This week, in the run up to the now-underway Winter Olympics, we've been talking a lot about Sochi: can it be built in time? Are those bathroom pictures real? We also got a cool glimpse at how new streetlights will change cinema and learned about some cool gadgets. Check out our best stories of the week.
How LED Streetlights Will Change Cinema (And Make Cities Look Awesome)
The decision by the city of Los Angeles last year to replace its high-pressure sodium streetlights—known for their distinctive yellow hue—with new, blue-tinted LEDs might have a profound effect on at least one local industry. All of those LEDs, with their new urban color scheme, will dramatically change how the city appears on camera, thus giving Los Angeles a brand new look in the age of digital filmmaking. As Dave Kendricken writes for No Film School, "Hollywood will never look the same."
8 Viral Sochi Olympics Photos That Are Total Lies
Thousands of images are pouring out of Sochi in the lead-up to the Olympics. And things don't look great. There are unfinished buildings, a lack of winter weather, and an abundance of trash. But don't believe every image you see. Like so much of what gets passed on social media these days, a lot of them aren't exactly what they claim.
Facebook Made You a Sentimental Video to Celebrate Its 10th Birthday
Did you hear? Facebook is ten years old. To celebrate, Zuckerberg & Co. have decided to send each and every one of us a personalised video of our time on the social network. Aww.
Can Sochi Get Its Shit Together?
By all accounts—except maybe Vladimir Putin's—the small Russian resort town of Sochi isn't ready for the Olympics. In fact, coverage of the preparations has taken on a downright panic-stricken tone. Can Sochi pull it out of the flames? The answer is yes—but at a steep cost.
Sochi Official: Our Shower Surveillance Footage Says Hotels Are Fine (Updated)
By now, you've surely heard the harrowing stories about how the Sochi Olympic village is a hellscape of stray dogs, weird toilets, and unfinished accommodations. Well, according to the Russian official in charge, everything's cool! And he has the surreptitious surveillance footage to prove it.
In Sochi, Every Single Phone and Laptop Is Definitely Getting Hacked (Updated)
Say you're going to Sochi for the Winter Olympics. You've magically found a hotel that's actually complete and not full of trash and construction equipment. Crisis averted, right? Not quite—because as NBC Nightly News' experiment shows, your computer or smartphone could be hacked in seconds in Sochi. Hackers will be going after your computer or smartphone from the minute you land.
A Gorgeous Inkless Pen That Never Needs a Refill
Pininfarina is known for turning Ferraris and other exotic cars into even more impressive works of art, so it's a safe assumption that its new 4.EVER Pininfarina Cambiano writing instrument is going to cost a small fortune when available. But with an inkless design that never needs a new cartridge, it could eventually pay for itself—after a century of use.
Why Your Ears Keep Ringing (And What You Can Do About It)
Some perceive it as a high-pitched, mosquito-like squeal; others, an incessant electrical buzzing. It can even sound like unintelligible voices or music. It's known as tinnitus, and it's a surprisingly common affliction, affecting some 50 million people in America alone. Here's why it happens, and how you can prevent it.
This Football-Sized Device Could Replace Your Huge Water Heater
That 60 gallon tank of hot water in your basement eats up a lot of energy. But tankless on-demand water heaters leave you running water down the drain while you wait for warmth. This tiny Kickstarter water heater promises to change all that, and save you money, thanks to some fascinating technology.
This Simple Invention Seals Gunshot Wounds in 15 Seconds Flat
To stop bleeding, apply pressure—with tiny sponges. A group of veterans, scientists, and engineers in Oregon have a developed a device that uses small medical sponges to stop bleeding from gunshot wounds in just 15 seconds.