Oracle wins bidding war for TikTok’s US operations
A month of uncertainty surrounding TikTok’s future in the US has reportedly ended, with tech consortium Oracle winning the race to head up all Western operations. Trump has made no secret of his disdain for TikTok since ByteDance’s acquisition of Musical.ly in 2017, but a deal has been reportedly been...
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Amazon takes down over 20,000 fake reviews
Nearly all of the top ten users in the UK appear to have written fraudulent five-star reviews that undermine Amazon's product recommendations. Amazon has removed over 20,000 ‘fake’ reviews created by a small handful of top users as it struggles to keep on top of false and inaccurate user feedback. Seven...
Biotech start-up floods the black market with fake rhino horns
Biotech start-up Pembient is aiming to undercut illicit rhino poaching by flooding the black market with fake horns. Rhino horns are one of the most valuable commodities on the black market fetching in around $3,000 per pound, down from $60,000 just a few years ago. Believed to hold curative properties...
Snapchat launches face masks for 2020 March on Washington
Six black artists were enlisted to create digital face mask filters and Bitmoji accessories for Snapchat. Real, physical versions are also available to purchase. Snapchat has released a set of new selfie filters that allow users to wear digital face masks to commemorate the 57th anniversary of the March...
Cosmic signals from a black hole collision 7bn years old reach Earth
Seven billion years ago two massive black holes collided, and signs of the cataclysmic event have just reached Earth. Astronomers claim to have detected gravitational shockwaves emanating from chaotic merger of two black holes some seven billion years ago. The signal which provided ‘the biggest bang since the Big Bang’ rattled...
TikTok enlists Teespring to oversee new merch feature
TikTok creators will soon be able to sell original merchandise within the app. Having always had the potential to become an eCommerce powerhouse, TikTok is finally rolling out integration for in-app merch purchases this September. Teaming up with custom apparel platform Teespring, TikTok users across the globe will now be able...
Musk’s Neuralink lamented as ‘mediocre neuroscience’
Elon Musk finally unveiled his mysterious brain computer interface ‘Neuralink’ to the world on Friday, but the demo failed to deliver on bold claims. In July of 2019, serial entrepreneur and inventor Elon Musk stepped on stage in San Francisco and unveiled his blueprint for Neuralink, an ambitious brain computer implant that would allow users to control devices hands free through thought processes alone… or as the man himself put...
Twitter calls out disturbing new TikTok Holocaust trend
TikTok users have been dressing up as Holocaust victims as part of a semi-viral trend. Unsurprisingly, The Auschwitz Memorial Museum has asked for it to stop. TikTok has been through the ringer recently. In recent months it’s faced accusations of Chinese spyware, criticisms of deep fake investment, and Trump has promised to eventually ban it across the US, though Microsoft and Wal-Mart are now reportedly in a bidding war for...
Amazon gets FAA approval to launch delivery drones
After seven years of waiting, Amazon has finally received FAA approval to take to the skies with its fleet of Prime Delivery drones. Is it a bird… is it a plane? No, it’s that salad spinner mum ordered from Amazon Prime. This week, Amazon has finally been granted approval by the US Federal Aviation Administration to begin trials for its fleet of commercial drones in the States. After seven years of...
Digital subscription services continue to soar post lockdown
Britain has become a nation of super-subscribers with an average of seven services per household, according to new stats. Most people, besides maybe pensioners living out their retirement in aging rural towns, will know that online subscriptions are the present and almost certainly the future of home entertainment. Pre-Covid, Western viewing and listening pleasures were divvied up almost exclusively between ubiquitous hubs like Netflix, Amazon TV, Apple TV, and Spotify. And...
