| ||||
 Starbucks is welcoming 2017 with three elaborate new drinks
Looks like Starbucks is embracing the "look good, feel good," mantra for 2017. Beginning today, the brand is rolling out three new drinks, called the Tuxedo Collection, each with "silky swirl of dark and white chocolaty goodness," according to the company's website. The collection, earning it's name with its chocolatey black-and-white effect, includes the Tuxedo Mocha, the Tuxedo Hot Chocolate, and in case you're in the mood for something cold, the Tuxedo Frappuccino. Each Tuxedo drink is a chocolate lover's dream - featuring a mocha and white chocolate mocha sauce, and topped with whipped cream and an expertly crafted mocha drizzle to cement the tuxedo look (that means there's double the chocolate in the collection's hot chocolate). If that's somehow not decadent enough for you (and we get that), each drink is then topped off with some finishing dark-chocolate curls. Read more... More about Tuxedo, Starbucks, Watercooler, and Conversations Read More »Rae Sremmurd's 'Real Chill' video looks like a 'Stranger Things' house party
Releasing a Christmas-themed video the day after Christmas is a pretty chill move. Rae Sremmurd's new video for "Real Chill" featuring Kodak Black takes place at a house party decked out in string lights. Maybe Winona Ryder can swing by later and blow off some stream. The world's fastest land animal is even more threatened than we thought
Cheetahs, the world's fastest land animals, are racing to the edge of extinction, conservationists say. Only about 7,100 cheetahs remain in the wild, according to a new analysis of the cheetah population. The carnivores have lost about 91 percent of their historic range in Africa and Asia. Researchers said the latest figures show the cheetah may be more imperiled than previously thought. "We've just hit the reset button in our understanding of how close cheetahs are to extinction," Kim Young-Overton, who directs the cheetah program at conservation group Panthera, said in a statement. Read more... More about Habitat Loss, Poaching, Wildlife, Wildlife Conservation, and Conservation Read More »Prankster inspires rare profanity from his elderly parents
If the holidays are anything, they're about bringing out the worst in loved ones. And it's even better when you can do that with a caring prank. Reddit user kellenbrent shared this video of his 60-year-old father driving his elderly parents to curse by surprising them on the side of the road. The older couple didn't expect their son to join them for the holidays and he played it up by acting like a man asking for money. According to kellenbrent, swearing is a rare thing for this family, so it must have felt very rewarding to hear some cursing adding to the pleasant surprise. Of course Mark Zuckerberg finished his year of running
Mark Zuckerberg showed off completing his annual personal challenge with a congratulatory Fast Company profile and some interesting videos full of WTF moments. Over the course of a year, the CEO of Facebook had crafted an at-home personal assistant that turned his lights on and off, toasted his bread and spoke Mandarin, among other things. But the so-called Jarvis, voiced by God, wasn't Zuckerberg's only New Years challenge for 2016. Back on Jan. 4, Zuckerberg told the world (aka posted on Facebook) that he also planned to run 365 miles this year. More about Business, Running, Fitness, Ceo, and Mark Zuckerberg Read More »Indie darling 'Meet the Patels' comes to PBS
When Ravi Patel (Master of None, Grandfathered) was almost 30, he did what he thought he'd never do: He asked his parents to help arrange his marriage. Fresh off a devastating breakup, Patel couldn't have imagined the whirlwind that lay ahead; that his sister Geeta would document the journey to find a suitable Indian bride, that they would try to frame the story as a romantic comedy, that they'd be rejected from every major festival — or that their resultant family documentary, Meet the Patels, would eventually be shown on five screens nationwide and then explode onto more than 100. On Dec. 26, Meet the Patels, which is already streaming on Netflix, will launch the new season of the PBS show Independent Lens. Read more... More about Relationships, Marriage, Family, Geeta V Patel, and Ravi Patel Read More »Investigators finally understand why an entire family of bears died in a parking lot
On Dec. 6 of this year, the West Wyoming Borough Police Department received a very strange case. An entire family of bears appeared to have died in the parking lot of St. Monica’s church in West Wyoming, Pennsylvania. The bears showed no obvious signs of trauma or thrashing, and it would be weeks before investigators could finally determine the cause of their deaths. The case was so mysterious that the West Wyoming Police Department as well as the Pennsylvania Game Commission asked the public for their thoughts on how the bears might have died. Read more... More about Yew, Dead, Bears, Mystery, and Watercooler Read More »No special effects—except the Force—in this homemade ‘Force Awakens’ trailer
Chances are, all the new Star Wars everything lately has awakened your inner seven-year-old. The Force is strong with you. And if you felt a disturbance, it might have been this CineFix Homemade Movies remake of the trailer for The Force Awakens. Subscribe to CineFix for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/c/cinefix Read more... More about Mashable Video, Star Wars, Movies, Homemade Movies, and Cinefix Read More »Little girls brought to tears by teddy bears with their late grandfather's voice
