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 New patent hints at a customizable Apple Watch
Your Apple Watch band options may soon extend far beyond leather, "Sport" or Hermès. Apple was granted a patent Tuesday describing "modular functional band links for wearable devices." The links are described to be "connected to one or more other of the band links and/or the wearable device and include one or more electronic components." The news was first reported by Apple Insider. While the patent is broad, its potential uses include adding modules to the Apple Watch, thus expanding its functionality. That could mean anything from attaching a camera to an additional battery, GPS, buttons and more. Read more... More about Apple, Apple Watch, and Tech Read More »Watch Billy Eichner and Stephen Colbert ask New Yorkers about Trump
Billy Eichner and Stephen Colbert are here for you, New Yorkers. In the latest episode of Billy on the Street, the duo talk to passerbys about the so-called "New York bubble" and what message they would want to send to President Donald Trump (via Colbert). Some responses are somber. "I'm actually very concerned about the people he's bringing into his cabinet," says one New Yorker. "He's opening Pandora's box." "He actually grabbed Pandora's box without asking permission," Colbert joked. Others had more quick and hilarious replies. "What's the first word that comes to mind when I say Donald Trump?" Eichner asks one New Yorker. Read more... More about Comedy, Politics, New York City, Donald Trump, and Stephen Colbert Read More »Here's how the new 'Overwatch' mode works in 'Year of the Rooster'
"Year of the Rooster" is here, Overwatch. And, fittingly, the previously rumored, event-specific Capture the Flag mode is called... Capture the Rooster. In the above video, game director Jeff Kaplan runs through the details of how Year of the Rooster works, as well as the Overwatch team's history with trying to bring Capture the Flag to the game (it's apparently quite a long-term effort!). Kaplan's explanation is definitely worth a listen, but if you're looking for the basics: Capture the Rooster works much like other CTF modes, with each team fighting to capture the other team's flag and bring it back to their own home base. None of the heroes are locked and all their abilities work as normal. Read more... More about Blizzard Entertainment, Overwatch, Esports, Gaming, and Entertainment Read More »Tesla just ramped up its Autopilot system
After a delay, Telsa's new Autopilot is finally ready for mass rollout. Tesla mastermind Elon Musk first teased the new system, Enhanced Autopilot, for the automaker's HW2 hardware package (which has been included in all new models since October) back in December, but the software release was delayed by bugs. Then came a limited update to 1,000 cars and a passive download for the whole HW2 fleet. As usual, Musk took to Twitter to announce the release.
Check out all the new 'Overwatch' Year of the Rooster hero skins
Overwatch is celebrating the Lunar New Year in style, introducing a handful of new hero skins to ring in the Year of the Rooster. The Year of the Rooster event, available to download now, is running from Jan. 24 to Feb. 13 and brings in brand new loot boxes, each with a pretty good chance of including either a skin, spray, player icon or voice line centered around the celebration. Mei, D.va, Zenyatta, Symmetra, Reinhardt, Ana, Junkrat, Roadhog, Tracer, Mercy, Bastion and Winston all have brand new Lunar New Year-themed skins to bring even more color to the popular game. Check out all 13 of them below. Read more... More about Year Of The Rooster, New Year, Skins, Esports, and Gaming Read More »'Alternative facts' push '1984' to Amazon bestseller list
"Alternative facts" have made "newspeak" more popular. As of Tuesday, George Orwell's dystopian novel 1984, published in 1949, rose to No. 6 on Amazon's best-selling books list. Image: amazon/screengrab The book follows people in a totalitarian state called Oceania, where "newspeak" —the official language — contains no negative terms. The objective of the fictional language is to eliminate people's personal thoughts by restricting expressiveness. The popularity of the book comes after President Donald Trump's adviser Kellyanne Conway appeared on NBC's Meet The Press with Chuck Todd Sunday. Todd questioned Conway over White House press secretary Sean Spicer's comments about Inauguration attracting “the largest audience ever." Read more... More about George Orwell, 1984, Kellyanne Conway, Donald Trump, and Politics Read More »'The End Is Near': Watch a teaser for Season 3 of 'The Leftovers'
The beginning of the end is coming soon. The third and final season of The Leftovers will debut on HBO on April 16. Until then, here's a new teaser which gives us all a sneak peek at the upcoming season of Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta's show. Hidden History: Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality might be the hottest new thing in tech, but surprisingly, VR has a long history before today. Mashable explores the various false-starts, influences, and oddities in the Hidden History of VR. 'The Possible,' is a new virtual reality series that explores groundbreaking technology. Watch now on the Within app. Read more... More about Virtual Reality, Hidden History, Within App, Within, and Vr Read More »Constance Wu calls out Casey Affleck's Oscar nomination
On Tuesday the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveiled this year's Oscar nominees. Among the nominations for Best Actor was Casey Affleck, star of Manchester By The Sea, and the target of lawsuits that allege he sexually harassed two women working on the set of his 2010 film I'm Still Here. Though Affleck denies the allegations against him, both cases were settled out of court. Despite the allegations, however, the actor's chances at an Oscar seem high as ever, considering his Golden Globes win earlier this month. That hasn't made everyone happy. Just after the nomination announcement, Fresh Off the Boat's Constance Wu used Twitter to call out Affleck and the Academy. Read more... More about Entertainment, Oscars 2017, Watercooler, Film, and Tv Read More »If you still want an NES Classic Edition, GameStop has them
Still looking for a tiny Nintendo Entertainment System to brighten up your life? Good news: the NES Classic is back in stock at GameStop and available to buy in-store only. Sales of the $60 mini-console are limited to one per customer. The NES Classic released on Nov. 11 and it was a hot holiday item, to the point that it's been sold out everywhere — except in tiny bursts — since launch. This is very much a "while supplies last" situation, so you may want to act fast if you're still pining for one of these. NES Classic Edition shrinks Nintendo's very first North American video game console to adorable palm-sized proportions. Instead of accepting cartridges like the original machine, it comes pre-loaded with 30 games from the NES era. Read more... More about Nintendo, Nes Classic Edition, Gaming, and Entertainment Read More »Trump inspires a new era of music — protesting against him
The history of protest songs is the history of America itself, and history seems to be getting especially musical these days. Since Donald Trump announced his candidacy for President, artists from every background and genre have released songs and videos tackling the emotional atmosphere of the 2016 election. Everyone from indie darlings Father John Misty and Arcade Fire to hip-hop icons Run the Jewels and Pusha T have recorded politically charged songs to match the climate that inspired more than 3 million women to take to the streets Jan. 21. Some are subtle, some are, uh: Read more... More about Music, Trump, Protest, Watercooler, and Politics Read More »College volleyball team goes to extreme lengths to keep epic rally alive
A Canadian college volleyball game ended in epic fashion earlier this week. On the match point of a contest between Université Laval and Université de Montréal’s Carabins, a ridiculous rally ensued. Université Laval almost let the ball go out of bounds, but a pair of players hopped over court-side advertisements to preserve the rally and eventually win the match, 3-1. DIY geniuses build a 7-foot-tall Robocop villain. It's your move, creep.
The people behind Ghostlight, a company that offers creative services for film, recently decided to try and build a 7-foot robot replica of the villain from the first Robocop movie, ED-209. This awesome replica is able to walk and move without the help of any visual effects. YouTuber Indy Mogul documents the entire fascinating process in this video, from initial research to completion. The final product is a true testament to the power of human ingenuity and DIY glory. WorldStar Hip Hop founder Lee 'Q' O'Denat has passed away
Founder of WorldStar Hip Hop Lee "Q" O'Denat passed away in his sleep Monday night at the age of 43, according to TMZ. WorldStar was founded in 2005 primarily as a space to host mixtapes, but quickly developed into an explosive hub of viral videos — ultimately shaping internet culture and launching countless artists into the mainstream, including Mick Jenkins, Migos, Gucci Mane and Wiz Khalifa. Many fans took to Twitter on Tuesday to share their thoughts on the passing of the hip-hop media legend.
Government scientists are caught between new gag order and their own ethics policies
Scientists working for the U.S. government found themselves between a rock and a hard place on Monday. It turns out that a gag order reportedly placed on scientists and employees at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) violates the integrity policies of both agencies. So, in an Orwellian twist, the scientists working at the USDA and EPA have now been explicitly prohibited from doing things that as a matter of integrity they agreed to do while working for their employers. According to press reports, the USDA's main research branch was told to stop communicating with the public on Monday, a ban that includes everything from releasing documents to posting on Twitter. Also on Monday, EPA employees were reportedly told they can no longer post updates on social media and were warned that any communication with the press would be heavily vetted. Read more... More about Global Warming, Climate, Science, Gag Order, and Donald Trump Read More »TV store pulls terrifying prank on customers to promote the new 'Rings' film
By pranking unsuspecting customers, Paramount Pictures turned their new film 'Rings' into a nightmarish reality. Read more... More about Real Time Video, Real Time, Entertainment, Horror, and Design Read More »There's something a little off about this Ryan Gosling wax figure
Madame Tussauds in Berlin unveiled a new wax figure of Ryan Gosling on Monday. In keeping with Madame Tussauds tradition, it looks just like Ryan Gosling. And somehow, simultaneously, it does not. There is something awry here. Something sinister. And it's not just Wax Gosling's extremely boring outfit. BERLIN, GERMANY - JANUARY 23: Ryan Gosling wax figure during the Ryan Gosling Wax Figure Unveiling At Madame Tussauds on January 23, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. Image: TriStar Media/Getty Images Perhaps it's the eyes. They're a bit close together. Perhaps the arms: those shiny, shiny arms. And perhaps — in the midst of La La Land's long awards season — we are simply disturbed by the fact that Wax Gosling is not playing jazz. Read more... More about Madame Tussauds, Ryan Gosling, and Watercooler Read More »Four men developed a tool to keep track of Trump's every move
As Donald Trump embarks on his journey to "Make America Great Again," the world is waiting to see if he follows through on the many promises he made during his presidential campaign. Track Trump, a tool created by Y Combinator President Sam Altman and his team, is here to keep you up to date on Trump's progress in the White House by highlighting the promises he's made for his first 100 days in office. After taking a look at Trump's Contract with the American Voter, Altman was struck with the idea to create a tool that would help citizens better understand the president's policy changes and follow their progress in real-time. Read more... More about Policy, White House, Twitter, Tracking, and 2017 Read More »Frito the dog is on a mission to have the best sibling puppy play date ever
This will be the fluffiest. Reunion. Ever. Frito, who was adopted from Texas Humane Heroes in Leander, Texas, in October 2015, is on a quest to reunite with his puppy siblings and have the greatest play date of all time. Frito's mom Corie Gemmiti enlisted the help of Facebook and the Texas Human Heroes by posting a picture of Frito with his call-to-action sign: "Hi, my name is Frito," the sign read. "I was adopted from Texas Humane Heroes on Oct. 24, 2015. I'm looking for my siblings whos names were: Domino, Snow, Raven, Cali, Buddy and Aspen. Please share my post so I can reunite with them for a puppy play date at Texas Humane Heroes! #AdoptDontShop." Read more... More about Puppies, Dogs, Animals, and Watercooler Read More »Sundance Film Festival 2017: Day 2
Clint, Ti and Josh recap the movies they've just seen at the Sundance Film Festival and which screenings they have coming up next. Stay tuned for daily recaps this week. Visit CineFix for more episodes and movie-related content. Intense helmet cam shows how a motorcyclist ended up on the trunk of a car
This motorcyclist is insanely lucky to be alive after hitting the back of a car on the highway and, by some divine intervention, wound up sitting casually on the trunk last week. This is Fast & Furious come to life. But that's not all, King 5 out of Seattle showed the crash and the fortunate motorcyclist from his point of view. They got a hold of the helmet camera footage and it is incredible. Everyone wound up okay which is a huge relief, but please, all you bikers, don't try this. Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris, is certain he was murdered
Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris, is convinced that her father's death was no accident and she's concerned that performers like Justin Bieber could suffer the same fate. Jackson gave a rare interview with Rolling Stone, opening up about losing her father at such a young age, sharing his legacy with the world and her own mental health struggles, including multiple suicide attempts.
