Research Shows 20% Of Americans Get Their News From Social Media

According to a report released on 18 November by the Pew Research Center, about one in five Americans – and a virtually identical share of Republicans and Democrats – regularly get their news from digital influencers who are more likely to be found on the social media platform X.

The findings, drawn from a survey of more than 10,000 U.S. adults and an analysis of social media posts posted this summer by influencers, provide an overview on how Americans consumed the news during the height of the U.S. presidential campaign that President-elect Donald Trump ultimately won.

The study examined accounts run by people who post and talk regularly about current events - including through podcasts and newsletters - and have more than 100,000 followers on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X or TikTok. They include people across the political spectrum, such as the progressive podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen and conservative podcaster Ben Shapiro, as well as non-partisan personalities like Chris Cillizza, a former CNN analyst who now runs his own newsletter.

The report found that news influencers posted mostly about politics and the election, followed by social issues like race and abortion and international events, such as the Israel-Hamas war. Most of them – 63 percent - are men and the majority – 77 percent - have no affiliation, or background, with a media organization.

Pew said about half of the influencers it sampled did not express a clear political orientation. From the ones that did, slightly more of them identified as conservative than as liberal.

Racial minorities, young adults and adults with a lower income were more likely to get their news from news influencers, according to the report. Most of the people surveyed by Pew said news influencers have helped them better understand current events, while roughly a quarter say what they hear has not made much of a difference. A small share — 9 percent — say influencers have confused them more.

The report found TikTok is the only one of the major platforms where influencers who identify as right-leaning do not outnumber those who are more liberal. Pew said news influencers on the short-form video app were more likely than those on other sites to show support for LGBTQ+ rights or identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community. The platform also had the smallest gender gap for news influencers.

Read More

Google Opposes Proposal To Sell Chrome

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is expected to propose that Google should sell Chrome, Bloomberg has reported. However, the tech giant that such a proposal would ultimately harm consumers and businesses.

Judge Amit Mehta ruled Google operates an online search monopoly in August, and has been considering what remedies or penalties to impose.

The DOJ has not commented on the report - but Google has made clear in several news releases that they vehemently oppose the proposal.

"The DOJ continues to push a radical agenda that goes far beyond the legal issues in this case," said Google executive Lee-Anne Mulholland in a statement.

Google will also reportedly be asked to establish new measures around its artificial intelligence, Android operating system and use of data.

"The government putting its thumb on the scale in these ways would harm consumers, developers and American technological leadership at precisely the moment it is most needed," Mulholland added.

Chrome is the most used browser worldwide - with web traffic tracker Similarweb placing its global market share at 64.61 percent in October.

Meanwhile Google search corners an almost 90 percent share of the global search engine market as of October, according to Statcounter.

Read More

Pebble's Demise Was Inevitable

During the negotiation about FitBit's possible acquisition of struggling smartwatch maker Pebble in 2017, the chatter among the latter team was that they would continue working on their product under the wing of a new, more stable corporate parent.

Fitbit's co-founder James Park even visited Pebble's offices and, following a brief introduction from Pebble CEO Eric Migicovsky, talked reassuringly about how excited he was to welcome Pebble into the Fitbit family. That was all a fuss.

But within a month it became apparent that Fitbit’s US$ 40 million acquisition wasn’t a lifeline for Pebble, it was a fire sale.

Choice assets and employees were cherry picked, the rest discarded. Most employees out of Pebble's staff of about 100 were laid off, their stock suddenly worthless.

It was a sad ending for a company once seen as a brilliant example of Silicon Valley chutzpah, a scrappy startup that had forced tech giants like Apple, Samsung, and Google to play catch-up.

But it also capped a tumultuous year of poor sales, supplier problems, failed acquisition talks, and a general lack of consumer interest in smartwatches, according to Business Insider.

"By the time we got into late spring and June of this year, I was like, OK, it does not look good," one Pebble insider said. "I didn't think we were going to make it to 2017. It was dragged out forever."

At a time when Silicon Valley is racing towards the next big thing, from artificial intelligence to self-driving cars, the demise of Pebble is a stark reminder that even the most promising and buzzed about innovations don’t always survive the harsh realities of the marketplace.

According Business Insider, the signs of trouble for Pebble began to appear early on, though they were often ignored among the excitement of a nascent smartwatch business that many believed would be as big as smartphones.