Oh God, prepare for the tears. Jennifer Ramos shared a touching video of her younger sisters, Mariana and Sarahy, receiving teddy bears with a very special feature. The girls' grandfather, Florencio Jimenez, tragically died last year due to a stroke during a car wash robbery, Ramos told Buzzfeed News. To preserve his memory, the children's Aunt Andrea bought the two young girls teddy bears with audio messages cut from video clips they had filmed with their grandfather before his death. Each audio message contained an "inside joke" between the girls and their grandfather, Ramos said, and ended with his exuberant laughter. Read more... More about Heartwarming, Grandparents, Gifts, Teddy Bear, and Watercooler Read More »Redditors planning to hide hundreds of 3D-printed toys in citywide scavenger hunt
Let's play a game — and include an entire city. That's the idea behind one Reddit post that proposed building a citywide scavenger hunt in San Francisco with hundreds of 3D printed toys. The man behind the post is Ben Baltes, a 25-year-old software developer who is a co-founder of a 3D printing toy start-up in Oakland. In a phone call Monday with Mashable, Baltes said he's been thinking about the project for about two years and is framing it as "more of an experiment than a game." He a core group of game planners, have settled on calling it "Hidden City" and are serious about making it happen. Baltes posted the idea on Reddit last Tuesday and said if he got more than 150 "up-votes" he'd continue planning. In less than a week he's received more than 400 votes. Read more... More about Reddit, Game, Scavenger Hunt, Toys, and 3d Printing Read More »Farewell to Vera Rubin: Badass dark matter astronomer and feminist icon
The pioneering astronomer Vera Rubin is known globally for discovering powerful evidence of dark matter in the universe. But Rubin, who died Sunday at age 88, is also renowned for her passionate efforts to make space for women in the male-dominated field of astronomy. The astronomer was never awarded a Nobel Prize in physics, despite her supporters' efforts to highlight Rubin's achievements to the committee. In fact, no woman has won the prize for physics in over five decades. Vera Rubin (neé Connor), was born July 23, 1928 in Philadelphia. She began working in astronomy at a time when no woman had worked inside the Palomar Observatory, a world renowned research facility in San Diego, California. Read more... More about Women In Space, Women In Astronomy, Women In Science, Feminism, and Feminist Icons Read More »OK, calling it: This little boy stars in 2016's most heartwarming Christmas video
Christmas is the time of year miracles happen, and because it's 2016, sometimes those miracles get caught on camera. Janelle Rice shared a touching video Sunday on Facebook of her 11-year-old biological son, Landon, opening the present he's always dreamed of: his adoption certificate. "[Landon] really wanted to be adopted by [my husband] Daniel and have his last name changed," Rice told Mashable, "And we felt it was finally time!" Over the course of Janelle and Daniel's 10 year marriage, Landon has been open about his desire to be adopted. Read more... More about Facebook, Gifts, Christmas, Heartwarming, and Viral Video Read More »Taylor Swift gave one of her oldest fans the best Christmas surprise ever
Taylor Swift casually dropped in to one of her fans homes this Christmas — which actually isn't that unusual for the pop star. But this fan is a little different than your average Swiftie. Cyrus Porter is 96 years old and was just profiled by his local TV news station in New Madrid, Missouri, for his Taylor Swift fandom — that's how well-known he is for loving Swift and her music. Porter is also a World War II vet, which apparently doesn't stop him from rocking out to a sick beat. He's even been to two Swift concerts. As he told the news station, "She puts on a show no one else puts on." More about Fan, Veteran, Surprise, Christmas, and Taylor Swift Read More »Torrential rain turns Australia's desert heart into a series of waterfalls
Located in the desert centre of Australia, Uluru is known for its size and striking red colour as well as its sacred significance for Anangu, its traditional Aboriginal Australian owners, but rarely for rain. Taller than the Eiffel Tower, its banks became temporary waterfalls at Christmas after downpours swept the area. The Bureau of Meteorology called the conditions a one-in-fifty-year event. The Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park was closed to visitors Monday local time due to "an extreme weather event," according to Parks Australia. It reopened Tuesday. It wasn't all good news for the region, with the rains causing flash flooding and property damage around the town of Kintore, ABC reported. Read more... More about Weather, Rain, Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park, Uluru, and Anangu Read More »P.S.A. for everyone who got a drone this Christmas: Don't break the law
Whether a beginner, a serious aviation enthusiast, or just a fan of gadgets, many of you will have received drones as Christmas gifts. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have surged in popularity and affordability in recent years, and there's no doubt that recreational drone use is on the rise as a result. But not all recreational drone users know the law — or if they do, they don't appear to be following it. There has been a string of near misses between drones and other aircraft, and other cases of irresponsible use. Only last month, a recreational drone user was investigated by Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) after evidently flying a drone over a crowded Bunnings carpark to pick up a sausage at a sausage sizzle. Read more... More about Christmas, Law, Drones, Australia, and Tech Read More »Having your 15th birthday party invitation go viral looks kinda intense
