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 Oculus Avatars lets you become the badass you really are in VR
One of the most fun parts of using the Oculus Rift is almost hidden in plain sight, and it's called Oculus Avatars. The company rolled out fully customizable Avatars last week, but amid all the excitement around the Touch controllers and apps like Medium and Quill, some may have missed this other amazing new feature. Avatars is easily accessible through your Oculus Home menu and once you decide to edit your avatar you're transported to a dressing room in an apartment that has a stunning view of a futuristic city (one of my favorite parts of Oculus are the amazingly designed menu rooms). Read more... More about Oculus Avatars, Virtual Reality, Vr, Oculus Rift, and Oculus Read More »'SNL' alum Taran Killam joins 'Hamilton'
It's good to be the king. Just ask Taran Killam. The former SNL star will be making his Broadway debut on January 17th as King George in the blockbuster musical Hamilton, producers announced Wednesday, per Variety. SEE ALSO: Online 'Hamilton' ticket queue proves there is no God/life is meaningless/you should just quit now Known for his comedic roles on Saturday Night Live (where he was not asked back for the 2016/2017 season) and a serious turn in the Oscar-winning 12 Years a Slave, Killam's not as known —yet — for his singing voice. But sing he can! He co-starred with Jake Gyllenhaal in Little Shop of Horrors at New York's City Center in summer 2015. Read more... More about Broadway, Taran Killam, Saturday Night Live, Snl, and Hamilton Read More »The FBI wants you to know hacking is bad, fellow kids
Like everyone else, the FBI has had a tough 2016. Between their court battle with Apple and director James Comey's controversial role in the presidential election, it's been a wild ride — but is that any excuse for lame ass tweets? This week, the intelligence service launched a public prevention campaign with Europol and other law enforcement agencies to address cybercrime amongst young adults. However, the tweets promoting the campaign were borderline embarrassing and, well, can you just do a little better, please? More about Youth, Tech, Hacking, Cyber Security, and Fbi Read More »Here are the top 10 songs of 2016
When the world seemed like it was melting (not literally, but that too), we had music. 2016 was an electrifying year for new tunes. We got two surprise albums from Frank Ocean, a spiritual and groundbreaking collection of anthems from Chance the Rapper, and consistent pop excellence from Ariana Grande, Rihanna, Beyoncé, and much more all made a tumultuous year a little more bearable. In a feat that at times seemed impossible due to the sheer amount of wonderful music made this year, Mashable rounded up the top 10 singles put out in 2016. Enjoy, and don't @ us. More about Rae Sremmurd, Calvin Harris, Nils Sjoberg, Rihanna, and Ariana Grande Read More »Silicon Valley elites just played an awkward round of icebreakers with Trump
Trump Tower was buzzing with excitement on Wednesday afternoon as Silicon Valley giant after giant made their way through the golden lobby to meet with the president-elect. Though much of the meeting is being kept under wraps, video of the meeting room and a short introduction was obtained by Fox News and NowThis Politics. As he sat at a table surrounded by tech elites like Apple's Tim Cook, Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Tesla's Elon Musk, Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg, and of course, his children and Mike Pence, Trump said, "I'm here to help you folks do well, and you're doing well right now." He added that Peter Thiel, the guy who brought down Gawker and is now operating as a presidential adviser, helped make the invite list for the meeting. Read more... More about Politics, Donald Trump, Trump Tower, Tech, and Videos Read More »Meet the woman who quit her NYC job to run a baby goat sanctuary
If you're secretly looking for the final push to quit your job, this woman's success story might convince you. Leanne Lauricella left the NYC grind to open Goats of Anarchy, a sanctuary for special needs goats — and she has never been happier. Mashable spoke with Lauricella about how her new career came to be. "I was living in NYC and had been working as an event planner for several years. In 2011, I was married and moved to New Jersey and began commuting. My job was very stressful and required me to work during the day, some evenings and from home every night and on the weekends. It was consuming my life and I found myself feeling very unhappy, stressed and unfulfilled. I often thought to myself, 'there has to be more to life than this,'" she told Mashable. Read more... More about Goat, Animals, Cute Animals, Watercooler, and Goats Read More »7 incredible TV show finales that gave us the closure we needed
The end of a TV show is the beginning of its legacy. Here are seven of the most epic, unsettling, satisfying and memorable series endings (spoiler alert!) in the history of the small screen. Subscribe to CineFix for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/c/cinefix Read more... More about Mashable Video, Friday Night Lights, The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, and Futurama Read More »'Rogue One' rises to the top with a darker rebel force
In the first standalone Star Wars film, 'Rogue One' holds onto a gritty, more adult-oriented, tone. It's a surefire force that will annihilate the box office this weekend. Are you excited to see this new star wars story? Subscribe to CineFix for more videos. Read more... More about Mashable Video, Gareth Edwards, Donnie Yen, Forest Whitaker, and Diego Luna Read More »These lawmakers want to regulate your sex life—so we asked about theirs. Here's how they responded.
Lawmakers who are passionate about legislation that makes it nearly impossible for women to obtain a legal abortion, it turns out, are not interested in discussing their own experiences with contraception and ending a pregnancy. They want to legislate the most personal choice a woman can make — and yet, despite asking, we know little to nothing about their own decisions. Last week, 77 Ohio legislators voted to ban abortion upon the detection of fetal cardiac activity, as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, with no exception for rape or incest. We contacted every single one of those 77 lawmakers, to see if they'd answer three questions: Read more... More about Politics, Us World, and Us Read More »Ryan Lochte reveals he's having a baby in the most Ryan Lochte way
Ryan Lochte's swimmers made it. Or so we think. Today, Ryan Lochte — America's Golden Boy, Olympic athlete and famous liar — sort-of announced on Instagram that his fiancee, Kayla Rae Reid, is pregnant.
As he writes in the caption, "My Christmas gift came early this year, can't wait for next year! Best news I've ever received #CLOUD9 #excited #family #love #2017." Read more... More about Kayla Rae Reid, Swimming, Watercooler, Pregnant, and Pregnancy Read More »Lady Gaga's 'Million Reasons' video is a testament to the life-saving properties of girl power
"Million Reasons" is a pretty cut and dry breakup song, but the video is about the people that pick you up when your heart's shattered into pieces. And sometimes they have to pick you up off the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. Lady Gaga revives all the signature imagery of the Joanne era — pink hats, pantsuits, denim, sand as far as the eye can see — to put forth a simple message that's always worth repeating. We have to look after each other. This is what happens when you try stealing eggs from a mother snake
Don't try this at home. This snake keeper, who needed to move the eggs for breeding purposes, almost got attacked. Although, his seemed to think it was no big deal judging by his reaction. Yikes. Read more... More about Mashable Video, Snake Attack, Snake, Real Time Video, and Real Time Read More »Donald Trump and Peter Thiel have a secret handshake, I guess
President-elect Trump held a meeting with several tech leaders in Trump Tower today, during which he did a squeeze-shake-pat-pat secret handshake with advisor and Facebook board member Peter Thiel. Thiel, worth an estimated $2.7 billion, funded Hulk Hogan's lawsuit against Gawker and once said, "If you're a single-digit millionaire like Hulk Hogan, you have no effective access to our legal system." Clearly, Trump and Thiel are two normal every day human people just like you or me. CNBC captured video of the secret handshake, which Trump and Thiel maybe developed at summer camp for billionaires who like pro wrestling or something. Read more... More about Peter Thiel, Donald Trump, Watercooler, Politics, and Pics Read More »Watch Sean Gunn (aka Kirk from 'Gilmore Girls') scare YouTuber Anna Akana in new horror series
Move over, Luke's. Sean Gunn, best known for his role as Kirk on Gilmore Girls, has found a new coffee shop to hang out at called Podd's. In a new episode of YouTube Red's horror comedy series 12 Deadly Days, Gunn plays a darker role as a not-so-friendly neighbor. Mashable got an exclusive look at the episode (above). YouTuber Anna Akana and Ashley Fink of Glee co-star in the episode, titled "Coffee Cups." The series, which debuted Dec. 12, features a dozen interconnected tales of the residents of Saturn, Calif. as they find themselves terrorized by everything from killer carolers and lovelorn vampires to cursed fruitcakes and haunted Christmas trees. Read more... More about Blumhouse Productions, 12 Deadly Days, Sean Gunn, Anna Akana, and Youtube Red Read More »How Oculus could revive the 3D-printing revolution that never happened
The last thing anyone expected from virtual reality was the ability to create things that can live in the real world, but that's exactly what Oculus delivered last week with the release of Oculus Medium. Although we've shown how the app allows you to sculpt in VR — in the same vein as Google's paint-in-midair VR app Tilt Brush — what may not be obvious to many is that anything you create in the app can instantly exported to an .obj file (the standard format for virtual 3D objects) that can then be sent to most 3D printers for fabrication. More about Shapeways, Oculus Rift, Design, Art, and Oculus Medium Read More »Hey, San Francisco: Your next Uber might just drive itself
