Facebook Messenger adds admin privileges and joinable links

Facebook Messenger is helping users gain more control over group chats with new features the social network is introducing. One is the introduction of admin privileges into group chats. An administrator of a group chat will be able to do things like approve or remove members from group chats as well as promote or demote any person in a group chat into an admin. This is particularly useful for big groups where you’d want to moderate who joins the chat. Another new feature that is coming to Facebook Messenger will make it easier to add users to group chats. There will now be custom invite links that you can send out to someone if you want them to join your chat group. Those who click on the link will be added automatically, unless admin approval is needed.

HTC Vive Focus will come to ‘global markets,’ development kits are already available

HTC just announced that it plans to bring its standalone Vive Focus to “global markets.” Now, which markets these are, they haven’t specified yet, but it will be coming “later this year.” On top of this, HTC announced they are “making Vive Focus developer kits available to registered developers in most countries through our developer portal, starting today.” What differentiates the Vive Focus from other HTC Vive virtual reality headsets and its competition is that it doesn’t need to be tethered to a PC to work. It makes use of its own custom hardware and features “Six Degrees of Freedom” (6DoF) tracking, which means you can move around similar to what you can do with the original Vive and even Oculus Rift but all of the tracking, processing, and connectivity parts are housed within the headset itself.

Source: Android Central

Apple welcomes spring with new Apple Watch bands

Despite the availability of third-party Apple Watch bands, it seems Apple still has the advantage in creating seasonal replacement bands for their wearable.

Apple just  debuted a Spring collection of bands with vibrant colours and unique designs. This season’s updates include Woven Nylon bands with a fresh stripe that alternates white with colour for a crisp, clean look, exclusive Nike bands that colour-match with the latest Nike running shoes and a striking new edge paint colour for Apple Watch Hermès bands. Later this month, all new bands will be available to order from apple.com and for purchase at select Apple Stores, Apple Authorized Resellers and carriers.  

WhatsApp co-founder urges users to delete Facebook

Facebook might own WhatsApp now but it seems one of its co-founders isn’t happy with how the social network is doing business now. Brian Acton, one of the messaging service’s co-founders, took to Twitter with the words, “It is time. #deletefacebook.” And while we don’t know the motivations for his tweet. It seems to be a big concern as it is only one of five tweets Acton has posted in the last eight years. The tweet does come at a time when Facebook is under fire for alleged misuse of 50 million users’ private data by data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica, which has reportedly mass harvested data from the social network. Reports suggest this might have influenced the 2016 US Presidential election and UK Brexit vote.

Acton has invested US$50 million last month to the Signal Foundation to help keep encrypted messaging service Signal running. And while this can be seen as a direct competitor to WhatsApp, Acton hasn’t said anything about dropping the messaging service. 

Source: Android Authority