Facebook Messenger is about to get a Facelift

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• published: 16 Jun 2016
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It’s Thursday, June 16 2016 and Facebook messenger, that app so many of us love to hate, is about to get something of a Facelift. Right now, you hit Messenger’s home screen and it’s just a list of your more recent conversations. Soon, though, Messenger will be updated with a new look and new interface. Your recent conversations will still be there, right at the top, but below that will be new sections showing you who is online at the moment, a list of your favorite friends, and any birthdays those friends might be celebrating in the near future. It’s not a monumental update, but you know how it is when Facebook changes something … everyone gets all riled up about it. Bluetooth 5 is on its way, folks, and that means the wireless protocol’s range is about to quadruple from about 33 feet, to about 131 feet. Not only that, but Bluetooth 5 doubles up on speed, meaning the sound quality of wireless headphones and speakers could get a considerable boost. But honestly, Bluetooth 5 isn’t really about wireless audio or even game controllers. It has big implications on the Internet of Things, and we’re told it will no longer require a manual connection. It is also getting smarter. So, instead of you having to go through the hassle of pairing with a device, Bluetooth 5 will know what you need to do, and just start making it happen wirelessly. Bluetooth Beacons will have much further range now, which could change the way you shop in retail stores. You could be half-way across Macy’s, for instance, and get a message on your smartphone saying, "Hey, we noticed you were checking out khakis, here’s a coupon for some sweet Dockers." Or, well, something a little less nerdy, perhaps. Beacons can also make it a lot easier to find little items in mega-stores. Bottom line: Bluetooth 5 is a big deal for the tech world, and it will come late this year, or in early 2017. Hey, just in case you weren’t already aware, Samsung wants to rule the world. We know, we normally talk about Google when it comes to the topic of global domination, but the fact of the matter is Samsung wants to be way more than an electronics brand in the US, and its recent acquisition of Cloud Computing outfit, Joyent, is a major stepping stone toward that goal. Sure, we know Cloud Computing is a snore of a topic, but it’s big deal in business. When it comes to cloud hosting services, Amazon and Microsoft are the big players. In fact, Samsung currently uses Amazon’s cloud services. But now that it will own Joyent, it can dump Amazon and go head to head with them and Microsoft. Oh, and what do you suppose Samsung will do with all that big data it will have access to? Yeah, see, it seems like a boring story, until you realize just how huge a player Samsung is becoming. We’ve got our eyes on you, Samsung. SUBSCRIBE FOR THE LATEST VIDEOS http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=DigitalTrends VISIT DIGITAL TRENDS http://www.digitaltrends.com/ CHECK OUT OUR LATEST PODCAST http://www.digitaltrends.com/podcasts/ https://www.facebook.com/digitaltrendsftw https://twitter.com/digitaltrends https://plus.google.com/+digitaltrends/posts