Phablet usage has begun to increase dramatically, according to research published by the Flurry Analytics unit at Yahoo. A phablet is a larger phone or smaller tablet device, with a screen size limited to under 7 inches.

A new and compellingly engaging way to access digital content has been unveiled this week by Snapchat in the form of its new “Discover” feature, which lets you see the latest (and continually updated) daily offerings from brand partners like Warner Music, Vice, CNN, ESPN, Comedy Central, The Daily Mail, Cosmopolitan, Food Network and National Geographic. Snapchat’s own editorial staff also supply content.

Mobile chat apps like Snapchat, WhatsApp, Kik, Line and WeChat are being taken up by millions of people every day. But do they figure in the labours of traditional publishers in their ongoing efforts to move toward online platforms? Recent developments in the US and UK suggest that they do.

A quiet revolution is underway in the world of search engine optimisation (SEO), and at long last it seems that it will favour good quality content writing above those dodgy tactics deployed under “old SEO” to manipulate crumby sites to rank better with search engines.

From its humble origins in 1994 as a kind of punk print magazine from Montreal, Vice Media is extending its digital repertoire even further via a new partnership with Live Nation which will see the creation of a new digital content platform straddling TV, mobile and the Web.

We like to keep our eyes and ears open here for new hardware platforms or gadgets that have the potential to change to way content is created, and while the emphasis is often on content writing or video production, today we’re focusing on music. Or rather, musicians: thanks to a new platform called Cypherr, they have an exciting new toy at their disposal that will help them network with fellow music industry professionals, upload their own music and submit it to management or executives, create and share musical content and even schedule local tours.

If you’ve got a massive software line but find that its historic success doesn’t fit easily with new mobile trends, what do you do? Answer: make it fit. Well, to be more precise, provide the hardware that’ll make it fit. Like a physical keyboard for mobile devices.

If you are looking to promote your brand through social media, having a vibrant, frequently updated Facebook site full of informative and engaging content is an absolute necessity. But is it important when you post updates? A new study by TrackMaven thinks so.