Less than a month after it was revealed that Twitter has purchased the live-streaming app Periscope for nearly US$100m, the company has re-launched the app starting with iOS phones.
Through the app, a user can effectively turn their phone into a TV camera for anyone to view what they’re recording live or watch what the people they had followed recorded earlier.
While the app is being marketed as a ‘Snapchat live’ with an emphasis on fun activities, its obvious implications could be se its use during major events politically or socially that many TV news channels would crave to have.
Having been developed over the space of a year, the app is accessible with a Twitter login which, when accessed, shows a list of streams currently active ranked by the number of people watching that stream at that moment.
A chat screen will then display at the bottom of the feed comprised of those watching at that moment.
According to The Verge, the app has a digital heartbeat that only continues so long as the users viewing the stream feel it’s worthy of keeping going by tapping on a heart on the screen to give an indication to the streamer.
So expect for popular streamers to have what could only be described as a rapid heartbeat, which in the world of Periscope, is a very good thing indeed.
Its biggest challenge however will be attempting to surpass its competitor Meerkat which has established itself as a surprise success with a number of investors lining up to begin backing it with hefty funding.
While currently only available on iOS, an Android version is also expected in the near future.
Periscope image via Shutterstock
