• How not to launch a company in the U.S. — lessons learned from LeEco

    How not to launch a company in the U.S. — lessons learned from LeEco
     After a months’ long parade of endless red flags, LeEco’s Stateside woes finally came to a head this week. The company announced that it would be laying off 325 employees in the U.S. alone. And judging from a number of address forwarding emails I received, the company moved swiftly and without much warning. It’s always easier to Monday morning quarterback all of this after… Read More
  • Magikarp is Pokémon’s most lovable punching bag

    Magikarp is Pokémon’s most lovable punching bag
    Magikarp is the most useless of all pokémon. In the video game series, it “attacks” with splash, a move that literally does nothing. Earlier this month, the Official Pokémon YouTube Channel debuted the English version of “The Magikarp Song,” a ballad that starts off by declaring “Totally pathetic, unreliable / Known throughout the world for being super-weak.” Just this week, The Pokémon Company International released Magikarp Jump, a game
  • Google is offering new Google Play Music subscribers four free months

    Google is offering new Google Play Music subscribers four free months
    Google is running a deal on its music streaming service and storage locker Google Play Music. Typically, the site offers up a 90-day free trial when you sign up, but it’s now giving new subscribers an extra month of free time.The service allows users scan up to 50,000 songs from their music library, and listen to custom radio stations on their computer or mobile device. Users who use the free tier have to contend with ads, but subscribers who pay $9.99 (or $14.99 for a family account) can
  • The difference between smartphone gimmick and game changer

    The difference between smartphone gimmick and game changer
     It’s hard to find a legitimately bad flagship phone these days. Sure, one peeks its head out from time to time, but on a whole most phones are pretty good. The screens, the cameras, the internals. There are always a few bits that could use improving (see: battery and durability), but the gulf between good and bad isn’t any near where it once was. And for the past several… Read More
  • Advertisement

  • Watch a music producer make minimal techno with fidget spinners

    Watch a music producer make minimal techno with fidget spinners
    Andrew Huang is a YouTuber and music producer who creates beats and samples from everyday objects like water bottles and drones. And because everyone can’t stop talking about fidget spinners, it was only a matter of time before Huang decided to make music with them.
    In the video, Huang claims that fidget spinner music was one of his most-requested videos “of all time.” Of all time. This is proof that fidget spinners have made us more fidgety than ever, trying to get our hands o
  • This crazy Avatar drink is way better than the Unicorn Frappuccino

    This crazy Avatar drink is way better than the Unicorn Frappuccino
    I was traumatized earlier this year when I tried the Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino, so when I saw that Disney’s new Pandora: The World of Avatar land had its own multi-colored neon beverage, I was wary. Yes, part of the fun of pretending to visit an alien world is seeing what its food and drinks are like, but the frozen “Night Blossom” — with its layers of purple and green, topped with orange boba balls — reminded me of a nightmare I was still trying to forget.
    In t
  • Judah Vs. The Machines: In which a robot services a hotel room

    Judah Vs. The Machines: In which a robot services a hotel room
     Robots remain a rare sight outside of labs in most of the world, but in Silicon Valley, they have already started taking on service jobs. In this episode of Judah Vs. The Machines, Judah visits the Crowne Plaza hotel in San Jose to check out Relay, a hotel service robot that can autonomously bring guests food and other necessities. After poking Relay’s creator, Steve Cousins about equal… Read More
  • This Harry Potter prequel fan film looks even better than Fantastic Beasts

    This Harry Potter prequel fan film looks even better than Fantastic Beasts
    When J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter, she came up with an immersive world and history, which is now playing out in the form of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and its upcoming sequels. However, a group of fans are filming an origin story of their own: Voldemort: Origins of the Heir. After watching the teaser trailer for this fan film, we have a question: Can we just get this one instead?
    The story follows a witch named Grisha Mac Laggen (heir to Griffindor and original character to this
  • Advertisement

  • Scientists have discovered a mutation behind pugs’ weird little flat faces

    Scientists have discovered a mutation behind pugs’ weird little flat faces
    So, I have what might be an unpopular opinion: there are cute dogs, and then there are pugs. With their squished little faces, buggy eyes, and snuffling breaths — there’s not much about pugs to recommend them (and I like dogs). But now, at least, scientists have a better idea about the genetics that make these little canines look like they ran face-first into a wall.
    The category of squish-faced dogs, more correctly called brachycephalic dogs, also includes bulldogs, Boston Terriers,
  • This is what a micrometeoroid striking a spacecraft sounds like

