Jul 18, 2017 - Technology

Instagram COO explains why its "Stories" clone is unique

Instagram borrowed Snapchat's "Stories" format, but what makes it unique is how it works in concert with the rest of the photo-sharing app's features, Instagram COO Marne Levine explained at Fortune's Brainstorm Tech conference in Aspen.

"We've acknowledged over and over again that we did not invent the Stories format," said Levine. "It's a great format and it works well in our community," adding that Stories lets users post photos they often wouldn't post as traditional Instagram photos.

Why it matters: Instagram's decision to launch a feature identical to Snapchat's Stories last August has been met with both criticism and praise for getting its users to adopt it so quickly (currently 250 million people are using Instagram's Stories every day). The competition between the two apps is well known, and Stories has become the new battleground.

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Axios
Updated 4 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 6:30 p.m. ET: 34,124,948 — Total deaths: 1,016,723 — Total recoveries: 23,703,113 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 6:30 p.m. ET: 7,273,244 — Total deaths: 207,605 — Total recoveries: 2,840,747 — Total tests: 103,946,170 — Map.
  3. Politics: House prepares to pass revised COVID relief bill as White House talks hit roadblock — Biden to expand voter outreach with in-person canvassing amid pandemic.
  4. Health: Health officials urge flu shots, warning of "twindemic" with COVID-19 — Coronavirus infections rise in 25 states.
  5. Business: Remdesivir is good business for Gilead — Amazon says over 19,800 employees contracted coronavirus — Doomsday has arrived for tens of thousands of workers.
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Ursula Perano
2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Doomsday has arrived for tens of thousands of workers

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Federal coronavirus aid for airlines expires on Thursday with no renewal in sight, meaning massive layoffs for the industry aren't far behind.

The big picture: Airline workers aren't alone on the unemployment line. Oil companies, tire manufacturers, book publishers and insurers are among those that have announced tens of thousands of layoffs. Federal aid through the CARES Act earlier this year delayed most layoffs — until now.

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Alison Snyder, author of Science
3 hours ago - Science

How the brain handles the unknown

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Uncertainty can be hard for humans. It drives anxiety, an emotion neuroscientists are trying to understand and psychologists are trying to better treat.

Why it matters: Under the threat of a virus, job insecurity, election uncertainty, and a general pandemic life-in-limbo that is upending school, holidays and more, people are especially anxious.

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