ponedjeljak, 13. ožujka 2017.

FeedaMail: Mashable

feedamail.com Mashable

How weird sleep schedules can affect our mental health

Much like a clock on the wall, our cells have their own 24-hour timeline. When they're in sync, our body clock may act as a protective barrier against mental and physical illnesses.

But throw in some jet lag, a night shift or a bout of insomnia, and suddenly the clock's hands are spinning out of sync — potentially leaving us more vulnerable to viral infections and depression, scientists say.

Richard Friedman, a professor of clinical psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College, recently recalled a U.S. patient who suffered from manic depression. The man became depressed after returning from a trip to Europe, but seemed to snap out of it after a fun trip out West. Read more...

More about Psychiatry, Psychiatrist, Biological Clock, Body Clock, and Circadian Rhythm

Read More »

'Zelda: Breath of the Wild' speedrun record down to 54 minutes

Here's someone completing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in less than an hour. I'm 80 hours in and just discovered a town I'd never seen before yesterday. FML.

The 54:05 completion time from streamer Venick is the latest reported speedrun record for Breath of the Wild, supplanting a 58:01 finish that had been set hours earlier by MrGymnast86. Venick admits that his own "not terrible run" still leaves room for improvement.

It's worth noting that Venick shaved time off his playthrough using a handful of tricks, documented in the YouTube description. Playing the Wii U version saves 31 seconds on load times versus the Switch; switching the language to German saves another 10 seconds; and perhaps most controversially, using the "Link Rider" amiibo to summon Epona — a legendary horse — saves another 40-50 seconds. Read more...

More about Speedrunning, Speedrun, The Legend Of Zelda Breath Of The Wild, Esports, and Gaming

Read More »

Grover and Neil deGrasse Tyson get deep about the wonders of the universe

Spotted: Neil deGrasse Tyson and Grover from Sesame Street hanging out at SXSW.

What in the WORLD??!

The astrophysicist wore his best shade of blue to the final day of "The Mashable Show" to answer some questions about the universe from the lovable friend of Cookie Monster and Bert. 

Grover got right to it, asking Tyson the question on basically everyone's mind —what exactly is it that an astrophysicist does?

Tyson explained that his job is to look at how nature reveals itself to us on Earth, and "ask if that applies to other planets, stars, and galaxies across space and time." Read more...

More about Mashable Show, Neil Degrasse Tyson, Grover, Sxsw 2017, and Entertainment

Read More »

The 'Trainspotting' sequel hits U.S. at secret SXSW screening

A tad over 20 years after the world first got a glimpse of the wild world of Renton, Sick Boy, and Spud in Trainspotting, America will get its first look at where they are now in the film's sequel on Sunday night in Austin. 

T2 Trainspotting will make its U.S. debut at a "secret screening" at SXSW. Directed by Danny Boyle, who directed the first film, the film is loosely based on the book Porno by Irvine Welsh, who also penned the book that the first film was based off on. 

Boyle and Ewan McGregor, who return from the original film, will be doing a Q&A after Sunday's screening, according to Variety, and continue doing press on Monday.  Read more...

More about Sxsw, Secret Screening, Danny Boyle, Ewan Mcgregor, and T2 Trainspotting

Read More »

The world's most wanted hacker is basically a nerdy supervillain

On Sunday, the New York Times published a story on Evgeniy M. Bogachev, described as "the most wanted cybercriminal in the world," full of details about the hacker's crimes, plots, some incredible tidbits and a photo to end all amazing FBI photos. 

Bogachev has long been sought after for his hacking schemes, draining millions of dollars from businesses the world over and placing him in control of hundreds of thousands of computers. His GameOver Zeus malware scheme, which was shut down in 2014, netted him a Scrooge McDuck-sized vault of money to swim in. 

More about Russia, Cybercrime, Evgeniy Bogachev, Tech, and Politics

Read More »

'Game of Thrones' creators reveal final season's episode run and we're devastated

All shows must die. We just wish Game of Thrones could hang on a little longer.

On Sunday, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss made the announcement at South by Southwest: the eighth and final season of Game of Thrones will contain only six episodes. 

That will come after Season 7 (premiering July 16), which will be only seven episodes, down from the usual 10. 

Yes, we're devastated, too. That means you only have 13 total episodes left with your favorite characters, unless they get brutally murdered right away, which is totally a possibility.  Read more...

More about Sxsw 2017, Hbo, Game Of Thrones Season 8, Game Of Thrones, and Entertainment

Read More »

Trolls came for Chrissy Teigen's parenting skills and she had none of it

Like most women on the internet who dare to reveal anything about their lives, Chrissy Teigen fields a ton of unwarranted criticisms of her parenting skills. 

And in true Teigen fashion, she tends to take swift vengeance on those who dare come for her. 

On Friday, she shared a screenshot of comments posted to a photo of her family.

"Imagine being this miserable," she wrote. "We are fine, thanks".

Imagine being this miserable. We are fine, thankspic.twitter.com/NNmlJWxKE6

— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) March 10, 2017 Read more...

More about Chrissy Teigen, Pics, Watercooler, Watercooler, and Pics

Read More »

Cat dad uses piano to induce feline bliss

Some dog people wonder: Are cats evil? Probably not, but they are definitely better at giving zero f*cks about your human feelings than, say, every other furry pet on earth.

Nevertheless, one talented cat dad in Istanbul proves that if you can generate the proper amount of musical entertainment, cats will not only pretend to care about you, they might actually love you. 

Musician Sarper Duman regularly serenades his large clowder of cats as the furry audience watches from the window in front of his piano at home.  Read more...

More about Instagram, Pets, Music, Cats, and Watercooler

Read More »

The internet slams congressman's straight-up racist tweet

Rep. Steven King is no stranger to controversy, but he kicked one hell of a hornet's nest on Sunday thanks to a tweet that was just straight-up racist. 

It started with a cartoon tweeted by the anti-immigrant account Voice of Europe, showing Geert Wilders, a far-right politician from the Netherlands who wants to end immigration and ban the Quran, poking a finger in a dam to hold off a literal wave of Islam. 

It's racist as hell.

But then King upped the ante by tweeting the cartoon with the addition, "Wilders understands that culture and demographics are our destiny. We can't restore our civilization with somebody else's babies." Read more...

More about Geert Wilders, Steve King, Islamaphobia, Us World, and Politics

Read More »

Ed Sheeran will guest star on next season of 'Game of Thrones' and it's all because of Maisie Williams

Game of Thrones has nabbed its biggest guest star yet.

Ed Sheeran will appear in an episode of Season 7, according to showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, who announced the news at their South By Southwest panel on Sunday. 

The Q&A was moderated by Thrones stars Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) and Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark), and Benioff noted that Williams was the reason they wanted the "Shape of You" singer for a guest role in the first place. 

"We knew that Maisie was a big fan of Ed Sheeran, so for years we tried to get Ed Sheeran on the show so we could surprise Maisie, and this year we finally did it," he revealed. Read more...

More about Game Of Thrones Season 7, Game Of Thrones, Ed Sheeran, Entertainment, and Tv

Read More »

Fire caused by an unsafe hoverboard results in death of a toddler

Despite product recalls and repeated warnings from government officials over the past two years, some people are still using unsafe hoverboards.

