Month: November 2024

A commercial failure by comparison with its rival the PlayStation, the Saturn nevertheless boasted stylish, genre-defining titles that are still played and beloved by retro games enthusiasts today It is one of the greatest injustices of video game history that the Sega Saturn is widely considered a failure. The console, which was launched in Japan …

The Sega Saturn at 30: a pioneering games console ripe for rediscovery Read More »

Activities of those aged 0 to three often involve sensory exploration and embodied cognition, researchers find Although it has been argued that under-threes should not have any screen time at all, research has found that digital tech can offer “rich opportunities” for young children’s development. A two-year study, Toddlers, Tech and Talk, funded by the …

Digital tech can offer rich opportunities for child development, study says Read More »

UK consumer group Which? finds some everyday items including watches and speakers are ‘stuffed with trackers’ Air fryers that gather your personal data and audio speakers “stuffed with trackers” are among examples of smart devices engaged in “excessive” surveillance, according to the consumer group Which? The organisation tested three air fryers, increasingly a staple of …

Is your air fryer spying on you? Concerns over ‘excessive’ surveillance in smart devices Read More »

Nintendo Switch, Acquire/ NintendoThe moustachioed plumber brothers have a sun-kissed comic adventure in this breezy island-hopping RPG filled with puzzles, sand sharks and talking acorns If there was ever a series that reminds me of being on holiday, it was the Mario and Luigi role-playing games. I fondly remember squinting at the Game Boy Advance’s …

Mario & Luigi: Brothership review – seafaring adventure will help your troubles sail away Read More »

When human solvers battle artificial intelligence, who is able to think more cryptically, faster? And are some devious clues just too tough for software? The Times hosts an annual crossword-solving competition and it remains, until such time as the Guardian has its own version, the gold standard. This year’s competitors included a dog. Rather, an …

Devious humour and painful puns: will the cryptic crossword remain the last thing AI can’t conquer? Read More »

Hollow Ponds, Richard Hogg; Finji; PC, MacFill the walls of your nice big empty house with pictures delivered – in pieces – by your friendly local postwoman Wilmot the anthropomorphic square has a curious but not exactly undesirable existence. He resides in a spacious, empty house to which his friendly local postwoman, Sam, brings regular …

Wilmot Works It Out review – gently therapeutic puzzler that turns jigsaws into works of art Read More »

Lawsuit alleges TikTok’s algorithm exposed teenagers to videos promoting suicide, self-harm and eating disorders Seven French families have filed a lawsuit against TikTok, accusing the platform of exposing their adolescent children to harmful content that led to two of them taking their own lives at 15, their lawyer said. The lawsuit alleges TikTok’s algorithm exposed …

French parents whose children took own lives sue TikTok over harmful content Read More »

Everything is easier with modern technology – except fulfilling your true potential The convenience of modern life is nothing short of astounding. As I write this, my phone is wirelessly sending some of the greatest hits from the 1700s (Bach, if you must know) to my portable speaker. I could use that same device to, within …

The big idea: is convenience making our lives more difficult? Read More »

Even bigger titanium superphone packs very long battery life and great camera but Apple Intelligence isn’t killer feature The iPhone 16 Pro Max is Apple’s latest superphone, with a massive screen, the fastest chip and the most advanced cameras on an iPhone, ready to be your entertainment powerhouse, if you can squeeze it into a …

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max review: totally maxed out Read More »

With poor internet and electricity, Palestinians flock to co-working spaces and find hope despite Israel’s attacks It took more than 20 minutes and eight dropped WhatsApp calls to finally connect with Farida Adel in Gaza. Internet service is not reliable anywhere in the territory, including in the provisional co-working space in the city of Deir …

‘We have no choice’: Gazan workers find a lifeline in freelancing amid war Read More »