Instagram takes aim at Snapchat with picture and video messaging service

Facebook-owned Instagram on Thursday announced a new addition to its wildly popular mobile app suite that looks to capitalize on the recent boom in mobile messaging apps. Dubbed Instagram Direct, the service allows users to send and receive photos, videos and text messages privately with other Instagram users as well as groups of Instagram users, outside of the main public feed.

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Instagram for Android and iOS updated with video import and photo straightening capabilities

After adding video capabilities to the app about a month back, Instagram has now given the app a major update that brings in some much sought-after features. The latest version brings video import, photo straightening and Android Ice Cream Sandwich compatibility among others.

Though Instagram added the ability to shoot short videos and post them online ala Vine, the app only supported videos that were shot via the app. In simpler terms, Instagram did not support the videos that were already present on your multimedia gallery. With version 4.1 though, the company has added the ability to import any video from the gallery and give it the Instagram treatment. You can cut or edit what you want to show in the 15 second window and also use the square-clipper to adjust the focus.

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Instagram allows users to embed photos and videos on other sites

In another move to outpace Vine, the Facebook-owned Instagram has announced web embedding for Instagram content, which will allow sharing of photos and videos to the web by using the related embed code. This will let the Instagram user to expand the reach of their photos and videos to the masses on the web. And for those concerned about the privacy of content, this embed code is only available to those whose photos and videos are public.

Users can share their photos and videos on other websites by pasting the embed code displayed in the share button on the right side of the photo or video page on Instagram’s desktop web browser.

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Instagram update for iOS brings landscape mode and Cinema stabilization for front and rear cameras

Instagram has updated its iOS app which now enables a new landscape mode and adds Cinema video stabilization for both the front and rear cameras.

Previously, Instagram just would not handle landscape content properly and this was a major flaw in the way the app worked.

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Vine takes on Instagram video with the biggest update to its iOS app

Vine has released the biggest update yet for its iOS app bringing with it a host of new features. Version 1.3 introduces content channels, grids, focus and ghost features to shoot the best video in six seconds. Yes, Vine still allows recording of only six second videos.

Boosting its social media features, Vine adds 15 new channels or categories in which you can submit or explore new videos. These channels include cats, music, nature and comedy among others.

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Instagram may get video support at Facebook's June 20 event

Facebook may announce an updated version of Instagram that will be capable of taking and sharing short videos at its much-awaited June 20 event. According to TechCrunch's insiders, the updated Instagram will take on Twitter's recently launched short-video service called Vine.

More details about the service are still unknown at this stage. However, TechCrunch highlights the recent leak that strongly suggested Facebook was testing video support on Instagram.

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