If you're in San Francisco looking for a ride, you might be among the first to be picked up by an autonomous vehicle. Uber is rolling out self-driving cars in the city Starting Wednesday, making it the second location in the company's autonomous initiative. Pittsburgh, home to the company's Advanced Technology Center, debuted the pilot program back in September. The self-driving vehicles, all Volvo XC90s courtesy of the Uber/Volvo partnership, will be matched with riders who request an uberX. Instead of displaying a driver's profile, the app will notify users the car on the way is a "Self-Driving Uber," with the option to cancel the trip and re-request a standard ride. Read more... More about Autonomous Vehicles, Ride Sharing, San Francisco, Self Driving Cars, and Uber Read More »SMOSH's Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox talk about their fav 'Ghostmates' co-star: T-Pain
"He's willing to get weird." That's what T-Pain's publicist told SMOSH co-founders Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox earlier this year in an email discussing potential projects between the YouTubers and the rapper. Padilla and Hecox, who have built a YouTube empire under their SMOSH brand, didn't know what they wanted to do with T. Pain just yet. But when working on their new movie Ghostmates, which debuted on YouTube Red on Wednesday, they decided why not write T. Pain in as one of the characters? The film follows socially awkward Charlie (Padilla), who moves into a furnished apartment where Eddie (Hecox) also lives. Eddie is obnoxious, self-involved and a ghost, one that only Charlie can see. To get rid of Eddie, Charlie agrees to help him get to heaven. Read more... More about T Pain, Film, Ghostmates, Youtube Red, and Youtube Read More »Tour the Wi-Fi enabled smart home of tomorrow, that you can totally buy today
Smartphone. Smart watch. Smart TV. We expect intelligence from all of our personal electronics—but our homes are largely behind the curve. We leave notes on the refrigerator for each other and prematurely return home to check whether we closed the garage door, so why don’t we just communicate with smoke signals and churn our own butter while we’re at it? Thankfully, an impressive wave of new technology is here to automate every aspect of your home. From lights and thermostats to cameras and security systems, you’ll get convenience and peace of mind from anywhere in the world using your smartphone, laptop or tablet. Read more... More about Smart Home, Tech, Home, and Gadgets Read More »New photo shows swirling storms ripping through Jupiter's clouds
Jupiter is a stormy world with turbulent gas and an ever-changing array of visible tempests swirling in the huge planet's clouds. Eight of those storms are now swirling on Jupiter, and some of them stand out in great detail in a new photo released by NASA this week taken by the agency's Juno spacecraft tasked with exploring Jupiter. The storms — which look like eight white pearls dotted throughout the planet's southern hemisphere — are rotating counter-clockwise and have been seen by spacecraft before, according to NASA. Read more... More about Juno Mission, Space Photos, Weather, Jupiter, and Nasa Read More »MashReads Podcast: 'Cat's Cradle' is the absurdist book we should all read
Sometimes we just need a little bit of whimsical existentialism in our lives. That's why this week on the MashReads Podcast, we read and discuss Kurt Vonnegut's book Cat's Cradle, a novel that defies description partially because of how absurd the plot is. The book follows a journalist, John — or Jonah, as he asks to be called — as he investigates the inventor of the atomic bomb. This investigation that leads him to discovering Hoenikker's eccentric children, the mysterious substance ice-nine, the secluded island San Lorenzo, a new religion called Bokononism (the basic tenet of which is that everything in Bokononism is a lie), all of which lead to the end of the world. Read more... More about Kurt Vonnegut, Podcast, Mashreads Podcast, Mashreads, and Books Read More »Creative wife includes deployed Air Force husband in adorable family Christmas card
One family Christmas card went to some pretty great lengths to get everyone in the shot. Ashley SIstrunk wanted to include her entire family in her Christmas card this year, her four children and her husband, Brandon - even though he is currently deployed over 7,000 miles away in Iraq. "I would see my friends posting their cute family Christmas photos and while I thought they were precious, my heart would get sad," Sistrunk told Mashable in an email, "I would think, 'I wish we could have a family Christmas card photo!'" More about Iraq, Military, Air Force, Greeting Cards, and Christmas Read More »Infuriating video will make you hate Comcast even more
As if you needed another excuse to hate on Comcast, a video of two Comcast workers causing traffic issues on an icy road sparked fury on Reddit Tuesday night. In the clip, an employee for Comcast Xfinity is working next to his truck at the base of a small hill in Indianapolis, Indiana. There's a light dusting of snow on the ground and more is falling, which has turned the road into a slippery mess. A concerned onlooker, Daniel, who requested Mashable not release his last name, asked the Comcast workers to be more conscious of those around them as their truck's location and minimal cones were not giving drivers ample notice. Vehicles started to run off the road as a result and Daniel busted out his camera to capture the scene. Read more... More about Comcast, Viral Videos, Watercooler, and Videos Read More »Justin Trudeau invites children's hospital patients to advance screening of 'Rogue One'
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau went to see Rogue One on Tuesday, and — because this is an outing at the movies, after all — he invited some friends. Twenty patients from the Children's Hospital of Ontario sat with Trudeau at the special advance screening, where they all got to see Felicity Jones, Diego Luna and a whole lot of Stormtroopers in action. Bonus: They all got to see it before all their friends. Midnight screenings? More like amateur hour.
A wild theory about why Trump left Twitter out of his big tech summit
Donald Trump gathered the biggest players in Silicon Valley at his gilded New York tower Wednesday afternoon. Amazon's Jeff Bezos was there, seated next to Google executives. So was Sheryl Sandberg from Facebook, sitting right next to Vice President-elect Mike Pence. But where was Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey or anyone from what is Trump's favorite social media platform? They may have been passed over because of a failed emoji advertising deal from back during the campaign, according to a report from Politico. Yes, Trump's failed attempt to have a custom emoji made for the #CrookedHillary hashtag may have kept Twitter out in the cold Wednesday. Read more... More about Tech Summit, Donald Trump, Twitter, Business, and Politics Read More »Amazon Prime Video arrives in Australia, but is it even worth it?
After a false start or two, Amazon quietly launched its Prime Video streaming platform in Australia on Wednesday. Australia is now one of 200 countries and territories where the service is available. Here's what you need to know: So, can I get two-day shipping now?No, this is just Amazon's streaming platform. Despite numerous news reports, Amazon has still not confirmed if and when it will launch its full Amazon subscription service in Australia. How much will it cost?Locally, Amazon's press release says the service will cost $2.99 (A$4.04) per month. Read more... More about Streaming Services, Mozart In The Jungle, Transparent, The Grand Tour, and Amazon Prime Video Read More »Eight million food processors recalled after broken blades end up in peoples' food
No one wants to find random stuff in their food, but metal blades might be the worst possible thing to dig up. That's exactly what happened to quite a few people using Cuisinart food processors. Eight million of those blenders are now being recalled by Cuisinart's parent company, Conair. There have been at least 69 reports of people finding tiny pieces of broken metal blades inside their food after using the food processors, including 30 reports of mouth lacerations or tooth injuries, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). More about Conair, Cuisinart, Blender, Recall, and Food Processor Read More »Instead of giving tickets, this police department is asking for toys for children in need
This Texas police department is handling traffic offenses a little differently this holiday season. Instead of handing out citations, the Godley Police Department is issuing notes asking citizens to voluntarily bring an unwrapped toy to the station for a child in need. (That doesn't mean you can drive recklessly through the small town located near Dallas-Fort Worth — only minor traffic offenses will be forgiven.) The idea came from the city's new police chief, Jason Jordan, who took over the position in March, and is hoping to make the notes a new annual tradition. Read more... More about Gifts, Donations, Christmas, Texas, and Police Read More »More than 1 billion Yahoo users hacked in new security breach, company reveals
Yahoo has revealed it was the victim of another cyberattack on its users' data. The company said Wednesday that it has found evidence of a massive hack that occurred in the fall of 2013 and compromised personal information belonging to more than a billion of the site's users. SEE ALSO: The 16 biggest tech stories of 2016 Yahoo believes the breach was likely separate from the late-2014 attack it brought to light last September, in which data related to more than 500 million accounts was leaked by what the company thought to be "a state-sponsored actor." In this case, law enforcement officials first alerted Yahoo to files that a "third party" claimed were stolen user data. With the help of forensic experts, the company was able to confirm their authenticity but has yet to identify a corresponding intrusion, Bob Lord, Yahoo's security head, wrote in a post providing security information for users. Read more... More about Yahoo Hack, Yahoo, and Business Read More »Marvel drops comic book covers inspired by Jay Z and Kanye West