    This is what a micrometeoroid striking a spacecraft sounds like
    Last week, NASA reported that a micrometeoroid struck its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in October 2014. NASA noted that the impact didn’t damage the orbiter, but made for a “fascinating example” for how the data from the spacecraft can be used in unexpected ways, including what that impact sounds like.
    Scientists discovered the incident when they received a distorted image from the spacecraft on October 13th, 2014, which scientists determined was caused by a sudden movement fro
  • These incredible Breath of the Wild prints are what a mobile Zelda game should look like

    These incredible Breath of the Wild prints are what a mobile Zelda game should look like
    Artist Matt Anderson, a graphic designer and illustrator who specializes in a simple, geometric art style, has an ongoing series called RetroMill, where he takes video game characters and reimagines them in colorful, minimalist prints. In a new spinoff of that series called RetroMill: Wild, Anderson has focused exclusively on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, with some incredibly beautiful results.The various prints capture Link, the Old Man, a tank-like Guardian, everyone’s favorit
  • 'The Spider-Man: Homecoming' poster was very bad, but consider the other options

    'The Spider-Man: Homecoming' poster was very bad, but consider the other options
    The other day, we finally got our first look at the new Spider-Man: Homecoming movie poster. And it was pretty bad.I was worried that the new Spider-Man wouldn't feature any people, so this poster is very reassuringpic.twitter.com/BUR77wU3vG
    — Edwin Davies (@EdwinJDavies) May 24, 2017Nothing really makes sense here. The colors are all over the place and Iron Man is on there twice. All the trailers have been electric, and all the previous posters have looked really good, so what happened on
  • How to Spring Clean Your Digital Clutter to Protect Yourself

    You don't have to get your hands dirty to do the most important spring cleaning of the year. The post How to Spring Clean Your Digital Clutter to Protect Yourself appeared first on WIRED.
  • Don't forget about these beautiful political bromances, too

    Don't forget about these beautiful political bromances, too
    Some would argue that the word "bromance" does not belong in the world of politics, but they'd be wrong. It's hard not to get swept up in the budding friendships of international leaders with all the photo ops and viral videos. 
    You may be familiar with Barack Obama and Joe Biden's solid relationship, but that's not the only political bromance you need to know. Here are some friendships that have lasted through the rumble-tumble of public affairs. 
    SEE ALSO: James Corden and Harry Styl
  • Bollywood's take on Shakespeare is still one of the best adaptations out there

    Bollywood's take on Shakespeare is still one of the best adaptations out there
    Dear filmmakers: If you're going to remake an old story, you better damn well do it right.
    That isn't a targeted statement so much as a PSA (though it stings freshly of ABC's abominable Dirty Dancing), and a direct product of the fact that I was spoiled in 2006 by Omkara, an Indian film version of Othello.
    Omkara was the second Shakespearian endeavor from director Vishal Bhardwaj, who released Maqbool in 2003, based on Macbeth. Both films — and 2014's Haider, based on Hamlet — trans
  • 'The Simpsons' hilariously shreds Trump and his team on Day 125

    'The Simpsons' hilariously shreds Trump and his team on Day 125
    The Simpsons continues to pull zero punches when it comes to the increasingly disastrous presidency of Donald J. Trump.
    The animated series latest poke at 45's White House attempts to capture the vibe 125 days in. From the dangling corpses of Steve Bannon, Kellyanne Conway, and Reince Priebus to Veep Mike Pence rubbing the "Vice" off of his nameplate to ... whatever's going on here with Jeff Sessions, "scathing" is the most appropriate descriptor for The Simpsons latest take.
    Cartoon Richard Ni
  • Nintendo is reportedly boosting production of Switch consoles

    Nintendo is reportedly boosting production of Switch consoles
    Nintendo is ramping up its production order of Switch consoles ahead of the increased demand expected during the 2017 holiday shopping season, reports the Financial Times.The console sold extremely well following its launch in March, and it’s been difficult to find them in stores before they sell out. The Japanese gaming company already reportedly boosted its production order in March: The Wall Street Journal reported that the company was aiming to produce at least 16 million consoles this
  • Snapchat CEO's wedding was so secret we can't even find photos on the internet