Now a child from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, has died as a result of an apparently faulty board. 

The fire was reported around 8 p.m. on Friday, during which one resident jumped from the second floor of the building to escape the blaze, according to AP. 

The next day, one of the children injured in the fire, 3-year-old Ashanti Hughes, was pronounced dead by the local coroner's office, while two other girls remained in critical condition in a local hospital.  Read more...

More about Hoverboard Fire, Hoverboards, Tech, and Gadgets

Read More »

Watch this Mexican volcano blow some serious smoke

One of Mexico's most famous volcanos erupted this weekend, sending clouds of ash down on surrounding communities.

Popocatépetl has erupted twice since Saturday evening and emitted hundreds of short, low-intensity bursts of gas and smoke, Mexican authorities said on Sunday afternoon.

Unlike Italy's Mount Etna, Popocatépetl hasn't spewed any spectacular lava — much to the relief of residents in Mexico's Puebla valley, which sits about 80 miles east of Mexico City. 

The area remains under "yellow alert," meaning families should protect their food and drinking water from the volcano's falling ash.  Read more...

More about Volcano Video, Volcanic Activity, Volcanic Eruption, Volcanic Ash, and Mount Etna

Read More »

I played 'tag' using a fake VR headset and I feel like such an idiot

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

That's my takeaway after playing a game of "tag" while wearing a head-mounted display at SXSW. I was at Sony's "Wow Factory" exhibit where the company demos research prototypes and other bleeding edge tech. There, in the back of the room, was a demo called "Superception," which was basically a bizarre and extremely cringeworthy game of tag.

Along with three other participants, I donned a colored vest and some kind of mobile video display headset equipped with a camera (there were no cables, thankfully) which allows you to see the surrounding area. After getting accustomed to how depth perception works (spoiler: it doesn't), the view switches to a split-screen view of four boxes (much like the split-screen view while playing console games). Read more...

More about Hmd, Head Mounted Display, Sony, Tech, and Tech

Read More »

You will definitely LOL at Adele's alleged concert transportation trick

If you've been lucky enough to attend one of Adele's concerts in Australia, you'll notice that in many cases, the stage is in the centre of a sports stadium.

With no underground access in the middle of the field, how the hell does she get to the stage, in order to magically pop out at the beginning of the show?

According to The Sun, Adele has been using a humble box to transport herself — as in one of those giant touring cases which usually house equipment.

"Adele sits in the box for several minutes as she is taken from her dressing room right to the centre of the crowd," an unnamed source told the outlet.  Read more...

More about Box, Entertainment, Adele Singer, Music, and Adele

Read More »

'Game of Thrones' showrunners address those spinoff rumors

Game of Thrones is set to end with Season 8 — and showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss have now confirmed that the final season will only be six episodes long — which means that if we want to spend more time in Westeros after the show wraps up, we'd better hope that HBO launches some kind of spinoff, prequel or sequel series

The good news: Benioff and Weiss think that a spinoff isn't such a long shot. The bad news: they don't plan on being involved with it.

During the duo's panel at South By Southwest — moderated by Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) and Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) — the showrunners speculated about the future of the franchise. Read more...

More about Hbo, D.B. Weiss, David Benioff, Game Of Thrones Season 8, and Game Of Thrones Spinoff

Read More »

These cute robotic cat ears will nag you to fix your bad posture

Good posture makes you stand taller, breathe better, and will save you from looking like the Hunchback of Notre-Dame.

But slouching and hunching is all too easy when you're sitting at your computer or head down staring at your phone.

There's no real fix to bad posture other than to just straighten your back, but if you find yourself incapable or too lazy to do so, these mechanical Neko Electro cat ears might be just what you need.

Though SXSW has become more brand-washed than ever before, its spirit is still to highlight the weird and experimental in music, film and technology. Read more...

More about Sxsw 2017, Bad Posture, Neko Electro, Sxsw, and Cat Ears

Read More »

Trump really doesn't want to face these 21 kids on climate change

A showdown is brewing in the U.S. courts, one that pits young Americans against President Donald Trump and the fossil fuel industry. 

Central to the fight is a lawsuit that accuses the federal government and energy companies of failing to adequately address human-caused global warming. A group of 21 citizens, ages 9 to 20, claim that failure violates their "constitutional rights to life, liberty and property." 

Now Trump and fossil fuel defendants want the case to go away. 

Both groups filed separate motions last week to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to scrap an earlier ruling that upheld Juliana v. United States. It's unusual for the government to try to appeal a case to a higher court before a lower court has ruled on it — especially since this case is moving toward a trial later this year. Read more...

More about Children S Lawsuit, Lawsuit, Our Children S Climate, Carbon Emissions, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Read More »

Dolphin wipes out a surfer and the surfer is so freaking happy about it

Seems like all you can do is laugh when you get whacked by a dolphin.

Surfer Sam Yoon was ecstatic when he was knocked off his board by the aquatic mammal off Duranbah Beach, in Australia's Tweed Heads. The dolphin was leaping in front of a wave and  collided with Yoon as it dived back into the water. 

"You see that? It landed on my head, shoulders and the back. It was like, full on," Yoon told 9 News Thursday, while reacting to iPhone footage of the collision.

Image: 9 NEws

The animal can be seen trying to avoid Yoon, tilting to its right mid-air. Yoon tried to get out of the way too, but it was too late. Read more...

More about Videos, Video, Surfing, Dolphin, and Dolphins

Read More »

Chris Hemsworth goes full beast mode in intense workout video

Thor is unbelievably buff. You knew that. But did you know how much goddamn work it takes to look like that? 

The answer — thanks to a new Instagram video from Thor's Chris Hemsworth himself — is a lot.

Your favourite non-annoying Australian has one guy in particular to thank for torturing him into shape, and that guy is "world's best trainer" and "flat out legend" Luke Zocchi. The trainer worked with both Hemsworth and Cate Blanchett on Thor: Ragnarok in Australia recently. And the results? They speak for themselves. Read more...

More about Thor Ragnarok, Instagram, Video, Workout, and Chris Hemsworth

Read More »

'The Walking Dead' recap: Favorite characters return to their roots

This recap contains spoilers for The Walking Dead Season 7, episode 13, titled "Bury Me Here."

Welp, that was a lot.

This episode opens with some of the residents of the Kingdom loading a single melon onto a truck, an image which is incredibly painful once we learn its meaning.

After what seems like a rough night of nightmares, Carol can't stand her self-imposed solitude  any longer.

She heads to the Kingdom to make sure that Daryl was letting the truth in last week's episode, and everyone back in Alexandria is alright. (Side note: No, he wasn't and no, they are not.) Read more...

More about The Walking Dead Season 7, The Walking Dead Season 7, The Walking Dead Recap, The Walking Dead, and Entertainment

Read More »

Justin Bieber is sick overeager fans, and he ain't afraid to say so

Justin Bieber has been hounded by fame, ever since he first sang Justin Timberlake covers as a 14-year-old. 

Nine years later, his ennui is at an all-time high. And his tolerance for selfies is zero.

