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Tech NewsThe 19th Century Hyperloop Was Going to Travel From NY to SF in 24 Hours
In 1894 the Wright Brothers’ first flight was still nearly a decade away. But people were obsessed with figuring out how to use powered flight for any number of applications. The May 5, 1894 issue of Scientific American featured one such idea—an aero-train that could zip across the country at 150 miles per hour. In … Continued
By Matt Novak -
Tech NewsGadgets
Nerf’s New Dart-Blasting RC Battle Tank Is Straight Out of Terminator
Nerf’s new N-Strike Elite Terrascout RC Drone looks like something Skynet cooked up to fight alongside the Terminators. But using a wireless remote with a live video feed from the tank’s camera, anyone can use it snipe at friends and co-workers while remaining safely out of range of retaliatory fire. Powered by a rechargeable battery … Continued
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Tech NewsGadgets
4 Tricks to Make Your iPhone Faster
We’ve shown you quick tips for getting Windows, OS X, and Android running that little bit faster, and now it’s time to tackle the iPhone. If your iPhone is showing signs of sluggishness, here are a couple of quick fixes to put a spring back in its step. These tricks are fast, free, and easy … Continued
By David Nield -
Tech NewsMesmerizing Animation Shows Which Countries Sent the Most Immigrants to the US Since 1820
Immigration is a hot topic in the United States right now, thanks in part to a rather blustery presidential candidate. But as this animated map created by Metrocosm reminds us, migrants have been a defining aspect of the U.S. for centuries. This interactive visualization was created by Max Galka, an entrepreneur and data wonk based … Continued
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Tech NewsSploidEffortlessly Good Juggler Might Not Be Human
Maybe its the vacant expression on his face, but juggler Łukasz Uczkiewicz looks like he could pull off these tricks in his sleep. Which is all the more frustrating, because he’s so damn good I can just barely follow what’s going on. Lukasz seems to have all but abandoned his YouTube channel, but he’s still … Continued
By Avery Ellis -
Tech News
Great Deal Alert: For $30,000 You Can 3D-Print a Life-Size Clone of Yourself For Mother’s Day
Can’t make it back to Smalltown, USA, for Mother’s Day this weekend? That’s OK. Your mom will happily pretend that a phone call and a flower delivery is enough. But imagine her excitement if instead of flowers, someone delivered a life-size 3D-printed replica of you to her door? That’s exactly what Groupon is offering with … Continued
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Tech NewsScientists Have a Wild Plan to Stop These Rhinos From Going Extinct
In a lush conservation park in central Kenya, the world’s last three northern white rhinos are unable to breed. When they die, the subspecies will go extinct. That is unless a complex, controversial plan involving tissue cryobanks and test tube embryos can actually work. After decades of poaching, a subspecies which once numbered in the … Continued
By Maddie Stone -
Tech NewsOh Look, Our Long Awaited Flying Car Is Almost Here Maybe
Sleek, personal vehicles that sail through cities on invisible highways are a staple of science fiction, from Star Wars to Blade Runner to The Fifth Element to Futurama to The Jetsons to….well, you get the idea. This is clearly something we expect and demand of our future. A startup in Germany is trying to build … Continued
By Maddie Stone -
Tech NewsGadgetsYour Next Phone Might Have a Holographic Glasses-Free 3D Display
Holograms are still mostly science-fiction fodder, but researchers at Queen’s University’s Human Media Lab have developed a prototype smartphone that uses holographic technology to display dynamic 3D images without the need for head tracking or annoying glasses. So how is this possible when 3D TVs and movie theaters still require you to wear shutter or … Continued
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Tech NewsPrivacy and Security
Watch Out: There’s Been a Rise in Almost-Invisible Card Skimmers
Be careful where you put your card. The ATM manufacturer NCR has recently issued an alert to banks, warning them that there’s been a rise in the use of “deep insert skimmers,” which hide inside cash machines and are virtually impossible to spot. Insert card skimmers themselves aren’t new. But they are hard to detect, … Continued
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Tech News
Super-Thin Silk Coating Keeps Fruit Fresh for Over a Week
A lot of fresh fruit and vegetables spoil between the farm and your mouth. But a team of Tufts University researchers has developed a silk coating that could help keep fruit from turning without the need for refrigeration. The team has developed a solution made from silk that it can use to coat fruit and … Continued
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Tech News
Fun Police: Ship Won’t Be Called Boaty McBoatface
Democracy is a sham, if you’re naming a boat at least. Despite Boaty McBoatface winning a public vote as the name for a new polar research ship, the vessel will in fact be known as RRS Sir David Attenborough. In March, the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council opened a poll which asked the people of … Continued
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Tech NewsLouis CK Explains Why He’s Quit the Internet
Louis CK has a long, complex and hilarious history of interacting with modern technology. But now he’s decided to quit the internet. In an interview with Conan O’Brien, he explained that he’s “grown up” and realized that his constant staring at a phone was straining his familial relationships. So he had his daughter impose a … Continued
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Tech News
A 29-Year Study Has Found No Link Between Brain Cancer and Cellphones
If, and by how much cellphones increase the risk of brain cancer is a long and disputed argument. No one study is going to settle anything, but one statistical analysis of data in Australia hints at cellphones being reasonably safe. The study examines the incidence of brain cancer in the Australian population between 1982 to … Continued
By Chris Mills -
Tech NewsSploidShort Animation Shows How Beer Is Destructively Necessary (NSFW)
Directed by Nerdo, this short animation interprets the poem about beer from Charles Bukowski and it’s so dark and bitingly true and just totally spot on about the dependency that someone could have on beer (or wine or whiskey or whatever). We get in the mind of a man who has accepted what beer has … Continued
By Casey Chan -
Tech NewsSploid
Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Play With Ropes Near Helicopters
It’s basic common sense that ropes and fast, spinning blades don’t mix. But in case you need a reminder, recently released video of a near-crash from a rescue helicopter should scare you witless. The accident occurred when a helicopter was trying to recover the body of a dead hiker near Salt Lake City last September. … Continued
By Chris Mills -
Tech NewsSploidThe Pharaoh’s Serpent’s Neverending Chemical Reaction Is Always So Gross
Even though it looks like the devil is reaching through the ground from underneath the Earth to grab a victim, you can’t look away. Even though it looks like some alien tentacle snake is burning itself and trying to attack you, you can’t help but stare. It’s the Pharaoh’s Serpent (or Black Snake firework) and … Continued
By Casey Chan -
Tech NewsSploid10 Inventions That The Simpsons Totally Predicted
The Simpsons have been around for so long (since 1989!) that it’s no surprise that they’ve influenced our culture so much. And though obviously it’s much easier to make a cartoon joke about fake inventions than to actually invent them in the real world (and they’re not always the first TV show to predict them), … Continued
By Casey Chan -
Tech NewsColor-Changing Threads Might One Day Turn Your T-Shirt Into a Screen
Look around and count the number of screens surrounding you. You’ll probably run out of fingers before you’re done, but why stop there? Researchers at UC Berkeley have come up with a way to weave color-changing threads into fabrics, turning even garments into yet another display. The team behind this technology, which they call Ebb, … Continued
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Tech NewsSploidHere’s How Giant Machines Clear Roads Through Ridiculously Deep Snow
Mother Nature always forgets to end winter in places like Norway so it’s up to these giant snow blower tractors to clear the road. You can see how it works in the video below, the monster snow blower blasts through the layers of thick snow and carves out an open path, revealing the mountain road … Continued
By Casey Chan