    Snapchat CEO's wedding was so secret we can't even find photos on the internet
    If there were Snaps of Evan Spiegel's super-secret weekend wedding, they've already self-destructed.
    The Snapchat co-founder and CEO tied the knot with Australian entrepreneur and model Miranda Kerr over the weekend in the backyard of their Brentwood, Calif. home. It was a hushed affair that lacked the public-facing lens you might expect from one of the present-day leaders in social media.
    SEE ALSO: How to master Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram Stories
    Guests were picked up at security-heavy c
  • 8th graders refuse to take a photo with Paul Ryan because they don't "want to be associated with him"

    8th graders refuse to take a photo with Paul Ryan because they don't "want to be associated with him"
    Speaker Ryan is one of the most unpopular politicians in the country — and he's polling particularly poorly among one 8th grade class.
    Eighth grade students from South Orange Middle School in South Orange, New Jersey were on a school trip to Wasshington D.C. on Friday when they were given a very special opportunity: a photo-op with Speaker Paul Ryan. Under normal circumstances, many students would leap for the chance to take a photo with the third most powerful politician in the country.
    N
  • When refugees fled war-torn Europe for havens in the Middle East

    When refugees fled war-torn Europe for havens in the Middle East
    Image: Library of CongressWhen Axis and Soviet forces invaded Eastern Europe and the Balkans in the early years of World War II, they sent thousands of refugees fleeing south and east to escape the chaosMany fled across the Mediterranean, hopping from island to island in search of safety.To manage this exodus, in 1942 the British established the Middle East Relief and Refugee Administration (MERRA) and set up a constellation of camps in Egypt, Gaza, and Aleppo, Syria, providing havens for over 4
  • Tomorrow’s Cars Won’t Just Drive Themselves. They’ll Feel Different

    What you touch and feel inside the car has once again drawn the attention of the world's designers. The post Tomorrow’s Cars Won’t Just Drive Themselves. They’ll Feel Different appeared first on WIRED.
  • Inside the high-tech simulator where NYC ferry captains learn to avoid killing kayakers

    Inside the high-tech simulator where NYC ferry captains learn to avoid killing kayakers
    Piloting a ferry boat can be a surreal trip Continue reading…
  • The G7 summit ends without US commitment on Paris agreement

    The G7 summit ends without US commitment on Paris agreement
    The G7 summit has ended in Sicily following two days of discussions regarding the state of the world economy, foreign policy, climate change, and other major global issues. During the meeting, representatives from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the European Union reaffirmed their commitment to the Paris agreement, with the exception of the United States.The leaders issued a collective statement at the close of the talks, saying that they have committed to “s
  • A dazzling aurora borealis light show captivates the internet

    A dazzling aurora borealis light show captivates the internet
    Saturday evening stargazers were treated to one of the trippiest natural phenomenons Earth has to offer: a naked eye-visible aurora borealis.
    The "northern lights," as they are often called, originate with our sun. Solar storms that occur there emit streams of charged particles which help to trigger the unusual light show once they reach Earth.
    SEE ALSO: The mystery of panda's fur color is finally solved
    The magnetic fields emanating from our north and south poles pull the charged particles down
  • Why 'Handmaid's Tale' costumes are the most powerful meme of the resistance yet

    Why 'Handmaid's Tale' costumes are the most powerful meme of the resistance yet
    Earlier this week, 18 women dressed up in red cloaks and white bonnets, stood in pairs in the rotunda of the Texas state capitol, and began chanting, "Shame!" in unison. They didn't stop shouting for eight minutes. 
    They call themselves the Texas handmaids. You probably first saw them back in March, when images of their original protest in Austin went viral. That's when they sat silently in the Texas senate gallery, watching as lawmakers debated bills that would make it harder for women to
  • While You Were Offline: Mr. Trump Goes to Europe to Spread Social Awkwardness

    The president's travels abroad are giving the internet a lot to work with lately. The post While You Were Offline: Mr. Trump Goes to Europe to Spread Social Awkwardness appeared first on WIRED.
  • Overwatch’s loot box system is Blizzard’s true masterpiece

    Overwatch’s loot box system is Blizzard’s true masterpiece
    It’s been barely a week since Blizzard dropped its Overwatch anniversary event, and dedicated players have already started obsessing over how to collect as much as possible and maximize their time before it closes. There are exhaustive Reddit threads analyzing just how many in-game credits are required to purchase every new item. You can also find article after article breaking down all the new in-game emotes and skins so players can prioritize how best to spend their virtual currency.
    the
  • Blockchains are the new Linux, not the new Internet

