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The FCC Wants all Phones to Feature Theft Prevention Features

The Federal Communications Commission’s head Tom Wheeler has issued a challenge to the smartphone industry: he wants them to roll out a range of theft prevention features across the board at “no cost to the consumer.” In a statement issued yesterday, Wheeler explained that he wants the industry to make services such as remote-locking, remote-data-wiping…

Could This Be The ESA’s Missing Comet Lander?

After months of searching, the European Space Agency says it may have finally caught a glimpse of the missing Philae Lander on the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. During its historic descent back in November 2014, the lander’s harpoons failed to properly deploy and its ice screws were not enough to secure it at its intended…

This Powerless Pump Appears to Defy Gravity

Moving water from one position to another, higher one usually requires power—be that your arms to carry it or a motor to drive a pump. But this device can actually move liquid uphill without any external energy source. The powerless pump has been created by researchers from Beihang University in Beijing, China. It’s real enough,…

What Actually Makes a Movie Give You Nightmares?

I’ve watched horror movies and read scary stories since I was a child. Although a few scared me, I didn’t start having nightmares about “movie monsters” until I saw the film It Follows. So what made this movie enter my dreams when others didn’t? [Note: Spoilers for the film It Follows.] It Follows has a…

What Do These Game Of Thrones Season Finale Photos Reveal?

The Falcon may get a big nod to his comic book roots in Civil War. Suicide Squad set photos reveal a new character. The Flash is getting its own Felicity Smoak. Matthew Vaughn gives an update on the Kingsman sequel. And a set video of the X-Files revival offers hints on Mulder and Scully’s relationship.…

The Avatar sequels will come out one year later than expected. Instead of 2016, Avatar 2 is now slated for 2017. “Jim Cameron has his own pace,” 20th Century Fox chairman-CEO Jim Gianopulos explained. [Variety]

A Masked Vigilante Dubbed ‘Bromley Batman’ Is Saving London’s Streets

He’s not the hero that Bromley deserves, but could he be the hero that Bromley needs right now. A masked vigilante has been spotted in South London standing up for the little guy and fighting off muggers. According to the Evening Standard, the “Bromley Batman” rescued one city worker a few days ago when he…

A Soyuz Capsule Returns to Earth—With a Flash

Yesterday, the Soyuz TMA-15M spacecraft brought three astronauts safely back to Earth. This image captures the capsule as it lands, but don’t worry: the flames are helping soften the landing and not a sign of bad news. The parachute used to slow the Soyuz capsules as they return to Earth manage to reduce the speed…

Do You Agree With Google’s Android Phone Suggestion For You?

If you can’t choose which handset to plump for next, Google has created a tool to lighten the burden. Its new online app asks you a series of questions about what you’ll use a phone for and then suggests what you should buy. But do you agree with its verdict? The Which Phone tool will…

New Conspiracy Theory: Big Bird Has Secretly Been to Mars

Following a tweet showing a shadow that looked a bit like him on Mars, Big Bird has denied that he’s ever been to Mars. But no one was suggesting that he had. Methinks the bird doth protest too much. Here’s the semi-incriminating photo: And here’s Big Bird’s denial, only five minutes later: WHY SO QUICK…

If Only This Was a Real Twitter Error Message

Not enough tweets! Twitter will try to increase the load with Jack Dorsey. [Joy of Tech]

Recent Reports Make Machine Learning Sound Like a Sport. It isn’t

News that Baidu, the Google of China, cheated to take the lead in an international competition for artificial intelligence technology has caused a storm among computer science researchers. It has been called machine learning’s “first cheating scandal” by MIT Technology Review and Baidu is now barred from the competition. The Imagenet Challenge is a competition…

Baby Bison Sticks Out Amongst the Herd

A calf moves with a herd of bison in Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park. Image credit: Neal Herbert/National Parks Service — CC BY 2.0 Contact the author at [email protected].

There Is So Much Innuendo In This New Man From UNCLE Trailer

While the first trailer was heavy on the action and the odd coupledness of Illya Kuryakin and Napoleon Solo, this new trailer is all about the double entendres. Between the agents and the civilian. Between Napoleon and the villain. Between Illya and Napoleon. “It’s in and out, no mess. And we both forget about it…

A Map Of The World’s Straightest Roads Proves The Midwest Is Really Dull

If data journalism has proved anything, it’s that you can make an interactive map of almost anything. Today’s exhibit: a map that ranks the world’s roads by bendyness, once and for all conclusively proving that the Midwest is really incredibly boring — to drive across, of course. The map was made by Rory McCann, who…

This Is Gadget Rage Taken To a Professional Level

When I get mad with technology, I generally swear a bit, write a strongly-worded letter to the offending gadget’s maker, and go and sulk with a book. Professional videographer Casey Neistatdoes none of those things. He simply smashes stuff with an ax, before calmly continuing with life. As Neistat explains in the video above, his…

Blackberry Might Be Making an Android Phone

File this one under ‘ faintly plausible rumors’, but Reuters is quoting a number of sources as saying that Blackberry is planning to launch a smartphone running Android sometime this fall. According to the report, the handset will be a slider, with a physical keyboard that folds out portrait. That sounds remarkably similar to the…

Breeding giant pandas in captivity is a challenge, and artificial insemination can make conception less of a crapshoot. But it’s easy for a few successful parents to overwhelm the breeding pool. Check out thisinfographic at the Washington Postthat shows how geneticists pick the ideal partners for their pandas. Contact the author at [email protected].

Here’s a neat new Chromecast feature: Google Slides now works with Google’s little dongle, meaning you can cast presentations wirelessly from your mobile device or the desktop. Beats lugging a 30-foot HDMI cable around with you. [Google Blog]

A Rare Glimpse Of Rapidly Pulsating Aurorae Over Iceland

Aurorae are rare. Pulsating aurorae, whose structures fade in and out of existence, are rarer, still. But rapidly pulsating aurorae, like that featured in this video by French astrophotographer Stéphane Vetter (previously), are among the least common of all. This footage is not a time-lapse; the colors in this video are flickering in real-time. Vetter…