Tech news, analysis, culture, business, security, and more
If you’ve ever used a hot glue gun for a craft project, you already know how tricky and messy they can be to work with. And this is partly why the handful of 3D printing pens already on the market aren’t the easiest tools to use. So maybe the CreoPop pen, which instead uses UV…
Nike has produced a cool new 3D animation short to promote the World Cup and the value teamwork and human creativity: What would happen if an evil organization tried to replace soccer players with cyborgs that never fail and the world’s best stars had to fight back? An epic match, that’s what. Maybe this is…
With the World Cup starting on Thursday, countries around the globe are preparing for some insane competition. But before everyone has a chance to duke it out for national pride, Nike has made this short to remind everyone to celebrate the beauty of the game itself. Made with help from Wieden+Kennedy and Passion, this short…
Jeddah’s Kingdom Tower will be taller than any other structure ever built. At more than one kilometer high, this supertall will require feats of engineering that, until now, have been the stuff of science fiction. Like the world’s tallest, longest, and fastest elevators—which are being developed in a mine shaft in Finland. Kone, a Finnish…
With ever-brighter skies reducing our ability to stargaze, and ever more bright objects soaring over-head, it’s increasingly complicated to identify just what is that awesome thing you’re looking at. The League of Lost Causes understands your pain. To solve it, they’ve produced this handy identification flowchart. Image credit: HK/The League of Lost Causes Although I…
Reports that a Paris bridge “collapsed” due to the weight of thousands of padlocks placed by lovesick tourists have been wildly over-exaggerated. A bridge did not “collapse,” Not even “partially.” In fact, there are people walking over the “collapsed” bridge right now. Indeed, local residents complained a few weeks ago about the exceptionally high number…
Bali is a beautiful place, but one of the drawbacks of beautiful places is that it’s hard to consume all of the beauty at once. That’s why the Bambu Inda Hotel built a glass-bottomed hotel room on top of a fish-filled pond. It’s supposed to create a “fishing village experience.” They must have some pretty…
This hilarious Volkswagen commercial shows why car chases will become as obsolete as those old movies that depend on telephone landlines to make their plots work. Think about it. What’s going to happen when, in the near future, anti-collision safety technology comes standard and obligatory in every car? No more car chases! Although, if you…
Russia might not be doing much business with the US government right now, but that doesn’t mean it’s not interested in the foremost symbol of consumerism in America. VEGAS Crocus City, a Moscow mall, has unveiled a surprisingly realistic model of Times Square. It even features the forever-swamped TKTS podium—now bereft of crowds. The scale…
The astronauts of Expedition 40 are continuing to have way too much fun. My highlights this week are Reid Wiseman bringing his fluffy giraffe into the cupola, accidentally trying to dump a bag out by flipping it over, and realizing that laughing so hard you cry is tricky when tears don’t fall in microgravity. For…
Yesterday’s Game of Thrones episode was truly epic. It contained one really spectacular long shot in which the camera—placed in the center of Castle Black’s inner ward—rotates, filming the battle carnage around it in one non-stop 360-degree shot. Director Neil Marshall thinks it is his “favorite shot ever.” Talking to Hero Complex, episode director Neil…
These days, it’s rare to find a piece of San Francisco news that doesn’t at least make a passing reference to the city’s rapid-fire gentrification. And while numbers like the 115 percent increase in evictions over the past year are certainly astounding, nothing drives the point home quite like seeing the city evolve right before…
Whether you’re rolling your own home security system, setting up a nanny cam, or even broadcasting to the world, Dropcam has set the standard for simple, smartphone-connected home monitoring. The rarely-discounted Dropcam HD is $20 off today, so if you’ve been on the fence, this is a great opportunity to save. [Dropcam HD, $130] New…
“Maybe we’ll make a flying car, just for fun,” Elon Musk told The Independent yesterday. Explaining that he’d “thought about it quite a lot,” the only thing stopping him appears to be every single thing that’s kept the flying car from becoming a mainstream reality in the past 100 years. “We could definitely make a…
Ever wondered where your food comes from? Well, before they get turned into prime rib and burgers, cows have to be raised and handled by real men and women — cowboys. Yes, they really do still exist and this is what they do. Branding isn’t just a necessary task, it’s a social event. Friends, family…
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation recently awarded a grant to an Australian research team trying to build a better condom. They’re hardly the first to win such an award, but they have a novel approach. These polymer scientists are making condoms out of hydrogels, the same materials used in contact lenses. It’s actually a…
Today moviegoers complain about films being too formulaic. But in 1931, one Hollywood writer of now largely forgotten movies thought that turning screenwriting into a formula was a pretty good idea. So he invented the Plot Robot. From the March 1931 issue of Modern Mechanix magazine: Formerly robots were merely mechanical devices that could perform…
There are two things that come at a premium when living aboard the International Space Station: personal space and fresh vegetables. But thanks to an ingenious new inflatable habitat that’s currently being tested, our space-faring scientists will soon have more of both. Built by private space company Bigelow Aerospace, the BEAM (or Bigelow Expandable Activity…
Flying days don’t have to be over for elderly vets. Thanks to Reddit user Jwsimmons, who’s been visiting assisted living homes with Oculus Rift for the past year, these former pilots get to experience the planes from their glory days all over again. To bring the experience to life, Jwsimmons tweaked the massively multiplayer flight…
Everyone has a favorite local patio they like to escape to during the summer, but if your timing isn’t right, you might find yourself sipping a cold one in the shade. To ensure that never happens, some enterprising folks have whipped up a handy website that shows you exactly when your preferred summer spot is…