media update’s Christine Gerber details what these new developments are, and why they’re important.
Google’s ‘Neighbourly’ app
The news: Google India has announced the launch of its new social app, ‘Neighbourly’. The goal of Neighbourly is to allow people in India a platform where they can ask questions about their local community and receive practical answers.
Image sourced from Google India Blog
Here’s how it works: According to TechCrunch, Neighbourly works similarly to dating app Tindr. Much like the dating app, the questions and answers on the app are ‘swipeable’, meaning that in order to access the next question and answer, all you have to do is touch the screen and swipe left or right.
You’re probably wondering how safe this social app really is. Well, luckily, Google thought ahead. The app allows you to flag any content that’s not, well, ‘neighbourly’. The flagged content is then passed on to a local moderator for further evaluation.
You also don’t have to include your mobile number, or even your surname – all the app needs is your first name in order for you to register. There’s no personal messaging on Neighbourly and Google will ask you to sign an ‘
I will respect my neighbours’ contract before signing you on.
The app also displays badges, which will help you keep track of how many people you’ve helped (by answering questions). This can also be viewed as a safety measure, as the more badges someone has, the more helpful (and ‘neighbourly’) they’re perceived to be.
Why it matters: Google says that it created the app so that you, as a social app user in India, can “ask your neighbours questions, share local expertise and keep up with your neighbourhood”.
The motivation behind the app is due to the busy and constantly changing cities in India. And where the cities change, the people change, too.
“People nearby often have the exact information you need, but they’re too busy these days to stop and chat on the street or in the park,” reports Google.
Let’s say you’re new to the country, or even just visiting, you might be wondering where the nearest restaurant is. With Neighbourly, you’ll know exactly where it is, and possibly even where the best one is (due to the badges and how well the response was received).
The Beta version of the app is currently available on Google Play Store.
Snapchat’s new Lens
The news: Snapchat has released a new Lens on the app that responds to sound. Wondering what a Snapchat Lens is? It’s a facial recognition tool that animates the image of your face on the app.
The Lens is an animal mask overlay that recognises sound. Social Media Week described it as having ‘neon pink animal ears that expand when sound is detected’.
How it works: Once you’ve picked the Lens on the Snapchat app, you’ll be adorned with these features, and any sound you make will lift the pink animal ears, as shown by Mashable’s Jake Krol. The louder the sound, the more animated the Lens gets.
Image sourced from @Jake31Krol on Twitter
Why it matters: The addition of these new Snapchat Lenses could give brands more options in terms of marketing their campaigns.
If a brand is producing sponsored content, they could utilise the Lens to feature the sponsor (in an animated mask) and users would be free to play with the sound.
Picture, for example, a dog mask Lens that reacts to people barking for an animal organisation trying to raise funds.
Instagram’s ‘@ mention’ sharing feature
The news: Instagram has released a new sharing feature that allows you to share Instagram Stories that you’ve been tagged in.
Image sourced from Social Media Today
How it works: According to Instagram, when you’re tagged in an Instagram Story, you’ll receive a notification in your message thread that you’ve been tagged.
You’ll also now have the option to ‘reshare’ the Story and even edit the content to your liking. This includes resizing the story image, adding stickers, add text, etc.
However, the original poster of the Story’s name will be shown at the top of your newly adopted Story. If you tap on the original poster’s username, you’ll be taken to their profile, giving them their much-deserved exposure.
Why it matters: This is great news for brands and publishers who are already on Instagram. If you’re sharing content on Instagram, you can now tag other brands and influencers in the hopes that they’ll share your content, too.
Users can also tag any brands mentioned in their content. For example, if you wrote a story about a particular organisation or a campaign and it gains traction – feel free to tag!
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