Adoring fans in Australia, many who've paid a motza to see him live on his Purpose tour, need to back off and show some respect, according to the pop star.

He's been over this with you before, crazed fans — don't get up in his face for photos.  Or if you do, prepare to be chastised by your idol. Read more...

More about Australia, Music, Justin Bieber, Watercooler, and Watercooler

Read More »

Woman makes incredible meals using only random office equipment

This probably isn't what they had in mind when they said the office equipment was multi-functional.

From frying pancakes on her CPU, to eating hotpot from a water dispenser, one Chinese woman is cooking up a storm — using just the stuff found around her office. 

Nicknamed "Office Little Ye", the woman's videos have gone viral on Chinese social media platform Weibo, with some of her videos scoring almost 20 million views.

She uploads a new "cooking episode" once every few weeks, and some of her videos are also available on YouTubeRead more...

More about Videos, Food, Office, China, and Watercooler

Read More »

Someone cut the whole 'Breaking Bad' series into a two-hour feature film

While there's plenty of films that run for ages (looking at you, Lord of The Rings trilogy) it's not easy to fit a television series into a movie-length format. Especially not one that'll put you to sleep.

But by golly, someone has managed to do it with one of the finest TV series of the last decade, Breaking Bad

As many of the series' best moments take place at the end of an episode, the "film" is missing those heavy-breathing, suspenseful moments before the credits flash "Executive Producer, Vince Gilligan." However, it's not at all bad.

In fact, at over two hours running time, it's perfect for that one friend of yours who can't be bothered watching the whole series. Read more...

More about Entertainment, Videos, Video, Tv, and Breaking Bad

Read More »

Google Scholar might finally be Google's way back into China

After Google exited China seven years ago, it might finally have a way back in.

A senior Chinese lawmaker has revealed that Google Scholar — Google's search engine for academic literature — is on a priority list to be allowed back over the Great Firewall.

Google and all its services like Gmail and Google Maps are blocked in China, and users there need to use a VPN if they want to access Google services.

The move will seek to enhance Chinese "academic progress," the South China Morning Post quoted Liu Binjie as saying. Liu, a government party member and former head of China's top censorship body, said China's academics will likely be the first to access Google Scholar. Read more...

More about Great Firewall, Google, Google Scholar, China, and Tech

Read More »

This capsule-style boarding house is only for cats, for a reason

Unlike most mixed pet boarding facilities, the newly-opened Nekoya Cat Hotel in Singapore is feline-only.

That's because its unique apartment-style set up is meant to provide a zen space for stressed out cats, co-founder Debrah Lau said.

Image: NEKOYA CAT HOTEL

To suit cats' needs, the boarding capsules consist of cool and warm resting surfaces, and faces a large window with a view of the streets below, so furry tenants can people-watch for mental stimulation, she added.

Image: NEKOYA CAT HOTEL

Image: NEKOYA CAT HOTEL

Mixed pet boarding facilities can be stressful for cats, if they have to come into contact with larger animals such as dogs, she said. Read more...

More about Pet Boarding, Cats, Singapore, and Lifestyle

Read More »

Grown man loses to children on 'Robot Wars', awkwardly storms off

Sometimes, when you're in the heat of competition, tempers can run high.

Robot Wars is absolutely no exception.

On Sunday's episode, the mightily named Team Behemoth took on the slightly-less-mightily-named Team Cherub. It was a close-fought match that went down to the wire, and ended in a decision from the judges.

Needless to say, one team member wasn't best pleased with the outcome:

Oh dear.

In fairness to Team Behemoth's captain Ant, he explained afterwards that he wasn't being a sore loser — he was actually annoyed with his team's decision to swap their robot's weapon for the fight. Read more...

More about Uk, Bbc, Awkward, Robot Wars, and Entertainment

Read More »

Politician denies sending tweet, giant screen behind him shows the tweet

People are kind of accustomed to politicians making all sorts of gaffes, but this one beats them all. 

While on live TV, international trade secretary Liam Fox denied sending a controversial tweet while a large screen behind him clearly displayed it for everyone to see. 

Pretty f*cked up, isn't it? 

Watch it yourself:

"Just for clarification, I didn't send out a tweet," he said, while Sky News' Sophy Ridge pointed to the giant picture of that very tweet. 

“Number two, it was taken from a speech I gave a year and a half ago and it was tweeted out by I think The Guardian and it was an incomplete reference in any case," Fox continued unfazed.  Read more...

More about Trump, Uk, Liam Fox, Twitter, and Political Gaffe

Read More »

This Bugatti yacht is basically a Chiron on water. With a jacuzzi. And a fire pit.

If you reduce the notion of a boat to its simplest purpose, it is a vehicle designed to keep you from getting wet. 

Which is why Bugatti's new yacht, which comes with a jacuzzi and a fire pit, makes so little sense — and yet, I bet someone out there will be more than happy to dish out a lot of money for it.

It's not that a jacuzzi on a yacht is a novel idea; in fact, if you bought a superyacht that doesn't have at least one, you were probably ripped off. But the Bugatti Niniette 66, which is 20 meters (66 feet) long, is clearly not big enough for luxuries of that type. The jacuzzi and the fire pit pretty much take up all of the available space on the deck, which is probably why the yacht nominally carries a maximum of three people.  Read more...

More about Jacuzzi, Super Yacht, Niniette, Bugatti, and Bugatti Niniette 66

Read More »

This 'Game of Thrones' compilation of Tyrion's best one-liners is glorious

Tyrion Lannister may be highly adept at drinking and knowing things, but he's also capable of delivering a mean one-liner.

From memorable speeches about his childhood to blunt shut-downs, Sky Atlantic's above compilation will at the very least kill 80 seconds of the long, long wait until July.

Game of Thrones Season 7 premieres on 17 July. Season 1-6 are available on Sky Box Sets and online streaming service NOW TV, from 1 May. Read more...

More about Uk, Hbo, Sky Atlantic, Funny, and One Liners

Read More »

German store says it'll keep selling racist 'Save a dog, eat a Chinese' shirt

A German online retailer is facing a stream of backlash after several t-shirts with racist slogans were made available for sale on its website.

Shirts containing the phrase "Save a dog, eat a Chinese" and "Save a shark, eat a Chinese" were featured on Spreadshirt.

Image: Quentin1984/ spreadshirt

The website allows users to create their own t-shirt designs, which can then be sold on the same platform.

Two users named as Quentin1984 and Monigote appear to be behind the t-shirt design.

Netizens were swift to react. 

Despite protest, the t-shirts are still available for sale on Spreadshirt's website, with the company saying that they "have decided, based on our open platform principle, to keep the two designs in question." Read more...

More about Spreadshirt, Racism, Chinese, China, and World

Read More »

Anglican church releases official advisory on 'Beauty and the Beast'

Disney's hotly anticipated live action Beauty and the Beast now comes with a formal warning from a church.

Ahead of its screening, Bishop Rennis Ponniah of Singapore's St. Andrew's Cathedral published a statement to "alert" the congregation about the "homosexual content" in the film.

Beauty and the Beast's sidekick character LeFou, played by Josh Gad, will be openly gay.

