Darren Waters
@darrenwaters.bsky.social
BBC News journalist.
Growth, analytics and social.
Growth, analytics and social.
I'm inclined to agree with Polygon. Years of self sabotage by Microsoft has given Valve the confidence to do this. Xbox can't be a brand without an actual console strategy.
www.polygon.com/microsoft-xb...
www.polygon.com/microsoft-xb...
Xbox is screwed
The Steam Machine could eat Xbox's lunch if Valve plays its cards right
www.polygon.com
November 12, 2025 at 9:55 PM
I'm inclined to agree with Polygon. Years of self sabotage by Microsoft has given Valve the confidence to do this. Xbox can't be a brand without an actual console strategy.
www.polygon.com/microsoft-xb...
www.polygon.com/microsoft-xb...
A terrific list. Can I humbly add Peter Gabriel's Us. A more heart breaking collection of post relationship soul searching and reflection you won't find. Honest, painful and also beautifully performed, sung and produced.
Hooked on the new Lily Allen album and crave more vicarious heartbreak in your life? Charlotte Curran, one of our a PhD students, has written a fantastic @uk.theconversation.com guide to the best breakup albums: theconversation.com/seven-albums...
Seven albums to listen to during a breakup – from Lily Allen to Marvin Gaye
These breakup albums can help listeners to grieve previous relationships.
theconversation.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:28 PM
A terrific list. Can I humbly add Peter Gabriel's Us. A more heart breaking collection of post relationship soul searching and reflection you won't find. Honest, painful and also beautifully performed, sung and produced.
Any journalist giving credence to the notion that Earl or Pollock should play in the backline or Ford at 9 should question their life choices.
Ok.
November 2, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Any journalist giving credence to the notion that Earl or Pollock should play in the backline or Ford at 9 should question their life choices.
Shameful
This is one of the worst Scarlets performances I've ever seen. Just heartbreaking to see how poor we've become. I just don't see it ever getting better. Is there any point in fighting to continue. Llanelli rugby is dead.
October 10, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Shameful
This is one of the worst Scarlets performances I've ever seen. Just heartbreaking to see how poor we've become. I just don't see it ever getting better. Is there any point in fighting to continue. Llanelli rugby is dead.
October 10, 2025 at 8:24 PM
This is one of the worst Scarlets performances I've ever seen. Just heartbreaking to see how poor we've become. I just don't see it ever getting better. Is there any point in fighting to continue. Llanelli rugby is dead.
So those of us who had downgraded or cancelled our Ultimate subscription are sold short, it would seem.
Microsoft is delaying Xbox Game Pass Ultimate price hikes for some subscribers. Current subscribers in some European countries won’t be affected by Microsoft’s Game Pass price hikes just yet. Full details 👇 www.theverge.com/news/794032/...
Microsoft delays Xbox Game Pass Ultimate price hikes for some subscribers
Some European countries won’t be impacted by subscription price hikes
www.theverge.com
October 7, 2025 at 6:06 PM
So those of us who had downgraded or cancelled our Ultimate subscription are sold short, it would seem.
Microsoft really doesn't want to be in the console games business any more.
BREAKING: Microsoft is announcing big changes to Xbox Game Pass today. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is getting more features, but it's going up to $29.99 a month. PC games + cloud are also coming to new Game Pass Essential + Premium plans. Full details 👇 www.theverge.com/news/789424/...
Microsoft revamps Xbox Game Pass plans and hikes Ultimate to $29.99 a month
All Xbox Game Pass tiers are getting big changes
www.theverge.com
October 2, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Microsoft really doesn't want to be in the console games business any more.
More than one hour in a Google support chat thread taking to three different teams trying to do one simple thing: activate my Nest Aware account. Failed attempt to connect me to fourth team. This is really shoddy service from Google.
September 28, 2025 at 4:26 PM
More than one hour in a Google support chat thread taking to three different teams trying to do one simple thing: activate my Nest Aware account. Failed attempt to connect me to fourth team. This is really shoddy service from Google.
Your new daily obsession. You're welcome chartle.cc
Chartle - A daily chart game
Guess the country in red by analysing today's chart
chartle.cc
September 24, 2025 at 6:46 AM
Your new daily obsession. You're welcome chartle.cc
Upgraded my Pixel 8 Pro to 10 Pro. First impressions are that it's a decent uplift in performance. Am enjoying the smaller size and improved camera. Battery life seems on par for Google (average).
August 30, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Upgraded my Pixel 8 Pro to 10 Pro. First impressions are that it's a decent uplift in performance. Am enjoying the smaller size and improved camera. Battery life seems on par for Google (average).
Reposted by Darren Waters
My latest Bellingcat tool is out!
It lets you search what was said in council meetings across the UK and Ireland, and takes you directly to the right part of the video session to verify.
Check it out and let me know what you think! 👇
council-search.bellingcat.com
It lets you search what was said in council meetings across the UK and Ireland, and takes you directly to the right part of the video session to verify.
Check it out and let me know what you think! 👇
council-search.bellingcat.com
Bellingcat Council Meeting Transcript Search
Find verbatim quotes from council meetings in the UK and Ireland using this free open source research tool by Bellingcat.
council-search.bellingcat.com
August 29, 2025 at 8:44 AM
My latest Bellingcat tool is out!
It lets you search what was said in council meetings across the UK and Ireland, and takes you directly to the right part of the video session to verify.
Check it out and let me know what you think! 👇
council-search.bellingcat.com
It lets you search what was said in council meetings across the UK and Ireland, and takes you directly to the right part of the video session to verify.
