JOE’s Weekly Cheat Sheet #8: Swearing and VR

Something everyone will be talking about...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqelfBKuiic Sony's Playstation VR headset isn't the first of its kind to launch in the UK, but at £349.99 (Move controllers and camera not included) it's the cheapest and most accessible way of jumping on with what is arguably the biggest shake-up to the gaming industry since we made the move from 2D to 3D graphics all those years ago. It's practically impossible to describe virtual reality to somebody who has never tried it before. You can obviously explain that by putting on the headset you immediately feel like you've been transported to another world, but until you've had that experience yourself it's difficult to imagine just how mind-blowing it is. Nobody has any idea if this technology is going to really take off yet - especially as VR gaming for any prolonged amount of time is generally not advised - but if you're at all interested we recommend finding out which of your local retailers have a demo unit in store. Even if you don't make the leap just yet, you need to try this thing.

Something that'll make you (seem) cooler...

Are Vans (the shoes, not the vehicles) cool? Yes. Is Toy Story cool? Of course Toy Story is cool. Combine the two, then, and surely you get something unreasonably cool? We're not quite sure about that, but we still kind of want a pair of kicks from the Vans Disney•Pixar Toy Story collection. The legendary manafacturer has taken a number of its most timeless shoes - including the Classic Slip-On, the Sk8-Hi Reissue PT, the Old Skool and the Authentic - and decked them out with designs inspired by Pixar's most beloved movie series. And the best bit? Get a Woody or Buzz style sneaker and they'll have a proper Andy signature on the bottom. How's that for nostalgia? For more information on release dates head here.

Something you should listen to this week...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRcI2DeRPe8 Two Door Cinema Club practically claimed the indie dance floor for themselves when they burst onto the scene back in 2010,  and in the time since they've slyly become one of the country's best-loved bands. For their third studio album, 'Gameshow', the Northern Irish band are progressing their sound even further. Speaking to NME a while ago, singer Alex Trimble explained: "We’re not embracing the pop that’s going on now in a melodic or structural sense. The two biggest influences for me were Prince and Bowie - both total pioneers who straddled that line between out-there pop and avant garde craziness".

Something that'll change your life...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fArXoyKYtF0 LinkedIn is a brilliantly way of networking, but there's always been one big problem: you can't make a big deal of the fact you're on the lookout for a new job without potentially alerting your boss in the process. A new feature called Open Candidates aims to fix that. Accessing it allows you to privately signal to recruiters that you're open to new opportunities, even specifying the types of companies and roles that most interest you. Sneaky right? Find out more about how to use it here.

Something that'll make you seem clever in the group chat...

There's nothing worse than dropping the F bomb in a text for impact, only to see your iPhone's pesky autocorrect swap it for a reference to waterfowl. To be honest, it's really ducking annoying. But there is a way round it. Guardian US columnist Steven Thrasher discovered that all you need to do to trick Apple's swear filter is create a contact called "Fuck Fucker," or "Fucked Fucking". Pass it on to your mates and you'll never have your swears stolen away again. https://twitter.com/thrasherxy/status/784185497220448256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Something we highly recommend...

Have you ever wondered how good your name is? Doubtful, but luckily one of our writers has done the legwork for you. We've focussed mainly on Standard English Bloke names here, so if you're a Merlin or Bartholomew excited to find out how you rank, you're going to be disappointed. But as for the Johns, Jacks and Henrys of our tiny island nation - your fate awaits... You've been reading JOE's weekly newsletter, which you can also sign up for in email form below, to get tips on what to watch, what to listen to and what to say to sound like a smart ass in the pub delivered right to your inbox.