Snapchat adds IM and video chat to service

Snapchat doesn’t do away with its self-destructing messages but has updated its iOS and Android apps to do a bit more.  The app now lets you instant message your friends and have live video chats with them. You can start chatting with your friends by swiping to the right from your main screen. You’ll see the list of people available for chats. While this is much like the other messaging services out there, the text from your conversations are wiped after you close the chat screen, unless you tell the app to keep them.

For video chats, a blue icon will pop up at the bottom of the screen when your friend is chatting with you. You press and hold this open for a one-way stream. The person you’re chatting with can do the same thing as well. There are gestures you can use to switch back and forth with your front- and rear-facing cameras.

4.6 million Snapchat users stung by user and phone number leak

Snapchat is the latest app/service to have suffered a security breach that has exposed the usernames and phone numbers of 4.6 million of its users. An anonymous group of hackers was able to extract and has published this information in a website that has since been taken down. The same group of hackers also revealed Snapchat's API which is essential to how the app operates. A show of tough love, the hacker group stated that Snapchat has been too lax with its user's private information.

“Our motivation behind the release was to raise the public awareness around the issue, and also put public pressure on Snapchat to get this exploit fixed. It is understandable that tech startups have limited resources but security and privacy should not be a secondary goal. Security matters as much as user experience does,” explained the group in a statement to TechCrunch.

Source: TechCrunch

Snapchat introduces front camera ‘flash’ for iOS

Snapchat is bringing a handy feature for iOS users and selfie-lovers. It’s giving you “flash” capabilities on the front camera by whiting-out your screen. You can access this feature in the “Additional Services” section of your Settings window. Other added features include the ability to replay messages once a day, more filters, and overlay option for data such as weather, speed, and time.