Take a break from the Black Friday shopping to join us for another roundup of the greatest and latest tech and marketing news.
This week saw the introduction of Google's ambient mode, the removal of inactive twitter accounts, the launch of a new social media platform and some very controversial photos of cows in VR headsets.
Are you intrigued? Let's jump right into it!
Video courtesy of Android
Google Assistant's New Ambient Mode
Have you ever wished you could see helpful Google assistant information on your lock screen?
Well, with Google assistant's new Ambient Mode, that dream is becoming a reality! Things like your calendar events, your notifications, information about the weather and smart home controls can be managed directly from your lock screen with Google's Ambient Mode.
The catch... Ambient only works when your phone is plugged in, so you'll have to keep your charger handy if you want to make the most of it!
At the moment, it looks like Google is only giving a select number of devices access to this feature including Nokia phones, Xiaomi phones, Lenovo's Smart Tab M8 and more. Hopefully, with Ambient mode's deep integration into Android, we can expect to see it roll out across most devices in the coming months.
Do you think this could replace your Google Home, your Amazon Echo? Let us know your thoughts.
Twitter Deactivating Inactive Accounts
When was the last time you logged onto Twitter? If it was 6 months ago (or longer) then you could be in for a shock!!
Twitter has announced that it will be deactivating old accounts to free up usernames and 'clean up' the platform.
As you can imagine, the idea of deleting inactive accounts has caused a bit of an outrage, particularly amongst people who have lost a loved one. Currently, Twitter doesn't have a way to memorialise the accounts of deceased users, which can make preserving these accounts a little tricky.
Luckily, Twitter has said they'll delay this process until they've come up with a solution to these concerns. After all, many people hold on to the twitter conversations and exchanges they had with a loved one long after they pass, so it's nice to see Twitter making allowances for this.
Cocoon App Created By Ex-Facebook Employee
Just when you thought there couldn't be any more social media platforms, a new app called Cocoon emerges!
Upon initial inspection, Cocoon looks like a hybrid of WhatsApp and Facebook newsfeed. Cocoon offers a space where you can share messages, make video calls, see people's locations and much much more.
Sachin Monga, who co-founded Cocoon, worked at Facebook prior to setting up this new social business venture, and says that the app has become her 'home on her phone'!
We think this is an interesting concept, and could be a simple way to filter out all the spammy news articles, old school friends and annoying acquaintances that most of us are used to seeing all over our Facebook & Instagram feeds. Would you be willing to give it a try?
So, that concludes our roundup for this week! So, will you be giving the new Ambient Mode or Cocoon a try? Or will you be logging back into your long-abandoned Twitter account to save it from being re-commissioned? However you're spending your weekend, we hope it's a good one and we'll see you next week for another DW roundup!
