Latest Stories from Jamie
Struggling airlines make bank with pop-up plane restaurants
As airlines search for novel ways of generating revenue during Covid-19 without leaving the runway, jumbo jet restaurants are proving incredibly popular. Here I was thinking that airplane food was without doubt the least exciting aspect of flying through a tin can at 36,000 feet, but it would appear the powdered egg and liquid mash offered by economy class isn’t indicative of the overall quality of dining available to flyers. When...
The man opening the world’s eyes to the plight of refugees through gaming
Having spent 22 of his 24 years in a refugee camp, the inspiring Luyal Mayen is now educating the world on the plight of his people through his game Salaam. Luyal Mayen endured a brutal start to life. One of 680,000 displaced by a relentless civil war spanning decades in South Sedan, Mayen was born en route to a refugee camp in Northern Uganda and grew up within its borders. With...
Carbon Capture: a controversial solution to the climate crisis?
As the world collectively pushes to meet emission reduction goals by 2030, controversial ‘Carbon Capture’ projects are being backed with huge investment. When it comes to saving the planet from an impending climate crisis, is there really room for cutting corners? The answer so far is a solid maybe. We’re now more environmentally conscious than ever before. Everyone from the biggest multiconglomorates to modest family businesses are finally starting to adopt...
Facebook’s new ‘Emotional Health Centre’ addresses Covid blues
Right on cue for World Mental Health Day, Facebook has announced the launch of a new Emotional Support centre for users struggling with challenges imposed by COVID-19. Understandably, physical health is at the forefront of everyone’s minds at the moment. Though we appear to have navigated the first initial peak of COVID-19, the immediate safety of ourselves and our fellow citizens remains the priority. However, as national health services begin...
Prisons to curb inmate extremism and organised crime using AI surveillance
Prisoners’ phone calls could soon be monitored by AI technology to prevent notorious criminals and terrorists offending from behind bars. We’ve all seen the Netflix dramas and old cop shows that depict prison gangs as highly dangerous threats, but how do real life governments monitor the communication of inmates behind bars? Not very well, apparently. Recorded warnings to inmates that phone calls are being ‘recorded and monitored’ inside conventional prisons has...
Twitter to root out misinformation with ‘Birdwatch’
Twitter users will soon be able to warn one another about misinformation propagating on the platform through a new feature called ‘Birdwatch’. In the grips of a global pandemic, the last thing people need is a bunch of loosely based conspiracy theories spreading online. That’s how anti-lockdown rallies ignite and spikes in infection occur… true story. Add to this nigh-on undetectable deep-fakes...
Vaccine nationalism could cause needless global suffering
As wealthy countries gobble up the resources needed to give everyone fair COVID-19 vaccination supplies, organisations such as COVAX are trying to keep things balanced. Health experts have predicted that COVID-19 could kill 40 million people and reduce global economic output by $12.5 trillion by the end of 2021. It’s in everyone’s immediate interest to develop and distribute a vaccine as efficiently as possible, yet appeals for global co-operation have...
AI delves into the creative world with original writing function
Computer scientists have been left stunned by a language AI’s ability to write original articles and compose poetry. While AI has only really become a mainstay of the tech world in the last five years or so, the rate at which its sophistication is growing is pretty darn scary… certainly if you’re in the business of writing, like me. Whether we’re talking vehicles becoming entirely autonomous, tailoring people’s unique browsing/viewing habits,...
Animal farming: a bigger EU climate crisis than automobiles
The rearing of livestock for meat and dairy is producing more total emissions right now than all vehicles on the road in the EU, according to new reports. At Thred we’re constantly highlighting food reform as a key part of the fight to keep global temperatures from rising 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels. With the potential to mitigate 20 percent of the global emission reduction needed by 2050, policy makers...
Xbox remote play: the latest lockdown ploy to draw gamers in
Microsoft is about to launch an Xbox app update for iOS that will allow console owners to stream games directly to their iPhones. Microsoft is readying an update for its Xbox companion app that will soon allow digital titles to be played remotely on iPhone. Dubbed Remote Play, which is already available on the PC version of the Xbox app, this feature will physically turn on the Xbox from within the...
