TikTok

SM Prime Holdings announced that the historic Harrison Plaza will reopen by the end of 2027, with a full floor dedicated to Gen‑Z shoppers. The seven‑hectare site, located near the Manila Zoo and several universities, will be redeveloped into a roughly 200,000‑square‑meter mixed‑use hub that includes nature‑inspired architecture, open layouts, green areas and community spaces. The company plans to invest more than P6 billion in the project. Inspired by SM’s recent Chao Block in Xiamen, China, the Gen‑Z floor will feature streetwear brands, one‑off cafés, a DJ booth, a TikTok‑ready stage, a skateboard park and other experiential elements. The move reflects SM’s broader strategy to transform malls from pure retail venues into social and lifestyle destinations for younger consumers.

During the third quarter of the Liberty Mutual Music City Kickoff in Nashville, a camera captured Ole Miss alum Sara Smith reacting to the Rebels’ performance. The clip quickly spread online, and she was identified as the fan who sparked the week’s most talked‑about moment. Smith, who had recently gone private on Instagram, posted a TikTok video on Monday night confirming her identity and thanking viewers for the attention. She also shared a list of her favorite direct messages received in the past 24 hours, ranging from a God‑fearing business owner’s offer to a quirky “Bankrupt me” note, and even a brand‑modeling invitation. The influx of messages illustrates how a single, spontaneous appearance can elevate a fan to internet stardom and attract a mix of personal and commercial outreach. The story underscores the rapid reach of social media in college sports culture.

TikTok has pulled out of a House Select Committee on China public roundtable scheduled for this month, citing a desire to avoid broader scrutiny of its child‑safety practices. Chair John Moolenaar reported that the company had previously agreed to bring its chief security officer to answer questions about Chinese government access to American data and the platform’s algorithm. The withdrawal follows negotiations conducted “in good faith.” With TikTok absent, the committee will proceed with the roundtable without the company’s participation, focusing on the remaining agenda items.

TikTok is expanding its comment functionality by introducing voice comments, polls, and additional interactive tools. The move mirrors features common in messaging apps, aiming to deepen user interaction on the platform. By allowing users to respond with audio and participate in quick polls, the app seeks to keep viewers engaged longer and encourage more frequent interaction within posts. These enhancements are part of TikTok’s broader strategy to increase time spent on the app and strengthen community participation across its vast user base.

Pabst Brewing Company’s CEO, Greig DeBow, announced on TikTok that the company is offering up to $20,000 for information that leads to the recovery of 1,602 cases of Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBR) that vanished from a Montclair, California, warehouse on August 17. The shipment, weighing roughly 40,000 pounds, was lost in a cargo‑theft incident that police are investigating. DeBow set a deadline of September 9 for the return of the beer and urged anyone with details—such as vehicle or driver information—to contact Pabst at hotline@pabst. com or Montclair Police at 909‑621‑4771. The company stresses the theft is not a publicity stunt and that the reward may help break the case.

Charlotte Muritala, a nine‑year‑old JSS2 student from Offa in Kwara State, has drawn attention by posting short lessons on TikTok that explain mathematical concepts to other children. She began studying maths around age five and now turns her passion into instructional videos that feature a whiteboard, marker and smartphone. Her content is aimed at peers and showcases a creative way to share knowledge through a popular social‑media platform. The videos have attracted local media coverage and illustrate a growing trend of young learners using digital tools to support education outside the classroom.

TikTok has introduced a new feature allowing users to book hotels and experiences directly through the platform. However, property owners are worried about the abundance of AI-generated content that may mislead travelers. The feature aims to connect users with real properties, but the influx of fake content has raised concerns about its accuracy. Property owners are now left to navigate this new landscape, where authenticity is key.

Meta’s new mobile app, Pocket, launched in the U. S. on August 21 after the company acquired the team behind the defunct vibe‑coding app Gizmo. Pocket lets users type prompts into a text box to generate fully functional interactive “gizmos” without seeing any code. The app displays these gizmos in a TikTok‑style feed with likes, comments, and reposts. A recent user experiment showed that the app can quickly produce feature‑rich game prototypes, but the resulting code remains confined to Meta’s platform. There is no mechanism to export or separate the generated projects from the Pocket ecosystem.

TikTok is exploring a new feature that would let users send money to one another through direct messages on the platform. The proposed peer‑to‑peer payment system would be built on TikTok Pay, the company’s existing digital‑wallet service that is already active in Southeast Asia for purchases made through TikTok Shop. If the feature is rolled out, it would merge social interaction with instant financial transfers, potentially opening a new revenue stream for the app and giving creators a direct way to receive tips or payments from fans. The move could also raise regulatory questions about money‑transfers on social media.

Reddit is launching a pilot that lets users watch or listen to its most popular text posts, turning them into short audio and video clips. The new feature, described as similar to TikTok videos, is currently in testing and aims to give users an alternative way to consume Reddit stories beyond the traditional reading format. By adding multimedia options, Reddit is exploring how audio‑visual content can enhance engagement and broaden the platform’s appeal to users who prefer on‑the‑go consumption. The pilot will likely influence how Reddit curates and promotes content in the coming months.