Month: September 2022

Video podcasts are booming, giving creators access to new audiences. But does this risk ruining what made the audio format so satisfying? “SECRET group of geniuses KILL for fun.” In a recent video podcast on his true crime YouTube channel MrBallen, John Allen tells the story of a mysterious poisoning involving Mensa that took place …

‘It’s the way the industry is going’: how YouTube is transforming podcasting Read More »

The musician on the artistic commitment of Mitski, the lasting value of Peep Show and her new favourite snacks Isle of Wight musician Rhian Teasdale formed indie rock duo Wet Leg with Hester Chambers in 2019. The band released two singles in 2021, Chaise Longue and Wet Dream, which became instant hits thanks to their …

On my radar: Rhian Teasdale from Wet Leg’s cultural highlights Read More »

PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch; Massive Monster/Devolver DigitalThis eerie triumph is both a dungeon crawl in pursuit of heretic bishops and a society-builder where you build a legion of worshippers In the first few moments of runaway summer hit Cult of the Lamb, the protagonist is sacrificed and summoned back to life as an …

Cult of the Lamb review – grow your own cult in darkly cute game Read More »

Research project aims to discover how age, size and shape of woodlands affect people’s happiness and wellbeing How happy do you feel right now? The question is asked by an app on my phone, and I drag the slider to the space between “not much” and “somewhat”. I’m about to start a walk in the …

‘I’m glowing’: scientists are unlocking secrets of why forests make us happy Read More »

James Owens used codewords, euphemisms and fake accent to dodge monitors and identification YouTube has closed down a channel used by an extremist, named “Britain’s most racist YouTuber”, for breaching its hate speech policies. James Owens, 37, used codewords and euphemisms to bypass automated monitoring on the video platform and broadcast attacks on Jewish and …

‘Britain’s most racist YouTuber’ has channel terminated Read More »

Highly profitable company paid out more than $500m to reclusive owner Leonid Radvinsky in last two years OnlyFans has paid out more than $500m (£433m) to its reclusive owner in the last two years, as the British-based subscriber platform synonymous with pornography reported record profits. Leonid Radvinsky, the site’s Ukrainian-American 40-year-old owner, is the sole …

OnlyFans profits boom as users spent $4.8bn on platform last year Read More »

PC, Xbox, smartphones; Half MermaidThis fascinating game provides an interactive film trilogy, complete with behind-the-scenes footage, to help solve the mystery of missing movie star Marissa Marcel In the late 1960s, Marissa Marcel was an actor on the brink of Hollywood success. Beautiful, young and talented, she was selected from thousands in an open casting …

Immortality review – a spellbinding cinephile puzzle about a vanished actor Read More »

Prototype designed using chemical in crustacean shells remains 99.7% efficient after about 400 hours Scientists want to use a chemical found in crab and lobster shells to make batteries more sustainable, according to research. “We think both biodegradability of material, or environmental impact, and the performance of the batteries are important for a product, which …

Crab and lobster shells could be used to make renewable batteries Read More »

Competition regulator asks companies to address questions, with possible investigation to follow The UK’s competition regulator has raised concerns about Microsoft’s $68.7bn deal to buy the Call of Duty publisher, Activision Blizzard, and given the two companies five days to offer solutions. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) warned that the Xbox owner’s proposed takeover …

UK watchdog raises concerns over Microsoft buyout of Activision Blizzard Read More »

Social media giant says much-requested feature lets users change tweets for up to 30 minutes Twitter is trialing an editing feature that allows users to change tweets up to 30 minutes after they are published – but lets people view prior versions. The social media company said tweets can be edited “a few times” in …

Twitter trials letting users edit tweets after posting Read More »