Tech news, analysis, culture, business, security, and more
I feel like you don’t even have to watch Star Wars to know what Star Wars is about. Just by living on Earth you’d be able to accumulate enough knowledge about it: Darth Vader is Luke’s Dad, Han Solo shot first, the prequels sucked and so on. But if you still don’t know, here’s TL;DW’s…
Outkast’s André 3000 (real name: André Benjamin) didn’t have to physically change much to play Jimi Hendrix in the film Jimi: All Is By My Side—he didn’t even have to wear a wig! But as a Southern-born-and-raised musician, mastering the accent of the Seattle native was a bit more difficult. As Benjamin tells Terry Gross…
Among the few apocalypses worse than nuclear annihilation, asteroid impact has got to be near the top of the list—at least if Hollywood’s depictions are any indication. Luckily, the American public has at least one agency defending it against errant space rocks: the exact same agency that’s supposed to be protecting us from thermonuclear war…
PornHub seems to be the porn benchmark of the internet. Here you have a fascinating visualization that shows you the most viewed videos in relation to their category. On the left you can see all the videos ordered by views (3.2 billion in total!) On the right you can see the 15 categories they belong…
Verizon was supposed to start data throttling people who used its grandfathered unlimited data plan today, but guess what? It’s not going to do that anymore! The telecom company released a statement explaining its about-face: Verizon is committed to providing its customers with an unparalleled mobile network experience. At a time of ever-increasing mobile broadband…
At the CityLab summit in LA yesterday—right about the time that Tony Hsieh’s Downtown Project was supposedly laying off a third of its staff—I was having a conversation with a young, excitable urbanist who was heading to Vegas to see the Zappos CEO’s $350 million instant neighborhood in the city’s revitalized downtown for himself. He…
When Windows 10 got announced, there was one immediately glaring question: Why Windows 10? Maybe for the extra distance from 8, but a Redditor who claims to be a Microsoft dev has a better—and funnier—answer. The name “Windows 9” could break a whole bunch of lazy code. https://gizmodo.com/windows-10-microsoft-skips-a-digit-with-latest-operati-1640805626 Cranbourne describes the issue like this: If…
Chicago’s O’Hare Airport is one of the busiest in the world. That scene from Home Alone where they’re running through the airport is no joke. O’Hare’s hectic energy is overwhelming enough to make you forget your own Macaulay Culkin, for sure. And if the McCallisters had followed signs for Terminal 4, they would’ve never even…
Migration is a mainstay of American culture—the perpetual dream of manifest destiny started with wagons and ended with, well, this: 240 million individual roads and streets, mapped onto a single image by the good folks at Fathom Information Design. We’ll leave the debate over whether or not coating our surroundings in pavement was a good…
It’s New York Comic Con next week, and you know what that means? Oodles of lovely exclusive toys to gaze at (and then lament that any you actually want you’ll probably end up paying out the ass for on eBay after the con)! First up in the parade of wonderful toys is Bandai, with lovely…
As a certified petrol head and long time Formula 1 fan, I have dearly missed the Lego Racers theme since its departure in 2012. Lego is finally utilizing their licensing agreements with McLaren, Porsche and Ferrari in a new line called Speed Champions and I could not be more excited. Shocking enough, all of the…
Android Police just received these photos from a tipster that appear to show the Nexus 6 in a real human’s hands. If it’s real, this big-screen device would confirm very persistent rumors that the new Nexus will wear a 5.9-inch screen. It’s like an extra-large Moto X! We can’t conclude anything definite from clandestine photos…
Phone carriers play this competitive game of “me too.” So following the AT&T promo that will double data on shared plans, both Sprint and Verizon have announced that they’ll do the same. The Sprint plan starts today, and will multiply its you 32, 40, or 60GB plans for $130, $150, and $225 respectively. Sprint customers…
The Lamborghini Asterion LPI 910-4 is just a concept at this point, but if Lambo can pull it off, it’ll be one of the most—maybe the single-most—powerful hybrids in the world. Our gearhead friends at Jalopnik have the full rundown below. https://jalopnik.com/the-best-look-at-the-900-hp-hybrid-lamborghini-asterion-1640245058 https://jalopnik.com/the-lamborghini-asterion-lpi-910-4-is-a-910-horsepower-1641287583
I have wanted to hop a plane to Billund and take this tour for years, but to date I have yet to make the pilgrimage to Lego Mecca. In 2015, I’m going beg my parents to watch my then 6 month old child and 2 dogs because Lego has published tour dates and details for…
One of the most common subjects in the history of American photography is the West. It’s a landscape fraught with potential cliche, but Lucas Foglia’s project Frontcountry cuts through popular conceptions and shows the reality of a rapidly transforming area of our country. There are many familiar tropes at play in Frontcountry; from sweeping landscape…
NASA has published these two images of the Aral Sea, which used to be the fourth biggest lake in the world before the Soviet Union plugged into the rivers that fed it to irrigate massive agricultural areas. The photo on the right was taken in 2000. On the left you can see its current state.…
Carl Greatrix is known for his elaborate train displays and some really impressive Formula 1 modeling but recently has moved his focus to creating some really great aviation models. This Lego Phantom F-4 may be one of his best models yet. From the flashing navigation lights to the ability to remove the fuselage panels to…
The official Lego November 2014 Calendar is out. Here are the promotions and events a the official Lego stores both online and retail: November 1 – December 31: With purchase of $75 or more, while supplies last, get a 2015 LEGO Wall Calendar. Apparently, there are some exclusive offers inside, though we are not privy…
Facebook just posed a statement apologizing for the consequences of its draconian policy requiring that people use their “real” names on Facebook. The policy was used to unfairly target members of marginal LGBT communities, but we’re promised a solution is in the works. In a posting on his Facebook profile, Chief Product Officer Chris Cox…