"Disney films for children's entertainment are usually associated with wholesome, mainstream values ... [but] times are changing at a foundational level," the statement reads. Read more...

More about Christianity, Church, Singapore, Lgbtq, and Lefou

Read More »

Boaty McBoatface is on its first mission and we really wish it well

Remember Boaty McBoatface? Those were happier, simpler times

For those who have forgotten (shame on you), Boaty McBoatface was the world's top choice for the £200 million ($290 million) polar research vessel in the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)'s online vote.

Unfortunately, the NERC later decided to ignore completely the will of the people and went on to name the polar research vessel after veteran broadcaster Sir David Attenborough — a crowdpleaser, to play it safe. 

To dispel a potential uprising, Boaty McBoatface was assigned to a mini-submarine which is now going to its first mission, heading to the Antarctic to investigate parts of the Southern Ocean:  Read more...

More about Polar Ship, Boaty Mcboatface, and Watercooler

Read More »

Biologically speaking, are you meant to be monogamous or monogamish?

Why we fall in and out of love has a lot to do with what being intimate does to our brains. To decode the ooey-gooey — and sometimes upsetting — effects of love, Mashable partnered with Bravo Media on a digital series called Love U. In this episode, Dr. Roshini Raj explores if human beings are meant to be monogamous.  Read more...

More about Wedding, Bravo, Love, Love U, and Watercooler

Read More »

14 things we learned from Ewan McGregor's glorious Reddit AMA

It's not every day you get the chance to ask Ewan McGregor how his penis is doing and actually get a response.

If ever there's a format for such exchanges, though, it's most definitely a Reddit AMA.

On Sunday, McGregor took part in one to promote T2 Trainspotting's U.S. release. From his favourite home-cooked meal to his upcoming appearance in Fargo Season 3, here are some things we learned.

1. The last time he watched Trainspotting.

2. How many takes he need to master the sadistic smile from the trailer.

More about Uk, Scotland, Reddit Ama, Reddit, and T2 Trainspotting

Read More »

Comedian shuts down racist audience member in the most beautiful way

A Scottish stand-up comedian has somehow found the right response to an audience member who gave an incredibly racist response to a joke.

Janey Godley, who last year welcomed Donald Trump in Scotland with the sign "Trump is a cunt," was doing a gig at the Wild Cabaret when she asked a couple in the audience,"What is the best thing about travelling through Scotland then?"

The man, from Toronto, replied: "The lack of brown people". 

This happened last night when I was onstage pic.twitter.com/8c9LmCPVGk

— Janey Godley (@JaneyGodley) March 10, 2017 Read more...

More about Racism, Scottish Comedian, and Watercooler

Read More »

Pandora guns for Spotify with 'Premium' subscription service

Pandora's done forking its lunch over to Spotify. The popular internet radio service is going on-demand with a new "Premium" subscription service announced Monday.

Users will be able to pay $9.99 a month to search for and play whatever they want, whenever they want — and the service has a bit of Pandora's secret sauce mixed in.

When you create a new playlist using the Premium service, you can ask Pandora to fill in any gaps using the same technology behind its radio service. 

The so-called "Music Genome Project" analyzes songs according to 450 attributes and uses this data — combined with what you tell Pandora you like or dislike — to play music tailored to your individual taste. Premium users can make a playlist, add two songs — "Blood and Thunder" and "Angel of Death," say — tap "Add Similar" and get a bunch of other, uh, feel-good songs. Read more...

More about Music, Music Streaming, Apple Music, Spotify, and Pandora

Read More »

John Oliver compares the Republican healthcare plan to 'Pirates of the Caribbean 5'

The American Health Care Act, otherwise known as the plan Republicans have released to replace Obamacare, otherwise known as Trumpcare, is not good nor well-liked.

John Oliver made this clear on Sunday night's Last Week Tonight with a stunning montage of multiple people all using the same phrase to describe it: "dead on arrival."

Oliver digs into what the plan actually does, who it benefits and how Paul Ryan has been trying to defend it. He emphasizes that everyone, almost literally everyone who is a Democrat or a Republican does not approve of the plan. Not even Trump wants to put his name on the bill, Oliver points out, this coming from man who puts his name on everything. Read more...

More about Healthcare, Late Night, Last Week Tonight, John Oliver, and Conversations

Read More »

Extremely excited dog adorably fails his Crufts agility competition

Terriers are known for their energy and excitement. They are also known for their cute little faces while they run around like someone who has had too much caffeine.

There's no truer display of a terrier's personality than this Jack Russell named Olly. Olly competed in the Crufts dog show in the UK on Sunday, but his excitement was too much for an agility course to handle. He faceplanted, literally faceplanted, as he made his way through.

Olly may not have walked away with a trophy for his performance, but I think we can all unanimously agree that Olly is a very good dog. Read more...

More about Cute Animals, Funny, Dog Show, Jack Russell, and Dogs

Read More »

Here's every color the Samsung Galaxy S8 might come in, according to a new leak

By now, we've seen enough photos and videos of the belated Samsung Galaxy S8 to have a very good idea of what the phone will look like, and its specs aren't exactly a secret, either. 

But most of those leaks have shown either the black or the silver version of the S8. Now, courtesy of a new photos dug up by Android Central in the obscure corners of Twitter, we can see what the upcoming Samsung flagship will look in other colors. 

The best photo from this bunch shows what appears to be the entire, functional S8, in gold. We'd prefer to see its back — the difference between various colors isn't as striking on the front because the phone's basically all screen — but we'll take what we can get.  Read more...

More about Samsung, Colors, Galaxy S8, Samsung Galaxy S8, and Tech

Read More »

47 thoughts I had while watching 'Beauty and the Beast' for the first time

We all have our faults—mine just happens to be a really, really big one. 

The rumors are true. I have never seen the original Beauty and the Beast. With all the hype surrounding the live-action version, opening this week, I figured there was no better time to redeem myself than the present. So a few days ago, I downloaded the 1991 Oscar-nominated animated film. Below are my somewhat unfiltered thoughts while watching this classic for the very first time. 

Please don't shame me. 

1. I know the movie just started but I ALREADY HATE THE PRINCE
 

More about Beauty And The Beast, Conversations, Entertainment, Entertainment, and Conversations

Read More »

DIY Oreo tacos are here to save your boring dessert

Sometimes, you need to combine two magical foods to create a masterpiece.

The DIY YouTube food magicians over at Hellthy Junk Food are well known for creating ridiculous or oversized versions of fast food creations. And sometimes they also just make some truly odd meals.

This time, Julia and JP face off to create their own versions of an Oreo taco, because the world will never have too many tacos.  Read more...

More about Food, Hellthy Junk Food, Oreo, Taco Bell, and Watercooler

Read More »

J.K. Rowling predicted second Scottish independence referendum like, one minute after Brexit

The political bomb you probably haven't heard of is the announcement of a second referendum on Scottish independence, to be held between autumn 2018 and spring 2019. 

But worry no more, because J.K. Rowling is here to remind us she predicted it basically one minute after the Brexit vote. 

Rowling just retweeted one post from the day after the referendum on Britain's membership in the European Union, 24 June 2016, which said: "Scotland will seek independence now. Cameron's legacy will be breaking up two unions. Neither needed to happen." Read more...

