Facebook's new video app

In addition to animated profile pictures, Facebook is introducing temporary profile pictures, which revert back to the original picture after a certain period of time. Photo / Getty Images

Facebook has announced changes to its mobile app that will let users replace their static profile pictures with a looping seven-second video in the style of a GIF.

The social network is introducing the feature on its mobile app for "a small number of iPhone users in the UK and California" and says it plans to roll them out to more people soon.

Facebook is calling the feature "profile videos". They allow users to film a seven-second clip within the Facebook app, which then shows up as their profile picture when people visit it.

While not technically GIFs, they capture the spirit of the animated images.

Facebook has slowly embraced GIFs. It added support for them earlier this year, and is now adding animation in profile pictures alongside a number of other profile changes.

"On News Feed and profiles, we're seeing people create and view more videos than ever before. Today we're starting to test the next step in an obvious evolution of profiles: profile videos," Facebook said.

"Soon, you'll be able to film a short, looping video clip that will play for anyone who visits your profile. Profile videos will let you show a part of yourself you couldn't before, and add a new dimension to your profile."

In addition to animated profile pictures, Facebook is introducing temporary profile pictures, which revert back to the original picture after a certain period of time.

The options come as part of a series of changes to Facebook's profiles on its smartphone app.

- Telegraph Group Ltd

Quirky app tasks brains

Here's an easy alternative to your lunchtime crossword session.

Launched in 2007, Lumosity is one of the more established brands of the app world, but it's still one of the best platforms to pit your mind against a wide range of brain-training games.

The US company's games, offered in more than 180 countries, are based on the latest discoveries in neuroscience.

Lumosity has rather cleverly repackaged scientific brain tasks into quirky games: psychologist Charles Eriksen's Flanker Task of the 1960s forms the basis of the Lost in Migration game, where players are shown a flock of black birds facing the same way except one. The player must quickly select what way the odd-bird-out is facing.

Louis Thurstone's 1930s-era "punched holes" task is presented as Speed Pack, using similar principles to challenge visualisation skills.

You can also tailor what kind of exercises you want to focus, whether they are memory-based - helping you remember patterns and places or associate names and faces - or revolve more around attention, speed, flexibility and problem solving.

After creating your own "training programme", you can watch your scores rise, along with, if you believe the developers, improvements in your cognitive ability.

By harvesting millions of data points from its game users, the company has also been able to crunch the numbers and reveal when we are at our best to tackle tasks.

Last year, Lumosity also launched a line of science-based games for children.

Lumosity, available at Lumosity.com and on the iPhone, is free to play but a subscription is required to access its full range.