Friday 4 December 2015

Do Violent Games Lead To Aggression?

Do Violent Games Lead To Aggression

It’s a long-debated topic filled with controversy and debate, and recent reports have further stoked the fire. Aaron explores the touchy subject of video game violence

Arecent study performed by the American Psychological Association (APA) claimed to have found what it called definitive evidence that violent videogames lead to signs of aggression in players. The study, which found its way onto the internet in August, looked at over 300 different papers dealing with the subject of violent games and their effects on players. These papers were originally published between 2005 and 2015.

Is Vlogging The New Blogging?

Is Vlogging The New Blogging

Has video killed the blogging star? Sarah Dobbs looks into the vlogging phenomenon and tries to work out how you too can become a famous vlogger

Remember when the first internet celebrities started to cross over into mainstream culture? First there were a few MySpace musicians who signed record deals, and then there was the great blogger book deal extravaganza that kicked off in about 2006, where any blogger with more than a few readers suddenly had a book on the table in Waterstones. Now, though, it’s vloggers who are starting to become properly famous.

Why Facebook’s ‘Real Name’ Policy Matters

Why Facebook’s ‘Real Name’ Policy Matters

Sarah Dobbs looks at Facebook’s recent change of heart

Remember the early days of the internet, when you didn’t give your real name to anyone unless you trusted them? Now, you probably use your real name in most online contexts. Partly that’s because the online and offline worlds are a lot more enmeshed now than they were in the 90s; email’s now a part of everyday life, and people tend to use their real names there. But partly, too, it’s because of Facebook.

Are Our Devices Bad For Our Health?

Are Our Devices Bad For Our Health

As various studies reveal potential links between mankind’s ever growing collection of devices to issues of impaired vision, childhood depression, obesity and loss of sleep, Rob Leane looks into what damage our screens might be doing…

How many devices do you have? If you’re reading this, presumably you at least have a couple. Personally, I have a laptop, a smartphone, a Kindle and an iPod. I have a smart TV too, if you count that as a device. There’s rarely a point in the day – only mealtimes, some days – when I’m not interacting with one of these devices in one way or another.

Microsoft’s Bridge to Nowhere

Microsoft’s Bridge to Nowhere

Mark Pickavance discusses Microsoft reverse course on allowing Android apps on Windows 10 Mobile

Microsoft has an entire enclosure of elephants to stable, having long exceeded the plausible limits to any room where they might hide in plain sight. And one of the biggest is the total failure of the computing public to engage with what were originally called ‘Metro Apps’ and have now migrated into being ‘Universal Apps’ since the advent of Windows 10.

Blocking The Ad blockers

Blocking The Ad blockers

David Crookes looks at how some companies are refusing to give away their content to those intent on blocking adverts

Each year there are certain signs that Christmas is on its way. There are the decorations in the shops that begin around October, the lights in the otherwise dark wintry streets and the festive, well-loved classic tunes mixed among the fair few that you wish would hibernate forever more. There are the jumpers emblazoned with woollen carrot-nosed snowmen, and red-faced boozers propping up bars with glasses of mulled wine, slapping their hands down amid the empty pint glasses as they tell everyone who passes that they really, really love them. But that’s the Christmas spirit, isn’t it? And most of us wouldn’t have it any other way.