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Digital & Computing
Exploring the digital world: a collection
From social media to the impact of screen time - academics from the OU and beyond explore the new worlds created by technology
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Health, Sports & Psychology
Are mobile phones increasing health inequality in India?
The spread of mobile phone ownership has increased access to health information - for those that have them. But some practitioners are worrying about those left behind, reports Aisling Irwin.
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Digital & Computing
DRM explained
The EFF's John Perry Barlow and Ray Corrigan of The Open University decry attempts to provide digital locks on content.
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Digital & Computing
Has Twitter's role as a political influence been overstated?
We are told that Twitter is the new public sphere, the place where we hold government accountable, encourage diverse voices, and provide resources for public benefit like education, healthcare, and welfare. Using the #metoo campaign as a case study, Naomi Barnes and Huw Davies question whether Twitter really is a public sphere or if it is simply...
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Money & Business
Is Bitcoin a bubble - and why must it burst?
One view of the rising cryptocurrency Bitcoin: The numbers suggest it is over-valued and due a correction.
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Money & Business
How can we say Bitcoin is overvalued when we don't know how to value it?
One view of the rising cryptocurrency: We can't say it's a bubble when we don't really understand the value of the currency.
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Digital & Computing
Spectre and Meltdown: What do you need to know about the chip security flaws?
The discovery of a security problem with chips in desktops, laptops, phones and tablets is a major headache for IT security, says Siraj Ahmed Shaikh.
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Society, Politics & Law
How did Facebook likes help Labour at the ballot box?
The 2017 election saw a stronger than foreseen performance by the Labour Party. Matt Walsh explains how Labour’s Facebook success played out, heralding the party’s overall campaign performance. GE2017 was a numbers game: by achieving very high levels of organic reach, Labour managed to target undecided voters in marginal constituencies, energise...
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Digital & Computing
Machines, minds and computers
Computers are becoming smarter and may soon become intelligent. This free course, Machines, minds and computers, looks at what intelligence is, how computers may become so, and whether they ever will really be intelligent. It is aimed at people interested in understanding what intelligence and thinking really are, and who want to understand the ...
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Money & Business
How is identity data creating headaches for large companies?
Increasingly the costs and risks of holding data are turning toxic for businesses. Bhargav Mitra and Robert McCausland explain why.
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Society, Politics & Law
How Trump tweets
Writing shortly after Donald Trump assumed office, Dr John Jewell observed that a new role hadn't changed the President's social media behaviour.
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Money & Business
Is Huawei's low-key approach the secret of its success?
A visit to the Huawei campus finds a company open to naps in the office but against bombast. It's a formula that appears to be working.