Happy Friday!
This week saw the closure of AIM, AOL's instant messaging service, which, after 20 years in operation, still had a monthly active user base of approximately 500,000. Although AIM never made the leap to mobile to properly compete with apps like Facebook Messenger and What's App, we will remember it fondly as a leader in online chat.
Top Pick
Steven Soderbergh and HBOâs mini-series Mosaic will be interactive via an app
The app will allow viewers to choose a character and follow their experiences, building the story as they go. When the series launches you can follow along with the different characters' points of view, and compare the story you built with the linear story that airs. The app was three years in the making and was a core part in the production of the series.
"While branching narratives have been around forever, technology now allows, I hope, for a more elegant, intuitive form of engagement than used to be possible" - Steven Soderbergh
Features
YouTube changes search algorithms after misinformation during Las Vegas shooting
As news broke last week of the tragic shooting in Las Vegas, a stream of misinformation and hateful content appeared online. Some of this content returned high in search results on Google and YouTube. The misleading information ranged from claims that there were multiple shooters, to false flag conspiracy theories and even a 4chan thread that misidentified the shooter. Again, highlighting the need for us to be skeptical of what we read online. And for companies such as Google and YouTube to do a better job of weeding out false information.
A source familiar with YouTube told the WSJ the video streaming site is accelerating the rollout of planned changes to its search engine in response to criticism. YouTube began showing more reliable sources in search results on Wednesday, but hasnât revealed how it determines which sources are authoritative and which arenât.
Future of TV
Spielbergâs âAmazing Storiesâ is just the first of Appleâs major TV deals
At Rerun, we have been wondering what Apple's content strategy might be for its new streaming service. With the hiring of Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht, two seasoned Sony TV executives; Apple's content plans have become a little clearer.
Amburg and Erlicht, have made their first big move, signing Steven Spielberg, who reportedly will be reviving â80s anthology series Amazing Stories. Amburg and Erlicht have also approached the likes of Reese Witherspoon, Bryan Cranston of Breaking Bad, and Ronald D. Moore, known for Outlander and Battlestar Galactica. We now know that Apple intends to make big budget original content, with some of the most renowned and respected content creators. However this still leaves us wondering what the service will actually look like. Will there be a back catalogue of other content? What devices will the service be available on?
Answering these questions will be a delicate balancing act for Apple, who are known for their secrecy and big reveals. But it will be imperative to attract big name creators, who are used to the promotion and budgets that other streaming services provide.
Ari Evans, CEO of Maestro â âEnterprise Live Streamers Canât Pay Their Bills with Viewsâ
Maestro, a live streaming video platform, recently closed a $3m funding round and has set their sights on live sports. In this interview with Maestro CEO, Ari Evans, speaks with The Esports Observer about the future of monetizing live video, and how trends in coming years will differ from traditional media strategies.
At Rerun, we're spending our days thinking about a lot of these same trends and challenges. This fast changing industry keeps us all on our toes, and we love it.
Virtual Reality
A cartoon Mark Zuckerberg toured hurricane-struck Puerto Rico in virtual reality
Mark Zuckerberg used the power of VR in a live video on Facebook but it didn't exactly get the reaction he may have wished for.
In the opening part of the video Mark is joined by Rachel, one of his colleagues who is not in the same building as him. They explore the recent hurricane hit areas of Puerto Rico. âIt feels like weâre really here in Puerto Rico, where itâs obviously a tough place to get to now and a lot of people are obviously suffering from the aftermath of the hurricanes,â he said in the VR video, with scenes of the hurricane disaster behind him.
After the broadcast Zuckerberg apologised for the VR video stating âMy goal here was to show how VR can raise awareness and help us see whatâs happening in different parts of the world. I also wanted to share the news of our partnership with the Red Cross to help with the recovery. Reading some of the comments, I realise this wasnât clear, and Iâm sorry to anyone this offended.â
Rewind & The BBC - creating an out-of-this-world experience
Ever wondered what it was like to be involved in a spacewalk mission on the ISS? Now you can safely take part in realistic astronaut training from the comfort of your own home. The VR spacewalk is an award-winning collaboration between the BBC and digital production studio Rewind, with more than a little help from astronaut Tim Peake.
The project was built entirely to scale. This means that the earth itself is 1:1 size, giving you a panorama within your field of view that is, at times, genuinely breathtaking.
Pixar's 'Coco VR' lets you explore the land of the dead
Pixar have created a wonderful VR experience to promote their new film Coco just in time for Friday the 13th!
Throughout today we have been working on our very own spooky concoctions as part of our Lab Day. We will share these with you in next week's issue.