Golden Retriever is Top Dog on TikTok

Dogs have been man’s best friend since the domestication of the wolf during the late Mesolithic period. Since those times, we have been blessed by a plethora of dog breeds, selectively bred by humans for roles such as hunting, herding, and of course, companionship. In fact, The Kennel Club recognises 222 breeds of dog. Dogs are unsurprisingly…

ShinyShiny snippets: TikTok leading platform for fake Ukraine videos

TikTok has emerged as one of the leading platforms for snappy false videos about the war in Ukraine which are reaching millions. With a user base of more than one billion people - more than half of whom are under 30 - TikTok is where many young people have been getting updates about the conflict,…

Safer Internet Day: 5 Tips to Keep Kids Safe Online

Tomorrow (8th February) is Safer Internet Day. We teamed up with web hosting experts at Fasthosts to give our top 5 tips for keeping children safe online... We know that children’s online safety is among a parent’s biggest priorities, and it’s incredibly important to keep children out of harm’s way when using the internet. Due to…

Facebook user decline: what the experts say

Social media giant Facebook has seen the number of its daily active users (DAUs) drop for the first time in its 18-year history. Facebook's parent company Meta Networks says DAUs fell to 1.929bn in the three months to the end of December, compared to 1.930bn in the previous quarter. The firm also warned of slowing…

‘Irate’ is TikTok language expert’s recommended Wordle starter word

Wordle, a web-based word game that challenges users to guess a mystery five-letter word with six guesses, has become the viral sensation of 2022. In fact, it’s proved so popular that it’s just been bought by the New York Times for an undisclosed seven-figure sum. The game was created by software engineer, Josh Wardle, who made a…

ShinyShiny tech roundup: Spotify testing a new TikTok-style video feed

Spotify is testing a new TikTok-style video feed in its beta iOS app that shows fullscreen video clips as songs are played, TechCrunch reports. The feature was first spotted by Chris Messina, who posted a video of the feed in action. When available, the video feed is accessible from a new fourth tab in the navigation bar labelled…

ShinyShiny tech roundup: Facebook name change, TikTok tic worry

Facebook has changed its corporate brand to Meta Facebook has changed its corporate name to Meta as part of a major rebrand. The company said it would better "encompass" what it does, as it broadens its reach beyond social media into areas like virtual reality (VR). The change does not apply…

ShinyShiny tech roundup: App users spending more time on TikTok than YouTube

App users in the UK and US are spending more time on TikTok than on YouTube, a new report suggests. Data from app monitoring firm App Annie indicates that average time per user spent on the apps is higher for TikTok, indicating high levels of engagement. App Annie characterised TikTok as having "upended the streaming…

ShinyShiny tech round up: Samsung launches Galaxy 4 watches

Samsung has officially unveiled the Galaxy Watch 4 and the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, as it hits reset on its smartwatch range. It has replaced its own TizenOS operating system for Google's Wear OS, and killed off the Active 2 range in favour of a singular smartwatch brand. It was revealed at an Unpacked event,…

ShinyShiny tech round up: TikTok world’s most downloaded app

TikTok was the world's most downloaded app in 2020 as it took the top spot from Facebook Messenger, according to digital analytics company App Annie. The Chinese video-sharing platform is the only app not owned by Facebook to make the global top five of downloads. In its home country, TikTok's owner ByteDance also holds the…