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Sequel Watch: News On Avengers 2, Transformers 5 And Planet Of The Apes

Joss Whedon reveals his Age of Ultron inspiration. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was originally a very different movie. Tons of new Guardians of the Galaxy footage, described. Taylor Swift opens up about her Giver character. Plus hints for Game of Thrones season five. Spoilers now! Top image: Dawn of the Planet of…

7 DIY Photography Tricks That Only Use Household Objects

Want to give your photography a shot in the arm but don’t want to spend a cent? No problem! Here are seven simple tricks that only use household objects to make your pictures better. Some are for hardware—say, using tights and rubber bands to create new filters—while others are to do with scene-setting, like using…

A Simple Blood Test Could Predict the Onset of Alzheimer’s

Scientists have developed a new blood test that can predict who will develop Alzheimer’s disease a year after having mild memory problems—and it could be in clinical use within two years. Researchers from King’s College London have developed a test which identifies 10 proteins in blood that can predict who will develop Alzheimer’s. It’s around…

Why Not Have a Wombat Do Your Laundry?

This video comes from the Sleepy Burrows Wombat Sanctuary in New South Wales, Australia. And while all the wombats’ antics are adorable, we’re mostly still stuck on the beginning, where the wombat empties the washing machine. As cute as these are, I’m no longer able to look at wombats without remembering that their poop is…

Nope, this isn’t an oil painting: it’s the windswept valleys of Northern Africa as photographed by Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency. Pretty, huh? [NASA]

This Man Shouldn’t Be the Next U.S. Patent Office Director

Philip Johnson is Chief Intellectual Property Counsel of Johnson & Johnson, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. He is also a representative member of the Coalition for 21st Century Patent Reform, the leading trade group opposing patent reform this past year. And now he’s rumored to be next in line to be…

Apple has added on-device step counting to its iOS 8 beta’s Health app—though it almost certainly uses the M7 motion tracking hardware of the iPhone 5S to work.

10 movies that show how great editing can turn movies into masterpieces

Editing is crucial for film. It can ruin a movie and it can turn a good movies into a masterpiece. It’s a powerful weapon for filmmakers. CineFix has put together a top 10 list detailing what they think are the most effective editing moments of all time in the video below. It’s obviously arbitrary, but…

Concept Art for the Forbidden Planet Remake That Never Was

In 1995, Irvin Kershner tried to make a remake of the classic Forbidden Planet. The project never materialized, but Kershner had already marshaled the artistic talent of Ralph McQuarrie, John Eaves, Mark McCreery, Syd Mead, and Stan Winson. And the early concept work of McQuarrie and Mead is readily accessible today. McQuarrie concept art was…

Drawing lines with a pen can magically control bugs

I’ve always wondered what some bugs are actually aware of. Can they see what’s happening above them? Do they realize when we’re screwing with them? Or can they only make 2D decisions in a 3D world? Like this guy shepherding a bug on a piece of paper by just drawing lines with a pen. The…

New Species Found in an Everyday, Store-Bought Mushroom Packet

DNA testing on the contents of a dried porcini bag revealed three species without scientific names. Apparently, there are new mushrooms everywhere, including in your salad. Mycologists Bryn Dentinger and Laura Martinez-Suz (of the Kew Roayal Botanical Gardens) discovered the species by sequencing the DNA of a commercial packet of dried Chinese porcini that they…

The Isopod Phone Case: For When You Want to Freak Out Everybody

Beyond being horrifying, these would take up a lot of room in your purse. Forget putting them in your pocket. These limited edition, Japan-exclusive isopod cases are perfect for the marine biologist in your life. Or, possibly, for the person in your life who enjoys scaring others. Now, as these things are Japanese, I can’t…

World’s largest flying bird was as big as some aircraft

Wow. A newly discovered flying bird species had a wingspan that stretched 24 feet long—as big as some aircraft. That’s pretty much a flying giant in the sky that’s twice as big as anything that can fly today. In fact, the bird, Pelagornis sandersi, is so ginormous that it exceeds our estimates “for the limits…

Archer: The Funny Kind of ISIS

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, better known as ISIS (or rather ISIL) is currently in the process of tearing Iraq apart from the inside. This is not the sort of brand recognition that Verizon’s fledgling e-wallet service, Isis, is looking for. But why not just think of Sterling Archer’s employer instead? Instead…

​Kickstarter Potato Salad Guy Is a Hero

Late last week, amidst an agonizingly slow pre-holiday news cycle, CNET introduced the world to Zack Danger Brown, a Columbus, Ohio native who wanted to crowdfund the making of his very first potato salad on Kickstarter. He wanted $10. He got over $15,000 (and counting). And here, because this is the world we have created,…

In True Blood, Everyone Is Naked And Crying And Dead In The Forest

I am NOT HAPPY about last night’s True Blood. SO not happy. But I don’t want to spoil it all right now, so let me explain what happened pro/con style. Pro: Surprise, Sarah Newlin is back! Sure, OK, says the rest of the nation. I mean, I like the Ex-Mrs. Newlin, and I love the…

iamamiwhoami: Vista

It’s hot out there folks. It’s July, our atmosphere is full of greenhouse gases, and it’s hot. So hot, that watching the Swedish chanteuse from iamamiwhoami dancing around on an iceberg and singing “Vista” actually makes me feel better. iamamiwhoami is a musical and visual art project from Stockholm-based singer-songwriter Jonna Lee and producer Claes…

This Is All The Xenomorphs Ever Wanted

It turns out that a romp through the wildflowers with a furry friend is enough to placate even the most ornery alien. An unexpected image from the mind of creature creator Dave Melvin. Also, be sure to check out Melvin’s Alien vs. Pussycat illustration—as well as the other fantastical wonders in his gallery.

Natural Disasters Are the Hottest New Trend in Wedding Photography

First it was wildfire, then tornadoes. What will be the next crossover photo shoot between natural disasters and weddings? Not every disaster will work: this is my analysis of which disasters are best suited to join the growing genre of natural disaster wedding photography. A wildfire in Oregon brought the fire brigade to the wedding…

Halt and Catch Fire Episode 6: Your Computer, Your Friend

In the most recent episode ofHalt and Catch Fire, we see two competing ideas of what it means to make an operating system go head-to-head. The most sincere of which desperately craves a computer with a soul—something the show’s characters could stand to gain themselves. Important disclaimer: I’m just filling in this week and this…