More about Independence, Brexit, Scottish Referendum, Jk Rowling, and World

Read More »

Little brother denied hugging his sister after her big state championship win

A young boy was stopped by a Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Association official when he attempted to hug his sister after her state championship win on March 11. 

After Appleton North’s girls basketball team was presented with its first ever championship trophy, junior guard Sydney Levy's little brother Jaylen was super excited to run onto the court to give his sister a big hug. That's when WIAA Associate Director Deb Hauser denied the siblings their hug, and Jaylen turned back towards his parents, heartbroken. Sydney and Jaylen's dad, Nic Levy, posted this video of the moment on Twitter: Read more...

More about Hug, Sister, Brother, Kids, and Siblings

Read More »

GIPHY's bringing moving stickers to all of your messages and iMessage just got a whole lot cooler

GIPHY's on a mission to put its irresistible GIFs everywhere—so it just added yet another new way to shake up your messages and apps with more movement than ever. 

Yes: GIPHY-powered stickers are coming to Android and iOS with a new app, appropriately called GIPHY Stickers. You'll be able to search, download and even create your own animated stickers using the app, which came about after GIPHY's acquisition of imoji, a sticker-centric platform that enabled users to create and share their own custom image packages. 

The imoji app featured only static images before today. Now, you'll be able to make its entire library of stickers shimmy and shake using the new and improved app (which includes an upgrade to the creation tool to make it easier to set your art in motion).     Read more...

More about Messaging App, Android, Ios 10, Stickers, and Giphy

Read More »

Kim Kardashian talks publicly for the first time about the night she was robbed in Paris

By now, Kim Kardashian's presence in our lives is pretty much back to normal. 

She posts on Snapchat daily and her tweets fill our timelines—but it wasn't that long ago the media mogul was completely off the grid following the robbery in her Paris hotel room that had her tied up and at gunpoint. 

In the highly anticipated Season 13 of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Kim explains to her sisters—and all of us—what exactly went down that October night. 

"They asked for money, dragged me onto the hallway, on top of the stairs. That's when I saw the gun, clear as day," she tearily tells her sisters.  Read more...

More about Conversations, Watercooler, Kim Kardashian, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, and Watercooler

Read More »

Strangers' messages of support for a young HIV+ man will give you hope

When George Hankers stood blindfolded in Trafalgar Square, brandishing a sign that red "I'M HIV+" in big letters, he wasn't sure how members of the public would respond. But, he was moved when countless strangers left messages of support and solidarity for him, commending him for his bravery and encouraging him to stay strong.

Hankers' blindfold is symbolic of his feelings after he was first diagnosed with HIV. He battled with very low self-esteem and felt he'd "been blinded from hope." But this social experiment has restored his sense of hope.

More about Social Media, Social Good, Hiv Awareness, Hiv, and Lifestyle

Read More »

Microwaves may be spying on you, suggests Kellyanne Conway

Controversy machine, couch-sitter, and presidential aide Kellyanne Conway is back in the fight after addressing accusations that the Trump campaign was wiretapped, as the president alleged during an early morning tweet storm over a week ago.

And that's where we get our latest Kellyanne Head-Scratcher. During an interview with The Bergen Record, Conway discussed those wiretapping allegations and, during one exchange when the questioner asks point blank about those allegations, made the following claim:

Q: Do you know if Trump Tower was wiretapped?

Kellyanne: There was an article this week—you can be spied on via a camera in your microwave pic.twitter.com/rObFkIrLGG

— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) March 13, 2017 Read more...

More about Surveillance, Wiretapping, Wikileaks, Microwave, and Kellyanne Conway

Read More »

'Street Fighter V' pro pops off right in his opponent's face

What may go down as the greatest fighting game pop-off of all time happened this weekend after Kenneth "K-Brad" Bradley defeated Joshua "Wolfkrone" Philpot at a Street Fighter V tournament in Atlanta and got right up in his face about four minutes into the video above.

The feud between K-Brad and Wolfkrone had been brewing for some time before the two Street Fighter V pros met face to face at Final Round XX, the first SFV tournament of the 2017 Capcom Pro Tour season. Back in January at Frosty Faustings IX, Wolkrone beat K-Brad 2-1 then taunted him by wiping his hands.

After a little trash talk online, K-Brad was ready to get his vengeance at Final Round. Read more...

More about Esports, Gaming, Capcom, Street Fighter, and Street Fighter V

Read More »

'Cries From Syria' is a grisly crash-course on the Syrian revolution

Cries From Syria is hard to watch.

The Syrian civil war documentary from Academy Award-winning director Evgeny Afineefsky examines Syria's painful struggle with an oppressive regime, and every stage of the story is riddled with horrific violence against the innocent.

"I realized that to answer the refugee puzzle is to go back and deconstruct the history, which is what I did," Afineefsky told Mashable.

Afineefsky started seeing graphic news reports from Syria starting in 2015, so he traveled to the Middle East. He went to the Syrian border — from Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey — where he learned about the regime of Bashar al-Assad and the children who spray painted "It's your turn, Doctor" on a city wall, referencing Assad's medical training. The children were arrested, tortured and killed; Afineefsky describes the atrocity as a spark that ignited a revolution — a revolution which turned into a civil war. Read more...

More about Interview, Documentary, Syrian Civil War, Evgeny Afineefsky, and Hbo

Read More »

Man hacks his Alexa to speak out of a skull and it's horrifying

The Amazon Echo is creepy enough — with fears of Alexa listening in on every conversation, it's convenience may come at the price of security for some anxious users. But since it's creepy already, why not make it a little worse?

Inspired by the Big Mouth Billy Bass Alexa, Mike McGurrin managed to make his Alexa speak out of a talking skull he used previously for a Halloween decoration, and it's as creepy as it sounds.

The whole thing, dubbed Project Yorick, is well documented on Hackster.io, just incase you have a talking skull lying around and you prefer your Echo to be as weird as possible.  Read more...

More about Watercooler, Viral Videos, Hack, Amazon, and Amazon Alexa

Read More »

Crusoe the dachshund is probably a better hockey goalie than most NHL goalies

Say what you want about dachshunds, but those little dogs make fantastic hockey players.

We're not sure if its their quick reflexes, their unwavering focus on the puck or just their adorable little faces. Whatever it is, we can't get enough of dachshunds playing hockey, especially Crusoe in the video below as he practices his superb hockey skills.

"Time for a little goalie practice before playoffs start!" ~ Crusoe Tag a friend who should see my moves!

A post shared by Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund (@crusoe_dachshund) on Read more...

More about Goalie, Hockey, Dachshund, Watercooler, and Watercooler

Read More »

Party animal grandma shows college girls how to Spring Break right

This granny knows how to PARTY.

Our new favorite wild child is Doreen Grett, a grandma who was so down to take shots with a group of college girls while vacationing in Mexico. 

Doreen's granddaughter, Payton Grett, tweeted this screenshot of her grandma's Facebook page and gave everyone a heroine who knows how to rage.

