Vine

Vine users can now send video or text messages to anyone listed in their Contacts app, or to other Vine members. To send messages via the Vine app, just select the “Messages” option in the Settings menu or tap the Message button on a person's profile.

The new "VM" feature only offers the ability to start one-to-one conversations, not group chats. However, you can send as many video messages as you want, you just have to start separate conversations with each contact. Like Facebook, VM also includes two inbox options: The first option is for people you know, and the other is for "people outside your network". You can disable the option to receive messages from strangers by turning off the "Other Inbox" feature in your Settings menu.

The new iOS app MixBit is ready to take on Vine and Instagram in the rapidly growing world of social video sharing. MixBit allows users to capture 16 second "bits" (1 second longer than Instagram), and edit them together to create longer videos. Users can use their own bits, or any publicly shared video content from other MixBit contributors to create their own remixes.

MixBit creators Chad Hurley and Steve Chen, who are also the founders of YouTube, say remixing other people's videos is the principal goal of the new service.

“The whole purpose of MixBit is to reuse the content within the system,” explained Hurley. “I really want to focus on great stories that people can tell.”

Hurley and Chen believe younger users will prefer MixBit to Vine and Instagram because of its video editing tools. Vine offers zero editing options, while Instagram only features a few basic choices. One thing MitBix does not offer is the ability to create individual profiles. Instead, users must upload their content anonymously to a communal pool of clips. MitBix also doesn't allow its users to comment on other people's work. However, Hurley did say they're working on adding these options in the future.

Vine has finally added "protected posts" in its most recent update. Previously there was no way to make your videos or profile private, and anyone in the Vine community could view them. Now it is easy to block your boss, stalkers and anyone else from viewing your six second videos. Here's how to protect your Vine posts: Tap the Home button on the top left hand corner and navigate to -> Profile -> Settings -> Your Content. You can then tap the "Posts are protected" slider to turn on the privacy feature. Now only the people you approve to follow you can see your videos, unless you decide to share them on Facebook or Twitter. You can also activate the "Sensitive posts" slider to warn people about your racy videos.

Here's the rest of the new features you can find in version 1.3:

15 New Channels - Comedy, Cats, Dogs, Arts & Experimental, Family, Beauty & Fashion, Food, Health & Fitness, Nature, Music, News & Politics, Sports, Special FX, Urban and weir d.

New Camera Tools - You'll see the new camera tools at the bottom of your screen when you access the camera to shoot your videos. They include: a new grid, focus, and a ghost tool.

There should be an explosion in Vine activity now that Twitter has released its popular video sharing app to the Google Play store. This means almost anyone with a smartphone will now be uploading videos, and that Wil Wheaton will finally be joining the Vine community. As most users already know, Wheaton will not be the first celebrity on Vine. The app is full of famous people such as Jimmy Fallon and Tyra Banks, but there are also plenty of lesser known celebrities making a huge splash on the app with their daily hilarious videos. Here is a quick look at five Vine channels worth following... Especially if you're a new user.

#5. Andy Milonakis' odd videos are always making it to the "Popular Now" section of the Vine app. His Creepy Money Dispenser, where he forces random strangers to take money while wearing an off-putting mask, is probably his funniest running gag. Milonakis is also known for uploading a few videos each day, which is always a plus on Vine.