Instagram lets go of its Apple Watch app

As silly as it may sound, before you were be able to scroll through your Instagram feed on the tiny display of the Apple Watch. But that’s about to change. Version 39.0 of the app only states in the changelog the words “general bug fixes and performance improvements” and when you update, the app is taken away from your smartwatch when it’s paired. An Instagram spokesperson also confirmed with The Verge that there will no longer be a “standalone experience” of the app starting with this version. Instead, you’ll only get notifications, if you have that turned on within the app.

9to5Mac believes this has to do with the new restrictions from Apple where Apple Watch apps need to use watchOS 2 SDK or later but Instagram’s app came out during WatchKit 1.0 when third-party apps weren’t able to run natively on the watch. It didn’t even get features like video support and the ability to work over LTE connection. It seems Instagram figured this particular Apple platform doesn’t appeal to them as much.

Snapchat borrows from Instagram this time, tests mention tagging to Stories

This time around, Snapchat is taking cues from Instagram and is letting users tag their friends in their Stories. When someone is tagged on the social network, it works similar to how Instagram implements this. Viewers can tap on the link and a new menu shows up that links to that user’s information and you can be given the option to add said user. The difference though is there is no autofill, so you’ll need to remember your friend’s Snapchat username and they won’t be alerted if they get tagged. Snapchat confirms they are trying out this feature and there is no official word yet about when it’s going to be available for all users.

Source: The Verge

BlackBerry accuses Facebook of infringement over its messaging patents

CNN

BlackBerry has filed a lawsuit in California against Facebook and its subsidiaries WhatsApp and Instagram for what it says is infringement of its messaging patents. The company says the social media company has “co-opted” its patented innovations related to security, user interface, and battery life. But Facebook brushes off the suit claiming it’s just a desperate move from the beleaguered company. "Blackberry's suit sadly reflects the current state of its messaging business," Paul Grewal, Facebook's deputy general counsel, said in a statement. "Having abandoned its efforts to innovate, BlackBerry is now looking to tax the innovation of others. We intend to fight."

The patents cited in the lawsuit describe the key elements of modern day messaging including those that deal with notifications for the total number of unread messages, photo tagging, and messaging time stamps. It hasn’t been cited how much BlackBerry is asking in terms of damages. But it seems seeking money from the patents isn’t the only motivation, the company seems to want to partner with Facebook. "As a cybersecurity and embedded software leader, BlackBerry's view is that Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp could make great partners in our drive toward a securely connected future," BlackBerry’s spokesperson said in the statement. "We continue to hold this door open to them."

Source: CNN

Instagram tests out audio and video call feature

Looks like Instagram is adding one more feature that pits it up against Snapchat. TechCrunch has spotted icons in the Android version of theapp that shows the company is working on calling features: one for traditional audio calls and one for video calls as well. The tech site speculates Instagram might be considering putting this into its Direct Messaging system to put it squarely up against Snapchat. This isn’t the first time this option has been talked about, though.  Support for these features have been spotted in testing last month.