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You Can Now Buy the Nexus 9 and Nexus Player on the Google Play Store

The time for pre-orders is over. You can now pick up HTC’s Nexus-powered tablet and Asus’ set-top hockey puck from the Google Play Store. The tab has also been posted on Best Buy’s website. Some variants are still missing from the Google Play store, specifically the “Sand” colored version as well as any equipped with…

This Wave-Skimming Pontoon Is Unimpressed by Motions of the Ocean

When bouncing between five-foot swells in a conventional-hulled boat, a case of seasickness will be the least of your worries; enough speed and those bone-jarring impacts can rattle joints clean out of their sockets. That is, unless you’re aboard the Velodyne Martini 1.5 prototype, the world’s first sea-faring vessel sporting an active suspension. Developed by…

That Time When Scientists Zapped Braille Directly Into People’s Brains

During the 1970s, while bell-bottoms roamed the earth and The Dark Side of the Moon played on records, scientists were communicating images directly to the brains of blind people. What’s more, they were intelligible images. Recently therehave been astonishing advances in neurotechnology. They are accomplishments in their own right, but they didn’t come out of…

North Korea’s Brand New Ballistic Sub Discontinued by Soviets in 1990

Looks like North Korea’s engineers have been hard at work brushing up on their obsolete Soviet-era technology. Because after acquiring 10 discontinued Soviet subs, everyone’s favorite little warmongering-dictatorship-that-could has finally rendered the outdated ballistic vessels seaworthy—and it only took them 21 years. According to Yonhap, a South Korean news agency, the submarines were actually first…

Constantine‘s New Sidekick Is A Vast Improvement—But This Episode Isn’t

Constantine traded the rather dull Liv for the mysterious Zed as our hero’s mystery-solving pal, and Zed proves a much better match for the sardonic exorcist. Unfortunately, this mining town murder plot doesn’t live up to the grotesque tone set up by the pilot. This week’s episode functioned as a sort of second Constantine pilot,…

Neil Marshall Says Alien Might Not Get Made Today

As a director, Neil Marshall has been responsible for some pretty wild rides, from the post-apocalyptic cannibal medieval mashup of Doomsday to the werewolf epic Dog Soldiers. Not to mention Game of Thrones. But in his essay about Ridley Scott’sAlien, he says it probably wouldn’t get made today. Top image: H.R. Giger. Writing in the…

Cops Can Make You Fingerprint-Unlock Your Phone, and That’s Not Okay

A Virginia Circuit Court judge recently said that it was not okay for cops to force suspect’s to unlock their phones with a passcode. (Thanks, the Constitution!) However, the judge also ruled that it was okay for cops to force suspects to unlock their phones with a fingerprint. Wait, what? The case in question is…

Syfy Will Turn Arthur C. Clarke’s 3001 Into A Miniseries

Syfy is making good on their pledge to return to science fiction drama. The studio has plans to adapt the final book in Arthur C. Clarke’s Space Odyssey into a miniseries. Just a few weeks after Syfy announced production on Arthur C. Clarke’s Childhood’s End, the network has just dropped another Clarke-centric announcement. Syfy is…

The delicate yet disturbing work of a neuroscientist turned artist

The work of South Korean artist Timothy H Lee is utterly influenced by his years as a neuroscience student. These beautiful sculptures and paintingsare his way of digging inside his own complex and sometimes disturbed personality. From his website: Timothy Hyunsoo Lee (b. 1990, South Korea), affectionately called “Timmy” by his friends and family, is…

The Filmography of Tim Burton, as told by stunning Silhouettes

Over the weekendPopzilla gallery held a tribute art show to the wonderfully weird works of Tim Burton – including these lovely Silhouettes by artist Sam Carter. All images credited to Sam Carter Each image takes a side-on silhouette of a character from one of Burton’s movies, before placing an iconic bit of imagery from that…

How China’s “Rare Earth” Weapon Went From Boom To Bust

Not so long ago, the U.S. went into full panic mode. China had reached the point where it controlled 97% of the world’s rare earth elements—minerals that play a crucial role in manufacturing high-tech products. Were they right to fear that Beijing has a stranglehold over the global economy? Image of a rare Earth metal…

How I Broke My Last Five Phones

I do not have an iPhone anymore. I don’t plan to buy another one. I adore Apple’s wonderful hunks of glass and aluminum, but I’m like Lennie with a bunny when I have one in my hands: I love it so much and so intensely that I kill it. I remember when I was about…

​The Walking Dead Just Turned Into The World’s Strangest Medical Drama

In “Slabtown,” we finally learn what happened to Beth after she was spirited off by that mysterious car with the white cross on it all those months and episodes ago. The short version: She joined an extremely bizarre medical drama as a new orderly in the post-apocalypse’s least well-run hospital. It’s like Scrubs, but with…

Could you outrun a T-Rex? A Velociraptor? Find out at the Guardian’s Datablog, where an online simulation allows you to enter your running speed and participate in a 100-meter race between you, world-record breaker Usain Bolt, various animals (both living and extinct) and an F1 Racing Car.

Going On a Road Trip with a Large Format Camera and Glass Negatives

A fair number of artists disillusioned with digital are turning to various types of analog photography these days. In this video produced by Element Skateboards, photographer Brian Gaberman explores the East Coast with some antiquated equipment that produce beautiful results. The Road to Wolfeboro follows Gaberman with his Speed Graphic 4×5 camera. This is a…

Starwood Hotels Is Making Room Keys Obsolete Worldwide

On the heels of similar—but yet unrealized—plans from Hilton, Starwood is introducing a new app-powered, keyless entry program. In other words, your smartphone is now your key. The process is wonderfully simple. After downloading the SPG app (it’s for reward program members only, but that’s free to join), guests can check-in up to 24 hours…

Tarantino 8-Film Collection, Ghost in the Shell, and More Deals

Better return on investment than a $5 shake. [ Tarantino XX: 8-Film Collection, $60] Ghost in the Shell’s 25th Anniversary Blu-ray release is just $14 today. [Ghost in the Shell] Great discounts from GreenManGaming’s VIP page today: Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth ($37) | GreenMan Dragon Age Inquisition ($48) | GreenMan Call of Duty: Advanced…

​6 Times Ultron Kicked The Avengers’ Asses

Now that we’ve gotten our first good look at Ultron in the second Avengers movie, it’s time to step back and see what makes him one of their most dangerous — and most feared — foes. Here are six adventures with the homicidal robot where the Avengers needed some avenging themselves. 1) “We Stand at…

Report: A Flaw In Visa’s Contactless Card Lets Anyone Charge It $999,999

Contactless credit cards are a hit in the UK. But a British research team has revealed a serious security flaw that allows anyone to charge up to $999,999.99 in foreign currency to a nearby card, even while it’s still in a wallet or purse. Contactless cards let you buy things without a pin, up to…

Read J.J. Abrams’ Thank You To The Crew As Star Wars Episode 7 Wraps

Star Wars Episode 7 has wrapped filming. After starting principal photography back in May, the shooting has stopped. And this was how director J.J. Abrams said goodbye. The sincere thank you was tweeted out by @AdmiralPellaeon. Not pictured above this letter is what appears to be the brim of a baseball cap. We’re assuming the…