Hip-hop and comic books have had a very close relationship over the decades, and once again, Marvel has taken that connection to another level with its ongoing series that transposes characters onto iconic rap album covers. Some of today's most lauded rappers—Jay Z, Kanye West and Vic Mensa—were all honored in the fourth installment of hip-hop inspired covers for different figures in the Marvel universe, all three which premiered on Complex. SEE ALSO: 'Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite' gameplay looks as slick as that cinematic trailer Read more... Kanye West's The Life of Pablo with Captain Marvel, by Jenny FrisonMore about Hip Hop, Conversations, Vic Mensa, Kanye West, and Jay Z Read More »Facebook moves toward funding original scripted shows
You could start seeing original Facebook shows in your News Feed. Mashable confirmed the tech giant is working on funding its own entertainment content. The company, which has spent the bulk of 2016 promoting and pushing Facebook Live, hopes to "kickstart" content for its recently created video tab, Facebook Head of Global Creative Strategy Ricky Van Veen said in a statement. “Earlier this year, we started rolling out the Video tab, a dedicated place for video on Facebook," the co-founder of College Humor and former IAC executive said. "Our goal is to kickstart an ecosystem of partner content for the tab, so we're exploring funding some seed video content, including original and licensed scripted, unscripted, and sports content, that takes advantage of mobile and the social interaction unique to Facebook. Our goal is to show people what is possible on the platform and learn as we continue to work with video partners around the world." Read more... More about Facebook Video, Facebook Live, Online Video, Digital Video, and Original Programming Read More »How fans pay the price for the NBA's grueling schedule
Basketball fans in Memphis paid to see their hometown Grizzlies take on LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love on Wednesday night. Instead, the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers will likely start a lineup featuring James Jones, DeAndre Liggins and Iman Shumpert. The defending NBA champs' high-powered trio is taking the night off, you see. In doing so, they're illustrating the unfairness of life as a modern NBA fan. Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said Tuesday that James, Irving and Love wouldn't make the trip to Memphis for Wednesday's game, the second in two nights for Cleveland. It's hardly an NBA anomaly — teams with hopes of playing well into the playoffs rest key players with some regularity. Read more... More about Nba, Sports, and Entertainment Read More »A 'Walking Dead' favorite is the new lead on 'Star Trek: Discovery'
Star Trek: Discovery has found its lead. It's Walking Dead actress Sonequa Martin-Green, Mashable has confirmed. She will be the first African-American woman to lead a Star Trek cast, fulfilling executive producer Bryan Fuller's goal for a female lead that would ideally be played by a woman of color. Martin-Green will continue to appear in her regular role as Sasha on The Walking Dead in addition to starring in Discovery. The actress joins previously announced cast members Michelle Yeoh, Doug Jones and Anthony Rapp, who will all serve as Starfleet officers, along with Chris Obi, Shazad Latif and Mary Chieffo, who are portraying Klingons. Read more... More about Sonequa Martin Green, The Walking Dead, Star Trek Discovery, Entertainment, and Tv Read More »Teens are partying less than ever, according to new survey
Teens are supposed to be wild and rebellious, experimenting with everything they can get their hands on and making dumb decisions. Society and "kids these days" have been in on this tacit agreement forever. Get it all out of your system now, before we need you to be functioning members of society. But instead, the next generation is calming down and maybe even getting ... boring. The National Institute of Health's annual "Monitoring the Future" survey released this week found teens aren't using drugs, drinking or even smoking weed as much as the teens that came before them. Read more... More about Partying, Teenagers, Teens, Us World, and Us Read More »The touching story of a 'wolf' rescued from the streets
Earlier this year, Hope For Paws, an animal rescue based out of California, received a tip that a wolf was walking the streets of Los Angeles. When the team found the animal, later named Julia, she was suffering from mange, multiple bacterial infections and malnutrition. Hope for Paws took Julia to the hospital, where she was cleaned up and treated for her wounds. A week later, she was placed in a foster home and was hardly recognizable as the dog picked up off the streets. The rescue announced in their video that Julia was rescued just a few weeks later, and DNA testing shows that she's not a wolf after all, but part German shepherd and Siberian husky. Read more... More about Dogs, Animals, Viral Videos, Watercooler, and Videos Read More »This mom did all of her holiday shopping without spending a penny
A woman in Toronto has said she managed to buy all the gifts she needed this holiday season without dropping a single dime. Diane Simon used an app called Bunz to trade things like old clothing and some kitchenware for gifts like a Michael Kors purse and a pair of sunglasses, CBC News reports. Bunz is an app and website where you can connect and trade, and no money can exchange hands. It features posts from over 100 cities, from London to New York and LA to Montreal. "I'm clearing out unused items, and I'm getting amazing stuff back," Simon told CBC Radio's Metro Morning. Read more... More about Canada, Toronto, Trade, Bunz, and World Read More »Oculus Medium hands-on: Now everyone gets to be a 3D artist
VR sculpting tool, Oculus Medium, was released to the public last week. And it may just be the most powerful demonstration of just how monumental the Oculus Rift — used in concert with its Touch controllers — can be. Even the most mainstream users will find it easy to grok. After living with Oculus Medium for about a week, here are some of the most important things about this groundbreaking app that you should know. TutorialsAlthough most people could begin engaging the app with no guidance, I strongly recommend you take at least a couple of the brief tutorials offered. Read more... More about Virtual Reality, Vr, Oculus Touch, Art, and Apps Read More »5 ways to keep your holiday shopping secret
The holidays are tough enough without every single surprise you have planned being spoiled by the stupid internet. Wherever you shop and whatever you shop for, you are being tracked. It's not such a big deal in the summer, when shopping for flip-flops results in every single website you look at thrusting fresh flip-flop ads in your face During the holidays, though, you're busy trying to keep presents secrets and equally busy not leaving the couch while doing all your holiday shopping online. The internet couldn't care less. Ad networks pick up the news that your girlfriend is getting a Go Pro and then the only ads your computer shows are for Go Pros and Go Pro knock-offs. Those ads appear on websites and even on social media networks like Facebook. Read more... More about Ad Blocking, Privacy, Holiday Shopping, Holiday 2016, and Tech Read More »#WakeyLeaks is college football's delightfully absurd spy scandal
Wake Forest's football team got demolished by Louisville Cardinals (44-12) last month, but it turns out some foul play gave the winning team a serious advantage. Tommy Elrod, Wake Forest's radio announcer and former assistant coach, leaked game plans to the Cardinals' offensive coordinator, Louisville said on Wednesday. Wake Forest launched an investigation last month after it found a sheet featuring its plays in Louisville's stadium a day before the two teams met on Nov. 12. The ridiculous turn of events has been appropriately labeled #WakeyLeaks, thanks to the Internet. More about Ncaa, Louisville, Wake Forest Demon Deacons, College Football, and Football Read More »It took less than a day for California to crack down on Uber's self-driving cars
Those self-driving Uber cars that started picking up passengers Wednesday morning in the company's hometown of San Francisco have already been ordered to pull over — less than a day into the pilot program. State regulators cracked down on the ride-hailing company's autonomous vehicle program that was knowingly operating without a permit. Uber hadn't registered for the Autonomous Vehicle Tester Program when the cars started driving this morning. The California Department of Motor Vehicles later Wednesday sent a letter to Uber's Anthony Levandowski asking the company to cease operations immediately or face legal action. Read more... More about Tech, San Francisco, Self Driving Cars, Uber, and Transportation Read More »Stop rating flight attendants on how hot they are
We still expect a winning smile to come with our free peanuts when we fly. A recent air travel website survey ranked the hottest airlines — and their survey doesn't tell us anything other than people are superficial. Great, so flight attendants are overall pretty to look at. Honestly, why do we care? The Emirates airline received an average 7.17 "attractiveness rating" based on a Trippy poll from some 2,000 rankings. United Airlines came in second in hotness with an average 6.73 rating. More than a dozen other airline flight attendants were scrutinized on that terrible 1-10 scale that all women have come to hate. Read more... More about Rankings, Flight Attendants, Air Travel, Watercooler, and Us Read More »Somebody supercut 400 versions of 'A Christmas Carol' in one video
It would take a crazy amount of commitment to watch the hundreds of versions (yep, there's that many) of Charles Dickens' famed A Christmas Carol. You know the story. Bitter old Ebenezer Scrooge hates Christmas, but with the help of some ghosts, eventually comes around to being kinder and gentler — spreading holiday cheer that'll leave you hopeful for humanity and what not. Now YouTuber, Heath Waterman, has stitched together literally hundreds of adaptations in film, television, songs, comics and more into one cohesive supercut. "A little over a year and a half ago I became obsessed with all the various A Christmas Carol adaptations there were," Waterman writes in the description. Read more... More about Supercut, Christmas, Holidays 2016, Videos, and Video Read More »Inside the White House's first-ever competitive gaming event