My grandma is in Mexico taking shots with random girls on the beach and posting pics of it with captions like they're bff's.pic.twitter.com/SA47BMUsX3

— payt (@paytongrett) March 9, 2017

Doreen captioned the photo of her and her new BFFs with "Shots with the girls", and in that moment, Twitter fell in love with the party animal: Read more...

More about Grandparents, Vacation, Mexico, Twitter, and Girls

Read More »

What everyone’s been buzzing about at SXSW 2017

For 10 days in March, Austin becomes an interactive playground for inquisitive and tech-savvy folks from all over the world. During the SXSW Conference and Festivals​, big ideas about digital technology, design, culture and more come together, with inciting panels, speakers and sessions that push attendees to think deeper and push the boundaries of innovation.    

See what people have been buzzing about during this year’s festival and get a taste of SXSW for yourself.   

Smart clothes finally become a reality 

Iconic clothing brand Levi’s has teamed up with Google to create a revolutionary new jacket that weaves smart technology right into the garment. Google ATAP Technical Project Lead Ivan Poupyrev and Levi’s VP of Innovation Paul Dillinger discussed the process of innovating one of the oldest pieces of tech that humans have invented: fabric.   Read more...

More about Supported, Sponsored, Tech, and Work Play

Read More »

Watch the Spice Girls shut down a TV host defending blackface in this brilliant 1997 footage

A 1997 video of the Spice Girls denouncing blackface on a Dutch TV show has resurfaced online, and it's gold. 

The "girl power" band was on the Laat de Leeuw show when the host, Paul De Leeuw, introduced a group of people dressed as "Zwarte Piet" aka "black Petes" as part of the Sinterklaas Dag (St. Nicholas's Day) celebration. 

For centuries, Dutch adults and children have dressed up as "black Petes," the black helpers of Sinterklaas, as part of a pre-Christmas tradition. 

Only recently did the Dutch begin to acknowledge the custom's racist connotationRead more...

More about Black Pete, Dutch Tv, Blackface, Spice Girls, and Watercooler

Read More »

We're doomed (for a day): Paralyzing blizzard set to slam Philly, New York and Boston

So much for February's spring-like temperatures. 

A potent blizzard is gathering strength in the Midwest and Southeast, destined to combine into one major storm that will roar across the highly populated Washington to Boston corridor on Monday through early Wednesday. 

The storm, unofficially named "Stella" by The Weather Channel, may dump a foot or more of snow on as many as 100 million people. 

Winter storm and blizzard warnings are in effect in 13 states from Virginia to Maine, with the hardest-hit areas potentially picking up more than 2 feet of snow in less than 24 hours time.  Read more...

More about Bombogenesis, Blizzard Of 2017, Blizzard, Snowstorm, and Science

Read More »

Google's new iPhone app basically exists to help you watch cat videos with your friends

Watching videos with your friends just got a lot more fun — or interactive, at least.

Uptime, a new app from Google launched Monday, is designed to let you watch online videos with groups of people. It has a kitschy and fun interface, and you can react to the videos in real time with typed comments or animated emoji reactions. As you watch the video, your profile picture moves along a square timeline to indicate your progress to your friends. 

The app was developed as part of Area 120, an incubator within Google where employees apply to work on experimental new products.  Read more...

More about Apps And Software, Ios, Youtube, Google, and Tech

Read More »

Facebook just took a surprising stand on an important digital rights issue

"We are committed to building a community where people can feel safe making their voices heard." That's how Facebook's deputy chief privacy officer opened his public policy announcement on Monday, in a declaration aimed at users who fear that Facebook and others are mining their social data to track their behavior. 

"Today we are adding language to our Facebook and Instagram platform policies to more clearly explain that developers cannot 'use data obtained from us to provide tools that are used for surveillance,'" wrote Rob Sherman, the company's privacy officer.  Read more...

More about Geofeedia, Aclu, Developers, Surveillance, and Facebook

Read More »

Fifth grade girl builds portable, solar powered tiny house thanks to YouTube tutorials

Callie's Coop is no potato powered clock science project, and that's because its creator, Callie Hilton, is no average 5th grade scientist.

After hearing that one of her classmates was going to build a solar powered oven, Callie, driven by the age old spirit of competition, decided to go a step further— by building a solar powered shelter complete with a composting toilet, a rainwater capturing system and yes, a solar-powered oven. 

In a video posted by popular tiny house YouTube channel relaxshacksDOTcom, Callie walks us through her hideaway, which she made for just $10 in addition to repurposed materials and supplies that were already in her dad's workshop.  Read more...

More about Kids, Diy, Watercooler, and Watercooler

Read More »

Beyoncé surprised a group of young girls backstage after a dance performance

Benevolent angel Beyoncé shone her light on a group of young girls Saturday night, when she surprised them backstage after a performance at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Los Angeles.

Beyoncé came out in support of her mother Tina Lawson, who was at the performance with the young women in her mentorship group, Tina's Angels.

"Backstage after the Alvin Ailey dancers performance it was magnificent," Lawson captioned a photo taken backstage. "With my beautiful Tina's Angels and with a few of the mentors. My very gracious daughter who met the girls and spent some time with them and made their day!" Read more...

More about Beyonce, Pics, Watercooler, Watercooler, and Pics

Read More »

A woman confronted Sean Spicer at an Apple Store and livestreamed the whole thing

Sean Spicer ventured out to his local Apple store this weekend but found out that being the mouthpiece for a highly controversial president means having to take some guff when you're in public. 

Shree Chauhan spotted Spicer at the store on Saturday night and began broadcasting on Periscope, peppering him with questions like “You work for a fascist, how do you feel about that?” and “What can you tell me about Russia?”

Asking @PressSec questions in Apple Store since he doesn't like the press. https://t.co/l493z2gG4x

— Shree ✊🏾❤️🇺🇸 (@shreec) March 11, 2017 Read more...

More about Fascist, Apple Store, Sean Spicer, Tech, and Politics

Read More »

Tinder's new gender options have led to matches for 250,000 trans people

It’s been less than six months since Tinder began offering 37 options for gender identification, but their users have been quick to embrace it.

Sean Rad, the dating app’s co-founder, revealed on Friday that they’ve matched a quarter of a million transgender users since November. The announcement was made during a SXSW panel called “Swiping Right on Inclusivity with Tinder & GLAAD.” 

Users were previously limited to identifying only as male or female, and trans people especially were subject to a great deal of harassment as a result. In response to that, Tinder made a push to be more inclusive and has partnered with GLAAD to achieve that.  Read more...

More about Sxsw 2017, Sean Rad, Gender Identity, Gender, and Tinder

Read More »

It's about damn time for NASA astronauts to get healthcare for life

NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria flew to space four times for the space agency between 1995 and 2007

While in space, his eyesight deteriorated, a well-documented medical issue NASA's known about for years, and one that many astronauts have experienced first-hand. For many astronauts, their eyesight readjusts once they get back to Earth

That wasn’t the case for Lopez-Alegria, though. His eyesight got significantly worse during his time in orbit, and NASA isn't paying for his contacts or doctor visits today, years after his retirement from the agency

However, he still travels to Houston, Texas once per year to allow the agency to gather data about his health, without any expectation that NASA will offer treatment for any conditions that may have developed because of his time in space Read more...

