Instagram is expanding its range of apps further today by introducing a new video-looping service to rival the likes of HTC Zoe and the iPhone’s baked-in Live Photos. Boomerang takes a quick burst of photos in-app, and then turns them in to a moving photo, or video, that loops forward and backward. Don’t call it a GIF though, it’s a Boomerang…
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Instagram’s collage-making application Layout launched on the iPhone nearly two months ago, but without a counterpart on Android. Today that discrepancy has been fixed with the release of Layout for Android.
The app lets users easily create collages using up to nine of their pictures, or take new ones using the built-in Photo Booth feature, which can then be shared to the photo-centric social network or elsewhere. The Android version of Instagram itself also gained support for a new feature called “Structure,” which helps bring out details in photos.
A 9to5Google reader, today, sent in a screenshot of a new Google homepage layout that the company is testing. It is unclear how spread the testing is of this homepage, but it’s no secret that Google tests new page layouts with small numbers of users. These test layouts sometimes never even get rolled out to the complete user base.
Notably, the new layout sports a button to quickly access Google’s various web applications.That new apps button appears to replace the top bar with the most commonly used Google services (like Mail, YouTube, and Drive).
Google began testing this new layout in February, but the appearance of testing in April could point to this new design still being under consideration or could point to extended testing.
Thanks, Tony!
Last month we told you that YouTube had rolled out its new YouTube One Channel design to a limited number of parter channels, but today the new channel layout is officially available to everyone. You can check out an example of the new layout here. YouTube announced on its Creators blog that all users can now opt in to the new channel design by visiting the One Channel website below:
Check out www.youtube.com/onechannel and click the button at the bottom to get started. We’ll migrate your channel to the new design, and walk you through it. For a limited time, you’ll be able to switch back to the previous design if you like.
YouTube provided some tips to get you started with the new channel design:
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YouTube has announced on its official Partners and Creators blog that the new YouTube One Channel, currently only available in limited beta to select content creators, will soon roll out to all. YouTube content creator iJustine made the announcement. A number of other channels are also using the new design, including: DeStorm, EpicMealTime, SORTED, MysteryGuitarMan, LOUD, and Geek & Sundry.
YouTube provided some tips for content creators who want to prepare for the new channel layout:
1) Create a channel trailer to get people to subscribe
On your new channel, you can show a trailer that will only appear to viewers who aren’t already subscribed to your channel. This is your chance to let visitors know what your channel is all about and tell them why they should subscribe! Keep it short and to the point, and include a clear call to action inviting your audience to subscribe.
2) Create some channel art
Channel art is how you can express the personality of your channel wherever it is seen, whether on a mobile phone, a tablet, a TV, or in a hovercard anywhere on the site! Here is a template and guidelines on how to start creating channel art that will look great.
