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Snapchat snaps up shows from Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maddie Ziegler

The social media giant has launched Creator Shows, which are filmed in a vertical format.

Schwarzenegger's show is called Rules of Success and features him giving motivational advice.

More series will premiere this summer from the likes of comedian Kevin Hart.

Teenager dancer Maddie Ziegler - who has performed in music videos with Australian pop star Sia - and tennis star Serena Williams will also host their own shows.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the Creators Shows will allow Snapchat's most popular creators to extend their reach and make money.

Rihanna accuses Snapchat of 'shaming' domestic violence victims

The singer was the subject of an advert on the platform which asked users if they would "rather slap Rihanna or punch Chris Brown".

The ad, which was for a game, appeared to reference Chris Brown's conviction for assaulting Rihanna in 2009 while they were dating.

Snap Inc says the ad "never should have appeared on our service".

Rihanna posted a lengthy comment on an Instagram Story saying she was "trying to figure out what the point was with this mess".

"I'd love to call it ignorance, but I know you ain't that dumb," she wrote.

Snapchat loses $40m on flop Spectacles

Snap launched Spectacles in September 2016, originally selling them only through pop-up vending machines.

Pressing a button on the glasses records a short video that can be shared on the Snapchat messaging app.

But on Tuesday the company revealed costs of $40m (£30m) due to "excess inventory" and cancelled orders.

Chief executive Evan Spiegel has previously said 150,000 units have been sold.

The company's latest earnings report pinned the cost on "excess inventory reserves and inventory purchase commitment cancellation charges".

WhatsApp offline for several hours

Reports that there were problems with the app, which has more than 1.2 billion users globally, first began to appear at about 20:00 GMT.

WhatsApp said in a brief statement that it was "aware of the issue and working to fix it as soon as possible".

By about 22:30 GMT, most users were reporting that they were able to send and receive messages again.

Instagram's Snapchat clone is more popular than Snapchat

Facebook-owned Instagram on Thursday said more than 200 million people use Instagram Stories every day. Snap (SNAP), the parent company of Snapchat, reported that it has 161 million daily active users ahead of its IPO last month.

The 200 million figure represents how many people watch stories on Instagram every day. The company wouldn't share how many users actually post stories.

Snapchat videos show guard asking inmates for oral sex

Conan Zamolo was a youth justice officer at Don Dale and is giving evidence to the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory.

Why Snapchat's owner is hiring in China

Snap Inc. says it has opened a technology office in the southern city of Shenzhen to focus on Spectacles, the startup's camera-equipped sunglasses that can send footage to users' Snapchat accounts.

An American university is sending students acceptance Snapchats

Now, as well as posting an acceptance package, the University of Wisconsinin Green Bay will snap the good news too.

It says it's just keeping up with the times and it means potential students get the message much quicker.

"They'll definitely get their snap before they get their mail pack," says Admissions Officer, Katelyn Santy.

"Students get their snaps pretty immediately because it's a place where they are.

"They spend a lot of time there," she told WCMH-TV news.

Snapchat launches sunglasses with camera

The device, which the company is calling Spectacles, will go on sale later this year priced at $130 (£100).

The glasses will record up to 10 seconds of video at at time.

As part of the announcement, Snapchat is renaming itself to Snap, Inc.

The renaming decision underlined the company’s apparent ambition to go beyond the ephemeral messaging app, a product which is highly popular with young people.

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Facebook's new feature is yet another Snapchat ripoff

The company is testing a new feature to encourage people to share more original photos and videos. Starting Friday, when users in Canada and Brazil open the mobile app, they will be immediately greeted by a large, live image of their own face. They can tap to overlay text or drawing and share the photo or video as a status update.