NEW RESOURCES
ZSR Library, Wake Forest University: News from Special Collections & Archives: New Finding Aids Site is Live!. “With our new site, we are proud to have incorporated some new features that we hope will make for a more efficient and enjoyable researching experience, providing access to to the 2,000+ archival collections stewarded by Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections & Archives.”
PetaPixel: Introducing PixelMeter: The Reviews Aggregator for Cameras, Lenses, Smartphones, and More. “PetaPixel has announced PixelMeter, the camera industry’s first review aggregator platform. PixelMeter collects reviews from across the landscape and condenses the opinions into a single, standardized score so photographers can see the best gear at a glance.”
TWEAKS AND UPDATES
DigitalTrends: YouTube is reworking the Home page with Custom Feeds and quicker access to Subscriptions. “YouTube is changing how its Home page works, giving viewers more control over what shows up there and making some of the app’s most-used sections easier to reach. Custom Feeds are now replacing the existing topic chips for eligible users, while YouTube is also testing a redesigned top bar on mobile that moves Subscriptions closer to the Home feed.”
Tubefilter: YouTube now gets twice as much watch time on U.S. TVs as any other platform. “…in the August 2026 edition of The Gauge, YouTube had an especially strong showing. It claimed its biggest watch time share ever — 15.8% — as streaming platforms accounted for nearly half of the TV screen traffic recorded by Nielsen.”
AROUND THE SEARCH & SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD
BBC: ‘I’m 96 and have 15 million followers’: The grannies taking over TikTok. “Ninety-six-year-old Lillian Droniak, known as Grandma Droniak to her social media followers, went viral in June after claiming her retirement home had threatened to evict her for throwing parties. The home later confirmed the threat, but reached a settlement with Droniak that allowed her to keep partying – but not supply alcoholic drinks.”
Brandon’s Journal: Hallowen 2K26 – Some Old Web 1.0 Horror Fansites. “Recently, I took a look back at some old abandoned Scream fansites I found online. I had fun conducting a little internet archaeology and discovering these old works of love before they disappear forever. Sadly, Web 1.0 is dying as the internet continues to grow, and I guess I feel a certain obligation to keep some of that spirit alive. That’s what inspired me to create this post to begin with, and I feel like paying homage to those who came before is only right.”
PBS NewsHour: On ‘Settle In,’ Kathryn Jezer-Morton and Geoff Bennett discuss social media’s impact. “Social media lets us share our lives with family, friends, and strangers. But how do people decide what to post, what to leave out, and what do those decisions say about them? On ‘Settle In,’ Geoff Bennett discusses that with Kathryn Jezer-Morton, author of ‘The Story of Your Life,’ a new book about how the incentives of social media platforms have narrowed the kinds of stories we tell.”
SECURITY & LEGAL
Courthouse News Service: Internet trade group sues California over social media warning labels. “NetChoice, a trade association whose members include Meta, Google and TikTok, sued California on Thursday to stop a state law requiring social media platforms to display warning labels for users under 18 about the mental health risks of social media use. NetChoice said in a complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court that the law, which goes into effect on Jan. 1, violates the First Amendment prohibition against compelled speech.”
New York Times: How a Legal Backlash Against Big Tech Is Forcing Big Changes. “For decades, tech giants grew at breakneck speeds as Congress struggled to keep pace with the consequences of the companies’ rapidly booming businesses. But a new de facto regulatory regime has emerged over the past year as courts clobber the biggest internet companies. And for the first time, their product designs and advertising models — which critics say treat users as products — are costing the companies serious money.”
OTHER THINGS I THINK ARE COOL
Ars Technica: Ink droplets in motion snag top prize in Nikon Small World contest. “A 25-year-old German experimental photographer has won the 2026 Nikon Small World photomicrography competition with a striking image of droplets of ink being deposited on paper by an inkjet printer. Ole Bielfeldt beat out 1,802 other entries hailing from 69 different countries.” Good evening, Internet…
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