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Stanford Boffins on the Brink of Breaking Captcha Codes

Captcha systems, those psychedelic-font phrases designed to weed out bots from users, are a staple website security. And, thanks to Stanford Researchers, they may be quickly becoming completely useless. The researchers employed machine vision algorithms to successfully crack 66 percent of Visa’s Captchas, 70 percent of Blizzard’s, and 25 percent of Wikipedia’s. For reference, a…

Immortals Cast Interviews

New Mac Trojan Earns Other People Bitcoins on Your Dime

Odd, I could have sworn Bitcoin was on the fast track towards technological irrelevance. So why is this new Mac malware harnessing infected GPUs to mine the digital dollars? https://gizmodo.com/the-bitcoin-is-dying-whatever-5828710 Dubbed DevilRobber, the OSX/Miner-D application is technically spyware but employs a combination of Trojan, backdoor, and sniffer elements. It’s spread over BitTorrent networks under the…

Using the Internet: A Guide for High Schoolers, Circa 1996

The internet in 1996 was a far different cyberland than the internet of today. Yet the same pillars that the internet was founded on then still remain today. News and information, free speech, security (or lack thereof), addiction. Of course, there are now MP3s, social networks, online shops, cloud servers, and entire operating systems that…

Last night on Once Upon A Time, the Evil Queen tried to kill Maleficent’s unicorn… no, really.

Wow. I did not think the ABC’s new fairy-tale show Once Upon A Time could out-cheese its pilot — and I was so, so, so, so wrong. This weekend’s episode brought in Pam from True Blood to out-crazy them all, with a tiny unicorn and a witch fight! In all actuality, not a lot happened…

Whisky + Lasers = a Glass Full of Awesome

You know what’s great? Really good scotch whisky. You know what’s not great? Fake scotch whisky. Worry not. Researchers at St. Andrews University have figured out how to test your whisky’s authenticity by shooting it with lasers. Mmm, whisky-lasers… Here’s how it works. Researchers put a drop of whisky on a chip the that’s about…

How the Hell Did We Get to Seven Billion Humans In Just 200 Years?

In 1804 we were one billion humans in this planet. Now we are seven billion. How the hell did we grew so much is so little time? This video by National Public Radio has the answer. [NPR] https://gizmodo.com/who-really-is-the-worlds-7-billionth-person-5854827

What does a world of 7 billion people look like?

Today saw the world’s human population pass 7 billion for the first time ever — it’s a huge landmark that’s almost impossible for our limited brains to encompass. Luckily, National Geographic has been doing a year-long series about the growing population, and they’ve gathered some of their most arresting images, video and statistics into a…

The Detonator Is a Huge Science Fiction Motorcycle Brought to Electric Life

Daniel Simon designed the Light Cycles for Tron: Legacy and the vehicles for Captain America, but now one of his craziest concepts yet is coming to life in a street legal version. Let’s hope no one kills themselves riding it. *UPDATE BELOW* The Detonator is an 11.5 foot electric motorcycle powered by a lithium-ion battery…

Denny’s Deals, GameStop Tabs, and Other Stories We Didn’t Post

So much news passes before our collective eyes every day that we couldn’t possibly cover it all. Mostly because much of it isn’t worth covering! But here are a some borderline tidbits we passed on, just in case. Colorware Sinks Its Uglifying Mitts into Sennheiser I’ve come to accept that nothing can escape the tacky…

And Now, an E. coli Bacterium That’s Fifteen Feet Long

It seems strangely appropriate to spend some time on the scariest day of the year examining the world’s largest model of the notorious E. coli bacterium. This model is two million times larger than E. coli itself. The model is the work of microbiologist Dr. Harry Tribe, and it’s just been put on display at…

The Happiest Place in the Saddest Place on Earth Is Still Pretty Depressing

Forced human test dummies on rickety old rides? Shooting ranges to blast the imperialist Americans? Roller coaster harnesses that don’t really harness anything? Welcome to the last amusement park in all of North Korea. The Mangyongdae funfair is located about ten miles outside the capital city of Pyongyang. And despite the fact that any manner…

Custom Artificial Limbs Turn Prosthetics Into Personal Art Pieces

Using rapid prototyping techniques like 3D scanners and printers, Scott Summit’s company brings self-esteem back to those who’ve suffered a limb loss with custom designed coverings that turn prosthetics into stunning pieces of art. Summit, a Stanford engineering lecturer, has embraced the idea of using cutting edge technologies to create products that can drastically improve…

The 8 Best Scary Movies to Stream Tonight

Tonight is Halloween, so you’re probably either out taking your kids to collect candy, or getting shitfaced. But it’s Monday! So don’t do the latter—instead, get drunk off fear. Here are the best spooky flicks to stream online. Whether you use Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon video on demand, odds are there’s something that will make…

Help! There’s an octopus in the bottom of my coffee cup!

What creature lurks in the murky depths of your morning coffee? You’ll never know for sure — unless you put it there yourself. Hence the need for Creature Cups, these awesome pieces of dishware in which a three-dimensional octopus hides in the deepest recesses of your beverage. And here’s the second one, featuring a lovable…

Soon It Will Be Impossible to Escape Radar Traps

Getting out of speeding tickets using a combination of savvy, hustle, gumption, and sheer dumb luck might be on its way out thanks to Cordon, new radar system that tracks with Terminator-like accuracy tracking dozens of cars—and their license plates—at a time. Cordon can simultaneously track 32 vehicles across four lanes, and automatically generates images…

The Best Things About a Freak October Snow Storm

A massive and totally unseasonal snow storm hit the Northeast over the weekend, saddling millions of trick-or-treating runs with lame winter jackets and disapproving parents. But! There are some really great things about an extremely unseasonable nor’easter, too. It’s an atypically convenient snow day First, foremost, and forever: snow day. Snow day! If you’re still…

The Best Fantasy Books and Stories of the Year, according to the World Fantasy Awards!

The verdict is in, and we watched it happen. The World Fantasy Awards at yesterday’s World Fantasy Convention in San Diego were a star-studded celebration of fantasy writers, publishers and readers. Connie Willis riffed and joked about her love of Starbucks and the TV show Primeval, Neil Gaiman talked about the importance of the fantasy…

The Absolute Best Scenes from The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror XXII!

Last night marked the 22nd Treehouse of Horror for The Simpsons — and it wasn’t the greatest ever, by any means. There were three stories with cute names: “The Diving Bell and Butterball,” “Dial D for Diddly,” and “In the Na’Vi,” and lots of science fiction in-jokes and references. The whole thing never quite achieved…

Rumor: Apple to Put the Mac Pro Out of Its Misery

Rumors are circulating that Apple is pondering killing off the Mac Pro. Sales of the powerhouse are flagging, and a hardware delay has put its future in jeopardy. Has the Mac Pro’s time finally come? Mac Pros are mighty machines beloved by many, but a recent delay in the delivery of the Pro’s powerful new…