Cheers and applause ripple from the crowd as pro gamer Justin Wong sets down his red and black fight pad. On the same couch sits Darryl “Snake Eyez” Lewis, who just lost to Wong in a best-of-three series of Street Fighter V. The two players are bookended by tonight’s color commentary from Mike Ross and Ryan "Gootecks" Gutierrez. There's something out of place, aside from Snake Eyez being forced to use a regular controller instead of his usual fight pad due to a technical issue. All four of the people on stage are wearing suits. An American flag hangs behind them, and over Wong's right shoulder sits a statue of a bald eagle baring its talons, its outstretched wings hanging frozen above two plates bearing the Seal of the President of the United States of America. Read more... More about Healthcare, Twitch, Esports, Gaming, and White House Read More »Goodbye Pirate Bay: It's D-Day for illegal downloading sites in Australia
Say goodbye to Pirate Bay, Australia. (At least, until you figure out how to use a VPN.) In a landmark case in the Federal Court in Sydney Thursday, Justice Nicholas ordered internet providers "take reasonable steps" to block websites including Solar Movie, Pirate Bay, Torrentz, TorrentHound and IsoHunt. Under a site blocking law passed in 2015, Foxtel and Roadshow applied to the court in February for an injunction to force internet service providers (ISPs) such as Telstra and Optus to block sites that they claimed had the "primary purpose" of supporting copyright infringement. Read more... More about Site Blocking, Isohunt, Pirate Bay, Solar Movie, and Roadshow Read More »The Terminator is the perfect killing machine for the person who has everything
It's time to say "Hasta la vista" to boredom with this action figure. Warning: It might need your clothes, your boots and your motorcycle. Subscribe to CineFix for more videos. Over 150 photojournalists and filmmakers demand better encryption in cameras
Photojournalists and filmmakers of all stripes have joined together to send a message to the world's leading camera manufacturers: give us better tools to protect our media. In an open letter published by the Freedom of the Press Foundation, over 150 concerned photojournalists and documentary filmmakers from around the world signed on to urge Nikon, Sony, Canon, Olympus and Fuji to develop better encryption systems for cameras. Although all types of journalists face risks while covering controversial or dangerous events, the work of photographers and videographers is especially vulnerable to tampering and theft. Most modern devices that store data, like computers and smartphones, provide built-in encryption systems. Read more... More about Freedom, Canon, Tech, Encryption, and Cameras Read More »Plug in, tune out: 30 podcasts to get you through the holidays
The holidays are a great time to catch up with friends and family, but it's also a perfect time to completely ignore them, when it all gets too much. There's nothing like plonking your headphones in and listening to one of the many excellent podcasts out there. And it's the perfect way to get some much-needed alone time in between all the festivities. While you're probably well aware acclaimed podcasts like This American Life, Serial or How Stuff Works, you might be hungry for something new these holidays. So, we asked around the Mashable office to find out what people are listening to. Here are our compiled top 30 podcasts might might not have listened to, but definitely should. Read more... More about Podcasts, Podcast, Australia, Entertainment, and Mashreads Read More »New site visualises how you rode with Uber in 2016
The folks at Uber have made "Year with Uber", a data visualisation site that offers a view of your Uber riding pattern for the year. The site, which went live Thursday, asks you to log in, then presents you with information about your rides on the platform in 2016 via a click-through slideshow. I drive most places, but occasionally hop on an Uber to work events if parking will be difficult. So Uber labelled me a "daytime traveller," and noted that my measly 14 rides in 2016 were "fewer and more far between than most." Image: mashable screenshot/uber Read more... India was gripped by fictional girl, as its search trends for 2016 reveal
This year, Indians moved on from obsessing over porn star-turned-actress Sunny Leone, to look for a person on the internet who doesn’t even exist. In 2015, Sunny Leone was the most Googled personality in India. This year, however, she couldn't make the top 10. But someone else was high up on the search rankings. Sonam Gupta, who was much discussed amid the country’s major demonetization move, ranked third as most searched person in India this year, according to Google India’s trending metrics. The only problem? She doesn’t exist. Read more... More about Google Trends, Google, India, and Tech Read More »This 'Terminator 2' action figure would be greatest gift of all time
It's the holiday season and Skynet is threatening to destroy humanity. We've got the perfect gift for you! Don't worry, it has promised not to kill anyone. Subscribe to CineFix for more videos. Read more... More about Mashable Video, Toy Commercial, Toys, Action Figures, and Arnold Schwarzenegger Read More »2016's magazine covers increased in diversity, but nowhere near enough
While buying fashion magazines seems to be going out of vogue (pardon the pun) if sales figures are anything to by, nothing quite beats the prestige of being the cover star of a glossy magazine. That's why representation and diversity are so important. According to The Fashion Spot, 2016 was the year that a growing number of people of colour graced the covers of major fashion magazines. Great news! But how many, exactly? Just 29 percent. In other words, not nearly enough. Of 679 cover models across 48 top international fashion publications surveyed, 29 percent of them were women of colour, an increase of 6.2 per cent from 2015's results. Read more... More about People Of Color, Diversity, Elle, Vanity Fair, and Vogue Read More »With Netflix and Stan running the show, is there any room for Amazon?
On Wednesday afternoon, the CEO of Australian streaming provider Stan predicted Amazon Prime Video would launch that day or the next in Australia, and it was so. Amazon's streaming video platform was live by Wednesday evening, introducing a new competitor to Stan's Mike Sneesby, and just as his company has seen off more than 18 months of rivalry with Netflix and other niche providers. With Amazon's arrival, are things heating up in Australia's streaming market? Sneesby, as you might expect, was positive about the future of streaming locally. In his view, there's room for everyone, if everyone finds their place. Read more... More about Amazon Prime Video, Amazon, Presto, Stan, and Netflix Read More »Uber might now be able to charge thrice as much in India
It appears there will be no escape from inflated taxi fares for now. A new set of guidelines released by India’s central government reveals that ride-hailing services such as Uber and its local counterpart, Ola, can now charge customers three times the minimum fare during the day, and up to four times between midnight and 5 a.m. However, the minimum fare will still have to be submitted by these companies to the state transport departments for approval, reported the Times of India on Thursday. The surge pricing will extend only to vehicles that are less than 4m (13 ft) in length, which apply to UberGO and Ola Micro services, that are classified as "economy taxis" in the country. Read more... More about India, Ride Hailing Apps, Ola, Uber, and Tech Read More »Lucid Motors Air is a luxury electric car with a 400-mile range
Step aside, Tesla Model S, there's a new kid in town. More accurately, there will be a new kid in town in 2018, when Lucid Motors launches the Air, a luxury EV that was unveiled Wednesday at a company event in Fremont, California. The car, which will cost more than $100,000 at launch, will have supercar-class specs: two motors with a combined 1,000 horsepower and a zero to 60 mph acceleration in 2.5 seconds. It will also have some autonomous features, including cameras, radars and Lidar. Lucid also claims there would be an option with a 130 kWh, 400-mile range battery; for comparison, Tesla's priciest Model S variant, the P100D, boasts a 337-mile range. The standard Air model, however, will have a 100 kWh battery, just like the P100D. Read more... More about Electric Vehicle, Electric Car, Lucid Motors, Tech, and Transportation Read More »Bad news, LEGO prices are going up and people are blaming Brexit
Prices of LEGO will go up by an average of 5% in Britain next year because of the continuing devaluation of the pound in the aftermath of the Brexit vote. A LEGO spokesman told Mashable that the measure will be effective from January 2017. "This is purely because of the currency," he said in reference to the fall in sterling's value after the EU referendum in June. LEGO doesn't set prices in individual shops but the increase will affect LEGO Stores across the UK, the spokesman said. In November, LEGO's largest Store was opened in London's Leicester Square. Read more... More about Brexit, Uk, Price, Lego, and Lifestyle Read More »Netflix inks exclusive deal with the 'King of Bollywood'
One brings two. Two ought to bring more. Just a day after the launch of Amazon Prime’s video-streaming service in India, where it announced extensive local content partnerships, its global counterpart Netflix has announced a long-term content deal with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s production house Red Chillies Entertainment. “Netflix is the new home of King Khan” — said an official statement released by the on-demand video service. All existing Red Chillies’ titles as well as Khan’s films that will hit theatres in the next three years would be exclusively accessible to Netflix’s global subscriber base of 86 million. Read more... More about Bollywood, Amazon Prime Video, Amazon, Shahrukh Khan, and Shah Rukh Khan Read More »The guy who reviews London chicken shops made a glorious TV appearance
LONDON — Remember that guy who went viral last week for his passionate YouTube reviews of London chicken shops? Well, he's now hit the big time: on Tuesday evening, the Chicken Connoisseur (a.k.a. Elijah Quashie) appeared live on ITV London.
Unsurprisingly, his appearance proved as popular as his chicken shop reviews.
