A “Big Data” Problem Could Be Starving Artists of Revenue
For nearly 100 years, performing rights organizations have tracked the music played on the radio, then the television, and now the internet. Their goal: to figure out who should get paid. These organizations – ASCAP and BMI are the big ones – have traditionally relied on the radio, television, and internet music companies they monitor…
Experience The Hunger Games from the Comfort of Your Browser
Everyone in the known world is cawing about The Hunger Games. Team Peeta, Team Gale, Effie Trinket’s getups, and on and on. Whether you devoured the trilogy in a single train ride, lined up at 8 AM for the midnight movie premiere, or avoided Twitter for the last, oh, 6 months in the hopes of…
Qwikster Is a Terrible Name So Netflix Bought DVD.com
When Netflix announced last year that it was splitting its DVD rental service from its streaming service, consumer anger mostly centered around how subscribers would be getting fewer services for the same price. But part of the PR disaster was about how terrible the name Qwikster is, because, let’s face it, it’s pretty much the…
These Silently Screaming Dental Mannequins Are What Nightmares Are Made Of
These synthetic heads don’t need to be anywhere near the Uncanny Valley to be terrifying. Our friends at Oobject have assembled 12 of the creepiest prosthetic mouths in dentistry. Also check out these creepy medical mannequins, 12 videos of automata, and a dozen crash test dummies. Various views of a terminator like vintage dental manikin…
This Card Shuffler Is Your The-House-Always-Wins Deal of the Day
Hey kids, gather ’round. I’ve got something important to share. In Macau, the Vegas of Asia, things are pretty much exactly the same as the original gambling Mecca – lots of people in pyjamas and loads of smoke. The same rules apply too. But I’m going to go out on a limb here, the food…
The Nimble Empire: In Defense of Cable
One of the most fascinating stories of the last year has been the evolution of Amazon Prime. In exchange for a recurring fee, you get access to a huge, varied media library: movies, TV shows and books. And yeah, some of that content isn’t all that great, and even more isn’t stuff I would choose,…
11 New Lives for Dead Tennis Balls—None of Which Involve Tennis
Old tennis balls may not be able to bounce around the court, but they can be incredibly handy around the house. Here are eleven second acts for the Wilsons. Just give the balls a chance. 1. Park perfectly. Tape the ball to a string and hang it from the garage ceiling so it touches the…