Technology news

It is ‘National VCR Day‘ — which is apparently a real thing — and dozens of old-school technophiles are undoubtedly stoked to watch low-resolution copies of Sweatin’ To The Oldies today. ABC7 Chicago has joined the revelry by releasing an adorable video of children trying figure out the complexities of the ancient VCR. The tykes in the clip reveal several pieces of ‘Kids Say The Darnedest Things’ style wisdom. According to one child, the VCR w

Somewhere deep in Rocky Mountain country the United States is training two elite Airforce attack squadrons to protect the world — or at least the US — from space attacks. The 26th and 527th Space Aggressor Squadrons (SAS) have been tasked with protecting our space assets, developing strategies to secure our space interests, and mounting a defense against extraterrestrial invaders that, on paper, sounds a lot like a Michael Bay script. Both squadrons are currently task

Creating a great business networking platform is really vital for any startup that anticipates success. Even so, every business needs a networking strategy that directly impacts its output. Here are awesome tips that any business could use to get the most out of their networking strategy. Choose a Platform that Delivers. A credible networking platform is of great essence. Usually if you need to grow your business network, this should be your cardinal consideration. The type of networking platfo

To celebrate the 31st anniversary of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (a very important anniversary, needless to say), Domino’s will be streaming the movie for free on its Facebook page on Sunday, June 11th at 7PM ET.Variety reports that the showing will be part of a series of “Facebook Live Movie Nights” on the pizza chain’s page, and also explains how pizza will play into the event: there will be pizza discount codes available to viewers. According to Domino’s, the

When Austin-based filmmaker Lex Lybrand set out to make a movie about patent trolls, people who abuse the legal system by weaponizing intellectual property rights, he wanted to focus on Texas, not Silicon Valley. Still, he’s gotten tangled up with the other Silicon Valley — the satirical HBO comedy about the California tech hub. Lybrand says a writer for the show stole elements of his film, including key lines of dialogue, scenes, and overarching plot elements.
With help from an Aust

Amazon’s website seems to be having issues with its product pages: across the online store, pages are failing to load. Users are instead presented with a 503 error, and one of several adorable dogs, in what is an incredibly rare outage for the online retailer.Given Amazon’s prominence in supplying web servers for huge swaths of the internet that can be disastrous when they fail, outages on its own site are kind of significant, especially given that the site is essentially losing mone

Today, NASA added 12 new astronauts to its corps, which now boasts 56 active members who can be assigned to upcoming spaceflight missions. The new class is made up of five women and seven men of various backgrounds — ranging from Air Force commanders to a ocean research engineer. One is even a former SpaceX engineer.
The new class was announced this afternoon at a special event at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. In attendance were numerous Texas representatives as well as Vic

This seems like a dark prophecy come true, indeed.
The Mummy reviews were embargoed until Wednesday morning, but long before critics drew their knives, the signs were there: three screenwriters and three separate "story-by" credits, the premature/forced announcement that it would lead off Universal Studios' shared "Dark Universe" films, and a newbie director whose writing credits include Cowboys & Aliens, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Star Trek Into Darkness and The Amazing Spider-Man

It's hard to talk about contemporary mystery thrillers without hearing the name Paula Hawkins. 
When her novel The Girl On The Train (which was also a MashReads book club selection) debuted in 2015, it jumped to the top of Amazon's bestseller list for the year, was picked up for a 2016 film adaptation starring Emily Blunt, and cemented Hawkins' name as an author to watch in the mystery thriller genre.
But following her success, Hawkins had one more mystery to solve: How does an author foll

Samsung might be making moves to stem the inevitable flood of iPhone excitement later this year with a big release of its own: the launch of the next iteration of the now-controversial Galaxy Note line, the Galaxy Note 8.
The follow-up to the explosive Note 7 has been the subject of rumors since early March, with many wondering when the Galaxy Note 8 would arrive. The company itself confirmed its plans to launch a new flagship smartphone in the second half of 2017 but declined to reveal exactly

Uber fired more than 20 people Wednesday. But that's far from the last of it. 
Recode revealed Wednesday that Eric Alexander, the president of business in the Asia Pacific, had been let go, after reports emerged that he obtained medical records of a rape victim in India and shared them with several Uber executives. An Uber spokesperson confirmed the departure to Mashable but declined to comment further on the matter. 
SEE ALSO: Uber fires more than 20 employees after sexual harassment

Apple Music released Planet of the Apps on Wednesday in what can only be referred to as a stealth launch. The unscripted series, scheduled vaguely for spring, follows the creators of new apps as they seek the funding and guidance needed to succeed in the cutthroat world of modern tech.
SEE ALSO: This app's 'travel mode' could keep your data safe from border guards
The show's premise is simple: Aspiring contestants pitch their app ideas to a panel of judges — Jessica Alba, Gwyneth Paltrow,

Even though it seems Comey didn't ask him about it, Trump wants everyone to know that he did not spend time with any Russian sex workers.
Ahead of Thursday's much anticipated testimonial, in which fired FBI Director James Comey will appear before the Senate Intelligence committee, the government released Comey's prepared remarks Wednesday.
It is a riveting seven pages full of grandfather clocks, clouds, and, maybe unexpectedly, "hookers in Russia."
SEE ALSO: Michael Moore wants whistleblowers to

