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 Viral discontent: Daily Mail says Elite Daily is essentially worthless
One of the most popular viral phenoms of the digital media boom is now essentially worthless. That's not the claim of an analyst or disgruntled ex-employees; it's the conclusion reached by the Daily Mail, the company that bought Elite Daily in January 2015 for around $40 million. The publishing company (DMGT) behind the Daily Mail wrote down the value of Elite Daily in its earnings report released on Thursday. In doing so, DMGT is saying that Elite Daily is worth far less than it had previously valued the viral content publisher. The good news is that Elite Daily is bringing in more money. The bad news is that its losing far more. The company noted that Elite Daily's "audience retention and revenue growth have been disappointing and losses have exceeded expectations." Read more... More about Digital Media, Business, Daily Mail, and Media Read More »This shape-shifting furniture assembles like LEGO
Remember that wooden self-assembling chair? This is the improved, significantly cheaper and more sustainable version. 'SPYNTEX' offers sets for adults and kids which can be used to create a variety of different shapes, furniture and toys. It's basically LEGO for the entire family. Read more... More about Mashable Video, Chair, Lego, Design, and Furniture Read More »10 new video game releases to watch for in December 2016
Don't dive into your 2016 backlog just yet, video game fans. December means to keep you busy. Yes, the big blockbusters have all already had their moment (for the most part). For video games, the holiday rush of releases tends to span August through November. But every year, there are December upstarts vying for attention when all you want to do is catch up on what you missed. This year is no different — especially with virtual reality in the mix and the looming Dec. 6 launch of Oculus Touch controllers. Lots of games that are worth getting excited about will be launching in the next 31 days. Read more... More about Video Game Release Calendar, Gaming, and Entertainment Read More »This coin-sorting wallet will save you from fumbling with change
The 'Kin' coin-sorting wallet is an ingenious solution to the frustration of loose change. Read more... More about Mashable Video, Change, Coins, Kickstarter, and Inventions Read More »NFL games, 'Star Trek' soon to stream on CBS All Access
LOS ANGELES — Sunday night football just got a little easier to stream. Beginning Dec. 4, CBS All Access — the network's digital subscription video on demand and live streaming service — will offer subscribers the ability to watch regular, preseason and postseason NFL games. CBS and the NFL announced the multiyear deal Thursday. Subscribers will also be able to sample content from NFL Game Pass, the NFL’s digital video subscription service which makes games and other programming available on-demand. This is the latest of CBS' efforts to up its offerings on its streaming service, as more networks continue to jump into the already crowded SVOD space. Read more... More about Streaming Services, Cbs All Access, Cbs, Nfl, and Football Read More »New BFFs Rihanna and Prince Harry got an HIV test together
There's no better way to honor World AIDS Day then getting an HIV test with your new best friend in your home country. Prince Harry met up with Barbados royalty Rihanna while touring the Caribbean, and in between laughing, the two aristocrats took time to get tested for HIV together to show the ease of the process. Rihanna offered up her tattoo-free hand for the cause, and traded remarks with the prince while getting tested in front of flashing cameras. According to a statement from Kensington Palace made to Daily Mail, the prince convinced Rihanna to join him just the night before. Read more... More about Prince Harry, Rihanna, Watercooler, and Conversations Read More »Snapchat drops another Spectacles vending machine
Congratulations, California. You now have yet another chance at getting Snap's coveted video-camera sunglasses Spectacles. The Snapbot, an interactive vending machine, has appeared in downtown Los Angeles, the company revealed Thursday afternoon. The location is inside Skyspace LA, an open-air observation deck in the U.S. Bank Tower that features a glass slide on the exterior of the building nearly 1,000 feet up. You can't hold your phone or a GoPro while on the slide — unless it's strapped on — but apparently you can wear Spectacles. Read more... More about Snap, Snapchat, Tech, Business, and Snapbot Read More »Gone Gronk: Patriots superstar Rob Gronkowski to undergo back surgery
Bad news for football fans and fantasy owners: Rob Gronkowski will undergo back surgery for a herniated disc. The New England Patriots tight end, who is among the league's biggest stars, will be out for more than a month as the NFL regular season approaches its finish line, according multiple reports. Gronkowski is a 6-foot-6, 265-pound athletic marvel who is regarded as one of the league's most impressive physical specimens. But even he is far from immune from the dangers of a brutal sport. He left last week's win over the New York Jets with back problems. Two weeks before that, he suffered a perforated lung on this jarring hit. Read more... More about Nfl, Sports, and Entertainment Read More »10 best gifts under $30 for the Snapchat addict in your life
Shopping for someone whose primary form of communication is rainbow barf selfies can be a daunting task. So why not get them something that will complement what you already know they love: Snapchat. Sure, Snapchat now makes its own pricey (and incredibly hard to find) gadget, but that doesn't mean that's your only choice for the holidays. Here are 10 Snapchat-inspired gifts that will cost a lot less than a pair of Spectacles. 1Einstein tote bagIf only Einstein had lived to see Snapchat. Also available in Marilyn Monroe and Will Smith variations, the bag offers a unique way to show off your favorite selfie lens. Read more... More about Gift Guides, Snapchat, Apps And Software, Tech, and Apps Software Read More »These cannabis-themed cards will bring you a Marryjuana Christmas
'Tis the season to be jolly. And by jolly, we mean stoned. Sending holiday cards may seem like a boring affair reserved for suburban families with two kids and a dog, but there are plenty of cards out there for everyone, even stoners. Seeing a gap in Hallmark's collection, Degelis Tufts of TibeTokes put together these cannabis-themed Christmas cards for all your pot-loving friends. The cover Image: TribeTokes The inside Image: Tribetokes The cards are a little pricey at $7 for a single, but a 3-pack will run you $12 and a 12-pack costs $24. The cover Image: TribeTats The inside Image: Tribetats Read more... The (former) Most Interesting Man is now selling wi-fi routers
He doesn't always change career paths, but when he does, he prefers to join a tech startup. After Dos Equis blasted him to Mars last spring to make room for a younger pitch man, former "most interesting man in the world" Jonathan Goldsmith has made his grand return to advertising with a new gig selling wi-fi routers. In an ad for hardware maker Luma, the debonair actor sports hip glasses and a skinny tie as he rants about how "weak-ass wi-fi" is an affront to human rights. "Yeah, it's me. The guy from those ads you liked a lot," he says to the camera. "Turns out I'm a real person." Read more... More about Business, Advertising, Luma, and Dos Equis Read More »Uncrewed Russian spaceship fails, burns up in atmosphere miles above Siberia
An uncrewed Russian spacecraft carrying hundreds of pounds of supplies for the crew onboard the International Space Station failed to make it to orbit after launch Thursday. The Progress cargo ship failed about 190 kilometers (118 miles) above a remote part of Siberia, with some of the craft burning up in the atmosphere and other pieces likely making it to the ground. The Progress — launched atop a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan — seemed to be functioning well until a little more than 6 minutes into the launch, when Russian mission control unexpectedly lost touch with the spacecraft. Read more... More about International Space Station, Nasa, Rocket Launch, Rockets, and Russian Rocket Read More »Rage-fueled beaver declares war on artificial Christmas trees
Beavers have officially joined the war on Christmas. In Charlotte Hall, Maryland, yesterday, witnesses spotted a lone beaver wandering through the artificial Christmas tree aisle. Perhaps fueled by residual Black Friday rage, the beaver soon began to tear through the Christmas trees and the store, leaving a path of unparalleled destruction in its adorable little wake. "The suspect attempted to flee the area," the St. Mary County Sheriff's Office explained in a statement. The beaver, however, was apprehended by animal control before it could leave the store and chaos even more chaos and pain. Read more... More about Beavers, Christmas, Watercooler, and Humor Read More »Winning: Your chocolate bar to taste just as sweet, with 40% less sugar
The scientists working behind the scenes at Nestle to satisfy your sweet tooth have made a scientific breakthrough. Research scientists for the Swiss chocolate maker say they've found a way to structure sugar differently, meaning they can use up to 40 percent less sugar in chocolate and you will still think it tastes just as sweet. On the left regular sugar crystals dissolve in water, while on the right Nestle's sugar structure dissolve in water much faster. Image: nestle The candy maker behind Kit Kat bars, Butterfingers, Rolos and the classic Oh Henry! bars says while using only natural ingredients they discovered a new way to structure sugar so it dissolves faster. The faster sugar dissolves in your mouth the more sweetness you taste, but you're eating less actual sugar. Read more... More about Nestle, Nutrition, Health, Sugar, and Candy Read More »Sam Worthington suffers tragedy and finds God in trailer for 'The Shack'
Lionsgate has released the first trailer for The Shack, a faith-based film adapted from William P. Young's bestselling book of the same name. Sam Worthington stars as a man who suffers a terrible loss and is summoned to an abandoned shack in the Oregon wilderness, where he meets a woman named Papa (Octavia Spencer), which is his wife's name for God. Papa teaches him how to move on with his life and in the process, he also learns about himself. Stuart Hazeldine directed The Shack, which co-stars Tim McGraw, who also performs the film's original song "Keep Your Eyes on Me" with Faith Hill. Read more... More about Octavia Spencer, Tim Mcgraw, Sam Worthington, Stuart Hazeldine, and William P. Young Read More »Meet the top competitors facing off at the 2016 Capcom Cup
