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Saturday Morning Cartoons Aren’t Dead. They’re Everywhere, All the Time

This past weekend was the first in over 50 years without Saturday morning cartoons on nationwide broadcast TV in America. But that doesn’t mean the sugary-cereal-soaked childhood ritual of settling in for a block of animated entertainment is dead. Hell no. In 2014, it’s always cartoon o’clock. The death of the Saturday morning cartoon block…

Television Kate Knibbs Oct 6 '14

This Minecraft Map Of Great Britain Was Built Using 83 Billion Blocks

Joseph Braybrook, who works at the UK Ordnance Survey, has proven himself to be the ultimate builder of worlds, with the creation of this amazing rendering of Great Britain, using extensive geographic data. You can download the map for free from the UK Ordnance Survey website, which says that Braybrook’s work “has been highly praised…

io9 Mark Strauss Oct 6 '14

Gaze at the Amazing Adaptable Display Kings of Leon Used on Tour

Live shows are supposed to be an experience, an experience which needs to be massive and visually arresting, especially when a band is playing an arena show. That’s exactly why Kings of Leon is playing against the backdrop of a newfangled hybrid screen/lighting rig on its Mechanical Bull tour. But it’s not the whole reason.…

Tech News Leslie Horn Oct 6 '14

The Cartoon That Shocked Me Into Realizing Animation Wasn’t for Kids

We know that animated stories and movies are for people of all ages. And yet — many kids are raised on a diet of cartoons. Which means that at some point, every kid realizes that cartoons can be just as scary and bewildering as grown-up live action tales. What cartoon gave you this realization? For…

io9 Annalee Newitz Oct 6 '14

What Do You Get When Your Fairytale Princess Is Tone Deaf? Unicorn Puke

When a unicorn comes across an adorable young princess in the woods, he’s delighted, until he realizes the horrifying truth about this particular royal. Unlike those Disney animated princesses, this one can’t even carry a tune. In fact, her voice is rather deadly. You Na Kang and Manuel Zapata made Tone Deaf at Ringling College…

io9 Lauren Davis Oct 6 '14

Singin’ In the Rain without singing is hilariously absurd, as expected

I’m a sucker for the musicless music videos by Mario Wienerroither. His foley work is flawless—and the results always hilariously absurd. This is even more obvious in his version of Gene Kelly’s singing the most iconic scene of Singin’ In the Rain. SPLOID is a new blog about awesome stuff. Join us on Facebook

Sploid Jesus Diaz Oct 6 '14

Slimmer External Chargers, Eneloop Batteries, Samsung TVs [Deals]

I’ll be honest here; in terms of price-per-mAh, this external charger isn’t the best deal we’ve seen. However, if all you need is enough juice to top off you phone in the afternoon, this super-thin, 2500mAh pack is about as convenient as they come. My favorite feature is the built-in micro USB charging cable, but…

Tech News Shep McAllister Oct 6 '14

Some museums have flesh-eating beetles on staff to clean off skeletons

An animal skeleton is made up of hundreds of tiny bones, many of which are too fragile to be handled by human hands. That’s why many osteology departments at museums have a special team exclusively devoted to the careful cleaning of these specimens: A colony of millions of flesh-eating beetles. Scientists start the work to…

Tech News Alissa Walker Oct 6 '14

Apparently TWC Thinks Boys and Girls Need Different Internet Packages

Over at TWCIdentifier.com, Time Warner Cable wants to help you choose the very best internet package for you. You know, right after you let it know whether these are dude or lady internet needs we’re dealing with. Because apparently, that matters. After going through the process for both genders, it’s clear that Time Warner is…

Tech News Ashley Feinberg Oct 6 '14

Mr. Bean returns to TV in silly Snickers ad

This Mr. Bean Snickers commercial is pretty silly, but it works: Now I want that crapstastic chocolate-caramel-and-peanut flavor in my mouth and the rush of sugar pumping through my bloodstream. Snickers is the only (crap) chocolate bar that I like. SPLOID is a new blog about awesome stuff. Join us on Facebook

Sploid Jesus Diaz Oct 6 '14

Sideshow’s newest Batgirl statue is almost perfect

Another day, another expensive bit of beauty from the world of nerdy Merchandise to look at – and Sideshow’s new ‘Premium Format’ Batgirl Statue is definitely one worth taking a look at, as it’s absolutely fantastic. The statue, which feature’s Barbara’s classic look, is about 22.5″ tall, and like of the rest of the Premium…

Books & Comics James Whitbrook Oct 6 '14

Iconic movie posters missing the people and words are still iconic

We all had movie posters on our walls in college. Mine was for the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles—no, I’m not ashamed—and when I close my eyes, I can still picture it. That incredible effect that makes a movie poster iconic is exactly what makes Film the Blanks so interesting. In its own words, Film…

