Tech Tent: Can e-sports take on football

Every year it seems that professional sports - and, in particular, football, of both the American and English variety - grow richer, with broadcast rights, merchandise and sponsorship earning billions of dollars for the owners of top clubs, who promptly spend it on players. For quite a while, we have been told that e-sports, where audiences watch professional video games players in action, will soon rival football and basketball as a lucrative leisure industry. So far, those claims have looked overblown but this week the leading games firm Activision Blizzard outlined its audacious plan for an e-sports league which could match the NFL or the Premier League.

Sega debuts free classic games on mobiles

The first five, including Sonic the Hedgehog, are available now via the Apple and Android app stores. The gamemaker said it planned to release additional titles every two weeks for the Sega Forever service. Some fans have complained about the first releases, saying Sega has done a poor job of converting the classic titles to mobile devices. "Above all else Sega Forever is a celebration of nostalgia," said Mike Evans, head of Sega's mobile division in San Francisco in a statement. "It's about allowing fans to reconnect with past experiences.

Mansfield radio station hit by 'winker' song hijacker

Mansfield 103.2 has reportedly been targeted eight times in the past month. Outside broadcasts are being hijacked and replaced with The Winker's Song by comedy band Ivor Biggun. The station said attempts to catch the culprit had so far failed and some listeners had complained "their children have started humming the song". Station manager Tony Delahunty said the latest occasion was on Sunday when a live interview from the town's Party in the Market event was interrupted by a male voice shouting, then the song playing.

Tech boss attacks 'whiners' in angry email

Jonathan Teo from Binary Capital was responding to negative press coverage about the firm following allegations of sexual harassment by his co-founder Justin Caldbeck. He added that he was "tired and indignant", and raged against "whiners" who demanded his attention. Mr Teo has already offered to resign. He did so after Mr Caldbeck left the firm in June, following allegations of sexual harassment.

Get a refurbished Amazon Tap for $69.99

If I'm being honest, I'm already a little sick ofPrime Day-- and it doesn't even start until Monday evening.

But, hey, the Cheapskate's gotta skate to where the deals are, and right now the deals are atAmazon.

To wit: Today only, as part of the run-up to Prime Day, you can score acertified-refurbished Amazon Tap for $69.99 shipped. New, it's never dipped below $90 (so far), and this is quite literally good as new, so I'm calling it the "lowest price to date." (Will Prime Day proper bring an even lower price? The Cheapskate's crystal ball is foggy, but I don't think you'll regret jumping on this.)

President Trump's second foreign trip

President Trumps second foreign tripkicks off today in Warsaw the first leg of a trip that includes theG-20 Summitin Hamburg and a stop in Paris forBastille Day.

Rocking the Stasi

"Do we really have to copy all the rubbish that comes from the West with all the monotony of their 'Yeah, yeah, yeah,'" he sneered during one of his turgid speeches to the Communist Party faithful.