Sundance Film Festival 2017 recap: Day 2
Clint, Ti and Josh recap the movies they've just seen at the Sundance Film Festival and which screenings they have coming up next. Stay tuned for daily recaps this week. Visit CineFix for more episodes and movie-related content. Read more... More about Marjorie Prime, Brigsby Bear, Patti Cake, The Big Sick, and Lemonade Read More »When a robot isn't just a robot
Why do you feel comfortable or even empathetic to a robot? We explore how humans develop an emotional connection with machines, and how engineers are designing that connection. Introducing 'The Possible,' a new virtual reality series that explores groundbreaking technology. Watch now on the Within app. Read more... More about Mashable Video, Tech, Dev Design, and Videos Read More »If you have a new MacBook Pro, you should update macOS right now
When Apple unveiled the new MacBook Pro in October 2016, its erratic battery life cost the product a coveted Consumer Reports recommendation. This led the company's senior vice president, Phil Schiller, to announce that Apple would work with the publication "to understand their battery test." It did, and now it's doing something about it. Apple released an update to macOS (version 10.12.3) that includes a fix to the battery issues. It had previously teased the fix via a beta release, regaining Consumer Reports' seal of approval. More about Battery Power, Battery Life, Updates, Macos Sierra, and Macbook 2016 Read More »Tumblr gets with the program, adds stickers and filters
If stickers and filters on Snapchat, Instagram and Messenger weren’t enough, you can now add them to your Tumblr photos and GIFs, too. Tumblr announced the update on the company's blog on Tuesday in a characteristically whimsical post. Users can use stickers on iOS and Android to post to the Tumblr app to make their photos pop. The update also works on Tumblr's iMessage app, so you can use the stickers in your texts. SEE ALSO: 'Lemonade,' Lin-Manuel and other things Tumblr loved in 2016 In the world of social apps, Tumblr is the weird-but-cool friend who keeps to herself. While Snapchat and Instagram go head to head, Tumblr has been quietly building its own loyal and dedicated audience. The Tumblr community is known for its memes and gifs but also its focus on social issues and initiating action. In 2013, Yahoo acquired Tumblr (Yahoo has since been acquired by Verizon). The Yahoo acquisition is widely believed to have negatively impacted Tumblr overall. Read more... More about Tumblr and Tech Read More »So the App Store is basically Yelp now
Apple just made a major change to its App Store policies. The company will soon let developers respond directly to app reviews in the App Store, according to details released with latest iOS beta. The feature isn't yet live, but Apple notes in the developer preview of the iOS 10.3 beta, released Tuesday, that the final version of the update will allow developers to "respond to customer reviews on the App Store in a way that is available for all customers to see," according to Apple's release notes.
How one e-waste recycling company is creating second chances for trash – and for people
What do you get when you transform trash into jobs? For one LA-based recycling company, it means a whole new way of doing business. Isidore Electronics Recycling is a company that believes in second chances – for the discarded devices we toss in our landfills every day and for the people who emerge from the criminal justice system looking for work. Part of the LA Cleantech Incubator (LACI), Isidore is a full-service electronics recycling company on a mission to save the planet and give back to society at the same time. By creating job opportunities for those facing barriers in the workforce, such as the men and women who have successfully exited California’s correctional system, Isidore’s mission for good touches everything they do. Read more... More about Sponsored, Tech, and Social Good Read More »Some things never change: 1996 career advice that's still solid
In the summer of 1996 after my sophomore year of college, I started an internship at a nonprofit technology association in downtown Washington, D.C. Until that point, I’d only worked in retail and had no idea what to expect. I asked my father and a professor for advice. Remarkably, 20 years later much of that guidance still resonates. Doors open based on who you know In the late 90s, these were physical doors rather than virtual ones, but the concept is the same. When applying for a job or looking to connect with someone, name-dropping would increase your odds of getting a positive response. Today, although we have exponentially larger networks thanks to social media, deep, in-person relationships still provide the greatest networking benefit. Read more... More about Cars, Work Life, and Business Read More »Julian Assange is having trouble making good on his promise of extradition
Julian Assange, cooped up in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, seems to still be having trouble deciding whether or not he'll make good on his promise to be extradited to the U.S. because former president Barack Obama commuted the sentence of U.S. whistleblower Chelsea Manning. Appearing Tuesday night on Australian TV news show The Project, Assange was grilled by reporter Waleed Aly about his promise to accept extradition to the United States if Manning was released, a promise Assange has recently backtracked on. Read more... More about Chelsea Manning, Julian Assange, Wikileaks, Extradition, and Tech Read More »'Overwatch' patch nerfs Roadhog and Ana, improves kill feed
The latest Overwatch patch not only introduced the Year of the Rooster event, it introduced a few changes to the main game including hero balance tweaks and a couple new features that players have been asking for. Patch 1.7 came out on all platforms Tuesday, bringing with it changes to Ana, D.Va, Lúcio, Roadhog and Sombra, as well as an expanded communication wheel, and ability icons and headshot signifiers in the kill feed. Communication wheelOverwatch now gives you more ways to communicate and personalize your characters with the communication wheel, allowing players to equip up to four emotes, sprays and voice lines on each hero. Imagine equipping four different sprays so you can leave a mark for any given situation. Read more... More about Patch, Blizzard Entertainment, Overwatch, Esports, and Gaming Read More »The Badlands Twitter account is the ultimate climate rebel
In this age of "alternative facts," a new guardian of truth has emerged: the people behind National Park Service Twitter accounts. The Twitter account for Badlands National Park in South Dakota fired off tweets about climate change on Tuesday amid gag orders levied on the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Agency that prevent scientists and employees there from using social media and discussing research. Those gag orders don't apply to the National Park Service, though it's not a stretch to say that they soon might. In fact, as this story was being written, the below tweets were deleted. Read more... More about Science, Data, Climate, Twitter, and South Dakota Read More »Brace yourself, 'Flash' fans: Season 3 is about to get dark
The Flash midseason finale left Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) and viewers reeling with a terrifying vision of the future that saw the villainous Savitar killing Iris West (Candice Patton). After suffering the consequences of changing the past at the beginning of Season 3, Team Flash must now reckon with changing the future — if they can. Mashable spoke to Flash executive producer Aaron Helbing to preview the team's new mission to save Iris, and what's ahead for the back half of Season 3. Barry and Iris have this ominous vision of the future hanging over their heads, but it's refreshing that Barry seemingly doesn't keep it a secret and try to fix it alone. How are they approaching this premonition, in terms of how to avert it? Read more... More about The Cw, Candice Patton, Grant Gustin, The Flash, and Entertainment Read More »8 innovations helping homeless populations around the world
Homelessness is widespread and hard to solve, affecting more than 560,000 people in the U.S. and hundreds of millions around the world. It's a complex and intractable problem, with countless agencies and nonprofits working to tackle root causes and provide systemic solutions. But while there may not be a one-size-fits-all formula for homeless people in every community, technology and innovation can help fill in the gaps. Gadgets, apps and prototypes are temporary fixes, of course — we need to tackle poverty, lack of affordable housing, unemployment and more to truly arrive at solutions. But in the meantime, innovations can offer much-needed support to some of the world's most vulnerable populations. Read more... More about Innovation, Social Justice, Apps And Software, Tech, and Homelessness Read More »#ICantKeepQuiet: How an emotional song of empowerment went viral after the Women's March
A little known song called "Quiet" has made a loud statement following a passionate a capella performance at the Women's March in Washington. In the midst of the millions marching on Saturday, a small collection of singers delivered a moving rendition of the song by LA singer MILCK. Its themes of strength and speaking up, and the riveting performance in a clip on Facebook, has drawn quite an audience online. A flash mob organized by MILCK and dressed largely in pink 'pussyhats' sang the spirited rallying cry of a song during the event, bringing together a capella singers from all over the U.S., NPR reports. Read more... More about Activism, Music, Milck, Donald Trump, and Women S Rights Read More »Arnold Schwarzenegger drools over his dream car — and it's electric
When you think of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the first thing that comes to mind isn't likely to be conservation. The former Terminator turned Governator turned Apprentice host is better known for his huge muscles, his brash '80s action star chops and his big personality. But after governing the state of California, Schwarzenegger became a (literally) huge proponent of clean energy tech, especially electric cars. So when an Austrian electric battery company Kriesel tricked out a monstrous SUV with a new electric engine, it was fitting that the Arnold was on hand with his countrymen to give the beast its world premiere. Read more... More about Fuel Efficiency, Gasoline, Suv, Mercedes Benz, and Electric Cars Read More »Solange bought 250 books for fans because she is an angel
While folks were either protesting the inauguration or attending it, Solange Knowles was up to something else in the nation's capital. The singer spent her evening at Sankofa Video Books & Cafe, a black-owned bookstore near Howard University in Washington, D.C., to buy books for lucky fans who managed to catch her unexpected announcement on Instagram.
