Facebook rolls out Slingshot, its second Snapchat killer

Facebook's second attempt at stomping out Snapchat was released today. Called Slingshot, the new app basically does what Snapchat does: It allows users to send disappearing photos and videos to their friends.
However, Facebook says Slingshot differs from Snapchat in one crucial way: Slingshot users can't view photos or videos until they send back one of their own. (The Verge has a video of Slingshot in action.)
The "forced reciprocity" might be a turn-off for some users, but Slingshot designer Joey Flynn told The New York Times that he wants everyone to who uses the app to be an active participant. "It's a way of saying: "You're my friends. I want to know what you're doing,'" he said.
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Slingshot will be available to Apple and Android users sometime today.
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Jordan Valinsky is the lead writer for Speed Reads. Before joining The Week, he wrote for New York Observer's tech blog, Betabeat, and tracked the intersection between popular culture and the internet for The Daily Dot. He graduated with a degree in online journalism from Ohio University.
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