More about Space Exploration, Human Spaceflight, Spaceflight, Congress, and Politics

Read More »

Apple vs. Samsung: Who will conquer in the Galaxy S8 vs. iPhone 8 showdown?

If you're the betting type, you might want to put some money on the next iPhone beating up on Samsung in the latest battle in the war for smartphone supremacy.

We still haven't (officially) seen the Galaxy S8 or the yet-to-be-christened iPhone 8, but one of the most trusted leakers in the rumor mill is already confident enough to name Apple the favorite. 

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo's latest investor note, spotted by 9to5Mac, is bullish on the sales prospects of the next iPhone compared to the Galaxy S8, calling the predicted OLED iPhone a "bigger draw for consumers" than last year's iPhone 7. But he doesn't just think Apple will fare better than Samsung one-on-one—he also predicts consumers won't be as excited about the S8 on the whole because it's missing "sufficiently attractive selling points" to make it worth their while.   Read more...

More about Rumors, Predictions, Iphone 8, Apple, and Galaxy S8

Read More »

Teletubbies singing 'Get Ur Freak On' is a horrifying mashup that somehow works perfectly

You know those videos that you don't really want to watch but you're also curious, and once you start watching you can't stop even though you really want to?

This is one of those videos.

YouTuber Robert Jones has essentially made the Teletubbies version of Missy Elliott's "Get Ur Freak On" music video. The footage has been so perfectly cut, you actually start to believe the Teletubbies are the ones flawlessly rapping Miss Elliott's lyrics.

But we definitely, definitely, do not want to see Teletubbies getting their freak on. Ever. Read more...

More about Mashup, Missy Elliott, Teletubbies, Youtube, and Conversations

Read More »

This baby face generator app is the stuff of terrible, terrible nightmares

Picturing what your future offspring will look like sounds cute. But you may want to think twice before using a baby face generator app, because it'll probably convince you to never have children.

Tiffany Holloway and her boyfriend Darius Moore decided to test out the app Make A Baby Booth, described as a way for parents to peek into the future and see what their child may look like. It's pretty simple, as you might expect: You choose two photos—one of each prospective parent—and it mashes them together onto a baby's face.

The results are absolutely horrifying. 

More about Parenting, Wtf, Apps, Funny, and Watercooler

Read More »

'Hamilton' gets a second national tour because we deserve something nice

If you're wondering if the Hamilton buzz has died down, it hasn't. The Tony-winning musical, which continues to sell out its New York and Chicago residencies, is going to get a second national tour in 2018.

"There has been tremendous interest in the show from markets across the country," producer Jeffrey Seller said in a release. "The best way to get the show in front of as many people as possible is to form a new company to crisscross the country. Beginning in 2018 more than 8000 people a night will have the opportunity to see the show somewhere in North America. Indeed, Hamilton is for everyone." Read more...

More about Broadway, Tour, Hamilton, Theater, and Musical

Read More »

'Song to Song' review roundup: Terrence Malick's latest is either a disaster or a masterpiece

It might be time for Terrence Malick to learn a new tune. 

The first reviews for Song to Song are in, and – as is typical for Malick's recent run of movies – they're all over the place. Depending on whom you ask, the Austin-set romance is either an embarrassing disaster or a life-changing masterpiece. 

Either way, the one thing everyone seems to agree on is that Song to Song is Malick at his Malick-iest. In other words, expect impressionistic plotting, sun-dappled scenery, and many, many shots of attractive people twirling, crying and laughing. Read more...

More about Natalie Portman, Michael Fassbender, Rooney Mara, Ryan Gosling, and Song To Song

Read More »

The author of that heartbreaking dating profile for her husband has died

Amy Krouse Rosenthal, the woman who penned a moving dating profile for her husband Jason, passed away this morning from ovarian cancer. 

Very sad news: Amy Krouse Rosenthal, author of more than 20 books for children, died this morning from cancerpic.twitter.com/ge9EnhLpfx

— Children's Bookshelf (@PWKidsBookshelf) March 13, 2017

She was a best-selling children's book writer and also the author of a memoir, but in recent weeks became best known for the poignant New York Times column she wrote about her husband and their life together. 

The piece, which was written on Valentine's Day from her deathbed, served as an endorsement of her husband to the new love she hoped he would someday find. It was one of the most wrenching Modern Love essay ever published and quickly brought the internet to tears. Read more...

More about Marriage, Dating And Relationships, Modern Love, New York Times, and Obituary

Read More »

If a Michelle Obama college rec letter doesn't get you accepted, there's no hope for any of us

Black-ish actress Yara Shahidi got a pretty impressive college recommendation from former (*tear*) FLOTUS Michelle Obama. 

“She is very amazing and such a supporter, which is something very surreal to say,” Shahidi told W Magazine on the set of the new campaign for Beyoncé's activewear line, because yes, she is cooler than you. 

Shahidi, who applied to four universities, has expressed interest in attending Harvard.

A1. I have my eyes on @Harvard ! my list of possible majors goes on forever, but my top three are: History, http://t.co/PTzP8wgA2N #AskYara

— Yara shahidi (@YaraShahidi) May 20, 2015 Read more...

More about College, Celebrities, Michelle Obama, Black Ish, and Yara Shahidi

Read More »

Emma Watson reveals the deeper message in 'Beauty and the Beast'

At first glance Beauty and the Beast might seem like your average fairytale romance. But, look a little closer and you'll see it is about much more than romance and village life. It is an important message about female education and the ability of books to empower lives. 

Emma Watson spoke to Mashable about the deeper significance of her character Belle's love of books and the story's underlying message about female literacy. 

At the start of the film she is a "peculiar" outsider. But, it is her passion for books that ultimately brings her and Beast together and sets the characters' love story in motion.  Read more...

More about Lifestyle, Feminism, Disney, Film, and Beauty And The Beast

Read More »

This mountain rescue dog will help you find your snow-zen again

On the cusp of another snowstorm in the northeast, you may be wondering how to feel anything but annoyance at snow. Is there any good that comes out of snow? Can we even enjoy it anymore?

Truckee, the mountain rescue dog, is here to help you answer all of your questions. In this widely shared video, the dog shows us exactly how we should be taking advantage of a snow day.

Chris Child, part of the ski patrol at Heavenly Mountain, posted this absolutely fantastic 200-foot slide on Facebook.

Truckee is, of course, not the only rescue dog on the team. Here's the rest of the squad, also documented by Child. Read more...

More about Videos, Cute Animals, Dogs, Conversations, and Watercooler

Read More »

The jeans absolutely no one needs, wants, or asked for

"It's like, jeans, but mom jeans, but instead of denim there's patches of like, plastic. Over the knees?" 

I'm assuming this is the pitch Topshop heard from a frazzled designer riding low off a fresh rejection from Project Runway. And they bought it! And then Nordstrom sold it! For $95 plus tax!

Don't get me wrong, I love a good plastic element. Designers like Betsey Johnson and Issey Miyake have made showstopping pieces out of the same material in these jeans.

But that was on a runway. I personally feel that selling plastic as wearable fashion is, quite simply, irresponsible.  Read more...

