Is gaming’s industry shift making loot boxes even more controversial?
The controversy surrounding microtransactions in gaming is back, and – you guessed it – EA is at the forefront. There are a few constants in life: the sun will rise and fall, seasons will come and go, and EA will continue to cause a raucous in the gaming community...
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Digital trends company MSCHF pays TikTok users to ‘kill brands’
MSCHF has released nine TikTok sound bites that you can use to talk smack about big companies and you’ll be paid depending on your view count. It’s the definition of an anti-ad. Obscure digital content company MSCHF has launched a new campaign encouraging TikTok users to create videos attacking...
Apple won’t ship chargers with iPhone 12 to ‘help’ out the planet
You’ll no longer be able to pick up a standard charger or earphones with iPhone 12. Is it a genuine bid to reduce carbon emissions or a cheeky way to make more money? Apple unveiled the new iPhone 12 this week via an online announcement video. It boasts all the...
NASA is building a 4G network on the moon before 2022
The space agency is looking to launch a 4G mobile network on the moon before 2022, and Nokia has been identified as a surprise partner to build it. Just as 5G arrives to planet Earth, it appears its predecessor is headed to the moon. Not even astronauts will get away...
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...
How Ampverse is bringing e-sports to the masses
Launched in 2019, Ampverse has already helped bring brands like Samsung and Garnier into the e-sports market, propelling the industry further into the mainstream. The e-sports industry continues to grow exponentially across the globe, with the Southeast Asian market generating over 4.4 billion USD in revenue last year alone. It’s...
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...
New research finds 24 ‘super-habitable’ alien worlds
Rather than searching the night sky for Earth’s literal carbon copy, scientists have found a new criterion for habitability that’s thrown up some astonishing results. ‘A planet is the cradle of mind, but one cannot live in a cradle forever’. Tsiolkovsky’s famous antique quote about curing humanity’s ‘failure to launch’ from its earthly dwelling has been picking up steam in the past few decades, with independent space agencies like...
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...
