Uber and Airbnb Want To Tap Into India’s Massive and Controversial Biometric Database [Updated]
The Indian government spent seven years compiling a national database that includes citizens’ iris scans, fingerprints, addresses, and phone numbers—and now Airbnb, Uber, and India ride-hailing service Ola are all interested in incorporating the system into their services, according to a report from BuzzFeed News.
The Coolest-Looking Capsule Hotels Outside Japan
The first capsule hotel in the world opened in Osaka, Japan in 1979. Since then, capsule hotels have not only spread to across the country but around the world. Here are some of the coolest-looking ones that aren’t in Japan.
If You Ordered a Rare Indian Root Online, It's Probably Just a Dried Lizard Penis
The Hatha Jodi root is believed to bring good luck, allegedly because it looks like two praying hands. You know what also looks like two praying hands? Dried lizard penis. And poachers have noticed.
India Just Launched Its Giant 'Monster' Rocket
It’s a big day for India and its very, very large rocket: Today, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully launched its 640 ton GSLV-Mk III rocket, carrying the GSAT-19 communications satellite on it. The GSLV-Mk III’s maiden voyage brought its satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit above…
China and India Are Surpassing the Climate Goals the US Can't Be Bothered to Meet
President Trump’s “America First Energy Plan” will, ironically, put us far behind China and India in the push to modernize our energy grid. China and India are both on track to “overachieve” their Paris Climate Agreement goals of de-carbonizing their energy grids by 2030, according to the Climate Action Tracker study…
130 Million at Risk of Fraud After Massive Leak of Indian Biometric System Data
A series of potentially calamitous leaks in India leave as many as 130 million people at risk of fraud or worse after caches of biometric and other personal data became accessible online. That’s according to a new report from the Bangalore-based Centre for Internet and Society (CIS), which details breaches at four…
All of That Pollution in Asia Turns Into Smog in the U.S.
New research has found that the United States’ reductions in air pollution have been stymied by the exponential increase of pollutants coming from Asia. As long as you don’t like breathing, that’ll be no big deal.
Watch 104 Satellites Fire Out of a Rocket In Record-Setting Space Mission
Today, India blew away all previous records for launching multiple satellites at one time. Watching each of these little guys with their own individual purposes flood the sky and kick the country’s space program into overdrive is just as neat as it sounds.
India Is Poised to Set a New Space Record Tomorrow
Tomorrow, a four-stage Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle will blast off from India’s southern spaceport with 104 satellites on board. Should all go well, the Indian Space Research Organization will establish a new satellite delivery record for a single mission—and by a long shot.
Mysterious Brain Disease in Children Tied to a Popular Fruit
Since 1995, hundreds of poor children in Muzaffarpur, India have mysteriously suffered seizures and feelings of brain fogginess, usually in the morning. Many would soon die. This happened every year between May and July: In 2014, for example, Muzaffarpur hospitals admitted 390 kids with the symptoms, resulting in 122…
Amazon Prime’s Censorship Of The Grand Tour In India Reportedly Cut An Episode In Half
For Amazon Prime users in India, The Grand Tour’s fourth episode reportedly wasn’t nearly as long as the rest of them—in fact, it was apparently less than half of the length it should have been due to censorship from Amazon for the Indian market.
Disturbing Images Show the Extent of Delhi’s Extreme Pollution Emergency
Delhi, the capital city of India and home to 25 million residents, is in the midst of an “extreme pollution event.” In other words the city has been overrun with smog—tons of it. Recent photographs show the extent of the problem, which is being blamed on everything from vehicle emissions and crop burning through to…
This Launch of 20 Satellites at Once Is All the Space Porn You Need Today
India just sent twenty satellites into space at once, the most the country has ever launched in a single go. The record is certainly impressive. The photo documentation of the satellites blasting off to the skies is simply incredible.
The Images From India's First Ever Space Shuttle Launch Are Astonishing
Early this morning, India launched its very first reusable space shuttle. These remarkable photos illustrate just how majestic the teensy shuttle looked as it took off.
India Just Launched an Adorable Mini Shuttle Into Space
India is joining the reusable space race. Its space agency has today launched a 22-foot space shuttle, that will be used test the country’s plans for creating a spacecraft that can be used multiple times.
This Is What A Zero-Star Safety Rating Looks Like On Four Different Cars
If seeing that a vehicle has a zero-star safety rating isn’t enough to frighten a person out of his or her mind, seeing said vehicle in a wreck probably is. Five cars designed for India—which has minimal safety requirements for vehicles—just received that number in crash testing, and videos from the test show why.
India Experienced Its Hottest Ever Recorded Temperature of 123.8F
India is currently in the grips of severe heat wave and relentless drought, which shows little sign of abating. Yesterday, the country struggled through its hottest ever recorded day, with temperatures hitting 123.8 degrees Fahrenheit.
Stan Lee Conquers Bollywood as His Superhero 'Chakra the Invincible' Gets a Live-Action Movie
Even after Stan Lee left Marvel, he never stopped creating superheroes and now one of those newer creations is coming to the big-screen. The animated superhero Chakra the Invincible is turning into a live-action Bollywood movie.
Every Phone Sold in India Will Soon Have a Panic Button For Women's Safety
In an attempt to promote women’s safety, every single mobile phone sold in India from 2017 onward must include a panic button, the country’s Ministry of Communications and Technology announced on Monday.
