The new feature launched to a small group of Facebook users yesterday afternoon, and will continue rolling out over the next few days. Now, Facebookers can broadcast live video either to a select group of friends, or the entire Facebook world.
Facebook Live Video is a lot like Periscope, but with more control, and the videos don’t just disappear after 24 hours. People can comment on and like your broadcasts just like they do any other status, and when you’re done, the video lives in your timeline alongside all your other facebooky stuff. This is a big strategic move for Facebook, which wants to feel more live and “now” like Twitter and Snapchat do. Could this mean the end of the food selfie as we know it? We can only hope.
Next, on the heels of that big VTech hack that exposed the account information of over 6.4 million kids comes word that Mattel’s Internet-connected Barbie doll, Hello Barbie, is full of security holes that makes her hack-able. Not entirely unlike Amazon’s Echo speaker, Hello Barbie uses an app and cloud server so that she can listen to kids speaking to her, and then talk back.
The trouble is hackers can pretty easily work their way in, not only pinpointing the exact address for where the doll is, but easily recording whatever the Barbie hears. That’s a potential Trojan Horse security problem, if hackers can record whatever and whenever they want, they can potentially gather sensitive information. Fortunately the holes are supposed to be easy to patch up, and Mattel and software firm ToyTalk say they’re working hard to fix up the problem.
Still, it makes you think twice about bringing devices that listen to you into your home, doesn’t it?
Finally, you have got to see what happens when Volvo outfits one of its dump trucks with a full-on remote control system, loads it full of cameras, rolls it onto a crazy obstacle course, then hands the controls to a 4-year old girl.
Naturally mayhem ensues, and we’re pretty sure that’s exactly what Volvo was hoping for.
Things start out with a nice bashing of the cab by a massive swinging crate, then there’s a good dose of nails-on-chalkboard-style grinding of the axle action, a little bit of fireworks, and then — and this is our favorite part — the truck takes a bit of a wrong turn, ends up doing a barrel roll, lands on its tires, and girlfriend just shrugs her shoulders and keeps on going. Also, she destroys this house and really enjoys it.
It’s totally worth watching the full video, and while you’re at it check out all the rest of the days top tech at DigitalTrends.com. That’s it for DT daily this week, we’ll see you again on Monday.
