Why Netflix keeps cancelling your favourite shows after two seasons
Last month, sci-fi show Altered Carbon joined Sense8, The OA and Luke Cage in being axed from Netflix after just two seasons. Despite passionate fan protests, for the streaming service, it’s all about data
FEATURE
The messy legal scrap to bring celebrities back from the dead
James Dean is being brought back to life for a new movie. It’s just the start – as the image rights to old celebrities expire, we’re set for a resurrection free-for-all
FEATURE
BritBox has a plan to take on Netflix – appeal to boomers ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
UK-centric streaming service BritBox is releasing a slow stream of original content. But will its focus on over-45s and Brits abroad be enough to compete with Netflix?
FEATURE
Why is Netflix buying cinemas? The answer is Martin Scorsese
Netflix has bought a cinema in New York. It could be the start of a big screen revolution
FEATURE
Quibi was meant to revolutionise entertainment. What happened?
The founders of the flailing short-form video platform are pointing the finger at coronavirus. But with shoddy content and a poor user experience, Quibi was doomed to fail from the start
FEATURE
Are ultra-short episodes the future of streaming? Hollywood thinks so
Small bites of episodic television ten minutes long and made for viewing on our mobile phones are vying for our short attention span
FEATURE
Netflix’s movie machine is coming to steal Christmas ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀
Hallmark reined supreme over festive films. Now Netflix is going after its Christmas crown
FEATURE
This is what the pandemic has done to Christmas TV adverts
Be prepared for less hugging and big family meals and more animation and forced optimism as advertising agencies grapple with the grim prospect of a Covid-19 Christmas
FEATURE
Love Island’s real genius is in its money-making app ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀
ITV has made millions by teaming up with an app developer on Love Island – and its success hints at the future of the TV business
FEATURE
EastEnders is back, with added face masks and social distancing
The pandemic forced soap opera producers to hit pause. Now they’re back – and tackling the challenge of weaving Covid-19 into the plot
FEATURE
The Oscars won’t be diverse until they become more transparent
Another year, another #OscarSoWhite. To fix the Oscars, the Academy needs to start by becoming more transparent
OPINION
My weird, nostalgic quest to hunt down a lost online fruit game
As a kid, I vividly remember playing a 2D chat game full of colourful characters with fruit for heads. So why has it seemingly vanished without a trace?
LONG READ
Reddit sucks for visually impaired people. Online altruists are helping
Volunteer transcribers are filling their spare time describing image posts, videos and screenshots on Reddit so that visually impaired people can access them
FEATURE
The Premier League’s return will be met with a new era of crowd noise
Fans are using giant screens, Zoom calls and video game soundboards to create an atmosphere for games played behind closed doors
FEATURE
Science explains why there hasn’t been a hit Christmas song in years
From Mariah Carey to Wham! to The Pogues, we only ever listen to Christmas music that’s decades old, but there’s a reason
FEATURE
Airline safety videos are upping the gimmicks – but are passengers in danger?
In-flight safety videos are governed by strict rules. That doesn’t mean that people remember the advice
FEATURE
Reddit’s r/LastImages is a shrine for those lost to coronavirus
People whose loved ones have died during the pandemic are turning to strangers on the internet for support
FEATURE
Coronavirus is bad news for Big Porn but great news for OnlyFans
Even before the pandemic, traditional porn studios were struggling to compete with premium upload sites like OnlyFans. Coronavirus has only made things worse
FEATURE
Black Mirror: Are we already living in a dystopia of parental surveillance?
Arkangel is a Black Mirror episode that conveys the cold, hard reality of helicopter parenting
FEATURE
A rare disease robbed me of my sight, VR brought it back ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀
Alphr
Slipping the HTC Vive VR headset over my head, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. The last time I played a video game, it was 2013, throwing red shells in Mario Kart on the Wii
FEATURE
Gin! Tea! Dildos! The oddball rise of alternative advent calendars
Advent calendars have swapped chocolate for luxury goods as retailers fight for consumer cash. But where and when will it end?
FEATURE
Britain’s illegal coronavirus raves are impossible to police
As the lockdown is eased, people are heading to illegal raves organised on social media. The authorities will struggle to police them
FEATURE
Nintendo Switch OLED review: The best version of the console yet
Its ultra vivid display and premium good looks are here to dazzle – but is it worth the upgrade?
REVIEW
The Xbox Series X gaffe shows all that’s wrong with product naming
Tech firms are giving their products ridiculously confusing and complex names and it’s not helping anyone
FEATURE
Apple AirTag review: Can these trackers finally stop us from losing our keys?
