Friday Social: InstaTrainers, Facebook ‘Ask’ and Google Gets Twitchy

Our #FridaySocial is a weekly round-up of the key social media news stories from the previous seven days. Let us know your thoughts in the comments or via Twitter – @Umpf /@TomScott1

Google wants to buy Twitch

Google is reportedly interested in buying live streaming platform Twitch for $1 billion. Twitch allows gamers to broadcast their sessions live, allowing them to give tutorials or just show off their talents. The software is available on desktop as well as both of the main console based gaming systems Xbox One and PlayStation 4. In February this year, Twitch reported 45 million unique monthly viewers in 2013 and six million videos were broadcast per month last year.

So you can see why Google would be interested in adding this to their roster of online video services, delivering adverts through this system could be incredibly lucrative. At the moment though it is just a rumour, we will keep you updated with any more news.

How Twitter consumed the FA Cup Final across the globe

Have a look at this gorgeous animation which uses real time data tracking to visualise the volume of tweets being posted about the FA Cup Final last weekend. The main concentration is in the UK as you would expect, but the other heat spots give a great overall snapshot of the reach of English football across the globe.

Facebook Shazam

Facebook has launched a new feature which will identify TV, music and movies that you are listening to or watching. The feature becomes accessible once you begin to type a status update; it works in almost exactly the same manner as Shazam, accessing your phones microphone to listen for external sound and comparing it to an internal database. If it is successful in picking up the fact that you are watching The Only Way is Essex again, then you can share this with your friends in your status.

What’s in it for Facebook you ask? The simple premise of ‘more data, more power, more money’ if Facebook knows your viewing and listening tastes it can repackage this information and make its advertising platform even more accurate and powerful.  The tool has been in development for over a year, making it a fairly major project for the social media site. Happy fashazaming!

InstaTrainers

Have you ever wanted a pair of trainers with your favourite picture of your food or cat? Adidas are building an app which will be available on iPhone and Android, to do just that. In August you will be able to print from your Instagram account on to the new ZX Flux trainer. Social meeting physical always seems to go down well with consumers and it should be interested seeing how many of these trainers actually get made and they type of image chosen.

Adidas said: “Print your favourite photos straight on to one of 2014’s hottest silhouettes and make a statement on your sneakers like never before… the possibilities are endless.”

Facebook Ask Button

Another Facebook update, this time in the form of an ‘ask’ button. To summarise, this tool will allow you to probe your friends for information such as where they are currently living, or as most have suspected, to quiz them on their relationship status.

“Openly encouraging users to pester other people, however, is a new development. It’s clear that Facebook is looking to cash in on the success of Tinder and Down (formerly known as Bang With Friends), the Facebook add-on which encouraged casual campus hook-ups. Online dating is big business. Sex sells.” Hannah Jane Parkinson, Guardian

As I mentioned above ‘more data, more power, more money’