Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<ul><li>Facebook’s video calling feature called Rooms, will now allow users to go live for up to 50 people and stream the video on their profile or any page.</li><li>With the latest option to go live from Rooms, Facebook has only increased the competition with Zoom. Users have been streaming webinars live on Facebook through Zoom. </li><li>When Facebook had initially launched Rooms in April, its feature to lock the room was eerily similar to Houseparty’s feature. </li></ul>With work from home becoming the new normal and video calls becoming the hangout zone, social media giant Facebook too wants in on the trend. It is betting on its video calling feature Rooms as an answer to Zoom and Google Meets and upping the game with more updates. Facebook’s video calling feature called Rooms, which was officially launched for messenger in April, will now allow users to go live for up to 50 people and stream the video on their profile or any page. Through rooms, users can invite people to go live even if they don’t have a Facebook account. Facebook has introduced the live option as the company said that live broadcasts from pages on the social media platform doubled in June 2020 from the same time last year, largely attributed to broadcasts since March 2020. “As a room creator, you can broadcast your room to a Profile, Page or Group, and invite people to tune in. By bringing Messenger Rooms and Facebook Live together, we’re unlocking new ways for people to connect and create content even while they’re apart,” said Facebook’s statement. How does <keyword id="2568422" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Facebook-Rooms">Facebook Rooms</keyword> work A user can create a room through the messenger app, by tapping on the people option and then ‘create a room’. The controls for the live broadcast will remain with the creator of the room. The creator can manage where the room is shared on Facebook, who can view the broadcast and who’s invited to participate. The creator can also add or remove users from the room and also ‘lock’ the room to ensure more users don’t enter the room. Participants will get a notification to join the room. Facebook ups its game - competes with Zoom, Google Meets and Houseparty With the latest option to go live from Rooms, Facebook has only increased the competition with Zoom. Users have been streaming webinars live on Facebook through Zoom. Facebook’s messenger rooms are currently restricted for 50 people whereas Zoom’s basic free plan allows 100 users whereas the other paid options can let you host meetings for as many as 1000 people. Meanwhile, Google Meets allows you to talk to 100 people at a time. Facebook rooms will also allow you to share your screen, much like Google Meets and Zoom. However, while Zoom has so far been used for business meetings and webinars, Facebook Rooms is targeting group video calls between friends and family – much like Houseparty. When Facebook had initially launched Rooms in April, its feature to lock the room was eerily similar to Houseparty’s feature. In both the platforms, you can create a room and unless you lock it, all the people on your friends list can view the room and also join it. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/biocon-itself-is-depressed-but-syngene-can-offer-a-shot-of-hope/articleshow/77146332.cms">Biocon itself is depressed but Syngene can offer a shot of hope</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/ransomware-hits-it-services-giant-they-paid-the-ransom-even-after-locking-hackers-out-of-the-system/articleshow/77143676.cms">Ransomware hits IT services giant — they paid the ransom even after locking hackers out of the system</a>

Facebook Rooms' new feature for group video calling competes with Zoom, Google Meets and Houseparty