We tested the brand’s new gadget by intentionally misplacing our stuff under cushions and in the park
REVIEW
Beats Solo Pro review: Apple’s influence beefs up build and sound
With strong improvements in both audio and design, as well as active noise cancelling, Beats’ new on-ear headphones are all grown up
REVIEW
Braille to Be My Eyes – the revolution happening in tech for the blind
Apps are linking visually impaired people to sighted volunteers as assistive technology enters a new era of connectivity
FEATURE
Magnets failed Motorola but the iPhone’s MagSafe gets them right
Motorola was already touting the power of magnets long before the iPhone 12. But where Motorola failed, Apple’s MagSafe will most likely succeed
FEATURE
Sonos Arc review: Blockbuster sound at home courtesy of Dolby Atmos
This premium gadget deserves a place in your home entertainment setup
REVIEW
Coronavirus criminals are touting fake cures and fictitious masks
Thousands of coronavirus scams have hit the web. All have one thing in common: they’re preying on people’s desperation
FEATURE
Dyson’s Lightcycle Morph smart lamp is all kinds of odd ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀
Dyson’s at it again with a smart light that aims to tweak its brightness and colour temperature according to the light around you
INTERVIEW
Beats Flex review: an ideal EarPods replacement ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀
They won’t blow your mind, but for just £50, the Beats Flex will deliver a reliable headphones experience
REVIEW
Why you should never use pattern passwords on your phone
Facial recognition, fingerprints and iris scanning have all joined PINs, passcodes and swipe patterns. But which should you be using?
FEATURE
Inside the warehouses where dud Amazon orders go to be reborn
As online shopping thrives during the pandemic, so does the market for mystery boxes filled with our unwanted goods
FEATURE
Fraudsters and thieves are cashing in on the pandemic puppy boom
Unscrupulous online sellers are making huge sums selling ill and dying dogs as interest in pets soars during the pandemic
FEATURE
Why is Ryanair taking to the skies when there’s nowhere to fly?
Ryanair, Wizz Air, Lufthansa and British Airways have led the charge as major airlines plot a return to the skies. For passengers, this means empty planes, no refunds and a logistical nightmare
FEATURE
How the UK’s just-in-time delivery model crumbled under coronavirus
The radical cost-cutting model was never built to withstand coronavirus, let alone panic-buying
FEATURE
Supermarkets have a rubbish problem ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀
They thrived during the pandemic. Now supermarkets want to tackle their mountain of waste
MAGAZINE FEATURE
WeWork’s rapid fall from grace might drag down Meetup too
In 2017, WeWork bought the burgeoning community-building website. But after putting in place controversial changes, the coworking firm has put its acquisition up for sale again
FEATURE
A Spanish resort perfected Covid-friendly holidays. Then Britain pulled the plug
One of Spain’s most successful resorts is doing everything right to protect guests from coronavirus. But Britain’s travel block could still ruin holidays and finances
FEATURE
Coronavirus has ruined the great, orderly British queue ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀
The British may be champions of standing in line, but the pandemic has made us hate it
FEATURE
Lockdown is a feeding frenzy for door-to-door salespeople ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀
Armed with face masks and visors, door-to-door salespeople aren’t going to let a pandemic get in the way of a deal
FEATURE
The pandemic changed how everyone uses Slack ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀
Co-founder Cal Henderson shares what Slack has learned about communication as the world switches to remote working – and how our behaviour has changed
MAGAZINE INTERVIEW
How hotels are preparing for the holiday season from hell ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀
From John O’Groats to Land’s End, thousands of UK hotels and B&Bs closed down during the pandemic. They may not survive the summer
FEATURE
Covid has turned universities into healthcare startup factories
The pandemic has sparked a new generation of academic-led healthtech startups, and universities are raking in millions
MAGAZINE FEATURE
Why the hell isn’t there a McPlant burger yet? It’s complicated
Trials in Finland and Canada proved that meat alternative burgers can be a huge fast food success. But logistics stand in the way of a wider rollout
FEATURE
Netflix’s Black Mirror out now but not for visually impaired people
Metro.co.uk
After months and months of waiting and a whole lot of restless excitement, we’ve finally got a new season of Black Mirror, and a new reason to renew our Netflix subscriptions. That is… unless you happen to be visually impaired.
Theresa May’s crackdown on the internet will let terror in the backdoor
The Guardian
Let’s get one thing straight, Theresa May is strong and stable. She is firm and unwavering in her stance to deliver her fantasy of regulating the internet and making it her own political playground.
I applaud the push for accessibility, but I won’t be using jazz hands
The Guardian
Inaudible clapping excludes visually impaired people like me.
I’m registered blind, that doesn’t mean you can assume things about me
The Guardian
I’m standing in line waiting to get into a nightclub, bumping shoulders with people who are already having a good time. As I reach the front, a bouncer looks me up and down.
Gene editing isn’t about designer babies, it’s about hope for people like me
Alphr
Scientists at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland has for the first time successfully edited out a genetic mutation that could cause heart disease, but the fear mongering over designer babies rages on.