Google's 'Pearl' is first VR film to be nominated for an Oscar
If you still haven't dipped your toes into the world of virtual reality, the Academy Awards just gave everyone another reason to pay attention to the emerging format. Google's VR film Pearl has been nominated for an Oscar in the category of best animated short film. Released in 2016 as a part of the Google Spotlight Story series, Pearl tells the heartwarming story of the relationship between a father and his daughter over the course of their lives. Centered in a hatchback car, the story seamlessly moves from high and low moments in the lives of both family members as you, the viewer, get to immersively experience the passage of time and emotions from the passenger seat of the car, right next to the characters in the film. Read more... More about Animation, Academy Awards, Oscars, Google, and Virtual Reality Read More »Ride this tiny train through the gigantic Lego railroad of your dreams
This extensive toy train railway made of Lego pieces loops through an entire house and yard in Queensland, Australia. Read more... More about Real Time Video, Real Time, Railroad, Railway, and Lego Read More »Here's a clip of Kellyanne Conway's previous (and mercifully brief) career in stand-up comedy
Before she was all over TV representing Donald Trump and presenting laughable "alternative facts," Kellyanne Conway was Kellyanne Fitzpatrick, a Washington, D.C., pollster and apparently aspiring stand-up comedian. Caught on camera, and doing the rounds online this week, is her short set at a charity event way back in November 1998. Conway, who was then unmarried and known by her maiden name, mixed up '90s pop culture references, political jokes and even an ill-advised bit about child abuse in her cringeworthy set. She ended her routine by breaking out in song for an original number, "I've Got the Pundit Blues." Read more... More about Video, Comedy, Kellyanne Conway, Donald Trump, and Entertainment Read More »Little brother can't help but echo his sister's frustrations
Empathy will heal us all (they say). Florida teenager Kaley Ramsberger got a little taste of therapeutic compassion from her younger brother Josh with one adorably thoughtful note. Ramsberger, in quintessential teenage fashion, shouted "I hate myself" inside the safe confines of her bedroom. Two minutes later, her empathetic younger brother slipped a simple message beneath her door.
Elon Musk just endorsed Trump’s secretary of state pick, and it makes no sense
Something strange is happening to Elon Musk. First, he joined President Donald Trump's orbit as a business advisor. Now, the evangelist for clean energy who oversees Tesla, SolarCity and SpaceX has endorsed Trump's controversial secretary of state pick, the longtime ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson. This is the equivalent of the Wright Brothers endorsing the inventor of the horse and buggy. The endorsement is surprising because Tillerson's views on climate and energy are diametrically opposed with Musk's. (And that's an understatement.) Read more... More about Trump, Climate Change, Science, Tesla, and Spacex Read More »Korean Basketball League is super late to mannequin challenge, still slays it
You thought it was over. Shoot, we all thought it was over. But this is 2017, an uncharted mystery of a year where rules don't apply, and even things like the mannequin challenge can find life again. So here, we have the latest iteration. And while every new installment of the mannequin challenge is perennially dubbed "the best yet," this one is pretty freakin' great. At the Korean Basketball League's all-star game, players on the court and bench, coaches and even referees froze after an attempted three-pointer. A mannequin challenge of such brilliant orchestration deserves applause, even if it is a little late. Read more... More about Basketball, Mannequin Challenge, Watercooler, and Sports Read More »This nifty trick lets Android users download all the Netflix movies they want
Netflix's movie and TV shows download feature is pretty great. Wanna know what's not so great? If you're an Android user and you don't have enough internal storage left to store videos. A new update to the Android app fixes that. Users with Android mobile devices that support microSD cards can now download videos to the external storage. To change the download location from the internal storage to a microSD card, simply tap the menu button > App Settings > Download Location > then change it from "Internal Storage" to "SD Card." There should be no limit to the amount of videos you can download, so long as you have enough storage to do so. Read more... More about Video Streaming, Microsd Card, Android, Netflix, and Tech Read More »'You wouldn't steal a car': A safety message about celebrating 'Invasion Day'
Seen a bunch of Australians talking about #ChangeTheDate on social media and don't know what the hell they're referring to? Here's a 47-second explainer, just for you. Following their previous biting take on Jan. 26, satirical YouTubers Juice Media have again tackled "Australia Day" or "Invasion Day," as it's sometimes called, with a riff on that old anti-piracy video. Marking the first official day of European colonialism in Australia, the celebratory culture surrounding the day's anniversary is especially hurtful for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, as it marks the beginning of genocide and the long struggle for equality. Read more... More about Parody, Piracy, Youtube, Indigenous, and Invasion Day Read More »Target launches mobile payment system — because you definitely needed another app
Mobile payment is supposed to simplify the checkout process by eliminating the need to fumble around with cash or credit cards. But how much time does it actually save when every store runs on a separate app? Target became the latest retail chain to announce plans for an in-app store payment option this week, following in the footsteps of big box rivals Walmart and Kohl's. The service is expected to launch later this year, initially for holders of Target's REDcard only, according to Recode, which broke the news on Tuesday. A company spokesperson declined to elaborate on what such a system might look like, but it will likely build on Target's existing mobile app and its popular coupons app Cartwheel. Read more... More about Mobile Payments, Retail, Kohls, Walmart, and Target Read More »How Trump has already taken us into full-on 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' territory
Well, that didn't take long. When we started the Dystopia Project two weeks ago, with the aim of writing a story on every dystopian novel that might apply to the Trump presidency, we figured it would be a while before we had reason to cover the heavyweight champ of the genre: Nineteen Eighty-Four. George Orwell's 1949 classic is about a state that is totalitarian in the extreme. Trump, we thought, would at least start out appearing to be more like a regular president than a Big Brother type. This week the plan was to explore how he resembles a smooth-talking manipulator in Isaac Asimov's Foundation trilogy. Read more... More about Dystopia Project, Entertainment, and Mashreads Read More »Gov. Brown declares war on Trump's 'alternate universe of non-facts'
Under a Donald Trump presidency, California has no plans to back down as a haven of liberal progress. That's what the state's Gov. Jerry Brown told fellow lawmakers Tuesday, during a fiery speech that saw him vow to fight back fiercely at the Trump administration on issues like climate change and immigration in an "alternate universe of non-facts." It was the 2017 State of the State Address, but rather than just focussing on the Golden State, much of Brown's speech revolved around how it would grapple with the new presidency. "California is not turning back — not now, not ever," Brown defiantly declared. Read more... More about Politics, United States, America, President, and Donald Trump Read More »Pop artist donates over $100K to Planned Parenthood after retweet promise
Indie-pop hero Halsey has just helped prove that even if Twitter can't save the world, it can certainly assist in changing it. Following Trump's inauguration, the immensely popular "New Americana" singer has made her support of reproductive health services like Planned Parenthood — services at direct risk under a new government — well known. Her support came in the form of cash, and lots of it. For a start, she participated in the Women's March along with mate and fellow pop culture powerhouse Katy Perry and model, actress and role model Hari Nef respectively. Read more... More about Twitter, Donald Trump, Donation, Retweet, and Planned Parenthood Read More »Google just dropped the last Android Wear update before its launch
Google's big Android Wear update is almost ready for primetime. After months of delays, the company pushed out the final version of the developer preview for the upcoming Android Wear 2.0 update, confirming the official release is coming next month. The update includes support for one of the most significant changes coming to the platform: iOS support for standalone apps. As we detailed in our preview during Google I/O last year, Android Wear 2.0 has completely untethered apps from your smartphone — even for iPhone users — so third-party apps can function even if you don't have a Wi-Fi or data connection. Read more... More about Wearables, Smartwatches, Android Wear 2.0, Android Wear, and Android Read More »Because everything is awful, 'Fake News' is 2016's word of the year
After a conspiracy theory about Hillary Clinton running a child sex ring inside a Washington D.C. restaurant resulted in a North Carolina man taking a gun in to "investigate," it seemed inevitable that "fake news" would define 2016. And now it's official, with the word being chosen as Macquarie Dictionary's word of the year. If you don't laugh, you might cry. Pronounced "fayk 'nyoohz" (for those of you who just returned from Mars), the word became notorious after debates about bogus websites publishing false or hyper-partisan news on social media blew up in 2016. America is now learning what it's like to deal with a political administration that routinely spreads fake news itself. Read more... More about Words, Enby, Halal Snack Pack, Fake News, and Macquarie Dictionary Read More »'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy' is getting a red state makeover for Netflix
Netflix is launching another reboot. Bravo's Queer Eye for the Straight Guy will be reimagined in an eight-episode season, the streaming giant said Tuesday. "In a time when America stands divided and the future seems uncertain, a team of five brave men will try to bring us closer together with laughter, heart, and just the right amount of moisturizer," Netflix said in the show's logline. "The Emmy Award-winning Queer Eye is back and ready to Make America Fabulous Again. With a new Fab 5 and the show's toughest missions to date, Queer Eye moves from the Big Apple to turn the red states pink ... one makeover at a time." Read more... More about Reboot, Queer Eye For The Straight Guy, Bravo, Tv, and Netflix Read More »PSA: This Zoo wants your help to catch deadly spiders and nope, we're good
Those venomous eight-legged demons known as "spiders," their instinct is to run. But according to one zoo's new PSA, people should be picking them up. Carefully, mind you. With a jar. The Australian Reptile Park has issued out a country-wide call out for "responsible adults" to embrace their fears and capture deadly funnel-web spiders, in an effort to solve a serious anti-venom shortage. Funnel-web venom is a key ingredient in the antidote used to treat bites from the spider, and last year venom supplies began to run dangerously low. The above video is full of handy hints as well as terrifying spider facts, and has been designed to teach people the best way to capture the evil-looking arachnids. Read more... More about Spiders, Tim Faulkner, Antivenom, Australian Reptile Park, and Funnel Web Spiders Read More »Apple had its best year ever in world's fastest growing smartphone market
Apple CEO Tim Cook’s desperate bet to make India its next big market is starting to pay off. SEE ALSO: Apple's 13-year winning streak ends now Last year was Apple’s best year in India. The company shipped about 2.5 million iPhones in the country, according to figures from the marketing research firm Counterpoint. The firm told Mashable India that Apple had shipped 2 million units in the previous calendar year. More interestingly, however, Apple has started to dominate in the premium segment of India’s smartphone market. In last quarter if 2016, Apple's iPhones accounted for 62 percent of all premium smartphones shipped. Read more... More about Reliance Jio, Smartphones, Iphone, India, and Tim Cook Read More »New Zealand wants to know how Peter Thiel became a secret citizen
It looks like Peter Thiel wants a back-up plan. Whether his back-up wants him is another question. Investigating who owned a substantial property in Wanaka on New Zealand's South Island, the New Zealand Herald managed to reveal that the Trump cheerleader and technology investor was a New Zealand citizen. On Wednesday, the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) confirmed to Mashable that Thiel had New Zealand citizenship approved on June 30, 2011. They didn't say how it was approved however, or by whom. A local politician is now asking how exactly Thiel got the tick of approval. As first reported by the Herald, Iain Lees-Galloway, the Labour spokesperson for immigration, has tabled written questions in parliament on matter. Read more... More about Iain Lees Galloway, Citizenship, New Zealand, Peter Thiel, and Australia Read More »Trump announces a terrible thing in a misspelled tweet
It's actually happening. Donald Trump will order the construction of his ill-conceived Mexican border wall, White House officials said Tuesday night. More details will come Wednesday, Trump announced in a tweet ... before he deleted it. Was he suddenly gripped by regret? Nope, he misspelled the word "among."
