Facebook Live is rolling out for desktop users; allows livestream of games

Image Credit: Facebook

Facebook users can now go live directly from their desktops using their webcams and also broadcast gameplay from their computers. According to a Facebook blog post on Wednesday, Facebook live on desktops was earlier available for pages only, but now the status update composer will feature a Live button also.

Facebook also added a new feature that makes it easy to use streaming software or external hardware when going live from a computer. “With this update, people can seamlessly share their screens, insert graphics, switch cameras, or use professional equipment in Facebook Live videos,” the social media giant said.

With this update, it is easier to stream your PC gameplay to friends and followers and engage with them while you play. “Opening up on desktop takes Facebook Live beyond Twitter and Periscope’s options, and brings it into competition with longer-running services like YouTube,” TechCrunch reported.

The report quoted Facebook as saying that the desktop streaming could be useful for activities like Q&As and vlogging where holding phone in hand could be inconvenient. “While the content on Live might not be great yet, and there’s been some troubling broadcasts of violence that Facebook promises it’s working to prevent, it’s still early for the medium,” the report added.

Publish date: March 23, 2017 12:57 pm| Modified date: March 23, 2017 12:57 pm

Internet Authority announces formal regulations and rules for live streaming industry in China

Image credit: Reuters

  04 Nov 2016 , 17:50

Chinese internet authorities have formalized controversial rules regulating the country’s fast-growing live-streaming video industry, in a move that strips out smaller competitors and places hard-line surveillance measures on leading firms. In an announcement posted on their website on Friday, the Cyberspace Administration of China grouped a handful of earlier restrictions under a final 24-point regulation that will come into effect on Dec. 1.

The rules require streaming services to log user data and content for 60 days, and work with regulators to provide information on users who stream content that the government deems threatening to national security or social order. Both users and providers are punishable under the regulations.

The law also codifies rules that ban online news broadcasting services from original reporting, requiring them to identify sources and non-selectively reproduce state-sanctioned information. China’s live video streaming industry has experienced booming growth in the past two years as dozens of video and social media sites scrambled to add the updated capabilities to their existing services.

Credit Suisse Group analysts estimate the industry could top $5 billion by the end of 2017, driven by cheap bandwidth and a growing population of young mobile users. The industry’s exponential growth attracted increased scrutiny from government authorities in 2016. In April, Chinese authorities called on 20 of the country’s top firms to join a self-criticism coalition, saying the industry was damaging China’s youth by proliferating content including pornography, fraud and terrorism.

On June 1 companies including Baidu Inc, Sina Corp, Sohu.com Inc and Youku Tudou, acknowledged new rules as part of the group, including requirements for real-name authentication. While the latest move places wide-reaching restrictions on the sites, it also signals an official sanctioning of the industry and its top players by Chinese officials.

Much like China’s earlier online video and music industries, the regulations put pressure on smaller competitors and bring larger firms into line with regulators, offering more growth opportunities for a smaller number of controllable companies.

“One of the things the government always wants to do is narrow the playing field to a smaller number of higher profile known entities, ideally ones that have a better track record of cooperating with the government,” says Mark Natkin, Managing Director at Marbridge Consulting.

“In the long run it’s actually relatively beneficial to the large companies.” In May the government handed down 588 licenses for prominent media outlets and live-streaming sites, effectively banning all unapproved services.

Reuters

How to Unlock More Options on the PS4 Quick Menu

One existing tool that received a tweak is the Quick Settings menu. Before the update, this menu included a few power options and quick controls to adjust headset volume mix or quit your game. In Update 4.0, this menu now only takes up the left side of the screen and is revamped to include more frequently used options.

The defaults include toggling your online status and viewing online friends, but you can add even more to this menu to make it better for you. To do so, hold down the PS button for a few seconds to open the Quick Settings menu, then scroll down to Customize. Choose Menu Items to add more options.

Here, you’ll be able to add a few additional options to the menu. These include Party for quickly joining or managing a party and Accessibility to access options such as making the font larger or customizing button inputs. Social players can also add quick access to Communities and the ability to Broadcast for those times when you want to start streaming right away.Can't Get Viewers on Twitch? You're Playing the Wrong Games Can't Get Viewers on Twitch? You're Playing the Wrong GamesTrying to build an audience on Twitch feels like hosting a party that you forgot to send out invitations for. If you want to boost your traffic, consider these questions when you pick a game.READ MORE

You can also remove any choices you don’t need quick access to from this menu, if the defaults don’t suit you. Once you’re done, be sure to use the Sort option to get everything in a logical order.