David Dobrik’s photo app Dispo raises $20m in funding
Dispo lets users take pictures through disposable camera filters and locks them for viewing until 9am the next day, imitating the vintage experiences of 90s photographers. You may know David Dobrik for his YouTube vlogs and Madison Beer antics, but he’s also a savvy venture capitalist and tech innovator. His...
Current in News
Instagram’s support initative for National Eating Disorders Awareness Week
The ubiquitous photo app, which has previously come under fire for promoting unrealistic body standards, is providing resources to support users throughout National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. When it comes to those afflicted with eating disorders or body dysmorphia, social media is often a triggering factor – especially when talking...
Is big tech aiding a tyranny against India’s climate activists?
As an international conspiracy falls apart against India’s adored climate activist Disha Ravi, big tech is being forced to answer for its role in aiding a national tyranny. In India, one of the nation’s most affected by climate change, it appears eco-activists are no longer safe to protest. Last month, Disha...
Microsoft testing new program to improve gaming accessibility
Microsoft is aiming to make gaming as accessible as possible for players with disabilities. A new program recommends that first and third party developers now send in their games for inclusive evaluations. Data from the ESA Foundation suggests that there may be as many as 46 million gamers with disabilities...
What to expect from NASA’s ‘Perseverance’ Mars landing
Perseverance, NASA’s most sophisticated rover ever, is due to land on the surface of Mars on Thursday. This is your pre-event guide on what to expect and how to follow the mission throughout the year. NASA’s Perseverance rover is just 48 hours from making its descent onto the surface of...
Instagram announces permanent suspensions for hate speech in DMs
At long last, Instagram is cracking down on racist and derogatory content within its direct messenger function. Hate speech will now lead to permanent account suspensions. Instances of racism on Instagram are once again receiving mainstream attention, and parent company Facebook is determined to finally nip the issue in the...
Elon Musk pledges $100m to fund carbon capture contest
Serial entrepreneur Elon Musk has launched a carbon capture competition to faster cut back on global emissions, and the most impressive invention will receive a $50m cash prize. We all talk a big game on Twitter, but Elon Musk is one to regularly follow up on his midnight musings. Looking to put his $203bn fortune to good use, Elon Musk is creating a competition that will see contestants develop innovative technologies...
TikTok to tackle misinformation with fact checkers and content warnings
Falling in line with the big social networking sites, TikTok is now attempting to tackle its spread of misinformation with in-app warnings and fact checkers. While TikTok is all about fun and games, its insatiable rise to the top of mainstream culture now demands a more thorough look into the types of content spreading on its platform. Safety first people, safety first. Chief on the list of concerns admist a global...
Stadia’s internal closure bets on industry shift to Cloud gaming
14 months after Stadia’s high-profile launch, Google is closing the company’s internal game development studio. Its once exclusive Cloud technology is now open to potential suitors. It’s taken Google 14 months to realise it doesn’t want to be a game making company anymore. Grandiose ambitions first revealed at the Game Developers Conference 2019 have never come close to fruition for Google’s Stadia. It originally teased its own Cloud-based console, a controller,...
High school astronomers have discovered four new ‘exoplanets’
A teenage duo from a Massachusetts high school have discovered four new exoplanets and co-authored a paper in the Astronomical Journal. It’s high time we officially axed the term ‘pie in the sky’. Two Massachusetts high schoolers have blossomed from keen physics students into renowned astronomers seemingly overnight. Thanks to a mentorship program at the Center for Astrophysics; Harvard and Smithsonian, both will go down in history for uncovering the existence...