More about Twitter Reactions, Fashion, Watercooler, and Watercooler

Read More »

Confused Americans thought Amazon's fake radio station was real and started fighting on Twitter

Remember 1938, when Orson Welles went on the radio and broadcasted "War of the Worlds," accidentally convincing a surprising number of Americans that aliens had successfully invaded the United States? 

Well it's 2017, aliens have yet to invade the country (unless you count Ben Carson) and Americans are just as susceptible to fake news as ever. A fictional Internet radio broadcast called "Resistance Radio," part of a marketing campaign for Amazon's Man in the High Castle, confused some Trump supporters and anti-Trumpers alike over the weekend, inciting anger and chaos on Twitter.

More about Resistance, Man In The High Castle, Watercooler, Watercooler, and Politics

Read More »

Joe Biden gives emotional SXSW speech on his Cancer Moonshot

On Sunday, former Vice President Joe Biden stepped into the spotlight at the SXSW festival, giving a typically enthusiastic Biden speech on all aspects of his new Cancer Moonshot venture. 

Speaking to a packed audience, Biden talked about the advancements in cancer research and at length about his own ongoing education on the topic, plus the work of the Biden Foundation.

He also opened up about his family's struggle with the illness and death of his son Beau, who died in May 2015 from brain cancer. Read more...

More about Biden Foundation, Cancer Research, Jill Biden, Beau Biden, and Joe Biden

Read More »

Congressman who made racist tweet doubles down on CNN

On Monday, Rep. Steve King didn't disavow a tweet he sent over the weekend in which he wrote, "we can't restore our civilization with somebody else's babies." 

The tweet was part of an endorsement of Dutch far-right presidential candidate Geert Wilders, an avowedly anti-Islam and anti-immigration politician. White nationalists and supremacists praised King. The reason is obvious. As was written by the avowedly white supremacist Andrew Anglin, there's "not really any nuance there."

King fortified his position on Monday when he went on CNN. Read more...

More about Chris Cuomo, Cnn, White Supremacy, White Nationalist, and Congressman

Read More »

4 Nintendo Switch accessories you'll want to get right away

Buying a new video game console is almost never an all-in-one proposition. There are always "optional" accessories that aren't in any way optional, for one reason or another.

This is doubly true for Nintendo's Switch, which is a living room console you can play on the go (or a portable console you can beam to your TV, if you prefer). That means you're accessorizing for two kinds of hardware.

The question is: what should you buy? We've got you covered. If you're thinking about picking up a Switch, or you've bought one already and aren't sure what else you might need, here's a rundown of recommended extras that any Switch owner should own. Read more...

More about Nintendo Switch, Nintendo, Gaming, Entertainment, and Entertainment

Read More »

These flying robots will soothe your workday blues

'SmartBird' by Festo is a robotic bird that can easily take off, fly and even land all by itself. Read more...

More about Aerodynamic Engineering, Real Time Video, Smartbird, Flying Robot, and Robot Bird

Read More »

Student artists create gorgeous wearable sculptures for dancers with disabilities

It's time to recognize the beauty in disability.

A new art series is highlighting the importance of body diversity through a set of striking wearable sculptures, all designed for dancers and performance artists with disabilities. The impressive and unapologetic sculptures were created by students at NuVu Studio in Massachusetts, which runs a three-month long design program for middle school and high school students.

NuVu artists were paired with performers from Heidi Latsky Dance in New York City, tasked with creating wearable designs that shine a light on each dancer's strength and resilience. Read more...

More about Sculptures, Art, Social Good, Disability, and Lifestyle

Read More »

Get ready for a bunch of new Apple products, including a phone in this long-overdue color

Apple fans have some good news to start out the week. The company is expected to announce a host of new products shortly, further fleshing out the iPad, iPhone, and even the Apple Watch ecosystems.

Word of the imminent unveiling comes to us via MacRumors, which cites an unnamed supply-chain analyst as the source of its claim. While the specifics of what will or will not be revealed are unclear, speculation has of course run wild. 

New iPads Pros? You know it. A variation on an existing phone? No doubt. Updated Apple Watch bands? Heck yes. A red iPhone? Why not. 

More about Ipad Pro, Iphone, Apple, Apple Watch, and Tech

Read More »

A 400,000-year-old fossil offers new clues on how humans evolved

Deep inside a Portuguese cave, the fossil of a human cranium lay buried for 400,000 years, surrounded by a smattering of stone tools and animal remains.

A team of archeologists recently retrieved the fossil, unearthing a new understanding of how humans evolved in western Europe during the middle Pleistocene — a period that spanned roughly 781,000 to 126,000 years ago.

The cranium found in Portugal's Aroeira cave belonged to a Neanderthal, the closest extinct relative of modern humans. 

Researchers say it's the oldest human fossil ever found in Portugal and shares some features with other fossils found in Spain, France and Italy from the same period. The cranium is also one of the earliest human fossils in Europe to be connected to prehistoric stone tools, according to a study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Read more...

More about Lucy, Neanderthals, Madrid, Lisbon, and Portugal

Read More »

'Wonder Woman' gets an origin story in new trailer

Although Wonder Woman appeared fully formed in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, her upcoming solo film will travel back a century to reveal exactly how she became the badass warrior we know and love. 

The new trailer that dropped over the weekend teases her childhood and early training among the Amazons, as well as her first interaction with mankind during one of our ugliest chapters, World War I. 

Somehow, this formative experience makes her decide to stick around long enough to cameo in Batman v Superman and return in this fall's Justice League. Not that we're complaining – Wonder Woman looks like just the ray of light that the grim and gritty DC universe needs right now.  Read more...

More about Chris Pine, Gal Gadot, Wonder Woman, Entertainment, and Film

Read More »

Meet the fluorescent tree frogs of South America

Of all the world's amphibians — some 7,600 species — none had been confirmed to exhibit fluorescence, until now. 

Scientists in Argentina and Brazil say they've found the first solid evidence of a fluorescent amphibian, courtesy of the South American tree frog. 

Their findings, published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, offer clues into how this tiny tree frog survives in its environment. The study may also spur more research into fluorescence on land, a largely unexplored area within visual ecology.

Fluorescence in the venter (underbelly) of a male tree frog.

Image: taboada et al. (2017) Read more...

More about Amphibians, Biology, Ecology, South America, and Brazil

Read More »

'Baby Driver' is the must-see movie of SXSW

Everyone knows by now not to put Baby in a corner — in a complete departure from that reference, Baby Driver stars Ansel Elgort as the young driver for a killer cast of criminals, even as he tries to escape their lifestyle.

Elgort plays Baby in this solo feature from Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz), in a cast filled out by Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx and Jon Bernthal. Lily James stars as Baby's love interest Deborah, a sweet girl he meets at a diner and who makes him want to live by the law.

The film debuted at South by South West and is already drawing comparisons to everything from Mad Max to La La Land (by the way, is it a musical? No. No, it's not.). It's packed with high-speed car chases (in the coolest cars imaginable), blaring music and dialogue straight from the heist movies of your dreams. Read more...

More about Video, Trailer, Lily James, Kevin Spacey, and Jon Bernthal

Read More »
 
Delievered to you by Feedamail.
Unsubscribe

Nema komentara:

Objavi komentar