Coca-Cola misses the mark with AI-generated Christmas ad again
After last year’s debacle, Coca-Cola has doubled down on its use of generative AI for its annually anticipated Christmas ad. The public reaction is even worse this time around. ‘Tis the season, it’s always the real thing’… except for when it’s not. Halloween is officially over, and Guy Fawkes Night will...
Current in Tech
Considering dating an AI partner?
AI promised us a better future. Yet here we are, one step away from asking our AI therapist how to cope with our AI partner’s latest update. OpenAI is getting ready to launch a new ChatGPT feature by the end of the year, letting verified adult users have romantic or...
Why is Halo’s arrival on PlayStation a big deal?
Microsoft has announced a new remake of Halo: Combat Evolved for Xbox consoles, PC and PlayStation 5. Built with Unreal Engine 5, this is a major moment for console exclusivity, crossplay and the Halo brand. Halo is officially coming to PlayStation 5. Announced last week, Microsoft’s Halo Studios revealed a new...
Earth gains another quasi-moon that will stay until 2083
The moon gains company once again, this time for the next 58 years. Our moon, that was formed 4.5 billion years ago, has been with us since long before there was any life on Earth. Now, it seems that our planet has gained a new friend, that scientists have classified...
Spotify users cancel memberships over ICE recruitment ads
The streaming platform has found itself in hot water again, with long-time members announcing they will be terminating their memberships after hearing recruitment ads for the controversial US agency ICE. Swedish streaming giant Spotify has landed itself in a series of controversies over the last year or so, but the...
Mini brain cells could be used to power future computers
The technology is said to consume far less energy than traditional computers, and a Swiss company has made them accessible to researchers worldwide. With energy consumption being a prime driver of climate talks, the constant advancements in computers pose a significant issue to the environment. Modern silicon chips that are found...
Should Snapchat be allowed to charge users for storage?
Picture-sharing platform Snapchat has announced a new paid subscription system for storage exceeding over 5GB. Should big tech companies be allowed to charge for services that were once free? Snapchat, the image-sharing service mostly used by Gen Zers, will begin charging users for any storage exceeding 5GB. This includes all photos and videos that are part of the app’s ‘Memories’ feature, where content previously posted is archived and saved. Users...
Trump pressures Apple into removing ICEBlock from the App Store
The app’s name may have made it sound like a game. In reality, it was far from one and served as a vital tool to help individuals evade ICE agents within their own cities. In the past year alone, countless acts of cruelty have been committed under the guise of immigration control. Many of these have taken place in the United States, a nation once celebrated as a land of...
Does the Game Pass price hike signal the end of accessible gaming?
Microsoft is about to hike Game Pass up again, with the price of Ultimate tier increasing by 50%. Many subscribers are ditching the service altogether, but Xbox is doubling down. It felt a little too good to be true, didn’t it? Game Pass has ensured, amid a lingering cost-of-living crisis, that gamers have remained well fed and on budget. For the reasonable price of £14.99 a month, we’ve had access to...
AI actress Tilly Norwood is causing a significant stir in Hollywood
Several talent agencies are genuinely interested in Tilly Norwood, an AI actress recently created and unveiled by the world’s first ‘AI talent studio’ Xicoia. The pushback from Hollywood has been significant. Hollywood and controversy go together like popcorn and butter, but this latest palaver is wholly unique – in that it centres on an AI-generated actress. Tilly Norwood is the name of the curated code that appears a lot like a...
