Nov 8, 2018

Vine will return as Byte in spring 2019

Byte logo Photo: Dom Hofmann.

Vine, the six-second videos that shaped internet culture, is returning in spring 2019, co-creator of Vine Dom Hofmann tweeted, but with a new name: Byte.

Why it matters: Twitter shut down Vine in 2016 and had a large following for viral video creators, but was not able to monetize at the pace desired. Hofmann's idea of a Vine 2.0 last year was squashed due to funding and development issues, Engadget reports. Now, a domain name, Twitter and Instagram accounts have been secured for more concrete plans for Byte.

Go deeper

Mike Allen

Kenan Thompson and Hasan Minhaj to headline White House Correspondents' Dinner

Kenan Thompson on "SNL" in 2018. Photo: Rosalind O'Connor/NBC via Getty Images

Kenan Thompson, the longest-tenured "Saturday Night Live" cast member, will host the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on April 25.

And Hasan Minhaj — host of Netflix’s "Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj," and the entertainer at the 2017 dinner — will return as featured entertainer.

Go deeper21 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen

"Billions": Season 2020

Mike Bloomberg speaks at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery in Richmond, Va., on Saturday. Photo: James H. Wallace/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP

Money alone can’t buy a presidential election, but it surely gets you VIP access.

Why it matters: Billionaire Michael Bloomberg is duking it out with Billionaire Donald Trump, often on Billionaire Jack Dorsey’s Twitter and in ads on Billionaire Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook, all chronicled in Billionaire Jeff Bezos’ Washington Post.

Go deeper25 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Jennifer A. Kingson

Biometrics invade banking and retail

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

Banks have been quietly rolling out biometrics to identify customers — verifying them by their fingerprint, voice or eye scan — and retailers like Amazon are getting into the game.

Why it matters: These companies are amassing giant databases of our most personal information — including our gait, how we hold our cellphones, our typing patterns — that raise knotty questions about data security and privacy.

Go deeper48 mins ago - Economy & Business