What do you do when your birthday becomes a meme? Put on a stunning dress and just make it work. Rubi Ibarra Garcia's quinceañera celebrations in central Mexico on Monday were attended by "thousands" after a video invitation to the festivities went viral. In the notorious clip, her father, Crescencio Ibarra, invites "everybody" to the party, which the internet of course decided to take literally. Garcia's 15th birthday celebrations, a significant rite of passage in many parts of Latin America, typically accompanied by a party, a dress and mass, became a phenomenon. Read more... More about Quinceneara, Rubi Ibarra, Facebook, Mexico, and Watercooler Read More »Jet Airways flight spins 360-degrees in Goa, 2 planes in near-miss incident in Delhi
It’s not shaping up to be a good day for air travel in India. A Jet Airways flight in Goa earlier today skidded and took a 360-degree spin on the runway after aborting takeoff. In a separate incident, two flights came dangerously close at the Delhi IGI airport. Fortunately, major accidents were averted at both airports.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai to kickstart New Year with an event in India
Google’s Sundar Pichai will kick off the new year with some major announcements for small businesses in India. SEE ALSO: The surprising rise of Google's new CEO The company will hold a media event in New Delhi on Jan where Pichai will be present, Google said in a media invite. The event will also be attended by India's IT Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad. According to local reports, India-born Pichai landed in the country with his family last week. At the event, Google will unveil new cloud and enterprise focused features aimed at Indian businesses. "At Google, we are excited about partnering with businesses to help them unlock exponential growth through the power of digital," the invite reads. Read more... More about Sundar Pichai, Enterprise, Business, Small Business, and India Read More »5 times India topped the world in 2016
If India had to summarize the outgoing year in a single phrase, it would be this: a mixed bag. What else explains the distinction of being the country with the most selfie deaths in the world and also the one with the world's largest solar power plant? All that and more happened in 2016. Here are some 'records' India scaled this year. 1. Largest solar power plantImage: ABB Kamuthi, a small town in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, became the home to the world's largest solar power plant at a single location. It was built in a record time of eight months, faster than California's Topaz Solar Farm, the former largest solar plant. Read more... More about Yearbook, Year In Review, Solar Plant, Selfie Death, and Modi Suit Read More »LG has a levitating speaker because it's about time for gadgets to start flying
We're living in the future. Although they're not yet available to everyone, we do have jetpacks, self-driving cars and spaceships. So it's our right to demand gadgets that are levitating in the air for no apparent reason, right? LG just announced one such gadget, the imaginatively named Levitating Portable Speaker (or PJ9). It's a wireless, 360-degree omnidirectional speaker that flies above its station, while producing some deep tones thanks to a built-in subwoofer. While it looks quite unassuming, the speaker has a few cool tricks up its sleeve. When its 10-hour battery is low, it automatically descends down to its station and charges wirelessly, without interrupting music playback. Read more... More about Lg, Ces, Ces 2017, Levitating Speaker, and Speaker Read More »Woman wakes up to find $15 million in her bank account, informs Prime Minister's office
Imagine waking up one day to find that millions of dollars have been credited to your account. An Indian woman has been living that life for two days, and things continue to get stranger for her. Uttar Pradesh-based Sheetal Yadav says she was taken by surprise when she walked to an ATM two weeks ago and found that her account had Rs 1 billion ($14.7 million) in it. Her surprise quickly turned into terror as she asked the person next to her to check if she had read the amount on paper slip correctly. She had. Yadav visited several other ATMs in the neighbourhood hoping the bank to show her a different figure. Read more... More about Watercooler, Finance, Banks, Bank, and Banking Read More »Taiwan is one step closer to legalizing same-sex marriage
Taiwan is now a step closer to marriage equality, and will become the first Asian government to make same-sex marriage legal, if it eventually passes a new amendment to civil law. On Monday, parliament passed the first draft of a marriage bill, which adds a line to recognise "both parties of a same-sex marriage," in addition to marriage between "man and woman." Amid months of fierce rallies from both opponents and supporters of same-sex marriage, the line was initially meant to change "man and woman" to "two parties." But to tackle opposition to the amendment, a member of parliament proposed to add the line, keeping "man and woman," reports Taipei Times. Read more... More about Marriage Equality, Same Sex Marriage, Taiwan, Lgbtq, and World Read More »India's ruling party got volunteers to troll its critics, claims new book
There is no escaping trolling if you are on social media. More so, if you happen to be a popular figure. The country with the second-largest internet population in the world saw its ruling party sponsor online trolls to chase down its opponents, including politicians, journalists and celebrities, claims a new book. The country in question is India, and the party being BJP that was elected to power in 2014. These revelations have been made in a book titled I Am A Troll authored by an Indian journalist, who's scored an explosive tell-all interview with a former BJP volunteer, Sadhavi Khosla. Read more... More about Book, Modi, Bjp, India, and Online Abuse Read More »Richard Hammond says ice cream isn't 'straight.' Really?
