EU ruling aims to stop market domination from Big Tech giants
A new EU law dubbed the Digital Markets Act will aim to stem the relentless market domination of Big Tech’s giants. This will, in theory, provide smaller online businesses with a chance to grow. As much as we’d love it to be, the world just isn’t an equal opportunity place,...
Current in Tech
Scientists make woman’s skin cells act thirty years younger
A breakthrough in medicine, skin-care, and anti-ageing research could be on the horizon: 53-year-old woman’s skin cells have been altered to look and behave like those of a 23-year-old. Scientists in Cambridge have stunned the medical community by altering the skin cells of a 53-year-old woman to the equivalent...
Scammers are using GoFundMe to pocket donations worth thousands
The crowdfunding site GoFundMe is being used to scam people out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. What is the platform doing about it? Despite the internet being a weird and wonderful place, many people are well-aware that what we see online is not always genuine. Unfortunately, deceptive practices aren’t just...
Blizzard hires female Vice President of Culture to overhaul toxic values
Since countless accusations of misogyny and sexual misconduct broke last August, Blizzard has been working to improve its toxic culture. Jessica Martinez has now been hired to oversee the transition towards a ‘more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace.’ Blizzard has taken a PR battering in recent years, and rightfully so. While...
Urbanears unveils new earbuds made from 97% recycled plastic
These new earbuds are made almost entirely from recycled plastic, making them a more eco-conscious option compared to traditional AirPods or Bluetooth headsets. Want to listen to your favourite songs on the go but don’t want to invest in Apple’s extensive ecosystem? Music goers looking for a more environmentally friendly...
Why the future of energy is sun-powered
As the world turns away from Russian gas, the EU is determined to build up its solar industry. Nations and engineers are already making crucial moves to ensure this happens. Everybody loves the sunshine, as Roy Ayers once said. And why wouldn’t we, when it could be our forever solution to...
New AI tool recreates faces solely through voice data
As deep fake technology becomes increasingly difficult to suss out online, from AI voices to celebrity lookalikes, a new tool has allowed researchers to recreate faces through voice recordings. The era of deepfakes and artificial personas is steadily creeping up on us, one technological breakthrough at a time. While you may have seen some uncanny TikTok accounts creating deepfake videos of celebrities such as Tom Cruise, and celebrity AI voice...
EU commission warns Musk won’t have free rein of Twitter
The Tesla chief has acquired Twitter for $46bn and plans to re-evaluate the platform’s stance on free speech and cancel culture. The EU commission now warns that any plans to loosen moderation policies must be handled carefully and that Musk won’t be given free rein. The drawn out Twitter saga has finally reached its end. Sort of. Serial entrepreneur Elon Musk has officially secured ownership of the platform, fronting $21bn...
Deepfakes now a political weapon in the Ukrainian war
The use of deepfakes in politics has insofar been rare. But in the last week, two deepfakes related to the war in Ukraine have emerged online. Just days ago, a doctored video of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy began making rounds on social media. It also found its way onto a local live news channel and website after being uploaded by hackers. Over the minute long video, Ukraine’s President appears to tell...
BeReal is encouraging us to stop curating ourselves online
In the age of social media fatigue, the app is a refreshingly unglamorous antidote to the relentless pursuit of perfection we can’t seem to escape on our heavily filtered Instagram feeds. When Instagram initially burst onto the scene over a decade ago, the happy-snappers among us were enticed by the promise it showed. In its earliest days, it was a safe space for sharing candid moments with friends, free from the...
