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Do bodies sit up during cremation?

Funeral pyres are a shared ritual of many religions and ethnic groups. And cremation continues to play a role in modern society, but the practice is typically carried out behind the scenes in a funeral home. Reports of the deceased sitting up and performing a number of movements, including sitting straight up, during cremation are…

It Costs $35 Million to Send an HD Video Over SMS While Roaming on AT&T

AT&T has the following chart on their webpage which outlines roaming rates while outside the U.S. We’re going to concentrate on the text messages row, also known as SMS messages. SMS charges are absurd. They have been for a long time. Ryan Kearney did a little math to show you just how absurd they are,…

The Pianocade Makes Sweet Music With the Konami Code

And to think your parents claimed you were wasting your life playing thousands of hours of video games as a kid. Little did they know you were actually building up important musical skills that could one day see you performing at Carnegie Hall—at least if they let you play this fantastic Pianocade keyboard/video game controller…

John Travolta to star in the new Toxic Avenger movie?

It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything about Steve Pink’s remake of the Troma classic The Toxic Avenger, but the latest batch of news is a total shocker. Rumor has it John Travolta is attached to the movie, and folks are speculating that Travolta is lined up to play Toxie himself. Whoa. The industry…

A Washable Keyboard That’s Worth Keeping Clean

Because even germaphobes deserve nice things, today Logitech unveiled its new K310 washable keyboard with a snazzy waterproof design that can be scrubbed and submerged in up to 11 inches of water. So it’s perfect for the next time a sneezy co-worker uses your computer. A set of drainage holes in the back helps the…

Audyssey Wireless Speakers: Yes, Bluetooth Can Sound Really Good

Audyssey makes killer speakers—the best AirPlay speaker of them all, in fact. But we don’t usually equate Bluetooth with killer audio, and in fact, usually it’s the opposite. Not this time. https://gizmodo.com/the-best-airplay-speakers-5907025 What Is It? A compact pair of Bluetooth-enabled stereo speakers. Who’s it For? Household DJs—anyone who wants to beam music to quality speakers…

Feast Your Eyes On Hulu’s Gorgeous New Design

Hulu has a fresh new layout that’s rolling out to users today. Say goodbye to the streaming service’s old, cluttered design. Say hello to big, beautiful images and improved navigation. Yes, the first thing you’re going to notice when you land on Hulu’s homepage is the huge, widescreen image at the top of your browser.…

Terry Gilliam reveals all about his trippy Zero Theorem. Plus Avengers 2 hints from Joss Whedon!

Sam Raimi reveals what’s he seen of the Evil Dead reboot. Ryan Kwanten reveals what the True Blood finale has in store for Jason Stackhouse. Meet The Walking Dead’s newest character. Plus our first look at Sylvester McCoy’s wizard in The Hobbit ! Spoilers from this point forward! Top image from The Hobbit. Thor: The Dark…

How to Read Online Ratings

It can be hard deciphering a five-star rating system, but it really doesn’t have to be. Especially when you accept that almost everything is terrible anyway. [XKCD]

Verizon will get a Nokia Windows Phone this year after all. Everybody wins! Except the many who don’t care. [Bloomberg]

Will Syfy’s Blake’s 7 reboot be as dark as Battlestar Galactica?

Syfy’s great success story remains Battlestar Galactica, the cheeseball 1970s space opera show that Ronald D. Moore brought back as a gritty, more serious look at the remnants of humanity trying to survive after a robot massacre. So now that Syfy is apparently picking up Blake’s 7, the 1970s British space opera, can the channel…

There Is Such Thing As DIY Molten Lava and It’s Awesome

You know what’s always amazing? Lava. The power of that liquid molten burning is stunning and out of this world—when you see it, you feel like you’re getting a peek of hell. You know what’s even more amazing? That people are making their own molten lava. The DIY lava is a project from Syracuse University…

The Science of Why Wet Animals Shake Themselves Dry

When a dog gets wet, what do they do to dry themselves? Shake away. It’s the same for every animal! A team of researchers studied 16 wet animals including dogs, mice, tigers, bears and others to see the difference in their technique and recorded their shakes in slow motion to find out. The science of…

Nikon Coolpix S800c: Can Android Make Wi-Fi Useful On a Camera?

It makes sense that Nikon’s trotting out a Wi-Fi connected camera just like everybody else. For the people who replaced a real camera with a smartphone camera, taking pictures and posting them online are one and the same activity. But the Coolpix S800c runs Android 2.3 and has 4 gigs of storage for apps. That’s…

Sure, Nikon’s Top Point-and-Shoot Zooms Twice as Deep, But Does It Fall Short?

By now advanced point-and-shoot cameras have an established market: They’re the last point-and-shoot cameras people own before they move on to something better. The Nikon P7700 comes in cheaper than some of its competition and brings a badass zoom that might set it apart for some photographers. Is it enough? Make no mistake, people have…

The Stoner Channel: Warrantless Wiretaps, Killer Trampolines, and Lando Calrissian—Attorney at Law

Even The Avengers Need to Goof Off Sometimes Just whatever you do, don’t laugh at the Hulk. That would make him angry. And you wouldn’t like him when he’s angry. [boing boing] Law Office of Lando Calrissian Saul Goodman would be so proud. [h/t Travis Kurtz] Appeals Court: Warrantless Phone GPS Tracking is A-OK So…

Online Prostitution Laws Are Out of Date and Letting Internet Pimps Off the Hook

According to legal experts, the laws that have been regulating prostitution have left giant loopholes when it comes to online prostitution. So though real life brothels can still be policed with those old laws, brothels that originate and operate over the Internet have managed to escape the law. Ruh Roh. The discussion of these prostitution…

The US Army Wants to Create a Nasal Spray That Prevents Suicide

Suicides are very sad but also, possibly, preventable and hopefully, treatable. The US Army is banking that they can develop a nasal spray that could prevent suicidal thoughts from ever occurring and are spending the next few years trying to combat suicide in soldiers with science. The Army has decided to put Dr. Michael Kubek,…

And now, two Chewbaccas lounging with six bikini Leias by the pool

We’re only ten days away from Dragon*Con 2012, so here’s a particular amusing snapshot from Dragon*Con 2011 to get you jazzed. Photographer Ethan Trewhitt captured this curious scene of two Wookiees flanked by a bevy of Princess Organas. We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that there were actually nine Leias on deck that day.…

At comic book shops tomorrow, Dr. Manhattan and all of The Invisibles between two covers!

Hey, it’s Wednesday tomorrow! What first issues do we have? J. Michael Straczynski and Adam Hughes try their hand with a naked azure demigod in Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan (that’s Paul Pope’s cover above). The Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Spike miniseries sees James Marsters in some unfamiliar surroundings: On his own adventure, Spike is forced…