Facebook today announced three new features that will make its service far more useful to elected officials, according to TechCrunch. The primary goal is to help politicians better connect with constituents in their designated district. But at a deeper level, Facebook is making it easier than ever before for these officials to gain insight into the thoughts and behaviors driving their communities, transforming the social network into a data gold mine for predicting voter behavior and all sorts o

DirecTV Now will exclusively work in Google Chrome starting in July, ditching support for Safari and Internet Explorer in favor of Google’s browser, per a report from AppleInsider.The news was announced in the form of a notification greeting users when they logged into the over-the-top streaming service. It informs users that DirecTV Now will only be supporting Chrome and the various mobile and TV apps for the service going forward, offering a link to download Google Chrome. While the remo

The Ethiopian government recently shut off the internet in an attempt to thwart cheaters. The move was made to prevent high school students from posting exams online, as they’d done last year. There are 102,374,044 people in Ethiopia according to CIA data – and less than one million of those people will be taking the exams. The other 99-percent will simply have to accept that they can’t use Twitter or Facebook until the exams have completed on June 8th. What that means for tra

If you keep a close eye on Apple hardware, then you know the Mac Pro has long been in need of an upgrade. Then Apple announced the iMac Pro yesterday, a behemoth all-in-one starting at $4,999 and sporting intense workstation-class specs. Some people have taken this to mean that Apple had completely abandoned the Mac Pro, which hasn’t been redesigned since late 2013. That would be a problem, because powerful as the iMac Pro may be, it’s not expandable. What you buy is

The digital age has made smart technology pervasive: You keep your devices by your side as they entertain, assist, and help you live your best life. With each generation of smartphone or new laptop model, there’s more to do, learn, and explore than ever before. But it’s time to get smarter about the lifespan of your technology – and how to hack the system.
Some buy the newest smartphones, laptops, and gadgetry every year, while others are looking for more eco-friendly and money

eBay’s Refurbished Tech Hub could save you up to 50% on devices compared to buying new.   
We all want the best tech for our buck, but that doesn’t have to mean big prices. Some of the most desirable tech gadgets on the market come close to a £1000 price tag, which can be an issue if you’re on a budget. While we all want the shiniest, all-singing, all-dancing technology, a lot of us are restricted on price. That doesn’t mean it’s out of reach, though

Flourish Klink and Elizabeth Minkel, co-hosts of the fandom podcast Fansplaining, recently conducted the loosest of academic studies, all about literature’s most controversial genre. Their survey — nine multiple choice questions, one longform response — has the herculean goal of defining “fan fiction.”Fanlore, the wiki of record for all things fandom, says fan fiction must be “a work of fiction written by fans for other fans, taking a source text or a famous p

IBM is channeling its science and tech expertise into tackling some of the world's biggest problems.
On Wednesday, the tech giant announced the launch of Science for Social Good, a new program that partners IBM researchers with postdoctoral academic fellows and nonprofits to take on societal issues through data.
With the new initiative, IBM announced 12 projects planned for 2017. Each Science for Social Good project aligns with one or more of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the United Nati

Twitch added an affiliate program a few months ago, giving streamers a chance to make money by monetizing their streams. The company is now expanding that by giving affiliate streamers a 5 percent cut of any revenue made from purchases of games or in-game items through Twitch’s store.The revenue share has been available to “Partner” streamers — who are selected by Twitch — since the store opened in February, but today’s move opens that up to any streamer who q

Nintendo's Universal theme park is progressing slowly but surely, and it looks like it's going to be amazing.
A fan of Universal Studios Japan tweeted out a handful of photos of a Super Mario-themed set piece from the theme park in Osaka Tueday, giving the world its first glimpse at what the upcoming Nintendo theme parks are going to look like, including part of a castle, some green pipes, and piranha plants.【速報】
ちょっと待って

Sick of apps tracking your every move? Apple's highly anticipated iOS 11 will hopefully give you some much needed peace of mind.
At the company's WWDC keynote on Monday, Tim Cook and team showed off a trove of new and updated devices, and gave the world a sneak peek at the wonders of its new mobile operating system iOS 11. 
A fortunately for privacy conscious users, a new feature, spotted in the iOS 11 developer preview, appears to give users the ability to control location access for all a

Sharing the Wi-Fi password when a friend comes over is one of the minor trials of modern life. After all, your devices are all already configured, so why should you have the exact alphanumeric string of random capitals memorized to hand out at the drop of a hat?Stop digging behind your couch for a Wi-Fi password
Apple appears to be solving this problem in iOS 11, according to a report from 9to5Mac. It notes that the upcoming iOS update includes a new Wi-Fi-sharing feature that should save you fr