Flying out of Indian airports won't be an alien experience anymore
India is finally doing something about making flying less of a hassle for its commuters by fixing a problem that is unheard of elsewhere in the world. Starting today, people at seven of India’s airports don’t have to stand in queues to get their hand baggage stamped by security officials. A week long trial began today at airports in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, where passengers will not have to get their baggages stamped. The trial is only available to people taking domestic flights. Depending on the success of the ongoing trial, the official says they will look explore giving people the option to avoid getting their boarding pass stamped as well. Read more... More about Airlines, India, Airport, and Tech Read More »Santa and his reindeer buddy make the perfect festive biker team
We all know Santa and his reindeer travel by sleigh on Christmas eve, but what about the rest of the time? It's not as if you can ride a sleigh down to the local store to pick up some milk, after all — you'd be noticed immediately. It looks like Martha Hudson from Dublin, Ireland may have finally solved the mystery. On Sunday she shared a video on Facebook of Santa and one of his trusty reindeer casually biking along a residential road in Ireland's capital. If that doesn't get you in the festive spirit, nothing will. Read more... More about Ireland, Dublin, Biker, Reindeer, and Santa Claus Read More »IMDb meets Bollywood, launches 'India Spotlight'
The world’s largest movie database is finally ready to look at Bollywood. Amazon-owned IMDb announced Thursday it is adding an "India Spotlight" to its website. The new section features several recently released Bollywood titles and also has news articles and other updates from India’s movie industry. "Now, in addition to being your authoritative destination for information on international movies and TV shows, you can also rely on IMDb as the entertainment destination that will keep you up to date on Indian movies and celebrities," IMDb Founder and CEO Col Needham said in an email sent to many IMDb users in India Thursday. Read more... More about Entertainment, Tv Shows, Movies, Amazon, and India Read More »5 things to do right now if your Yahoo account was hacked
If you've just logged into your Yahoo email and read an urgent security letter from the Yahoo team saying that your account has been compromised, you are one of the more than a billion users that have been hacked. The massive data breach actually happened in August 2013 but was just revealed by the company. It's separate to an incident from 2014 and is believed to affect names, email addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, MD5-hashed passwords (a form of encryption now widely considered insecure) and security question answers, according to the company. Read more... More about Data Breach, Hack, Yahoo, and Tech Read More »James Franco and Bryan Cranston face off in game of Who Said It?
Bryan Cranston and James Franco, stars of the new movie Why Him?, guess which quotes were said by a man from Florida or by a tech billionaire. Subscribe for more like this: http://on.mash.to/SubscribeWatercooler Starbucks just liquified the grossest holiday food
Some traditions just won't die. The fruitcake has long been the annoying friend of the Christmas world. Nobody wants it around, but for some reason it just keeps showing up to the party. Now, it's even infiltrated our beloved Starbucks. The caffeine pushers are launching a limited edition Fruitcake Frappuccino on Thursday, which will be available in participating stores throughout the U.S. and Canada until Dec. 18. According to a press release from Starbucks, the liquified cake starts with a Hazelnut Crème Frappuccino. It's then blended with dried fruit and spiced cinnamon, topped with whipped cream, caramel dots and a sprinkle of matcha. Read more... More about Christmas, Starbucks, Watercooler, and Videos Read More »Holiday self-care package helps the LGBTQ community at the end of a shitty year
The holidays are supposed to be a time for cheer and celebration. But for some members of the LGBTQ community, the season offers reminders of family rejection and a lack of acceptance. Self-care is essential when confronting these complex relationships with loved ones. Now, there's a new "e-package" to help LGBTQ people get through the holidays with some extra support. Popular LGBTQ website Everyone Is Gay has released an online self-care package called "Where the Love Light Gleams," to encourage self-care and self-love during the holiday season. Read more... More about Family, Holidays 2016, Self Care, Lgbtq, and Social Good Read More »Thailand rejoice, Sriracha sauce is now available there
Thais can now buy Sriracha sauce, to see what all the fuss is about The popular chilli sauce comes from Californian manufacturer Huy Fong Foods, founded by Vietnamese-American David Tran, which has been making it since the 1980s. SEE ALSO: 8 times Sriracha went too far The sauce, in its distinctive red rooster packaging, is often thought of as originating from Thailand, because it's similar to the garlicky dipping sauces used in seafood restaurants there. It's also named after the Thai province of Si Racha. But it's entirely American. Most Southeast Asian countries don't carry it. Now, Thais can buy it via online retailer Lazada. According to Huy Fong's new Facebook page promoting Sriracha in Thailand, the sauce will start showing up on traditional supermarket shelves, too. Read more... More about Lazada, Thailand, Sriracha, Food, and Lifestyle Read More »Hopper raises $62 million in its bid to take over travel
Travel isn't just for the big players anymore. Hopper, the app launched in 2015 that predicts the cheapest time to buy a plane ticket, raised about $61.8 million in a Series C round announced Thursday. The Canadian company reported that amount as $82 million in Canadian dollars. That puts the nearly 2-year-old app up against Priceline, Expedia and all the other major players in air travel. Hopper only has a mobile app, and doesn't plan to move to desktop. The Series C round was led by Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, a pension fund manager. Hopper scans billions of airfare price quotes to predict flight prices with what it says is 95 percent accuracy. If you set up an alert for a trip you're planning to take, Hopper will tell you what price would be a good deal and whether you should wait or book now. Then the app will send you a push notification when it thinks you should book, which you can do within the app. Ninety percent of the app's sales come from push notifications, rather than from users searching. Read more... More about Hopper, Apps, Airfare, Travel, and Business Read More »Woman expertly trolls people who won't stop asking when she's having kids
Choosing to have children is one of the most important, personal decisions a human can make. So, naturally, it's one of the decisions people love to be nosy about. Tired of being asked when she and her husband would have kids, one woman, Imgur user marlboroprincess, decided to respond with a prank. She posted a few "pregnancy" pics featuring a mysterious bump later revealed to be the couple's puppy, Leelu. "Close enough, right?" she wrote in the caption. Since it was posted, the clever photo set has received over a thousand comments — many of them empathetic. Read more... More about Imgur and Watercooler Read More »Prepare to get emotional over this new short film about opportunity
Over the Holidays we’re all accustomed to getting a little emotional. As a time for celebrating and reflecting on the past year, the Holidays is special to each and every one of us for different reasons. Of course, having the opportunity to celebrate the Holidays with loved ones is something not everyone has a chance at, and Thai Life Insurance’s latest short film “Opportunity” is sure to speak to those who have struggled to create opportunity in times of darkness. But what does opportunity mean? This is the burning question that lies at the centre of “Opportunity”. At the core of Thai Life is a stringent belief in the “value of life”, and this short film focuses on the everyday hero overcoming adversity, seizing their own opportunities and creating opportunity for those less fortunate and for those whose struggle we know. It’s an emotional journey, beginning with the presentation of the question: “How do opportunities arise?” Read more... More about Supported and World Read More »'What Remains of Edith Finch' tells an artful story about death
What Remains of Edith Finch is the exact type of game that gets derided as a “walking simulator.” That's silly. For one thing, the label carries negative connotations, implying that a video game in which all you do is walk around and experience something is inherently bad. That flawed line of thinking does nothing but limit the kinds of games we get to play. Besides, in Edith Finch you also leap nimbly from tree branch to tree branch, swim swiftly through the sea, soar across the sky, and slither on your slimy belly stalking human prey. All of that is part of the single chapter that developer Giant Sparrow showed off at PlayStation Experience 2016. Read more... More about Entertainment, Film, Gaming, Annapurna Pictures, and Giant Sparrow Read More »Genius site tracks the Twitter apologies issued by UK transport companies
LONDON — If there's one thing us Brits love to complain about (aside from the weather), it's transport. This year — particularly with the recent rail strikes that have affected commuters — transport-based anger seems to be at an all-time high. But what kind of scale are we talking about here? Well, although there's no way of tracking the day-to-day mutterings of delayed commuters, there is one thing that can be monitored — Twitter complaints. Or, rather, Twitter apologies. Image: omid kashan Omid Kashan, a 26-year-old graphic designer and web developer from Manchester, has done exactly that. Read more... More about Twitter, Uk, Website, Transportation, and Tech Read More »Meet Mrs. Claus, the 76-year-old woman who has over 3,000 Santa Clauses
Carmen Suva lives in Manila, Philippines in what is now known as the "House of Santa Claus." Suva, a local celebrity around every holiday season, has been collecting Santa collectibles for more than 40 years. Read more... More about Philippines, Mrs. Claus, Real Time Video, Real Time, and Christmas Read More »Florida man or tech billionaire?
Bryan Cranston and James Franco guess which quotes were either said by a man from Florida or by a tech billionaire. Read more... More about Mashable Video, Why Him, Guess, Quotes, and Florida Man Read More »Uber's first gadget, Beacon, helps you find the right ride
Finding the right Uber car might not be very hard at an empty parking lot, but when you're coming out of a nightclub or a sports event, there might be dozens of similar cars (most of them invariably Toyotas) waiting to pick someone up. Enter Beacon, Uber's first hardware product. It's a simple gadget Uber drivers can stick to their windshield; it looks exactly like Uber's (new) logo, and it glows in different colors that match whichever hue the customer has chosen. Beacon is by no means necessary; Uber already lets customers see the driver's car make and license plate in the app. But noticing a Beacon with a matching color could be easier from afar, especially for those with less-than-perfect eyesight. Read more... More about Beacon, Uber, Tech, Transportation, and Gadgets Read More »'Can I have your meds?' and other questions you shouldn't ask someone with ADHD
In my experience, living with ADHD means actual, real personal difficulty. I buy five pairs of eyeglasses per year because I keep losing them. It drives me insane when I lose my last set of duplicate keys. Again. So whenever someone tells me they are, "so ADHD,” asks questions about my medication or feels comfortable enough to give unsolicited medical advice, I find these remarks bizarrely inconsiderate. It's possible these comments are rooted in the belief that some don't consider ADHD a real disorder. This stigma leads to varying, incorrect opinions, such as the assumption that ADHD is an excuse to medicate children that have trouble focusing or is caused by bad parenting. And, apparently, it leads to people not knowing how to talk about it. Read more... More about Adhd, Watercooler, and Conversations Read More »John Legend was out of town for a Santa photo, so Chrissy Teigen improvised
The key to a great Christmas photo is Santa. John Legend is less necessary, so long as you have a few craft supplies. Chrissy Teigen, for example, took her and Legend's baby Luna to snap a family pic with Santa Claus on Wednesday. Legend, however, was away in Paris, so Teigen improvised by making a mask of her husband's face and having another person pretend to be him. Talk about a holiday hack!
