Back in the day when computers relied on CRT monitors, having a static image displayed for too long actually resulted in the image being burned into the screen. For this reason, screensavers were developed, which display animated images in constant motion to prevent burning in when you stepped away from your computer.
"Ahoy-hoy." If telephone titan Alexander Graham Bell had his way, we'd all be answering phones like Mr. Burns. Thankfully, frienemy Thomas Edison had enough sense to realize we weren't always on the briny. He preferred "hello" as our standard telephone greeting, which he is credited with coining in 1877. Fellow American pioneer Davy Crockett actually used it as a greeting first in 1833 (as compared to an exclamation)—but in print, not over the phone.
Counter-Strike is one of the most popular first-person shooters of all time, and deservedly so. What originally started out as a third-party Half-Life mod garnered such a cult following that Valve had to hire the developers and purchase the intellectual property to make it an official standalone release.
When I first heard about the Thermomix, an all-in-one kitchen appliance from Australia, it sounded like an old SNL commercial parody: It slices! It dices! It heats! It kneads! Is there ANYTHING this machine CAN'T do?
Arcades have long faded away from popularity, but their legacy is being kept alive thanks to emulators and the avid fans who grew up loading quarters into all of those coin-op games. Although nothing beats an actual arcade environment, my favorite emulator from the early 2000s has found a new home on Android, and with it a second life.
One of the best features of Android is the fact that it's open-source, giving developers the ability to use it on pretty much any device they can think of, like on a Windows PC using Andy. That's what drove the creators behind the Android-x86 project to port over the mobile OS to any computer running an Intel processor.
This is evil and it destroys people. Let's just get that out of the way. Nonetheless, suppose you need to make someone distrust their own memory and perception of reality. Suppose you want someone to believe in you more than they believe in themselves.
With this article, I'll be continuing the series I started with my recent plague doctor article. That is, examining tropes that may at first appear to not fit into Steampunk.
Rumors of Apple developing smartglasses have persisted as prophecy since 2016, but the arrival of what many herald as the savior of augmented reality have eluded even Nostradamus himself.
Get Out absolutely tore up the record books this year. And the wildest thing about it? It did so with the most ordinary looking characters and props ever (hence the shoestring $4.5 million budget). Which makes it a godsend for the time- and cash-strapped come Halloween. With Get Out, Jordan Peele is the first (and only) African-American writer-director with a $100-million film debut under his belt. The film is also the _all-time highest domestic grossing debut based on an original screenplay ...
There seems to be a nearly cult-like craze surrounding those glasses filled with summery, pink-hued rosé wine. From picnics in the park to long days spent on the beach, rosé wine offers light, warm-weather refreshment to its lucky imbiber.
The practice of using sound to trigger augmented reality interactions hasn't been widely used, but a new experience is so impressive that it could kick off more use of the dynamic.
Can lightning strike twice? Niantic is betting that it can with its latest augmented reality game based on the best-selling multimedia franchise Harry Potter.
Are you one of those people that waits until the last minute to come up with a costume for Halloween? Unless you're a makeup artist, have a ton of money, or are ultra-crafty, coming up with a good Halloween costume is always a low-priority task. That is, until it's Halloween and you're having a panic attack.
This time last year, we got our first taste of what mobile app developers could do in augmented reality with Apple's ARKit. Most people had never heard of Animojis. Google's AR platform was still Tango. Snapchat introduced its World Lens AR experiences. Most mobile AR experiences existing in the wild were marker-based offerings from the likes of Blippar and Zappar or generic Pokémon GO knock-offs.
Welcome back, my fledgling hackers! Hacking has a long and storied history in the U.S. and around the world. It did not begin yesterday, or even at the advent of the 21st century, but rather dates back at least 40 years. Of course, once the internet migrated to commercial use in the 1990s, hacking went into hyperdrive.
The iPhone X was released in November 2017, and the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus dropped right before it, but the hottest news right now revolves around the 2018 iPhone releases. The rumor mill regarding the iPhone X's successor started churning out speculations on names, cameras, display size, and more almost immediately after last year's devices, and there have been many new leaked details since.
Amazon really wants to make itself at home in your home. Like, everywhere in your home, from your doorstep to your kitchen, your kids' rooms, and everywhere in between.
A good smartphone can be the perfect workout companion. You have music for motivation, videos for pushing through boring cardio sessions, GPS to keep you on course, and even an array of sensors for gathering data about your workout. But not all phones are created equal when it comes to helping you stay fit.
Your smartphone stays with you everywhere you go, so it's only a matter of time before you spill coffee all over it or drop it on the ground. For some of you, it has already happened, perhaps even multiple times. That's why we thought it was important to find out which flagship phones are the most life-proof.
