The latest Facebook Live update passes the streaming torch to computers

Image: PA Wire/PA Images For those who really want to go live, the barrier for entry just got much smaller. Until now, going live required either a phone running the Facebook app or, for publishers especially, specialized streaming camera rigs. With the update, Pages will have the option to broadcast directly via a laptop or desktop's webcam. Along with the browser update, Pages will also have the ability to designate "Live Contributors," essentially creating anchor roles for multiple people within an organization. Until now, only Page administrators could go live from an account, which caused many a logistics headache for media outlets. These updates came on the heels of the news that Facebook is finally monetizing its video content and the much longer announcement about the launch of the Facebook Journalism Project, which aims to dominate save journalism, or something. While these are helpful tools for publishers looking to create content, the upcoming wider rollout of Live on browsers will give normal Facebook users even greater access to their friends' timelines. When asked, Facebook reps declined to provide any insight on when that rollout might happen. Just think about the (slightly desperate) ad campaign Facebook kicked off recently promoting the service — how "awesome" are you sitting at your desk in front of your webcam? But people will still use the tool, and all of our timelines will undoubtedly soon be filled with desk-bound self-help pep talks and angry rants from people we forgot we once knew.