Latest Stories from Jamie
Vine’s creator working on bizarre new NFT console Supdrive
Dom Hofmann, a founder of both Vine and Byte, has announced a firmware console called Supdrive. Using NFTs as game cartridges, each title will be unique to each player. This whole NFT trend is getting pretty out of hand now. Dom Hofmann, the founder of TikTok’s 2012 ancestor Vine, has recently announced plans to develop a firmware console which will take classic-style arcade games – like Pacman or Space Invaders...
‘Green steel’ could retire fossil fuels from Sweden’s metal production
The world’s first batch of ‘green steel’ produced entirely without fossil fuels is being delivered to Volvo, where it will be used to build electric trucks. With climate news over the last month being anything but positive, we’re pleased to announce a rare decarbonisation milestone within the industrial industry. Manufacturing metals currently accounts for around 8% of global gas emissions and has been a constant thorn in the side of...
Twitter finally makes reporting misinformation simple for users
Following mounting pressure from the White House, Twitter has announced a new user feature intended to better tackle the online spread of misinformation. If ever there was a specific period to really underpin the dangers of misinformation, with Covid-19, the introduction of 5G, and the US presidential election, 2020 was certainly that year. Those who previously spread unsubstantiated conspiracy theories about the dangers of Covid-19 vaccines or uncounted electoral votes –...
Black e-scooter riders disproportionately targeted by London police
While Britain continues to hash out regulations to standardise the use of e-scooters, alarming data shows that Black riders are most likely to be stopped and penalised by police in the capital. 2020 is largely regarded as the year the world stood still. However, emerging from numerous lockdowns, e-scooters have become a big and unexpected addition to city living. Throughout the early knockings of Covid-19, there was a real lack of...
Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp suspended during Zambia’s election
Zambia officials threatened to suspend all broadband services on the day of its election to combat misinformation. In the end, its Ministry of Information froze traffic on WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. In the fight to stem the spread political misinformation during its presidential election, has Zambia compromised a sense of genuine democracy? When it comes to political advertising, social media sites frankly don’t know whether to stick or twist. Throughout large...
NASA trials human expeditions to Mars through 3D printed experiment
The space agency is paying volunteers to spend a year living within a 3D printed Martian habitat in Texas. Here, they will conduct VR spacewalks and simulated problems to test the feasibility of attempting the real thing. Between the chaos caused by Covid-19 and the constant flow of demoralising climate change news, life on Earth over the last year has felt pretty exhausting. If your annual holiday to Tenerife hasn’t recharged...
US politicians call on gaming companies to axe coercive spending
Building on legislation outlined by the UK, US Congress members are calling for developers to better protect young people from ‘predatory’ game mechanics like loot boxes. In 2021, gaming is all about value for money. Subscription services like Games Pass, PlayStation Now, and EA Play are popping with hundreds of AAA titles to get stuck into, yet somehow people are still coerced into forking out for microtransactions. In a bid to...
Could a new Bitcoin tax stifle blockchain’s greener future?
As lawmakers debate bringing in new tax requirements for cryptocurrency, greener forms of blockchain tech look set to suffer the most significant blow. As cryptocurrency becomes progressively more mainstream, it’s no surprise that lawmakers are lobbying for new tax systems. The White House hopes to bring in new framework to offset the rush of crypto spending with a $28 billion levy over the next 10 years. An initial bill was drafted...
Facebook accused of using ‘privacy concerns’ to avoid data transparency
Back again with yet another story concerning data privacy and Facebook. But, there’s a twist this time around – Facebook is on the offensive. General public opinion of Facebook has all but fallen off a cliff in recent years. Following the blunder of Cambridge Analytica, we’ve heard endless stories of political manipulation on the app, nefarious sales through Facebook Marketplace, and a lax approach to user privacy and misinformation...
Twitter India concedes to Modi’s problematic digital media law
Twitter joins Facebook and YouTube as the latest digital platform complicit in India’s problematic digital media law. Is it a matter of time before the whole of Silicon Valley caves to legal pressure? Digital democracy is fast dying out within India’s borders, as social media companies cave at the prospect of losing the world’s second largest market. Just three months ago, we were pleased to report that Twitter had abstained...
