Instagram, love it or loathe it, is very much the center of many of our lives. It's how people share photos of their kids, their holiday destinations and their family gatherings. Yes, there are plenty of people who post nothing but photos of their breakfasts or are busy taking selfies at funerals, but for every pointless photo on Instagram, we're willing to bet there are two that are magnificent. Just follow Trey Ratcliff's feed and you'll see what we mean.
Instagram is a big player in the mobile space these days, and it was already growing into a big deal long before Facebook splashed the cash to bring it under the social network's roof. It has shown no sign of slowing its progress since that acquisition either, even launching an Instagram for Windows Phone app for those that have been waiting impatiently for such a thing to be released.
Facebook has just announced Instagram Direct, a new feature to the photo-sharing social that will allow users to send and receive direct messages from other users. The new service, something that is totally brand new to Instagram users, allows us to send short video clips and photos to your Instagram buddies. The rest of the details can be found after the break!
Instagram, the Facebook-owned photo-sharing social network, has long since lacked support for Microsoft's Windows Phone platform, but following the recent news that a native Instagram for Windows Phone app was on the horizon, the app has now, finally, turned up. Sure, it doesn't include video recording just yet, so those on Windows Phone are still a bit behind their iPhone and Android-wielding counterparts, but after such a long wait and exhaustive will they, won't they, it's good to see that Facebook has finally delivered.
Now that iOS 7 is a week old, it's fair to say that most of our favorite and most used apps have received their big update that brings all of the iOS 7 look and feel to the apps that we spend the most of our time in. We've had Reeder 2, Twitter and Facebook updates along with a whole raft of others, but there are still some holdouts that we're getting a little impatient for.
Microsoft's Windows Phone platform continues to struggle against the might of both iOS and Android in the battle of the mobile ecosystems, and while the UI and functionality of the Redmond company's mobile software has been praised and lauded by many - including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak - the lack of apps over at the Windows Phone Store has been more than a slight problem. While one app certainly won't be enough to completely change the fortunes of the still fledgling platform, an official Instagram app for Windows Phone has been conspicuous by its absence, and while there's still no sign of the Facebook-owned product making its way to the tiled interface, a third-party offering by the name of 6tag finally offers an almost fully-functional Instagram experience.
When Facebook made its well-publicized purchase of Instagram last year for one billion dollars, many fans of the photo-sharing app feared the worst - that their beloved service was to become an extension of Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg has stuck to his promise to allow Instagram to retain its own identity, but much integration between the two has ensued, and in the latest, Facebook Messenger for iPhone has just been updated, adding, among other things, a new Instagram sharing feature.
While there's still no sign of an official Instagram app for those poor souls stuck on the slick yet decidedly bereft Windows Phone 8 platform, a new app by the name of Hipstamatic Oggl is surely the next best thing. The app, which made its name on Apple's iPhone, allows users to take and edit snaps with ease, but the key component in the case of Windows Phone is its ability to post directly to Instagram.
When it comes to photo sharing, no entity can boast the level of following of Instagram, and the iOS version of the app has just been dealt a fairly significant update. Having been acquired by Facebook last year, Instagram has seen plenty of changes over the past twelve months, and with Zuck and his team having been hell-bent on improving the already successful app, this App Store update brings both landscape support and Cinema functionality to the front-facing camera.
Facebook owned Instagram recently launched Instagram Video. A move which is sure to please many Instagrammers, the fun isn’t complete if you can’t share the videos on your site or personal blog. Here’s a complete step by step guide on how you can embed Instagram videos on your site in a few easy steps.