The biggest problem with Netflix (which is hardly a real problem) is the overwhelming amount of content available for streaming. Browsing through profile-specific categories might help narrow down your search on something to watch, but some of those categories come and go without warning, and it's impossible to find them again—but not anymore.
Sometimes I forget that I'm also a fiction writer, so I thought it might be a nice change of pace to share one of my stories with you. I wrote this piece awhile ago for an anthology that never came together and I'm tired of just sitting on it.
If we were to assign a theme for the 2019 edition of the Next Reality 30 (NR30), it might be something along the lines of, "What have you done for me lately?"
Cult Ritual are one of my favorite hardcore bands of the last few years. Hailing from Florida, their sound is a cross between 'Damaged-era' Black Flag, Bl'ast, and Poison Idea. Mean, dissonent, chaotic, and noisy. Everything i love about hardcore wrapped up in one. I don't think they are still together and I believe members are now in Neon Blud, Nazi Dust, and Slavescene. Also be sure to check Merchandise and Body Rot (both feature members of Cult Ritual). Most, if not all of their releases a...
Below, learn to detect the markings of a Satanic cult member. Hard to believe, but yes, this is a bonafide HowTo (truly, it's on the FBI's official list of resources on “Beheadings & Ritual Murders").
From the makers of the cult favorite Rez. I don't know what's going on but I want it.
English Russia's top ten most popular and favorite cakes of latter day Soviet Russia (Potato Cake?!?):
“Of a generation who remembers Tiananmen Square, 1989, I considered how some excuse – the lack of, or slow progress on, human rights in China because ‘times have changed’, or because other concerns, including making money, come first, or because rights, freedom, and democracy are somehow different issues there than in the West.” Denise Chong
In this week's Phone Snap Challenge, we would like you to experiment with lighting and mood setting to create a silhouette. A silhouetted photograph contains a subject that is defined with an outline, appearing dark against a bright background. The subject generally appears dark, without any detail, while the background is bright and more exposed. Silhouettes in photographs appear to be simple, yet they can convey a sense of drama and emotion. Before you get started, check out this guide on h...
It's the most wonderful time of the year. Christmas lights are up, stores are crowded, tacky knit sweaters are making an appearance, and there's the constant smell of something delicious baking in the oven. In this week's Phone Snap Challenge, spread some holiday cheer by showing us your holiday-themed cell phone photos. Post your image to the corkboard by Monday, December 26th at 11:59 pm PST for a chance to win a set of fun Photobooth Props from Etsy store LittleRetreats just in time for th...
On November 2nd, the legendary McRib returned to McDonald's across the country. McRib fans rejoiced. BUT, as every true fan already knows, the sandwich will be pulled from the menu again December 5th.
Say hello to "Meet Eater," the world's most social garden. Seriously — say hello! Its life may depend on it:
Via WonderHowTo World, CAKES! CAKES! CAKES!: Amy Sedaris is one multi-talented lady.
Amy Sedaris is one multi-talented lady. Nude-frosting-sprinkle model. Star and co-creator of beloved cult classic Strangers With Candy (see her in character as Jerri Blank below), sister of famed author David Sedaris, and best of all (in CAKES! CAKES! CAKES!' humble opinion): talented baker.
Burger Records, a vinyl/cassette label based in Fullerton, Ca. and run by members of Audacity and Thee Makeout Party, have reissued 3 cassette tapes from Cleaners From Venus. "Midnight Cleaners" (1982), "In The Golden Autumn" (1983), and "Under Wartime Conditions" (1984). These cassettes have been loooong out of print and nearly impossible to find. If not for blogspots, some of these tracks would never be heard again. Martin Newell (Mr. Cleaners or Mr. Venus???) started recording and releasin...
COLOSSUS n pl. COLOSSUSES or COLOSSI a gigantic statue 60 points (10 points without the bingo)
Anyone who likes shooters is going to hate me for saying this: the best game of the 2000's for me was Psychonauts by Double Fine Studios. It came out in 2005 for the original Xbox, achieving critical acclaim, but never selling very well due to its sheer kookiness and poor marketing. Over the ensuing years it has become a cult classic, with downloadable re-releases on Xbox 360 (sadly no longer available). PC has allowed gamers who missed out on the original to bask in its ageless glory.
Sticking with our theme of XBLA games with uninspiring names, we have Outland. This game shares its name with an unrelated sci-fi cult film from 1981, unrelated comic strip from the '90s, and unrelated region in World of Warcraft. Didn't exactly try hard to build name recognition. Other than that, Finnish developer Housemarque has created the best 2D platformer I've seen in years.
L4D2: Chapter two - The Underground "Ok explain something to me, how is an under-the-river tour scenic?" - Nick
