Facebook Introduces Live Video and Collages
Facebook is testing a new feature that will enable its users to use their smartphones to shoot video so other people can see what they are doing in real time. Facebook began testing the ability for people to share live video on Facebook, starting with a small percentage of people in the US on iPhones. Live lets you show the people you care about what you’re seeing in real time.
You can easily share live video, write a quick description and choose the audience that you want to share with before going live. During your broadcast, you’ll see the number of live viewers, the names of friends who are tuning in, and a real-time stream of comments. When you end your broadcast, it will be saved on your Timeline like any other video, which you can then delete or keep for your friends to watch later.
You can discover live videos from your friends and public figures you follow right in News Feed. While watching a live video, you can tap the Subscribe button to get notified the next time the broadcaster goes live.
The feature represents Facebook's latest challenge to online messaging service Twitter, which introduced a live video application called Periscope earlier this year.
Facebook is also introducing a new way to share photos and videos by grouping them into a scrolling, moving collage.
When you tap on Photo, you’ll see recent moments from your camera roll organized into collages based on when and where you took them. You can edit your collage by adding, removing or re-arranging the photos and videos that you want to include. Collages will begin rolling out on iPhone today and will be available on Android early next year.