UK urges YouTube and TikTok to promote educational content, scientists build VR goggles for mice

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The UK culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, has written to video-sharing platforms, such as YouTube and TikTok, urging them to promote higher quality educational content to children. Recent statistics suggest that although a decade ago children watched an average of two hours’ television a day, that has since dropped by more than 70%. Instead, children were migrating to YouTube, TikTok and other streaming platforms between the ages of four and eight, Nandy said. She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the government wanted to “open a dialogue” with the platforms initially, but that she would consider stepping in if they did not comply. The Guardian 

Scientists have built tiny VR goggles for mice so they can better study how animals behave in virtual reality. Researchers at Cornell University created the MouseGoggles using low-cost, off-the-shelf components such as smartwatch displays and tiny lenses. They then put the headsets on the mice, seeing how they responded to different stimuli. The miniature goggles could help reveal how the brain deals with spatial navigation and memory, which may help scientists understand diseases like Alzheimer’s and its potential treatments, according to Cornell University. Sky News 

Grand Theft Auto. Image: Rockstar Games

Even if you were lucky enough to get a new console or games this Christmas, you’ve probably got your eye on some upcoming releases. And 2025 is shaping up to be a big one. Most agree that 2024 was a painful year for the games industry, with tens of thousands of layoffs and worldwide studio closures. There’s a hope that things will bounce back – at least in part – next year. A cultural moment, a day millions of gamers have been awaiting for a very, very long time is release of Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6). It’s due to land in autumn, 12 years after prequel GTA 5 arrived on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. BBC

The UK is at risk of a drastic slowdown in its transition to electric cars because of big disparities in the availability and cost of charging points, especially in poorer areas, a report says. The study, by the consultancy Stonehaven, argues that given rapid advances in batteries and car range, persuading more people to move to electric vehicles is now less an issue of technology than one of “urban management and social equity”. It cites London, which has the UK’s highest usage of electric cars, as an example of what the report’s authors call a lack of coherent strategy over on-street charging points. The Guardian 

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is expected to arrive on January 22, so it’s right around the corner. We already have plenty of details and leaks on the upcoming flagship, including some covering its camera setup. However, this new source appears to bring a very concrete and comprehensive list of camera sensors for the first time ever. Of course, this is still a leak and should be taken with a grain of salt, but if the source is correct, we are looking at an S25 Ultra camera setup that is almost identical to the current S24 Ultra. GSM Arena 

Android devices that are running on the KitKat operating system (OS) or older versions, will not be able to support Meta’s platform WhatsApp on their devices from January 1, 2025, reported IOL. This decision is aimed at improving security and app functionality, according to WhatsApp’s parent company Meta. Constantly evolving innovations such as encryption updates, multi-device support, new video calling features and AI functionalities, etc by WhatsApp require more modern hardware and software. GeoNews

 
Chris Price
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