    Blockchains are the new Linux, not the new Internet
     Cryptocurrencies are booming beyond belief. Bitcoin is up sevenfold, to $2,500, in the last year. Three weeks ago the redoubtable Vinay Gupta, who led Ethereum’s initial release, published an essay entitled “What Does Ether At $100 Mean?” Since then it has doubled. Too many altcoins to name have skyrocketed in value along with the Big Two. ICOs are raking in money hand over… Read More
  • 6 podcasts to listen to if you love the internet

    6 podcasts to listen to if you love the internet
    Not everything that's created on the internet stays on the internet — sometimes things just might make it on a podcast.
    If you're the kind of person who can't get enough of the memes, videos, art, and all things internet, here are the podcasts you need to start tuning into today. 
    SEE ALSO: 'Nancy' isn't a person, it's a podcast. Oh, and it's super, super gay.1. Reply AllPJ Vogt and Alex Goldman host this remarkable show all about the internet —both people who create things for
  • 'Pandora – The World of Avatar' just opened and it's a visual feast

    'Pandora – The World of Avatar' just opened and it's a visual feast
    Yesterday was a big deal for all the fans of James Cameron's Avatar. 
    Pandora – The World of Avatar – located in the Animal Kingdom Park in the Walt Disney World Resort – opened to guests staying at Disney resort hotels at 7am, and then to the general public an hour later. Needless to say, people were eager to get in on the action.
    The main attractions of the park are the two rides, Avatar Flight of Passage and Na'vi River Journey, and people lined up to get on them early.
  • The director of this Wonder Woman mashup wanted to “match her epicness”

    The director of this Wonder Woman mashup wanted to “match her epicness”
    With the Wonder Woman movie on the immediate horizon, and early word of mouth looking promising, it’s no surprise that we’re seeing an onslaught of Wonder Woman-related videos hitting the internet, from essays on her importance to costume breakdowns to cheeky ads linking the character with other parts of the greater DC Comics continuum. Now Nerdist is in on the act, with a parody musical mash-up turning three actors into a variety of iterations on Wonder Woman throughout the decades.
  • Why You Should Keep Funding Kickstarter Projects That Don’t Deliver

    Why You Should Keep Funding Kickstarter Projects That Don’t Deliver
    Despite being a gamble for the consumer, crowdfunding is the only way a small group of people can turn their idea into a sustainable company. The post Why You Should Keep Funding Kickstarter Projects That Don't Deliver appeared first on WIRED.
  • The GIF Turns 30: How an Ancient Format Changed the Internet

    The web's favorite way to say how you feel just turned 30. Yep, it turns out the GIF is a millennial, too. The post The GIF Turns 30: How an Ancient Format Changed the Internet appeared first on WIRED.
  • The Community Zuck Longs to Build Remains a Distant Dream

    The Community Zuck Longs to Build Remains a Distant Dream
    Mark Zuckerberg wants Facebook to build a global community. Easier said than done. The post The Community Zuck Longs to Build Remains a Distant Dream appeared first on WIRED.
  • Lawyers, Not Ethicists, Will Solve the Robocar ‘Trolley Problem’

    The question of whether an autonomous vehicle, faced with an impending collision, kills its passengers or someone else is moot. The post Lawyers, Not Ethicists, Will Solve the Robocar 'Trolley Problem' appeared first on WIRED.
  • Cutting H-1B Visas Endangers Scientific Progress For Everyone

    Opinion: H-1B visas are vital to US scientific advancement. The post Cutting H-1B Visas Endangers Scientific Progress For Everyone appeared first on WIRED.
  • HTC’s newest VR headset is the Link

    HTC’s newest VR headset is the Link
    Well this is surprising; HTC has yet another new VR headset on the way, promising to make an important breakthrough for a major category of device. Meet the HTC Link.
    The Link was first reported on by Japanese site Mogura VR. Intriguingly, it’s promising full six degrees of freedom (6DOF) tracking, which is something we haven’t seen in any major smartphone-based VR headset so far.
    It’s set to work with the company’s latest smartphone, the HTC U11. Concrete details ar
  • How chatbots can settle an insurance claim in 3 seconds

