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They should make these Tron sneakers for real

The French illustrator Romain Trystram thinks sneakers are an important part of the contemporary culture, and he is right. That why he decided to make these cool series of digital drawings where he mixes them with popular culture icons like Tron, Futurama, Star Wars or even Kebabs. SPLOID is a new blog about awesome stuff.…

The Flat Areas Of Europe Tend To Be The Most Right Wing

Recent election results in Europe could bring new meaning to the term “Flat-Earthers.” A comparison of voting preferences and geography reveals that right-wing populist parties tend to enjoy the most support in regions with flat plains. This map (below), created by Josse de Voogd, a Dutch electoral geographer, shows where right-wing populists are strongest in…

Here’s a List of Macs Compatible With OS X Yosemite

Monday’s announcement of OS X Yosemite unveiled some pretty cool new features coming to your Mac. But will your computer be able to run the new OS? For those who want to know if the computer sat in front of them will support the OS, Ars Technica has compiled a list of compatible hardware. It…

Tell Us A Six-Word Science Fiction Story!

Tell us a six-word story! Whether yours focuses on some life-saving fashion advice (Ensign, don’t wear that red shirt. — asupps) or on wondering just what it is that the bees know that we don’t (Bees weren’t dying. They were leaving. — Cool_Breeze), we want to here all about it. So write it up for…

Conan Shows How Google’s New Cars Have No Driver—Or Mercy

Depending on who you listen to, Google’s driverless cars are either exactly what we need or doomed to failure. But, as Conan points out, that’s all beside the point until the bugs are ironed out. This (lightly edited) video shows what we might be in store for in the coming years: cars with no driver,…

Watch this 9,259-ton oil platform launch in less than a minute

This video of a 9,259-ton steel structure—part of an oil platform—shows how it was launched in the Danish North Sea in under a minute, after a hell of a lot of preparation. It is 305-feet long by 197-feet wide, so about the size of a football pitch. The trick was to fill the barge carrying…

Researchers May Have “Heard” Flight MH370 Crash Into The Indian Ocean

Australian scientists say they’re examining a low-frequency underwater acoustic signal that could have resulted from Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 crashing into the Indian Ocean. The signal was picked up by underwater sound recorders near Rottnest Island just after 1:30 AM (UTC) on March 8th, which is consistent with the mysterious disappearance of the plane. Alec…

This is the most amazing infinity pool I’ve ever seen

This incredible infinity pool belongs to the Mirage house, which will be built on the Greek island of Tinos, exactly the place I want to be right now. The pool and the house and the place and the entire concept are really amazing. This 2,131-square-foot cavernous house designed by Kois Associated Architects is conceived as…

This Beautiful Bench Has a Real Sense of Balance

If you like to challenge gravity, the Leaning Bench might be just the ticket for you: it uses physics to stay upright, but fans of sudden movements may find that they need to sit a little more carefully if they’re to remain seated. Created by Izabela Boloz, the bench features just two legs, and relies…

Do Photos Reveal A Star Wars Icon And Part Of Wonder Woman’s Costume?

The Batman v. Superman costume designer is looking for magic bracelets in Las Vegas. Turns out Edge of Tomorrow is… a comedy? And John Barrowman previews season three of Arrow. And an intense Walking Dead rumor has been debunked. Top image: Batman v. Superman Star Wars It may be that the next place to stand…

Google Glass Could Let Soldiers Shoot Around Corners

Google Glass is finding a place on the mean city streets, but it could also prove useful in the battlefield, too. Soon, Glass could allow soldiers to shoot round corners, using the HUD to take aim while behind cover. The concept comes from Austin-based startup TrackingPoint which creates precision-guided firearms that help improve the aim…

Cadmium Arsenide: A 3D Alternative to Graphene That’s Way More Useful

There’s no denying that graphene is a wonderful material—strong, flexible, and highly conductive—but it’s taking a long time to become a commercial reality. Now, scientists working with a material called cadmium arsenide believe it offers many of the same benefits—but could actually be far easier to use in the real world. Researchers from Oxford, Stanford…

Developers are reporting that iOS 8 seems to display app icons on the lock screen when they’ll work nearby—like when you’re walking past Starbucks or sat in a train station. Apple didn’t announce the feature Monday.

The European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter sunshield undergoes thermal testing. The infrared image on the right shows the temperature of the surface; the red region is at a toasty 380 Celsius or 715 Fahrenheit. [ESA]

Adventure: Trans-Catalina Island Trail

Know any other hikes that involve a boat ride across the pacific ocean, a car-free Island and roving herds of Bison? The 37.5-miles Trans-Catalina Trail does. Earlier this year, my friend Alan and I said, “Screw Valentine’s Day!” and instead decided to hike the Trans Catalina Trail over the three day weekend. Alan had never…

Google Now Offers End-to-End Encryption on Email

Google has released the source code for a new extension for Chrome—but this is no ordinary extension. It’s called End-to-End, and it will provide users with the ability to encrypt their email the whole way from outbox to recipient. The new system uses the open-source encryption standard OpenPGP, and should make it easy for users…

People react to the final fight of Game of Thrones’ latest episode

I just can’t have enough of these videos of people watching Game of Thrones’ twisted plot turns. Just look at their faces as they watch the final fight to decide the fate of Tyrion Lannister between The Red Viper and The Mountain—they go from tension to extreme tension to cheering to [Warning: Spoilers ahead!] SPLOID…

These first-person acrobatic jumps on a pogo stick are making me dizzy

These guys are Nick McClintock and the Xpogo crew. Franly, I don’t know who Nick McClintock and the Xpogo crew are or how the hell did they think about using pogos to perform their acrobatic jumps, but watching their first-person videos is making me dizzy. SPLOID is a new blog about awesome stuff. Join us…

Keep Track of Game of Thrones Characters Using X-Men-Inspired Art

There have been other takes on the famous Days of Future Past cover, but this one is interactive. Comfort and Adam has made a Game of Thrones-by-way-of-Days of Future Past poster and printable “apprehended”/”Slain”/blank banners for you to put on characters’ faces. It’s both fun and depressing.

The new Lego Mini Cooper is another must buy set

I’m still in love with the Lego Volkswagen Camp Van, but my brick heart has been stolen by the new 1,077-piece Lego Mini Cooper. I’m very happy that Lego is continuing to release iconic automobiles within their Creator line. Next we need a vintage 911. The $100 set (CA $120, AU $150, 89.99€, £74.99) is…