Latest

Epidemics Are Not Natural

Now that Ebola is ravaging parts of West Africa, a nasty meme is once again rearing its ugly head — the suggestion that epidemics are “nature’s way” of dealing with overpopulation. But it’s an assertion that’s as false as it is dangerous. Here’s why. Image by Jim Cooke, source photos via Shutterstock. Warnings of human…

Nightwing sets up an encounter with Deathstroke in this cool Fan Series

Youtuber Ismahawk (aka Danny Shep) has kicked off a pretty lavish short series based on DC hero Nightwing – and it’s basically Arrow on a tighter budget, right down to showing off the protagonist’s Abs. Hooray! The first in the five-episode series made its début yesterday, with the rest of the episodes landing on a…

Cypher Software Makes Phone Calls Clear As a Bell

Basically every aspect of cellphones has improved astonishingly in the past few years, except for the actual phone call part. Cypher, a brand-new startup, has some tricky software it says can fix our muddied mobile conversations. In a short live demo in NYC, it sure seemed up to the task. The standard practice in cellphone…

They Finally Made an Ostrich Pillow We Can’t Mock

Well, this is awkward. The sleep-deprived minds behind everyone’s favorite public, personal asphyxiation device, the Ostrich Pillow, have come back to Kickstarter with the Ostrich Pillow Mini. And it’s… fine? Not to be confused with the company’s earlier child-sized plush prison, the Ostrich Pillow Mini (which is essentially just a pillow with an arm hole)…

Lightsaber Replacement Keys: No Need to Use the Forced Entry

Despite what you think of the Star Wars prequels, or even the original films, lightsabers will always be awesome. And despite there being everything from lightsaber bbq tongs to glowing knitting needles already out there, how could you not welcome these lightsaber-themed replacement keys with open arms? A pack of two lightsaber keys is 10…

Music video: A futuristic dystopian world that is not too far from ours

This music video for the song Function/Void by British musician The Bug (aka producer Kevin Martin) features a dystopian futuristic world that is literally falling apart—like the life of the sad and lonely humans that inhabit it. Kevin Martin is a London-based English musician, record producer and journalist. You can buy The Bug’s new album…

Yes, Some Rainbows Only Have One Color

Not all rainbows are as colorful as their reputation suggests. There are some spectacular monochrome rainbows, when the conditions are right. The cooler shades drop out of the rainbow, leaving bands of yellow, orange, and red. Sometimes the rainbow narrows down to a bright red streak of light. The rainbow goes monochrome simply because there…

New Interstellar poster and trailers show more of the spaceship

I’m so stoked about this movie that I may start wearing my spaceman pijamas out of the house. So stoked that, even while I’m always against trailers, I’m glad they keep releasing new material, like the banner and the barrage of international and TV trailers below. SPLOID is a new blog about awesome stuff. Join…

Nvidia Shield Tablet LTE: Stream Games Anywhere (If You’ve Got the Cash)

I just stepped into the future of gaming. Well, that’s not quite correct. I sampled one possible future: the one where you can take the power of your entire gaming PC absolutely anywhere. I walked into a Starbucks, grabbed a mocha, and sat down with my brand spanking new Nvidia Shield Tablet with LTE. Then,…

What Is The Most Baffling Mystery In Science?

Do you long to know just what’s going on inside of a black hole? Or do you want to know, once and for all, what other kinds of life could be out there in the universe? Or maybe you are most curious about the unexplained facets of human behavior? Tell us in the comments about…

All The Different Voices Rocket Raccoon Has Had Through The Years

Just because Marvel only recently started pushing the Guardians of the Galaxy to the forefront of their universe doesn’t mean they haven’t had a lot of iterations. Case in point: YouTuber TheGenerationWest compiled all seven different voices Rocket Raccoon has had over the last four years. If nothing else, that should show you how serious…

The 20 Best Movies and TV Shows Disappearing From Netflix Tonight

Netflix is about to purge some of the greatest movies and TV shows of all time from its roster of available titles. Say it ain’t so! Here are the best titles you need to stream while there’s still time. Below we’ve selected the choicest movies and TV shows being eradicated from Netflix on October 1st,…

Disney USB Chargers Make Outlets Fun, Which, Uh… Guys?

For those us without kids, these Disney-themed USB chargers seem like an adorable way to replace the adapters that came with our smartphones. But to anyone with a toddler roaming the house, exploring every last nook and cranny, they also serve as an engraved invitation to start playing with power outlets. Available come November for…

The Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Sequel Is Debuting on Netflix

It’s no secret that Netflix has flirted with the idea of footing the bill for “big” movie releases in the past, but now we’re finally seeing what that actually means. Next August, the sequel to 2000’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon will be hitting Netflix and (select) IMAX theaters simultaneously. Other theaters be damned. The movie,…

Middle-Earth apparently has a very strict ‘No Pumpkin’ policy

There’s a lot of strange things in the land of Middle-Earth: Giant monstrous Spiders, elven-crafted rings of power, short people with big feet and a penchant for lounging around, you get the picture. What you absolutely will not find, however, are… Pumpkins? Polygon writer Alexa Ray Corriea mused on the potential presence of the Pumpkin…

Is Game of Thrones Finally Filming a Long-Awaited Scene From the Books?

More video from the Batman v. Superman set shows that something that brings the GCPD out in force. New TV spots for Interstellar provide more details on the film’s space travel. Plus major hints for Walking Dead, Once Upon a Time, Person of Interest and Gotham. Spoilers now! Top image: Game of Thrones Batman v.…

Windows 9 Rumor Roundup: Everything We Think We Know

Windows 8 has been limping through its existence for just about two years now, and despite the fact that its continual updates have improved it a fair bit, the numbers aren’t encouraging. Microsoft knows this, and the rumors surrounding Windows 9 show that it’s going to be a move back to more familiar territory. Update:…

No, this isn’t another golf ball from outer space. In fact, it’s a simulated image of the interior of a supermassive star weighing 55,500 times more than our Sun. It shows the inner core in which helium is converted into oxygen, powering various fluid instabilities as it goes. Read much more about it here. Image…

This is the most bizarre Simpsons’ couch gag ever

The Simpsons opened its 26th season with this surprisingly bizarre couch gag. Oscar-nominated animator and filmmaker Don Hertzfeldt asked himself what the Simpsons will look like in a very distant future. Well, this is what he came up with: SPLOID is a new blog about awesome stuff. Join us on Facebook

A Stylish Water Filter You Don’t Have To Hide In the Fridge

Taking its design inspiration from the pour-over coffee setups that are so en vogue right now, KOR’s new Water Fall filtration system separates the actual filter from the vessel, letting you fill glasses, carafes, or bottles without ever having to carry the whole rig around. Unlike a Brita pitcher that can be heavy and hard…