- Tech NewsSploid
Try and Watch This Bonkers Spinning Office Chair for More Than Five Seconds Without Puking
What’s 15 minutes of fame worth to you? Are you willing to spend the rest of your life feeling like you just rode the Tilt-A-Whirl at the carnival for three weeks? Because strapping yourself into a spinning office chair powered by a pair of spraying nitrous tanks is likely going to scramble your brain, among … Continued
- io9Movies
Everyone Wants Michael Shannon to Play Cable in Deadpool 2
Multiple sources are saying that Michael Shannon, who has already done time in a comic book film as Zod in Man of Steel, is the man that Fox wants to play Cable in Deadpool 2. But then, there are so many reports about this role that it’s getting really confusing. The first recent iteration of … Continued
- io9
Ian McKellen Is Reprising Gandalf (and His Entire Career) in a Solo London Stage Show
Ian McKellen’s had a storied career—one that’s spanned well beyond his beloved genre roles as Gandalf in Lord of the Rings and Magneto in the X-Men films. But now he’s going to revisit all of it in a one-man stage show that we all suddenly desperately want to attend. Shakespeare, Tolkien, Others & You will … Continued
- io9Movies
The Director of Power Rangers Stands Behind His Bold Choices for the Movie
Power Rangers is the movie director Dean Israelite wanted to make. Whether you love the finished product or hate it, the director had a vision and he stuck to it. And when io9 asked him about his reasons for going certain directions with the movie, Israelite had an explanation for every decision he made—and he … Continued
- ScienceSpace
The Curiosity Rover’s Wheels Aren’t Looking So Good
A routine check performed by NASA has uncovered two tears on the treads of the Mars Curiosity Rover’s left middle wheel. The damage isn’t unexpected, nor is it catastrophic, but it’s a reminder that this intrepid little explorer won’t last forever. Scientists with the Curiosity mission noticed the small breaks, both of which are on … Continued
- Tech News
Coded 4chan Post Hinted at Westminster Attack a Day in Advance
Details are still emerging about an attack carried out near the UK’s Houses of Parliament on Wednesday. As officials try to determine the identity of a suspect who was shot by police, a 4chan thread from less than 24 hours earlier appears to announce the location of the attack that has claimed five lives so … Continued
By Avery Ellis - Tech News
The Brains of Blind People Really Are Wired to Enhance Other Senses
It’s often said that the loss of one sense improves the others. New research shows the dramatic extent to which this is true in blind people, and how their brains make new connections to boost hearing, smell, touch—and even cognitive functions such as memory and language. A new study published today in PLOS One is … Continued
- Tech News
Sting Operation Reveals Science’s Insane Fake News Problem
If someone applied to a top position at a company, you’d hope a hiring manager would at least Google the applicant to ensure they’re qualified. A group of researchers sent phony resumes to 360 scientific journals for an applicant whose Polish name translated to “Dr. Fraud.” And 48 journals happily appointed the fake doctor to … Continued
- io9Comics
The Mystery That Made Thor Unworthy Has Been Revealed
A few years ago, an omnipotently powered Nick Fury spoke a single sentence to Thor. It was something so profoundly soul-stirring that his ability to wield Mjolnir was wrenched from him, and he became nothing more than the Odinson rather than the God of Thunder. Now we finally know what those words were. The Unworthy … Continued
- io9
Aubrey Plaza Has Been Legion‘s True Star All Along
There’s a scene in last week’s episode of Legion that exemplifies the best part of the show. Aubrey Plaza, as patient-turned-ghost-turned-therapist Lenny, dances around David’s fractured memories to Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good.” She’s ecstatic and gleeful, swinging on David’s noose and humping his pillow as she relishes in her newfound freedom. In that moment, it … Continued
- Tech NewsPrivacy and Security
This Nest Security Flaw Is Remarkably Dumb
The internet has made it supremely easy to install connected security cameras wherever you want. Unfortunately for Nest, that easy connectivity makes it simple for hackers to disable its cameras with just a few keystrokes. And that’s a very bad feature for a security camera. Nest’s indoor and outdoor security camera as well as Dropcams … Continued
- io9
The First Trailer for the Return of Mystery Science Theater 3000 Is Cheesy in All the Right Ways
In the not-too-distant future (next month, to be exact), the new Mystery Science Theater 3000 reboot comes to Netflix, and the first epic trailer has arrived. The Kickstarter-funded and now Netflix-supported series puts Jonah Ray, Hampton Yount, and Baron Vaughn in the theater seats so they can take part in Kinga Forrester’s (Felicia Day) and … Continued
- Tech News
Yet Another Reason Bees Are Screwed: Your Damn Almonds
It’s no secret that bees have been having a really rough time: Just yesterday, the rusty-patched bumble became the first bee in the continental United States officially listed under the Endangered Species Act. But that’s the tip of the iceberg for our buzzy little friends, who unlike their asshole cousins—wasps—only want to pollinate plants with … Continued
By Rae Paoletta - Tech NewsPrivacy and Security
Trump’s Electronics Ban on Airplanes Makes Less Sense Every Day
Here’s a riddle: If a Trump policy targets random locations in the Middle East, and nobody can explain it, does anybody really know what’s happening? It’s a tough riddle because it’s practically impossible to answer. Yet, this is our reality now. In a little less than 72 hours, the Trump administration’s ban on allowing electronic … Continued
- io9Movies
There Was Yet Another Ending Planned for Rogue One and It Was Absolutely Insane
Here’s a hint: it involved carbon freezing. As we all know, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story went through innumerable iterations; some of them you saw in trailers and on the big screen, others never made it that far. Recently, Rogue One’s first writer Gary Whitta revealed an alternate, happier ending where Jyn and Cassian … Continued
- Tech News
LinkedIn Picks a Losing Fight With Fake News [Updated]
Propagandists ramming verifiably false information into the eyeballs of credulous internet users—now dubbed “fake news”—is one of the most daunting, complicated issues facing social platforms today. Even the richest, most powerful tech companies with the brightest talent pools have yet to deploy anything resembling a solution. The great equalizer of the internet age is everyone’s … Continued
By Avery Ellis - io9Movies
The Teaser for Netflix’s Death Note Adaptation Is the Most Netflix Thing Ever Made
I really, really wish there was something more interesting going on in the footage from Netflix’s adaptation of Death Note. Instead, it looks exactly like every other drama from Netflix: angsty leads, washed out colors, and the occasional flash of a CG effect. It not only doesn’t really stand out, it feels like it could … Continued
- io9Television
Last Night’s Flash/Supergirl Musical Was Pure Joy in TV Form
If I think about last night’s crossover episode of The Flash for approximately more than five seconds, one of two things happens. I either realize that much of “Duet”, from its premise to its villain to its character arcs, was flying by at the speed of Barry Allen on the seat of its pants. Or … Continued
- Tech News
Jason Chaffetz Wants to Use Facial Recognition to Track Immigrants
Hey, remember Congressman Jason Chaffetz, the guy who said poor people should stop buying so many dang iPhones if they want healthcare? Well, the dingus has done it again: During a congressional hearing about the government’s use of use of facial recognition technology on Wednesday, Chaffetz suggested using that same technology to track undocumented immigrants. … Continued
By Libby Watson - Tech NewsFacebook
15-Year-Old Girl Allegedly Sexually Assaulted on Facebook Live While 40 People Watched
Since it debuted nearly a year ago, Facebook Live has been rife with content moderation problems. The latest in a long line of horrific examples comes from Chicago, where the Associated Press reports that a missing 15-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by up to six people while about 40 people watched the stream. A police … Continued