Sploid Adam Clark Estes Oct 6 '14

New Kindle Fires Might Get the Washington Post For Free

Ever since Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos plucked up the Washington Post, we’ve wondered how he would merge it into his personal empire. And here we have it: The Post is launching a magazine-style app that will come preloaded on new Kindle Fires, according toBloomberg Businessweek. Sources tell Bloomberg that the Post app will be free…

Commerce Sarah Zhang Oct 6 '14

That Time Louis Pasteur Won a Giant Prize for Designing a Bottle

Louis Pasteur is well-known for saving lives by pioneering pasteurization and researching bacteria. He’s less well-known for collecting a large sum of prize money for a contest that ended in an epic battle of scientific theists. Louis Pasteur’s swan-necked flask, above. Well into the 1800s, people thought that, under the right conditions, life could be…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Oct 6 '14

The Naruto Manga Is Ending Next Month. Believe It!

After 15 years, nearly 700 installments and over 200 million volumes sold, Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto manga will finally be coming to an end next month in the November 10th issue of the Japanese Shonen Jump anthology. There are two things worth mentioning here: 1) With Tite Kubo’s Bleach manga ending also shortly, that leaves only…

Anime Rob Bricken Oct 6 '14

Someone Animated The Creepy Scar/Nala Song From The Lion King Musical

“The Madness of King Scar” is a song that was based on a scene cut from the original Lion King movie that ultimately made it into the stage musical. One animator took the disturbing Scar and Nala portion of the song and imagined how it might have looked in the animated movie. The full song…

io9 Lauren Davis Oct 6 '14

How To Save Anything To Pocket From Anywhere On The Web

Pocket is one of the best ‘read-it-later’ services on the Web, though it has evolved beyond its core Instapaper-style functionality to offer a broader range of tools. One of its key features is the way in which you can save almost anything from almost any platform. Here are the key shortcuts to use on the…

Gadgets David Nield Oct 6 '14

Scientists Who Discovered the Brain’s Natural GPS Won the Nobel Prize

When you walk around a space, certain cells in your brain are quietly mapping out a grid so that you can easily navigate the space. It’s a lot like GPS. We know this thanks to three scientists who just won the Nobel Prize in Medicine. Norwegian researchers Edvard Moser and May-Britt Moser, who are married,…

Tech News Adam Clark Estes Oct 6 '14

If a $4,000 Toothbrush Doesn’t Make You Happy, Nothing Will

How much was the last toothbrush you bought? Probably not enough to be worth remembering. That sort of casual indifference to your toiletries is a kind of luxury for those without any luxuries at all. More specifically, for those without a $4,000 toothbrush staring them in the teeth every morning. What is it? The Reinast…

Tech News Ashley Feinberg Oct 6 '14

Chemical Reactions Shot in Ultra HD Look Like Alien Life

Chemical reactions are those magical moments when the matter that surrounds us suddenly bursts into life. A stunning new video collaboration between scientists and artists now showcases eight different types of these reactions in exquisite detail. The collaboration between Tsinghua University Press and University of Science and Technology of China was meant as a way…

io9 George Dvorsky Oct 6 '14

Saturday Morning Cartoons Aren’t Dead. They’re Everywhere, All the Time

This Minecraft Map Of Great Britain Was Built Using 83 Billion Blocks

Gaze at the Amazing Adaptable Display Kings of Leon Used on Tour

The Cartoon That Shocked Me Into Realizing Animation Wasn’t for Kids

What Do You Get When Your Fairytale Princess Is Tone Deaf? Unicorn Puke

Singin’ In the Rain without singing is hilariously absurd, as expected

Slimmer External Chargers, Eneloop Batteries, Samsung TVs [Deals]

Some museums have flesh-eating beetles on staff to clean off skeletons

Apparently TWC Thinks Boys and Girls Need Different Internet Packages

Mr. Bean returns to TV in silly Snickers ad

Sideshow’s newest Batgirl statue is almost perfect

Iconic movie posters missing the people and words are still iconic

New Kindle Fires Might Get the Washington Post For Free

That Time Louis Pasteur Won a Giant Prize for Designing a Bottle

The Naruto Manga Is Ending Next Month. Believe It!

Someone Animated The Creepy Scar/Nala Song From The Lion King Musical

How To Save Anything To Pocket From Anywhere On The Web

Scientists Who Discovered the Brain’s Natural GPS Won the Nobel Prize

If a $4,000 Toothbrush Doesn’t Make You Happy, Nothing Will

Chemical Reactions Shot in Ultra HD Look Like Alien Life

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