Sony announces Discord integration for PlayStation
Sony has announced plans to integrate its PlayStation Network with Discord early next year. Could this deal be a gamechanger in bringing the console giant more in-line with the values of young people? If Microsoft acquiring Bethesda was the biggest gaming coup of 2021, Sony has just secured a deal...
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Historic ‘Ingenuity’ flight on Mars could change planetary exploration
This week, NASA’s Mars helicopter ‘Ingenuity’ performed the first ever flight on another world. Could this historic demonstration mark the start of a whole new mode of planetary travel? Is there a prouder moment than seeing your child break out of their bicycle stabilisers and roam free? Many an employee...
NASA leverages gamers to save the world’s coral reefs
As rising temperatures continue to bleach delicate coral ecosystems, NASA scientists are turning to gamers to help map out the ocean floor. If you’re willing to put your candy crushing obsession aside for a bit, NASA is offering gamers the opportunity to partake in a mission of global importance. Despite covering...
Archaeologists unearth ‘lost golden city’ in Egypt
The second most important discovery since the tomb of Tutankhamun almost a century ago, the 3,400-year-old royal city contains stunningly preserved remains. Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed what is believed to be the largest city of the Egyptian empire and one of the most important finds in decades. The settlement, dubbed a...
Investigation claims Facebook rife with political manipulation
A former employee at Facebook alleges that the social media giant prioritises PR in the west. In other countries with less influence, policy abuses and political deception on the platform are reportedly being ignored. Facebook is reportedly allowing world leaders and influential figures to go against company policy and post...
Facebook app ‘Sparked’ to bring kindness to dating
In a ruthless age of dating, where potential suitors are mercilessly swiped by and matches routinely ghosted, Facebook is promoting a kind approach to speed-dating with its new app ‘Sparked.’ Getting into dating these days is easier than ever, thanks to a multitude of free apps such as Tinder, Bumble,...
3D printing could be the future of education
Combining architecture and technology is a great hope for expanding educational access in deprived areas, and there’s no better example than 3D printed housing. A quarter of a billion children do not have access to education worldwide. Thinking Huts is at the forefront of combatting this huge injustice - and is using the once fictional method of 3D printing to do so. Maggie Grout started Thinking Huts when she was...
Facebook unveils its Clubhouse competitor ‘Hotline’ with beta test
Hot on the heels of Clubhouse and wanting to gain a slice of the burgeoning audio chat market, Facebook is finally showing its hand with ‘Hotline’ beta tests. Well... that didn’t take long, did it? Clubhouse’s meteoric rise over the last year has cemented ephemeral audio chat as the hottest new USP in social media’s ever-fleeting wheelhouse, thus putting a gigantic target on the app’s back. Keen to usurp the newcomer platform,...
Twitch expands misconduct policy to include other platforms
Ensuring that Twitch remains a safe and inclusive space for stream buffs, the platform is expanding its off-service conduct policy to punish threatening behaviours outside of Twitch. Those who take to spreading hate online or trolling Twitter and Discord may soon find their indiscretions have landed them bans on Twitch – much like a certain ex US president last January. The Amazon owned streaming giant has this week expanded its off-service...
Clubhouse users can soon make in-app donations to creators
As the latest part of its monetisation efforts, Clubhouse will allow users to make donations to their favourite creators. The flagship audio app won’t take a cut of payments. It’s been quite the inaugural year for flagship audio chat app Clubhouse. Already numero uno in the audio chat space, Facebook and Twitter are set to up the competition in 2021 with their own ephemeral updates. Clubhouse is now being forced to...
