This week's Skim: Facebook's new standalone app wraps Yelp, Foursquare, and Facebook Events into one; Snapchat's massive redesign and upcoming algorithm; LinkedIn streamlines Lead Gen Forms for messages; Amazon courts Instagram and Twitter influencers with a commission program; the social app that was just bought by a Chinese startup for nearly $1 billion; why Pinterest just created its own version of QR codes, and how your brand could use them; and much more...

Skim to spend your time wisely!

1. Facebook launches Local, a standalone app to destroy Yelp and Foursquare

What's more credible to a consumer than their friends' and families' endorsements? Not a whole lot. That's what Facebook's banking on its new app that fuses the power of the world's biggest social network with the recommendations of your closest friends.

The social network essentially repurposed its Events, adding bar and restaurant info, to create an app that houses calendar events and listings, a map that lets you see how far you'd have to travel to get to that location or event, ratings and comments from friends and the wider Facebook audience about all the local spots in your neighborhood, the events that people you follow attend, attractions, and more. Your move, Yelp.

2. Massive Snapchat redesign, algorithmic feed set to go live next month

Mark your calendars: Snap Inc.'s set to give Snapchat a major redesign that's aimed to make the app easier to use, as well as introduce an algorithmic feed and new sections that will prioritize where, when, and from whom users see content. And it's coming soon.

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