Viruses, TwiTrips, and One Direction
Following an Instagram virus created to generate fake followers and likes on the photo-based platform, it has been revealed that trading this kind of online currency (social media following) is worth more than stolen credit cards. Reuters reported on the cyber fraud incident claiming that ‘a fake fan on Instagram can be worth five times more than a stolen credit card number’. Likes are sold in batches of 1,000 in the same forums that stolen credit card details are traded.
Next week The Guardian will commence the fifth instalment of its reader-powered TwiTrips through the US. The Guardian’s intrepid traveller, Benji will be waking up in Chicago and aiming to end up in Memphis by the end of the week, via a whole host of weird and wonderful hot spots along the way. Twitter users can share their top tips and travelling stories to guide Benji on his week long journey across the states. So for those of you who’ve visited the area, get tweeting your very own travelling tales or keep up to date with the week of random pit stops by following #TwiTrips.
Ever wondered what our daily lives might look like in 2050? This week, BBC news shared this graphic, giving us a glimpse into the future of urban living. Delivery drones, Farmscrapers and Robo-taxis are just some of the advancements we can ‘expect’ to see by the middle of this century. It might seem far off, but every week there’s a new piece of technology to get excited about. One question from team Siren – where are the hover-boards?!
Do you make your own decisions? Are you easily influenced the content you see on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram? Research shows that we are inclined to trust social media over advertising, resulting in two out of three shoppers purchasing a gift they found via social channels. Maybe you’re influenced more than you thought!
This week the capital went crazy for the premier of 1D’s new film ‘This Is Us’. However it’s no surprise that One Direction fans don’t just go mad for the boy band on the big screen, their love for the young lads infiltrates social media too. 31 of Vine’s top 100 videos are recorded by Mr Harry Styles. These 31 videos are rated among the top 100 most shared Vine posts of all time!
And finally, why not check out this great video from The Slo Mo Guys – a 1500 person water balloon fight, all filmed at 2500 fps…
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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