LONDON — Richard Hammond has come under fire for saying that he doesn't eat ice cream because he's straight. During Episode 6 of The Grand Tour, Jeremy Clarkson said that wouldn't be able to "enjoy a chocolate Magnum ice cream" inside a Rolls Royce. Richard Hammond responded by saying that he doesn't eat ice cream. "It's something to do with being straight," he added. Here's the clip.Here's a transcript of that clip:Jeremy Clarkson: "The only problem is that in one of those [a Rolls Royce] you couldn't enjoy a chocolate Magnum ice cream." Read more... More about Uk, Backlash, Twitter, The Grand Tour, and Richard Hammond Read More »Pet Widget is the upgraded dog tag your best friend deserves
Pet owners who've had to go through the trauma of having a dog run away will understand: its microchip alone may not be enough to help you trace your dog. The Pet Widget is a $29 collar tag that's just hit the market, supported by a social network for pets and their humans. Its creator, Ivan Loh, told Mashable that many runaway pets who are picked up are untraceable despite being microchipped, because their owners may have neglected to renew their annual licence. And typically, only vets and animal shelters have microchip scanners, so people who find a dog won't be able to locate its owner without wrestling it to one of those facilities, he added. Read more... More about Microchip, Pets, Cats, Dogs, and Singapore Read More »Frank Sinatra's open letter to George Michael is a good pep talk for us all
"Loosen up. Swing, man." Frank Sinatra had some very Frank Sinatra-like advice for a young George Michael, who had complained about fame in a 1990 interview with the Los Angeles Times' Calendar magazine. After George Michael's death, reported on Christmas day, people are sharing this open letter from Ol' Blue Eyes. It was printed in the same magazine a week after the interview. At the time, Michael was struggling under the weight of public expectations for his sophomore album, "Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1." Under this pressure, then 27-year-old Michael wanted to stay out of the limelight. He only agreed to do three interviews in the U.S., the LA Times being one of them. He even refused to have his photo taken for the article. Read more... More about Advice, Letters Of Note, Open Letters, Frank Sinatra, and George Michael Read More »How to spend less time on the internet in 2017
If your New Year's resolution is to spend less time online, congratulations: you're about to embark on an extremely daunting journey. Frankly, cutting out the internet completely is unrealistic and maybe unwise. It's how we communicate with others, how we get our hopefully real news, how we keep up with film and music. (Yes, streaming services like Netflix and Spotify still count as "online.") But if you're looking to decrease your screen time — whether you want to spend more active time with loved ones, exercise a little more or just stop buying weird sh*t on Amazon — here are a few realistic ways to do so. Maybe they will even be fun. Read more... More about 2017, Internet, Resolutions, and Watercooler Read More »People are loving this brother's touching RuPaul-themed Christmas gift
LONDON — When you get a present from someone, you can normally tell how much effort has gone into it. The ones that you remember the most — the ones that really mean something — aren't always the biggest or most expensive gifts, either; they're often the ones that are the most personal to you. For Christmas, 28-year-old Stu Forward from London received a touching present from his younger brother: a custom-made RuPaul version of the game "Guess Who?".