Video of former Pakistan president dancing to a Bollywood song gets tongues wagging
A short, grainy, shaky video of a man grooving to a popular song has gone viral on social media. The man in question is former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharaf, who's seen dancing to Dilliwali Girlfriend — a song from the 2013 hit Bollywood film Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. The clip, though undated, was posted on Twitter by a veteran Pakistani journalist. And has since been shared widely. It has generated mixed responses. While some thought that Musharaf, a retired four-star army general, should have avoided the jig and have criticized him severely, some others have appreciated the former President's zest for life calling him "young at heart". Read more... More about Social Media, Live Music, Bollywood, Pakistan, and India Read More »13 striking photos that capture India's 68th Republic Day preparations
India is gearing up for its 68th Republic Day on Jan. 26 and the capital city of New Delhi, host to a grand parade, has been taken over by dress rehearsals. The annual parade is a grand affair. It sees a variety of drills from about 25 marching and mounted contingents, around 20 military bands, various military vehicles, 30 cultural tableaux, nearly 30 aircrafts, state-wise cultural performers, and 1,200 schoolchildren. This year's parade will also see the United Arab Emirates soldiers marching with their Indian counterparts. UAE crown prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the chief guest of the parade. Read more... More about Asia, Photo Stories, Politics, Current Affairs, and India Read More »Detective Stabler a.k.a Chris Meloni is mad as hell and he's not gonna take it anymore
The revolution is upon us! And hey — my eyes are up here. We may be paraphrasing, but those were just some of the statements tweeted by adored actor and real life Detective Elliot Stabler, Chris Meloni Monday night. It seems the poster boy for perfect glutes is as mad as hell and he's not gonna take it anymore. The cause? Trump, derh. He's never been shy about the Australia: You can now go live on Instagram along with everybody else
Australia is finally able to kick the FOMO and livestream on every damn app out. Following a U.S. launch in Dec. 2016, Instagram kicked off its live function in Instagram Stories locally on Wednesday. Australians have already been able to watch foreign livestreams on the app, but now they'll be able to make their own by toggling into live in the Stories camera. Live videos appear in the app's Instagram Stories "explore" section, and occasionally users get notifications when one of their faves is livestreaming. Like on Facebook, users can comment and "heart" during the stream. Read more... More about Livestream, Australia, Instagram Live, Instagram, and Tech Read More »There are now as many internet users in China as there are people in Europe
China now has 731 million people online — or nearly the entire population of Europe, according to a global survey. The China Internet Network Information Center (CINIC) says that the majority of the country's internet users are online via their smartphones, at 695 million. And of those, a huge proportion use their phones for payment, both online and in real life stores. 470 million of them, or 67.5 percent, used their phones to pay for goods online, and half used their phones to pay in real life. Read more... More about China, Mobile Devices, Internet, and Tech Read More »Apple's iOS 10.3 brings cricket support for Siri and a way to find your lost AirPods
The latest iOS 10 beta update, 10.3, is sure to bring cheer for Indian users as Siri, Apple's digital assistant, will now be offering cricket scores, stats and trivia. The new feature makes Apple's intent in its fastest-growing market very clear. India is a cricket-crazy nation and the demand for such content is huge. However, Apple is actually playing catch-up with Google Now which added cricket support three years ago. Apple said in a statement that Siri will be pulling in information from International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments and the wildly popular Indian Premier League (IPL). Users can ask for team rankings, live scores, individual player records, tour itinerary and other general match information. Queries can be as specific as: Show me Virat Kohli stats or as basic as when is the next cricket match? Read more... More about Apple Maps, Apps And Software, Apps, Sports, and Ios 10 Read More »People paid migrant workers to stand in line overnight for barbecue pork
People go crazy for barbecue pork this time of year in Singapore, with lines typically forming round the block for the grilled treat. This year however, people are buzzing about the lines of foreign workers — most, if not all in blue-collar jobs — standing in line for their employers, at just S$5 ($3.50) an hour. Some have deemed this exploitation, while others say it's fair game. Some of these workers told news outlet Today that they were happy to earn extra cash. "I slept three hours (last night),” said Pandiyaraj, a sewer maintenance worker, who was back in line for a second day. Read more... More about Migrant Workers, Labour, Food, Chinese New Year, and Singapore Read More »This amazing selfie app is China's newest beauty obsession
You've probably heard of Meitu, a Chinese beauty filter app that has recently taken the internet by storm. But people are moving on to their next beauty obsession — Pitu. The app doesn't just beautify you, it transforms you into a fantasy character. So whether you're feeling like an elven princess a la Arwen, or wanting to kick some butt Dragon Ball style, the app's got you covered. If you're into that armoured look Image: pitu I'm feeling mystical already Image: pitu Dreaming of a white Christmas? Image: pitu Now you can be your own Chinese hero Image: pitu Read more... More Samsung Galaxy S8 rumors: 'Infinity display,' iris scanner and yes, a headphone jack
Hot on the heels of the news that Samsung's Galaxy S8 won't launch in February comes a bevy of new rumors about the device, some of which contradict previous reports. The Guardian published quite an in-depth report Tuesday, claiming Samsung will launch two devices in late March, with availability around April 21. These phones, codenamed "Dream" and "Dream 2," will be roughly the same size as Samsung's previous flagships, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, but will have larger, "infinity" displays, which will curve down on both sides of the phone. More about Rumors, Galaxy S8, Samsung, Tech, and Mobile Read More »Here's what Mark Hamill's got to say about the new 'Star Wars' title
LONDON — If there's one thing Mark Hamill loves, it's teasing Star Wars fans with possible spoilers. Remember March 2016, when he tweeted two jokey "hints" about Luke Skywalker's relationship to John Boyega and Daisy Ridley's characters? Well, it looks like he may have changed his ways. In a recent interview with AP, Hamill was asked for his thoughts on the The Last Jedi episode title — but he kept pretty tight-lipped about the whole thing. "He told me that when we were making the movie, and I said 'Don't tell me these things'!" Hamill jokes in the clip above. "You know, I talk in my sleep!" Read more... More about Uk, Interview, John Boyega, Mark Hamill, and Star Wars The Last Jedi Read More »India is remeasuring Mount Everest to find out if it shrunk after earthquake
Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain, might have shrunk after a devastating earthquake in the region two years ago, believe some scientists. India is sending an expedition to "remeasure" the mountain, PTI reported. The April 2015 quake in Nepal, which measured 7.9 on the Richter scale and affected 80 million people, has been termed the worst in 80 years. Some scientists claim that the height of a swathe of the Himalayan mountains, including the Everest, have dropped by around one meter after that. "The primary stretch that had its height dropped is a 80-100km stretch of the Langtang Himal (to the northwest of the capital, Kathmandu)," Richard Briggs, a research geologist with the United States Geological Survey, told the BBC. Read more... More about Earthquakes, Climate, Asia, India, and Nepal Read More »'The Last Jedi' director shares an exciting peek of the opening crawl
Lucasfilm has announced the title for Episode VIII — Star Wars: The Last Jedi — so the movie's director, Rian Johnson, can finally drop it into the opening crawl. To the boundless excitement of Star Wars fans, Johnson shared on Instagram a glimpse of his ongoing editing process with the famed crawl — which will be in Sith-red text — on the big screen:
"Felt so good to drop this into the cut this morning," Johnson wrote. Read more... More about R2 D2, Opening Crawl, The Last Jedi, Star Wars, and Entertainment Read More »Maisie Williams drops hints about Arya Stark's 'Game of Thrones' S7 journey
Gone are the days when Game of Thrones actors would enter an interview and casually drop spoilers about what was in store further down the line. By now they're wise to it, and Maisie Williams' recent interview on ITV's This Morning was no exception. Still, with the nightmarishly long wait before Season 7, we've got to take whatever scraps of information we can get. "This year it really kind of heats up," say Williams. "Particularly for Arya, there's some really high points... there's some really low points, too." Read more... More about Uk, Interview, Arya Stark, Maisie Williams, and Game Of Thrones Season 7 Read More »These sisters did a Beyoncé medley and they sound heavenly
Bow down. These Irish sisters singing a Beyoncé medley are absolutely flawless. Megan Burke uploaded a Youtube video of her and her sister Sally-Anne Burke covering some of Beyoncé's greatest hits — and let's just say this duo really knows how to belt it out. We think Beyoncé would be impressed. Ireland has got some real talent in these two women. This farmer's homemade cow-scratcher brings all the cows to the yard
If you've yet to watch a sped-up video of happy cows itching their chunky behinds on a homemade cow-scratching device, then today is your lucky day. Farmer George Sanders shared the clip above on YouTube, which features his herd of merry bovines queuing up to use his genius invention (basically a brush on a spring that's been fixed to a metal beam in the cow shed). You'd think three minutes and forty seconds would be too long for a video like this, but it's not. If anything, it could do with being a bit longer. Maybe set to a quirky dance track, too. Read more... More about Uk, Funny, Cow, Farm, and Farmer Read More »The story of this elderly couple's 65-year marriage will move you to tears
This story about a husband and wife's 70-year-long romance is enough to make anyone a blubbering mess. Millions of people have been captivated by John's story, which he told during an appearance on the Channel 4 show 24 Hours in A&E after he was admitted to hospital for a heart problem The internet baes who 'breadcrumb' you and never meet you in person
Online dating is kind of infuriating. You spend night after night swiping left and right in the hunt for the perfect match. SEE ALSO: Swiping is the new cheating—or is it? But, just when you think you've found them, you get "breadcrumbed". And, the internet is precisely where they'll stay. A trail of flirtatious morselsSo, what exactly is "breadcrumbing"? Just like the name suggests, breadcrumbing is akin to leaving a trail of tiny morsels of bread, except the breadcrumbs are actually flirtatious messages. A breadcrumber will send countless messages on dating apps, whetting their match's appetite and creating a hunger for more. But, they'll never meet you in person. Read more... More about Daddyhunt, Bumble, Grinder, Tinder, and Tech Read More »Apple's website just got an update only total geeks will notice
Eagle-eyed Apple fans got a little treat Tuesday — and we do mean little, so don't get too excited. The official Apple website has switched fonts from "Myriad" to "San Francisco," MacRumors spotted. That brings the site in line with the iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, Apple TV and Mac devices, which all use the proprietary typeface. The difference is fairly striking if you know to look for it. Compared to Myriad, San Francisco appears bolder and more legible — all the better to call attention to the fact that you can purchase a new iPhone: Read more... More about Fonts, Apple, and Tech Read More »Scary helmet cam footage catches Smart car dodging around traffic
We're pretty sure this isn't what the makers of Smart cars had in mind when they came up with the design. The video above was shared on the YouTube channel Riding with Sphinx, which chronicles "daily adventures on the roads of London". The clip shows a Smart car driver weaving in and out of cars — at one point nearly going up on the pavement — in an attempt to get ahead of a queue of traffic. Definitely not one we'd recommend trying at home. We thought he was kidding: Elon Musk is serious about digging a tunnel from his office
Being stuck in traffic is bad. You start to fantasize about all sorts of things that could stop the agony, like teleportation or, in Elon Musk's case, building a tunnel that leads from the Los Angeles airport right to his SpaceX office. Only in Musk's case, it may not only be fantasy. Musk originally proposed he would "build a tunnel boring machine and just start digging" in December, later tweeting he is "actually going to do this." Now, on Wednesday, Musk tweeted about tunneling again, announcing "exciting progress on the tunnel front," with plans to start digging "in a month or so." More about Lax, Los Angeles, Spacex, Tunnel, and Elon Musk Read More »'This is Us' reminds us of the power of Grand Romantic Gestures
This week: Kevin’s true love is revealed (and it’s not his mirror), Kate goes to fat camp and remembers Jack’s funeral (gasp!) and William learns to drive. As Dan Fogelman and the show’s writers continue to slowly dole out morsels of info, we’re seeing the seeds of the Big Three’s personal joys and pains and we wince in empathy at how painful those moments can be because we’ve all been there. The Tale of Three Birthday Parties Behind the scenes on the making of a CG trailer
Imagine condensing 2,500 hours’ worth of work into two minutes. It sounds crazy, but that’s exactly what Bläck Studios — in conjunction with motion capture sister studio Imagination Studios, under the Goodbye Kansas Entertainment Group umbrella — does on a regular basis. It took 40 people, 23 shots and 2,500 hours to create this cinematic trailer for Conan Exiles, Funcom’s upcoming open-world survival game based on Conan the Barbarian. In the trailer, it takes less than two minutes for Conan to cross a desert landscape across to Razma, who then fights alongside him against a swarm of growling beasts. But the process of developing that scene involves quite a bit more. Read more... More about Conan Exiles, Tech, Gaming, and Entertainment Read More »Pizza chain offers an 'alternate facts' meaty pizza with no calories
Democracy may be on the decline in America, but one pizza chain isn't giving up without a fight and some extra cheese. After master of spin Kelly Ann Conway announced that White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer wasn't lying about the size of his inauguration — just presenting what she called "alternative facts" — the internet lost its goddamn mind. So, too, did popular pizza chain Villa Italian Pizza who is now retailing their very own "alternate facts" pizza. Enjoy this "zero calorie pizza" which is also simultaneously loaded with bacon, pepperoni, ham, sausage and extra crust. If that sounds too good to be true, don't worry about it — the pizza's nutritional information isn't in anyways false, they're just "alternative facts." Read more... More about Trump, Pizza, Alternative Facts, Watercooler, and Politics Read More »Will that 'Arrow' death bring Oliver and Felicity closer together?
