Monthly Archives: September 2015

Instagram Revamps Direct Messaging Feature

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Today Instagram has updated its iOS and Android apps with new features for its messaging feature called Instagram Direct. Instagram originally launched Instagram Direct in 2013 to privately share photos with one person or small groups. Every month, about 85 million out of Instagram’s 300 million total users use Instagram Direct to send private photos.
Some of the updates includes threaded messages and the ability to send content from your feed as a Direct message. The threaded messages makes it easier for users to interact with each other because you do not have to create a new conversation every time you want to send photos or videos.
There is a quick camera feature so that you can seamlessly respond with a photo or a video in a Direct Message. The size of the emoji in Instagram Direct has been enlarged to really express your thoughts without having to type regular text. And Instagram Direct now lets you name your groups and add up to 15 people to the conversation.
Simplifying The Process Of Sharing A Post
About 40% of the comments on Instagram are “mentions.” Mentions on Instagram happen when a user wants to share a photo with friend by tagging them with the @ symbol. This usually happens when someone sees a photo that is inspiring or funny. Instagram has now added an arrow icon next to the “like” and “comment” icons under every post. When you tap on the arrow icon, you will be able to send that post to a friend or group as a message using Instagram Direct. 
After you share that content with your friends, tapping on the photo or video takes you back to the original post. Hashtag pages and location pages can also be shared with the arrow icon at the top right-hand corner.
Your Privacy Will Not Change
Photos and videos belonging to users that have their accounts set to private will only be visible to approved followers. Essentially, the photos and videos that you send on Instagram Direct are only visible to people that can already see them. 
This is not the only recent major change Instagram added to its app. Last month, Instagram started allowing users to post photos in larger formats other than a square — including portrait and landscape orientations.
The updated Instagram app with these features are within version 7.5 for iOS and Android. You may not see it yet because it appears to still be rolling out. Below is a video demo of how the new features work:

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CyanogenMod updated to Android 5.1, Stagefright patch included

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CyanogenMod has finally been updated to Android 5.1! The latest versions of the ROM are based on the latest versions of Android, which should make those running CyanogenMod happy. You can update now if your device is supported by CyanogenMod 12.1.

The update also includes the Stagefright patch, which addresses one of the bigger security holes found in Android. And don’t worry, older versions of the CyanogenMod are getting the patch too, so it’s not exclusive to the 5.1-based ROMs.

Head to the source link for more info, or go to the downloads center to get the new version of your CyanogenMod ROM!

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Moto 360′s flat tire isn’t nearly as bad as it seems

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People have long complained about the Moto 360′s “flat tire” look. For those of you that haven’t heard of it, it’s the little flat spot at the bottom of the screen keeping it from being perfectly round. The new Moto 360 will also allegedly have the flat tire, and it’s got people talking.

However, the flat tire isn’t as big of a deal as many people make it out to be. As you can see, the bezel is absolutely tiny on the Moto 360 compared to other smart watches. This applies to many others not on the chart. The display-to-body ratio is a fantastic 71.7 percent for the Moto 360, and that makes it look quite sleek and sexy.

But there’s another reason for the flat tire, and that’s the ambient light sensor. It’s a feature missing from all the other featured watches and many more, and it’s a really important one. Auto brightness means it’ll never blind you at night and it’ll be visible during the day. I don’t know about most people, but a smartwatch without a light sensor is incomplete to me.

What do you think about Motorola repeating the flat tire on the second gen Moto 360? What are your thoughts on the ambient light sensor?

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HTC teases new device on Weibo, to launch Sept. 6

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HTC has teased a new device on Sina Weibo, a Chinese social network/microblogging site. The device, due to launch on September 6, is a mystery. There is no detail in the photo that could tell us what the device is, other than the words” Meng Yao,” which mean “superior handsomeness.”

The device could the HTC A9, or HTC Aero, that we’ve seen once before. The similarities to the iPhone are apparent, though the bands across the back of the device were used for years by HTC. This looks similar to a flat HTC M9, with the camera moved up to the top.

We may not be getting this phone, but it should be a pretty decent device. It is rumored to feature a 5.2-inch QHD display, a 10-core MediaTek processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 3500mAh battery. These specs seem pretty amazing, but we’ll have to wait to see if the rumors are right.

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