Check it out and let me know what you think! 👇
council-search.bellingcat.com
The Eurostar experience at Paris Nord remains as dreadful as ever. Aside from the crush of passport control and security with v little organisation, the "hallway" of departures is chronically short of seats and the tannoys are garbled and barely audible. It's so far removed from the experience sold.
August 26, 2025 at 12:25 PM
The Eurostar experience at Paris Nord remains as dreadful as ever. Aside from the crush of passport control and security with v little organisation, the "hallway" of departures is chronically short of seats and the tannoys are garbled and barely audible. It's so far removed from the experience sold.
Schmidt complaining about Jac Morgan clear out has the hallmarks of trying to influence next week's ref. It was a text book clear out low, with wrap and shifted player legally. The theatrics from Aussie clutching his head after he fell back were embarrassing.
July 26, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Schmidt complaining about Jac Morgan clear out has the hallmarks of trying to influence next week's ref. It was a text book clear out low, with wrap and shifted player legally. The theatrics from Aussie clutching his head after he fell back were embarrassing.
Absolutely delighted with this news.
Wales beat Australia to claim first win under Lynn - www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-...
Wales beat Australia to claim first win under Lynn - www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-...
Wales beat Australia to claim first win under Lynn
Wales celebrate a first win under head coach Sean Lynn with a 21-12 victory over Australia in Brisbane in the first of two Tests.
www.bbc.com
July 26, 2025 at 6:58 AM
Absolutely delighted with this news.
Wales beat Australia to claim first win under Lynn - www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-...
Wales beat Australia to claim first win under Lynn - www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-...
I admire the boldness of giving users actual control over the front page.
We are hellbent on turning The Verge into a newsfeed that offers all the fun of a social network but with our taste and incredible community, and today is the next big step - you can now follow authors and topics to customize our homepage feed! So much more to come www.theverge.com/bulletin/710...
July 23, 2025 at 9:07 PM
I admire the boldness of giving users actual control over the front page.
Absurd praise for Tom Curry. Decent performance. No more. A good hit and some fine harrying. Should have seen yellow, missed a couple of tackles and wasn't anywhere near top tackler.
July 19, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Absurd praise for Tom Curry. Decent performance. No more. A good hit and some fine harrying. Should have seen yellow, missed a couple of tackles and wasn't anywhere near top tackler.
Australia are pretty dreadful. It's very much like watching Wales. No forward platform, no shape behind and a 10 who looks lost. Therefore I'm finding it very easy to support them.
July 19, 2025 at 10:51 AM
Australia are pretty dreadful. It's very much like watching Wales. No forward platform, no shape behind and a 10 who looks lost. Therefore I'm finding it very easy to support them.
If Jac Morgan isn't in the 23 for the Lions on Saturday I'm supporting Australia. Seriously. I don't want to be THAT supporter but come on, it's a joke.
July 16, 2025 at 11:13 AM
If Jac Morgan isn't in the 23 for the Lions on Saturday I'm supporting Australia. Seriously. I don't want to be THAT supporter but come on, it's a joke.
Have we (Wales) hit bottom yet? No. I don't think we have. We pick a lightweight team and play like we're going to dominate upfront.
July 5, 2025 at 7:24 AM
Have we (Wales) hit bottom yet? No. I don't think we have. We pick a lightweight team and play like we're going to dominate upfront.
People can talk about pedigree and being a "test match animal" as much as they want but Owen Farrell shouldn't be anywhere near this Lions squad. You've got to feel for those who hoped they were on standby for a full back, wing or centre injury.
July 3, 2025 at 3:59 PM
People can talk about pedigree and being a "test match animal" as much as they want but Owen Farrell shouldn't be anywhere near this Lions squad. You've got to feel for those who hoped they were on standby for a full back, wing or centre injury.
Thousands of people camped and queued overnight for tickets for the start of Wimbledon. And yet Centre Court right now is barely half full. It's appalling that Wimbledon is happy to sell tickets but not fill seats.
June 30, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Thousands of people camped and queued overnight for tickets for the start of Wimbledon. And yet Centre Court right now is barely half full. It's appalling that Wimbledon is happy to sell tickets but not fill seats.
Beneath the canopy: Pioneering satellite reveals rainforests' hidden worlds
www.bbc.co.uk/news/resourc...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/resourc...
Beneath the canopy: Pioneering satellite reveals rainforests' hidden worlds - BBC News
First groundbreaking images from the Biomass satellite could change our understanding of rainforests
www.bbc.co.uk
June 28, 2025 at 8:11 AM
Beneath the canopy: Pioneering satellite reveals rainforests' hidden worlds
www.bbc.co.uk/news/resourc...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/resourc...
LCD Soundsystem last night at Brixton was sublime. It's the closest I'll get to experiencing the Talking Heads Stop Making Sense tour. Almost flawless.
June 15, 2025 at 7:40 PM
LCD Soundsystem last night at Brixton was sublime. It's the closest I'll get to experiencing the Talking Heads Stop Making Sense tour. Almost flawless.
The #LastofUs series 2 episode 1 continues the run of almost note perfect adaptation for TV. It's clear that the story is going to struggle to match the dynamism of the game where the structure and shifting perspectives are so fantastically suited to gaming. But so far so good.
April 14, 2025 at 8:39 PM
The #LastofUs series 2 episode 1 continues the run of almost note perfect adaptation for TV. It's clear that the story is going to struggle to match the dynamism of the game where the structure and shifting perspectives are so fantastically suited to gaming. But so far so good.