Bots Come To Facebook Messenger | Crunch Report

TL;DR

Facebook Messenger introduces Bots on Messenger platform, HTC unveils new flagship smartphone with USB-C charging, and Uber releases its first transparency report.

Transcript

Bots come to Messenger, Facebook reveals its own VR camera, a Russian billionaire invests in space travel and more ... It's Tuesday, April 12, and this is Crunch Report. Bots are coming to Facebook Messenger. The company kicked off its F8 conference for developers today, where it announced a new platform called Bots on Messenger. This will allow bu... Read More

Key Insights

• 💨 Facebook's introduction of Bots on Messenger provides businesses with a new way to interact with customers through automated chatbots.
• 🤗 The open-source nature of the Surround 360 camera allows for the expansion of 360-degree VR content onto Oculus and Facebook.
• 👾 Yuri Milner's continued investment in space travel showcases a significant interest in exploring extraterrestrial life and the possibility of human space travel in the future.
• 🔊 HTC's new flagship smartphone, the HTC 10, offers high-end specifications and features such as a quad-core processor and a 2K display.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is Bots on Messenger?

Bots on Messenger is a new platform introduced by Facebook that allows businesses to interact with customers through automated chatbots. These chatbots can perform tasks such as making reservations or reviewing e-commerce orders.

Q: What is the Surround 360 camera?

The Surround 360 is a 17-lens, 3D, virtual reality camera introduced by Facebook. It will make the hardware designs and video-stitching algorithms open source, allowing anyone to build their own camera.

Q: What is Breakthrough Starshot?

Breakthrough Starshot is the second phase of an investment by Russian billionaire Yuri Milner in space travel. It aims to launch tiny space probes to the nearest star system, Alpha Centauri, which will function as space probes equipped with lasers, communication systems, and cameras.

Q: What is the new flagship smartphone unveiled by HTC?

HTC unveiled its new flagship smartphone, the HTC 10, which features a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor, a 2K display, and USB-C charging. The battery is claimed to last for 48 hours of everyday usage.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Facebook announced Bots on Messenger, a new platform allowing businesses to interact with customers through automated chatbots and deliver text, images, links, and call-to-action buttons.

• Facebook also introduced the Surround 360, a 17-lens, 3D, virtual reality camera, which will make hardware designs and video-stitching algorithms open source.

• Russian billionaire Yuri Milner announced a second phase of his investment in space travel called Breakthrough Starshot, which aims to launch tiny space probes to the nearest star system.