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6354576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="facebook">Facebook</keyword> CEO <keyword id="6354630" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="mark-zuckerberg">Mark Zuckerberg</keyword> is now worth $87.8 billion, making him the third-richest person in the world, according to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/?sref=BWbpWjRm">the Bloomberg Billionaires Index</a>.</li><li>Bloomberg shows that Zuckerberg's net worth grew by $30 billion since March 17, the day after the San Francisco Bay Area became the first major US region to tell <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/san-francisco-lockdown-coronavirus-disease-bay-area-2020-3">residents to shelter in place</a> due to the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> outbreak.</li><li>At the time, the US death toll from <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> had <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/us-coronavirus-death-toll-reaches-100/2020/03/17/f8d770c2-67a8-11ea-b313-df458622c2cc_story.html">just reached 100</a>. Today, more than 95,000 people have died in the US from the coronavirus, with 1.6 million cases reported.</li><li>Despite the pandemic's blow to the economy, Facebook reported better-than-expected numbers for both revenue and users in first-quarter earnings, and <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/facebook-stock-price-earnings-adds-billions-market-value-beat-advertising-2020-4-1029150952">added $44 billion</a> to its market value the next morning.</li></ul>Despite the economic fallout from the current global pandemic, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has added more than $30 billion to his wealth in just two months.The surge in Zuckerberg's net worth has earned him the title of third-richest person in the world, according to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/?sref=BWbpWjRm">the Bloomberg Billionaires Index ranking</a> updated on May 21. Zuckerberg is now worth an estimated $87.8 billion, rising above <keyword id="6393637" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Billionaires">billionaires</keyword> like Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffet and fashion mogul Bernard Arnault.When Silicon Valley and the Bay Area were <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/san-francisco-lockdown-coronavirus-disease-bay-area-2020-3">first told to shelter in place</a> in mid-March, Zuckerberg was worth a paltry $57.5 billion and placed fifth on the list, according to Bloomberg's estimates. California remains under lockdown in an effort to contain the coronavirus outbreak, but Facebook's CEO has nonetheless added billions to his riches.The surge in Zuckerberg's rankings is likely due to his company's growth even during a time when <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/21/us/coronavirus-news-tracker.html">nearly 40 million US workers</a> have been been laid off. Facebook showed better-than-expected first-quarter earnings <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-q1-earnings-2020-4">reported on April 29</a>. The company beat Wall Street expectations in revenue and daily active users, generating $17.74 billion and attracting 1.73 billion users in the first three months of 2020. The company also reported it had reached 3 billion monthly users across its family of apps, which include Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. By the next morning, Facebook stock jumped as much as 8%, netting the company <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/facebook-stock-price-earnings-adds-billions-market-value-beat-advertising-2020-4-1029150952">$44 billion in market value</a>.However, Facebook said it experienced a "significant reduction" in advertising demand over the last three weeks of Q1 2020. While <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/snap-beats-expectations-for-revenue-despite-coronavirus-pandemic-2020-4">Q1 earnings for tech companies</a> and social platforms were relatively promising across the board, significant impact to the economy remains to be seen. Second-quarter results — covering business from April 1 to June 30 — may better represent the affect the coronavirus pandemic has had on businesses.In the last two months, Facebook has also announced expansions of its business into ecommerce and video chatting. Facebook recently <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-messenger-rooms-video-chat-zoom-walkthrough-like-zoom-2020-4">debuted Messenger Rooms</a>, a video chat service for up to 50 people at the time as services like Zoom and Houseparty see significant bumps in use. Just this week, Facebook said that the core platform, as well as Instagram, were getting <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-launches-shops-ecommerce-feature-businesses-2020-5">an e-commerce feature called Shops</a> that would allow businesses to add virtual storefronts to their profiles.Zuckerberg is third on the rankings of the world's richest behind <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeff-bezos-on-track-to-become-trillionaire-by-2026-2020-5">Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos</a> and Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates.Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg-billionaire-third-richest-since-coronavirus-net-worth-2020-5">Business Insider</a>

Mark Zuckerberg is now the 3rd richest person in the world after his fortune grew $30 billion since the coronavirus crisis began

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6354576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="facebook">Facebook</keyword> is hosting a virtual graduation event for the Class of 2020 on May 15.</li><li>The unprecedented livestream will feature Oprah, Jennifer Garner, Lil Nas X, Simone Biles, and other special guests.</li><li>The company is stepping up after graduation ceremonies across the US were cancelled due to the pandemic.</li></ul>Oprah Winfrey will be the commencement speaker and Awkwafina, Jennifer Garner, Lil Nas X and Simone Biles will offer words of wisdom to the Class of 2020 in an unprecedented multi-hour graduation streaming event on Facebook and Instagram on May 15.The #Graduation2020 event will be broadcast on Facebook Watch, with some segments posted to the @instagram account on Instagram, along with the social media accounts of the contributors, according to the announcement Tuesday.In a blog post on Tuesday, <a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2020/04/graduation-2020/">Facebook executive Marne Levine wrote</a>: "This is a bittersweet time for the Class of 2020. As students head toward graduation, it's not the day they might have imagined — no processions, no diploma handoffs, no parties. They are commencing at a time of great uncertainty. But graduating is a tremendous achievement, and worth pausing to celebrate even in these circumstances. That's why Facebook has planned a special event on the Facebook app and Instagram."Facebook's actions illustrate how major tech companies have stepped in to meet needs created by the pandemic and lockdowns around the world — from people turning to Amazon for ever-more of their shopping needs to communication platforms like Facebook, Zoom, and Houseparty as users communicate with friends and family they can no longer meet face-to-face.Facebook and Instagram will soon roll out graduation-themed stickers, filters and effects for the event, along with ways families and friends can host private virtual celebrations using the new Facebook Rooms feature. Miley Cyrus will sing her hit, "The Climb," and more special guests are expected.The <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> pandemic has upended graduation season with many schools scaling back, or in some cases canceling, traditional graduations.Got a tip? Contact Business Insider reporter Rob Price via encrypted messaging app Signal (+1 650-636-6268), encrypted email (robaeprice@protonmail.com), standard email (rprice@businessinsider.com), Telegram/Wickr/WeChat (robaeprice), or Twitter DM (<a href="https://twitter.com/robaeprice">@robaeprice</a>). We can keep sources anonymous. Use a non-work device to reach out. PR pitches by standard email only, please.Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-virtual-graduation-event-oprah-lil-nas-x-2020-4">Business Insider</a>

Facebook is hosting a virtual graduation on May 15 for the Class of 2020 featuring Oprah, Lil Nas X, and Simone Biles

