- io9Movies
This May Be Stanley Kubrick Himself Explaining the End of 2001: A Space Odyssey
A video has surfaced which appears to feature Stanley Kubrick himself explaining the end of 1968’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Allow us to explain. Much like the Star Child of the film, the origins of this video are a little complicated and weird. Kubrick doesn’t appear in person in the video, just his voice, so … Continued
- ReviewsSmart Home
Alexa, Is My House on Fire?
Many devices are now pulling double-duty these days. Game consoles are entertainment streaming devices. Smartwatches tell you the time while also telling you which of your coworkers is demanding your attention. Lightbulbs are burglar deterrents, at least when they’re not setting the mood. So Onelink’s Safe and Sound, a smoke and carbon monoxide alarm with … Continued
- io9Television
Last Night’s Steven Universe Was a Groundbreaking Moment for the Show
This week Steven Universe has returned with what is rapidly becoming one of its most compelling storylines so far, as the Crystal Gems come to terms with the shocking revelations surrounding Rose. Last night’s “The Question” not only gave us one of the show’s sweetest episodes, but also a major milestone in the series’ championing … Continued
- Tech NewsArtificial Intelligence
My 15 Favorite Science and Tech Books for Smart Beach Reading
Summer is finally upon us, which means it’s time to put together a reading list, whether it’s for the beach, your cottage, or the hammock in your backyard. Here are 15 science and technology books that will keep your nerdy brains engaged and titillated. The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of … Continued
- Tech NewsFacebook
Facebook Says It’s Sorry for Removing a Part of the Declaration of Independence That Includes a Racial Slur
The Vindicator, a news outlet in Liberty, Texas, wanted to help its followers read the entire U.S. Declaration of Independence before the Fourth of July, so it posted excerpts on its Facebook page. But something in one of the most significant documents in modern history triggered Facebook’s filters. The outlet broke the Declaration up into … Continued
- Tech NewsPrivacy and Security
Hacking Firm’s Ex-Employee Made Off With Menacing Spy Tools, Israel Says
Israeli hacking firm NSO Group is mostly known for peddling top-shelf malware capable of remotely cracking into iPhones. But according to Israeli authorities, the company’s invasive mobile spy tools could have wound up in the hands of someone equally, if not far more, devious than its typical government clients. A 38-year-old former NSO employee has … Continued
By Dell Cameron - Tech News
Are You Ready for Even More Expensive Netflix Options? [Update]
Netflix is reportedly testing a new “Ultra” pricing tier that gives potential subscribers access to 4K “Ultra HD” and HDR streaming. Unfortunately, with this new tier Premium subscribers might be getting the short end of the stick, having some of their perks removed in the process, according to Italian smartphone site Tutto Android. Today, Premium-tier … Continued
- EartherEarth Science
Travel Through Time With This New Book About the Mysterious Evolution of Whales
Whales have an unfinished story. The plot so far has been enthralling; they’ve evolved from four-legged dog-like terrestrial animals to up to 200-ton marine behemoths. But when you begin to ponder how these giants came to be and where they’re going, you’re left with more questions than answers. How did whales become so enormous in … Continued
- Tech NewsNews
Threat of Heavy Rains Could Force Emergency Evacuation of Boys Trapped in Thai Cave
As 12 boys and their soccer coach wait to be rescued from a submerged cave in northern Thailand, officials may be forced into action due to expected heavy rains in the coming days. The situation is grave, given a medical assessment claiming the boys and coach are too weak to attempt such a physically demanding … Continued
- io9Movies
Evangeline Lilly Fought to Make Ant-Man and the Wasp More Radically Feminine
Ant-Man and the Wasp is a madcap adventure of a movie about Scott Lang learning to get out of Hope Van Dyne’s way while she takes care of business and saves the day. Unsurprisingly, Evangeline Lilly is one of the major reasons this is an indisputably factual statement. In a recent interview with The Hollywood … Continued
- Tech News
I’m in Awe of This Four-Foot Nerf Bazooka That Fires Pool Noodle Rockets
