Is Microsoft creating a monopoly after Activision Blizzard deal?
Microsoft is on the brink of acquiring Activision Blizzard for a record fee of $68.7bn. Having already landed the Bethesda deal last year, is the conglomerate potentially underway with a full-scale gaming monopoly? If the cringe, social media driven console wars are even still a thing, this is the equivalent...
Current in News
Tech company Framework designs modular laptop to reduce e-waste
American tech company Framework has created a new laptop with modular components that can be easily repaired and replaced. It will help increase the lifespan of laptops and reduce the e-waste produced per unit. Laptops can be tricky products to purchase successfully, at least as far as getting the right...
Will nuclear fusion revolutionise clean energy for centuries?
With the potential of generating 10 million times the energy of burning coal, is nuclear fusion the answer to sustainably powering the world for centuries to come? Imagine a technology capable of replicating the chemistry of the stars, unleashing nearly unlimited clean energy, and safely powering the entire world for...
Earth’s tiniest bugs are officially evolving to eat plastic
In the first large-scale study of its kind, researchers have found that microbes living in oceans and soils around the world have learned to eat at least ten different types of plastic. Plastic is by far the world’s biggest issue when it comes to pollution. Most types are notoriously hard to...
Fact checkers label YouTube a ‘major conduit’ for misinformation
Organisations involved in fact-checking have come together to demand YouTube finally address its misinformation problem. YouTube has a little something for everyone, whether you’re looking for an amusing review of a takeaway chain or a comprehensive history lesson on the Mayans. The only issue with allowing almost anything to end up...
TikTok ousts Google as most popular domain of the year
Thanks to Gen Z and Millennial uptake of video sharing via TikTok, the platform finally knocked Google off the top spot for most popular domain of the year. It finally happened, people. The almighty reign of the world’s most popular search engine is over - at least for now,...
Uber and Arrival unveil new ride-sharing electric car
Electric car brand Arrival has collaborated with Uber to create a new, low-carbon vehicle designed with ride-sharing in mind. Let’s face it, whether you’re for or against ride-sharing services such as Uber and Bolt, they are undoubtably here to stay. Popular in cities, ride-sharing services can be a more environmentally efficient and cost-effective way to get around – especially late at night after a few too many cocktails. Though Uber...
Seaweed film could be the future of single use plastic packaging
London-based company Notpla was granted $13 million to boost sustainable packaging using seaweed. It hopes to replace hard-to-recycle plastic films used for food and clothing wrapping. The magical plant that holds together sushi rolls, adds flavour to our ramen bowls, and grows abundantly in the ocean has become an unlikely, yet perfect alternative to plastic film. Notpla, short for ‘not plastic’, is based in London. The company started its venture...
Twitter bans ‘Politics For All’ account without specifying why
The integrity of Twitter as a democratic platform is again under scrutiny. This time, after permanently banning a political news aggregator account for a strange and minor offence. Another day, another censorship storm involving Twitter. The topical social media giant is under scrutiny after removing a popular political news aggregator account called Politics For All earlier this week. It has since specified that Twitter will not be reinstating the page. Removed on...
Twitter plans to ban photos and videos taken of strangers in public
The social media platform says it will ban unsolicited videos in public settings. Unwitting strangers cannot give consent, creating a problematic grey area for social media content. Sceptics, however, are already asking a lot of questions. We’ve all seen them. The photos or videos of people in public doing strange or offensive things, followed by a seemingly endless thread of users expressing their opinion or amusement. Take hidden gym recordings, for...