremony, bringing its total win of awards to a whopping 38. Who would have thought that a show rife with gruesome violence and a never-ending list of characters and plots would have become the cultural phenomenon that it is today? Oh, just us then…

1. Watching television is no longer a solo experience.

Up until now television watching has always been an activity for me, myself and I. Cue social media and suddenly it’s become an experience that you must share with millions of people online across the globe. Watching a show as it airs is no longer the prime event, frantically trying to think of a clever meme that you can tweet to the rest of the world is. You can see our favourite pick here. 

However this also means to stop hearing about the endless Game of Throne spoilers you may have to stay off the internet, avoid social media and potentially even go as far as turning off your phone altogether. The only solution? Cancel all your plans and just watch it live. Being a Game of Thrones fan can be such a burden sometimes.

2. Unified global television schedules have become an expectation.

Nobody wants to be left behind when it comes to watching a highly anticipated show. This became an issue for HBO who were producing entertainment for a predominantly American audience. In their case, this sparked an online petition in the UK to air Game of Thrones at the same scheduled time as the USA. The petition was so successful it led to HBO’s drastic decision to debut each of the Game of Thrones episodes simultaneously around the globe. As such, it appears millennial social media users have the power to snub traditional television schedules in favour of viewing content immediately. When do we want it? NOW.

3. Audiences need to be constantly entertained.

It is not enough to air a television series without any further engagement. This is very true in the case of Game of Thrones, which has a successful marketing calendar filled with content all year round to keep spirited fans engaged between seasons. This ranges from exclusive behind the scenes access, trailer teasers and competitions. Our favourite, was their recent collaboration with Spotify which made fans go nuts when they linked a person’s music listening history to a character from the show that matched their tastes. All of these meaningful tactics have worked to drive the show by keeping fans anxiously anticipating the next season.

Therefore, it is clear social media is changing the business of television, and that the key to Game of Thrones’ success lies behind its embracement of it. Its reach and impact extends far beyond our television screens, and as such has become a cultural hit that resonates with us all.

The post How social media changed television first appeared on 24 fingers.

The post How social media changed television appeared first on 24 fingers.