Here are the 10 best video games of 2016
Video games were a blessed escape during the darker moments of 2016. The best of them helped us step away from the daily trials that this garbage year delivered. Not all of them have happy stories — or even happy endings — but they provided a much-needed break from reality. More than that, the blockbuster games of 2016 seemed to grow up. It was encouraging, for example, to see so many stories focused on non-white faces. Some, such as Lincoln Clay's racially charged journey through Mafia III, were there to make a statement; others, like the multi-ethnic cast in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, trumpeted diversity by simply not drawing attention to it. Read more... More about Gaming, Entertainment, and Esports Read More »'Solace' clip shows confrontation between Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Abbie Cornish (Exclusive)
What happens when you mix science, the supernatural, and some good old fashioned sass? We'll find out in Solace, Afonso Poyart's new drama starring Anthony Hopkins, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Abbie Cornish and Colin Farrell. In an Mashable exclusive, we see FBI agent Joe Merriwether (Morgan) introduce his former colleague Dr. John Clancy (Hopkins) to his partner, Katherine Cowles (Cornish). But since Clancy specializes in the paranormal and Cowles dismisses it, they don't exactly hit it off. Solace will be in theaters and On Demand Dec. 16th. Read more... More about Anthony Hopkins, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Entertainment Read More »27 times J.K. Rowling was the hero we all needed in 2016
LONDON — 2016 is not going to go down in history as many people's favourite year. That doesn't mean it hasn't had its upsides, though. J.K. Rowling, as always, was one of them. Anyone who follows the Harry Potter author on Twitter and enjoys watching her mercilessly crush trolls with her wand-sharp wit will know why: when it comes to shut downs, epic exchanges and just generally being an awesome person, there are few who can compete. From magical comebacks to messages of solidarity and support, here are her most heroic tweets from the past year... Read more... More about Hero, Shut Down, Uk, Twitter, and Hillary Clinton Read More »The best (and worst) news bloopers of 2016
The year 2016 may have been an awful wasteland but at least the news bloopers were entertaining. News Be Funny, a YouTube channel dedicated to documenting the best news bloopers the local news has to offer released its annual round up on Thursday, and it's equally awkward, hilarious and embarrassing. Never change, local news. Facebook Messenger now has its own Snapchat-like camera, too
You can now add Messenger to the growing list of Facebook-owned services to add a camera feature that looks a lot like Snapchat. Called "Messenger Camera," the new tool allows users to exchange photos with text, doodles, stickers, illustrated frames and animated effects. The feature is beginning to roll out to Messenger's iOS and Android apps now and will be available globally, Facebook says. Similar to the in-app camera Facebook is testing in Ireland, Messenger Camera is meant "to make it faster, simpler, and more fun to send photos and videos," according to Facebook's description. One key difference between Snapchat and other camera features Facebook has piloted, though: Photos exchanged via Messenger Camera do not disappear after they are sent. Read more... More about Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, Facebook, Apps And Software, and Tech Read More »The 'Westworld' cast didn't know WTF was going on either
Spoiler alert: The following account contains major plot details from Season 1 of Westworld. If you haven’t seen it, reading further will definitely ruin it for you — freeze all motor functions! To refresh your memory, check out our season finale recap. DUBAI — If you thought Westworld was an exhausting, often frustrating — and ultimately vain — exercise in trying to solve an intricate TV puzzle, imagine being in the cast. Virtually none of the actors knew quite where the HBO show’s time-hopping story was going until it became a need-to-know situation — not even Jeffrey Wright, who plays Bernard, the character with more twists and turns than any other. Read more... More about Luke Hemsworth, Jeffrey Wright, Westworld, Entertainment, and Tv Read More »Trump rally sucker-punch case comes to a happy ending of forgiveness
After a long, brutal presidential campaign punctuated with calls for violence from President-elect Donald Trump that sometimes came to fruition, one example of a physical political confrontation has gotten a happy ending and given our dead, cold hearts a sliver of hope. On Wednesday, in a North Carolina court, a now-chastened John McGraw pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of assault and battery and disorderly conduct stemming from an incident in which he sucker-punched Rakeem Jones at a Donald Trump rally earlier this year. He was also ordered to pay a $250 fine on top of $180 in court costs and given a 30-day suspended sentence with 12 months of unsupervised probation. Read more... More about Rakeem Jones, Trump Violence, John Mcgraw, Us World, and Politics Read More »World's best parents brought their daughter's stuffed animal to life for Christmas
More than anything, this little girl wanted her stuffed animal, "Luna" to transform into a real dog. Her parents granted her wish by surprising their daughter with a real puppy, and caught her tearful reaction on camera. Her eyes welled up and she began crying immediately, adding, "He's so cute." What added to this magical holiday moment was the big red bow her parents had tied around the pup. Source: Little girl overwhelmed by new puppy surprise by Sarahdoos on Rumble You can hear her mother in the background sharing how much planning this present required. Read more... More about Christmas, Cute Animals, Videos, Watercooler, and Conversations Read More »Instagram now has almost twice the number of users as the entire U.S. population
Instagram has officially hit a major milestone: the 600 million monthly user mark. That's nearly twice the population of the United States posting food pics and skyline shots at least once a month, for some context. SEE ALSO: Instagram live video is here In a blog post this morning, Insta announced the big news and thanked its faithful audience for "being you": Instagram says it's experienced rapid growth in the past six months, with 100 million users added since June. As the blog post points out, a slew of new features have rolled out over that period, many of which have brought Insta's core functions closer to that of its biggest competitor, Snapchat. Read more... More about Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, Photos, and Apps Read More »'Fallout' characters and locations are coming to 'Minecraft'
War. War never changes. Even when it's recreated in the blocky domain of Minecraft. The upcoming Fallout Mash-Up Pack brings Bethesda Softworks' hit RPG series to the world-building survival game. In addition to the expected helping of character skins, the add-on includes Minecraft-ified locations, creatures and characters from the Fallout series. The add-on is coming to an assortment of platforms, including PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. You'll be able to nab it "soon" — no date yet, sorry — for $5.99. Lucky hedgehog experiences pure bliss during ever-so-gentle belly rub
If you think hedgehogs don't require slow, sensual belly rubs set to jazz, then you are dead wrong. YouTube user FrostPanic shared this mesmerizing clip of a hedgehog getting the best belly rub of its life. The camera slowly zooms in to capture the hedgehog's state of pure bliss, all set to a jazz rendition of Sonic the Hedgehog's, "Green Hill Zone." Somebody tell this dude to open a hedgehog spa. Young Jedis fight an impressive lightsaber battle in a school cafeteria
You never know when the battle between the light and the dark sides will erupt in your school cafeteria. Two students in Tennessee decided to make lunchtime a little more interesting for their fellow classmates. After donning capes and unveiling their lightsabers—they battled it out for the school with the grace of the many Jedi who came before them. Twitter user jamespbasse uploaded a video of the match, and there's no beating around the bush—the choreography is excellent and the two have impeccable saber skills. They even made using the force look totally believable. Read more... More about Conversations, Watercooler, Cafeteria, Lightsabers, and Star Wars Read More »TSA tells the tragic tale of a giant abandoned teddy bear
In case 2016 hasn't shattered your soul yet, this Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Instagram post will probably do the trick. Agents at Los Angeles International Airport took Instagram followers on a sad journey after posting a photo of an adorable, gigantic teddy bear that was abandoned by its owners because it did not meet carry-on regulations. The account, known for addressing silly TSA-related inquiries and revealing the absurd number of banned items that are confiscated, initially shared a photo of the bear captioned with a tragic, made-up backstory because this world is out of control. Read more... More about Lax, Teddy Bear, and Watercooler Read More »These facts about millennials and driving will blow your mind
Paid Content by AllstateAllstate’s Good Hands Rescue® service is a roadside assistance mobile app and online platform that puts consumers in touch with a national network of providers in an instant to help with roadside needs – from fixing a flat tire to getting a tow.When it comes to driving, car ownership and vehicle maintenance, millennials’ status as OG digital natives is especially evident Millennials love their apps. There is literally an app for almost every element of the daily routine: waking up, meditating (important to this health-obsessed, new-agey generation), keeping track of finances and managing the morning commute. There’s even an app to tell them when to drink water. Read more... More about Millennials, Apps, Transportation, Driving, and Lifestyle Read More »Childish Gambino wore nothing but glitter pants during 'The Tonight Show' performance
