10 ARTICLES IN 10 DAYS: DAY 5

16^th September 2016: What's new, Sony?

Three years after their last launch, Sony have finally revealed their new console, the PS4 Pro (which was previously known as the Neo). Whilst it is essentially a mid-generation update, the PS4 Pro is a massive leap from what users of the current PS4 are familiar with. 

It seems that year after year, console makers have been improving their products by condensing them down in size and weight, however the Pro will defy this, being 295mm x 55mm x 327mm in size and weighing in at a hefty 3.3kg.

However this increase in weight is expected, as the specifications have had a massive boost, the system is equipped with more advanced GPU, a 4.20 TFLOPS, AMD Radeon™ and a faster memory. All of which will allow games to run quicker, meaning the gaming experience will run much smoother with less framerate tears occurring during more intense games. All of these features will look a lot more impressive too, as the PS4 Pro is capable of rendering games for ultra-high definition 4K monitors.

The Pro is designed to play the full library of PS4 games, however Sony have said that it will have no exclusives designed to only be played on it. Christopher Dring, the editor of a games publication said "This is an unprecedented step. We've not seen upgrades of this nature before, at least not on home consoles"

If you like what you are hearing about the PS4 Pro, it is set to be released on November the 10th 2016 and is estimated to cost £349.

Image credit: https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--OSbO-jFi--/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/nxlnqwbhx5vg0iupbjs0.jpg

Rob Crossley. (2016). PS4 Pro: A generational leap or misstep? Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-37302049. Last accessed 18.09.16.

Unknown. (2016). PS4 Pro vs PS4: What's the difference? Available: http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/ps4-pro-vs-ps4. Last accessed 18.09.16.

10 ARTICLES IN 10 DAYS: DAY 4

15^th September 2016: Four firemen called to local supermarket after employee gets stuck… In the till!

Earlier this week, a Nottinghamshire supermarket's checkout area got brought to a standstill, after one of their employees got his arm stuck in the moving conveyor belt of a till.

Four firemen were called out to the Morrisons store in Gamston, West Bridgford after the nineteen-year-old team leader, Oli Richings, was unable to free himself. The firemen managed to free the member of staff by oiling up the belt and gently removing his arm.

Colleagues and friends of the trapped boy posted on Facebook, sharing their shock and amazement of how it happened. A fellow team leader, John, jokingly posted on Facebook “Forget Oli, is the till ok!?”, whilst other management took a more sympathetic approach, Lisa commented on the post “Seriously guys, I leave you alone for one week and you have to call emergency services! I hope you are all okay”.

Whilst most people saw the funny side of the story, it is still baffling how Oli managed to get so seriously stuck. One checkout operator, Daniel, shared “I did this on my first shift! Luckily I managed to drag my arm out though, it was pretty sore afterwards and even bruised slightly!”.

When talking about the ordeal, Oli Richings said “I have no idea how this happened, one minute I was cashing up the till, the next the belt moved, trapping my skin in-between the the revolving plastic and the metal part of the till”.

10 ARTICLES IN 10 DAYS: DAY 3

14^th September 2016: Swelt-ember

Brits are being braced ahead of the scorching heatwave about to hit the country today. Just when you thought it was about time to pack away the sun hats and bikinis and forget about long lazy days on the beach, NHS England have declared a level-two heat alert. This heat alert means that there is an extremely high chance that the average temperature could top 30C.

It is extremely important to remember that during these balmy Autumnal days you still need to take the usual summer precautions. Doctors are advising that you drink plenty of fluids, keep the sun cream handy and remember that hot weather can put extra strain on people’s bodies.

In 2013 almost 760 deaths were due to an ongoing spell of hot weather, therefore the elderly, the young, and those with chronic health conditions, have been urged to take extra care during the extra hot period.

Social media users have been sharing their ways to keep cool during the roasting heat. Twitter user wan2fish said that the secret to staying happy, rtegardless of the weather all year round was to “always keep a bag of ice cubes in the freezer and some spare sun cream in the cupboard, you never really know when heat is going to strike, so it’s better to be safe than sorry”. Even more people took to sharing how they will be spending their days in the unexpected heat "I'm excited to spend my lunch break in St James' Park in London. Me and a few colleagues will be taking beach towels and stocking up on the ice cream" said Facebook user Anna Smith.

However you choose to spend these next few scorching days, remember to take extra precautions to keep yourself safe.

Image credit: http://www.aolcdn.com/photogalleryassets/mydailyuk/912333/eastbourne-pier-and-beach-1300.jpg

Unknown. (2016). Highest September temperature since 1911 as 34.4C recorded. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37345436. Last accessed 16.09.16.

10 ARTICLES IN 10 DAYS: DAY 2

13^th September 2016: Could apprenticeships be a better option for teens starting their career?

There is a lot of stigma surrounding apprenticeships and some people even look down their noses and feel that they do not hold the same value and esteem as a university degree, or even that they are only for those who did not 'get the grades' at A level.

This to a snobbish myth; apprenticeships can lead to a HND or HNC and can even progress on to a bachelor's degree. Also, unlike many qualifications, apprenticeships are vocationally focused, therefore they can lead straight into a career in the specific field that the person has chosen.

For most young people about to embark on a 'student sentence', the burden of the expense of going to university weighs heavily on the shoulders of both the student and their parents. With apprenticeships, however, young people become part of the workforce, and are paid a wage for the work that they do and the training involved to become qualified in their area of expertise.

In 2014/15, 499,900 apprenticeships started across England. Some of the most popular sectors included; ICT, leisure, travel and tourism, engineering, public services and care and planning and construction.

Alex Cooper, who recently completed his Advanced Apprenticeship (which is equivalent to 2 A levels) said “I really enjoyed working whilst learning and earning. I’m awful at sitting exams and my concentration in the classroom is poor. Learning on the job had allowed me to go straight into an industry that I love, whilst getting paid”.

Image credit: http://careerbright.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Apprenticeship.jpg

Sources of information:

Jeanne Delebarre (2016). Apprenticeship Statistics: England (1996-2015). London: http://www.parliament.uk/commons-library.