Arrow's winter finale left the team in disarray: Oliver was tricked into killing Felicity's new boyfriend, Billy Malone, by the villain Prometheus; Diggle was recaptured after an ill-advised jailbreak earlier in the season; Curtis' extracurricular vigilante activities seemingly cost him his marriage; and Laurel Lance seemingly returned from the dead. All in a day's work for the residents of Star City. Ahead of the show's Jan. 25 return, Mashable spoke to executive producer Wendy Mericle about the impact of Laurel's apparent resurrection, the status of Oliver and Felicity's relationship, and how the team will tackle the continued threat of Prometheus. Read more... More about Emily Bett Rickards, Stephen Amell, The Cw, Arrow, and Entertainment Read More »Government report finds that employers routinely use illegal, sexist dress codes
LONDON — Forcing women to wear heels, revealing clothing and makeup in the workplace is evidence that existing equality legislation is not "fully effective", according to a new government report "The government has said that the existing law is clear, and that the dress code that prompted this petition is already unlawful," reads the report, authored by the Petitions Committee and the Women and Equalities Committee. Read more... More about Lifestyle, Uk, Government, Petition, and High Heels Read More »Chicago PD's top tech officer is betting on sensors and smartphones to curb shootings
Drill down a layer, and the violent crime statistics that look bad for the city of Chicago begin to look even worse for its police department. As bullets find victims in numbers unseen in more than two decades, a vast share of shooters are going unapprehended. After fielding 746 homicides in 2016 — a majority of them committed with guns — the Chicago police have so far made arrests in fewer than a quarter of those cases, according to a report released this month by the University of Chicago Crime Lab. Of the more than 2,700 cases in which someone was shot but not killed, only about 5 percent have led to a suspect in custody. Read more... More about Chicago Cubs, Gun Violence, and Us World Read More »This weird, winged contraption can get your facial muscles in shape
Preaching to the masses of women on a quest for slim faces, this Japanese contraption from Facial Fitness PAO promises to narrow out those chubby cheeks if you use it for 30 seconds each day. Read more... More about Winged Contraption, Facial Muscles, Facial Fitness Pao, Face, and Aging Read More »Watch Louis Tomlinson take 'Just Hold On' to 'The Tonight Show' through your tears
Louis Tomlinson and Steve Aoki's ferociously optimistic EDM anthem "Just Hold On" made its American television debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The former One Directioner seems to be finding comfort in music following the tragic loss of his mother to leukemia just last month. It's hard not to tear up watching him sing, "If it all goes wrong, darling, just hold on." Tomlinson closes out the performance with an appreciative bow and a smile. Stay strong, Louis. Finally, a VR breakthrough: 'Dear Angelica' will fog your Oculus Rift with tears
PARK CITY, Utah — Someone finally cracked VR storytelling. And it's about time. Filmmakers and other virtual reality pioneers have been fumbling around with VR "experiences" (what we're calling them now, officially) with pretty crummy results across the board. For three years running, nothing we'd seen at the Sundance Film Festival — now the biggest collection of VR in the U.S. — has been worth strapping into a headset for. That is, until this week. Two standouts emerged at the 2017 festival: Dear Angelica, a 12-minute animated experience that debuts Friday on Oculus Rift; and Miyubi, a whopping 40-minutes-plus VR scripted comedy that comes to Oculus Rift and Gear VR next month. Read more... More about Movies, Sundance Film Festival, Miyubi, Dear Angelica, and Vr Read More »Call them 'Virtual reality experiences,' because that's what the cool kids say
PARK CITY, Utah — If you strapped on a VR headset to watch , you've just had a "virtual reality experience." Don't call them VR "movies" or "narratives" or "stories" — the word shall be "experience," and "experience" shall be the word. For the time being, anyway. As VR has gained a strong foothold at film festivals around the world, a whole host of clunky terms have been used to describe what filmmakers and other pioneering artists have been cooking up for us to watch in headsets. But at this year's Sundance Film Festival, it's clear that the VR creators' community is ready to coin it. SEE ALSO: Finally, a VR breakthrough: 'Dear Angelica' will fog your Oculus Rift with tears Read more... Match launches new location-based missed connections feature
Striking up conversations with people you see at your local coffee shop sounds easy, but it can actually be pretty intimidating. Dating app Match is trying to make it a little easier with Missed Connections, a new feature they're launching today. It works by showing you people you’ve crossed paths with IRL that are also well-suited to you in other ways. It relies on location data from your phone (don’t worry, you have to opt-in, it won’t start tracking you automatically) and then shows you other users who’ve recently been in close proximity to you. Image: match While we all love to know as much as we can about potential mates, Match CEO Mandy Ginsberg told Mashable this isn’t just about giving you more information: "The whole point is starting these relationships out in the real world." Read more... More about Love, Dating Apps, Location, Match, and Dating Read More »Here's the ancient stone that brought us the Bluetooth logo
Not to blow your mind, but your smartphone may right now be displaying the name of an ancient Danish king. British comedian Tom Scott gives us a quick background of the symbols that came together to form the bluetooth symbol, recognizable to smartphone users everywhere. And it all starts with a pair of rune stones in Jelling, Denmark. One of the stones was ordered raised by Harald Blåtand (whose name translates, loosely, to Harald Bluetooth), King of Denmark during the 10th century, and it included a testament to his own great reign as king, including uniting Denmark and Norway. Read more... More about Harald Bluetooth, Denmark, Bluetooth, Tech, and History Read More »Wild new gameplay trailer unveils a May release for 'Prey'
Prey is out on May 5, 2017. The latest from Dishonored 2 developer Arkane Studios channels the PC gaming classic System Shock, without which there would be no BioShock series. The game favors freedom, giving players a range of abilities and a sandbox in which to play with them. The sandbox in this case is Talos 1, a space station in orbit around Earth's moon. It's the year 2032 and you are a test subject involved in some kind of experiment gone wrong. And so, you cavort around the station, smacking around out-of-focus aliens and inserting your consciousness into a variety of everyday objects. Read more... More about Entertainment, Gaming, Arkane Studios, Bethesda Softworks, and Prey Read More »Thoughtful coder made it easy to turn your favorite GIF into a flip book
Step one, write a software program in code. Step two, select your GIF. Step three, print out GIF. Step four, cut it up and glue it into a flip book. StupotMcDoodlepip makes it seem easy in this video, where he shows us how he "printed" a GIF, and made it into a flip book. The biggest thing we learn from this, other than the fact that it's pretty cool, is that printing a gif actually takes a lot of work, time and coding skills. But if you think you have what it takes to do this yourself, Stupot has generously shared his software code on GitHub for anyone to use. If you want to see more of his work, you are in luck. Here is a follow up video of him showing a flip book he made of a GIF of him flipping through a GIF flip book. Inception, for short. Read more... More about Diy, Vidoes, Youtube, Conversations, and Watercooler Read More »Super Bowl ad star John Malkovich battles a domain squatter for being John Malkovich
John Malkovich was disturbed to find upon a recent visit to johnmalkovich.com that someone was already being John Malkovich. The actor, who moonlights as a fashion designer, had wanted to use that address to promote his new eponymous clothing line. But it turned out someone had beaten him to the punch and the domain was home to a knock-off fashion brand illegally using his name and likeness. Despite the ongoing legal headache that ensued, Malkovich volunteered to spoof the ordeal in a new pre-game Super Bowl ad for the website-building company Squarespace. Read more... More about Squarespace, Super Bowl 2017, John Malkovich, Business, and Advertising Read More »Apple might be censoring LG UltraFine 5K display's reviews due to poor ratings
If you hop over to the LG UltraFine 5K display in Apple's online store, you'll notice that something is missing: star rating. According to this post on Reddit, Apple has removed the rating altogether after a "storm of negative reviews," most of which had to do with the monitor failing to wake from sleep. Indeed, the product has no "Ratings & Reviews" section; we couldn't find a single user review for this particular monitor on Apple's site. In contrast, LG's smaller, 4K UltraFine monitor has a visible star rating at the time of this writing. Check out the screenshots of both products's pages, below. Read more... More about Censorship, Reviews, Ratings, Lg Ultrafine 5k Monitors, and Lg Read More »Mysterious Twitter account steps forward to lead the National Park resistance
