In bringing virtual reality to its over 1 billion users, Facebook has recently introduced its 360 degrees photos across the social media platform.
In a bid to be the go-to destination for immersive content, Facebook users can now upload a panorama or 360 degrees photos for their posts, which will be showing on everyone’s news feed.
Anyone with a smartphone has the capability to be a 360-degree picture photographer, since nowadays, most smartphones have the panorama options.
After capturing a panorama or 360-degree photo with their native smartphone camera or a third-party app, users can now post their photos directly to the social network, where it will be converted into an image that can be viewed on desktop or any smartphone.
Users will be able to identify the photos by the icon floating on the upper right hand corner of the image. All they need to do is to click on the icon to move the image around. For mobile phone users, phones can be tilted, exploring every angle of the image. Desktop users can click and drag on the photos and explore the complete environment as well.
Though, it may take a while for users to embrace this invention, but Facebook clearly sees this as a new creative medium that encourages exploration and also a great means to share details of important moments in lives.
“Along with 360 photos from friends and family, you can discover new stunning photos on Facebook from public figures, publishers and other organisations.
“360 photos gives you the ability to take the stage in front of 100,000 fans with Paul McCartney, get behind-the-scenes access to the Supreme Court via The New York Times, visit the
International Space Station with NASA, and more,” Andy Huang, product manager, writes in a report.
What may be missing though, is the option to actually take 360-degree photo. But Facebook Huang has advised users in a blog post to use “a 360 photo app.”
OMOBOLAJI DAVID-OJUMU
