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Facebook looks to improve speech technology and Twitter’s latest effort to fight misinformation
Facebook’s “Pronunciations” program aimed at speech recognition tech. In an attempt to improve its speech recognition technology, Facebook is recruiting users to be part of its “Pronunciation” program connected to the company’s Viewpoints market research app. Facebook is asking qualifying participants to record the phrase “Hey Portal” followed by the name of a friend from their friends list. Users who qualify to be part of the program will earn up to $5 for voice recordings, reports The Verge. The $5 payment is earned via points collected within the Viewpoints app, and the program is open to U.S. users over the age of 18 who have, at least, 75 connections on Facebook.
Twitter testing new tools to fight misinformation. As the 2020 election draws nearer, Twitter is experimenting with a new feature to help curb misinformation on the platform. The site is trying out brightly colored labels that are placed beneath lies and misinformation shared by politicians and public figures, reports NBC News. The company confirmed to NBC that the labels are “one possible iteration” of new policies it plans to launch on March 5. A Twitter spokesperson told NBC, “We’re exploring a number of ways to address misinformation and provide more context for tweets on Twitter.”
A new way to thread Tweets. In other Twitter news, the site is rolling out a feature that lets you add, “A new thought to an old Tweet” so that you can thread Tweets posted days apart. To access the feature, compose a Tweet on the mobile app, and then, before posting, pull down on the composer window to view older Tweets and an option to “Continue thread” — from there you can select a previous Tweet to continue the thread. The feature is rolling out slowly on iOS, according to TechCrunch.
Parents get more control on TikTok, LinkedIn rolls out a new feature that lets you show off (more) achievements
TikTok introduces new parental controls. The short-form video-sharing app announced a new set of safety controls to let parents set limits on their children’s use of the TikTok mobile app. Dubbed “Family Safety Mode,” the new features include screen-time management controls, limits on direct messages, and a restricted mode that limits inappropriate content. According to TikTok, parents who want to enable Family Safety Mode must first create their own account on the app, which is then linked to the teen’s account. While these features were already available in the app for users to set for themselves, the Family Safety Mode gives parents the ability to toggle controls on or off while preventing the settings from being changed without parents’ involvement.
LinkedIn launches a handy profile feature. LinkedIn is rolling out a new profile element that lets users showcase key achievements and updates in a separate ‘Featured’ section at the top of their LinkedIn profile. According to LinkedIn, “The Featured section allows you to showcase samples of your work to people who view your LinkedIn profile. This is a great way to provide evidence of your skills and experience.” It’s a significant addition to LinkedIn, giving professionals more ways to show off skills, competencies, achievements, services and more.
Instagram isn’t focused on making an iPad app, Facebook addresses using memes as political fodder
Instagram won’t be coming to iPads any time soon. Instagram doesn’t have enough people on its team to develop a stand-alone Apple iPad app, according to the platform’s CEO Adam Mosseri. In an AMA on Instagram over the weekend, Mosseri said that although Instagram would like to make an iPad app, “we only have so many people and lots to do.” He added that an iPad app “hasn’t bubbled up as the next best thing to do yet,” and while Instagram is arguably best-suited to smartphones, the team may have to free up some development time to make the app suitable for larger screens quite soon.
Facebook clarifies ad disclosure policy – even for memes. Facebook has updated its guidelines to make it compulsory for political candidates to disclose any partnerships with influencers who post memes or similar content on their behalf. On Instagram in particular, Facebook will now require that such arrangements be implemented via Instagram’s Branded Content Ads, which will add a clear “Paid Partnership With” label to these posts. This comes after US Democratic presidential hopeful Michael Bloomberg partnered with a group called “Meme 2020,” which was founded by Jerry Media chief executive Mick Purzycki, in order to commission the creation of memes by various Instagram influencers to help boost Bloomberg’s messaging, and hopefully connect with younger voters.
Instagram tests new feed feature, Facebook launches Hobbi, Snapchat experiments with a redesign
Instagram tests ‘Latest Posts’ feature. Instagram has been spotted internally prototyping a “Latest Posts” feature, which provides a way for users to see the most recent pictures and videos from people they follow. The feature appears as an interstitial pop-up over the main feed, providing the option to “get caught up” with the most recent posts in their feed.
Facebook launches Pinterest lookalike. A new app from Facebook’s new products division looks an awful lot like Pinterest. According to the Verge, Hobbi is a photo-sharing app where you can “capture and organize your creative process” like cooking, baking, arts and crafts, fitness or home decor, according to its page in the App Store. Aimed at hobbyists, the app organizes photos of projects into collections to track their progress over time. The new app doesn’t have a social sharing component yet.
Snapchat could be getting a new look. Snapchat is testing out a major new redesign which would expand the app from three to five definitively separated sections, and add a black navigation bar along the bottom of the screen, Social Media Today reports. The new navigation bar would link to five sections, including the Snap Map, the chat section, the main camera, Snap Discover (renamed ‘Community’), and the new ‘Discover,’ which would be home to Snapchat’s original content.
On the move
Starbucks and Tailored Brands get new CMOs, Papa John’s hires a P&G veteran
Brady Brewer has been promoted to the role of CMO at Starbucks, reporting directly to the company’s COO, Roz Brewer. As CMO, Brewer will lead the development and execution of the company’s marketing plans, as well as manage the food and beverage portfolio, the digital customer experience, creative and brand management, data analytics, and consumer insights. An 18-year veteran of Starbucks, Brewer previously led the company’s digital customer experience and was responsible for product discovery, ordering, payment, pick up, delivery and more. Brewer will continue to lean on that experience in his new role, with a focus on making further progress on creating a frictionless customer experience between the company’s online portal and physical stores.
Tailored Brands, Inc. – the company behind retailers like Men’s Wearhouse, Jos. A. Bank, and Moore’s Clothing for Men – announced the appointment of Carolyn Pollock as CMO. She will report to the company’s chief customer officer, Carrie Ask, and will oversee marketing for all of the company’s retail brands. Pollock boasts more than ten years of experience in consulting and interim marketing leadership roles at established companies such as eBay, Dolby, and Facebook, as well as leading startups like Thumbtack, Dashlane, and One Kings Lane. Prior to consulting, Ms. Pollock held marketing leadership roles at eBay and started her career with Unilever and Labatt Breweries of Canada.
Former Procter & Gamble Co. brand manager Amanda Clark has been hired by Papa John’s International Inc. as chief development officer, responsible for leading the company’s strategy to expand its restaurant footprint in North America and internationally. She will oversee franchise development and sales, building design and new concepts for Louisville-based Papa John’s. The company’s CEO, Rob Lynch, is also a P&G veteran.
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