The most anticipated Street Fighter V competition of the year — Capcom Cup — kicks off on Friday. There, 32 elite SFV players will battle for their share of the $350,000 prize pool — the largest yet. Players from all over the world have been competing year-round in Capcom Pro Tour — a series of smaller tournaments — for points, to qualify for this weekend's finale. Many suspect this could be the first year a U.S. competitor takes the cup. Here are some of the top-ranked competitors to look out for this weekend Read more... RZR | Infiltration (South Korea)More about Capcom, Esports, Entertainment, Gaming, and Capcom Cup Read More »How leading publications can prepare for a tidal wave of citizen reporting
How Leading Publications Can Prepare For A Tidal Wave of Citizen Reporting During Hurricane Sandy in 2012, CNN made a gaffe when it falsely announced that the New York Stock Exchange was under three feet of water. Chad Mayers and other leading media figures like Piers Morgan were left gasping for breath, after it was revealed that the ‘scoop’ came from an unverified ‘citizen reporter’ on Twitter, but the potential effects on the economy could have been catastrophic. Advances in smartphone technology, and increased global access to social networks have evolved ‘citizen reporting’ into an important and increasingly organized branch of the media industry, offering ‘front line’ insights which can be posted much faster than when publications follow normal editorial processes. Read more... More about Business, Digital Media, Journalism, and Media Read More »Two of Silicon Valley's favorite startup websites are joining forces
Product Hunt, the "Reddit for startups" website favored by Silicon Valley investors and entrepreneurs, has been acquired. The three-year-old startup was acquired by AngelList, a company that matches startups with prospective investors and employees. Terms of the deal were not disclosed but Recode reported the deal was worth about $20 million. Product Hunt will continue to operate independently, though the companies plan to create some integrations that will allow both sites' audiences to reach each other, AngelList said. Based in San Francisco, Hoover and most of the Product Hunt team will begin working out of AngelLists's office. Read more... More about Startups, Business, and Tech Read More »Viva Los Angeles: 30 hours in the City of Angels with the Huawei Honor 8
Paid Content byHuawei Honor 8Starry-eyed singer, actor and musician hopefuls flock to both Los Angeles, California and Nashville, Tennessee seeking opportunities to brush shoulders with industry greats. However, the cities' respective associations with the entertainment world are where their similarities begin and end. Nashville, with a population of just under 660,000, is bite-sized compared to L.A.’s whopping 9.6 million residents. The two cities exude decidedly different vibes, too. Nashville is country cool, rooted in Southern Americana; only recently has the town experienced an injection of aloof, hipster flair. L.A., in contrast, has '50s charm and a signature, flippant attitude that’s inextricably tied to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. Read more... More about Supported, Us World, Travel Leisure, Work Play, and Mobile Read More »A new app will grow the White House on your dollar bill
With today's advanced technology, learning about the White House is as easy as pointing your phone camera at a dollar bill. With the latest White House augmented reality app, 1600, you can transform your plain old dollar bills into a nifty and insightful learning experience. Josh Earnest, White House Press Secretary, announced that the app, made available Thursday, will let users experience a digital year at The White House and get insight into the traditions, events and the life of the president. The app was created after the White House teamed up with the White House Historical Association and Nexus Studios "to educate and inspire Americans to learn all about what the People’s House stands for." Read more... More about President, App, Mobile, Tech, and White House Read More »If Neil deGrasse Tyson ever puts out an album, the internet has cover art suggestions
Neil deGrasse Tyson makes no claims about his abilities as a singer and songwriter. And yet when the internet's favorite astrophysicist tweeted a photo of himself luxuriating in casual blue button-down, Twitter responded accordingly.
Should Tyson abandon his field to pen a series of science-heavy love songs, the internet has a few solid cover art suggestions. More about Memes, Conversations, Pics, Watercooler, and Neil Degrasse Tyson Read More »'Full House' creator buys 'Full House' house to feel full
Who hasn't made a nostalgic impulsive buy? Jeff Franklin, the writer and producer who created Full House, recently bought the iconic San Francisco estate featured on his show, according to the Hollywood Reporter. "The house came on the market and really, I just thought, I have to buy this house," Franklin told THR on Wednesday. "I'm so sentimental about the house. It's great to have the house in our Full House family and be able to preserve it for the fans…Seriously, I love owning this house." Per THR, the house went on sale in May with a reported price of $4.15 million, which is approximately what Franklin paid to keep it in the family. Read more... More about Fuller House, Full House, Entertainment, and Tv Read More »Please enjoy this endless hallway decorated with Jake Gyllenhaal's face
Nothing to see here, just Jake Gyllenhaal's face forever and ever. The actor's rugged good looks now adorn the walls of a virtual GyllenHall on an endless loop soundtracked by his famous line from Brokeback Mountain, "I wish I knew how to quit you." So just try closing the tab without feeling like a monster. The website is the terrifying and beautiful creation of Paul Feldmann and Zack Johnson. There are plenty of Jakes to choose from, should you prefer the hunk fresh faced, poking out of a cozy turtleneck or with a full beard as if he stumbled out of the woods and bought a suit on his way to a movie premiere. Read more... More about Website, Actor, Celebrities, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Watercooler Read More »Bernie burns House Science Committee after devastating Breitbart retweet
The House of Representatives' Committee on Science, Space and Technology sent a tweet on Thursday linking to an article on the conservative media outlet Breitbart, saying that Earth's temperatures are in a "plunge." Judging from reactions on Twitter — one of which was a stinging burn tweeted by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont — many are finding it deeply and sadly ironic that the Science Committee doesn't recognize the overwhelming scientific consensus that climate change is real and influenced by human activity. More about Science, House Science Committee, Exxonknew, Exxon, and Global Warming Read More »Facebook wants to teach you all about how AI works
Pay attention, everyone: Facebook is trying to teach you something. Since you probably let the social network distract you from just about every other educational opportunity that comes your way, you should at least learn a bit now. It's all about artificial intelligence. The already pervasive tech, according to a Facebook blog post, "remains mysterious" for most people even as they use AI systems every day. The post was co-authored by Yann LeCun, head of Facebook's AI Research, and Joaquin Quiñonero Candela, who leads its Applied Machine Learning research division. Read more... More about Neural Network, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Facebook, and Tech Read More »'Queen Sugar' finale teaches us to believe we are more than we know
This recap contains spoilers for the Season 1 finale of Queen Sugar, titled "Give Us This Day."Queen Sugar invites viewers to reimagine what popular culture has taught us about the lives of black people. The stories of black lives have often been told through the lens of white supremacy. Even black writers, producers, and directors who’ve internalized messages of white supremacy have told the stories of black lives with limited stereotypes and tropes. CharleyWhen we first met Charley, it would’ve been easy to assume that she was the light-skinned bourgeois basketball wife. We know her kind. As her story developed, we discovered that her socio-economic privilege does not emancipate her from struggles inherent in the life of black women. Read more... More about Ava Duvernay, Queen Sugar, Entertainment, and Tv Read More »Spotify adds weekly in-house recordings with 'Singles'
As the streaming wars rage on Spotify is attempting to raise the bar on its original material. For its latest venture, the popular music streaming service is teaming up with featured artists to create original, in-house recordings, which will be released every Wednesday. The perfect way to celebrate hump day, right? The first round of Spotify "Singles," which launched on Nov. 30, gave users access to new music by more than 20 artists including John Legend, Grouplove and Lindsey Stirling. The deal is that an artist will record one of their original tracks and a cover song at Spotify's in-house recording studio in New York. Both will debut back-to-back, giving you a nice contrast and allowing you to see a new side of the artist. Read more... More about Conversations, Business, Music, Streaming, and Spotify Read More »'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' used more than 82,000 frames of hand-drawn animation
It’s time for a trip through Toon Town to get the real dirt on Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Here are seven things you didn't know about this 1988, animation-meets-live action classic. Subscribe to CineFix for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/c/cinefix Read more... More about Mashable Video, Live Action, Animation, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and Things You Didn T Know Read More »Watch James Corden launch fruit at Jessica Alba, Kate Mara and Ken Jeong
James Corden and the Late Late Show crew have cooked up a new means of torturing their celebrity guests. Using a catapult-like construction that launches fruit from a cutout of his grinning face at breakneck speeds, Corden shoots an apple, an avocado, and a tomato, respectively, at Jessica Alba, Ken Jeong, and Kate Mara. The celebs are protected from harm's way by a see-through barrier, yet each inevitably flinches when the produce smashes into the glass inches from their faces. TBH, though, we can't say we wouldn't also flinch. Read more... More about Ken Jeong, Kate Mara, Jessica Alba, Uk, and James Corden Read More »Heartbreaking video shows cat being rescued after it froze to the ground
