Source: Pew Research Center’s Internet Project September Combined Omnibus Survey, Sept. 11-14, 2014 and Sept. 18-21, 2014. n=1,445 internet users

1. Social media preferences vary by race and ethnicity. Instagram users reflect some stark differences, with 38% of blacks and 34% of Latinos using the photo sharing service, compared to just 21% of whites.
2. In the surprising news category, it turns out that the best Gmail app for the iPhone is now made by Microsoft. Gmail has always worked well on Android, but despite numerous attempts there hasn’t yet been a comparable experience for iPhone users. Microsoft Outlook has a new app that gets a lot of the experience right.
3. Product Hunt collections are a great way to check out whole categories of digital products you may have missed. For those of you behind the eight ball for Valentine’s Day, there’s a list just for you.
4. The debate over online comments on news sites rages on. Are comments a fruitful means to build community and dialogue with readers, or merely a time-consuming cesspool for bad behavior. The Guardian digital editor weighs in.
5. Remember back when your Google search results used to contain tweets? Looks like a new deal between Google and Twitter will be making that possible again, which will help Twitter content become more visible to those not already using the service.

Weekend fun: Left shark, the hapless and yet winning Super Bowl halftime dancer, now has spawned memes, a verb, a cottage industry of themed goods, and even a Bonobos campaign.

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