Mom has heartwarming reaction to surprise Christmas holiday gift
If the mark of a good Christmas present is seeing how someone reacts when they open it, then the people who clubbed together to get the woman in the clip above a surprise holiday to Scotland have done a pretty damn good job. "My mom's been wanting to go to the UK for 10+ years, and as a 60-year-old woman she's only been out of the country once in her life," reads the YouTube description. "Well, the gang got together and pitched in for her trip of a lifetime." From the looks of it, the present was very well received. Read more... More about Uk, Gift, Present, Christmas, and Surprise Read More »Google's free Wi-Fi to reach 200 railway stations in India in 2017
Google is gearing up to bring millions of more Indians online next year. Google and state-run internet service provider RailTel will push their free Wi-Fi internet to another 100 railway stations in India next year, said Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu. Google and RailTel partnered earlier this year and announced plans to bring free internet to 400 railway stations across India. The two announced last week that their Wi-Fi service has reached the 100th railway station in the country. Prabhu said the plan is to "double" the number of railway stations that have free Wi-Fi by the end of next year. He added that more trains will also be getting internet access. “The objective is to have Wi-Fi facility in all railway stations in small cities and towns,” he added. Read more... More about Free Wi Fi, Free Wifi, Google, Railway Station, and Railway Read More »India's public bank blocks largest mobile wallet, promotes its own
What happens when the country's biggest bank, state-owned, and its largest mobile wallet firm, privately-owned and backed by Chinese investors, cannot co-exist? India knows the answer. Over the last one week, customers using the State Bank of India's (SBI) internet banking system have been disallowed from transferring money to their Paytm wallets. Instead, SBI has been recommending them to use its own e-wallet — State Bank Buddy. At the time of writing this, the app had notched up 5 million downloads on Google Play Store. Read more... More about Ecommerce, Demonetization, Paytm, Sbi, and Mobile Wallet Read More »This musical remix of the UK news in 2016 is hilariously brutal
LONDON — Cassetteboy, the viral king of UK political remixes, has done it again. His latest video — published this morning on the Guardian — takes aim at former Prime Minister David Cameron, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, and current Prime Minister Theresa May — all to the gloriously familiar beat of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air's opening theme. It's weirdly catchy, isn't it? "Cassetteboy vs Brexit" was shared this morning on Twitter. At the time of writing it's had over 800 RTs, and plenty of positive feedback.
From the sun to planet nine: A stunning tour of our solar system
Our solar system is a fascinating place. For decades, ambitious engineers and scientists around the world have been sending brave humans and robotic emissaries deep into our solar system to see what they could find. They've learned a lot, with 2016 marking major milestones in space exploration. The Cassini spacecraft has revealed previously unknown truths about Saturn and its moons and, now, NASA's Juno spacecraft is beaming back more detailed information about Jupiter than ever before. NASA's New Horizons spacecraft flew by Pluto in 2015, getting the first close-up looks humanity has ever had of the dwarf planet. Since the flyby, NASA has released new, high-resolution views of Pluto each week. Plus, two rovers are still roaming Mars to hunt for signs of possible past life and interesting geology. Read more... More about Planets, Solar System, Space Photos, Science, and Nasa Read More »Here’s what it’s reaaaally like to own Hatchimals
The hottest toy of the holidays isn't as great as you think. This year, Hatchimals — hatch-able electronic eggs that hold furry little interactive creatures — were at the top of so many holiday wish lists that they became impossible to find in stores. Many parents tried and failed, but when it came time to hatch the re-vamped Furbys, some who were lucky enough to score the toys discovered a horrible reality: Their Hatchimals were either demonic or dead. Bum bum bummm... At first, all the non-Hatchimals owners who didn't make it to the store quick enough were forced to sit back and watch Hatchimals-mania unfold on Twitter — led by Chrissy Teigen and baby Luna, of course. Read more... More about Conversations, Tech, Twitter, Holidays 2016, and Toys Read More »This innovative ironing board will make ironing a breeze
No matter which way you spin it, ironing is such a pain. But this product, which has been a BIG hit on Kickstarter, might have you enjoying the chore...maybe. Read more... More about Mashable Video, Iron Board, Real Time Video, Real Time, and Us World Read More »Luxury phone from China has crazy specs and a 7,000mAh battery
One way to solve the battery life issues plaguing smartphone users ( (so, basically, everyone) these days is to go bigger. China's Gionee has done exactly that: its new luxury phone boasts a pretty outlandish 7,000mAh battery paired with some really good specs. The Gionee M2017 is a 5.7-inch smartphone in a metal and leather case that, while fatter than your regular phablet, still manages to look quite elegant despite that enormous battery. The rest of the specs aren't shabby, either: 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, dual rear cameras (with 12- and 13-megapixel sensors with 2x optical zoom), an 8-megapixel selfie cam and a fingerprint reader. Read more... More about Phone, Smartphone, Gionee M2017, Battery, and China Read More »11 technologies to watch in 2017
