Latest Stories from Jamie
The legal state of abortion worldwide in 2021
Attitudes towards the ever contentious pro-choice/pro-birth debate have shifted varyingly over the last 25 years across the globe. In 2021, here’s where different regions currently stand on the legality. A week after Argentina secured a huge milestone for pro-choice campaigners by becoming the largest Latin American country – and only the third one in the region – to legalise abortion, consumer data mogul Statista has released a definitive record...
Start-ups are racing to build the world’s first flying taxis
The flying cars of science fiction could soon become part of our everyday reality, and savvy start-ups are looking to build city infrastructures now. The recent Blade Runner sequel depicted a futuristic Los Angeles in the year 2049, where acid rain fell from skies crowded with flying cars called ‘skimmers’ that zip along aerial highways. Disappointing as the movie was, its Hollywood writers may have been onto something in terms...
Too Good To Go is leading the tech revolution against surplus food waste
Too Good To Go is the rapidly growing social impact start-up leading a revolution against surplus food waste across Europe and the US. Whether or not you’re partaking in Veganuary, there’s no question that diving into 2021 people are more conscious than ever before in terms of what we’re eating, and limiting carbon footprints will no doubt be one of the popular New Year’s resolutions this year. Now able to arm...
Illicit apps promoting Covid-19 parties are finally being pulled
Brought to light by a reporter on Twitter, a controversial phone app that connected cooped up socialites at nearby ‘pandemic parties’ has finally been pulled. An app that promoted and claimed to host illegal parties during lockdown has this week been ousted from iOS, and efforts have been elevated to upend plans of this nefarious variety altogether. Vybe Together, whose slogan happened to be ‘Get your party on, Get your rebel...
Invite-only social app Clubhouse to become a hit with Gen Z?
Clubhouse, a ‘spontaneous’ chatroom app, is trading its influencer exclusivity for a full-scale public rollout this year, and it’s set to be a real hit with Gen Z. Social tech fanatics who keep up to date with the newest apps will know all about Clubhouse, the ambitious social network focused on live chat rooms. Chances are they won’t have had to chance to use it yet, though. Built on exclusivity, Clubhouse...
Instagram ups its creative tools for Reels and Stories
Following on from September’s convenient updates, Instagram is swiftly rolling out the next batch of creative features for Reels and Stories. It’s no secret that Instagram is dead set on challenging TikTok to become numero uno in the vertical video space, and this week’s tweaks to Reels and Stories, minor as they may be, are designed to maximise users’ creative options on the platform. Having drastically improved the trimming and deletion...
Google’s integrity is brought into question over research bias
Google, the ubiquitous search engine we all use for reliable and impartial research, could soon start to oust information on ‘sensitive topics.’ Is this a censorship storm waiting to happen? Alphabet’s flagship platform Google is under serious fire this week regarding censorship measures, and concern is growing that bias could soon discredit the platform as a reliable search engine. Sparked by the forced resignation of Dr Timnit Gebru, an AI...
The anonymous French outfit debunking anti-vax theories online
With the world on the cusp of finally beginning to administer a viable Covid-19 vaccine, an anonymous French collective is rooting out ‘the very worst’ anti-vax sentiments on social media. If you thought anti-vax demonstrations in London and California were bad, France is by definition the most vaccine-sceptical nation on the planet, with as many as 1 in 3 believing immunisation to be dangerous or unsafe. In 2017, mandatory vaccines...
Netflix’s ‘Guide to Meditation’ aims to alleviate the stress of 2020
After a turbulent year, Netflix is helping subscribers to breath, unwind, and reset for 2021 with an original series dubbed ‘Headspace: Guide to Meditation.’ When it comes to evoking a sense of FOMO, 2020 has been the ultimate adversary chiefly because, thanks to the pandemic, everyone has been missing out all year round. Confined to our homes, now in a third lockdown (in the UK), both work and play have been...
Is VR technology set to take over the videocall space?
Are virtual reality meetings the next logical step from videocalls in a post Covid world? While the coronavirus pandemic has decimated certain job markets, it has inspired tech companies to innovate and keep businesses thriving from a remote setting. In a radically shifting 12 months, we’ve adapted into something of a Zoom-centric society where people are accustomed to living out something close to their ordinary lives through the guise of...
