7 h. ago Serial dating and push presents: love in the age of the algorithm is complex | Zandile Powell

Couples and singles let us into their idealised love lives online, but our role as viewers makes it more of a ménage à troisSitting in a hospital bed, pregnant Campbell Puckett, known as “Pookie”, is handed a Craie Kelly Epsom 25 Hermès bag (retailing around £20,000) by her husband, Jett. “It’s time for her push present,” he says behind the camera. The husband and wife are arguably the internet’s favourite heterosexual couple at the moment, and if they are anything to go by, the standards for modern romance are high.Jett recently gave Pookie a single instruction on one of their European getaways: “Do not leave Paris without a Birkin.” Luxury unboxings are a staple on their page.These #relationshipgoals have increasingly influenced viewers’ standards and expectations in their own relationships. The spectacle of lavish gifts and experiences can shift expectations and expressions of love towards the more demonstrable aspects of romance. “If my husband doesn’t get me a Hermès Kelly as m...

Politics

21 h. ago Company says investigation under way into footage of couple at Coldplay gig

Video at the concert showed Astronomer’s married CEO with his arms around its head of human resourcesAstronomer, the company at the center of the Coldplay scandal in which its CEO was caught canoodling with its chief human resources officer, has finally issued a statement on the matter.More than 24 hours after a Jumbotron camera at a Coldplay concert in Boston, Massachusetts, caught the software company’s married CEO, Andy Byron, with his arms around the company’s HR head, Kristin Cabot, Astronomer has responded to the incident which has taken the internet by storm. Continue reading...

Events

21 h. ago Glitch in the Matrix? The ‘shrinking mill’ optical illusion that’s baffled the Internet

The structure by Gravelly Bay in Port Colborne, Ontario, has also become a local tourist attraction

Politics

22 h. ago Outraged flyer reveals what young child did in business class that 'ruined his flight'

The passenger's experience with an unruly child has divided the internet.

Transport

22 h. ago Arsenal complete fifth summer transfer as photo of new signing 'leaked' by mistake

Arsenal are set to announce the signing of Cristhian Mosquera after images of his first interview with the club were mistakenly uploaded onto the internet on Friday night

Sport

31 h. ago Are they ‘having an affair’ or just shy? The couple caught on Coldplay’s kiss cam

Internet transfixed by canoodling couple who, instead of waving, look horrified and quickly break apartIt is a moment of shock and mortification in Massachusetts that has transfixed the internet.A camera at a Coldplay concert near Boston sweeps the audience and picks out a canoodling couple. Continue reading...

Events

36 h. ago Coldplay fans praise band for 'bringing the Internet together' as shock CEO video sparks memes

Andrew Byron, the head of the AI startup Astronomer, was broadcast onscreen at Boston's Gillette Stadium with his arm around the company's HR chief Kristin Cabot

Sport

38 h. ago Shutdowns of cellphone internet links sweep Russia, further limiting already

In the last two months, dozens of Russian regions have been hit by cellphone connectivity outages

Events

50 h. ago Labubus are near impossible to get hold of – but you can find them in this new shop

The collectibles can sell out in seconds

Politics

52 h. ago Sky beats Virgin Media and BT as it rolls out UK's 'fastest' fibre broadband

Sky has unveiled its new Gigafast+ fibre broadband packages that can deliver internet speeds of up to 5Gbps, which it says is faster than any other major provider - but is that true?

Politics

53 h. ago Risk of undersea cable attacks backed by Russia and China likely to rise, report warns

Spate of incidents in Baltic Sea and around Taiwan are harbinger for further disruptive activity, cybersecurity firm saysThe risk of Russia- and China-backed attacks on undersea cables carrying international internet traffic is likely to rise amid a spate of incidents in the Baltic Sea and around Taiwan, according to a report.Submarine cables account for 99% of the world’s intercontinental data traffic and have been affected by incidents with suspected state support over the past 18 months. Continue reading...

Events

53 h. ago Scottish parents can now get their hands on the 'world's safest iphone'

New tech brand launches new iphone in the UK - with no internet browser or social media - keeping Scottish children safe from online worries.

Politics

56 h. ago Is THIS the key to finally slashing screentime? 'Dumb' iPhone is devoid of the internet, games, or social media apps

The Sage phone, launched in the UK this week by US firm Techless, comes without internet, web browsers, games and social apps like TikTok and Instagram.

Sport

57 h. ago From Tamagotchis to Fidget Spinners: Why Labubus won’t be the last craze to baffle parents

Pop Mart has struck it rich

Politics

63 h. ago Commonwealth Bank executive Christopher McCann who allegedly procured underage children for sex is found dead after appearing in court

Christopher James McCann, 50, has died days after he appeared in a Brisbane court, charged with one count of using the internet to procure children aged under 16.

Events

65 h. ago Elon Musk launches an AI chatbot that can be a cartoon girlfriend who engages in sexual chat

A sexy AI chatbot named Ani and launched by Elon Musk is available to anyone over the age of 12, prompting fears it could be used to 'manipulate and groom children', warn internet safety experts.

Politics

3 d. ago Detective at National Crime Agency who stole bitcoin worth £60k during probe into Silk Road is jailed

Paul Chowles, 42, secretly took the cryptocurrency from the operator of the underground Internet marketplace following his arrest, in May 2017.

Events

3 d. ago Purity Ring: the 10 funniest things I have ever seen (on the internet)

The electropop duo’s vocalist mj shares what brings her joy online – including odes to napping, crying and rainbowsI try to spend as little time on the internet as possible. I didn’t get a cell phone until I was 19. I stayed mostly away from screens and spent a lot of time in the woods, on the water and in my head. As far as I’ve seen, those were and always will be better places to find ourselves.I ended up skipping some of the internet’s best years – they’re long gone, along with the dream of what the internet could have been. In all the hours I spend doomscrolling I can say I haven’t gained much but the following makes some of that time feel worth it. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Did Superman kill the press junket? How TikTok clips conquered movie publicity

From the new Superman geeking out on Star Wars to the Wicked cast crying, actors’ personality insights are now distilled into reel-friendly clips and internet boyfriend-baiting soundbitesThe new Superman is a tricky proposition to market. Not only does it represent a new reimagining of an 87-year-old character, but it also has to tell everyone who David Corenswet is. The new Superman is a complete unknown to many of us, and you suspect that a hefty slice of the film’s promotional budget has been given over to selling the guy to the world.In the old days, this would have been achieved with wall-to-wall press interviews. Big, hefty cover stories in key publications in every territory, where interviewers would attempt to plumb the depths of his psyche to see if he can pass muster. But that hasn’t really happened. Instead, there is a very big chance that – if you’re the right age – you will have learned everything you need to know about David Corenswet from a couple of TikToks. Continue...

Events

3 d. ago Constance Marten's 'life was ruined' by joining a Nigerian religious cult that beat women with horsewhips and whose leader required followers to call him 'daddy'

Constance's mother Virginia believed cult leader TB Joshua, who styled himself in internet videos as a miracle healer, could rid her daughter of her 'rebellious spirits'.

Politics