While the Trump administration continues to play whack-a-mole with rebellious National Parks Service Twitter accounts, a new account has sprung up to fill the void and lead this new resistance online. The account, calling itself "AltUSNatParkService," has taken up the sword for the likes of the NPS's primary account and the Badlands National Park account, which spent the days immediately following Donald Trump's inauguration tweeting and retweeting climate change facts until the Trump administration managed to shut them down. Read more... More about Climate Change, Donald Trump, National Park Service, Tech, and Politics Read More »Middle-aged Americans beat millennials in time spent on social media
Get off Facebook, Dad. No, really, you're spending, like, seven hours a week on there. It's no exaggeration: Despite the popular belief that millennials are the generation most addicted to their phones, a recent report from Nielsen, the media information and analysis company, found that it is, in fact, Generation X that lavishes the most time on social media pages. Asked how many hours a week they spend on these networks, 35- to 49-year-olds averaged six hours and 58 minutes. Millennials, defined by the study as those aged 18 to 34, spent 39 fewer minutes per week. (People 50 and over, boomers and above, spent just four hours a week or so e-socializing.) Read more... More about Business, Millennials, Social Media, and Media Read More »Let your music become a personal light show with these headphones
These audio-responsive headphones can detect your music and sync a personal light show to its beat. Read more... More about Real Time Video, Real Time, Electronic Device, Electronic Music, and Electronics Read More »Jimmy Fallon and Mike Myers had the weirdest dance-off ever seen
How does one make "windy plastic bag" into a dance? Or "where did I put my keys?" into a dance? These were just the sort of internal questions Mike Myers and Jimmy Fallon had to deal with on Tuesday's The Tonight Show, when they played Dice Dance-Off. It's pretty much impossible not smile watching Mike Myers attempt to express "hot poutine" through interpretive dance. Getting everything out of a tube will never be a struggle again
This gadget can easily squeeze every ounce of product out of your toothpaste tube with its special gears. It's also built to withstand the strongest of tubes and last a lifetime. Read more... More about Real Time Video, Tool, Tools, Gadget, and Gadgets Read More »How to secure a smartphone for the tweeter-in-chief
As President Donald Trump takes office, he has also taken up a new, digital symbol of the presidency. Before, during and since the campaign, he used an Android smartphone to conduct his business and tweet prolifically, directly reaching millions of followers. But when he was inaugurated, Trump surrendered that device and accepted in its place a smartphone that has somehow been made more secure. It is a key move for a man who might now be not only the 45th commander-in-chief but also America’s first president with such devotion to Twitter. Many private companies deal with issues like this, in which employees joining the ranks already have a mobile phone they use for their personal life. Should that device be connected to company systems? Or should workers be issued a cumbersome second phone for work-only purposes? There are federal recommendations about that, but few firms are handling data as sensitive as the president’s phone might be. Turtle funeral makes this boy look like the most thoughtful human on Earth
Amazingly enough, this is not from Children of the Corn. In a shock probably twice as scary as the movie (all disrespect to the movie, none to this great kid), Redditor conor_goggles writes, "My uncle caught this towards the end of the ceremony." Apparently this small and sweet child's turtle died, and "without parental supervision," he constructed the cross, dug the grave and got dressed. His kindness made even Reddit expose their tender side. Sympathetic father ElectricBlumpkin commented, "I have two young sons of my own, and I know how deeply they feel and how much they struggle to express their feelings. I think your little cousin is a fine young man with a big heart who just wants the world to acknowledge the feelings he had for his turtle. He's a good lad. Give him a hug." Read more... More about Funny, Reddit, and Watercooler Read More »Health experts are worried about more quarantines under President Trump: Here's why
New federal health rules will give the U.S. government more leeway to put people in quarantine during an epidemic — a fact that has some public health experts worried as President Donald Trump begins his term. The regulations, released on former President Barack Obama's last full day in office, were created to better-protect the public from communicable diseases like the Ebola virus or avian flu. But in the wrong hands, the measures might lead to unnecessary and unfair detentions, public health lawyers wrote in a recent New York Times op-ed. SEE ALSO: Trump explores vaccine commission with prominent anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Read more... Dream Kardashian seems to be the only one laughing about her strange relationship to Kylie Jenner
Keeping up with these family relationships is exhausting. Dream Kardashian, offspring of former couple Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna, was photographed having a sweet moment with her favorite aunt (sorry everyone but you know it's true), Khloe Kardashian. The photo featured baby Kardashian giggling while Khloe held her and it seems like Dream can't resist her aunt's joking side. It was also very interesting to see Kylie Jenner in the picture since she and Rob have a very complicated history concerning their significant others. For those who need a quick refresher, Kylie is dating Tyga, who is Blac Chyna's ex-fiancé and father of Chyna's son, King Cairo, who would become her stepson if the two get married in the future. So, Dream's half brother's potential stepmother is her aunt. It's all very confusing. Read more... More about Kardashians, Kylie Jenner, and Watercooler Read More »There are now Amazon Dash buttons for Colgate, KY, Emergen-C and more
If you needed another reason to jump on Amazon's ultra-convenient Dash buttons, the online retail giant is giving you a whole lot more. Today, Amazon added more than 50 new items to the instant ordering service, pushing the roster of different flavors to above the 250-item mark. Brands now available for the service include Seventh Generation, Colgate, Emergen-C, Kingsford, Lifestyles and Rogaine. As always, the buttons cost $4.99, which is immediately returned to customers with the first order in the form of a $4.99 credit to their account. Read more... More about Online Shopping, Shopping, Amazon Dash, Amazon, and Tech Read More »This tiny patch will make you sit up straight
'UPRIGHT' is a tiny device that sticks on your lower back and tracks the movement of your spine. It gently reminds you when you are slouching, helping your muscles relearn to keep your posture perfect. Read more... More about Real Time Video, Real Time, Tech Utility, Kickstarter, and Apps And Software Read More »Twinkies ice cream has arrived on a planet that might not be ready for it
It's been a stressful couple of days with more tumult in the future. Chances are, you're eating your feelings. And Twinkie ice cream is now here to make that endeavor even more nostalgic.
The Impulsive Buy snapped a photo of limited edition Twinkies and Sno Ball ice cream Jan. 23Uproxx reports the cold stuff will be sold for a limited time from February through May 2017 at Dollar General and other convenience stores. Read more... More about Ice Cream, Twinkies, Junk Food, Food, and Watercooler Read More »Who to follow on Twitter in Trump's America
Donald Trump has had many titles over the years, but he is most recently know as the President and Commander of Tweets of the United States of America. As of Jan. 20, Trump's America is a reality, so it's time to stay informed, stay sensible and start using POTUS's go-to method of communication in a positive mannerMashable has put together a helpful Twitter List full of accounts you're going to want to follow to survive Trump's presidency as gracefully as possible. It provides a nice balance of political figures — both Trump lovers and Trump haters — and in the name of journalism, we've included some kickass writers and reporters who aren't afraid to share their voices. Read more... More about Politics, 2017, Potus, Twitter Lists, and Twitter Read More »CNN trolls Trump after he bashes inauguration ratings on Twitter
CNN is fed up with Donald Trump and his "alternative facts." On Tuesday evening, the tremendously mature POTUS reignited his obsession with bashing CNN by offering his two cents on the news network's inauguration ratings. This time, however, CNN's Public Relations department wasn't having it, and it delivered a swift fact check and effective Twitter burn that is sure to add more fuel to this political dumpster fire. Trump used his Twitter fingers to congratulate "real" news station, Fox News, for "being number one in inauguration ratings," claiming the station's ratings were "many times higher than FAKE NEWS CNN." Read more... More about Inauguration 2017, Fox News, Media, Twitter, and Social Media Read More »Artist creates stunning statue out of knives to raise awareness about knife violence
Alfie Bradley is tackling the issue of knife violence in a most unique way. The sculptor unveiled his dramatic 27-foot statue, "Knife Angel," at the British Ironwork Centre in Oswestry, Shropshire. The statue is made out of 100,000 knives that were collected in a UK national campaign called Save a Life, Surrender Your Knife. In 2015 and 2016, the campaign offered a place for people to anonymously surrender their knives. Bradley was commission to create "Knife Angel" from the surrendered weapons. The sculpture is a whopping 27-feet tall. Image: Joe Giddens/PA Wire Read more... Louis Tomlinson has no idea what a hedgehog looks like
After a fan's adorable encounter with Louis Tomlinson, there are two major takeaways. 1.) The One Direction dreamboat is incredibly sweet. 2.) His concept of what hedgehogs look like is fuzzy at best.
