Periscope is a live video streaming app available on both iOS and Android.
Developed by Kayvon Beykpour and Joe Bernstein, the idea behind Periscope stemmed from when Beykour wanted to see what was happening in Istanbul when protests broke out in Taksim Square. At the time, he could only read about what was happening via news and networks such as Twitter.
In 2015 Twitter acquired Periscope in response to the success of rival app Meerkat. Just four months after launch the company claimed to have over 10 million accounts.
What do hearts have to do with Periscope?
Users have the option to tweet a link to their live stream, as well as having the choice as to whether their stream is open to the public or only accessible to certain users. Viewers can also send hearts to a stream’s broadcaster – similar to Facebook ‘likes’ – and can send up to 500 hearts per session.
In 2016, Periscope announced additional functionality, allowing users to stream live from GoPro.
