Twitter's new photo filters |
 Instagram's new app layout Source: Instagram |
Photo Fight: After Instagram disabled its photo integration feature with Twitter on Dec. 9, further disconnecting the two services as they battle to be the premiere image-sharing social network, Twitter released its own filters on Dec. 10. The micro-blogging giant added eight Instagram-like photo filters to its official Android and iOS apps, and the battle to be the premiere image-sharing social network rages on.
While users can still post links to their Instagram photos on Twitter, they’ll no longer be able to view Instagram photos from within the Twitter stream across both the Twitter Web site and mobile apps.
“While tweeting links to Instagram photos is still possible, you can no longer view the photos on Twitter, as was previously the case,” Twitter said on its company status blog. Just as Facebook valued Instagram worth a $1 billion purchase, Twitter sees that social media is being increasingly driven by imagery. If content is king, photos are the crown.
Instagram Update: Instagram was quick to change the press cycle about its Twitter relationship woes. It released a major upgrade to the app on Dec. 10, one intended to improve the app’s look and speed. The app’s now-faster camera has an Instagram-themed shutter and release button, and a grid to guide users in taking photos and cropping them.
A new filter, Willow, has “subtle purple tones and a translucent glowing white border that works well on portraits, still life and architecture photographs with contrast,” Instagram says.
And while Instagram is casting Twitter aside, it’s giving Foursquare a larger presence on the new app. A button on location pages can open the Foursquare application, or mobile website, with details about the venue.
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