In a week where our newsfeeds (and we’re guessing yours too!) have been taken over by the global craze for a certain augmented reality game (and numerous hot takes on said game!), here we have a round up of the other big digital news you may have missed. As per, Google feature heavily, as do Facebook. This week’s update also includes news of a possible ban on adblocking, a soaring engagement-related digital currency, World Emoji Day celebrations, an interesting drone-related patent and much more! Enjoy.
**Amazon patent plans for drone perches**
Amazon’s plans to unleash a fleet of delivery drones are well-known…
(image: https://www.superdream.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/prime-air_03-300×207.jpg alt: prime-air_03)
However the latest patent they’ve released sheds light for the first time on what these little flying machines may be doing in between deliveries – resting on lampposts and perching on church steeples!
**Steemit’s digital currency soars in value**
The value of Steem, the engagement-based digital currency of incentivised social media platform Steemit, has soared by more than 1000% in its first two weeks according to (link: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/12/steem-digital-currency-steemit-value-soars text: industry sources reported in The Guardian). Operating in a similar way to platforms like Reddit or Facebook where users are encouraged to post and share content, the site is powered by blockchain, the underlying technology that anchors digital currencies such as bitcoin. This enables the site to rewards or pay users who post content that gets multiple thumbs up from other users.
**Google Maps to show time spent in locations**
Google is beginning to roll out a new Google Maps feature that uses crowd-sourced location data to show how long people typically spend at a store of venue.
**Google bans predatory lending ads**
Google is now currently rolling out a (link: https://publicpolicy.googleblog.com/2016/05/an-update-to-our-adwords-policy-on.html text: ban on ads promoting payday and high-interest loans).
**Has China banned ad blocking?**
China released its first set of (link: http://www.saic.gov.cn/zwgk/zyfb/zjl/xxzx/201607/t20160708_169638.html text: digital ad regulations) this month and (link: https://adblockplus.org/blog/the-lonely-bully-china-issues-edict-to-ban-ad-blockers text: Adblock Plus) have written that “hidden among (the new regulations) is language that would seem to all but ban ad blocking.”
** ****Google uses AI to improve data centre energy efficiency**
Read how (link: http://www.wired.co.uk/article/google-deepmind-data-centres-efficiency text: Google has developed its artificial intelligence to learn more about its data centres), reducing energy costs by 40% in the process.
**Happy World Emoji Day!**
Last Sunday the world celebrated the wonderful world of emojis! Why last Sunday? Because July 17th is the date that appears on the calendar emoji (obv!) There was plenty of emoji-related activity to celebrate – an (youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svBQjzLyMJs text: emoji anthem) was written, people held emoji parties ((link: http://blog.getemoji.com/post/65599827895/halloween-emoji-costumes-top-5-ballerina text: dressing up as their favourite emojis)) and some even spent the day communicating entirely in emoji. A number of brands got in on the action too including BBC iPlayer who put together a Twitter quiz (see below) asking people to guess the TV show from the emoji-filled clue.
> We’re in the mood for some (link: https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldEmojiDay?src=hash text: #WorldEmojiDay) fun. Can you guess the show by the emoji clues in this picture? (link: https://t.co/8KaE8SFLIP text: pic.twitter.com/8KaE8SFLIP)
>
> — BBC iPlayer (@BBCiPlayer) (link: https://twitter.com/BBCiPlayer/status/754624216440320000 text: July 17, 2016)
In a welcome move, Google also took the opportunity to release a range of (link: https://googleblog.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/promoting-gender-equality-through-emoji.html text: new emojis to promote gender equality). This included eleven new emojis of women in professional roles and the creation of 33 new male or female versions of popular action-based emojis including running man and woman getting a haircut.
(image: https://www.superdream.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/skintones_b.gif alt: skintones_b)
**Facebook Messenger embraces encrypted chat and host Instant Articles**
A (link: https://fbnewsroomus.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/secret_conversations_whitepaper.pdf text: whitepaper) published by Facebook has revealed that after months of development, the company has finally begun to trial ‘secret conversations’ aka encrypted chat on Messenger. In addition to providing the security users crave, this will also allow users to set expiration dates for messages. As soon as a message’s expiration date passes, the message will vanish from the devices of all users in the conversation. This is yet another move as part of Facebook’s ambition for Messenger to become its users’ primary messaging app.
In other Messenger news, Facebook Instant Articles are now beginning to load in the Messenger app (without taking the user to another site) as they have been doing in the Facebook app.
**Further improvements to Facebook Live**
Facebook’s livestreaming platform now supports full-screen broadcasts and has a new ‘video only’ mode that hides comments and reactions while you watch. The length of broadcast has also doubled from two hours to four.
**Laser beams – the high-speed Internet of the future?**
A (link: https://www.osapublishing.org/optica/abstract.cfm?uri=optica-3-7-787 text: paper recently published by researchers at Facebook’s Connectivity Lab) indicates that they have developed a laser detector that could open airwaves to new high-speed data communication systems that doesn’t require dedicated spectrum or licenses.
**Tesla reveal exciting future plans**
This week Tesla owner Elon Musk (link: http://thenextweb.com/insider/2016/07/21/tesla-designing-heavy-duty-trucks-public-transport-vehicles-complete-elon-musks-master-plan/#gref text: spoke about a master plan) that will see Tesla build public transport, develop solar roofs and develop cars that will earn you money.
**BitTorrent’s new ad-based streaming service**
We’ve recently been checking out (link: https://now.bt.co/ text: BitTorrent Now), an ad-supported streaming service for music and video that hosts content created by people who sign up to distribute their work through the platform.
**Flash be gone!**
(link: https://blog.mozilla.org/futurereleases/2016/07/20/reducing-adobe-flash-usage-in-firefox/ text: Mozilla has revealed that they are slowly but surely doing away with Flash). The Firefox update due for release in August will block all Flash content it deems ‘inessential to the user experience.’ And this is just the beginning – next year they plan to up the ante with further moves including the introduction of click-to-active approval.
**Go on then….**
Ok, we couldn’t not include something on Pokémon Go. Here’s a pretty far-reaching (link: http://www.gamespot.com/articles/all-the-pokemon-go-news-from-around-the-world/1100-6441684/ text: round-up) of some of the stories relating to this stroke of genius/cause of terrible accidents/cure for depression/game changing mobile game (you get the picture!)
‘til next week!