<ul><li>You can play <keyword id="59169" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Multiplayer-games">multiplayer games</keyword> on your smartphone along with your friends during the lockdown.</li><li>The following games are free to play but offer some in-app purchases.</li></ul>India is currently under a 21-day nationwide lockdown to control the spread of Coronavirus. With everyone stuck at home, you cannot go out and meet your friends. However, online multiplayer games can come to your rescue during this difficult period. While the lockdown is scheduled to end on April 14, there have been reports that several state governments want to extend the lockdown. So, you will have a lot of time on your hands to try these games with your friends. In this post, we look at some of the top online multiplayer games you can play with your friends. PUBG Mobile <div type="image" title="PUBG Mobile" msid="75044958" hostid="261"></div> Popular battle royale game PUBG Mobile is one of the most popular multiplayer games and is the go-to game for most young people. In addition to the popular Classic mode -- where you have four maps to choose from and the only goal is to be the last man standing -- players can also select from Arcade mode, Arena and PlayLab where one or more of the parameters are different. For instance, in the Arena’s Domination mode, you and your friends will have to capture a given area before the opposing team. Users can select if they want to play alone, with your significant other or with a squad of four people. Download PUBG Mobile for <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tencent.ig&amp;hl=en_IN">Android</a> and <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pubg-mobile-2nd-anniversary/id1330123889">iOS</a>. Call of Duty: Mobile <div type="image" title="Call of Duty Mobile" msid="75044984" hostid="261"></div> After the success of PUBG Mobile, Activision and Tencent launched Call of Duty: Mobile. This game is a good choice for all the Call of Duty fans out there who want to play a battle royale game. It’s also a nice change of pace if you have gotten bored with PUBG. In addition to battle royale mode, the game also offers various other modes like team deathmatch, domination, search and destroy, and more. As a player, you can choose which gun you want in your holster and also pick between different operator skills, perks and scorestreaks. Download Call of Duty: Mobile for <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.activision.callofduty.shooter&amp;hl=en_IN">Android</a> and <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/call-of-duty-mobile/id1287282214">iOS</a>. Asphalt 9: Legends <div type="image" title="Asphalt 9 Legends" msid="75044996" hostid="261"></div> If you are looking for car racing games, Asphalt 9: Legends is one of the top free games you can play right now. For the first time in the Asphalt series, you can create clubs in the game that allows you to compete with your friends. Legends offers great graphics, tons of cars and exciting challenges. You can even create a club with your friends to play together to get milestone rewards to climb up in the leaderboards. Download Asphalt 9: Legends for <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gameloft.android.ANMP.GloftA9HM&amp;hl=en_IN">Android</a> and <a href="https://apps.apple.com/ph/app/asphalt-9-legends/id805603214">iOS</a>. Houseparty <div type="image" title="Houseparty" msid="75045019" hostid="261"></div> Houseparty has become a big hit due to the Coronavirus lockdown. The app allows users to host ‘parties’ to video chat with friends and play in-app games and quizzes. You can connect your social media accounts such as Facebook and Snapchat to the app and when a friend comes online, you get a notification. You can then create a room with your friends and then either lock the room or keep it open to allow strangers to join. The games on Houseparty include ‘Heads Up’, ‘Quick Draw’ and ‘Trivia’. Download Houseparty for<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.herzick.houseparty&amp;hl=en_IN"> Android</a> and<a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/houseparty/id1065781769"> iOS</a>. Ludo King <div type="image" title="Ludo King" msid="75045032" hostid="261"></div> If you are looking to play a game with your parents or your grandparents, Ludo King is a good arcade game that most people are already familiar with. It’s also a good game to play that doesn’t require your undivided attention if you’re otherwise occupied -- like watching a movie on Netflix or Amazon. It allows players to create rooms and up to four players can play at once. You can also choose to play this game with others from across the world or against the computer. Once all the players are physically in one room, you can also select the pass and play mode that allows up to four people to play Ludo on a single device. Download Ludo King for <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ludo.king&amp;hl=en_IN">Android</a> and <a href="https://apps.apple.com/in/app/ludo-king/id993090598">iOS</a>. 8 Ball Pool <div type="image" title="8 Ball Pool" msid="75045067" hostid="261"></div> 8 Ball Pool is a popular multiplayer game from Miniclip that allows you to play tournaments, challenge your friends or play 1 vs 1 with strangers. You can choose from various pool cues, that have different powers and styles. If you are looking for a pool game to play with your friends during the lockdown, this is an excellent option and is free to play. Download 8 Ball Pool on<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.miniclip.eightballpool&amp;hl=en_IN"> Android</a> and<a href="https://apps.apple.com/in/app/8-ball-pool/id543186831"> iOS</a>. UNO! <div type="image" title="UNO!" msid="75045082" hostid="261"></div> If you are looking to play a card game, UNO is a good option. The game is quite popular, and most people are already familiar with the rules. Even if the game isn’t in your wheelhouse, it is quite easy to understand. Uno offers several game modes, including tournaments. It also has a 2 vs 2 team mode so that users can team up and play the game together. Download UNO! for <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.matteljv.uno&amp;hl=en_IN">Android</a> and <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/uno/id1344700142">iOS</a>. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/advertising/ad-tech/news/mobile-game-downloads-witness-39-surge-during-covid-19-lockdown/articleshow/75006959.cms">Mobile games download witnesses 39% surge during Covid-19 lockdown</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/news/the-who-is-recommending-video-games-as-an-effective-way-to-stop-the-spread-of-covid-19-one-year-after-adding-gaming-disorder-to-its-list-of-addictive-behaviors/articleshow/74940202.cms">The WHO is recommending video games as an effective way to stop the spread of COVID-19, one year after adding 'gaming disorder' to its list of addictive behaviors</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/paytm-games-vertical-saw-a-200-increase-during-the-lockdown-in-march/articleshow/74925413.cms">Paytm’s games vertical saw a 200% increase during the lockdown in March</a>

