Latest Stories from Charlie
Facebook sees Gen Z boost after relaunching βpokeβ feature
Once a staple of Millennial internet use, Facebook has reintroduced the long-defunct βpokeβ feature to its platform, allowing users to mildly annoy one another at their leisure. If youβre a Millennial, you probably know exactly what we mean when discussing Facebookβs long lost βpokeβ feature. Although simple, the βpokeβ button allowed friends to flirt with one another, receive attention, or simply keep up a long-running gag for the thrill of it....
Is Currys Fortnite βTrash Tycoonβ e-waste project genuine?
UK tech retailer Currys has collaborated with Epic Gamesβ Fortnite with its new βTrash Tycoonβ gaming experience. Is it genuinely educational or is it corporate greenwashing for PR purposes? The UKβs largest technology retailer Currys has created a new βvideo game experienceβ within Epic Gamesβ Fortnite called βTrash Tycoon.β The game sees players run around a map that visually represents over 880 million unused and broken tech items currently being...
Banana prices to go up as global temperature increases
Top experts say that bananas are likely to become more expensive as climate change and increased temperatures affect supply chains. Bad news for banana lovers this week. Pascal Liu, senior economist at the UNβs Food and Agriculture Organisation, has said that climate change is an βenormous threatβ to banana supplies. It will also intensify problems caused by fast-spreading diseases and fruit availability. The World Banana Forum is to meet next week...
Warner Bros. Discovery to double down on live-service games
Despite the publisher releasing Hogwarts Legacy last year to great success, Warner Bros. Discoveryβs head of gaming says live-services and mobile will be its main focus moving forward. If youβre into video games, itβs likely you picked up - or at least saw gameplay of - Hogwarts Legacy last year. Despite some controversy surrounding the title and its association with JK Rowling, it was the best-selling game of 2023 in the...
Google announces major shake up to search algorithm
In an effort to reduce low-quality articles and unoriginal content, Google is making big changes to its search algorithm. A new core update to Googleβs search traffic algorithm could have wide-reaching implications for SEO experts and copywriters. The company is further boosting its low-quality downranking project that it began testing in 2022. In a statement that year, Google explained that it had βlaunched thousands of updates to Search based...
Rooster Teeth announces shut down after 21 years
For many Millennials, Rooster Teeth represented the first major shift into digital-only entertainment throughout the mid-noughties. Its closure is a goodbye to a bygone era. Rooster Teeth, the digital-only production house that pioneered various internet shows in the noughties and tens, is shutting down after 21 years. Parent company Warner Bros. Discovery is pulling the plug after numerous failed attempts to sell the brand and its entertainment division. Rooster Teethβs...
Survey finds Gen Z climate anxiety is extremely prevalent
New research by the Curtin University shows that young people in Australia have significant, life-impacting concerns about the state of the climate. Climate anxiety amongst Gen Zers is at an all-time-high. A new study by Curtin University has found that Australian young people have drastic concerns about the climate crisis, so much so that it is impacting their lives and may have wider consequences in their long-term futures. Gen Zβs Climate...
Apple fined nearly $2 billion USD by EU for βblockingβ music apps
Apple is being fined almost $2 billion USD for supressing alternative music streaming apps on its App Store. Itβs the first time the EU has penalised the company and its third largest fine ever. Which music streaming platform do you opt for? Are you an avid Spotify user or an Apple Music goer? The two platforms are considered to be direct competitors within the streaming space. Now, after months of rumours,...
Why can nobody recognise this lost 1980s song?
A mysterious song snippet has been making the rounds online. Nobody seems to recognise the track or its origin. What gives? Despite the internetβs best efforts, it seems nobody can identify a mysterious 17 second song snippet that was uploaded to WatZatSong by a user called Carl92 in 2021. The ongoing effort to track down the artist and identify the song name has been extensive, with various niche 80s artists...
Bumble to relaunch amidst waning Gen Z interest in dating apps
Gen Z are slowly ditching dating apps in favour of real-life socialising. It could wind up costing big companies like Bumble a fair buck. Now, it has announced a relaunch later in the year alongside widespread layoffs. Have you ever tried to using a dating app to find love? Algorithmic, expensive, time-consuming, and arguably addictive, dating apps have been a headache for young singletons over the past decade or...
