Xbox’s Game Pass obsession has changed the game
Xbox’s Game Showcase is being lauded as its best in close to a decade. More significant, is the fact that the majority of its offering is coming to Game Pass on day one. Microsoft’s vision of making gaming primarily subscription-based is finally taking hold. Who saw that coming? My TV...
Current in Tech
The unsettling rise of Facebook Marketplace sperm donors
Why bother with expensive IVF or IUI treatments for your fertility needs? Facebook Marketplace apparently has you covered. What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve heard today? Wait, here us out. Thousands of people are currently looking for unregulated fertility treatments on – get this – Facebook Marketplace. Now, it goes without saying...
TikTok used to sway young voters ahead of global elections
This year, 4 billion people are eligible to cast their political vote around the world. Social media platforms – especially TikTok – are playing a huge role in the build-up to UK elections. As Britain prepares for its highly-anticipated election, TikTok has emerged as a fresh battleground for the nation’s...
Walmart Realm aims to break Gen Z market
Walmart believes virtual storefronts are the best way to tap into the vast spending power of Gen Z. Will it work? Walmart isn’t exactly a beacon of culture, is it? A labyrinth of isles illuminated by florescent lighting and blue and yellow branding doesn’t currently scream Gen Z. Determined to break...
Clover Hogan criticised for saying tech won’t solve the climate crisis
Yesterday, in a series of tweets, the Gen Z environmental activist branded the belief in ‘shiny, silver bullet solutions’ to the crisis as the most insidious form of climate denial. This has been met with intense backlash from not only users, but the CEO of Tesla and X himself,...
How to spot AI doctoring and deepfakes
At this point we’re all aware that AI doctoring and deepfakes are everywhere. Confidently identifying instances of their use, however, isn’t always straightforward. AI has its mitts all over social media and the days of taking content immediately at face value are dying out. There are obvious and largely harmless examples...
Digital portal between Dublin and NYC shuts down after just one week
This is why we can’t have nice things. What happens when a digital ‘portal’ is placed on the streets of Dublin and New York City with the aim of encouraging residents to connect and interact with each other through a live video stream? If you answered something along the lines of ‘a strengthened sense of humanity’s bond,’ bless your soul. The correct answer is debauchery, of course. Despite the good intentions of...
I tested the iPhone’s new PS1 emulator Gamma
Nostalgia merchants rejoice. A developer named ZodTTD has created a PlayStation 1 emulator available for free on the iOS App Store. Do you yearn for the polygon-filled primitive days of Diablo, Banjo-Kazooie, and Spyro? If so, we’ve some good news, provided you have an iPhone or iPad. A developer called ZodTTD, who has a penchant for creating emulators of old programs and hardware, has just released ‘Gamma’, a third-party app...
Scientists theorise that the Earth may be an intelligent entity
Pointing to evidence that fungi is communicating underground to suggest that large-scale networks of life could ‘form a vast, invisible planetary intelligence,’ a group of astrobiologists are asking the thought-provoking question: if a planet like Earth can be ‘alive,’ can it also have a mind of its own? ‘Conventionally, intelligence is seen as a property of individuals. However, it is also known to be a property of collectives,’ reads the...
Microsoft seals record corporate purchase of green energy for AI
Eight times larger than the previous record, Microsoft has just purchased the most renewable energy in history for a single corporate entity in one deal. This will ensure its carbon negative plans aren’t derailed by upscaling AI projects. There are a few constants in life: death, taxes, and Microsoft chucking its weight around by making record financial acquisitions. The latest, at least, is a positive for the planet on this...