Best mobile games to play with friends during the Coronavirus lockdown – PUBG Mobile, Asphalt 9: Legends, Ludo King and more

<ul><li>Video conferencing apps have become an essential tool amid the COVID-19 pandemic.</li><li>Platforms like <keyword id="4237083" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="google-meet">Google Meet</keyword>, Zoom and <keyword id="3781913" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Microsoft-teams">Microsoft Teams</keyword> allow users to use custom background during video calls.</li><li>In this post, we show you how to set up custom backgrounds on Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/">Check out the latest news and updates on Business Insider.</a></li></ul>The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in increased usage of video conferencing services such as Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams to conduct virtual meetings or teaching. As millions of people are using these apps, interesting features such as support for custom backgrounds are being added to attract more users. Zoom was the first platform to allow users to use custom background during video calls and Microsoft recently introduced the feature for its users. Google Meet also supports custom backgrounds now. Reliance Jio has also announced its video conferencing platform <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/reliance-jio-launches-jiomeet-app-to-take-on-zoom/articleshow/76762100.cms">JioMeet</a>, which currently does not allow users to set custom backgrounds during video calls. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="76826570" title="JioMeet vs Google Meet vs Zoom – Which video calling service should you use?" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> How to use custom background in Zoom To set a custom background in Zoom, follow the below steps: <div type="image" title="Image 1" msid="80131614" hostid="261"></div> <ul><li>Download the <a href="https://zoom.us/download">Zoom</a> app on your desktop. </li><li>Now, open the app and click on the settings icon on the top right corner. </li><li>Then, click on the virtual background. </li><li>Now, you can select from the available backgrounds or you can use your custom background. </li></ul><div type="image" title="Image 2" msid="80131623" hostid="261"></div> <ul><li>To use your custom background, click on the ‘Plus’ button. </li><li>You can now select an image or a video to set as your custom background. </li><li>Click on ‘Add Image’ or ‘Add Video’ and select the file from your computer. </li><li>The new virtual background will be applied and can be previewed. </li></ul>How to set custom <keyword id="10551609" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="background-in-google-meet">background in Google Meet</keyword> <ul><li>Open <a href="https://apps.google.com/meet/">Google Meet</a> in your browser. </li><li>Now, join a meeting or start a new meeting. </li></ul><div type="image" title="Image 3" msid="80131630" hostid="261"></div> <ul><li>At the bottom right corner, click on change background. </li></ul><div type="image" title="Image 4" msid="80131639" hostid="261"></div> <ul><li>Now, you have the option to slightly blur, completely blur your background, use a downloaded background or upload a new background. </li></ul>How to use custom <keyword id="10551607" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="background-in-microsoft-teams">background in Microsoft Teams</keyword> To set a custom background in Microsoft Teams, follow the below steps: <ul><li>Download the <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/microsoft-365/microsoft-teams/download-app">Microsoft Teams</a> app on your desktop. </li><li>Open the app and click on the more options mw, senu (three dots). </li><li>Now, select background effects. </li><li>Now, click on ‘Add new’ and select an image from your computer. </li><li>Now, click on ‘Open’ and the image will be added. </li></ul>SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/facebook-rooms-new-feature-for-group-video-calling-competes-with-zoom-google-meets-and-houseparty/articleshow/77147504.cms">Facebook Rooms' new feature for group video calling competes with Zoom, Google Meets and Houseparty</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/zoom-new-center-in-bengaluru-with-plans-to-introduce-value-added-services-to-video-conferencing/articleshow/77080016.cms">Zoom opens up new technology centre in Bengaluru with plans to introduce value-added services to the video conferencing app</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/reliance-jio-launches-jiomeet-app-to-take-on-zoom/articleshow/76762100.cms">Reliance Jio launches JioMeet app to take on Zoom</a>