But things started getting hairy in 2015 when Apple, the world's largest technology company, released its long-awaited smartwatch. Apple was so big that it sucked out all the oxygen from Pebble. After that, Pebble's downfall is inevitable.

Read More

Sophie Turner Set To Relaunch "Tomb Raider" Franchise

"Games of Thrones" star Sophie Turner is set to lead Amazon Prime Video’s upcoming TV adaptation of the popular video game franchise "Tomb Raider". Negotiations are still on-going, but sources say both parties are near in agreement and is expected to close the deal soon.

Turner is will be playing the role of protagonist Lara Croft in Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s new series, according to Deadline.

"Fleabag" star and creator Waller-Bridge will write and executive produce the show, which was greenlit by Amazon earlier this year. Reports of its development initially broke in January 2023.

Last month, it was reported that Turner was up against Lucy Boynton ("Bohemian Rhapsody") for the role. Emma Corrin and Mackenzie Davis were also among the actors on the producer’s wish list, but ultimately they did not screen test for the role, per Deadline.

Turner, 28, who starred as Sansa Stark in HBO’s hit drama "Game of Thrones", is the latest in a string of actors to take on the role of the British archaeologist.

Angelina Jolie first starred as the titular heroine in 2001’s "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" and 2003’s "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life". Alicia Vikander later took on the role in Warner Bros’ 2018 "Tomb Raider" reboot.

Though the latter received middling reviews, Vikander was praised for her portrayal and was expected to return for a sequel. However, MGM lost the rights to Tomb Raider in 2022, and the project disintegrated.

At the time, the rights to the beloved character were part of a bidding war between multiple Hollywood studios, with one source describing it as a "feeding frenzy."

Amazon, which later acquired MGM in 2022, is rumored to have purchased the rights to the video game series for US$ 600m.

Read More

Holtermann's Bakery Was Packed After Goldberg Disses Them

It looks like Whoopi Goldberg's attempt to discredit and malign a historic bakery on Staten Island didn't work. Worse, it backfired tremendously.

Goldberg initially claimed that the bakery wouldn’t fill a dessert request that she’d made because the business didn’t like her politics. This was debunked by the owner, Holtermann’s, who said that a major maintenance issue at the business had prevented it from filling any large orders.

Now, people from across Staten Island and way beyond have stepped up to show support for Holtermann’s, and, they said, to send a message of disapproval to Goldberg.

The comedienne, actress and host of the talk show "The View" sparked controversy on the show last 13 November when she showcased a large tray of what Goldberg called her mother’s favorite dessert. It’s called Charlotte Russe. It’s a small, individual piece of cake with raspberry curd, wrapped in decorative paper, and topped with whipped cream with a maraschino cherry on top.

"The place that made these refused to make them for me," Goldberg said during a segment. "[My] folks went and got them anyway," Goldberg continued, "which is why I’m not telling you who made them," she said. "Perhaps they did not like my politics."

She said during the segment that a large order for the treats had been placed in her name but was turned down. Even though Goldberg didn’t name the bakery, its unique packaging identified the source as Holtermann’s, and word about Goldberg’s displeasure quickly spread.

By 15 November, there was a long line outside of the bakery on Arthur Kill Road well before it opened at 7:30 A.M. Long lines remained throughout the day until closing time at 6:00 P.M.

The business almost completely sold out of its stock. Its staff baked non-stop, all day.

Holtermann’s has been baking on Staten Island for 146 years. Its many devoted customers call it an institution.

"I’ll be 82 in January," said Penny Clark, who'd come to buy coffee cake. "As a little girl," she continued, "my birthday cakes came from here, holiday cakes came from here. I’ve never stepped away."

Thomas and Elizabeth Barnes are also regular customers, but they’d never tried the Charlotte Russe "until now," Elizabeth said.

"The bakery didn’t do anything wrong," her husband Thomas added, "and we’re here to support them. If it helps them get some extra business, then good for them."

Bakery owner Jill Holtermann Bowers said that when Goldberg’s order came in early this month, the bakery’s boiler was being replaced. As a result, said the owner, she couldn’t promise to fill any big orders.

"The boiler was from like there to there," said Holtermann Bowers, pointing to two theoretical points about 12 feet apart. "It took five guys to cut it up, remove it, and then you have to change all the piping."

Read More