    How chatbots can settle an insurance claim in 3 seconds
    GUEST: At Amazon’s prototype grocery store, Amazon Go, customers can walk in, pick up what they want, and walk out without ever waiting in a checkout line or pulling out a wallet. Amazon will automatically charge their account and send them a receipt. Run out of paper towels? No problem. Amazon Prime customers can place an order from their phone and get same-day delivery.
    These are the kinds of no-hassle experiences that consumers have come to expect — and artificial intelligenc
  • After beating the world’s elite Go players, Google’s AlphaGo AI is retiring

    After beating the world’s elite Go players, Google’s AlphaGo AI is retiring
     Google’s AlphaGo — the AI developed to tackle the world’s most demanding strategy game — is stepping down from competitive matches after defeating the world’s best talent. The latest to succumb is Go’s top-ranked player, Ke Jie, who lost 3-0 in a series hosted in China this week. The AI, developed by London-based DeepMind, which was acquired by Google… Read More
  • Microsoft Research’s new AR glasses are skinnier

    Microsoft Research’s new AR glasses are skinnier
    The Microsoft Research Team revealed  a new pair of augmented reality glasses today that offer an exciting form factor, even if their performance isn’t up to snuff.
    The new lenses were made known to the world in a research paper, “Holographic Near-Eye Displays for Virtual and Augmented Reality,” from Microsoft’s Andrew Maimone, Andreas Georgio and Joel Kollin. Their findings were published in the ACM Transactions on Graphics journal.
    What&rsq
  • Why better design leads to better AI

    Why better design leads to better AI
    GUEST: As a judge for the newly minted Mobile UX Awards, I get to see and evaluate many different kinds of mobile experiences — including chatbots. Nearly 10 years after the launch of the game-changing app store, UX designers are programmed to apply app design thinking to just about every mobile experience.
    But approaching a chatbot like an app is a mistake, because here’s the truth: The two aren’t created equal. Frankenstein-ing your way to a product will never be a winning fo
  • How human creativity plays a role in AI

    How human creativity plays a role in AI
    GUEST: Is there a more ambivalent word in English than “artificial”?
    Some artificial things are clearly beneficial, such as artificial organs, artificial insemination as a fertility treatment, and artificial sweeteners as an alternative to sugar for weight and diabetes control. But in other contexts, “artificial” can have a negative connotation. Artificial people. Artificial ingredients. Artificial turf on a baseball field.
    Artificial intelligence, meanwhile, manages to s
  • Spotify settles lawsuits, adds board members as it gets ready to go public

    Spotify settles lawsuits, adds board members as it gets ready to go public
     Spotify made a few moves this week that could put them in a better position to join the stock market. On Thursday, it was revealed that the company added four people to its board of directors. The music streaming startup has brought on former Disney COO Tom Staggs; Padmasree Warrior, a Cisco vet who runs an electric car business; Shishir Mehrotra, YouTube’s former head of product;… Read More
  • Burger King upsets actual king with Belgian ad

    Burger King upsets actual king with Belgian ad
    The king of Belgium is apparently not amused by his appearance in a recent Burger King ad.
    The country's royal family contacted the fast food chain this weekend over an online ad that asks people to choose between its mascot and a cartoon image of King Philippe, the BBC reports.
    SEE ALSO: Burger King is hiring gamers to sell you food during online matches and I give up
    A spokesperson for the family told the network that the company isn't allowed to use the monarch's likeness without their approv
  • Homer Simpson inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. D'oh!

    Homer Simpson inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. D'oh!
    Although it's no longer "America's favorite pastime," baseball is still at the heart of the county's popular culture and, along those lines, its Hall of Fame just hit a home run by adding Homer Simpson to its ranks. 
    SEE ALSO: Oculus founder thinks this wild anime film is the likely future of AR
    On Saturday, the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, added the animated character to its list of greats, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the episode "Homer at Bat," which aired in Fe
  • A render of LG’s V30 phone reveals a slide-out secondary display

    A render of LG’s V30 phone reveals a slide-out secondary display
    LG is reportedly planning to release its premium V30 smartphone in September, and it’s thought that it’ll have an OLED screen instead of an LCD one. According to notable leaker Evan Blass, the original concept for the phone could also feature a slide-out secondary display.Blass released a series of renders, cautioning that the images are older mock-ups, and it’s not clear if the phone is actually going to feature the secondary display as imagined. The renders reveal a primary s