Color iPhone app revived as Facebook live video 'visits'
updated 06:10 pm EST, Thu December 1, 2011
Color for Facebook turns to 30-second live bursts
Having struggled with its original implementation, Color has started up a private beta of a new iOS and Android app with a reinvented focus. Color for Facebook drops the original local photo sharing in favor of sharing 30-second video "visits." The 30-second clips are silent segments to give the feel for an environment and can be watched live, not just as a pre-recorded clip.
Fellow Facebook users with Color on their phones get push notifications of when a video goes live so that they can tune in if they like. After the fact, videos can be tagged and captioned like a normal Facebook video, and users can comment on clips afterwards.
It's not clear when the beta will stop and public use begins, although Facebook members can request an invite from the web.
Color for Facebook is what amounts to a pivot, or change of direction, for the troubled company. It drew attention, eventually unwanted, after it received $41 million in funding early on but ended up with an iOS app that was characterized as both of limited use and confusing, with few immediate uses. The company later acknowledged the initial misstep and promised a reboot that's just now coming to light.