How to use custom background in Google Meet, Zoom and Microsoft Teams

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ransomtech/">Flickr / RansomTech</a>The social interaction is missing from most social media.</div></div></div><ul><li>Teens are abandoning Facebook in dramatic numbers.</li><li>Where are they going? Millions of people under the age of 24 are gathering on Houseparty, a group video-chat app.</li><li>Teens are embracing Houseparty because they say it's the next best thing to hanging out with friends in person.</li></ul> For the first time in its history, Facebook didn't add any <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebooks-growth-problems-will-get-worse-2018-7">daily active users</a> in North America in the past quarter. It's not totally surprising. Facebook has been hampered by scandal after scandal, at the same time teens are abandoning the social network in dramatic numbers, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/generation-z-facebook-2018-1">studies</a> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jun/01/facebook-teens-leaving-instagram-snapchat-study-user-numbers">show</a>. Finally, Facebook looks like it's stalling out.But if <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/teens-gen-z-generation-z-what-teens-are-like-2018-6">Generation Z</a> kills Facebook, where will the young people go?Twenty million people are gathering on <a href="https://houseparty.com/">Houseparty</a>, a group video-chat app most easily described as FaceTime but with more people.It's a social media platform that feels a lot like the past. When you open the app, it asks you to signal that you'd like to chat, then notifies your friends that you're "in the house." If your friends are already online, you can start a video chat or join an existing room with a single tap. Users can hang with up to eight friends at once.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-use-the-houseparty-app-2016-12">Here's how to use Houseparty, the live video app that teens are going crazy for</a>More than half of Houseparty users are under the age of 24, which puts it squarely in favor with America's youngest generation.And they are obsessed. Houseparty users spend an average of 51 minutes a day on the app, which puts their engagement ahead of Facebook's 50 minutes (Messenger and Instagram included) and Snaphat's 30 minutes. This metric would make any app developer jealous, and it happened for the people behind Houseparty simply because they made the social network that they always wanted.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">HousepartyHouseparty lets users chat with up to eight friends at once.</div></div></div><h2>The gool ol' days of AIM</h2>Sima Sistani remembers the days of returning from class and signing onto AOL Instant Messenger in her college dorm. She and her friends recapped their first (and many bad) dates while "studying" on the app. It looked something ~*LiKe ThIs*~. Though the personal computer gave her a screen to hide behind, Sistani - who is cofounder of Life On Air, the company that built Houseparty - still more or less talked to her friends on AOL Instant Messenger. There was emotion pouring through her fingertips.Plenty of social media apps today ask teens to interact with their friends by thumbing through an endless feed of photos, text, and video, and tapping to like or comment. They have more connections on social media than ever, yet many of those friendships are thin, leaving people wanting more meaningful connections in life."Social media started as this promise to connect people," said Sistani, who studied sociology. She added, "I don't think the social media that's out there today is delivering on that promise."<h2>Meerkat's second act</h2>Houseparty isn't the company's first crack at creating a better social media platform. In 2015, Life On Air launched a live-streaming app called Meerkat that let people broadcast from their mobile phones to friends and interested strangers. It spawned everywhere overnight.But Meerkat failed spectacularly, raising $12 million in new funding before fizzling out amid competition from Facebook and Twitter.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">HousepartySima Sistani and Ben Rubin are cofounders of Houseparty.</div></div></div>According to Sistani, the Meerkat team set out to connect people in the most human way possible when physically apart. But their method for doing so came to alienate their target users: people like them."We have these devices that are in our pockets, they allow us to bring people into our point-of-view, and that's going to connect everybody," Sistani said. "But it didn't. What it did was create a stage. A stage is inherently a performance, and the people who are best at performing are influencers and media creators; not me, not you. That's when we took a step back and thought, 'OK, it's not meant to be a stage. It's not meant to be a performance. It's supposed to feel like a house party.'"Sistani and her team took inventory of what they loved about Meerkat and tried again, hacking together the Houseparty prototype in 10 months.<h2>What's its secret?</h2>All conversations on Houseparty, which launched in 2016, happen in real time. They're between friends and sometimes friends of friends, when a user invites their buddy to join a group video-chat.The app is scrubbed clean of "like" buttons, comments, news feeds, and follower counts. You won't find filters or animations to spice up what users see. Everything about the product communicates that "this is a place for the people you care about most," Sistani said.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">HousepartyIn a survey of 1,000 social media users, Houseparty had the highest percentage of people saying they felt happy after spending time on the app.</div></div></div>In fact, people on Houseparty have a median number of 23 friends. By comparison, a survey of 1,000 social media users found that people on Facebook report having 269 friends, while Instagram 'grammers have a median 348 followers, according to Houseparty and trend forecasting and consumer research firm Trendera.About 70% of survey participants said their friends on Houseparty are "real friends," compared to just 35% on Instagram. As such, they have a better time hanging out on Houseparty.The survey asked participants if they felt happy after scrolling through Facebook or Instagram, watching their friend's stories on Snapchat, and video chatting on Houseparty. Houseparty had the highest percentage of people saying they felt happy after spending time on the app, though it was topped by the 84% of participants who said they felt happy after hanging out with friends in person."I think on a lot of these platforms, what ends up happening is we quote-unquote friended all these people, and it turned into a popularity contest," Sistani said. "That has consequences for what you end up putting out there, how it represents you."She added, "For Houseparty, my hope is that we can bring people back to face-to-face, back to real-time connection and communication. And part of that is making sure that the next generation - my kids in particular - know the right reaction to excitement, not just the right emoji for it. What we're really trying to do here is bring the humanity, the soul, back to social media." <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/teens-favorite-brands-instagram-snapchat-sony-adidas-microsoft-2016-12">Teens told us the brands they love and can't live without</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Generation Z is obsessed with this video-chat app - they say it's the next best thing to hanging out in person

