Earlier this week, Facebook made a big change to its chat app Messenger: It's no longer requiring people to have a Facebook account to join.
On the surface, that's exciting for people who don't want to join Facebook, but still want a non-SMS-based way to communicate with their friends.
Mostly though, it's a huge business opportunity for Facebook itself.
Most simply, because Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said that the company believes in waiting until its products hit 1 billion users before focusing on turning them into meaningful businesses (read: revenue drivers).
Before this update, the app had roughly 700 million users (after adding 100 million new ones in only three months). The change could create another spike in user sign-ups, bringing Messenger closer to that magic "1 billion" landmark.
And we're already starting to see hints of those monetization efforts. Facebook introduced peer-to-peer payments on Messenger in May. Because the company isn't charging anything per transaction, that doesn't make the company any money just yet. However, it is potentially getting a bunch of credit cards on file.
That means that sometime in the not-too-distant future, it would be very easy for Facebook to start letting users buy other things through Messenger, like stickers or gifts for their friends (both of which are big businesses in other, international chat apps).
The company has also started letting third-party software developers create apps to run inside Messenger.
Right now, all of the apps are free and we haven't seen any with in-app purchases that Facebook could take a cut of. But that probably won't always be the case.
The company also announced during its developers conference in March that it was going to start letting brands and businesses use Messenger to send customers receipts or shipping updates for products they bought or handle any other customer service issues.
If Facebook can find a way to make messaging between consumers and businesses effective and valuable for both, it will likely find a way to squeeze some money from brands in the process. Especially if almost every one of those brands' customers has Messenger — which is more likely now that they don't also have to have a Facebook account.
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If you've ever taken the subway in a major city or have gotten lost in a large travel terminal like Grand Central, you probably understand how frustrating it can be to find the exit that brings you closest to your destination.
Apple plans to make that a whole lot easier in iOS 9. In addition to adding public transit directions to Apple Maps, the company is also adding a feature that can tell you exactly which exit you should take when departing the subway or train station.
So, for example, if you're sitting at the front of the train, Apple may suggest that you take the exit in the middle or at the opposite end of the track because it might be closer to where you're going.
It's a small feature, but one that's bound to be really useful in a big city like New York, where getting out at the right exit could save a lot of time and confusion.
Google Maps has an excellent public transit guide, but it doesn't have this particular capability. It does, however, let you know which direction you're facing so you can tell which way to walk. If you look closely at the little blue dot that tells you where you are in Google Maps, you'll notice there's an arrow pointing in the direction you're facing.
This is just one of several improvements coming to Apple Maps when iOS 9 launches in the fall. Siri will also be able to tap into Apple Maps, so you'll be able t0 ask for specific directions to a given place without having to type in it.
At launch, public transit directions for Apple Maps will be available in Baltimore, Chicago, Berlin, London, Mexico City, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Toronto, and Washington DC.
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The New York City subway system has been around for over 110 years.
Luckily, Google has an awesome collection of images taken from the New York Transit Museum that shows off what the old subway trains looked like, beautifully highlighting what riding the subway was like back in 1904.
From wood-paneled exteriors with ceiling fans to advertisements from the early 1900s, we've collected our favorite photos so you can travel back in time.
Note: Google Virtual Tour provided by Black Paw Photo.
The journey begins at the subway's turnstiles, which were wooden back then.The New York Transit Museum was actually created in a decommissioned underground station in Brooklyn.
Vintage signs from the time period are on the walls.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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