A new NYC transit rule went into effect last October, which bans dogs from riding the subway — unless they fit inside a "container."
What the powers that be didn't realize, though, is just how many dogs fit inside containers. In fact, judging by these photos ... it seems like most dogs fit inside bags.
SEE ALSO: Dogs, rankedhere's my dog-in-bag on subway photo pic.twitter.com/yXPfPPk6iu
— Hanksy (@HanksyNYC) June 7, 2017
Not just a dog-in-a-bag. It's a pibble-in-a-bag. Not an easy fe

Apple revealed iOS 11 at its Worldwide Developers Conference this week, and with it, a welcome array of fixes to annoying iPhone problems. Offload Unused Apps will automatically remove little-used apps to free up space on your phone. Maps has added improvements for when you’re driving, like lane guidance, speed limits, and the ability to silence distractions with Do Not Disturb While Driving. But the one feature perhaps most likely to elicit a “finally!” has largely gone unnoti

Investments can have a conscience too. 
Investing in causes that do good in the world could be the best way for you to make money whilst contributing towards a sustainable future. There are a wealth of initiatives worldwide dedicated to the betterment of the lives of others and of the planet we all share.
If you're considering making an investment and are conscious of the environmental and social impact of your time here on earth, you should be tuning into our next #BizChats on Thursday, Ju

Tianmen Mountain in China has the ultimate parkour course, and it's not for the faint of heart.
Brave YouTuber Calen Chan took on what he claims is the "World's Largest Parkour Course" with a GoPro camera in his mouth to capture the run that he says spanned about three football fields long.
Along the way, Chan dodged tourists who were just hanging out on the course and nailed jumps he estimated to between five and 10 feet high.
"Obviously this was difficult, and I physically couldn't sprint dow

With more than one-fourth of 2017 over, many businesses feel pressured to achieve the goals they set for themselves at the beginning of the year. Next year’s resolutions are months away, but there are still changes happening this year that will heavily influence the practice of marketing in years to come. Here are some of the biggest trends on the horizon that stand to change the way businesses reach consumers. Live video Video has already become an integral part of marketing for many bus

Remember that time the American President insisted he'd get a wall built along the entire Mexican border, and then, have Mexico pay for it? Now, Donald "The Art of the Deal" Trump is telling people he might want to attach a bunch of solar panels to the wall, which would pay for said wall.
Trump reportedly suggested the idea during a meeting with Republican politicians on Tuesday, but it wouldn't be Trump if he didn't attach something inane to it. And did he ever, telling the gathered lawmakers t

Apple is giving users the option to enable much stricter location rules with iOS 11, according to MacRumors. The company began this effort last year by adding a new option to iOS 10 that grants apps access to your location only while they’re actively being used. But this “while in use” setting is up to developers to actually enable.The vast majority of popular apps did integrate that new feature. Others, however — Uber chief among them — still force iPhone users to

We finally have photos of the Banks family from the Mary Poppins sequel all together, and it's amazing. 
It's been more than 50 years since the film was originally released, and Entertainment Weekly posted a first look at photos from the sequel that fans have long awaited. It's a jolly holiday—Mary Poppins is back! See our gallery of exclusive, first-look photos from #MaryPoppinsReturns: https://t.co/iJ0DzWUIm4 pic.twitter.com/0JMJIhUsYY
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) June 7,

Fossilized remains found in Morocco might belong to our 300,000-year-old ancestors.
The skulls and bones could represent the earliest known fossils of Homo sapiens, the human species to which we all belong, scientists said in two new studies published Wednesday.
If true, the findings would mean that our species originated at least 100,000 years earlier than previously thought. The results could also bring more clarity to our still-fuzzy understanding of how, where, and when humans evolved in Afr

Earlier this week, Apple announced HomePod, a new $350 speaker that’s designed to seamlessly work with all your Apple devices and Apple Music content. But HomePod doesn’t come out until December, which is a long time to wait.
Fortunately, we can cast our eyes back in time to the heady days of 2006, when Apple released the iPod Hi-Fi, a $350 speaker designed to work with all your Apple devices and iTunes content. The Hi-Fi was a huge, white plastic behemoth with a 30-pin iPod dock bui

Everyone who’s booked on a stay on Airbnb likely has a check-in horror story: that one apartment nestled deep inside a confusing, labyrinthian complex, accessible by way of a hard-to-find lock box hidden inside a tall row of shrubbery with a key code buried in an email message you’re having trouble finding. Airbnb knows that its check-in process is inconsistent and, often, not ideal — at least when compared to a standard hotel. So the company is making a big effort to streamlin

People really can't get enough of all things Wonder Woman, and it appears that's also true when it comes to porn.
According to new data from porn platform RedTube, searches for videos related to the new DC Comics blockbuster have soared since it was released worldwide on June 2. It’s not unusual for porn searches to reflect what’s happening in pop culture, but this was an especially noticeable spike. 
Searches started to inch up by about 24 percent as early as May 30, when the f

Apple might give users more control over their AirPods with the launch of iOS 11. If you currently want to change tracks on your AirPods, you have to double tap to activate Siri and then tell it to skip. That’s obviously not ideal for when you’re outside your house or in a noisy space. But with iOS 11, it’s possible that wearers might be able to double tap on an AirPod to skip to the next track. Double tapping on the other AirPod could go back to the previous song. You can assi