A fan who was lucky enough to encounter Tomlinson in New York City shared her experience on Twitter. She requested a drawing of a hedgehog for a tattoo, and got this instead. Read more... More about Celebrities, Hedgehog, One Direction, Louis Tomlinson, and Watercooler Read More »Here's a simply wonderful fruit pun to start your day off right
The girl in this video, posted on Youtube by Datu Boiu, absolutely lights up when she realizes she's been hit with a perfectly executed surprise play on words. You might be groaning on the outside, but we know you're laughing on the inside. How to mute on Twitter
As much as we love Twitter, we'd be the first to agree that sometimes the platform can get a little...noisy. Also, given a certain new world leader's propensity to use it as a megaphone, many users may be rethinking how they use the service. Twitter is excellent at bringing you news and updates that are relevant and immediate. But you also often encounter things you'd rather note see: someone going off on a rant, a live-tweeting of something you're not interested in, or just that overly verbose individual you can't quite unfollow, you'll be glad to know there is a simple way to shush someone up. Read more... More about Tech Utility, Tips, Muting, Twitter, and Tech Read More »Hydraulic Press duo tests the waters with burning hot steel and a frozen lake
Your favorite couple behind the Hydraulic Press Channel have ventured beyond the press and into some pretty hot territory. Watch as they submerge 20 kilograms (about 45 pounds) of red hot steel into a very thick frozen lake to investigate whether the steel will sizzle its way into the abyss below. All in all, it seems like a good pivot for their business model. Rare albino alligator looks like it's made of clay
In news that may horrify or delight you, this alligator is not made of clay. She is real. Pearl, a 10-year-old, 105-pound albino gator, has quickly become the star of Florida park Gatorland for her unpigmented skin and startling pinkish-white eyes. Ah, yes. What a beauty she is. Pearl and the park's other albino gator, Bouya Blan, wouldn't stand much of a chance out in the wild because they can't camouflage with their surroundings. Instead, they're kept in custom shaded housing to protect them from the sun, the Telegraph reports. And they sure are a hit with parkgoers. Read more... More about Alligators, Florida, Animals, and Watercooler Read More »'Tiny Beautiful Things' is the advice column at its best
Often, the most meaningful life advice is also the simplest. That's certainly true for the wisdom Cheryl Strayed delivers in her advice/essay collection, Tiny Beautiful Things, released in 2012. Tiny Beautiful Things started out as an advice column by Steve Almond in 2009, written on the literary website The Rumpus. Advice came from the anonymous "Sugar" persona, a figure who was both kind and wizened. Later, in 2010, Cheryl Strayed took over the anonymous persona of "Sugar," doling out advice but adding in personal stories to help her readers make sense of their own struggles. It's this mix of advice and memoir that carried Dear Sugar to both internet, and later literary acclaim. Read more... More about Advice, Podcast, Mashreads Podcast, Mashreads, and Books Read More »HP recalls 101,000 laptop batteries that could catch fire
Another day, another battery recall. HP's expanding on a battery recall issued last June to include batteries in several HP, Compaq, HP ProBook, HP Envy, Compaq Presario and HP Pavilion laptops. The reason for the additional recall is the same as most battery recalls: they could overheat and catch fire. The recall affects 101,000 laptop batteries sold between March 2013 through October 2016 in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, Computerworld reports. According to Health Canada, HP Canada has only received one report in which affected laptop battery caught on fire, but it didn't injure anyone. In the U.S., HP has received eight reports of batteries overheating, catching fire or melting. Though there have no reports of batteries catching fire in Mexico, the recall still extends to the region. Read more... More about Recall, Lithium Ion Battery, Laptop, Batteries, and Laptops Read More »WikiHow apologizes for whitewashed image of Beyoncé, Jay Z and Barack Obama
After a controversial image was posted on wikiHow, the site full of easy, step-by-step informative instructions, it's taking some direction from its "How to make a genuine apology" article. The website recently came under fire after being called out for posting a cartoon image of a meeting between Beyoncé, Jay Z and former president Barack Obama that depicted the three with white skin. The whitewashed image, based on a photograph taken at a 2012 fundraising event in New York, was featured in an article entitled "How to Become a Congressman.” Read more... More about Twitter, Jay Z, Beyonce, Barack Obama, and Racism Read More »The most promising jobs of 2017, according to LinkedIn
It may feel like there isn't much to look forward to in 2017, but LinkedIn has a few suggestions for how to find some potential in the year. The professional network ranked the most promising jobs of 2017 based on those positions' potential for career advancement, job growth and salary. 2017's list is the first time LinkedIn ranked jobs in this category. The jobs that made the cut all have high median salaries, strong job openings and year-over-year growth, and are likely to lead to a promotion or advancement, LinkedIn vice president for talent solutions and careers Daniel Shapero wrote in a blog post. Most positions are in finance, tech, or healthcare. Read more... More about Career Advice, Careers, Jobs, Linkedin, and Business Read More »UK postal service lets David Bowie live on through their stamps
Put a little Stardust on your mail. The Royal Mail Group, a postal service in the United Kingdom, has chosen to honor David Bowie, who passed away in January of last year, in the best way: by putting his face on their stamps. Starting on March 14, people can order the limited edition David Bowie stamp collection which consists of six stamps that feature images of his album covers and four stamps that show Bowie performing live on tours across four decades. Image: royal mail group This collection is very unique, not just because David Bowie was out of this world, but because this is the first time the Royal Mail Group has dedicated an entire stamp issue to an individual music artist or cultural figure. The only other music artists to have been honored with a dedicated stamp collection are The Beatles (2010) and Pink Floyd (2015). The Royal Mail Group's website describes Bowie as "endlessly innovative and pioneering, he is widely regarded as having elevated his music to an art form." Read more... More about Stamps, David Bowie, and Watercooler Read More »Hilarious bad lip reading of the inauguration will lift your spirits
Bad Lip Reading always knocks it out of the park with its absurd interpretations of what people are saying based on the way their mouths are moving. They've made NFL stars sound like children and politicians sound foolish. In other words, they are doing important work. Without missing a beat, Bad Lip Reading has released a new video where it puts hilarious words into the mouths of everyone at the inauguration. Obama calls Trump a creep. Mike Pence swears that he was disappointed the continent of Atlantis had not been found. Hillary Clinton makes muppet noises. This is definitely the way we would prefer to remember Inauguration Day. Read more... More about Inauguration 2017, Obama, Mike Pence, Donald Trump, and Conversations Read More »How Star Wars helped uncover a Death Star-sized army of bots
Little is known about Twitter botnets, massive groups of automated accounts that are controlled by a master and can pose a threat to social media users through spam and other malignant techniques. Twitter has been quite active in trying to identify and remove malign botnets. But, in some case, such as the low-profile or dormant ones, detection can be almost impossible. That was the case for the giganormous botnet uncovered by cyber security experts Juan Echevarria and Shi Zhou at University College London. Almost by chance, they stumbled across a botnet of more than 350,000 automated accounts, that went undetected since 2013. Read more... More about Botnet, Twitter, Star Wars, and Tech Read More »Francis Ford Coppola is working on an 'Apocalypse Now' video game
Apocalypse Now is one of the greatest films ever made, and now it's going to be a video game. Maybe. The game's creators — including filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola — are seeking $900,000 on Kickstarter to get development of the game moving. The plan is for a 2020 release. "Forty years ago, I set out to make a personal art picture that could hopefully influence generations of viewers for years to come," Coppola — who appears to be serving in a creative advisory role — said in a statement. "Today, I’m joined by new daredevils, a team who wants to make an interactive version of Apocalypse Now, where you are Captain Benjamin Willard amidst the harsh backdrop of the Vietnam War. I’ve been watching videogames grow into a meaningful way to tell stories, and I’m excited to explore the possibilities for Apocalypse Now for a new platform and a new generation." Read more... More about Francis Ford Coppola, Apocalypse Now, Gaming, Entertainment, and Film Read More »Courageous kid balances on 16-foot-tall tower of milk crates
Milk crates seem sturdy enough to stand on, right? This undeterred climber decided to stand on top of 19 of them. YouTuber SB documented his nephew's harrowing quest to reach a leap of faith bar that was 20 feet up in the air. According to the video's description, 19 milk crates equals 16 feet. While we can see that the boy is harnessed in, it still takes an incredible amount of balance and bravery to not knock the entire tower over. Challenge accomplished, kid. Playboy Club returning to NYC after 30 years, for better or worse
In the last few years, Playboy has been on a mission to rebrand: they've removed the whole "full nudity" thing from their print magazine, introduced a safe-for-work website, and even sold the legendary Playboy mansion (kind of). Now, instead of moving forward, they've announced they're bringing back a bit of bunny nostalgia from the magazine's heyday: the Playboy Club. In a press release published on Jan. 19, it was announced that the Playboy Club would be returning to New York City as the "key feature" in a Midtown hotel. The club will include "a lounge area, a game room and a full-service dining room" and, perhaps most importantly: Playboy Bunnies. Read more... More about New York City, New York, Club, Playboy, and Watercooler Read More »Lily Allen's Rufus Wainwright cover for the Women's March will give you chills
Hell hath no emotional resonance like a Rufus Wainwright song. That's why Lily Allen's cover of "Going To A Town" — featuring music from Mark Ronson and Bafic's stunning black-and-white video footage from the Women's March in London — is guaranteed to make you feel at least six feelings. And if you're looking to continue your anti-Trump jam sesh, the song is also featured on Allen's new Spotify playlist entitled, "He's got the whole world in his tiny hands." Merriam-Webster's Twitter is the political shade queen
Merriam-Webster is way more than a dictionary, it's a social media queen that isn't afraid to say it how it is while taking advantage of the English language in the best way possible. The dictionary's Twitter account, which has a healthy fan base of 240,000 followers, throws down a substantial amount of shade, usually of the political variety. It does it in such a way that is witty and biting and very politically relevant. The woman behind the glorious wit is Lauren Naturale, Merriam-Webster's content and social media manager. In an email to Mashable she shared how she has made the dictionary the queen of shade. Read more... More about Politics, Dictionary, Twitter, and Social Media Read More »Please enjoy this dog's spruced up recovery cone
Human life is a long series of disappointments, but at least we have photos of dogs dressed in cute costumes to ease the pain. Today's dog-in-cute-costume comes courtesy of Bailey McConnell on Twitter, whose mom gave the family dog's recovery cone a much-needed makeover. More than 29,000 retweets later, McConnell's dog is pretty much internet famous.