Somehow in between creating and starring in hit show Atlanta this year, renaissance man Donald Glover was able to release a critically acclaimed album Awaken, My Love!, this month, under the name Childish Gambino. In support of the release, Glover showed up to the Tonight Show stage on Wednesday with nothing but a perfect pair of glitter pants and an even more perfect falsetto to perform his latest single "Redbone" with uninhibited fervor. It's a performance that silences doubters of Glover's multitudes, and solidifies the song's place on our list of best releases this year. TurboTax introduces a tax service just for gig workers
The gig economy is only growing, and TurboTax knows it. The tax preparation company on Thursday introduced a product tailored to the 55 million Americans who work as freelancers or in the tech ecosystem's gig jobs. TurboTax Self-Employed combines personal and business tax needs for freelancers who are technically considered their own small business. The program searches freelancers' often co-mingled personal and business finances to find deductibles and comes with video access to professional CPAs who specialize in self-employed clients. "This market has existed for some time when you think about people working as freelancers, but it continues to accelerate because of the tech and on-demand economy," TurboTax general manager Dan Wernikoff told Mashable. Read more... More about Freelancers, Taxes, Turbotax, Uber, and Gig Economy Read More »Brutal video shows a mountain lion dragging a deer off surburban porch
Even the safety of the suburbs can't save you from the brutality of Mother Nature. Peter Rauenbuehler discovered a brutal scene on his front porch in Hillsborough, California, on Wednesday. An unsuspecting deer wandered on to his property to snack on some roses, but was ambushed by a mountain lion. At first you're only able to make out a set of cat's eyes reflecting in the darkness until someone flicks on the light and the deer can be seen dead beneath the mountain lion. Thankfully for Rauenbuehler, the big cat then drags its recent kill off the porch. Nature is brutal. Woman skips holiday decor, wants to use her neighbor's Christmas lights instead
Unwilling to compete with a neighboring home's impressive Christmas light display, Jami Kelly of Michigan decided her best bet was to publicly acknowledge her neighbor's hard work. She put up a sign that reads "DITTO" with an arrow pointed next door, and called it Christmas. She tells local news affiliate Fox 2 that the sign is meant as a compliment towards her neighbors and their festive display. "We admire their lights every year, we look forward to their lights, my kids love their lights...We've got the neighbors that have the best lights in town." Read more... More about Holidays, Christmas Lights, Christmas, Watercooler, and Videos Read More »'Superstore' launches digital episodes to get you through the holiday hiatus
It's hard to be without your favorite shows over the holiday break, but NBC has you covered — starting today, you can laugh away your winter blues with eight brand new digital episodes of Superstore. Mashable has an exclusive first look at two of the new episodes, which are titled Superstore Training Videos for reasons that will soon become apparent. In the new digital shorts, after watching Cloud 9’s horribly outdated corporate training videos from the 1980s, the employees decide to create their own instructional videos. Each episode features Superstore cast members America Ferrera, Ben Feldman, Mark McKinney, Lauren Ash, Colton Dunn, Nico Santos and Nichole Bloom. Read more... More about Ben Feldman, America Ferrera, Nbcu Photo Bank, Superstore, and Entertainment Read More »Gov. Brown: California will build its 'own damn' climate satellites under Trump
California has a back-up plan if President-elect Donald Trump cuts funding for NASA's fleet of Earth-observing satellites, which are crucial to gathering climate change data. "If Trump turns off the satellites, California will launch its own damn satellite," California Gov. Jerry Brown said to applause during a Dec. 14 speech at an Earth science conference in San Francisco. "We're going to collect that data." Brown was speaking to an energized crowd at the American Geophysical Union's annual fall meeting, which brings together thousands of Earth scientists. Worries about Trump's plans to squelch climate research has been a key topic at the event, with Interior Secretary Sally Jewell also addressing the issue on Wednesday. Read more... More about Nasa Earth Science, San Francisco, American Geophysical Union, Agu, and Satellite Images Read More »Weed lovers will find this Reddit gift exchange mixup hilarious
If you're a true Redditor, you know that the r/trees subreddit has nothing to do with oaks, douglas firs or maples. It's a decoy name for people who love a different kind of plant — marijuana, to be exact. One Redditor who participated in the website's annual holiday gift exchange clearly wasn't up to speed. After reading that their exchange partner PaltryPenguinu likes r/trees, the Redditor decided to gift him with a Bonsai tree. PaltryPenguin shared a photo of the tree and book he received. Image: PALTRYPENGUIN/REDDIT Read more... A weather geek's guide to why it's so f*cking cold outside
Much of the U.S. is in the deep freeze as of Dec. 15, with wind chills near or well below zero from the Plains to Washington, D.C. Power lines crashed to the ground Wednesday night in Portland, Oregon, due to the weight of snow and ice. In Minnesota, the statewide average temperature as of 9 a.m. local time was a brutally cold minus-14.3 degrees Fahrenheit. The coldest temperature in the lower 48 states this morning was minus-22 degrees Fahrenheit, set at both Aberdeen, South Dakota and Fosston, Minnesota. And don't even ask what the wind chills were in these locations. More about Arctic Air, Polar Vortex, Global Warming, Climate Change, and Science Read More »Play this Rudolph-themed 'Hamilton' parody at your Christmas party
"Rudolph, come in – did you say brrr?" "Yes sir, 'cause it's freezing." Hamildolph (An American Christmas Story) gives Hamilton a Christmas-y twist by changing the lyrics to a few of your favorite songs from the Broadway musical to be about Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. The performance was complete with Christmas costumes, an a cappella arrangement and some pretty dope stage lighting that we think Lin-Manuel Miranda himself would approve of. Musical Christmas necktie accidentally undercuts parliament member's passionate speech
We've all been there – we're trying to ask a serious question about an asbestos report when our electronic, holiday-themed necktie starts playing a jubilant tune. This member of parliament deserves mad credit for completely ignoring the music coming from his tie and continuing to make his case in front of the Irish parliament. Although, rocking out to the song for a few moments and then silencing it would have been a much more entertaining approach. [H/T: Storyful] Helicopter pilot has nailed the art of transporting Christmas trees
Christmas trees can be a pain to haul around, but using a helicopter might be the coolest solution we’re all looking for. Read more... More about Mashable Video, Christmas, Helicopter, Christmas Trees, and Real Time Video Read More »The people of Boston explain their city pride
We all know that the pride of Boston runs deep in its people. But here, it's more than just a particular sports team, or a distinctive accent, that brings the population together. There is a genuine bond between the people of Boston that is unique to the city. Hear the people of Beantown talk about their pride in the video above. Read more... Watch next: Bostonians share how tech has transformed their life in the cityMore about Supported, Us World, Travel Leisure, Work Play, and Us Read More »Some of the best things in life – and Boston – are free
From buskers, to free samples, to the public library and beyond, Boston offers some of the best cultural and entertaining activities in the country at a very reasonable price – free! For those on a budget, Boston is a phenomenal place to visit. There are free concert series, the beautiful Museum of Fine Arts and even free sunscreen dispensers on the streets. But don't take our word for it. Hear all about this amazing city from true Bostonians in the video above. Read more... Watch next: The people of Boston explain their city prideMore about Supported, Us World, Travel Leisure, Work Play, and Us Read More »Facebook finally cracks down on fake news
Facebook is finally starting to make good on its promise to fight fake news with technology. The company introduced a series of updates on Thursday that are aimed at preventing the spread of hoaxes as well as false and misleading news. The changes are part of what Facebook says are still "early experiments" in its efforts to reduce the presence of fake news on the service, and for now they're rolling out only to a small percentage of Facebook users in the U.S. The experiments include: a new tool that let users flag posts specifically as fake news, labels that show when a story has been marked as "disputed" by a third-party fact-checking organization, changes to the News Feed algorithm, and a crackdown on spammers who spread fake news with the intention of pocketing ad revenue. Read more... More about News Feed, Facebook, Apps And Software, Tech, and Apps Software Read More »Postmates wants you to give the gift of expensive delivery this holiday season
What's the perfect last-minute gift? Delivery. At least Postmates thinks so. The food-and-other-stuff delivery startup is introducing e-gift cards on Thursday. The email-only gift cards are available at postmates.com/gift in increments of $25, $50, $100 or $200. You don't need to have a Postmates account to buy a gift card for someone who does. Postmates gift cards. Image: postmates The gift cards can be used for anything sold on Postmates, whether from a verified Postmates Plus merchant or a restaurant on the higher end of the delivery fee scale. "Whether it’s coffee, a burrito, or even an American Apparel T-shirt, these gift cards can be used for anything, so sky's the limit," the company wrote in a blog post. Read more... More about Seamless, Grubhub, Food Delivery Services, Food Delivery, and Holidays 2016 Read More »One in four Americans shared fake news online, Pew survey finds