Much like The Force, technology surrounds us, penetrates us and binds together our galaxy, which is why it’s so hard to identify which technologies might have the most significant impact in the coming year. What we can count on in 2017 is that a myriad of innovations will arrive. Some will alter our lives with the tectonic force of an earthquake. Other will sneak in quietly and change things in gentle, almost unnoticeable ways. My goal here is to focus on the technologies that will undergo the most significant change and have the biggest impact on our lives. Read more... More about Biometrics, Robotics, Exoskeleton, Transportation, and Self Driving Cars Read More »Sneaky cat totally ruins little girl's Christmas surprise
Christmas for a kid is pure magic. Watching their little faces brighten up as they open their gifts is something every parent yearns for during the holidays, so gifting a pet such as a kitten is guaranteed to deliver an emotional reaction. So when Heather Brooker decided to give her 3-year-old daughter a kitten for christmas, she wanted to film her response as she opened the box and the two locked eyes for the first time. Despite their love for boxes, this ninja cat managed to slip out just as the girl opened the box, leaving the little girl starring into an empty present. "Some times[sic] life's imperfect moments are more perfect than you could imagine," Brooker wrote on YouTube. Read more... More about Holidays, Christmas, Animals, Cats, and Viral Videos Read More »'Absolver' shakes up everything you know about fighting games
There are two main things to know about Absolver: it's visually gorgeous, and its combat will ask more of you than most other games would dare. It’s not just a brutally specific set of controls like the Dark Souls series, or an impressive array of stance-specific combos like in Ubisoft’s upcoming For Honor (with which Absolver shares a small amount of spiritual DNA, as members of developer Sloclap work previously at Ubisoft); it’s that Absolver lets players customize their fighting styles to a degree of detail rarely, if ever, seen in video games. More about Esports, Gaming, Entertainment, Devolver Digital, and Absolver Read More »Kodaline frontman surprises dad with new car in heartwarming video
This father may have had the best Christmas of us all. Kodaline frontman Steve Garrigan shared a touching video on Twitter in which he surprises his father Des with a brand-new BMW for Christmas. And dad's reaction is everything. "Easily the best thing I've ever done," the singer captioned the video, "Being able to do this for my dad is the greatest feeling ever." Watch Des' reaction to the gift below.
Google pushes down Holocaust-denying search results, but only to the bottom of the first page
Google is punishing websites that peddle Holocaust denials — at least a little. The search engine reportedly tweaked its algorithm so that the alt-right site Stormfront's post "Top 10 reasons why the Holocaust didn't happen" showed up at the bottom of the first page of search results for the query "Did the Holocaust happen?" Stormfront's Holocaust-denying post was the first search result for that question earlier this month. Digital Trends reported that the search result would disappear from Google entirely. A Google spokesperson told the site that the search engine would take action against "non-authoritative information" in its results. Read more... More about Alt Right, White Supremacy, Fake News, Google Search, and Google Read More »Dad pranks sassy kids by tossing an empty present into the fire
Threatening kids with their Christmas gifts in an attempt to get them to behave is an age-old holiday tradition. Some threaten their young ones with coal, others rely on Elf on the Shelf, but YouTuber Scotty B took things to a whole new level. After getting a bit of lip from his kids who weren't listening, the father decided to enact his preplanned Christmas lesson. He asks his daughter to retrieve one of their gifts underneath the tree, but instead of letting the kids open the gift, the father throws it into the fireplace instead. After a good cry and a phone call to mom, Scotty reveals that the present was just an empty box, but his daughter gets in the last word. Read more... More about Christmas, Funny, Parenting, Viral Videos, and Watercooler Read More »How your uncle's conspiracy theories trigger your brain's anxiety areas
Perhaps you've been here this holiday season: A family member shares a political belief that is entirely the opposite of your own, and suddenly your blood is boiling. You either bite your tongue, and quietly fill with rage, or fire back with an impassioned rebuttal. Neuroscientists say they now can track how this common experience unfolds in the brain. When our political beliefs are challenged, our brains light up in areas that govern personal identity and emotional responses to threats, according to a study published Dec. 23 in the Nature journal Scientific Reports. More about Democratic Party, Republican Party, Fake News, Amygdala, and Brain Activity Read More »British people are losing their minds over 2016's final insult
Brexit, Toblerone... now Roses. What fresh hell must the UK endure before 2016 is over? This time, people are losing their minds over changes to their beloved Cadbury Roses. The confectionary giant actually changed the packaging style in April from a twist tie to a packet. But it wasn't until people tucked into their traditional holiday tubs that everyone noticed all at once. And wow, are they annoyed.
