The Verge: Periscope shuts down today. “Periscope, the app that popularized live streaming from smartphones, is shutting down today, just over six years after it launched. The service has already been removed from app stores, and most features will no longer be accessible after today.”
Reuters: Turkey slaps ad ban on Twitter under new social media law . “Ankara has imposed advertising bans on Twitter, Periscope and Pinterest after they failed to appoint local representatives in Turkey under a new social media law, according to decisions published on Tuesday.”
CNN: Twitter is shutting down Periscope. “More than five years after being acquired by Twitter before it officially launched, Periscope is shutting down. ‘We have made the difficult decision to discontinue Periscope as a separate mobile app by March 2021,’ the video live-streaming app announced in a blog post on Tuesday.”
Social Media Today: Periscope Launches Increased Action Against Fake Engagement and Activity. “As explained on the Periscope blog, the platform has revised its definition of spam to now cover ‘any bulk, aggressive, or deceptive activity that attempts to manipulate or disrupt Periscope or the experience of users on Periscope.’ “
MakeUseOf: How to Download Periscope Videos. “Periscope is one of the most widely adopted live streaming services. Whether you use it for broadcasting events or something more personal, the Twitter-owned platform is a solid option. Unfortunately, Periscope is far from perfect. It can be unreliable during streams and, more importantly, there’s no obvious way to download Periscope videos for offline viewing. However, there are some third-party alternatives available to help you download Periscope broadcasts. And in this article we’ll show you the best ways to download Periscope videos.”
Engadget: Periscope lets broadcasters open their streams to guests . “Periscope is paving the way for broadcasters to host talk shows and invite viewers to go beyond comments and hearts by joining the conversation with their voices. As of today, you can add three guests to a stream on the Twitter-owned service. People can request to join the conversation, and they can drop in and out at any time.”
Ahval News: Turkish journalists turn to social media to escape state crackdown. “More journalists in Turkey are turning to social media platforms such as YouTube and Periscope to broadcast and share their take on the latest news amid a harsh media landscape. Since the July 2016 coup attempt, the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has shut down more than 175 news outlets, leaving more than 12,000 media workers without a job. Unemployment in journalism is among the highest rates of all sectors, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute.”
Neowin: Twitter introduces audio-only broadcasting for iOS. “Twitter has allowed its users to broadcast video for some time now, thanks to its dedicated Periscope app. However, the social network feels there may be a subset of users who would rather not stream video of themselves but still broadcast audio for some reason.” Raises hand.
Channel NewsAsia: Turkey to block Periscope during live football broadcasts. “A Turkish court on Saturday (Aug 4) ruled to block the live video-streaming service Periscope during top flight football matches, following a demand from the company with the exclusive rights to broadcast the games.”
TechCrunch: Twitter will suspend repeat offenders posting abusive comments on Periscope live streams . “As part of Twitter’s attempted crackdown on abusive behavior across its network, the company announced on Friday afternoon a new policy facing those who repeatedly harass, threaten or otherwise make abusive comments during a Periscope broadcaster’s live stream. According to Twitter, the company will begin to more aggressively enforce its Periscope Community Guidelines by reviewing and suspending accounts of habitual offenders.”
TechCrunch: Vimeo launches tools for simultaneous uploading or livestreaming to Facebook, YouTube, Twitch and others. “Video platform Vimeo is today rolling out new features designed to simplify video distribution across social networks, including one tool that allows live video to be streamed to Facebook, YouTube, Twitch and Periscope at the same time. Another allows creators to upload to both Facebook and YouTube simultaneously with one click.”
Mashable: As Twitter stock soars, its video app Periscope is suffering from neglect. “When Twitter announced it had acquired Periscope in March 2015, the app was full of promise. It was one of the first to let anyone broadcast video of themselves live from anywhere in the world, using just a smartphone. It also let them interact with viewers through real-time comments and a little heart button used to express that you ‘liked’ someone’s video. By the end of 2015, Apple crowned Periscope iOS app of the year — and Twitter had a hit on its hands. But three years later, Periscope is a shell of its former self.”
Digital Trends: Live-stream Broadcasters Can Earn Cash Through Periscope’s Super Hearts. “Really like that live Periscope video? Now viewers can show their support in the form of Super Hearts, a new form of ‘liking’ that live-stream that will actually help that broadcaster earn some cash. Of course, that means Super Hearts are not just a click but are actually paid for.”
TechCrunch: Twitter for Apple TV adds live, 360 degree video and Periscope’s global map. “Twitter launched a version of its service on Apple TV and other media player platforms last fall in order to deliver its live video content to the big screen. Today, the company is updating its Apple TV app with a couple of new features, including support for Periscope’s Global Map and the ability to watch live 360 degree videos.”
TechCrunch: Twitter now lets brands make their own “custom hearts” for Periscope live videos. “Those little hearts you tap to signal to a live video’s creator that you’re enjoying the content might look a little different on Twitter in the future. The company announced today a new way for brands to engage fans through live video – it will now let them create their own ‘custom hearts’ for use in Periscope’s live video.”
