Want to catch up with what happened in the digital world this week? Our weekly Cheat Sheet fills you in on everything you missed while you scrambled to meet deadlines and put out fires.Read about a 360-degree storytelling app for iPad, BBC offering original video clips within paid tweets, Google testing banner ads, Vine’s latest updates, and Hiku’s grocery scanner.
1. IDNA 360-degree storytelling app
Swiss digital studio ApeLab has created a prototype for spatial storytelling called IDNA. As the device moves, the animations and story move along with it, giving users the opportunity to explore the story from different angles and focus on specific characters. The audio is also 3D, sensitive to movement and changes based on what part of the story the user is focusing on.
2. BBC serves original video clips in paid tweets
BBC Global News has partnered up with Twitter to sponsor video clips within paid tweets. BBC created short videos called #BBCTrending that will be appearing in Twitter streams this fall. The videos will give viewers the inside story on the day’s popular news stories on social media and will be distributed via the @BBCWorld account. So far, brands have tweeted clips from existing TV programming, but BBC will be the first brand to push original video content within Twitter’s paid ads
3. Google experiments with banner ads atop search results
Google is testing large banners ads that will be shown on top of search results for specific brand queries. The ad—which takes up the majority of the screen’s real estate—aims to drive more traffic to advertisers than the standard search ads, so Google is experimenting to see the click-throughs on the banner units. The small experiment is currently running in the U.S. market.
4. Vine rolls out two new features to encourage more creativity
Vine has added 2 additional features to its mobile app. The first is called “Session,” which allows users to save and work on up to 10 posts over time prior to sharing them. The second—and perhaps the biggest feature—is called “Time Travel.” This feature allows users to go back and edit, remove, reorganize and replace shots within the video clip. While users are still unable to upload existing videos into Vine, they are still providing key updates to keep users interested in the app.
5. Hiku grocery scanner makes shopping easier
How often have you sent your spouse and/or kids to do the grocery shopping, but they come back with the wrong variation of the product you wanted? With Hiku, grocery shopping can start making the task simpler and more convenient. Hiku is a scanner that allows users to scan the barcodes on household and food items to construct a grocery list and send the list to a companion mobile app. The device also features Wi-Fi connectivity and a microphone that allows users to add items using their voice. Hiku is also planning to launch a feature that allows users to find the items online and order them right from their phone.
