Before Facebook made its burgeoning Live Video tool available to general users, it handed it over to celebs and influencers via its Mentions app. Now, Facebook is updating Mentions with even more features that enable its top publishers to schedule, moderate, and edit broadcasts.
Seeing as so many A-list celebs are just too damn busy to remember when to go live, Facebook is launching a new team prompts function that lets a pubic figure’s team create drafts of Live Video post descriptions — which can be reviewed and shared at a later date. The team can also schedule reminders for a celeb to go live or publish posts from the Mentions app at a specific time (for example, at a red-carpet event or awards show).
Facebook is also borrowing from its photo-sharing app, Instagram, for its new comment moderation tool. Similar to Instagram’s comment control feature — currently only available to celebs and business users on the app — Mentions now lets users blacklist words and phrases to prevent comments containing those words from appearing during the live-stream. “This moderation tool can help make live broadcasts friendlier and safer for broadcasters and viewers alike,” states Facebook in its announcement post.
Additionally, Facebook is giving celebs more formatting and editing options, including the ability to flip the camera horizontally or vertically, adjust brightness settings, and choose whether to mirror the picture. Having enabled verified Pages to share branded content earlier this year; Facebook claims the mirroring setting is useful for product or logo placement during sponsored broadcasts. Public figures will also be able to trim down any excess footage after publishing their broadcast — meaning they can, for example, remove all the time spent waiting for users to tune in at the beginning of a live-stream.
Finally, Facebook is testing a broadcaster status bar with a handful of users. The feature provides crucial information to the broadcaster such as audio level, connectivity, and battery status at the bottom of the video in real-time.
Facebook claims the features will be rolling out on its Mentions app over the coming weeks. Meanwhile, the rest of us will just have to cross our fingers in the hopes that the social network decides to make the handy updates available to its general user base at some point — or get busy getting verified.
ShiftCam is adding to its range of iPhone filmmaking accessories with ProRig+, a revised version of its modular camera rig that has dedicated controls for focus, zoom, shutter, and shooting modes. The new system launches on Kickstarter with the ProControl remote, giving mobile creators a higher level of hands-on control without having to constantly tap their iPhone’s screen.
The announcement comes soon after ShiftCam introduced the original ProRig, developed with feedback from Apple. The original model is expected to ship in the coming weeks, while ProRig+ will be a more advanced remote and will be delivered to backers in February 2027. The Kickstarter campaign has also been honored with the platform’s “Projects We Love” designation.
Samsung's foldable lineup could be getting pretty crowded next year. We're already expecting successors to the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, and the Galaxy Z Flip 8, while fresh leaks hint that several more devices could be in the pipeline.
The expanded lineup might include a bigger fold, a potentially cheaper alternative, and even something that slides rather than folds. According to a new leak, Samsung is currently testing two different versions of an additional wide-format Galaxy Z Fold 9. That's not all, Samsung's foldable plans could feature a grand total of six models, which is kind of in line with earlier reports.
Motorola has built some of my favorite foldables and flagship phones. I had a great time with both the Razr Fold and last year's Signature. So when the company began teasing the Signature 27, I couldn't help be excited. The new model comes with Qualcomm's blazing-fast Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, and better still, it is finally getting a proper global release.
One of the reasons I was obsessed with the last-gen Signature was its amazing price tag. But it seems like that budget flagship dream might be officially dead. Portuguese retailer MegaPC has prematurely listed a 12GB RAM and 512GB storage Signature 27 in Pantone Coal Smoke for €1,594.90 (approx. $1,775).