Quibi shuts down following lockdown marketing misstep
Launching in lockdown has proved a fatal miscalculation for mobile centric streaming service Quibi. Six months ago, at the height of the first COVID-19 lockdown, veteran execs Jaffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman boldly opted to launch a mobile-centric streaming service called Quibi. Spurred by a clear consumer demand for short-bite TikTok-esque...
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New in-game video series for NBA 2K urges Gen Z to vote
Teaming up with the ‘More Than A Vote’ campaign, basketball video game franchise NBA 2K is releasing a two-part electoral video message to encourage Gen Z to head to the polls. It seems like most tech companies and social media platforms are trying their hand at encouraging young people...
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...
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 South Sedan, Mayen was born en route to a refugee camp in Northern Uganda and grew up within its borders. With...
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 becoming an increasingly lucrative market for businesses to tap into, particularly if they’re hoping to bring in Gen Z consumers...
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...
