Talking Tech: TikTok is the new Google? An alternative to searching on the web

Happy Thursday. Welcome back to Talking Tech. It's Brett Molina here with another round of tech headlines.

If you haven't tried TikTok yet, I highly recommend it. To be clear, I'm not here trying to mimic the latest dance craze (at the risk of permanently embarrassing my children) or teach you the latest wild kitchen hack (of which TikTok has many).

I use TikTok mostly as a consumer. There are a lot of fun videos out there. Plenty of comedy gold, but also surprisingly useful stuff, too. 

So it makes sense when you learn young people are using TikTok similar to how many of us use Google: to search for information. A Google-commissioned study of U.S. users ages 18 to 24 found nearly 40% use TikTok or Instagram to search online.

Maybe you want to find new Amazon products, or cleaning tips, or ways to get the most out of that new iPhone. It's available on TikTok, too. And, hey, if you come across the best way to fold a fitted bed sheet, send it my way, please.

What else happened in tech?

The rise of "buy now, pay later." What are the risks of using these services?

Even Apple is trying it. What to know about Apple Pay Later.

Peloton tries rowing. Fitness company unveiled its first rowing machine, Peloton Row.

Thursday tech tip

Smartphones are great, but at times they can be very annoying, like when your phone doesn't seem to stop buzzing with every alert or notification. If you're among the frustrated, here are some tips to make your smartphone better.

One more thing 

Apple is launching its latest AirPods Pro on Friday. I've been trying them out for well over a week now. If you're willing to spend the $249, these are the best AirPods to own if you have an iPhone. Great fit, solid battery life, and the active noise cancellation is superb. 

Thanks for reading. See you next week.

Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.