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Tech NewsK2’s Kwicker Splitboard Is the Stuff of Backcountry Powder Dreams
Splitboarding has been around since the mid-’90s as a way to make backcountry snowboarding available to the 99 percent of us who can’t afford helicopters. It’s essentially a snowboard that splits down the middle, turning into a pair of skis so you can climb uphill when you’re far away from a ski lift. When you … Continued
By Brent Rose -
Tech NewsStock Up On Eneloops And Lightning Cables And Power [Deals]
Eneloops are the best rechargeable batteries, and the Power Pack is a great way to jump into the ecosystem. $34 gets you 8AAs and 2AAAs, along with a great battery charger and ridiculously useful C and D spacers, which allow you to sub in AA in place of C or D batteries. [Amazon] Eneloop Power … Continued
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Tech NewsPrivacy & Security
The FAA’s Roadmap For Domestic Drones Somehow Sidesteps Privacy
Like it or not, drones are coming to America’s skies—lots of them. By 2025, the government expects tens of thousands of drones to take flight, and it’s scrambling to get the proper regulations in place. It’s not off to a great start. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) got the ball rolling on Thursday by publishing … Continued
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io9
Carnage Comes to Westeros, in this Bloody Game of Thrones Prequel
A hundred years before King Joffrey ruled with distinction, a very different boy learned how to be a King. Fans of George R.R. Martin have long admired his “Dunk and Egg” stories, and now there’s a new graphic novel adaptation showing the history of Westeros. We’ve got some brand new exclusive images. The graphic novel … Continued
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Tech News
18 Breathtaking Architectural Lookouts You’ll Wish You Could Visit
People have been building up for as long as they’ve been building at all, but structures made solely for the purpose of leisurely looking around at things—“purpose-free architecture”—are a relatively recent phenomenon. Lookout: Architecture With a View, a new show at the Swiss Architecture Museum (and accompanying book), offers an almost-like-being-there glimpse into some of … Continued
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Tech NewsSploid
Blinky, the freaky three-eyed crab that is actually two crabs in one
Imagine the look on biologist Gerhard Scholtz’s face when he looked down at this crab in New Zealand’s Hoteo river, only to find three eyes looking back at him. Was this the result of a freak nuclear accident? An alien invasion? A mean trick? Nope. It’s just Blinky. The Amarinus lacustris crab, Scholtz would later … Continued
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Tech NewsSploid
Holy crap, I can’t believe this wasn’t made with a computer
Watch this crazy video featuring a swarm of drones flying around. I just can’t believe they weren’t generated with a 3D animation program. They are real, flying in perfect choreography. Stunning work. https://gizmodo.com/you-wont-believe-these-perfectly-synced-drones-arent-1460768867
By Jesus Diaz -
Tech News
Xbox One vs PS4 Streaming Apps in One Glorious Megachart
Both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One want to be way more than just your gaming console—they want to be the centerpiece of your home entertainment system. This week, we got our first look at the apps that’ll launch with both consoles. Here’s how they measure up. On the numbers game alone, Xbox One appears to … Continued
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io9Movies10 stories where technology is indistinguishable from magic
Arthur C. Clarke’s third law of prediction holds that “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” The magical space-age design of Asgard in the new Thor movie seems to have taken its cue from this idea in a major way. Here are ten other stories where machinery seems to have merged with sorcery. Art … Continued
Annalee Newitz and Emily Stamm -
Tech News
Pop Music Makes Experimental Solar Panels Work 50% Harder
Ever notice how you feel more productive while listening to a great song? It’s not just you. Researchers just discovered that a certain type of solar panel works most efficiently when exposed to the acoustic vibrations of pop music. Crank it up! The UK research team works on zinc oxide solar panels, a cheaper, more … Continued
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io9
New Kepler data could change our odds of meeting aliens
Earlier this week we reported on the astounding revelation that 22% of sunlike stars in the Milky Way are orbited by potentially habitable, Earth-sized worlds. Given that there may be billions upon billions of life-friendly planets out there, it’s time to revise the numbers in the Drake Equation and estimate how many communicable alien civilizations … Continued
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io9Movies
Ender’s Game could live on inside your television
Even though Ender’s Game didn’t perform as well as Lionsgate hoped it would, the franchise could get another chance on TV. During the annual shareholders conference call, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer speculated that the Ender’s franchise could spin-off into a TV series. Ender, the boy who refused to die. We could get into an Ender’s … Continued
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Tech NewsSploidThe Air Force has a base in a dormant volcano to spy things in space
The Air Force has a very special base sitting atop Haleakala, a dormant volcano in Hawaii. It doesn’t look like any other air base because the USAF Maui Space Complex has a very special mission: Spy on objects orbiting Earth. This is how it looks: Talking to Airman, the official USAF magazine, Capt. Shahn Rashid … Continued
By Jesus Diaz -
Tech News
This Book Shows You What It’s Like to Have Dyslexia
For people with dyslexia, relating their struggle with reading to the general population can be a seemingly impossible and frustrating task. Graphic designer (and dyslexic) Sam Barclay, though, hopes to finally bridge the gap between those with reading difficulties and those without using his new book—a visual experience of what dyslexia actually entails. Currently a … Continued
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io9Television
Add Vertigo’s iZombie to the pile of TV shows DC is trying to make
Chances are you didn’t read Chris Roberson and Mike Allred’s pop-horror Vertigo comic iZombie, as it was canceled after only 28 issues. It’s a shame, because it was a great, fun, and a genuinely fresh take on horror tropes. But you might get another chance, as The CW is putting an iZombie show into development, … Continued
By Rob Bricken -
io9MoviesThor: The Dark World shows superhero movies can still be joyful
It’s a grim time for big-screen superheroes. Rebooted versions of Superman and Spider-Man both have daddy issues. Tony Stark has PTSD. Wolverine kinda wants to die. So it’s a relief to watch Thor: The Dark World, which is the lightest, funniest superhero movie in ages. Let a thunder-god show you how to make a joyful … Continued
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Tech News
Inside the Hidden NYC Clocktower Gallery’s Grand Finale
Even though the Clocktower Gallery has been around since 1972, you might never have known it was even there. It resides in the top two floors of a government-owned building in Tribeca, which is just part of the odd story of how this alternative art space has operated through the years. Now it is hosting … Continued