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>Good morning. Here's everything you need to know in the world of <keyword id="35666" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="advertising">advertising</keyword> today.1. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-lets-users-block-alcohol-and-parenting-ads-in-news-feed-2016-12">For the first time, Facebook will let people in the US block certain types of ads from appearing in their News Feeds</a>. Facebook told Business Insider this is an early test and it will start with ads related to alcohol and parenting.2. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-the-doj-investigation-into-ad-agency-production-contracts-is-all-about-2016-12">Why the Department of Justice investigation into TV ad production bid rigging is a big deal</a>. The investigation could have huge repercussions on the entire advertising industry, that stretch beyond the estimated $5 billion production sector.3. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/biggest-hacks-of-all-time-chart-2016-12">This is how the latest massive Yahoo hack compares to other famous security breaches</a>. This chart from Statista shows that the scope of this latest hack dwarfs anything that's come before it.4. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg-on-how-facebook-will-fight-fake-news-2016-12">Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says his company's fight against so-called fake news will "focus on fighting spam, not flagging opinions."</a> On Thursday, the company announced that it had partnered with a handful of outside fact-checkers to weed out fake news stories and hoaxes from its News Feed.5. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-renames-vine-to-vine-camera-keeps-exisiting-videos-online-2016-12">Twitter will keep Vine alive as a simplified app for only shooting 6-second videos</a>. The Vine app will be renamed to "Vine Camera" and only shoot 6-second looping videos, Twitter said in a Friday blog post.6. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-admits-miscalculating-instant-articles-metrics-2016-12">Facebook admits, for the fourth time, that it messed up its measurement metrics</a>. This time the error affects publishers that use its Instant Articles content platform.7. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/snapchat-has-had-deal-talks-with-lily-robotics-narrative-2016-12">Snapchat is on the hunt for a wide range of hardware acquisitions</a>. Over the past year or so, the company looked at a number of startups building drones, wearable cameras, and augmented reality/virtual reality applications, according to multiple sources familiar with its M&amp;A strategy.8. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/yahoo-throws-a-big-company-event-called-ultimate-house-party-2016-12">Yahoo had its holiday party inside its offices, and it was the opposite of last year's lavish extravaganza</a>. The toned-down atmosphere seems particularly appropriate given the difficult situation Yahoo's currently in.9. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-use-the-houseparty-app-2016-12">This is how to use Houseparty, the live video app that teens are going crazy for</a>. Houseparty is a mobile app for live video chatting in which you can have up to eight people in a room and have several "parties" going at once.10. <a href="http://adage.com/article/digital/google-programmatic-direct-rise-2017/307111/">Google said the number of video ad impressions served monthly through DoubleClicks' programmatic direct have doubled from January 2016 through September 2016, Ad Age reports</a>. Sean Downey, VP of platforms at Google, told Ad Age: "You're starting to see statistics from us saying 90 of the Ad Age 100 are using programmatic direct." <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sugar-effects-human-body-explained-2016-12">Here's what happens to your body when you stop eating sugar</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="5oMGljMzE6lf0JBPB-pyxq10IYKalQNS" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

