Latest Stories from Jamie
Why are European Gen Zers taking Nazi-themed party drugs?
As an increasing number of European youngsters lurch towards far-right political views, are the themes of their party drugs following. Or, is this just another obscure trend? When one mentions ecstasy, what immediately springs to mind: perhaps love, euphoria, or overwhelming feelings of empathy. What isn’t typically conjured is thoughts of genocide, hate, and fascism. Why then are party drugs across Europe increasingly showing iconography related to Nazis and other extremist...
Climate change barely covered in US presidential debate
After a marathon debate between Biden and Trump lasting over an hour and a half, climate change got its brief moment under the spotlight - lasting around a grand total of 90 seconds. In what seemed more like an afterthought than a planned discussion, the global crisis barely made the agenda between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. It was the first time the two had squared off since...
Opinion – Petition to ban Assassin’s Creed Shadows is missing the point
From one storm in a teacup to another, Ubisoft will now likely be aware of a petition to cancel Assassin’s Creed’s Shadows before release. 40,000 people have signed so far. Since Ubisoft unveiled the next entry in the Assassin’s Creed franchise last May, select portions of the gaming community have been gunning for its demise. Set in the fascinating and volatile era of feudal Japan, Assassin’s Creed Shadows will see players...
Why are performers ditching Latitude Festival 2024?
Barclays has cut all ties with Live Nations events for 2024 including Latitude Festival. The bank’s financial interests in Israel’s weapons trade prompted a host of sponsors and performers to ditch the event. As boycotts go in the cultural scene, this is a big one. A host of talent across both music and comedy have decided to axe themselves from the lineup at Latitude Festival, which is fast approaching next...
Former PS boss calls for shorter games with worse graphics
As the expectation for games to become bigger and more visually striking grows, former PlayStation president Shawn Layden says the industry should pivot to shorter games with less emphasis on realism to cut development costs. I’ll hazard an early guess that this suggestion probably won’t go down too well on Reddit. Recently talking at length with GamesIndustryBiz about the state of gaming and the issues facing AAA development, ex-PlayStation boss...
You decide – is ‘Apple Intelligence’ safe and secure?
Apple Intelligence is billed as an AI assistant designed to make daily admin effortless. That means it can sift through our private messages and emails. Apple claims the system is completely secure, but are you confident enough to run with it? Having bided its time, Apple is finally throwing its hat into the commercial AI ring. Being fashionably late (as much as two years) is undoubtedly a risk, but there are...
Gen Z want green jobs but don’t know how to get them
60% of Gen Z workers are reportedly keen to launch their green career in the next 5 years, but less than 20% have any idea about where to begin. Existential dread about the state of the climate is part and parcel of being a Gen Zer, but many of us want to avoid the pit of nihilism by jumping into green careers. Unfortunately, however, information and guidance on how to get...
What is the ‘Dead Internet Theory’ and is it real?
With the ceaseless growth of AI since 2022, conspiracies surrounding the so-called ‘Dead Internet Theory’ have grown stronger. First thing’s first, though, what the hell is it and does it have any credibility? Is this an online rabbit hole worth getting lost in? Is it pure storm in a teacup? Did a human even write this article? So many questions. If you spend any significant amount of time on Twitter (X)...
Xbox’s Game Pass obsession has changed the game
Xbox’s Game Showcase is being lauded as its best in close to a decade. More significant, is the fact that the majority of its offering is coming to Game Pass on day one. Microsoft’s vision of making gaming primarily subscription-based is finally taking hold. Who saw that coming? My TV almost caught fire. There were rumblings that Xbox had big plans for its Xbox Showcase 2024, which took place over the...
The unsettling rise of Facebook Marketplace sperm donors
Why bother with expensive IVF or IUI treatments for your fertility needs? Facebook Marketplace apparently has you covered. What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve heard today? Wait, here us out. Thousands of people are currently looking for unregulated fertility treatments on – get this – Facebook Marketplace. Now, it goes without saying that assisted conception is a sensitive topic, and the sad reality is that treatments are incredibly expensive and inaccessible to...
