Facebook’s Instagram, which now has 300 million users, is launching self-service ad buying in worldwide markets around the world, starting with more than 30 new countries. Notably, ads will now include video spots up to 30 seconds. Instagram has been slow to sell ads in fear of alienating users. In 2013, it debuted a feature for editing and uploading 15-second videos, a duration that has remained the limit for video ads. “In addition to video ads up to 30 seconds, Instagram also introduced landscape (horizontal) photo and video ads for ‘a more cinematic feel’ and delivery and optimization tools to manage campaigns across Facebook and Instagram,” reports Variety.

Hotel chain Marriott is testing its “VRoom Service” with partner Samsung at the New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square and the London Marriott Hotel Park Lane. The service provides hotel guests with a Samsung Gear VR headset for 24 hours, and three “VR Postcards” commissioned by Marriott. “Those videos, shot in 360-degree 3D, each follow real travelers on a different journeys, taking viewers to Chile’s Andes mountains, an ice-cream shop in Rwanda and Beijing’s bustling streets,” notes Variety. The VR Postcards, created with Framestore’s Virtual Reality Studio, will also “be available via the Samsung Milk VR video service, accessible via the Samsung Gear VR headset developed with Facebook’s Oculus VR division.”

Sources say that Twitter’s Periscope is quietly developing an app for the new Apple TV, which would allow users to watch live Periscope broadcasts on their TVs. Apple is expected to unveil its new set-top box today with an emphasis on casual games and a variety of featured apps from third-party developers, including the Periscope app. “Though we can’t confirm the exact functionality of the app, it’s likely to be focused on watching streams,” suggests TechCrunch. “Periscope made videos viewable on the Web in June without the ability to broadcast, and the Apple TV app could work similarly.”

At the recent IFA trade show in Berlin, LG demonstrated a wallpaper TV, a waved 4K TV and a double-sided OLED TV. The latter was reportedly a big hit with attendees. “The new double-sided TV measures a massive 111 inches although a closer look would reveal that it is actually made of three 65-inch Ultra HD OLED displays,” explains Tech Times. “The display, which is also called Vertically Tiling Display, resembles a room divider that has two folds.” The company also developed a 55-inch version. LG already features OLED technology in many of its curved TVs, its lines of smartwatches and the LG G Flex 2 handset.

BlackBerry announced that it plans to acquire Good Technology for $425 million. “Good was an early competitor to BlackBerry in the market for software used by corporations and governments to manage and increase security on employee smartphones,” according to The New York Times. “John S. Chen, BlackBerry’s chief executive, has made dominating that business a key component of rebuilding the company.” While some analysts see potential problems in the costs of merging the two companies’ software, others note that “Good’s technology would allow BlackBerry to improve how its software works with Android phones and Apple iPhones.”

At its I/O conference in May, Google announced that Android Pay would be included in Android Marshmallow when it launched. As the company readies new Nexus devices and its new mobile operating system, Android Pay should be just around the corner (according to a leaked Verizon memo, the mobile payments system will roll out September 16). “The most recent Google Wallet upgrade shows an advert for the new payments app, and there’s now a FAQ online as well that explains the differences between the two,” reports Digital Trends. “The next version of Google Wallet will let you send and receive money on any platform, whereas Android Pay is a mobile payments system tied to Android itself.”

The Wall Street Journal reports that Google is in talks with the Chinese government and handset manufacturers about rolling out a new app store in China, possibly by the end of this year. Google has reportedly been working for more than a year on developing a version of the Play app store that offers Chinese government-approved apps and services. “Google abruptly ceased most operations in mainland China in 2010 following cyberattacks against Gmail users and disagreements with the government over censorship of search results,” notes WSJ. “Since then, China has become the world’s largest smartphone market, and Google rival Apple Inc. is a leading player there.”

