Facebook's Slingshot: A Prettier, More Desperate Version of Snapchat

After its accidental rollout and subsequent removal from the App Store last week, Facebook's latest standalone app, Slingshot, has officially launched.

The app, the company's latest (and likely last) effort to create a true Snapchat competitor, allows users to send disappearing photo and video messages. But Facebook isn't framing Slingshot as a messaging app; rather, those who have been working on the app say it's more a way of sharing what you're up to at any given moment — a visual status update, if you will

But while Facebook has clearly tried to differentiate Slingshot's ephemeral messages from Snapchat's, the app manages to both feel both more polished and more desperate. Here's a look at how the two disappearing messengers compare. Read more...