What Is Twitter's Periscope

Twitter has made available with Periscope a live streamingapp for iOS. Version 1.0 is available for free on the App Store. It transmits the image of the smartphone camera in real time to all interested parties. The users can communicate through text messages during streaming.

According to its own website at periscope.tv development took a good year. However, it was not under the umbrella of Twitter instead, the Periscope just two weeks ago, that took over on 13 March. The purchase price has not communicated Twitter - rumored to be called $ 100 million.

Parallel booted from Twitter Meerkat, also a live streaming app for iOS that just preparing to make the conference SXSW sensation. They also used Twitter as a communication channel - to her Twitter section automated access to its infrastructure. Meerkat founder Ben Rubin took it casual: He is Twitter "grateful" for the "jump start", he said. Now it is working on other distribution channels. "You've worked hard at building their graph. It's her house. We have to respect that and be good guests. "

With Periscope Twitter puts a Meerkat alternative before, was working on the presumed longer than at Meerkat itself While the optics of both apps is like, Periscope has a functional advantage:. Streams can be saved locally and view later. That's when Meerkat hitherto impossible.

There is also a Favorites function - similar to the thumb of Facebook, the rise of Google and the star of Twitter: Periscope used an animated heart symbol. What it does not exist, is a direct connection Twitter: Periscope can not be started from the main Twitter app out.

Live video from the life of the user is considered a possible next big trend in social networks. At the same time these streams are traded as interesting environment for video advertising. For now, however, both Periscope like Meerkat are ad-free.