Oculus VR has scheduled its second annual Connect event for September 23-25 in Hollywood. The conference will include keynotes from CEO Brendan Iribe, chief scientist Michael Abrash and CTO John Carmack. The company plans to highlight new content and make a number of announcements. “While Oculus has already pledged an early 2016 release window for its keystone hardware product, the Oculus Rift, the company may offer a more specific date at the Connect event,” notes CNET. “But two recent tweets from Carmack have intimated the possibility of updates to the Gear VR hardware, the Oculus-compatible accessories that convert some Samsung phones into virtual-reality goggles.”

The first annual Future of Virtual Reality conference will take place September 8-9 at the Qualcomm Institute on the UC San Diego campus in La Jolla. “In addition to the conference, the Future of Virtual Reality will also showcase the latest technologies — from large-scale 3D displays to personalized VR systems such as the Oculus Rift — in a demonstration room next to the conference venue,” notes the press release. Funding for the event “is provided, in part, by a grant from the Calit2 Strategic Research Opportunities (CSRO) program of the Qualcomm Institute.” According to the conference website, recent contributions will enable registrants to attend free of charge.

Verizon plans to make its Go90 mobile video service — currently in the testing stage — more widely available in the coming days. The Internet-based service will initially offer free shows targeting younger viewers, with content from select media partners including AOL, Awesomeness TV, Vice Media and Viacom. It will also include features to easily share content via social media. “The service, which will show ads, is a pared-down version of what the carrier envisioned earlier this year,” explains Bloomberg. Verizon had originally considered a subscription-based service with live programming and on-demand content from the four major networks. The service will add new content as it progresses, says Verizon.

To better compete with Netflix, Amazon announced it is now offering its Prime members the option to download TV shows and movies to iOS and Android devices for viewing offline. “Previously on those two platforms, the download feature was available only for titles Amazon customers owned outright; the subscription title offline viewing benefit was limited to Kindle Fire tablets,” reports Wired. The obvious advantage to offline viewing is that you are not reliant upon a strong Internet connection. The downside involves the size of most video files, especially if you want to store an entire series. Amazon is also changing the service’s name from Prime Instant Video to Amazon Instant Video.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, CJ 4DPLEX has signed with Marcus Theatres to open a 4D cinema this November at the Gurnee Mills Cinema in the Chicago metropolitan area. 4D technology includes theatrical effects such as motion, wind, fog and rain. “Since debuting in 2010, 4DX now operates in 187 theaters in 34 countries including Brazil, China, Korea, Russia, UAE and the UK,” notes THR. “After having its U.S. debut in Los Angeles last year, and announcing plans to be available in two New York theaters later this year, this deal will put 4DX into the top three U.S. markets.” Marcus is currently the fifth-largest theater chain in the U.S.

Samsung plans to introduce a new smartwatch this week to compete with the popular Apple Watch and others entering the emerging market. The South Korean company is expected to unveil its new round-faced Gear S2 at the IFA trade show in Berlin tomorrow. According to The Wall Street Journal, the watch will “come in two styles: a sporty flagship version and a more understated version dubbed the Gear S2 Classic,” both featuring “3G connectivity, which means they can also work as a standalone phone — something most current smartwatches can’t do.” Samsung also says its models will tout battery life of 2-3 days, more than most other current smartwatches.

Apple is teaming with Cisco Systems in a strategic partnership to sell more iPhones and iPads to business customers. “Under terms of the agreement, negotiated directly between Apple CEO Tim Cook and Cisco Chairman John Chambers, Cisco said it will optimize how its networking gear runs with iOS devices, and the two companies will collaborate on products and services,” according to Re/code. The deal could help steer Apple devices toward becoming “the preferred mobile platform with enterprise customers” (iPads could use the boost in sales). Apple struck a similar deal last summer with IBM to develop mobile software and devices.

FreeCast’s streaming video service Rabbit TV, which aggregates a wide range of video from around the Web, is introducing a new way to browse and access content. The service is leveraging the growing popularity of Facebook video by offering its free Rabbit TV Lite app on the social network. The app provides access to more than 400 live and on-demand channels via an interactive programming grid. Beyond the free app, Rabbit TV Plus subscribers get access “to tens of thousands more TV episodes and movies, as well as radio stations, online games and other content, including additional rental, pay and subscription services,” notes USA Today.