Phones, thrones, skins, lungs + more

Happy Friday! This week I’ve written my own descriptions with a little analysis under each headline (and not all headlines are the originals) to try to efficiently sneak in my 2c worth without turning the newsletter into an odyssey.

I’ve also chosen one dozen stories (aside from links to my own work) which I might make the target count each week.

12 worthy things maximum. Should that be six? 10? Let me know what you think.

@ Byteside

Chad ‘SPUNJ’ Burchill, Australian CS:GO analyst & former professional player — High Resolution: inside the video games industry — Overcast

Overcast

HCT Worlds recap w/ Stirling Coates from The Roar — The Scrapyard: A Blizzard games fan podcast — Overcast

Overcast

Visa trouble for top CS:GO esports star meant his team, and fans, suffered
Australia was harder than China for getting a visa for one of the world’s top players, according to his team manager. Can we do better at recognising esports athletes like sports stars or entertainers so they can come here to play? I managed to get one federal politician to speak to the future value of esports, so that’s something!

Big Things

Scientists Successfully 3D Print an Organ That Mimics Lungs

This revolutionary model could have a major impact on organ donations.

Popular MechanicsDavid Grossman

What Happened After My 13-Year-Old Son Joined the Alt-Right - Washingtonian

When my son Sam,* who was then 14, asked me to take him to the Mother of All Rallies on the Mall in September 2017, I said no. The pro-Trump event was billed as a demonstration to preserve “traditional American culture,” and white supremacists were expected to show up in force. Not only was this

Washingtonian - The website that Washington lives by.Anonymous

Games

Fortnite is free, but kids are getting bullied into spending money

The stigma of being a default

PolygonPatricia Hernandez

How YouTube let’s plays are preserving video game history

It’s a long-observed fact that the phenomenon of the YouTube let’s play has benefits beyond just entertaini…

Rock Paper ShotgunChris Wallace

Denmark Publishes Esports Strategy, Creates Panel to Encourage Industry Growth – ARCHIVE - The Esports Observer

Mentioned in this article Teams: Astralis Danish government officials revealed a new strategy for encouraging the growth of esports in the country. A dedicated Esports Panel will be formed this spring to help guide industry growth, foster up and coming talent (including girls), create/maintain healt…

ARCHIVE - The Esports Observer – ARCHIVE - The Esports ObserverH.B. Duran

Tech

Google Pixel 3A review: a $399 phone with a great camera

At $399 and $479, respectively, the Pixel 3A and 3A XL are great deals.

The VergeDieter Bohn

Google Fights Back

At Google I/O, Google was the opposite of defensive: the company set out to make the case that its approach made for better products that makes people’s lives better

Stratechery by Ben ThompsonBen Thompson

Eggheads confirm: Rampant Android bloatware a privacy and security hellscape

Bundled software not just an annoyance, it’s also a risk

The RegisterShaun Nichols

Culture

RIP To The Game Of Thrones Starbucks Cup, Gone Too Soon

I’m sad to report that the Starbucks cup that wound up in an episode of Game of Thrones is there...

Gizmodo AustraliaSubscribe