Is this dog any happier with her cone now that it makes her look like a giant plant? She's likely indifferent, but we feel good about it. Read more... More about Dogs, Cute Animals, Pics, and Watercooler Read More »Protesters hang "Resist" banner from crane visible from the White House
A group of Greenpeace protesters scaled a crane in close proximity to the White House on Wednesday morning and hung a giant banner reading "RESIST," an act of defiance that was visible from the White House. Travis Nichols, a spokesman for the environmental group, said the protesters are encouraging resistance to Trump and his agenda. A Greenpeace statement said the demonstration is "calling for those who want to resist Trump's attacks on environmental, social, economic, and educational justice to contribute to a better America." Read more... More about Donald Trump, Protests, Greenpeace, White House, and Us World Read More »Facebook is making an immediate and massive change to 'Trending Topics'
Facebook is rolling out a major change to its "Trending Topics" section that will result in everyone in the U.S. seeing the same news stories, which should become timelier and more in line with the news of the moment. Trending will now feature headlines directly from publishers, with those stories selected based on a broader survey of what the media is covering as well as which stories in particular are resonating with readers as well as spurring other news stories. Those stories will also not take into account personal preference — a major step for Facebook, which has almost entirely relied on personalization for everything within its social network. Read more... More about Media, Business, Trending Topics, and Facebook Read More »Lyft catches up to Uber, adds pre-tax commuter benefits
If you've been using your commuter benefits for Uber, now you can add them to Lyft, too. The underdog ride-hailing company is adding pre-tax commuter benefits to its payment options, five months after Uber introduced the service in New York and a week after Uber expanded that program to a dozen more cities. Lyft's commuter benefits option will look pretty much like Uber's. Ride-hailing customers can link up to $255 of their monthly pre-tax commuter benefits, as provided by their employer. Customers will need to select their prepaid benefits card to pay and request a Lyft Line thats seats six people in order to meet regulations on what kind of transportation can use pre-tax money. Read more... More about Commuters, Ride Hailing Apps, Uber, Lyft, and Business Read More »Tim Kaine spent inauguration night marrying a same-sex couple
After attending the swearing in of his political opponents on January 20th, good ol' uncle Tim Kaine quietly ignored the inaugural celebrations and instead, wed a lesbian couple. Dea Jones and Shea McLeod weren't planning on getting married quite yet— after meeting in 2000, they had a commitment ceremony in 2002 before same-sex marriage was legal. "We hadn’t been in a hurry to make it legal,” McLeod said. However, after Donald Trump won the November 2016 election, they decided to tie the knot as soon as they could. Read more... More about Lbgtq, Tim Kaine, and Watercooler Read More »Lyft launches in 40 new cities, 3 new states
Lyft isn't giving in to Uber just yet. The underdog ride-hailing company is launching in 40 U.S. cities on Thursday. The launch brings Lyft to three new states: New Hampshire, Delaware and Missouri. The 40 cities are spread throughout the United States. Many on Lyft's list already have Uber, but a few in California, Tennessee and Arizona do not, according to Uber's list of its cities in North America. Lyft is planning to enter a total of 100 cities throughout 2017. The goal is for the ride-hailing app to move from covering 55 percent of the U.S. population to 72 percent by the end of the year. Uber, meanwhile, is more focused on its continued international expansion and furthering the reach of its food delivery service, UberEats. Read more... More about Ride Hailing, Ride Hailing Apps, Uber, Lyft, and Business Read More »3-year-old wants Falcons to win the Super Bowl, but doesn't get it quite right
The New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons will battle it out at the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 5. Those who follow football know exactly who they want to win and lose. This little fan is no exception. In a Youtube video posted by user Brett Stoner, he asks his 3-year-old son which team he wants to win the big game. His response is... surprising. If you're a Patriots fan and can't stand the Falcons right now, this might be a great nickname to use at your Super Bowl party. Facebook Stories?! Snapchat's main feature is copied again
The competition couldn't be more heated. Facebook has released a near identical clone of Snapchat Stories, the company announced Wednesday. It wouldn't be the first time. Back in August, Facebook-owned Instagram released Instagram Stories, which almost exactly copied the photo-and-video feature created by Snapchat. That's turned out quite successful for Facebook. Instagram Stories has more than 150 million daily active users, which is on par with Snapchat's latest statistics. For now, Facebook Stories is only available in Ireland, where the company has been testing a new "in-app camera" since October 2016. Facebook is still "testing" the Stories feature, a Facebook spokesperson told Mashable in an email. Read more... More about Tech, Apps And Software, Media, Instagram, and Instagram Stories Read More »Cinephiles will be jazzed by this supercut of all the film references in 'La La Land'
You knew La La Land is a love letter to Hollywood, but if you didn't know many scenes are direct nods to legends of the silver screen, here's a primer. From Ryan Gosling's streetlight serenade inspired by Singin' In the Rain to an updated drive through Los Angeles lit the marquees originally from Singin' in The Rain — yes, it owes a lot to the 1952 musical — there are plenty of cinematic references to catch. Sara Precaiado put together the clip with side-by-side scenes of this awards season's darling and iconic scenes from Sweet Charity, Grease, Boogie Nights and more. Read more... More about Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Musicals, La La Land, and Watercooler Read More »Ta-Nehisi Coates explains why there could never be a 'black Donald Trump'
Writer Ta-Nehisi Coates latest piece for The Atlantic, "My President Was Black," is an expansive conversation with former president Barack Obama leading up to November's election, and Coates stopped by Late Night with Seth Myers to reveal what the process of asking the president for interviews was like. In conversation with Meyers, the award-winning journalist also delved a bit into the functions of optimism in the White House, Obama's unique past that landed him in the Oval Office in the first place and the double standards that make it unimaginable to ever see black Donald Trump. Twitter users finding hope in 'badass' national parks
In the first few days of the Donald Trump presidency, National Park Service Twitter accounts have emerged as small but shining spots of hope for the anti-Trump crowd. Multiple parks accounts have deleted tweets since Trump became president, after having sent tweets into the world that were seemingly against the administration's wishes. The main park service account retweeted crowd comparisons between former President Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration crowd and the much smaller audience for Trump's inauguration, before deleting the tweets, being temporarily banned from tweeting, and then apologizing. Read more... More about Usda, Epa, Donald Trump, Twitter, and National Parks Read More »Pixie is the 'Pokémon Go' for finding your lost stuff
There's not much worse than losing your stuff — except maybe the time you wind up wasting looking for it. Nothing is more infuriating than being held up on the way out the door because the car keys seem to have disappeared into some fifth dimension, especially when they turn up mysteriously in a particularly obvious (yet somehow completely covert) hiding spot. But technology has a solution for everything. Smart tracker tags, which use your phone's location technologies and Bluetooth capabilities to digitally pinpoint your most loss-prone stuff, have been on the market for a few years now. They make it easier to find those missing keys using the tech, sure — but the experience of searching still isn't any more bearable. Read more... More about Internet Of Things, Lost Items, Location Tracking, Review, and Pixie Read More »Finding Hillary: A new kind of American leader and her careful digital footprint
Since losing the election in November, Hillary Clinton had tweeted only eight times—until last weekend, when millions of people, spurred by the victory of her political rival Donald J. Trump, marched for gender equality. The Women's March on Washington and its sister events around the world had no ties to Clinton. Her name wasn't even included on its list of honorees recognized as "revolutionary leaders who paved the way for us to march." Yet her influence was palpable in what could be the largest American demonstration ever. The mass of marches seemed to inspire a fighting spirit in Clinton dormant since her concession speech. Over a series of five tweets sent Saturday and Sunday, she expressed gratitude, hope, solidarity, joy and defiance. Read more... More about Politics, Inauguration 2017, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Us World Read More »Snapchat cash is no joke for the media
Snapchat may be fun for users, but the app is starting to mean serious money for the media. Numerous publishers are making hundreds of thousands of dollars per year on Snapchat, with a select few bringing in tens of millions, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. These profits come at a crucial time, as the media industry's patience in platforms such as Snapchat, Facebook and YouTube has been waning due to tepid monetization. In the past two years, Snapchat has emerged as a competitor to the likes of Facebook and YouTube, fighting the platform giants for both publisher content and user attention. On Snapchat, publishers are a part of Discover, the two-year-old network that presents publishers' daily content to the app's audience of more than 150 million daily users (Mashable is a Discover partner). Publishers earn revenue from video advertising within an edition; the media outlets can choose to sell these ads on their own or through Snapchat or Viacom. Snapchat pays some publishers a licensing fee, as well. Read more... More about Digital Media, Apps And Software, Online Media, Media, and Tech Read More »The D.C. march for science will be the most wonderfully nerdy demonstration ever
Scientists are taking a cue from last week's Women's Marches and planning their own protests in Washington, D.C., and far beyond. Frustrated and alarmed by what they said were President Donald Trump's "clear anti-science actions," march organizers told Mashable they hoped to bring together people from across the political spectrum to stand up for scientific progress. "This is not a partisan issue," the March for Science team said by email. "Scientific research moves us forward." Organizers haven't yet picked a date for the D.C. demonstration. But a planning team is meeting on Saturday to develop a firmer mission statement and ensure the movement is "inclusive of all people (and all fields of science)," they said. Read more... More about Dakota Access Pipeline, Keystone Xl Pipeline, Keystone Xl, Climate Activism, and Climate Denial Read More »'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy' is coming back and all we can say is 'No'
As authoritarianism breathes down our neck, it may feel delightfully nostalgic to rage against Bravo's, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. But rage we must. Entertainment Weekly recently learned that Netflix would be rebooting the "groundbreaking" (their words, our ironic quotes) series and taking them to the Red States, where they hope to make them "go pink." This show is profoundly reductive, a call back to a time when "G" was the only part of "LGBTQ" the culture recognized, and television only used gay men to dance and entertain their predominantly straight audiences. More about Queer, Queer Eye For The Straight Guy, Tv, and Entertainment Read More »Mario Batali can't resist a plate of nachos, either
You might expect an American Iron Chef and lauded restaurateur to serve caviar, champagne and tiny cakes at his Super Bowl party. Mario Batali, who has a soft spot for "jacked Doritos and any salsa as long as salsa has some Tabasco on the side," doesn't party like that. Mario, as a lifelong football fan (who loves both the Seattle Seahawks and the New York Giants), is no stranger to a great Big Game shindig. Both his favorite and least favorite football party food is a plate of nachos. The chef, restaurateur and cookbook author tells Mashable, "I just don't like it when someone browns a little ground beef, throws some crappy yellow cheese on top of it and calls it a nacho. 'Cause then, it's not a nacho." Read more... More about Super Bowl 51, Food, and Watercooler Read More »Under President Trump, Mar-a-Lago doubles its fee to $200,000 and Trump Hotels plans to triple US locations
The Trump business is already profiting from the Trump presidency. Mar-a-Lago, the Trump Organization's "Winter White House" in Palm Beach, Florida, doubled its initiation fee to $200,000 a year at the beginning of January, CNBC reported. The introductory fee used to be $200,000 before Bernie Madoff took victim of so many Palm Beach residents. After that, the resort slashed it to $100,000. Now that Donald Trump has taken America's highest office, the price is back up. And while the Trump Organization's most famous resort is raising its prices, Trump Hotels is plotting a nationwide expansion. Read more... More about Mar A Lago, Trump Hotel, Trump, and Business Read More »Daisy Ridley won't even tell her co-star what 'The Last Jedi' means
Ever since the name of the next Star Wars film was announced on Monday, the internet has riled itself up over what The Last Jedi actually means. People have reached out to the actors themselves to see if they will give them anything, about what the title means and what we can expect from the next film. It turns out that even other actors are impatient to know what The Last Jedi actually means and going to star Daisy Ridley for some answers. Josh Gad, best known for his voice acting as Olaf from Frozen, is one of those actors. And he, unlike the rest of us, is in the fortunate position of having direct access to Ridley, who of course is Rey from The Force Awakens. The two of them co-star in the upcoming film Murder on the Orient Express. Read more... More about The Last Jedi, Star Wars, Daisy Ridley, Josh Gad, and Conversations Read More »Dude skis right off a cliff and captures the whole thing on his helmet cam
"Turns out I am afraid of heights." Skier Devin Stratton managed to ski himself off of an unmarked 150-foot cliff last week in the backcountry of the Wasatch Range in Utah, and escaped without so much as a bruise. Stratton was capturing his run using a GoPro attached to his helmet, giving the world a first person POV of what it looks like when you accidentally find yourself skiing off a cliff. According to an interview with the Washington Post, he rarely wears the camera, but for some reason he flipped it on for this run. Read more... More about Viral Videos, Skiing, Sports, Watercooler, and Videos Read More »Mary Tyler Moore dies at 80
Mary Tyler Moore, who rode the line between eternal optimism and female empowerment during her decades-long career as an actress on TV and film, has died, according to a statement by her rep to Hollywood Reporter. She was 80. Moore, best known for her roles on The Mary Tyler Moore Show from 1970-1977 and The Dick Van Dyke Show in the 1960s, had been in failing health at a Connecticut hospital on Wednesday, according to TMZ. Though she was one of television's biggest stars, Moore successfully made the transition to film, starring in Thoroughly Modern Millie in 1967 and earning an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in the 1980 hit drama Ordinary People. Read more... More about Emmys, Sitcoms, Mary Tyler Moore, Tv, and Television Read More » | ||||
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srijeda, 25. siječnja 2017.
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