Bob Sorokanich

How Much Better Is House of Cards in 4K?

Netflix announced at CES that it would begin shooting original series in ultra high-def 4K, and now British site HDTVtest has caught the first glimpse of the streaming giant’s 4K content in the wild. How much more evil does Kevin Spacey look? Here’s what HDTVtest had to say: The opening shot of Frank Underwood (Kevin…

Listening to In Utero on the 20th Anniversary of Kurt Cobain’s Death

The official report says Kurt Cobain died on April 5th, 1994. It’s an estimate—Cobain’s body wasn’t found until April 8th, and questions and conspiracy theories still linger about the circumstances of his death. But today feels as fitting as any day to look back on In Utero, Nirvana’s last studio album. There’s nothing I can…

Do Not Let Super Mario Out Of Your Sight, He’ll Destroy Your House

Ever wonder what Super Mario does when he’s not running across your screen kicking Koopa Troopas? Filmmaker John Huffnagle shows us what everyone’s favorite plumber might do if left alone in your house. Long story short: Don’t let Mario out of your sight. Anyone who ever picked up a controller knows that Mario’s adventures can…

Tomorrow’s Cancer-Blasting Wonder Drug Could Come From a Tobacco Plant

Australian researchers published findings this week on a newly-discovered plant compound that destroys cancer cells, but leaves healthy cells unharmed. They found it in possibly the last place you’d look for a cancer cure: the family of plants that brings us cancer’s number-one culprit, tobacco. The research team at Australia’s La Trobe University discovered the…

A Striking Animated Short Made With Nothing But Sticky Notes

You don’t need amazing computer graphics, bowel-jiggling surround sound, or eye-popping 3D effects to make a powerful film. In fact, all you really need is a tall stack of yellow sticky notes and a black pen. And a whole lot of talent. Luckily, the 15 animators who helped make this short film had all of…

Oh Good, Yelp Now Suggests Businesses Based on Emoji

Emoji is strangely useful, whether you’re recapping wildly popular TV shows or sending your friend a smiling pile of poo when real words fail you. Until now, this lexicon was probably inscrutable to machines. Those days are over: Yelp’s mobile app now suggests businesses when you type tiny pictures in the search bar. A Yelp…

This week in Tech Reads: coal, animal actors, wasteful government spending, and more! Coal provides 40% of the world’s electricity. It’s also a killer, whether by dangerous mining conditions or the toxic pollution it produces. Michelle Nijhuis takes a long look at how coal is produced and consumed, and asks, can it ever be clean?…

Report: Android TV Will Be Google’s Next Big Set-Top Box Push

The Verge just revealed that Google may venture into set-top TV devices with the as-yet-unannounced Android TV. Quoting internal documents, the report indicates Google is planning a device like Roku or the new Amazon Fire TV to put Android in your living room. Judging by the documents The Verge quotes (which so far have not…

Captain America, Amazon Fire TV, World’s Strongest Man, and More

A lot of stuff happened this week, whether it was new streaming TV devices being revealed or a new superhero sequel’s debut. From a tearjerker time capsule story to a day at the World’s Strongest Man competition, we’ve gathered our best stories of the week right here for you. It’s a Saturday brunch buffet of…

Shipping Container Tailgate Party Is the Pinnacle of Pop-Up Design

Football season may be months away, but that doesn’t mean we can’t daydream about tailgating. Forget about the rickety old camp grill and cooler in the back of your van: the future of tailgating is boxGATE, a brilliantly overkill pop-up party that unfolds from a shipping container. It’s the Transformers of tailgating! Texas Tech alumni…

Chinese Ship Detects Signal in Search for Flight 370

The Associated Press reports that a Chinese ship involved in the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 has detected a “pulse” today in the southern part of the Indian Ocean. While Chinese news agencies say the signal is the same type emitted by flight data recorders, the Australian government agency coordinating the search…

Will.i.am Says His Amazing Smartwatch Is Totally Real, Coming in July

Musician/Intel employee/iPhone accessorizer will.i.am appeared on a British TV show yesterday showing off his self-produced smartwatch, which he says has completely replaced his phone. If we’re to believe everything we see on TV, it’s pretty impressive. This is the clip, from Alan Carr: Chatty Man, a show that I admit I knew absolutely nothing about…

Amazon Dash Is a Magic Wand That Makes Sure You Never Run Out of Stuff

Amazon just unveiled Dash, a handheld Wi-Fi magic wand thingy that helps you keep your AmazonFresh shopping list forever up to date. Never run out of toilet paper or oatmeal again! The handheld Dash device, about the size of a Nintendo Wii remote, packs a barcode scanner and a microphone, allowing you to scan or…

Our Favorite Android, iOS, and Windows Phone Apps of the Week

Smell that in the air? It’s the smell of the weekend. The scent of freedom. And the aroma of this week’s best new apps. Mmmm, stings the nostrils. Android Fleksy Keyboard If you’re a heavy Android user, you probably know Fleksy’s slick, intuitive keyboards. This most recent update adds My Fleksy Cloud, linking all your…

The Network Inside Tesla’s Model S Is Just Like The One in Your House

The Tesla car company isn’t shy about breaking from automotive standard practice, building fast, near-silent, sleek electric cars in a world where most vehicles still sip dinosaur juice. So it probably shouldn’t surprise you to learn that the complex electronic infrastructure supporting the car’s many sensors and touchscreens doesn’t quite resemble what’s in your neighbor’s…

Local Motors’ Latest Is a Drifting, Electric Big Wheel for Grownups

The crowd-design gearheads at Local Motors are at it again, with a Kickstarter project that will make your inner eight-year-old hyperventilate: the Verrado, a motorized, grown-up sized Big Wheel that drifts. While most of us covered our skinned knees with business casual slacks and gave up on the dream of the perfect three-wheeled drift, heroic…

Adorable 5-Year-Old Discovers Bonehead Xbox Vulnerability

Five-year-old Kristoffer Von Hassel’s parents didn’t want him getting into the grown-up games on the family’s Xbox, so they put the gory stuff behind a password. But Kristoffer’s an inquisitive little guy, and he blew right past the parental safeguard—and discovered a pretty silly Xbox security flaw in the process. San Diego’s 10News explains how…

The Eye-Watering Science Packed in a Can of Tear Gas

Tear gas is a relatively modern invention—a non-lethal repellant developed from the killer chemical weapons of World War I. But each canister relies on the fascinating chemistry of some ancient compounds and reactions. Wired gives us a look inside, without all the coughing and choking. Turns out there’s a tricky balance in the equation. If…

Just days after OKCupid called out Mozilla’s CEO Brendan Eich over his support of a ban on gay marraige, Mozilla announced today that Eich “has chosen to step down.” [Mozilla via Re/code]

The Crazy Things Delta Does to Cancel Fewer Flights Than Any Airline

Last year, Delta Air Lines canceled fewer flights than any other airline, scratching just 0.3 percent of its flights. That’s more than five times better than the industry average. It’s an obsession for Delta, an airline that once ranked near rock-bottom for cancellations, and as The Wall Street Journal explains, the company strives for zero-cancellation…