In recent years, Nerf has added some gigantic blasters to its lineup, at times necessitating the need for a shoulder strap. But they still can’t compare to one of YouTube’s Ryan & David’s recent creations: a four-foot long custom-built bazooka that fires oversized darts made from pool noodles. It’s reminiscent of Mark Rober’s world’s biggest Nerf … Continued
- Tech NewsNews
Europe Decides Not to Ruin the Internet
On Thursday, members of European Parliament held a vote on the misguided new copyright reforms that posed a threat to memes, online encyclopedias, news organizations, and pretty much everything that’s good online. Incredibly, lawmakers decided not to do the dumb thing and voted down the bill. It’s not over yet, but there’s plenty of reason … Continued
By Rhett Jones - Tech NewsApple
Apple Rumored to Make iPhones Colorful Again
About a month ago, rumors leaked that Apple was testing green and purple paint jobs for the next batch of iPhones, and while it seemed like a stretch, new info from noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has now added a bit more credibility to the idea that a bunch of brightly color iPhones might be … Continued
- Tech News
This Solar Lawnmower Was the Dangerous Future of American Summers in 1959
Robotic lawnmowers are fairly mainstream these days, even if they don’t have much market share yet. But they’ve been a long time coming. We’ve been promised solar-powered semi-autonomous lawnmowers for decades. This Sunday comic strip from 1959 predicted the rise of these machines, but also pointed at the problem with its illustration: Many people are … Continued
By Matt Novak - How To
How to Avoid Getting Screwed by a Sneaky Tech Support Scam
Tech support scams, obviously shady though they might seem to some, continueto catch more and more people—Microsoft says the number of reported cases is on the rise, while in March the U.S Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) said it logged 11,000 complaints last year, a rise of 86 percent over 2016. The claimed losses amounted … Continued
By David Nield - io9TelevisionMorning Spoilers
Into the Spider-Verse May Have Added Another Intriguing Spider-Man
We’ve got a very bizarre early look at X-Men: Dark Phoenix’s new comics-inspired uniforms. A wild rumor suggests the Alien franchise could come to television. Plus, more behind-the-scenes on Ant-Man and the Wasp, and both the cast of Arrow and Riverdale discuss prison stints for their respective leads. To me, my Spoilers! Spider-Man: Into the … Continued
- Tech News
The Best ‘Streaming’ Service of All Is Your Local Library
Faced with a seemingly infinite number of media subscription services, it is sometimes necessary for the modern content consumer to ask which ones are actually worth it and which ones are basically a scam monetizing our collective need for distraction and stimulation. “Do I really need Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, Amazon Video and the Basque-language animated … Continued
By Hudson Hongo - Tech NewsNews
Kim Dotcom Is Almost Entirely Out of Chances to Avoid Being Extradited to the US
Kim Dotcom, the former founder of defunct file hosting service Megaupload and its successor Mega, just lost another court battle to avoid extradition to the US on charges of copyright infringement and fraud. Per the BBC, Dotcom lost an appeals court decision on Wednesday in New Zealand, where he has lived since 2008 and was … Continued
By Tom McKay - Tech NewsAmazon
Report: Amazon May Prey on Your Toys ‘R’ Us Catalog Nostalgia By Mailing You Its Own
E-commerce giant Amazon, which remains determined to cannibalize what’s left of the brick-and-mortar competitors it helped kill off, may be making a move on the turf formerly occupied by bankrupt retail chain Toys “R” Us with plans to distribute a holiday toy catalog. According to Bloomberg, though people familiar with the plan were light on … Continued
By Tom McKay - Tech NewsPrivacy and Security
British Counter-Terrorism Officials Are Investigating Two More Novichok Poisonings
Neil Basu, Britain’s top counter-terrorism official, announced on Wednesday evening that a couple poisoned in the county of Wiltshire appear to have been exposed to Novichok, the Soviet-era nerve agent behind the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury earlier this year. According to the Guardian, authorities first believed … Continued
By Tom McKay