Almost one-quarter of Americans say they’ve shared fake news, according to a poll that found widespread public concern about the problem of misinformation online. The Pew Research Center survey released Thursday showed that nearly one-third of adults often encounter fake news online and about two-thirds believe the explosion of false information causes a “great deal of confusion about the basic facts of current issues and events.” The findings add to the debate that’s raged since the election about the consequences of made-up articles on the internet and who should stop them. President Barack Obama and Pope Francis have condemned the spread of fake news. Social-media companies including Facebook Inc. have been criticized for the prominent role false stories received on their services in the run-up to the U.S. presidential election, potentially influencing its outcome. Read more... More about Media, Pew Research Center, Facebook, Fake News, and Business Read More »Facebook Messenger's latest attempt to hijack your social life
LONDON — Facebook really wants you to hang out and talk about your feelings. But, does it want you to have those conversations anywhere else other than on Messenger? Probably not. Messenger launched a new and distinctly Snapchat-like tool complete with art and special effects on Thursday. The update lets users exchange photos with text, stickers, animated effects, illustrated frames and doodles. Sound familiar? Hijacking your social life?Peter Martinazzi — Facebook Messenger's director of product management — told Mashable that Messenger's overall aim is to be a place where people share their feelings, make plans and hang out. He added that this new update intends to "upgrade" the existing conversations taking place on the app. Read more... More about Friendships, Relationships, Uk, Lifestyle, and Social Media Read More »Facebook’s fake news fix comes way too late
Why does it always take the worst thing that could possibly happen to spark reform? America just suffered through the most painful and divisive presidential election in years and ended up with a President-Elect who is not supported by the majority of voters. There are many reasons this happened, including a disenfranchised electorate and the lack of jobs for America’s working class, but many have questioned the role that fake news played in the election. SEE ALSO: 7 signs the news you’re sharing is fake There's an incredible amount of it out there. Not shaded truths or hyperbole, but outright lies presented as real journalism. They spread like viruses among the population, and the petri dish is often Facebook. Read more... More about Hillary Clinton, Presidential Election, Donald Trump Election 2016, Donald Trump, and Fake News Read More »These moving 3-D printed sculptures are actually optical illusions
John Edmark is a design lecturer who created this 3-D printed sculpture which appear to animate when rotated. The movement is an optical illusion created using a high-speed camera or a strobe light. Edmark has shared instructions about how to print your own sculptures on the DYI website Instructables. More about Design, Sculpture, 3d Printing, Optical Illusion, and Mashable Video Read More »Verizon is reportedly thinking about exiting Yahoo deal
Is it Groundhog Day? Verizon is once again reconsidering an acquisition of Yahoo, Bloomberg reported Thursday. The news, cited from one anonymous source familiar with the situation, comes a day after Yahoo reported a massive hack affecting more than one billion of the site's users. Verizon agreed back in July to acquire Yahoo's core business for $4.83 billion, but the deal has yet to close. According to Bloomberg, Verizon is considering a price cut or completely nixing the deal. A team led by Verizon General Counsel Craig Silliman is looking into the legal ramifications of the deal if Verizon does indeed acquire the company's assets. Read more... More about Acquisitions, Media, Business, Yahoo Hack, and Yahoo Read More »Facebook continues to ban Snapchat QR codes from Pages and profiles
Facebook seems to be a big fan of Snapchat's product, but it doesn't want to help spread the love to the app. Owners of Facebook Pages and of verified profiles are banned from using their personalized Snapchat QR code, or Snapcode, as their accounts' profile pictures. As The Next Web's Matt Navarra noted on Twitter Thursday, Facebook will notify users if they choose to set their profile pictures as Snapcodes.
Bostonians share how tech has transformed their life in the city
We all have been influenced by technology. We use it for the most basic things – communication, navigation, you name it. We asked the good people of Boston which apps they use the most while connected to the Boston Wi-Fi. We got a wide variety of answers, from entertainment apps to apps that connect them to their bank account. Check out all their answers in the video above. Read more... Watch next: Some of the best things in life – and Boston – are freeMore about Supported, Us World, Travel Leisure, Work Play, and Apps Software Read More »7 things to get excited about in the upcoming 'Doctor Who' episodes
Warning: We've tried to keep this piece as spoiler free as possible, but there are some hints about the upcoming Doctor Who Christmas special below (and some teases for the new 2017 series, based on a Q & A with the cast that took place after the screening). LONDON — Doctor Who may have been a gaping hole in our lives for almost a year now, but that's all about to change. Not only do we have the Christmas special coming up this month, but there's also a brand new Season arriving in 2017. Mashable went along to a screening of the special — and subsequent Q & A with Peter Capaldi, Matt Lucas, Charity Wakefield and Steven Moffat — to get an idea of what's in store for everyone's favourite Time Lord... Read more... More about Uk, Daleks, Bbc, Pearl Mackie, and Peter Capaldi Read More »YouTube blocked North Korean government’s channel
North Korea can no longer broadcast itself on YouTube. The Google-owned video giant has taken down North Korea’s state television channel, which was home to everything from nuclear test videos to addresses from leader Kim Jong-un. A message on the Korean Central Television YouTube page. Image: youtube/screengrab It's unclear as to precisely when and why YouTube blocked the channel. However, some suggest it was a reaction to the Treasury Department's sanctions banning U.S companies and citizens from doing business with North Korea’s Propaganda and Agitation Department. North Korea’s ability to make money through its channel can technically be seen as Google doing business with the country. Read more... More about Ban, Youtube, Kim Jong Un, North Korea, and Entertainment Read More »'Passengers' is a boring mess, unfortunately
"There's a reason we woke up early," Chris Pratt ominously declares in the Passengers trailer after he and Jennifer Lawrence wake up from their hibernation during a space mission. Sound intriguing? Unfortunately, you won't find out the answer, at least not to any satisfying degree, and Passengers, purported to be a sprawling space conspiracy, ends up being just a truly tepid rom-com. Starring Lawrence, Pratt and sometimes Chris Pratt's butt, Passengers wastes little time on exposition and instead opens with the starship Avalon, an impressive space craft taking 5,000 humans to the planet Homestead II. It takes 120 years to arrive at Homestead II, so passengers enter hibernation pods that will wake them up four months before arrival. Due to some unknown glitch Jim Preston (Pratt) wakes up 90 years too soon. Read more... More about Michael Sheen, Sony, Reviews, Passengers, and Jennifer Lawrence Read More »Eva Longoria, Andy Cohen added to jury for Tribeca Film Festival's Snapchat competition
Snapchat and the Tribeca Film Festival are joining forces for a second year in a row. Tribeca Film Festival announced Thursday that it is bringing back Tribeca Snapchat Shorts, a contest where filmmakers submit short films (two minutes or less) created on the social app. Eva Longoria, Andy Cohen, Jason Biggs, Serena Williams and DJ Dillon Francis have been tapped as judges.
The Tribeca Film Festival, which is going into its 16th year, has long been known to filmmakers for embracing innovation. Read more... More about Dillon Francis, Andy Cohen, Eva Longoria, Serena Williams, and Jason Biggs Read More »YouTube wants YouTubers to be less angry about subscriptions
"YouTube doesn’t unsubscribe people from channels." That's one thing that YouTube exec Zindzi McCormick wants to clear up once and for all. "We’ve actually looked at over 100 individual cases and so far we haven’t been able to find any underlying glitch," McCormick, who serves as YouTube's subscriptions product manager, said in a Q&A video with YouTube user interface researcher Renato Verdugo. The video, uploaded on Wednesday, is a response to recent complaints from a a handful of frustrated creators who claim they have seen their video views decline and their subscribers suddenly disappear. Read more... More about H3h3 Productions, Pewdiepie, Digital Influencers, Digital Video, and Subscriptions Read More »So much complaining: 'Super Mario Run' will destroy your data and drain your wallet
After Nintendo's iOS debut Super Mario Run dropped Thursday, the rush to download it and start playing was real. Barely 30 minutes after the release of the hyped-up game, which launched in 151 countries and regions worldwide, people already had plenty to say about their latest online distraction. Many were stoked to finally get their hands on the game, but more than a few had some gripes. Some people are pissed at the ridiculous cost.Right off the bat, the fact that you have to pay for access to worlds and more levels after a short free preview was not appreciated. Read more... More about Super Mario Run, Gaming, Entertainment, Tech, and Apps Software Read More »NASA used a plane to launch new hurricane-hunting micro-satellites
On Thursday morning, NASA successfully launched a group of eight micro-satellites for its Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) mission via a rocket launched from the belly of the large Orbital ATK Stargazer airplane. And, yes, it was as cool as it sounds. After attempts to launch were scrapped twice this week, first on Monday and then Wednesday, the mission successfully kicked off on Thursday morning as the Pegasus XL rocket launched and all eight micro-satellites successfully deployed. The micro-satellites will measure wind speeds over oceans in tropical zones, interacting with a constellation of GPS satellites and passing over the same area of the tropics in quick succession. They will ultimately give researchers a better understanding of conditions that help hurricanes develop and the hurricanes themselves. Read more... More about Cygnss, Hurricanes, Nasa, Us World, and Space Read More » | ||||
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četvrtak, 15. prosinca 2016.
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