Tech News

Can You Find All The Scientific Mistakes In This Picture?

The September 1928 issue of Science and Invention magazine included an illustrated cover that dared readers to find all of the scientific errors they had planted. Forty-eight scientific errors, in all. And $500 in prizes to the winners who submitted the correct answers. “What’s Wrong With This Picture?” games were incredibly popular in magazines of…

Giant Mirror Lakes Invade Beijing To Reflect China’s Water Crisis

At first glance, it looks like Beijing is being swallowed up by rising tides. But these aren’t giant bottomless puddles—they’re mirrors, installed throughout Beijing by the Chinese wing of advertising agency Grey Group. The point? To draw attention to the country’s rapidly-disappearing lakes. Pollution and climate change have caused more than 240 lakes to vanish…

Apple Tells You How to Stop Getting Electrocuted by Faulty Chargers

Although not technically Apple’s fault, the death of a Chinese flight attendant (who had purportedly been electrocuted by a third-party iPhone charger) has prompted Cupertino to create a site meant to help consumers recognize 100 percent genuine, actual Apple-approved chargers. The page only exists on their Chinese-language site, but thanks to a little help from…

This turtle smokes 10 cigarettes a day!

A pet turtle in China has developed an addiction to cigarettes so severe that it needs up to 10 smokes day. The tragic animal began its nicotine habit when its owner “pacified” the beast with a single cigarette. Now the shelled addict can’t live without its beloved tobacco.

Monopoly Is Getting Rid of Jail. That’s Some Bullshit. (Updated)

Say goodbye to one of the few remaining cornerstones of childhood. The Monopoly board as we know it is being supplemented with a new version Hasbro believes will appeal more to today’s swaggy youth. Time to welcome in the new age of chaos—because Monopoly Empire is about to be coming to you totally jail-free. Update…

Nutty cat owners forcing pets to wear “cat neckties”

Domestic cats, unlike other pets and most humans, generally have a strong sense of personal dignity. They do not want ribbons or party hats placed upon their heads. They do not want clothing of any kind. And they certainly don’t want neckties, even though crazy people are making these cat-ties for crazy cat owners.

What Does It Take to Sell the Most Expensive Photograph in History?

Art is expensive. Actually, no: High art is expensive. It’s one of the most unregulated, manipulated markets in the world, with an extreme minority of artists in the upper stratosphere and a vast majority of unknowns on the ground floor. We recently looked at the ten most expensive photographs ever sold, and three of them…

Nokia put a YouTube uploader app for the Lumia 1020 in the Windows Phone store today. The app lets users post videos directly, but for now it doesn’t seem to support Lumia 800 or 900 phones. [Cnet]

How to survive being totally broke

You know you’re broke when even a lunch at the lousy chain restaurant at the mall is out of your financial reach. But there is a way out of this no-money nightmare, and you can begin your escape from crushing debt right now.

This red sticker can eradicate mosquitos bites forever

Scientists have developed a small sticker that emits non-toxic chemical compounds to confuse mosquitos’ CO2 detection mechanisms, making humans invisible as potential bloodsucking targets for 48 hours. The company wants to test it in Uganda, where about 100,000 die every year because of mosquito-transmitted malaria.

I Could Stare at These Animated Beer Labels All Day

The (figurative) craft beer explosion has provided no end of delights, be it cornucopian variety or xxxtreme hops or increasingly creative labels. But its greatest gift of all might turn out to be this ingenious Tumblr that GIFs all of the things. Beer Labels in Motion is the brainchild of Trevor Carmick, and it doesn’t…

There’s Officially a 50-Inch 4K TV That’s Cheaper Than Your TV

TCL just announced a new 50-inch Ultra HD LED television for $1000. Holy wow, that is freaking cheap. Just a few months ago, we were blown away by Seiki’s 50-inch 4K that cost $1500. How the hell are they making all of these beautiful, high-resolution panels so cheap? The new edge-lit 50-incher is cheap in…

Google Can Now Translate Handwritten Notes

Say you have some scribbles in an unfamiliar language you want to translate. Better find a native speaker. Or you could just turn to Google Translate, which now supports handwritten translation in 45 different languages. It’s insanely simple. Go to the Google Translate page, select the language you’re working with, and go to the menu…

Watch This Robot Hexapod Perform Parkour

The last time we saw RHex, he/she/it wasn’t quite as polished and coordinated as this latest video shows. A lot can and did happen in three months. The robo hexapod has dreams of one day being used in rescue missions or long haul surveys in the desert but for now it’s basically learning Parkour. At…

Three Years of Premier League Soccer Assists, Visualized

Some players score, other set up—that’s just the way it is. This data visualization takes that idea and runs with it, churning through three seasons-worth of data to anaylze where Premier League soccer assists originate from. Using Opta data—and excluding corner kicks, before you ask—Kickdex was able to analyze the positions from which players set…

Citymaps: This Is Your Maps App Replacement

Google Maps is pretty great. So is Foursquare and Yelp and Instagram. Now imagine combining the best of all those and what you get is Citymaps. It’s a brand new type of map for iOS that lets you explore what’s around you and share it with friends. Trust me, this is actually pretty neat and…

10 Beautifully Creepy Photos That Turn Centrifugal Force Into Art

According to physics professors, “centrifugal force” isn’t actually a unique force at all — it’s just a different form of momentum. But centrifugal, uh, effect can lead to some pretty awesome visuals, as shown by photographer Peter Schafrick. Schafrick, a Toronto-based professional photographer who tinkers with artistic side projects, has long been fascinated by creating…

Refreshed Nexus 10 Said to Arrive “In the Near Future”

While speaking with journalists after last night’s three-pronged Google Android 4.3/Nexus 7/Chromecast spectacular, the company’s Sundar Pichai reportedly told people that Samsung’s preparing an updated Nexus 10 to sit alongside the new Asus-made Nexus 7. The quote appeared on Twitter, where Wall Street Journal reporter Amir Efrati said: “Expect to see new 10-inch Nexus 10…

The North Pole Is Now a Lake

If you think these images from the North Pole look more like a lake than the snow-covered expanse you’d expect, that because it is is—the North Pole has melted. It’s not, perhaps, quite as dramatic as it sounds. April saw the ninth heaviest snow cover on record measured in the Arctic, covering the Pole in…

Chicken and waffles finally combined to form the “Chaffle”

People love to eat the perfect combination of fried chicken and waffles. But sometimes it’s hard to make the time to go to a chicken-and-waffles diner for this treat. Why not just drive through Popeye’s and get “chicken fried in waffle batter” and eat it in your car?