In the early days of Twitter and Instagram, many photographers had, for the first time in the history of photography, unfettered access to brands, event managers, and the public looking to hire a photographer. No longer were potential contracts limited by a photographer's ad budget, marketing reach, or even a formal portfolio.
Gamers, this is our Oscars. While, unfortunately, the 2025 Game Awards has nothing to do with the Movie Fantasy League, it is still a welcome addition to awards season as a whole. Everyone needs a video game break! Just because the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles was all about video games, it doesn't mean Hollywood wasn't in attendance. JJ Abrams, Gabriel Luna, and Jeffrey Wright were some of the stars presenting and accepting awards, and of course, Miss Piggy is going to more than flirt with host Geoff Keighley as she teased her later appearance in the show. Where's Kermit?!
On 4 December, EBU members voted to bring in new rules preventing governments and third parties from disproportionate campaigns to promote their country's acts, but decided not to vote on Israel's inclusion in the competition. In a statement, the EBU said that "the Eurovision song contest 2026 should proceed as planned" with Israel competing, despite the country's military action in Gaza. As a result, four countries - Ireland, Spain, Slovenia and the Netherlands - confirmed that they will not partake in the 2026 contest, which will take place in Vienna next May.
Instead of sending home cooks to her decade-old, well-tested recipes, Google increasingly inserts AI-generated summaries stitched together from bits of her work and others' that often get the basics wrong. An AI-assembled version of Gargano's Christmas cake, for instance, would have people cooking a 6-inch cake for 3 to 4 hours at 320°F (160°C). "You'd end up with charcoal!" she said. Meanwhile, traffic to her turkey recipe is already down 40% year over year.
Are you still using Snapchat? It's the social media app that keeps on kicking, to the tune of more than 900 million monthly active users. Today, Perplexity.AI and Snap announced that the AI company will power AI search on Snapchat. This $400 million partnership means the AI startup will integrate its conversational AI answer engine in the Snapchat app, starting in early 2026.
Former professional footballers and content creators will team up once again for the second season of Baller League UK. The six-a-side format was set up in Germany by entrepreneur Felix Starck and footballers Mats Hummels and Lukas Podolski in 2023. The first UK edition took place in March and a US version will begin later this year with YouTuber IShowSpeed, Olympian Usain Bolt and World Cup winner Ronaldinho among the team managers.
"We're moving away from traditional influencer partnerships toward authentic, relatable moments that truly resonate," said Lea Huruglica, emphasizing the shift brands are making in their promotional strategies.
Social media has made it easier for creators to earn 'passive' income through affiliate marketing, a sector expected to grow significantly in the coming years.
