Skip to main content

Deck.blue brings a TweetDeck experience to Bluesky users

With over 3 million users and plans to open up more broadly in the months ahead, Bluesky is still establishing itself as an alternative to Twitter/X. However, that hasn’t stopped the developer community from embracing the project and building tools to meet the needs of those fleeing the now Elon Musk-owned social network, formerly known […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/TBbEAPF

Facebook Groups gains a new channels feature to enable users to connect in focused settings

Facebook announced today that it’s introducing new features for Facebook Groups, including “Channels” that will let users connect with each other in smaller settings. Admins can create channels to connect with their groups in more casual settings within their communities to have more focused discussions.

There are three types of channels that admins can create: chat, audio and feed. Community chat channels can be used as a place for people to message, collaborate and talk about specific topics in a more real-time way across both Facebook Groups and Messenger. Once you create a chat, you can name it and decide if you want it to be invite only. When you join a chat, you’ll be able to send messages and receive notifications. If the chat becomes full and you’re inactive, you may have to join again.

Facebook Groups new channels feature

Image Credits: Facebook

The new community feed channels are a way for members to connect when it’s convenient for them. Facebook says admins can organize their communities around topics within the group for members to connect around more specific interests. Groups will also display suggested feed channels that you can join.

Lastly, community audio channels will let admins and members jump in and out of audio conversations in real time. Facebook notes that although audio channels start with audio, people can turn their camera on at any time. The new audio rooms are lot similar to Discord.

“Admins can begin to create channels to connect with their groups in smaller, more casual settings where they can have deeper discussions on common interests or organize their communities around topics in different formats,” said Maria Smith, the vice president of communities at Facebook, in a statement.

Facebook also announced that it’s testing a new sidebar that will help users find their favorite groups more quickly. The sidebar will list your groups and the latest activity, including new posts. You also have the option to pin your favorite groups to the top of the sidebar so they are displayed first. The sidebar also gives users the ability to discover new groups or create their own.

Facebook Groups new navigation and menu

Image Credits: Facebook

The social media giant is also improving how each group is organized via a new menu, which will include things like events, shops and a variety of channels to make it easier for users to connect with others based on the topic they like.

The launch of the new features comes as Facebook recently introduced new features to help Facebook Group administrators keep their communities safe, manage interactions and reduce misinformation. Most notably, the company added the option for admins to automatically decline incoming posts that have been identified as containing false information by third-party checkers. Facebook Groups have made headlines over the past few years for their growing use by those looking to spread harmful content and misinformation, and the new features aimed to address some of these issues and give admins more control over their communities.



from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/6I0qdGe

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

New month, new crypto market moves?

To get a roundup of TechCrunch’s biggest and most important crypto stories delivered to your inbox every Thursday at 12 p.m. PT, subscribe here . Welcome back to Chain Reaction. Seems like just yesterday we were ringing in the New Year, but we’ve coasted into February and all seems to be somewhat relaxed (for once) in the crypto world. Last month was filled with crypto companies laying off staff , developments around the existing and new Chapter 11 bankruptcies in the space, partnerships and conversations about potential recovery in 2023. Even with a range of bad news flooding the industry, some cryptocurrencies had a bull run in January, amid the market turmoil. Bitcoin rallied 40% on the month, while ether rose about 32% during the same period. Solana also saw serious recovery, from about $10 in the beginning of the year, near its lowest level since February 2021, up 146% to about $24.3 by the end of January, CoinMarketCap data showed. These market movements could pot...

Metaverse app BUD raises another $37M, plans to launch NFTs

BUD , a nascent app taking a shot at creating a metaverse for Gen Z to play and interact with each other, has raised another round of funding in three months. The Singapore-based startup told TechCrunch that it has closed $36.8 million in a Series B round led by Sequoia Capital India, not long after it secured a Series A extension in February . The new infusion brings BUD’s total financing to over $60 million. As with BUD’s previous rounds, this round of raise attracted a handful of prominent China-focused investors — ClearVue Partners, NetEase and Northern Light Venture Capital. Its existing investors GGV Capital, Qiming Venture Partners and Source Code Capital also participated in the round. Founded by two former Snap engineers Risa Feng and Shawn Lin in 2019, BUD lets users create bulbous 3D characters, cutesy virtual assets and richly colored experiences through drag-and-drop and without any coding background. The company declined to reveal its active user size but said its use...

Nimbus launches tiny EV prototype that’s like a motorbike with a roof

As shared e-scooter companies have infiltrated cities and e-bike sales have soared, micromobility has been offered up as a panacea to save us all from the ill humors and packed streets caused by gas-guzzling cars. However, one of the major roadblocks in front of well-intentioned city dwellers who’d love to trade in their cumbersome and environmentally unfriendly vehicles for an e-bike or scooter remains: What happens when it rains? Nimbus, a California-based electric vehicle startup, wants to solve that problem with a simple solution: Put a roof on it. The company recently came out of stealth with a prototype for its Nimbus One, a tiny, three-wheeled EV that “combines the convenience and cost of a motorbike with the safety and comfort of a car.” The Nimbus One. Image Credits: Nimbus The thin, pod-like vehicle is only about 2.75 feet wide and 7.5 feet long, which Nimbus says makes it three to five times smaller than a compact car — the better to park and navigate busy urban stree...