NOTE: I am a Lebanese citizen based in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The following is a snapshot of a sleepless 24 hours where I, along with fellow expats in the country, attempt to understand and process the senseless tragedy that erupted in the afternoon of Tuesday, August 4, 2020. I have made every attempt to treat this ongoing disaster with sensitivity, but there may be depictions … Continue reading Beirut Blast: A Snapshot of the first 24 Hours
There have been mixed reactions since it was revealed that Twitter is exploring a subscription-based model. Some corners of the platform cheered the news while others bemoaned that this could be the end of free and easy access to information and conversations. It all started when news broke of a new job listing that revealed Twitter’s new internal team, codenamed “Gryphon,” that is “building a subscription … Continue reading Twitter Hints At Subscription Model
India’s ban of TikTok last week cause quite a stir across the world. The social media platform allows users to upload short, entertaining videos set to music. Owned by ByteDance, a Beijing-based tech company, TikTok’s popularity has exploded over the past year with a spike of users signing up as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, it has been downloaded more than 2 … Continue reading Is this start of TikTok’s end?
There’s been a flurry of social media announcements recently, some exciting; some potentially troubling. The platforms in the news: Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Byte. I’m going to focus on each one separately – starting with Instagram since it’s got not one, not two but three updates coming soon! Reels In 2016, Instagram made news when it launched Stories as a direct competitor to Snapchat. It … Continue reading Instagram addict? Check out these three new features!
Quarantine has disrupted our lives in many ways to the point where it seems as though we’ve entered the predicted “new normal” phase. One thing that book lovers, me included, have done to deal with this is to turn to our beloved books from treasured favourites to newly discovered tales – whether fictional or not – to finally tackling the ever-growing pile of To Be … Continue reading The Quarantine Reading Renaissance
Social media users (which, if we’re being honest is most of us) tend to be a rather curious bunch. We’ve taken it for granted that platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and now TikTok, have become a natural extension of our lives that not being on any of the platforms – whether as users or consumers – causes phantom FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). It’s … Continue reading Digital Marketing During COVID-19
If you’re like me, you don’t mind having a couple of days off to relax but any more free time then you get antsy and start looking for things to do. Throw in COVID-19 isolation and you’ll find yourself re-arranging your bookshelf three times in four days (well, if you’re me that is). I quickly figured out that I need to keep my mind busy … Continue reading Maintaining a Quarantine Routine
Like the majority of people, I’ve taken steps to start self-isolating as a precaution against the Coronavirus. It was fun at first, spending most of the time binge-watching Netflix shows that I’d been meaning to catch up on for months but I started getting antsy after a few days. While “spring cleaning” my home as a way to pass the time, I stumbled upon a … Continue reading COVID 19, My Notebook, and Me
