Live streaming ideo seems to be popular right now. The third-party video streaming app Meerkat became a fairly popular app within a week, and its user base has increased exponentially in the last month. While most users are still attempting to figure out what Meerkat is good for, Twitter has "jumped on the bandwagon" and released its version of the streaming app.
The social networking service released the app, called Periscope, on Thursday. The app lets users to stream anything they desire. Want to show the world what you're watching outside video? You can stream it! Do you have an interesting walk to work? Stream it!
Periscope's designers have been working on the app since 2013, WIRED reported. Periscope co-founder Kayvon Beykpour was planning a trip to Istanbul when a series of protests broke out. Beykpour tried to find out what was going on via TV news, but the footage was shaky, at best. That's when Beykpour realized that "there are probably thousands of people with smartphones and high-speed connections in Taksim Square right now......Why couldn't he see what they were seeing in real time?"
After his trip to Instanbul, Beykpour began working with his co-founder Joe Bernstein to create the app. Periscope was eventually picked up by Twitter, and is now available as (what seems tobe) a response to Meerkat.
For the most part, Periscope performs the same functions as Meerkat. However, Periscope has one feature that Meerkat doesn't: it lets users save their stream for people to view in the future. Users won't be able to directly access the Periscope App at release, and will have to access it via Twitter. However, Beykpour told WIRED that this interface issue will only be temporary, and that the company hopes to build an independent interface soon.
