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Tech NewsThis Amphibious Lambo Is the Official Mascot of El Niño
The record-breaking El Niño-fueled storms that swept through California the past two days brought never-before-seen phenomena to our doors: Floating trash cans, tornado warnings, more floating trash cans. But none of these were more symbolic of our struggle with the wicked weather pattern than this Lamborghini that dared to drive where SUVs would not tread. … Continued
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Tech NewsUber (and Lyft) Finally Bankrupted San Francisco’s Favorite Taxi Company
Here’s one we probably saw coming. San Francisco’s largest taxi company is filing for bankruptcy, citing competition from Uber and Lyft. But it’s not too late for Yellow Cab yet. The SF Examiner has a statement from the Yellow Cab Co-Op that points out an interesting reason for their slumping business. It’s not that riders … Continued
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Tech News
Penn Station, the Worst Public Transit Experience in the US, Will Be Reborn—Amen!
Finally, some good news for the 650,000 commuters forced to slither through the catacomb-like warrens of one of the worst train stations on the planet every single day. New York City’s Penn Station is getting a much-needed $3 billion makeover. As part of a comprehensive regional transportation plan that includes a new airport at LaGuardia … Continued
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Tech NewsWhen Will Dubai Fix Its Burning Skyscraper Problem?
Watching a 63-story Dubai hotel explode into flames on New Year’s Eve and smolder well into New Year’s Day, you might’ve been wondering the same thing I was: Why do so many of Dubai’s skyscrapers catch fire? And how terrifying is it that this city can’t seem to stop this from happening? A horrific time-lapse … Continued
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Tech News
35,000 Dairy Cows Were Buried Alive By a Freak Blizzard in Texas
The day after Texas experienced weirdly warm temperatures and Christmas tornadoes, a blizzard slammed across the western part of the state. A dozen people were killed by the storms, and now, another tragic death toll has been reported: More than 35,000 dairy cows lost their lives. The New York Times reports that it was not … Continued
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Tech News
This El Niño-Powered Trash Can Is the Best Gadget We Didn’t See at CES This Year
It was a little behind schedule, but El Niño delivered its wrath upon California today, flushing the state with the first of many punishing rains. And you know what happens in punishing rains. Trash cans take to the streets. By themselves. Supposedly CES is all about autonomous vehicles this year so it’s a shame we … Continued
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Tech NewsThe Reason Identical Triplets Are So Rare Will Surprise You
The identical triplets headed home from a Houston hospital today are being called “one in a million” multiples by doctors. The reason we don’t have more identical triplets running around is very simple—and it probably goes against what you’ve heard about twins (or triplets, for that matter). There are two types of multiples: monozygotic (identical) … Continued
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Tech NewsObama Just Proposed Creating a ‘Find My iPhone’ for Stolen Firearms
President Obama announced a new executive order to stop gun violence in the US, with several new policies including a national registry for gun vendors. But he also called for gunmakers to “update firearms technology,” which would include not only biometric locks but a new idea to track guns with an app. “If there’s an … Continued
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EartherClimate Change
El Niño Is Running Late But It’s Been Pounding Beers All Day
So El Niño was supposed to arrive this morning, and in true California style, it hasn’t showed up yet. Be warned, though, when El Niño does get here, it’s in the mood to fucking party—and it’s drinking to get drunk. The first of four El Niño-powered storms will be here soon (any minute now, I … Continued
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Tech News
Now India’s Airpocalypse Is So Bad, It’s Banning Half the Cars in Delhi
Last week Milan became the latest city to banish cars from streets to curb its horrible smog. On January 1, Delhi joined the club with its own vehicle restrictions, but the challenge before the chronically polluted Indian city is much much greater. Will a every-other-day ban on cars be any help? After recording some of … Continued
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EartherClimate Change
The Well Responsible for LA’s Colossal Gas Leak Didn’t Have a Safety Valve
Engineers don’t know exactly what caused the gigantic natural gas leak outside LA that’s the atmospheric equivalent of the BP oil spill. But they suspected it might be aging infrastructure since the pipes are over 50 years old. Turns out that the well hasn’t had a working safety valve since 1979. In an interview with … Continued
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EartherClimate ChangeA California Gas Leak Is the Biggest Environmental Disaster Since the BP Oil Spill
The largest natural gas leak ever recorded is jeopardizing health and causing evacuations for thousands of Southern California residents. And two months into it, scientists and engineers still can’t figure out a way to contain the seeping gas. It is easily the worst environmental disaster since BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. Tellingly, some … Continued
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EartherClimate Change
Milan Bans Cars to Combat Horrible Smog
Beijing and Delhi are both planning major initiatives to kick cars off their streets, at least part of the time. Now even cities that aren’t famous for their pollution are taking drastic measures to clean up their air. Today, Milan’s streets are filled with bikes and pedestrians as part of three-day car ban. Milan is … Continued
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Tech NewsSocial Media
Should Facebook Really Pay Its Employees to Live Closer to Work?
It’s no secret that thousands of Silicon Valley tech workers who would rather live in San Francisco are being bused in and out of the city every day. But after these policies have come under fire, it appears that a handful those tech companies are trying to encourage employees to live closer to work. With … Continued
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io9TelevisionHappy Life Day Eve! Let’s Bask in the Spectacular Awfulness of the Star Wars Holiday Special
Tomorrow is Life Day, and as you’re steering your starship to Kashyyyk to celebrate with your Wookiee relatives, take a moment to reflect on the best possible way to commemorate this intergalactic holiday: By watching the Star Wars Holiday Special. This week, Mental Floss published a comprehensive oral history of the 1978 special. Well, let’s … Continued
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Tech News
I Hope No One Tries to Hack This Shining-Inspired Gingerbread Hotel to Pieces
‘Tis the season for rendering architectural icons out of cookies and plotting to murder your family in a remote mountain resort. Now the two best things about Christmastime are together at last. Over at r/movies, eudicotyledon says his family made this incredibly disturbing yet very wonderful gingerbread version of the Overlook Hotel from the film … Continued
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Tech NewsCan These Micro-Units Fix New York City’s Housing Problems?
Micro-unit developments—new apartments that are 400 square feet or smaller—are sprouting up all over the country as cities try to cram more housing into their neighborhoods. New York City’s first micro-unit development opened this month and it’s controversial—even in a city where people already pay top dollar to live in tiny apartments. We recently took … Continued
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EartherClimate Change
9 Maps That Show How Completely Bizarre Your Christmas Eve Weather Will Be
Even if you don’t end up putting grandma on a hoverboard, this Christmas Eve is set to be the weirdest in recent memory. No jacket required for much of the normally frigid East Coast, while the West Coast freezes its usually balmy buns off? Here’s a look at the meteorological surreality of the December 24 … Continued
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Tech News
NYC’s Road Salt Is Being Stored in a Building That Looks Like a Giant Crystal
New York City will definitely not be having a White Christmas, but when winter finally does arrive, sanitation trucks will be hauling some of the city’s snow-melting salt out of this quite beautiful sculpture. Turns out this is also an incredible story about how city buildings can be done right. The Manhattan Districts 1/2/5 Garage … Continued
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io9
Which of These Albums Reimagined with Star Wars Characters Is Your Favorite?
The return of Star Wars has brought us many good things (a chance to revisit our Han Solo crushes from 4th grade) and many bad things (ketchup-infused VaderDogs). But nothing out there is as truly awesome as these album covers inspired by the Star Wars universe. Steven Lear masters Photoshop with a Jedi-like acumen in … Continued
Alissa Walker
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