Glastonbury to be handed cash boost in latest Covid culture funding April 2, 2021 Glastonbury will be handed £90,000 in government support as part of the latest tranche of emergency funding aimed at supporting Britain’s struggling cultural institutions. The iconic festival, which has been cancelled this year but will host a livestream performance in May, is one of more than 2,700 organisations to share in a £400m pot of [...]
Worlds collide: Non-fungible tokens could bring new use-cases to decentralised finance April 1, 2021 If you’ve been watching the crypto scene or even following trends among your favourite artists, you’ve probably heard the term ‘non-fungible tokens’ (‘NFTs’ for short). NFTs are having their spot in the limelight: over $200 million has been spent on NFT artwork in just this past month alone. NFTs are taking their place in pop [...]
Bank of England targeted by Extinction Rebellion activists April 1, 2021 Climate activist group Extinction Rebellion has this morning targeted the Bank of England, spraying the building with fake oil. The demonstrators were protesting investments in fossil fuels, accusing the Bank of “funding destruction in a climate crisis”. Activists, some dressed as jesters, sprayed the dye at the building, known as “the Old Lady of Threadneedle [...]
Podcasts that helped us survive lockdown April 1, 2021 Podcasts have been one of the defining mediums of recent years, evolving from an online alternative to live radio to a thing all of its own, intimate and confessional, beamed into bedrooms, gyms and underground carriages across the world. In the last year we’ve relied more than ever on our favourite hosts talking quietly into [...]
Teletubbies prank the crypto world with TubbyCoin joke – all for charity April 1, 2021 Popular kids’ TV show the Teletubbies gave a chuckle to the crypto community after charitable April Fool ruse.
Time Out looks to raise £17m in upcoming fundraise April 1, 2021 Time Out is looking to raise £17m as part of an upcoming fundraise ahead of what it hopes will be a renaissance of culture and going out in the city. The publisher and markets owner will tap markets for £2m more than initially planned following strong demand from institutional investors. The £17m represents 17.1 [...]
Test and Trace: Impact of £37bn scheme ‘limited’ as Brits shun self-isolation April 1, 2021 The Government has responded to a damnig report which found the effectiveness of the UK’s £37bn Test and Trace programme is “limited” due to the widespread failure of Brits to recognise Covid symptoms and self-isolate. A large study examining the NHS system found that fewer than one in five people request a Covid-19 test if [...]
UK vaccine passport app could become ‘honeypot’ for hackers, says former top government cyber adviser March 31, 2021 A potential UK vaccine passport is in danger of becoming a “honeypot” for hackers, rogue states and cyber criminal organisations, according to one of the government’s former top cyber security advisers. Peter Yapp, ex-deputy director of GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), told City A.M. that a vaccine passport app could be an easy target [...]
Nick Clegg defends Facebook algorithms as platform revamps news feed March 31, 2021 Sir Nick Clegg has launched an impassioned defence of Facebook’s algorithms, insisting the platform had empowered people and denying it was responsible for increased polarisation. The former deputy prime minister, who is now Facebook’s vice president of global affairs, said people needed to “make their peace” with algorithms and acknowledge they were “here to stay”. [...]
Explainer: How will the BBC change in the next five years? March 30, 2021 The BBC this week published its annual plan, outlining its strategy and financial targets as it looks to adapt to major shifts in the media landscape. It comes at a tough time for the public service broadcaster, which is facing declining viewer numbers and a political row over its licence fee funding model, as well [...]