This week there are updates to the YouTube video editor, the new Blogger interface, and Chrome tab management. Soon you can view Meet and Duo video calls on your TV. Plus there are updates on Facebook, Messenger, Medium and more.
YouTube
- YouTube wants you to help them improve! Apply to participate in user experience studies, and learn more on Creator Insider.
- YouTube released statistics on how their coronavirus-induced shift to more automated policy enforcement has affected video takedowns. The number of videos taken down for Community Guidelines violations doubled, as compared to the first quarter of the year. But successful appeals also increased, from 25% to 50% of appealed videos being restored. Only 3% of video removals are actually appealed, which suggests to me the vast majority is spam and other content where the uploader knows violated the rules.
- YouTube is improving the blur tool in the built-in video editor. The blur tool lets you easily blur out faces, license plates, logos and more. It will be easier to set the duration, position and size of the blur. And you can use the blur tool on uploaded videos, without losing views.
- YouTube is also updating the tool that lets you remove copyright-claimed content in your video so that you can adjust the start and end time. This tool was introduced last year, and lets you resolve manual copyright claims by removing the claimed content. Until now, you could only remove content using the timestamps provided by the copyright holder, which could be incorrect.
Blogging
- Learn how font sizes work in the new Blogger post editor. Plus the option to ignore your own page views is back in the Stats options.
- Social blogging platform Medium announced a number of new features that should make it easier for readers to find content they are interested in: a cleaner interface for readers, a new emphasis on following people and publishers (rather than the algorithmic feed), and all posts are now eligible to be more widely distributed across Medium (even if they aren’t paywalled). They are developing a brand new Newsletter product. They are bringing back custom domains for blogs. And improving user profiles so that they can be your new home for your personal customizable blog, separate from any “publication” you contribute to.
Google Photos
- If you have a Canon camera with wifi connectivity, you can upload your photos to Google Photos directly from the camera.
Communication
- Cast your Google Meet meeting to your Chromecast-equipped television or smart display to see participants and presentations on the big screen. This requires a computer running the latest version of Chrome.
- Google Duo is coming to Android TV. You can initiate calls from your TV, and if your TV doesn’t have a camera, you can plug in a webcam.
- Facebook Messenger is rolling out the ability to personalize your Rooms and video chats using one of your own photos as a background.They are also making it easier to create and discover Rooms in the Messenger mobile app.
Productivity
- Get tips for using the updated Saved tab in Google Maps. You can see recently saved places, be notified when you are near a saved place, and remember where you’ve been.
- Chrome is introducing improved tabs for better surfing. You can create Tab Groups to organize your browsing by topic. There are new touch-friendly tabs for tablets. And soon you will be able to see a preview when you hover your cursor over a tab.
- Chrome will now let you easily create a QR code for a web page on Android and desktop.
- Collaborative Inboxes are now available in the new Google Groups. What can you use those for? For example, use a Group as a support email address, which then lets your support team see the emails, assign tasks and mark topics resolved.
Social Media
- Twitter has shared tips for using Twitter Lists for brands. It has some useful suggestions if you aren’t using Twitter Lists already.
- TikTok is suing the Trump Administration over the executive order banning TikTok in the US. Interestingly, their filing revealed they currently have 100 million US users, which is comparable to Instagram (130 million US users) and Snapchat (101 million US users).
- Facebook announced Horizon for Oculus, “a social experience where you can explore, play and create with others in VR.” It is designed with safety features, including an easily accessible personal “safe zone”, and the ability to mute, block and report others. If you do mute, block or report someone, an invisible “safety specialist” may watch and record what’s happening to “ensure your safety”. It will be interesting to hear how well those measures work. Horizon is currently in an invite-only beta, but you can sign up to apply.
- Did you know that Facebook had a meme-creation app called Whale? Well, now you do. A bunch of new features are launching, including meme groups, GIF memes and top meme templates.
- Facebook News, a “personalized destination for news” will be launching in five more countries (UK, Germany, France, India, Brazil) over the next year. They will be paying news publishers for their content to appear.
Entertainment
- The latest Google AR update brings prehistoric creatures to your living room or back yard. View them larger (or smaller) than life.
- The annual Notting Hill Carnival will be live on YouTube this weekend, with live streamed music, dance performances and DJ sets. Watch on YouTube.
Image: Field of Sunflowers by Free-Photos-242387 on Pixabay, Free to use.
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