Dog opening its Christmas gift brings pure joy to the world
Never forget your pets during the holidays. After opening her Christmas gift all by herself, this smart pup shows her gratitude with a healthy dose of doggy freakout. Forget kids — dogs deserve all the gifts. 9 people the internet made famous in 2016
In 2016, the internet gave us dancing teenagers, sad grandparents, Star Wars masks, red crewneck sweaters and more white Vans than we could count. From Chewbacca Mom to Ken Bone, for better or for worse, this year gave us a fresh batch of internet celebrities to keep track of or, more likely, forget about until right now. 1. The "Damn, Daniel!" dudesJoshua Holz and Daniel Lara are the teens who made it impossible to wear white Vans without someone pointing to your shoes and shouting "Damn, Daniel!" Thanks to their video, posted to Twitter back in February, the pair ended up on Ellen DeGeneres's couch where Lara received a lifetime supply of white Vans sneakers, many of which he donated. Read more... More about Memes, Damn Daniel, Chewbacca Mom, and Watercooler Read More »50 thoughts I have while waiting for my Seamless order
The stretch of time between placing your Seamless order and breaking a plastic fork out of its wrapper to eat that Seamless order is unlike anything else. The hunger takes over your body and mind, causing a stream of lucid thoughts, simultaneously propelling you closer to and further away from nourishment and contentment. Here are 50 thoughts I have while waiting for my Seamless order:
Facebook's Safety Check feature was the latest victim of fake news
Once again, fake news is having serious and terrifying implications on social media. On Dec. 26, Facebook's Safety Check feature was activated to alert locals of explosion in Bangkok, Thailand. The feature, however, was activated under false pretenses, apparently in response to a news story about a bombing that occurred in 2015. SEE ALSO: Can Facebook fix its fake news problem? The Safety Check, which came on at around 9:00 p.m. local time according to The Verge, gave those in the area the option to mark themselves "safe" and to view friends who had done the same, igniting unnecessary panic within the community. Read more... More about Conversations, Fake News, Safety Check, Facebook, and Bangkok Read More »Cold drones can now brave winter with their own drone sweaters
Poor little drones, forced to brave the winter skies with nothing but their tiny motors to keep them warm. Sure, drones may be completely inanimate objects with absolutely no need for outerwear, but that doesn't mean we grown adults can't imagine they do. That is exactly why San Francisco-based artist Danielle Baskin recently designed a hot new line of sweaters for drones. Baskin's drone sweaters, currently the hottest and only drone wear on the fashion market, come in for just $189. And if you're not interested in dronewear, you can choose from one of Baskin's many other surreal, sometimes unnecessary but otherwise completely inventive designs, including: Read more... More about Sweater, Drones, and Watercooler Read More »The 9 tech fights to watch in 2017
In 2017, tech companies will have to adapt to a new reality. President Trump and his cabinet of billionaires will shape government regulation for companies across the tech industry. And while pre-election, many thought markets would collapse with a Trump win, and post-election, many questioned their naïveté that business wouldn't respond well to a Trump presidency, it's actually a mix of both for the tech world. "If you're a company whose product is enmeshed in a core Democratic philosophy like cannabis or ed tech, this could be more challenging for you," Bradley Tusk, a consultant who works with Uber and other tech companies on their regulatory strategies, told Mashable. "If you're a company who just wants to go about your business without being over-regulated, you're probably going to do pretty well." Read more... More about 2017, Trump, Renewable Energy, Immigration, and Airbnb Read More »A life in the stars: Carrie Fisher in pictures
Born to Hollywood stars, Carrie Fisher lived her life in lights from the beginning. The beloved actress died Tuesday at age 60 in Los Angeles after suffering from a heart attack. The child of singer Eddie Fisher and actress Debbie Reynolds, Fisher made herself a household name starring as Princess Leia in the Star Wars series, as well as other classic films including Shampoo and Hannah and Her Sisters. Fisher's personal life was tumultuous. She was open about her struggles with bipolar disorder and drug addiction, reflecting these experiences in novels such as Postcards from the Edge. "Hilariously – after all the drug addiction and celebration marriage and mental illness and divorce and shock treatment and heartbreak and motherhood and childhood and neighborhood and hood in general – I’ve turned out to be ... a kind of happy person (go figure!)," she wrote in the Guardian in June. Read more... More about Hollywood, Photos, Star Wars, Carrie Fisher, and Entertainment Read More »Carrie Fisher, RIP: Princess on screen, real-life queen
