Lily Hay Newman

Some Sites Will Go Offline If the Government Shuts Down On Tuesday

Though powering .gov websites isn’t at the core of the U.S. government’s financial woes, certain agencies will take their websites offline if there is a shutdown on Tuesday. Ars is reporting that the Library of Congress, the National Parks Department, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Federal Trade Commission would shut their websites off…

If you have a grandfathered unlimited data plan on Verizon now is the time to upgrade. DroidLife, Engadget and others are reporting that the Verizon website isn’t even trying to move unlimited users over to tiered plans when they use an upgrade.

Do You Use Hygiene Gadgets?

I was at a friend’s house the other day and I noticed that she and her roommates all use electric toothbrushes. There were three of them charging in a row on the windowsill. With all the electric razors, bathroom scales, hairdryers and weird electric face cleansing scrubby things out there I started wondering if I…

The Inventor of Whac-A-Mole Accidentally Blew Up His Warehouse

Aaron Fechter invented Whac-A-Mole. He also builds animatronic rock bands for franchises like Chuck E. Cheese’s and ShowBiz Pizza Place. What more could we ask him to contribute? Nothing. He has given great gifts to mankind. But Aaron Fechter demands more of himself. He is trying to develop an alternative fuel that is cleaner burning…

The First Cygnus Spacecraft Successfully Docked With The ISS

The Cygnus spacecraft, which launched from Wallops Island Flight Facility in Virginia on September 18th, successfully docked with the International Space Station this morning after astronauts aboard the ISS nabbed it with the station’s robotic arm. Built by private aerospace group Orbital Sciences Corp., Cygnus was carrying 1,300 pounds of supplies. https://gizmodo.com/an-experimental-cargo-ship-launched-for-the-iss-today-1341570126 The spacecraft was…

How Much Global Warming Will Happen Before You Kick The Bucket?

On Friday the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change put its collective foot down about global warming. It’s happening and it’s our fault. But as with any issue that affects all of humanity, the most important question is what’s gonna happen to you? Will you have to give up air conditioning? Will the song “White…

An Infrared View of Philadelphia Is Trippy and Apocalyptic

The idea of an empty city is sort of simultaneously awesome and creepy because it would be cool to have a space built for thousands of people all to yourself, but you’d have to wonder where everybody went. Photographer Bruce Wayne Berry Jr. wanted to investigate the feelings evoked by an empty city while using…

Tow Away Zone: Thad Jones & Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra

I love big band, but I also get that it can be lame. Like really really lame. But Thad Jones and Mel Lewis aren’t like that. They and their band actually groove and are generally badasses, and their 1969 album Central Park North is a classic. “Tow Away Zone” is the first track and it’s…

Honestly This Compact Crossbow Is Quite Small

There’s no governing body proclaiming this the world’s smallest crossbow, but it’s only slightly larger than a full-sized crossbow arrow so it’s got to be up there. Joerg designed this crossbow to be safe. The arrow is fully encapsulated so it won’t accidentally shoot off in an unexpected direction. You cock the crossbow with strong…

A Collaborative To-Do List App That You Might Actually Want To Use

Here are two facts about me. Number 1: I have a roommate. Number 2: Sometimes I notice that there’s no more dish soap in the hall closet. If my roommate and I used a collaborative to-do list app we could stay coordinated for the communal shopping, but we prefer different systems that can’t sync to…

Watch A Livestream of the Equinox Right Now

Summer is really over. For real. Today. No. Stop making cutoffs. Actually, if you’re in the southern hemisphere summer is just beginning. You may proceed. The Earth will reach the equinox at 4:44 EST and the Slooh Space Camera is livestreaming now. If you haven’t started talking about nutmeg and using words like “autumnal” you’re…

When Was the Last Time You Switched Cell Carriers?

Everyone hates their carrier, right? That’s just a thing. They’re either so huge that you get ripped off and can’t get any customer service, or they’re so small that their service coverage is weird and their handset options are lousy. But it increasingly seems like there are viable alternative options. Like Republic Wireless‘s $20-a-month unlimited…

How To Be A Fly On the Wall From 100 Feet Up

Last month we wrote about what it’s like to be a window cleaner in New York City. The New York Times did a video profiling veteran Spiderman Brent Weingard and documenting him cleaning windows or just, you know, hanging out. It was great. But you gotta wonder who was behind the camera on that piece.…

BBM Is Being Delayed For Android and iOS

Look, we all know that BlackBerry is in a tail spin and has been for awhile. And at this point the situation can only become an incredible underdog story or a put the dog out of his misery moment. There’s no status quo anymore. But somehow the hole keeps being dug deeper. BlackBerry announced an…

A Crap Ton of Hot Glue Went Into This Beautiful Snowscape

Looking out a window at fresh snow is beautiful. Even in cities there’s a moment where everything is pristine, nothing is moving, and the snow dampens any noise. But if you’re not stoked for winter or you live somewhere with eternal sunshine you can get your snow fix another way. Artist Yasuaki Onishi is no…

Chiddy Bang (ft. Mac Miller): Heatwave

Guys I think summer might be over. I know it was Labor Day already and everything, but now I see that I’ve been in denial. I mean fall is great, but I just didn’t really think it was time. It’s almost as devastating as when Chiddy Bang broke up in May. I’m flexible, though. I…

Who Owns The Moon?

The moon is not as far away as some things, but it’s definitely farther away than your nearest McDonalds or the bottom of the ocean or, you know, anything on Earth at all. Basically it’s not easily accessible. So it would be pretty presumptuous for a person or group to say that they owned a…

The Motion Of A Train Drawn By A Train

Station to Station is a project that brings “cultural interventions” to nine cities around the U.S.. Basically it’s a tricked out train with lots of art installations and other pieces on board. And when the train stops in each city, there are additional local events planned. If you want to see what goes on on…

There’s an App For Legally Binding Contracts

Signing something on a smartphone may not feel very legit, but be careful where you squiggle because mobile contracts are for real. And if you’re trying to keep legal fees down, a contracts app like Shake may actually help. Shake’s CEO claims that $1 million worth of contracts have already been signed on the app,…

Japan’s Rocket Launch Was Totally On The Cheap

Yesterday the Japanese space agency Jaxa successfully launched the Epsilon rocket, which is carrying a telescope, Sprint-A, for planetary observation. Jaxa was able to complete the launch for about $37 million, half the cost of previous Jaxa rockets and cheap compared to an average $450 million NASA launch. To scrimp and save, Jaxa built Epsilon…