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Facebook removes Slingshot, Rooms, and Riff apps from App Store, closes Creative Labs

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Shortly after Dropbox announced it had shut down its popular Mailbox and Carousel apps, Facebook has made a similar move by removing a handful of its apps from the iOS App Store and shutting down the division that created them.

Facebook’s Creative Labs project was intended to promote the creation of apps like Snapchat competitor Slingshot, and has launched several apps with some success. However, the social site has apparently decided that the time has come to shutter that initiative and the apps it has produced.


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Sonos Controller app updated w/ quick Rooms access, new iPad UI, improved search, more

Sonos is today rolling out version 5.3 of its Sonos Controller app for iOS to introduce a few new features and a tweaked user interface. 

The feature being highlighted above others in the update is easier access to controlling the app’s Rooms feature: Effortlessly move your music around your home with a more accessible ROOMS menu available by tapping the top of any screen in the Sonos app. Group and ungroup rooms from the ROOMS menu to play music in perfect synchrony throughout your home.

Also new in the update is an updated user experience for iPad users that offers new, separate views for currently playing music and discovery features:

  • More engaging browse experience for tablets. Version 5.3 provides separate views for music discovery and what’s currently playing.
  • Last browsed on a phone or tablet. Quickly return to the last place you browsed.
    • Touch to view the last place you browsed. On your phone, you can also go back to the last place you browsed by swiping down on the Now Playing screen.
    • Touch the collapsed Now Playing screen at the bottom of the screen to return to full-screen view.

Sonos highlighted a few other new features including more readily available search and a new playback progress slider.

The updated app, version 5.3, is available on the App Store now.

What’s New in Version 5.3

SIMPLER ROOM CONTROL AND FASTER ACCESS TO ALL YOUR MUSIC.

Effortlessly move your music around your home with a more accessible Rooms menu available by tapping the top of any screen in the Sonos app.

A more engaging browse experience for tablets with dedicated screens for what’s playing and music discovery.

Simplified track progression bar, just below the album art in the Now playing screen. Drag it to whatever point in the song you want to play. This is only applicable for music sources that allow this.

Switch between screens by swiping down from the Now Playing screen to go back to browsing your music. Then swipe from far left to right to show all your music sources.

Search is now more readily available so you can quickly find and play music.

Creators of ‘Room’ say Facebook copied their chatroom app, threaten legal action

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Facebook’s new ‘Rooms’ app                              Room Inc’s ‘Room’ app

Following the launch of Facebook’s new “Rooms” app for iPhone, the company behind a similar piece of software called “Room” is claiming the social media outlet copied its intellectual property. The Room application, which like Facebook’s app allows users to create and invite others to chatrooms while remaining anonymous, was first released on the App Store back in September.

The company’s Damien Rottemberg, Co-Founder and CTO of Room, sent over the following statement on the situation:
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Facebook releases ‘Rooms’ for iPhone, a chat room app that lets you go anonymous

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Facebook is today unveiling the latest app being released under the company’s Creative Labs project that recently released the new Paper, Slingshot, and Mentions apps. The new app, called Rooms, is described by Facebook as a meeting place inspired by early Internet chatrooms and web communities: Rooms lets you create places for the things you’re into, and invite others who are into them too.
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