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...
Current in Tech
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...
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...
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...
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...
EA bought by private investors for $55 billion USD
Electronic Arts (EA) has agreed to a new $55 billion USD acquisition deal with a consortium of investors. It’s the second most expensive gaming purchase of all time, only beaten by Microsoft’s buyout of Activision Blizzard for $75.4 billion USD. Electronic Art (EA) has been purchased by a consortium of investors, including Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), investment firm Silver Lake, and American finance organisation Affinity Partners. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8-L8LUDPMI The buyout is...
New mandatory digital ID for UK residents sparks controversy
Prime Minister Kier Starmer has announced the UK government’s plan to introduce a new, mandatory digital ID scheme with the goal of deterring immigration. Widespread political and public pushback has been instantaneous. Thought your driver’s license and passport were enough to prove your identity in the United Kingdom? Well, not for much longer. Prime minister Kier Starmer has announced plans to enforce a new nationwide digital ID scheme across the UK,...
ChatGPT is increasingly substituting critical thought
OpenAI’s latest usage report on ChatGPT sheds light on how people are moving away from having the chatbot complete ‘doing’ tasks, but are leaning on it for advice, problem solving, and outsourcing judgement calls. Is this cause for concern? You know who doesn’t ever get brain fog? ChatGPT. Use of OpenAI’s chatbot has become nigh-on ubiquitous, and people are leaning on the technology for just about everything in 2025. It’s gone...
Albania appoints world’s first AI-powered minister
The nation did the unthinkable and put an AI entity in charge of public procurement in an effort to combat the nation’s high levels of corruption. Artificial intelligence is everywhere. From aiding students in their studies to detecting diseases, our lives are becoming increasingly intertwined with AI. This also applies to governments worldwide, some of which use it to automate processes or even to make e-portals easier for citizens...
