Latest Stories from Charlie
Is Twitter’s new ‘editing’ feature a good thing?
A new, highly anticipated ‘edit’ tool is being internally tested for Twitter. The update would let users amend tweets up to 30 minutes after posting. Could this open the door for even more misinformation problems? Most of us have probably had to delete a tweet before. Whether it was due to negligence, regret, drunken mistakes, or a typo, nearly every Twitter user has retracted content at one time or another....
Opinion – Eminem and Snoop Dogg shouldn’t be shilling NFTs
Both Eminem and Snoop Dogg performed at the MTV Annual Video Music Awards almost entirely using Bored Ape NFTs. It’s depressing to see two iconic artists so insistent on shilling unwanted crypto junk to the public. Earlier this year, Eminem and Snoop Dogg released a collaborative track called ‘From The D 2 The LBC’, after a feud in 2020 saw them take shots at one another - despite being...
Virtual rapper FN Meka dropped from Capitol Records
FN Meka is an AI rapper that was signed to Capitol Records two weeks ago. After racist lyrics and depictions of police brutality were discovered the bot was quickly dropped. Are computer-generated artists set to become an industry staple? You may remember we wrote about AI voice technology that can mimic famous artists such as Eminem, Nirvana, and Kanye West early last year. As deep fake robotics continue to...
Wind turbines may soon be recycled into gummy bears
Researchers at Michigan State University have created a new composite resin for wind turbine blades that allows them to be recycled into a variety of new items, including sweets. Next time you drive past your local wind farm, you may be looking at a future bag of gummy bears. Yes, really. Michigan State University has developed a composite resin using glass fibres combined with both plant-derived and synthetic polymers. This...
Everything you need to know about International Youth Day
Established in 1999, International Youth Day occurs every year on August 12. Here’s everything you need to know, including this year’s theme and the rundown on which online webinars to look out for. Friday August 12 is International Youth Day, an annual event designated by the United Nations to bring attention to cultural and legal issues related to young people such as mental health, the climate crisis, education, safe spaces,...
The Jaguar Foundation reports poor gender equality in dance music
A new report titled ‘Progressing Gender Representation in UK Dance Music’ by The Jaguar Foundation finds that the industry is heavily skewed toward male artists. I’m sure you’ve no doubt read or heard about the gender equality problem within the music industry. Whether it’s song writing, performing, festival organising, headline acts, or pretty much anything else, women still continue to be underrepresented across the board, despite many of the...
Fanni Sandor’s tiny wildlife sculptures encourage eco-sensitivity
Hungarian artist Fanni Sandor has created tiny, biologically accurate sculptures that encourage viewers to appreciate the delicacy of even the smallest patches of wildlife. Anyone remember that primary school banger of a hymn that told us God has the ‘whole world in his hands?’ Hungarian artist Fanni Sandor has created a series of tiny, biologically accurate sculptures that realise such a surreal concept, at least in part. Each of these...
Activision pulls Call of Duty content over art theft claim
A new cosmetic skin for Call of Duty has been pulled after an independent artist complained that their work had been stolen and repurposed. This isn’t the first time a multi-billionaire corporation has taken assets from creators without permission. Popular first-person shooter franchise Call of Duty has come under fire (no pun intended) this week for allegedly stealing an independent artist’s work and repurposing it for an upcoming content pack. Titled...
Co-Op faces legal issues over facial recognition technology
The Big Brother Watch is accusing shopping chain Co-Op of misusing facial recognition technology in ‘Orwellian’ policy that matches shoppers against a database without their consent. Are you a frequent Co-Op shopper? It’s likely you’ve been inputted into a database via facial recognition technology. Big Brother Watch has sent an official complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office concerning biometric surveillance technology which is currently in use at 35 Co-Op stores. ...
Automated chess robot breaks finger of seven-year-old challenger
A small child had their finger broken by a robot during a chess game at the Moscow Open, according to Russian media. Should we be wary of potentially dangerous automation? For most, an innocuous game of chess does not come with the potential for violence, much less a broken bone or limb. That’s apparently not the case at the Moscow Open this year, however. According to Russian media, a seven-year-old...