A lucky cat got a second chance after it was found frozen to the ground in Russia. In the video, the man filming explains that the cat became stuck after it sought refuge under a warm vehicle. Temperatures then dropped to negative 35 degrees celsius and the cat became frozen to the ground. The couple filled a bucket with hot water and gently poured it over the cat's paws to unfreeze it from the ice. "It's most important that the cat's alive and we'll be able to help her," the man can be heard saying in the clip. In the YouTube description, they explain that the cat was taken to a veterinarian where it was determined to be about seven to nine months old. They stated that the cat was able to walk later that evening, and was adopted the same week. Read more... More about Russia, Viral Videos, Animals, Cats, and Watercooler Read More »Cremation ceramics allow you to immortalize and drink out of your loved ones
Simply displaying your deceased loved one's ashes in an urn on your mantle is so last year. Justin Crowe of Chronicle Cremation Designs offers something much more unique that you can do with the ashes of a loved one. The business turns remains into "ceramic design objects" for your home. That's right – you can enjoy your morning cup of joe from a mug made of grandma, or rock a ceramic necklace made from your BFF. Crowe was inspired to start this venture when his grandpa passed away. "Being with my grandfather when he died in his home had a profound impact on my outlook. Home is a place that is routine, average and familiar, and experiencing such a huge emotional event in that environment helped normalize his passing for me," Crowe wrote to Mashable. "Based on this experience, I began to search for a way to give others the ability to remember passed loved ones in daily life." Read more... More about Cremation, Death, Art, Ceramics, and Watercooler Read More »McDonald's drive-thru employee can't stop shrieking at a spider
It's a big week for McDonald's news: the inventor of the Big Mac passed away AND an Instagram account dedicated to McDonald's sign sunsets made headlines. And now, the internet has gifted us a simply delightful video of a McDonald's drive-thru employee's encounter with a spider. The dramatic employee was just trying to do his job when a spider appeared and halted his productivity, resulting in lots of shrieking and a co-worker coming to the rescue. Luckily, an amused customer filmed the whole thing from his car. Read more... More about Food, Mcdonald S, Viral Video, Drive Thru, and Watercooler Read More »Magic mushrooms eases anxiety in cancer patients, studies show
After Tammy Burgess was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at 55, she fell into the grips of crippling anxiety. "I would just lay on the couch. I didn't go to work," she recently told researchers at New York University's Langone Medical Center. "When you're anxious about cancer, everything else becomes anxious." But Burgess said she eventually broke free of her existential fears, thanks to a surprising treatment: a capsule of psilocybin, a mind-altering compound found in magic mushrooms. "It was so peaceful and so beautiful," Burgess recalled. More about Mental Health, Depression, Cancer, Shrooms, and Magic Mushrooms Read More »You can drive underwater with this sportscar-like submarine
'The Undersea Aquahoverer' is a personal submarine that looks just like a sportscar. And it requires no other skill than knowing how to drive a real car. James Bond would have loved this invention. Read more... More about Mashable Video, James Bond, Underwater, Real Time Video, and Submarine Read More »Hackers are selling powerful cyber weapons to anyone with the money to buy them
When a tremor wobbles the ground underneath your feet, it's easy to keep your head down, keep typing, do whatever it is you were already doing. Perhaps someone just dropped something very heavy a ways away, that's all. But if you do keep your head down and the tremor turns out to be more than that — if it turns out to be a sign of some greater calamity headed your way — it's hard to blame anyone but yourself, right? This is not a story about tremors, but it is perhaps a story about warning signs of a more dangerous internet, the latest of which involves a hacker or group of hackers offering to cripple the digital life of any website or organization or person to anyone who can afford their services. Read more... More about For Hire, Hacking, Dyn, Mirai, and Botnet Read More »EpiPen maker Mylan is on an apology tour, we saw it, and it's not going well
Mylan CEO Heather Bresch took the stage on Thursday, ready for a confrontation. Chief executive for the now-infamous pharmaceutical company that hiked the price of the EpiPen—that ubiquitous device so many children (and plenty of adults) depend on in the event of a life-threatening allergic reaction—Bresch knew she wasn't the most popular one in the room. Even at a conference full of like-minded healthcare professionals, she faced a hostile crowd. "Considering all the good work you've done with HIV," one audience member at the Forbes Healthcare Summit asked about Mylan, "why did you ruin it with the EpiPen?" Read more... More about Pharmaceuticals, Heather Bresch, Healthcare, Forbes, and Epipen Read More »Liberty University: A Christian institution sells its soul in search of sports success
Liberty University — a private Baptist school founded by Jerry Falwell in 1971 — has talked in recent years about becoming a big fish in college sports, as opposed to the minnow it has long been. In doing so, the school that purports to prepare students for a life of piousness and Christ-serving would be wise to heed the cautionary example of Baylor University. Instead, Liberty appears to be doing the opposite. Baylor, another Baptist university, set out on a similar mission some 15 years ago, seeking to become a sports powerhouse. Baylor achieved its goal, but a heinous scandal — involving myriad cases of sexual assault — came with that athletic success. Read more... More about College Sports, Sports, and Entertainment Read More »25 gifts for people who treat their dogs like children
We all have that one friend. She's the one whose Instagram account doubles as a modeling portfolio for her great dane. He's the one who considers himself a doting father to his bearded collie. When you meet her for coffee, she pulls out her phone and shows you sweet photos of her dachshund splayed out across her pillow. These are the canine, people-approved gifts they'll all want this year. 1Instagramable emoji squeaky toysImage: Barkshop Price: From $30.00 2A canvas pet toteImage: barkshop Price: From $160.00 Read more... 3A dog-bowl water bottleMore about Holiday 2016, Holiday Gift Guide, Gift Guide, Gifts, and Pics Read More »LGBTQ community receives a state apology in parliament for inequalities
It is little secret that the Australian government's policies lag behind their global counterparts when it comes to marriage equality. However overnight the premier of the state of South Australia (SA) made an important step towards healing — apologising to the LGBTQ community for past wrongs. Appearing before the parliament, Premier Jay Weatherill made a public and formal apology for the past mistreatment of the South Australian LGBTQ community and pledged to move toward recognition. The public galleries surrounding the floor were filled with advocates and members of the community, eager to receive the apology. Read more... More about Marriage Equality, South Australia, Apology, Lgbtq, and Jay Weatherill Read More »Dude creates what is possibly the most Australian Christmas tree ever
The holidays in Australia is scorching hot. Instead of eggnog and mulled wine, Australians are usually punching cans of cold beer. It's no wonder why Wes Boyd from Perth has built a giant Christmas tree made of 2536 cans of Victoria Bitter or VB. Measuring 4.4 metres (14.4 feet) high, it's less a tree and more an almighty tribute to the beverage. "I wanted to build it to make people happy," Boyd told PerthNow. "Me and some mates love drinking VBs, and two to three mates have been bringing empty cans over here every week for the past 14 months." Read more... More about Vb, Holidays, Holidays 2016, Christmas Tree, and Christmas Read More »Harrowing image of melted car shows devastation of Tennessee wildfires
The town of Gatlinburg, Tenn., is just coming to grips with the wildfires that left at least 10 people dead. Officials said about 75 people were injured, and recovery efforts are currently focusing on searching for more survivors, the Associated Press reported. A full day of rain helped settle the blaze by Thursday morning, revealing a heartbreaking path of debris and destruction. The sheer heat of the flames was made all the more real by photographs capturing the aftermath. One image shows the empty shell of a car, its tires gone, aluminum hubcaps melted and metal dripping away from the vehicle. Read more... More about Tennessee, Recovery, Dolly Parton, Great Smoky Mountains, and Fire Read More »Lin-Manuel Miranda loves 'Gilmore Girls' just as much as the rest of us
Just when you thought Lin-Manuel Miranda couldn't get more lovable. The Hamilton creator tweeted Thursday that he's watching Gilmore Girls — yeah, just like all of us. But Miranda, who has been busy juggling projects including the Hamilton Mixtape and Moana, is still just on season one. Don't worry, so far he thinks "it is AWESOME." But he's not on any team yet.
Rejoice, baseball fans: The All-Star Game no longer affects the World Series
Finally, one of baseball's most ridiculous gimmicks is gone. The MLB All-Star Game will no longer determine which team gets home-field advantage in the World Series, as it has since 2003. As part of baseball's new collective bargaining agreement, announced Thursday, the team with the better regular season record will have the advantage of playing more home games in the World Series. This change is a long time coming. For the past 14 seasons, the winner of All-Star Game — which pits players from the National and American League against each other — would secure home-field advantage for its league in the World Series. Read more... More about All Star, World Series, Baseball, Mlb, and Entertainment Read More »'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' is coming to the U.S.
LOS ANGELES — Happy almost holidays, No-Majs. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the eighth Harry Potter story by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne, is scheduled for a Spring 2018 New York City debut. The two-part show, which debuted in July 2016 at London’s Palace Theatre, is ironing out the details to move to Broadway’s Lyric Theatre when it finishes its run in the UK. Pricing for the New York City show has yet to be disclosed, but the show's stage producer hinted in a statement that low-priced options would be available. Many in the UK have complained about the availability of low-priced tickets, with eager theater-goers forced to pay higher prices. Read more... More about Theater, Jk Rowling, Harry Potter, Harry Potter And The Cursed Child, and Entertainment Read More »Former USC football star Joe McKnight shot to death in New Orleans
Joe McKnight was a high school football legend who entered powerhouse USC in 2007 hyped as "the next Reggie Bush" — a reference to the Trojans running back who won the Heisman Trophy just two years prior. McKnight's life ended in violence this Thursday when he was shot to death after an argument at an intersection in the New Orleans area. He was 28 years old. The broad-daylight shooting was reportedly called in at about 3 p.m. Thursday afternoon in Terrytown, Louisiana. Here are more awful details, via NOLA.com. Read more... More about Nfl, Sports, and Entertainment Read More »Guy volunteers for a cycling event, ends up rescuing a drowning koala
Sometimes being an event volunteer means doing some questionable tasks — but we're pretty sure that rescuing a drowning koala might be a career first. Muzammil Patel was volunteering at an Australian cycling event in Apollo Bay, Victoria, when he became more of an MVP than anyone on two wheels that day. As he explained to the ABC, Patel was alerted to a koala in the nearby Barham River but upon calling wildlife rescue, was told it would take at least 30 minutes to get there. So Patel gallantly jumped into the river to save the struggling marsupial himself. First by branch, then when that didn't work, by simply grabbing it like a kitten. Read more... More about Australia, Video, Volunteer, Koala, and Drowning Read More »'Fascism' is likely to be Merriam-Webster's word of the year, but you can change that
Many of us will remember 2016 for a few words that will forever echo somewhere in the pits of our brains. "Trump," for one, but also "bigly," "alt-right," and others we constantly heard during the presidential election season and its aftermath. But Merriam-Webster has a less discussed word on its mind that is apparently also on the minds of many dictionary users: Fascism. SEE ALSO: CNN puts neo-Nazi statement on screen Fascism, as of Nov. 29, was Merriam-Webster's most-looked-up word of the year, which means it's the leading candidate for the dictionary's annual "word of the year." The folks behind the Merriam-Webster Twitter account are not happy with this, and on Tuesday they tried to get followers behind a campaign to look up other words. Read more... More about Dictionary, Merriam Webster, Word Of The Year, 2016, and Fascism Read More »Single guy's romantic holiday photo is actually a hilarious goof
Being #ForeverAlone can be even harder around the holidays – couples are constantly kissing under mistletoe, holding hands while ice skating, and worst of all, sharing their romantic holiday cards all over the internet. So, John Olmstead, 22, from Mattoon, Illinois, decided to poke fun at a certain holiday card trope in a pretty genius way. Firstly, here's the thumbnail of Olmstead's photo, which seems to be a partial shot of a man and a woman in a casual embrace in front of Christmas presents. Image: jolmsted94/twitter Then, we zoom out to the surprising full shot. Read more... More about Single, Holidays 2016, Holidays, Watercooler, and Pics Read More »10 best new cards in 'Hearthstone: Mean Streets of Gadgetzan'
Hearthstone just introduced 132 new cards with Mean Streets of Gadgetzan's release Thursday, and some of them look pretty amazing. Mean Streets of Gadgetzan brings with it a few game-changing features like tri-class cards and potions, but with everything out in the open now, we are taking a look at which of the new cards will probably be coming out on top as the meta unfolds. You'll definitely want to shuffle these into your decks. If you want to peruse all 132 cards that came out with Mean Streets of Gadgetzan, you can check them out here. Read more... More about Gaming, Esports, Blizzard Entertainment, Mean Streets Of Gadgetzan, and Hearthstone Read More »Mike Pence's neighbors are calling him out with rainbow flags
Neighbors of Vice President-elect Mike Pence are letting him know exactly how they feel about his stance towards the LGBTQ community. Rainbow flags are flying high in the Chevy Chase neighborhood of Washington, D.C., where Pence is currently renting a $6,000-a-month home, ABC 7 News reports. Pence's neighbors are standing against his well-known history of supporting oppressive policies against the LGBTQ community. He has called same-sex marriage a sign of "societal collapse" and once called for funneling taxpayers' money toward so-called gay conversion therapy. Read more... More about Rainbow Flag, Mike Pence, Lesbian, Gay, and Gay Pride Read More »Arianna Huffington is now selling ridiculous things like phone beds
Arianna Huffington has taken her sleep evangelism to another level. "'I am beckoning simplicity from this moment forth,' whispered the pillow," is how her new wellness site describes an apparently very verbal, and pricey, pillow. A few months ago The Huffington Post creator stepped down from her eponymous digital news outlet to focus on her health and wellness startup, Thrive Global, and promote her pro-sleep message. The site, which launched this week, has an online store with five pages of products all promoting self-care, but some of the offerings take loving yourself too far. Read more... More about Ecommerce, Wellness, Health, Sleep, and Thrive Global Read More »Soap company uses bacteria-coated billboards to prove how dirty your stuff is
Soap brand Lifebuoy has launched some truly grimy billboards. The company's new shopping mall ads are essentially giant Petri dishes in which bacteria swabbed from everyday objects grows before the eyes of passers-by over the course of days. The end result is a colorful pattern of living bacterial colonies splayed out around their comparatively small source. A time-lapse of the bacterial growth Image: the electric factory The stunt is intended to demonstrate on a super-sized scale the amount of bacteria and fungi that lurk unseen on household items like smartphones, dollar bills and game controllers. Read more... More about Lifebuoy, Business, and Advertising Read More »The CW's heroes survived their crossover. Here's what's next.
This interview contains spoilers for DC's Legends of Tomorrow Season 2, episode 7, the final installment of the "Invasion" crossover.Now that the dust has settled from The CW's ambitious four-show crossover between Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow, our heroes have not only saved the Earth from an alien attack (all in a day's work!), they've grown closer in the process — even Barry (Grant Gustin) and Cisco (Carlos Valdes) are back to being besties. "Their friendship has been renewed through the course of these episodes," noted Andrew Kreisberg, who serves as showrunner on The Flash and Supergirl. "So when we come back in Episode 9 [of The Flash], Team Flash is in a really good place and strong again, which they need to be, because they're going to confront Savitar in Episode 9." Read more... More about Dc Comics, The Cw, Legends Of Tomorrow, Arrow, and Supergirl Read More »Toddler and his labradoodle are the most adorable duo to ever exist
These are the cutest best friends you'll ever see. Two-year-old foster child Buddy and his Labradoodle best friend, Reagan, were pals from the moment they met. Image: Sandi Swiridoff "My daughter was fostering two boys, ages two and five," Sandi Swiridoff, Buddy's grandmother told Mashable, "When the time came for them to move to a forever family my heart ached at the thought of no longer being involved in their lives." "I needed something to focus on, to pour love and attention into," she continued, "[adopting] Reagan the dog did just that." Read more... More about Foster Care, Charity, Dogs, Cute Animals, and Cute Kids Read More »Kid's rendition of 'Hocus Pocus' song wins hearts, including Bette Midler's
This one goes out to all the sweet, camp kids of the world who put on living room theatre productions for their parents. Alfie is one such kid, and if he doesn't leave you smiling from ear to ear, well, you're officially a vegetable person. Please check your pulse. Proud father of little Alfie, U.K. man Steven Shields posted a Facebook video of his son a few days ago and it's basically stolen the heart of the internet — even Bette Midler herself is a fan, saying "Alfie nailed it!" In the video, which Shields said Alfie asked him to upload, the cutie plays the role of Midler's witchy villain Winifred in kid's film Hocus Pocus — doing an excellent cover of "I Put a Spell On You." Read more... More about Kid, I Put A Spell On You, Video, Facebook, and Bette Midler Read More »Mads Mikkelsen is a creepy death soldier in Hideo Kojima's next game
The Game Awards viewers and attendees were treated to a first look at Death Stranding, the first post-Konami game from Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima, on Thursday night. A cinematic trailer that debuted at E3 offered very little insight into what Kojima is planning, though it did feature a nude Norman Reedus and some eerie floating figures in the sky. There's not much more insight to be had from this new look, but the creep factor remains high. The demo, which was apparently running on a PlayStation 4 Pro, did give a first look at the game's ... villain? It appears to be some manner of soldier tethered to a squad of undead soldiers by what we can only assume are death strands. Read more... More about Mads Mikkelson, Normas Reedus, The Game Awards, Hideo Kojima, and Death Stranding Read More »Telltale Games is making a five-part 'Guardians of the Galaxy' story
The rumors were true: the Telltale Games partnership with Marvel is a Guardians of the Galaxy story. Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series is "coming soon" to "consoles, PC and mobile devices." That's it. That's all we got. If this release goes anything like 2015's Batman reveal — which, like Guardians, happened at The Game Awards — you can probably expect to see the game surface sometime during summer 2017. That would be well-timed, given that Marvel's next Guardians movie arrives on May 5. Harper Lee's hometown looking to get a 'Mockingbird' tourism boost
Monroeville, Alabama, is home to famous To Kill a Mockingbird author Harper Lee. It's also a place that hopes to become home to a bustling literary tourism scene. Since Lee's death earlier this year the author's attorney and others have made moves to create the "Harper Lee Trail," AL.com learned. In an article Thursday, the Birmingham News website laid out plans to encourage visits from Lee fanatics and fans of Scout and her dad Atticus Finch from iconic 1960 novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Those plans include refurbishing a historic building to become a Lee-dedicated museum and building life-size replicas of homes from her famous novel and its somewhat controversial 2015 sequel, Go Set a Watchman, released just months before the author's death at 89. Read more... More about Book, Tourism, To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee, and Us World Read More »See the wider world of 'The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild'
The Game Awards' two hour running time wasn't enough to contain just one new look at The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — so Nintendo is offering us two peeks. Here's the first look at the world outside the tiny slice that revealed at E3 2016, but look closely, there's also a semi-appearance from what looks like the series namesake, Princess Zelda. We'll add the second Zelda look once it airsBreath of the Wild is coming to Nintendo Wii U and Switch in 2017. One of the best iPhone games gets a long-awaited update
There aren't many mobile games that can stand the test of time. That's why many consider Tiny Wings, a whimsical yet infuriatingly addictive game that came years before Flappy Bird, one of the best games to ever land on the iPhone. On Thursday, Tiny Wings' developer gave fans an early Christmas present with the games first update in more than two years. SEE ALSO: The 20 best iPhone games of all time Better still, the update is a significant one: It adds five new levels to the "flight school" mode where you race other birds to the end of the levels, which are so difficult anything better than last place is considered a "win." Read more... More about Gaming, Apps And Software, Tech, and Apps Software Read More »Student films a rare shark breach that may make you stay on land forever
It's not everyday a tourist fishing trip produces footage straight out of a David Attenborough documentary. And it's even rarer when a deadly sea creature launches itself out of the air in front of you, but here we are. American exchange student Haylee Webb always had a dream to go cage diving with great white sharks, she told Storyful. Visiting Australia's Sunshine Coast over the weekend, she took that dream and turned it into a scary reality, care of Calypso Star Charters. What she didn't expect was to capture the moment a shark, in full attack mode, leapt out of the ocean for a meal. Read more... More about Australia, Video, Shark, Sunshine Coast, and Shark Breach Read More »Listen: Childish Gambino's funk odyssey 'Awaken, My Love' is here
Donald Glover's had quite the busy 2016, working on much-lauded TV series Atlanta and warming up for 2018's unnamed Han Solo origin film. But that hasn't stopped him from releasing music under his alias, Childish Gambino. His newest album Awaken, My Love dropped on Friday, because he wants you to have a good weekend. The album is a long-awaited follow up to 2013's Because The Internet, and will also be available on a newfangled "virtual reality vinyl" for $59.99, if you're into that. What's it like? Word is you'll hear strong influences from seminal funk group Parliament and Funkadelic. Read more... More about Donald Glover, Childish Gambino, Music, Entertainment, and Australia Read More »Futuristic hydrogen-powered semi-truck can go 1,200 miles on one refueling
This sleek new vehicle could be the big rig of the future. On Thursday night, the Nikola Motor Company unveiled a hydrogen-powered semi-truck it claims can travel 1,200 miles on a single refueling. The Nikola One relies on an electric drivetrain running on lithium batteries, all powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. "Oh, that thing is so awesome," said an emotional Trevor Milton, Nikola's founder and CEO, as he unveiled the truck in Salt Lake City. "We’ve been waiting so long to show this to the world." Image: Nikola Motor Company Read more... An NBA game got postponed, so players made do with Hennessy and cheesesteaks
The NBA matchup between the Sacramento Kings and host Philadelphia 76ers was postponed Wednesday night due to condensation on the court. So what's a hooper to do? Well, a pair of Kings — DeMarcus Cousins and Matt Barnes — made the best of the situation with Philadelphia's most famous dish and a bottle of cognac. Barnes shared a video on Snapchat of himself and Cousins with a cheesesteak and a bottle of Hennessy on Wednesday night after the game was postponed until a later date. Here's a look, via ForTheWin writer Alysha Tsuji. Read more... More about Nba, Sports, and Entertainment Read More »The very first look at 'Mass Effect: Andromeda' gameplay is right here
The much-hyped first look at gameplay footage from BioWare's Mass Effect: Andromeda wasn't a surprise at The Game Awards on Thursday night, but it was a treat. The nearly 5-minute clip takes a look at several different facets of the game, including social spaces, cutscenes, Mako rover driving, exploration, and — of course — combat. And hey, guess what: it looks an awful lot like Mass Effect, only shinier. It's not too much longer before Andromeda's scheduled spring 2017 release, so expect to see plenty more in the near future. Clementine looks like a badass in Telltale's 'The Walking Dead: Season 3'
Clementine is all grown up. The star of Telltale Games' first two seasons of The Walking Dead doesn't have a whole lot to do in the game's third installment. It focuses a lot more on Javier, the game's other playable character, in the coming stretch of episodes. Clem pops up at the end, appearing as a sure, steady hand in the dangerous zombie-infested worldThe Walking Dead's third season kicks off on Dec. 20 with a two-part season premiere. Instagram's most-liked posts of 2016 utterly dominated by one person
In 2016, there was only one queen of Instagram. That's singer Selena Gomez, who despite taking a 14-week break from social media this year, dominated the top five most-liked posts on the social media platform. Her most-liked photo had 5.9 million likes and was actually an ad (notice the bottle of Coke). That's only a relative drop in the ocean when it comes to the singer's followers, however. She has in excess of 103 million of them. Gomez followers eclipse best friend Taylor Swift (93.6 million followers), Beyonce (88.9 million followers) and Kylie and Kendall Jenner (79.5 million and 68.9 million followers, respectively) to round out the site's most popular celebrities. Read more... More about Most Liked, 2016, Music, Entertainment, and Instagram Read More »An Indian startup could be the first private entity to land on the moon
Rahul Narayan had no clue about space. In 2010, he was in the software industry, running a startup that developed products for an ecommerce company. Who knew seven years later, he would on his way sending a rover to the moon? Narayan and his friends were intrigued by Google Lunar X-Prize competition announced in 2010. The competition invited private companies to land a rover on the moon, make it travel for 500 meters and beam high resolution photos and videos back to Earth. "We were looking and saying that if any Indian team is doing this we got to be a part of this. Whether building software or doing marketing, this is the project of a lifetime," Narayan told Mashable two months ago at the Team Indus campus in Bangalore. Read more... More about Rover, Moon, Moon Mission, India, and Space Read More »Bottle flipping is being used to teach kids probability in school now
Ever since that infamous bottle flipping video earlier this year, it seems flipping bottles around is all the kids are doing now. Year 5 teacher Lauren Hinton admitted annoying at first, when students got into the craze. "It's noisy, it's distracting and because they use the reusable plastic bottles, they often crack so it becomes messy," she told the ABC. But then she had a idea: What if she could teach mathematics to her students by disguising it with a viral fad? Delightfully devilish. Now the kids are learning about probability, fractions and percentages while bottle flipping, and they're enjoying it too. Read more... More about Viral, Bottle Flipping, Math, Australia, and Watercooler Read More »Amazon Kindle finally gets support for Hindi and other Indian languages
Kindle app and tablet users in India can now read books in several local languages. Amazon says it has added "thousands" of ebooks in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi, Gujarati and Malayalam languages to its Kindle store. The catalog includes "the largest digital selection of best sellers," and several exclusive titles. In addition to Kindle tablets, Amazon says it has also updated Kindle apps on Android and iOS platforms to include support for Indian languages. Amazon's rival Google Play Books also supports Hindi and other Indian languages. Read more... More about Kindle Ereader, Kindle, India, Books, and Tech Read More »Dudes Snapchat baby penguin they found wandering through city drain
The dirty drains of an Australian city are no place for a baby penguin, but that's just what Josh Pirini and Scott Martin found on Thursday. According to SMH, the pair were taking photos of street art in a drain in Haberfield, Sydney, when the little guy came along and was immediately captured on Snapchat by two guys as they tried to rescue it. It's kinda funny and adorable. They tried catching the penguin in a towel, but no avail. Warning: There's some strong language in this one. If you know Australia, you know the kind. Read more... More about Videos, Video, Penguins, Penguin, and Animals Read More »OnePlus 3T launched in India, prices start from $439
OnePlus 3T, the Chinese startup OnePlus' latest "flagship killer" smartphone is coming to India as well. The OnePlus 3T will be priced at Rs 29,999 ($439) for the 64GB version and Rs 34,999 ($512) for the 128GB variant. Both the models will go on sale in India from Dec. 14, and will be exclusively available through Amazon India. The OnePlus 3T is a more powerful variant of the OnePlus 3 that was launched earlier this year. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chip coupled with 6GB of RAM. Unlike the OnePlus 3, the OnePlus 3T comes in a 128GB variant. Read more... More about India, Oneplus 3t, Oneplus, and Tech Read More »Motorola gives up on smartwatches, for now
Motorola's Moto 360 was the first Android Wear smartwatch with a circular design — a trait later taken up by most Android smartwatches — pushing the company to the forefront of the wearables market. However, it now appears we won't see a new smartwatch under the Moto brand anytime soon. Lenovo, the parent company of Motorola, told The Verge that it's not planning to release a Moto smartwatch in time for the next major version of Google's smartwatch platform, Android Wear 2. According to Shakil Barkat, head of global product development at Moto, the company doesn't "see enough pull in the market" to launch a new smartwatch. He did leave open the possibility of a Moto smartwatch at a later date, saying that customers might eventually start valuing gadgets on their wrists more than they do today. Read more... More about Moto 360, Lenovo, Motorola, Tech, and Gadgets Read More »Domino's sadly gives up on reindeer pizza delivery plans for Christmas
Those reindeer turned out to be a lot harder to train than Domino's had anticipated. The American pizza company announced on Thursday it was abandoning its plans to use reindeer to deliver pizzas in Japan for Christmas. Domino's had made a big announcement last week saying it was preparing a fleet of reindeer-pulled carriages to deliver pizzas over the holidays in wintry parts of Japan. But in its latest statement [Japanese], the company has had to backtrack on this promise, saying it was "difficult to control" the reindeer. Read more... More about Domino S, Pizza, Reindeer, Japan, and World Read More »National anthem to be played at movie theaters but not courts: India's Supreme Court
India’s top court has deemed it necessary to play the national anthem in theaters in the country, but not in courtrooms. On Friday, the Supreme Court of India dismissed a plea that proposed playing national anthem before the start of court proceedings, stating that its order should not be overstretched. “Whether right or wrong, our order should not be overstretched. Bar should show some restraint,” the bench said Friday. Shortly after the Supreme Court ruled it mandatory for all public theaters in India to play national anthem before movies, a petition was filed by BJP spokesperson Ashwani Kumar Upadhyay to extend the it to all courts. Read more... More about Law, National Anthem, India, and World Read More »All the 'Harry Potter' easter eggs you missed in the 'Fantastic Beasts' opening
LONDON — Fantastic Beasts is the type of film that has so much going on it's all too easy to miss the little things — particularly when you realise how much effort goes into every single prop. From the posters that pop up along the streets of New York to the books that line the shelves in people's houses, everything has been carefully considered and crafted to slot neatly in to J.K. Rowling's wizarding world. The company behind these details — or "hero props", as they're known in the industry — is a graphic design studio called MinaLima. If you've ever seen a Harry Potter film, you've seen their work. Read more... More about Uk, Minalima, Easter Eggs, Dumbledore, and Props Read More »This foul-mouthed holiday coloring book is everything you need
LONDON — Are you a fan of cheeky puns and can't resist a bit of colourful language every now and then? Then this Christmas coloring book is everything you've ever wanted, and more. Irish illustrator Edwina McNamee from Ardee, Co. Louth, creates delightfully foul-mouthed coloring books that combine whimsical drawings with her Irish sense of humor. And her holiday edition is — to put it in her own words — "Festive as Fuck." "I've always been a bit sweary, and I have always loved to draw, so I decided to combine the two," McNamee told Mashable. Read more... More about Puns, Swearing, Drawing, Illustrations, and Coloring Books Read More »John Cleese's Twitter tribute to Andrew Sachs will make you cry
John Cleese is leading tributes to Andrew Sachs, his beloved co-star in Fawlty Towers who died on Thursday, aged 86, after battling dementia. Cleese played the bullying hotelier Basil Fawlty, while Sachs took on the role of Spanish waiter Manuel in the sitcom. He was described by Cleese as a "very sweet, gentle and kind man" and "I could not have found a better Manuel":
The intersection of immigration and esports
Esports is becoming an international phenomenon with professional players traveling the globe to play in tournaments. With esports' increasing credibility, government immigration services are being pressured to determine whether esports pros qualify as internationally recognized athletes. Another day, another baby with an inconceivably full head of hair
LONDON — Remember Baby Bear, the Irish tot with a glorious mane of luscious locks? Well, there's a new hairy child in town. Her name is Alexandra and, at just 2-months-old, she has a head of hair that is sure to win the internet's heart like the bouffanted babes that have come before her. Reddit user brngrhm84 uploaded this image of his baby girl, and it has since gone viral because HOLY COW that's a lot of hair: Let the photoshop battles begin. BONUS: Baby falling off table caught by lightning quick 9-year-old brotherThis machine aims to dispense the perfect glass of wine for you
A new machine aims to do for wine what Nespresso and Keurig have done for coffee at home. The D-Vine — from the French wine startup 10-Vins — puts wine in a 100ml test tube-shaped container called a 'flacon' (little bottle) and brings it to the optimum temperature and aeration recommended by wine makers. Within a minute, it can chill or warm the wine and aerates the drink via a long, coiled inner tube which passes through it. 100ml flacons of red wine. Image: victoria ho/mashable Each wine tube has a label with an NFC chip embedded. Image: VICTORIA HO/MASHABLE Read more... All of the heartbreak of 2016 in one touching Christmas tree
We can all agree that 2016 was in many ways a devastating year. From David Bowie to Andrew Sachs, this ill-fated year had its fair amount of beloved music, entertainment, TV, and cinema stars who died too soon. To pay tribute to the legends we lost, Twitter user @L3GSV had the idea of turning them into angel decorations and hanging them on her Christmas tree.
Prince, Leonard Cohen, Terry Wogan, Muhammad Ali, Florence Henderson, Gene Wilder, Alan Rickman are among those who get a special place in the special tree. Read more... More about Eu, Toblerone, Terry Wogan, Alan Rickman, and Leonard Cohen Read More »Dogs play with cat toys for the first time
We brought a few cat toys in to see if some of our favorite dogs will have fun with them. The reviews were mixed. Ireland is compensating a woman who was forced to travel for an abortion
LONDON — The Irish government has for the first time compensated a woman for the trauma caused when she had to travel overseas to get an abortion. Amanda Mellet was told when she was in the 21st week of pregnancy that the foetus had a fatal abnormality and it would not survive. In the Republic of Ireland, a constitutional ban on abortion means that only women whose pregnancies put their lives at risk can have access to safe, legal abortion services. This constitutional ban means that abortion is not permitted in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities. Read more... More about Reproductive Rights, Abortion Rights, Abortion Access, Uk, and Ireland Read More »This clever pilot used flight radar to spell out a friendly message
LONDON — This airplane pilot puts your dirty car windshield messages to shame. Flightradar24 — a service that allows users to track flight patterns all around the world — tweeted a delightful playback that reveals a particularly creative use of flight radar. The pilot used his private aircraft and approximately 40 minutes of his time to trace a friendly message from the skies, which you can watch below:
A bloody foot couldn't keep Emma Stone from playing tambourine for Prince
While guesting on Thursday night's Tonight Show, Emma Stone regaled host Jimmy Fallon with the story of playing tambourine for Prince while nursing a bloodied foot. As Stone recalled, she, Fallon, Prince and pretty much every other celebrity on the planet was in attendance at the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special after party back in 2015. While dancing, Stone says she cut her foot on a piece of glass. But despite the injury, she still jumped at the chance to play tambourine on stage with Prince. Because, honestly, who could refuse? Dog really into leather craftsmanship right now
YouTube user Alyssa Antal walked into her dining room to find her dog marveling at the fringe on her purse. Chalk it up to an admiration for quality leather craft or the need for a very light-touch massage. Pushing the Boundaries: Immigration and Esports
Esports is becoming an international phenomenon with professional players traveling the globe to play in tournaments. With esports' increasing credibility, government immigration services are being pressured to determine whether esports pros qualify as internationally recognized athletes. Read more... More about Mashable Video, League Of Legends, Melee, Super Smash, and Csgo Read More »Netflix now lets you download and chill and it's awesome
We're back! Thanksgiving is over here in the U.S. and so MashTalk returns. Yours truly, Mashable Chief Correspondent Lance Ulanoff and Tech Editor Pete Pachal turned to a couple of big tech stories in the digital realm, especially one involving Netflix. As you may already know, Netflix finally announced downloads for movies and TVs shows. It's a huge step forward for Netflix given Amazon Video added download support for videos and movies last year. The ability to download videos is pretty handy if you're offline or want to save on cellular data. It's definitely a feature I'll be using more during my work commute. No more video streaming cutting in and out because of spotty LTE connections between stations and no more waiting for videos to buffer! Read more... More about Reddit, Directv, Netflix, Mashtalk, and Mash Talk Read More »The 7 most impressive social good innovations from November
Innovation is necessary in the fight toward social progress. Socially conscious inventions have a crucial impact on the world at large, but they often make the biggest difference for vulnerable communities. For people facing inequality around the globe — like those living in poverty — these innovations can be game-changers, helping to tackle problems that directly threaten their survival. Though certainly not an exhaustive list, these seven inventions made a difference for low-income communities in November, challenging inequality in innovative ways. Read more... More about Poverty, Inventions, Innovation, Social Good, and Tech Read More »Stop using that cheap Apple charger
A third-party charger for Apple gadgets may be a lot cheaper than the ones hanging off shelves at the Apple Store, but a vast majority of those chargers aren't safe, a new study has concluded. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), a UK association representing trading standards professionals, has tested 400 counterfeit chargers for Apple products, the BBC reported Friday. The result was pitiful: Only three chargers were insulated well enough to protect against electric shocks. Another test targeted second-hand goods in local shops, and found that 15% of 3,019 electrical goods were non-compliant with UK standards. Considering the potential danger, a counterfeit charger could cost you your home or even your life. Read more... More about Iphone, Charger, Apple, Fake Apple Chargers, and Tech Read More »Sasha Obama slays as she raps along with Chance the Rapper
LONDON — Chance the Rapper is no stranger to the White House. In fact, he's been there three times alone in the past year. During the 94th annual lighting of the National Christmas Tree, Chance performed the track "Sunday Candy"— much to the delight of one member of the audience in particular. Sasha Obama lip-synced to the song from the audience, where she was sitting with her parents. And, she appeared to know every. single. lyric.
This interactive office lobby changes shapes as people walk by
Massive art installations in lobbies are becoming a huge trend. This one is at Viacom and would have anyone getting into work earlier. Read more... More about Mashable Video, Art, Interactive Lobby, Real Time Video, and Real Time Read More »Kristen Stewart is a terrible driver in the new Rolling Stones video
Kristen Stewart stars in the Rolling Stones' new "Ride 'Em On Down" video playing, well, Kristen Stewart. The actress picks up a six pack and heads off on a joy ride in a muscle car in some sort of apocalyptic scenario where the only survivors are Kristen Stewart, some rough-looking dude in a cop car and a zebra. No shoes allowed. She drives recklessly, enjoys a lollipop and dances like no one's watching. Donald Trump gets crafty with scotch tape on his ties
LONDON — Nothing to see here, just a post poking fun at the fact that the billionaire President-elect of the United States apparently scotch tapes his ties. Here, look:
Some have written detailed sartorial analyses that explain the finer points of neckwear decorum and speculate on why Trump may have committed this egregious fashion faux-pas. Read more... More about Mens Fashion, Neckwear, Tie, President Elect Donald Trump, and Donald Trump Read More »Man catches a catfish that, simply put, is f*cking huge
The word "fish" doesn't do this creature justice. "Loch Ness Monster" or "small whale" might be more appropriate for this 112-pound catfish caught in the Northeast Cape Fear River in North Carolina. On the day before Thanksgiving, Riahn Brewington found this monstrous catfish. Brewington told a North Carolina ABC affiliate about the fish, saying, “In the water, it felt like it was pretty big, but like I said being that big I thought it would have already snapped the line, but I didn’t realize how big he was until I actually got my hands underneath him." Read more... More about Fishing, Watercooler, Giant Fish, and Catfish Read More »Watch dogs try cat toys for the first time
We humans have developed very specific toys to entertain and occupy our feline companions. But what do dogs think about these toys? We wanted to find out. Read more... More about Mashable Video, Try Guys, Buzzfeed, Pom, and Griffon Bruxellois Read More »5 'Hamilton Mixtape' songs to play on repeat
The Hamilton Mixtape is here and will make you believe in America. Lin-Manuel Miranda's collaborative compilation of Hamilton covers features artists from various musical genres, but like the show and the country that inspired it, it brings them together. Obviously we endorse listening to the whole thing, but if you're short on time start with these five standouts. 1. "It's Quiet Uptown" -Kelly ClarksonClarkson revealed that this cover was one of the most rigorous experiences she's had as a singer and "It's Quiet Uptown" is so saturated with emotion that you'll want to reach right into your screen and hold Eliza Hamilton's hand (don't). Read more... More about Music and Entertainment Read More »12 gifts for your kinda-sorta-not-quite boyfriend or girlfriend
LONDON — So, you've been seeing each other for a while. You're not quite sure if they're your boyfriend or girlfriend and you're not quite ready to pop the question. As you ruminate your relationship status — or lack thereof — the universe deals you a blow. The holidays. Sure, the holidays are fine when you're loved up and able to casually throw around words like "love", "couple" and "relationship". But, what about your casual lover, fuck buddy, or the person who's kinda-sorta-not-quite your boyfriend or girlfriend? Why should couples — and not casual daters — be the centre of gift-giving? Read more... More about Watercooler, Lifestyle, Relationships, Dating, and Gifts Read More »Distracted driving kills, so why don’t more apps have driver warnings?
Fatalities on American roadways are on the rise and smartphones may be at least partially to blame, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). Deaths on American roadways increased 7.2 percent percent in 2015, according to the group, representing the biggest single-year increase since 1966. Exactly what role smartphones may have played in these 35,092 deaths is difficult to determine. The primary culprit behind this increase in fatalities, according to their report, is actually the improving economy (people drive more when they have more money). Consistently rising speed limits on the nation's highways may also bear a large part of the blame. Read more... More about Transportation, Apps And Software, Tech, and Apps Software Read More »Mum leaves the room for one minute and all hell breaks loose
If you leave children unattended for even a moment they're bound to get into something. The mum in this clip left her kids for the time it took her to put in her contacts, which was clearly more than enough. When she returned she found both her kids completely covered in Sudocrem, an antiseptic ointment. The mum says that it took her all day and multiple baths to get all the cream off, but adds "they've not had a nappy rash since." DJ Earworm's 2016 'United State of Pop' mashup has finally arrived
Each December, DJ Earworm smushes the year's hottest hits together in a way that somehow ends up sounding really good. This year, he had several Rihanna songs to work with, so his 2016 mashup is particularly delightful. Good luck getting it out of your head. Little girl struggles to read the word 'who' and still just can't
All learning should take place in a supportive and non-judgemental environment, but sometimes kids are just too damn cute to take seriously. Twitter user @Lexusxoxoxoxo shared an adorable video of her little sister learning to read, and really struggling over the word, "who." Though she definitely gets the 'W' sound, the little girl seems to have a little trouble keeping her vowels straight. The budding reader hilariously substitutes the 'o' sound for 'a(aaah)' again and again. We're sure she got it eventually. Read more... BONUS: Someone rigged Amazon Echo and Google Home to talk to each other and it's hilariousHow to have a sustainable holiday season and help make the world a better place
The planet needs our help. According to the United Nations, less than 3 percent of the Earth’s water is drinkable, one in nine people in the world today are undernourished and some 103 million youth worldwide lack basic literacy skills. But by doing our part and starting at home, we can all make a difference. From deep economic chasms and climate volatility to increased needs in the fields of health, food systems and more, making positive changes to help create a better world is more important than ever. During the busy holiday season, it can be all too easy to get caught up in the hustle and forget what's really important. Read more... More about Supported, Sponsored, Lifestyle, and Social Good Read More »Bill Nye hosts modernized Telethon in support of National Parks
The National Park Foundation and Mashable joined forces on #GivingTuesday for a Facebook Live "View-A-Thon"to benefit America’s national parks and educate audiences about the impact of climate change on the National Park System. Science wiz and Find Your Park Centennial Ambassador Bill Nye hosted the modern take on the telethon, conducting demonstrations and taking questions during the live event. Along with Joshua Laird, Commissioner of the National Parks of New York Harbor, Nye brought to life tangible examples of the dangers of climate change and its effect on our national parks – including cultural and historic sites. Throughout each segment of the “View-a-thon,” Nye urged viewers to make a difference by donating and do their part in protecting our parks. Read more... More about Science, Supported, World, Video, and Climate Read More »New element names are the scientific equivalent of dad jokes
Great news, chemistry geeks — the four new elements added to the periodic table last December have finally received their permanent names. On Wednesday, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) announced that the names for the new elements — with atomic numbers 113, 115, 117 and 118 — have officially been accepted, thus completing the periodic table's seventh row. The names were suggested back in June by scientists from the United States, Japan and Russia who discovered the synthetic elements. Each name bears special significance and creatively fits the guidelines, which require an element be named after a mythological concept or character, a mineral or similar substance, a place or geographical region, a property of the element, or a scientist. Read more... More about Us, World, Science, Chemistry, and Elements Read More »General Tso's chicken inventor dies at 98
It's been a rough week for food pioneers. First the creator of the Big Mac passed away, and now General Tso's chicken inventor Peng Chang-kuei died at age 98, reports Taiwan News. SEE ALSO: McDonald's Big Mac inventor dies at 98 The sticky, spicy dish is widely credited to the chef, who was trained from age 13Taiwan News reports, "After WWII, he was put in charge of running Nationalist government banquets, and in 1949 he fled to Taiwan after the Nationalist forces were defeated by the Communists in the Chinese Civil War." Read more... More about Food and Watercooler Read More »The Anti-Defamation League was surprised to find its ads appearing on Breitbart
The Anti-Defamation League has been one of the most outspoken critics of Donald Trump's appointment of Breitbart chairman Stephen Bannon to a top White House post. So it came as a surprise to the Jewish anti-bigotry group this week when it discovered that it actually numbered among the far-right news site's advertisers. They weren't the only one. Because many of its digital ads are placed by a third-party network through automated exchanges, the group doesn't have a direct hand in every online ad transaction. The same goes for other advertisers including Kellogg, which also pulled its ads from the website. Read more... More about Digital Advertising, Advertising, Breitbart, Business, and Media Read More »Are you the owner of this dog wearing a sweater and blue pants?
Has your dog gone missing? If so, was your dog last seen wearing a sweater and blue pants? Yesterday afternoon, the Bellevue, Washington police department tweeted a photo of a missing dog that has been climbing in retweets. In their description, they mentioned that the dog was "wearing a sweater and blue pants" and included a captivating photo.
Surprise wintery beverage debuts at Starbucks today
Starbucks customers have been enjoying the 2016 holiday cups for nearly a month now – and the coffee company just launched a hot new winter beverage to accompany them. Starting Dec. 2, Starbucks stores will offer their newest drink: Snickerdoodle Hot Cocoa. Snickerdoodle Hot Cocoa is, "made with steamed milk, white chocolate mocha sauce and cinnamon dolce syrup topped with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon sugar," Starbucks explained in a release sent to Mashable. Image: starbucks The new beverage joins three other cocoas on Starbucks' menu: Peppermint Hot Cocoa, Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa and White Chocolate Hot Cocoa. Read more... More about Business, Food, Coffee, Christmas, and Starbucks Read More »Pissed off wedding guests hold up flight when their friends can't get on
An Indian airline learned the hard way not to piss off a gaggle of stressed out wedding guests. A domestic flight in India had to delay its departure by 90 minutes Friday morning after a "technical glitch" resulted in overbooking passengers, blocking some of the roughly 80 wedding goers from getting on the flight. Guests who had boarded the plane and refused to leave their fellow revelers behind caused an unruly scene that forced law enforcement to respond. Jet Airways flight 9W7 083 (S2 4621) scheduled to leave Mumbai at 6 a.m. local time to Bhopal ran into an unexpected issue: More passengers than the plane could accommodate showed up at the airport, the company told Mashable India in a statement. Read more... More about Airline, Jet Airways, India, and Watercooler Read More »Stoned teen sends priceless email her teacher after wisdom tooth surgery
Teens high on pain killers after getting their wisdom teeth pulled out of their face will never fail to provide hilarious situations. 19-year-old Abby Jo Hamele had her wisdom teeth extracted recently. If you've ever had some teeth removed, you'll know pain medication that makes you kind of loopy is usually prescribed. During her drug-induced daze, Hamele managed to email one of her teaching assistants, Kevin Patton, because she was concerned about an upcoming assignment. What follows is a hilarious email that will go down in wisdom tooth history (all typos are Hamele's): Yes, Hamele called her TA "my dude" and finished off the email with "love you bye." Read more... More about Teacher, Wisdom Teeth, Email, and Watercooler Read More »The future president is blocking people on Twitter like there's no tomorrow
Since winning this year's presidential election the talk of the 2016 Twitter-sphere, Donald Trump, is heavily utilizing the site's block feature. It appears that the controversial tweeter has decided if he sees anyone badmouthing him or disagreeing with his policies on his favorite social media site, he will simply hit the digital "you're fired" button, dismissing the unwanted followers from his Twitter life. Sick burn, Donald. Now, as more and more people share their own personal "I've been blocked by the future President of the United States on Twitter" tales, it seems as though the blocking maneuver — normally reserved for extreme instances — is becoming second nature for The Donald. Read more... More about Us And World, 2016 Election, Social Media, Block, and Donald Trump Read More »Feds to AT&T and Verizon: Your free data deals violate net neutrality
The government's most important media regulator just sent a clear message to America's biggest wireless companies: Your free data streaming programs are a violation of net neutrality. The question, though: Will it matter? In letters to AT&T and Verizon sent Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission made it clear to the telecom giants that their free streaming programs are a violation of the rules put in place to ensure net neutrality. It's the most aggressive stance yet against so-called "zero rating," in which people can stream certain content over their phone, without it counting against their data plans. While these programs are somewhat popular with consumers, they've also created concern that companies could use these programs to favor their own content, and force other companies to pay up. Read more... More about Fcc, Net Neutrality, Zero Rating, Streaming Media, and Digital Media Read More »Amazon just unveiled its most impressive tech yet, and it's an actual truck
Amazon latest innovation is... a truck. The tech company will haul insane amounts of data in its Amazon Snowmobile, a truck that Amazon Web Services unveiled on Wednesday. If you saw the Snowmobile on the highway, you'd just think it was a regular old truck. But the Snowmobile is actually a "45-foot long ruggedized shipping container, pulled by a semi-trailer truck." The data transfer service can move 100 petabytes of data, or 1 million gigabytes. Ten Snowmobiles equals one exabyte of data, or 1 billion gigabytes. It takes about 10 days to fill one Snowmobile. Those 10 Snowmobiles could transfer an exabyte in six months — a process that would usually take decades. Read more... More about Business, Amazon Webs Services, and Amazon Read More »It was a bit too easy for this woman to convince her husband she adopted a coyote
Convincing your husband that you brought a wild coyote into your home should not be an easy prank. And yet. Kayla Eby, a woman living in Oregon — where, granted, there are a lot of coyotes — was able to pull off this barking good gag quite easily. All she needed was a quick Photoshop job and a few pro-coyote text messages. It all began when Eby sent a random image of a coyote to her unwitting husband. "I found this cute little dog outside ... he doesn't have tags or anything," she texted. "I'm going to bring him inside. He seems cold," she added. Read more... More about Pranks, Facebook, and Watercooler Read More »Stephen Colbert takes on the horror of Trump's mass-texting capabilities
Welp, this is really happening. In case you've buried your computer and haven't heard (which we understand), starting Jan. 20, 2017, President-elect Donald Trump can send unblockable mass-text messages to all Americans. Last night, Stephen Colbert tackled the distressing news on The Late Show, and in true Colbert fashion, it's hilarious. "The only person I would trust less with that technology is Anthony Weiner," he joked. Listen to the rest of the lovable host's thoughts above. Woman hung 10,000 rainbow Christmas lights to protest a homophobic neighbor
This week has shown a trend of Americans trumping hate with love in the form of rainbow flags. Mike Pence's D.C. neighbors' have been hanging rainbow flags on their houses to protest his homophobic views, and about 20 residents of a Michigan neighborhood hung pride flags after a neighbor expressed distaste for them. Lexi Magnusson, 34, is following suit – but with a luminescent twist. After her neighbor in the Seattle area expressed anti-LGBTQ opinions, Magnusson covered her own lawn in 10,000 rainbow Christmas lights. "Our new neighbors are bigots. Since regular aggression leads to assault charges, I went with passive aggression. 10,000 lights later," she captioned the photo on Reddit. Read more... More about Pride, Lgbt, Rainbow, Watercooler, and Conversations Read More »Rascally stranger returns a long lost ID, complete with a devious explanation
It's pretty rare for a lost driver license to turn up a year after it goes missing. However, Christina Egan experienced such fortune thanks to a mysterious and hilarious 21-year-old. Egan, a recent graduate of Columbia University, shared a photo on Facebook yesterday of a cheeky thank you note and her old ID that she received in the mail. "Found this on the floor of a bar about a year ago, hope you don’t mind I used it for awhile. But – now I’m 21 so you can have it back! Thanks 😊 ❤️," the note read. Mysterious bread sponge is desperately trying to be 'the dress'
Another day, another person trying to stir up as big a controversy as "the dress." Twitter user Craig Stone uploaded a photo posing a new, potentially polarizing question. We present to you a question: is this bread or a sponge?
The tweet's responses reveal a viewership divided:
Yep, it's true: Facebook Collections, a competitor to Snapchat Discover, is on the way
Facebook is coming for Snapchat—specifically, Snapchat Discover, according to a Business Insider report published Friday, and a source who confirmed the report to Mashable earlier today. The social network is reportedly asking publishers to create more content for them within a new feature called Collections. Mashable independently confirmed the existence of the feature, via a source familiar with the program's development. The feature would include curated stories from individual publishers that would appear in Facebook's News Feed, according to potential Collections partners Business Insider spoke with, as well as documentation of the program reviewed by the reporter. Sound familiar? Read more... More about Business, Media, Twitter Moments, Twitter, and Snapchat Discover Read More »'Rogue One,' 'Doctor Strange' make the Oscar VFX contenders short-list
Rogue One is in the running to win at least one Oscar, as the Star Wars spinoff is among 20 contenders to advance for a visual effects award, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Friday. The prize has roots dating back to the first ceremony in 1928 (Wings won it, along with Best Picture and virtually everything else) and is typically pretty sci-fi and blockbuster-heavy. Because let's face it, this is just as much a "most effects" award as it is "best" — and this year has its fair share of that. But sci-fi (Rogue One, Arrival) and super heroes (Doctor Strange, X:Men Apocalypse, Deadpool and Captain America: Civil War, the 8th, 9th and 10th noms for Marvel since Iron Man) will have stiff competition this year, even just to get nominated. Read more... More about Star Wars, Rogue One, Oscars 2017, Oscars, and Awards Read More » | ||||
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petak, 2. prosinca 2016.
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