The 10 things in advertising you need to know today

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Back in 2016, I traded in an hour-plus commute for a remote lifestyle as a freelance journalist.</li><li>Though I was already used to working from home, the coronavirus pandemic introduced a new wrinkle with school closings.</li><li>Many of the rules still apply, however, such as staying organized, putting up barriers (like a change of clothes!) between your work <keyword id="6360041" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="life">life</keyword> and your personal life, and maintaining a manageable workload.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>People around the world have been getting used to working from home after weeks in lockdown, but this has been my lifestyle for the past four years.I made the switch from an hour-and-a-half commute into London to a brief stroll into the study of my Hertfordshire (UK) home in 2016 to make it easier for my wife and I to both work and cope with rising childcare costs and school drop-offs.This meant I wasn't too concerned when employees were advised in March to <keyword id="123591" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Work-from-home">work from home</keyword> to keep the coronavirus outbreak under control. I haven't visited an office, aside from the occasional meeting, in years.Some occupations — such as a construction worker or a healthcare professional — cannot necessarily be done at home, but most journalists nowadays really need only a computer, a notepad, a phone, an internet connection, and a strong sense of skepticism.The school closings during lockdown have created an extra logistical test, but it is amazing how the stomping and shouting of our 5- and 7-year-old girls can soon emulate the rowdiness of a newsroom.It is not always easy and takes a lot of patience, self-motivation, and teamwork with my wife, but here is how I find the balance between freelancing and being a father.<h2>Forget the 9-to-5</h2>We seem to be hardwired that the working day must take place between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Before lockdown, commuters crowded public transport in rush hour in fear of being late. But by the time you arrive, get a coffee, and catch up with colleagues, you may not really be ready to start until 9:30 or even 10 a.m. — so why is everyone rushing? You may find your most creative and inspired moments are earlier in the day or even later. As long as I met deadlines, this gave me time to do school pickups and drop-offs pre-lockdown without any guilt of being away from my desk. Nowadays it means I can spend quality time with my family and do our allocated daily exercise. Often the best ideas will also come when you are away from your desk.<h2>Plan your day<div type="image" title="Marc Shoffman freelance workspace" height="1692" width="2256" msid="75446001" hostid="261"></div></h2>This is all the more important for families in which both parents are working and homeschooling. Our children are sent a timetable from their teachers to follow each day, and the same should go for your work. My wife and I alternate so one of us can teach and the other works at the same time, and we tick off what we have covered as we go. Make a to-do list with reasonable expectations for your working day, but don't worry if it isn't completed as long as the most important tasks are prioritized. Even ticking off simple tasks such as sending a specific email can give you motivation. The online organization tool Trello can help prioritize your workload and inform others of your progress.<h2>Professional versus personal</h2>We have told our daughters they still need to wear their school uniform during homeschooling. They may not be too pleased with the Shoffman school rule, but I find it helps them focus as it differentiates between work and play.The same is true with working from home. You don't need to wear a suit, but getting out of your pajamas will switch your mentality from pillows to productivity. Shoes are optional.Create a dedicated work area, even if it is just somewhere you regularly sit at the dining table or the couch, so you have the feeling of traveling to work. Some recommend walking around the block each morning as if you are commuting. Our spare room is my office, but it is good to occasionally have a change of scenery if you are lacking inspiration.<h2>Don't do housework</h2>You wouldn't get up to empty the dishwasher or put on a load of washing while working in an office. It shouldn't be any different when you are at home and following your schedule. Don't let household chores disrupt your working day.<h2>Network</h2>Working from home can be lonely, as there are no colleagues to have a quick chat with. Find professional bodies or networking groups to attend events or make an effort to meet with old colleagues regularly. This is good for your mental health and useful for picking up ideas and more work. It is harder to meet for a drink nowadays, but there is nothing to stop Zoom or Houseparty catchups or a phone call.<h2>Find your niche</h2>Freelancing has meant I can be more flexible about what I do, but finding a specialty makes it easier to source work. I focus on writing about personal finance, and there are plenty of blogs, industry newsletters, forums, Twitter lists, and Facebook and Slack groups where you can get ideas and discuss opportunities.Take time to develop your professional skills to keep up with your industry's trends. As well as writing, I also record a weekly personal-finance podcast in the evenings called "In for a Penny."<div type="image" title="Marc Shoffman, Amelie Shoffman, Danielle Shoffman and Isabelle Shoffman on a daily bike ride" height="796" width="1061" msid="75446005" hostid="261"></div><h2>Family comes first</h2>There will always be deadlines, but you don't want your children to remember you for how much work you did. They will treasure the time you spent with them, not working around them.Don't be afraid to say no to jobs. This will keep your workload manageable and achievable and ensure you still have some free time from freelancing.Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/freelance-journalist-tips-on-balancing-work-home-during-coronavirus-2020-4">Business Insider</a>

I went freelance so my wife and I could juggle career and childcare even before the coronavirus — here's how I am rising to the new challenges