Carrie Fisher, the actress, author and stage performer who forever changed what it meant to be Hollywood royalty, died Tuesday at age 60, according to multiple media outlets citing a family spokesperson. Fisher suffered a heart attack Friday at the end of a long flight from London to Los Angeles. She was hospitalized and said to have been in stable condition. On Tuesday, a family statement to People read: Fisher was most famous for her role as Princess (later General) Leia in four blockbuster Star Wars films, but almost as famous for how much she longed to escape the iconic character. Though she eventually made peace with being stuck in Leia's orbit, she succeeded in becoming a stellar object in her own right. She battled her way through an incredible amount of heartache and pain (divorce, depression, alcoholism, addiction, bipolar disorder), but found catharsis in sharing it all freely with the world — and making us laugh along with her. Read more... More about Princess Leia, Carrie Fisher, Star Wars, Entertainment, and Film Read More »How to stream Carrie Fisher's scene-stealing roles (besides Princess Leia)
Carrie Fisher was best known for her turn as Princess Leia in several Star Wars films, but her contribution to the worlds of film and TV went far beyond that iconic role. Though Fisher, who died Tuesday at age 60 following a heart attack, typically took on supporting roles outside of Star Wars and her stage work, she was always a scene stealer and her larger-than-life personality shined brightly. Here's how to watch some of Carrie Fisher's roles from this galaxy online. 1. CatastropheRecently, Fisher flexed her comic muscles on Amazon's Catastrophe as Mia, the mother of a man who has the nerve to start a family an ocean away from his mom following an accidental pregnancy. Her dog, Gary, is also a scene-stealer in the series. Read more... More about Star Wars, Carrie Fisher, and Entertainment Read More »Celebrities react to the death of Carrie Fisher on Twitter
News of the death of actress Carrie Fisher hit hard on Tuesday. Friends, family and fans were wishing for a fast recovery after Fisher suffered a heart attack on a flight from London to Los Angeles last Friday. Best known for her role as Princess Leia in Star Wars, the brazen and gifted actress and author upheld an active social voice on Twitter. Countless fans and dozens of celebrities expressed their condolences on the platform upon hearing the sad news. The wide range of heartfelt responses after the news of Fisher's death only proves she was a strong force who left a huge impact on the entire world. Read more... More about Twitter, Carrie Fisher, Watercooler, and Conversations Read More »15 types of Facebook posts that need to die in 2017
Love or hate Facebook, you've got to hate Facebook. Though a lonely few may have closed their accounts and joined the Facebook #resistance, nearly all of us are tied to the platform in some way or another. If we're going to survive out there, there's two things we need to do: 1.) Pressure them to eliminate fake news or otherwise lose our country to authoritarianism, lol; and 2.) Get rid of certain types of highly annoying Facebook posts, which just refuse to die. Below is a list of types of Facebook posts you've likely been witness to, and would love to see disappear, in 2017. If you're responsible for one of the following posts, it's okay, you're not alone — we're just asking you to do a little bit better and PLEASE STOP. Read more... More about Humor, Facebook Post, and Watercooler Read More »This magical remote can control everything in your home
The 'Smart Remote' from 'Sevenhugs' adapts to whatever you point at This hilarious Carrie Fisher interview is how she should be remembered
Carrie Fisher was well-known for her bold personality. News of Fisher's death broke on Tuesday, prompting countless fans to recall and share their fondest memories of the iconic actress and activist. But among the many heartfelt responses, this interview with Amy Robach on Good Morning America before the launch of The Force Awakens showcases Fisher hilarious and witty presence. Robach starts the clip by declaring her chat with Fisher as "one of the most entertaining interviews ever," and that is not an exaggeration. Carrie Fisher was a bold advocate for people with mental illness
One of the most beloved actresses, writers and speakers in the world just so happened to live with a mental illness. While many Americans choose to keep their mental illness hidden (and others aren't even aware that they have one in the first place), Carrie Fisher spoke candidly for more than a decade about living with bipolar disorder. Fisher, who died Tuesday morning at the age of 60, made no secret of her illness. She spoke boldly about what it's like to live with bipolar disorder using her celebrity power to help relieve cultural stigma. "I have a chemical imbalance that, in its most extreme state, will lead me to a mental hospital... I am mentally ill. I can say that. I am not ashamed of that. I survived that, I’m still surviving it, but bring it on," she told Diane Sawyer on PrimeTime in 2000. Read more... More about Bipolar Disorder, Carrie Fisher, Mental Illness, and Watercooler Read More »Here are the songs Paul Simon wrote about Carrie Fisher
Actress, author, and beloved Hollywood badass Carrie Fisher died Tuesday at the age of 60. She inspired many during her lengthy career — including ex-husband Paul Simon who, the actress wrote in her autobiography Wishful Drinking, wrote several songs inspired by her and their life together. The above song, 'Hearts and Bones,' was apparently about Simon's relationship with the beloved actress, opening with the lines, "One and one half wondering Jews/Free to wander wherever they choose." Fisher was half Jewish on her father's side. Another song Fisher claimed was about her in Wishful Drinking was the Simon classic, 'She Moves On.' She wrote, "If you can get Paul Simon to write a song about you, do it. Because he is so brilliant at it." Read more... More about Rip, Songs, Music, Carrie Fisher, and Paul Simon Read More » | ||||
| | ||||
| ||||
utorak, 27. prosinca 2016.
FeedaMail: Mashable
Pretplati se na:
Objavi komentare (Atom)
Nema komentara:
Objavi komentar