<ul><li><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">AP Photo/Paul Sakuma</div></div></div>Sean Parker's video chat app Airtime is attracting a following in its second incarnation.</li><li>The company's president says millions of people are using the app to virtually hang out and watch content together.</li><li>Original shows are a "gigantic opportunity" down the road.</li></ul>Airtime flies.The video chat app was <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-co-founder-sean-parkers-next-big-thing-is-chatroulette-for-facebook-2012-2">launched by Napster cofounder and former Facebook president Sean Parker with massive fanfare in 2012, </a>only to disappear just as quickly.But it was reborn last year as a group video viewing/social product, and <a href="https://www.airtime.com/">Airtime</a> now has "has millions of users," according to president Daniel Klaus, who joined the company in 2013 following the initial product's shutdown. According to Klaus, every night "thousands or rooms light up with three to five people, and they hang out and sit and watch videos together."That's the basic idea of Airtime. Think of Skype or Facetime, but with groups of friends talking to each other, and seeing each others faces in virtual rooms all via their smartphones. And besides talking, friends can share videos from YouTube or playlists from Spotify on Airtime, letting everybody hang out and experience the content together.Since rebooting last year, Klaus told Business Insider that Airtime has proven particularly popular among teens and college kids, though he predicts the behavior will soon become universal. Currently the average user spends 12 minutes a session on Airtime and roughly an hour a month co-consuming content. The biggest Airtime fans come back five and six times a day."Sean Parker has always had this vision that the next wave of the internet was going to be about being together," said Klaus. "The next whole phase of growth we'll see is that you can be in real time with real people."Parker - famously portrayed by Justin Timberlake in "The Social Network" - may have been a bit early in his vision. Back in 2012, the original Airtime rolled out with a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/on-the-air-with-sean-parker-and-shawn-fanning-2012-6">splashy, celebrity-filled launch featuring the likes of Jimmy Fallon and Snoop Dogg</a>. But the product, which was at the time was likened to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-co-founder-sean-parkers-next-big-thing-is-chatroulette-for-facebook-2012-2">Chatroullette</a>, fell flat among consumers.Klaus said that 2012 was so long ago in terms of the evolution of social <keyword id="6354777" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="media">media</keyword>, and more importantly mobile, that it's a completely different era.Now he thinks the world, particularly young people, are ready. "Humans have sought to replicate real world communications on digital since the beginning of time," he said. "They crave that."And they're not getting that from existing social media, he added. "I think Facebook is one of the great social products of our time, and one of the great social tragedies or our time. Kids feel bored and lonely. You have 500 friends and you don't really know anyone."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">AirtimeAirtime lets people watch videos with friends</div></div></div>But as apps like the popular <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hot-teen-app-houseparty-raises-50-million-from-sequoia-2016-12">Houseparty</a> have proven, group video chat is gaining steam. So much so that <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-new-copycats-how-facebook-squashes-competition-from-startups-1502293444">Facebook is actively looking to co-opt the trend, reports the Wall Street Journal.</a>Denisia Milas, a 21-year old college student from Arizona, said she spotted an ad on Instagram for Airtime two months ago and decided to download it after another group chat app her friends had been using proved glitchy.Now, roughly twice a week she and her friends watch YouTube videos on Airtime, including one featuring her getting her head shaved. Milas said watching her friends reactions are sometimes as fun as the videos themselves"It's almost like we are all together," she said.That's the idea. Airtime still doesn't have a revenue model. The company is kicking around ideas for monetization, including potential subscription offerings and microtransactions, said Klaus."We have the most sophisticated video engineering team that exists outside of Facebook and Google in North America," he said. "We've spent a lot of time watching how people use video. I don't believe anybody has figured out an ad unit in live mobile video."Still, Airtime is also exploring original content. "We think that's a gigantic opportunity," said Klaus, who noted that MTV is trying to <a href="http://nypost.com/2017/07/30/mtv-reboots-total-request-live-in-effort-to-return-to-roots/">revive its former live music show "Total Request Live."</a> "Our platform is where that kind of show should exist," he said. "Those kids don't even know what MTV is." <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/jogger-push-woman-london-red-bus-putney-bridge-city-2017-8">CCTV footage shows the moment a jogger appears to push a woman in front of a London bus</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

You Searched For "facebook rooms vs houseparty" and got 9 results

Facebook Rooms' new feature for group video calling competes with Zoom, Google Meets and Houseparty

Sanchita Dash

Mark Zuckerberg is now the 3rd richest person in the world after his fortune grew $30 billion since the coronavirus crisis began

Paige Leskin

Facebook is hosting a virtual graduation on May 15 for the Class of 2020 featuring Oprah, Lil Nas X, and Simone Biles

Associated Press,Rob Price

Best mobile games to play with friends during the Coronavirus lockdown – PUBG Mobile, Asphalt 9: Legends, Ludo King and more

Rounak Jain

How to use custom background in Google Meet, Zoom and Microsoft Teams

Rounak Jain

Generation Z is obsessed with this video-chat app - they say it's the next best thing to hanging out in person

Melia Robinson

The 10 things in advertising you need to know today

Hannah Roberts

I went freelance so my wife and I could juggle career and childcare even before the coronavirus — here's how I am rising to the new challenges

Marc Shoffman

Sean Parker's Airtime - a notorious flop five years ago - says it now has millions of users video chatting together

Mike Shields

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides