%feed http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fnews.google.com%252Fnews%252Furl%253Fsa%253Dt%2526fd%253DR%2526ct2%253Duk%2526usg%253DAFQjCNFimA_vYfd_iXwETcZxwAml0VEowg%2526clid%253Dc3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331%2526cid%253D52779168070009%2526ei%253DNaWXV5j3KbC9zAb177OACg%2526url%253Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.independent.co.uk%252Fnews%252Fscience%252Fphilae-to-be-switched-off-and-die-after-hopeful-little-rosetta-lander-goes-quiet-a7157216.html%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8 r0B0t: Philae to be switched off and die after hopeful little Rosetta lander goes quiet - The Independent
%feed http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fnews.google.com%252Fnews%252Furl%253Fsa%253Dt%2526fd%253DR%2526ct2%253Dus%2526usg%253DAFQjCNGbxUbtnheoESk7TDe_HtPW7XSfxQ%2526clid%253Dc3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331%2526cid%253D52779168033997%2526ei%253D0KeXV9iON6--zAbHmpngCQ%2526url%253Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.recode.net%252F2016%252F7%252F26%252F12260188%252Fgoogle-robot-ai-ethics-safety-video%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8 r0B0t: Google wants to improve artificial intelligence to prevent robot screw-ups - Recode
%feed http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fnews.google.com%252Fnews%252Furl%253Fsa%253Dt%2526fd%253DR%2526ct2%253Dus%2526usg%253DAFQjCNFjC3JA11cXhm8pdOXt0y8bIZzbOg%2526clid%253Dc3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331%2526cid%253D52779167632389%2526ei%253D0KeXV8jDNbTWzAainbfQCg%2526url%253Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.techrepublic.com%252Farticle%252Fteslas-master-plan-2-0-ai-experts-auto-insiders-and-tesla-customers-weigh-in%252F%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8 r0B0t: Tesla's Master Plan 2.0: AI experts, auto insiders, and Tesla customers weigh in - TechRepublic
Tesla's Master Plan 2.0: AI experts, auto insiders, and Tesla customers weigh in TechRepublic Smith also wonders if Tesla will "explore micro-trucks, delivery robots, and other forms of more localized (and necessarily automated) shipping," not to mention drones. He also said he "wonder[s] how Tesla will play in the digital world. For example ...
%feed http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.engadget.com%252F2016%252F07%252F26%252Fbbc-time-commanders-total-war%252F%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8 r0B0t: BBC to reboot game-powered TV show 'Time Commanders' Ready for some more BBC nostalgia? Following the carnage of last weekend's Robot Wars (a great reboot, in my opinion) the broadcaster is turning its attention to Time Commanders. The game show, which simulated historical battles, originally aired on... robots
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%feed http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.engadget.com%252F2016%252F07%252F26%252Ficymi-better-3d-viewing-and-your-new-robot-gardner%252F%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8 r0B0t: ICYMI: Better 3D viewing and your new robot gardener Today on In Case You Missed It: MIT developed a 3D projector system for movies that could get rid of 3D theater glasses altogether. An automated farming machine can plant, water and maintain the garden in your backyard with hardly any effort on y... robots
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%feed http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fnews.google.com%252Fnews%252Furl%253Fsa%253Dt%2526fd%253DR%2526ct2%253Dus%2526usg%253DAFQjCNHfHYWMyApBIe_bOfyjYCL8X2qk2Q%2526clid%253Dc3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331%2526ei%253DbiKXV-jIFLC9zAb177OACg%2526url%253Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fhackaday.com%252F2016%252F07%252F25%252Fhackaday-prize-entry-an-ai-robot%252F%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8 r0B0t: Hackaday Prize Entry: An AI Robot - Hackaday
Hackaday Prize Entry: An AI Robot Hackaday For her Hackaday Prize entry, [ThunderSqueak] is building an artificial intelligence. P.A.L., the Self-Programming AI Robot, is building on the intelligence displayed by Amazon's Alexa, Apple's Siri, and whatever the Google thing is called, to build a ...
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%feed http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fnews.google.com%252Fnews%252Furl%253Fsa%253Dt%2526fd%253DR%2526ct2%253Duk%2526usg%253DAFQjCNHVsSCv87HLqnCPFSvUBYl25PTXbQ%2526clid%253Dc3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331%2526cid%253D52779167167684%2526ei%253DRh-XV-jvB4HE1AakxJf4BA%2526url%253Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.bbc.co.uk%252Fnews%252Fbusiness-36887325%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8 r0B0t: New trials for delivering goods by drones - BBC News
%feed http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fnews.google.com%252Fnews%252Furl%253Fsa%253Dt%2526fd%253DR%2526ct2%253Duk%2526usg%253DAFQjCNF6Ikdtko_YzC6Mg3Cvo4J4nOefNw%2526clid%253Dc3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331%2526cid%253D52779166781077%2526ei%253DObaWV5D6G4aP1gbduqtI%2526url%253Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.express.co.uk%252Fnews%252Fuk%252F693026%252FBiscuit-tea-dunker-robot-rich-tea%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8 r0B0t: REVEALED: Scientists find the BEST BISCUIT for tea dunking... but do you agree? - Express.co.uk
%feed http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.engadget.com%252F2016%252F07%252F25%252Fphd-student-uses-a-robot-to-make-vr-feel-more-real%252F%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8 r0B0t: PhD student uses a robot to make VR feel more real Between the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift, we've come a long way towards being able to step in to virtual worlds -- but touching those false realities is a different matter. Solving this means finding a haptic technology that can adapt to needs of a c... robots
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%feed http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fnews.google.com%252Fnews%252Furl%253Fsa%253Dt%2526fd%253DR%2526ct2%253Duk%2526usg%253DAFQjCNF6Ikdtko_YzC6Mg3Cvo4J4nOefNw%2526clid%253Dc3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331%2526cid%253D52779166781077%2526ei%253DB6SWV6HmEovC1Qba47CgDw%2526url%253Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.express.co.uk%252Fnews%252Fuk%252F693026%252FBiscuit-tea-dunker-robot-rich-tea%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8 r0B0t: REVEALED: Scientists find the BEST BISCUIT for tea dunking... but do you agree? - Express.co.uk
REVEALED: Scientists find the BEST BISCUIT for tea dunking... but do you agree? Express.co.uk A ROBOT has managed to settle an age-old debate which has had Britons arguing over their steaming mug of PG Tips for years - what's the best biscuit for dunking? By Rebecca Perring Rebecca Perring. PUBLISHED: 14:33, Mon, Jul 25, 2016 | UPDATED: ...
%feed http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fgrist.org%252Fclimate-energy%252Fheres-how-a-post-coal-appalachia-could-thrive%252F%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8 r0B0t: Here's how a post-coal Appalachia could thrive
Last year, a pair of anthropologists traveled to central Appalachia to talk to locals about the so-called “War on Coal.” They trekked across nine counties in West Virginia and eastern Kentucky, recorded hundreds of conversations, and published the results in a report for the Topos Partnership, a public interest communications firm.
Appalachians told the researchers they want independence, and they believe independence comes from work. Work used to come from coal, but mining jobs are fleeing the region. In the last five years, Kentucky and West Virginia shed 15,000 coal jobs.
“When we have coal, then we have money put into our communities, but when you don't have coal, your coal miners leave. They go places,” said a woman from Logan County, West Virginia. Coal miners could make upwards of $80,000 a year, and they spent their hard-earned dollars at the grocery down the block and the bar around the corner.
As coal departs, Appalachia is being forced to reinvent itself. Amid reports of economic decline are stories of rebirth, of communities reclaiming their independence.
Computer programming
Kentucky tech startup Bit Source is hiring out-of-work coal miners and teaching them to write code.
“The realization I had was that the coal miner, although we think of him as a person who gets dirty and works with his hands, really coal mines today are very sophisticated, and they use a lot of technology, a lot of robotics,” Rusty Justice, the firm's cofounder, told NPR. State officials are working to extend high-speed internet access to the Eastern Kentucky to support more ventures like Bit Source that provide well-paid jobs to coal veterans.
Clean energy and energy efficiency
Analysts say the shift to clean power will create more jobs than it eliminates. Enterprising coal workers are trying to bring a few of those jobs to Appalachia.
Retired Kentucky coal miner Carl Shoupe and his colleagues on the Benham Power Board are spearheading a citywide energy efficiency program. Contractors will make homes more power-thrifty — installing insulation, sealing windows, etc. — and homeowners will pay for the upgrades through a charge on their monthly electric bill. The charge will be less than what customers save on energy.
Shoupe believes communities that once ran on coal can add jobs and save money by investing in energy efficiency. According to a report from Synapse, an energy consulting firm, Kentucky could create more than 28,000 jobs by embracing energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Wine growing
In a region wounded by strip mining and mountaintop removal, some families are trying to heal the earth, transforming depleted mining sites into vineyards.
Virginia's David Lawson built Mountainrose Vineyard on fields that had been strip mined by his grandfathers, according to YES! Magazine. He named wines Jawbone and Pardee after coal seams.
Kentucky's Jack Looney, the son of a coal worker, built Highland Winery on a strip mine. Looney told the Associated Press that grapes grow well on land cleared by mountaintop removal. His wines pay tribute to the region's history with names like Blood, Sweat, and Tears and Coal Miner's Blood.
A culture of pragmatism
Appalachia's future remains tenuous. Coal is dying. Jobs are vanishing. Skilled workers are fleeing the region. But as the Topos report noted, Appalachians are pragmatic. Said a woman from Pike County, Kentucky, “Try something new — if it doesn't work, do something else, you know? Just try till you find what works.”
The biggest challenge may be the loss of identity. Difficult, backbreaking, and dangerous though it was, mining gave Appalachians a sense of purpose. It defined a region as gritty and determined. How do you go from wresting energy from the bowels of the earth to writing code or growing wine?
“I wanted to be a coal miner so bad I could taste it … I wanted to have that pride,” said former Virginia coal miner Nick Mullins in an interview. Mullins came to change with his surroundings. When he was 18, a mining company blew the top off the mountain behind the house where he grew up. He never wanted to mine again.
“What is life unless you can live it?” asked Mullins. “What is a community if it's not there anymore?”
This story was written and produced by Nexus Media.
%feed http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Ffeeds.gawker.com%252F%7Er%252Flifehacker%252Fvip%252F%7E3%252FQuetccLTc6c%252Fwhy-cats-love-boxes-great-morning-podcasts-and-a-saus-1784063623%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8 r0B0t: Why Cats Love Boxes, Great Morning Podcasts, and a Sausage-Grilling Robot
In this week's Brain Buffet, we get to the bottom of why cats love to curl up in boxes or other small spaces, show off a vending machine that dispenses books, look at some podcasts to start your day, and much more.
Welcome to Lifehacker's Monday Brain Buffet, a series where we round up interesting, informative, and thought-provoking podcasts, interviews, articles, and other media that will teach you something new, inspire you, and hopefully start your week off on the right foot.
The Biblio-Mat, a Random Book Vending Machine
When bookstores put those shelves out front or around the side of their stores that advertise books for a dollar or two, people walk right past them and don't even think about it. When you put those same books in a vending machine that you can pop a couple of coins into and get a random book with the luck of the draw, well, suddenly that game aspect of the whole thing makes people flock to it and turns it into an interesting game of chance that's fun to play—and fun to watch. [via YouTube]
How to Make the Most of Your Convention Experience
Summer is here, Comic-Con started this weekend, and other huge conventions aren't far behind! If you're heading out to one, or heading to another major convention of some stripe, you'll need some tips to help you make the most of the experience. Of course, we have some great tips to help you survive, and to stay healthy while you're there, but this piece from Forces of Geek is also full of tips to make the most of your experience, not just survive while you're there. For example, they highlight the “5-2-1 Rule,” which mandates five hours of sleep per night, two full meals a day, and one shower a day—and all of those sound pretty damned important to me.
They also include some tips to avoid the dreaded Concrud, but also some great pointers to surviving the Dealer's Room:
The hard part of a dealers room is not breaking your convention budget. Believe it or not, most dealers are also fans and they know what you're going through. It's rare to see a dealer get pushy about making sales. Most are just happy to see you come by. Speaking as a dealer, even at conventions where my sales are low, I always see a bump in online sales after the event and that's because I know not everyone can buy something that weekend, but because I have good product and am not pushy, people appreciate that, and remember after the event to see what I have available when they do have the bucks to spend.
...
Best day to buy? That depends. If price is your number one concern, then do your shopping on Sunday (or whatever the last day is). The closer it is to the final hour for the dealers room at that event, the more likely you're going to find special clearance sales and offers. Dealers don't want to lug all that stuff back home (or worse… ship it), so many are going to slash some prices. Now, that said… it's a bit of a game. If you see something you want on Saturday, there's no guarantee it will still be there on Sunday—so you take your chances. And if you bought something at full price on Friday, and see it for nearly half price on Sunday, it may seem unfair, but there was always the chance there would not have been any left by Sunday. It's a bit of a gamble.
All in all, if you're headed a big convention—whether it's a comic, sci-fi, anime, or other gathering this summer or fall, it's worth a read to help you prepare. [via Forces of Geek]
The Most Bizarre Exports Around the Globe
Normally I don't include infographics in these roundups, but I love this one—mostly because some of the exports are just truly unique, and others make perfect sense. For example, the UK exports lemon curd to Kenya (which makes sense because Kenya isn't really known for its lemons and lemon curd is delicious) which is really interesting, but also China exports pandas to Canada, which is also really interesting. Almost as interesting as the fact that the US exports beer (specifically Brooklyn Brewery) to Sweden and wolf urine to Japan. [via Mental Floss]
What Are Some of Your Favorite Podcasts to Listen to in the Morning?
There are well over a hundred answers, tons of links, and some great podcasts on topics all over the map. Here's one good answer with an mix of podcasts on various topics:
BBC's From Our Own Correspondent (an in-depth look at the stories behind the top news headlines around the world, told by BBC correspondents, journalists and writers in a captivating storytelling format; hosted by Kate Adie)
Optimize with Brian Johnson (condensed big ideas from the best books on optimal living and micro classes on how to apply these ideas; here's where I get a lot of book recommendations, including most recently Seneca's On the Shortness of Life)
Invisibilia (a show about invisible forces that affect and control human behavior: our ideas, beliefs, and emotions)
Intelligence Squared (the world's leading forum for debate and intelligent discussion; I like the diversity of topics that are covered and that include Brexit, democracy, foreign intervention, capitalism, the art market, contemporary literature, feminism, events in the Middle East)
Middle East Analysis (podcast on events happening in the Middle East and North Africa regions; the main contributor is international lawyer and political advisor Dr. Harry Hagopian)
This Is Your Life with Michael Hyatt (a podcast dedicated to living a life with more passion, working with greater focus, and pursuing goals that give purpose and meaning to our lives)
Of course, that's just the tip of the iceberg, and just a few worth checking out. Seriously, scroll through the full thread—you might find some duds, but all in all there are at least a few you'll either be able to vouch for because you listen to them, or a few you'll want to subscribe to. [via Quora]
Why Cats Love Boxes So Much
Another Mental Floss piece, but I couldn't resist given the subject matter. After all, we all know that cats love boxes, but why? They also love small spaces like sinks and other small containers, but the reasons behind why are all poorly understood—however, you may have predicted the reason why:
Cats, Wilbourn reasons, take comfort in cramped spaces because it makes them feel more secure and dominant. “I think part of it goes back to when they were kittens and inside the womb, feeling safe and comforted. There's a feeling of coziness, being able to do what they want to do, and just feeling untouchable.”
Science has been able to support this theory. Animal behaviorists have studied stress levels in newly arrived shelter cats and found that felines with access to boxes had lower stress levels and faster adjustment periods than those without [PDF]. Even if they're not quite as protected as they think they are—you can pretty much do anything to a cat who is in a box as you could a cat who is outside of one—their perception may be that they're insulating themselves from harm.
Another good theory is that small spaces help cats retain body heat, which explains things like sinks in the summer time and cardboard boxes well, any other time. [via Mental Floss]
The Bratwurst Bot
You might not think a robot could do something that requires finesse like saute up the perfect bratwurst, but you'd be wrong. Not only does it handle the meat like a pro, it turns the sausages to make sure they get that delicious char on all sides, avoids overcooking them entirely (which is more than some people can say), and even serves them up and tells you to enjoy your meal.
I, for one, welcome our new sausage grilling robot masters. [via YouTube]
That's all for this week! If you have thought-provoking stories, interesting podcasts, eye-opening videos, or anything else you think would be perfect for Brain Buffet, share it with us! Email me, leave it as a comment below, or send it over any way you know how.
Title GIF by Nick Criscuolo. Additional photos by Mental Floss and yoppy.
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%feed http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Ffeeds.gawker.com%252F%7Er%252Flifehacker%252Fvip%252F%7E3%252FKHNi0KvP1jY%252Ftodays-best-deals-timbuk2-flash-sale-timex-solar-lig-1784247189%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8 r0B0t: Today's Best Deals: Timbuk2 Flash Sale, Timex, Solar Lights, Hoover, and More
Bookmark Kinja Deals and follow us on Twitter to never miss a deal. Commerce Content is independent of Editorial and Advertising, and if you buy something through our posts, we may get a small share of the sale. Click here to learn more.
If you're looking for a powerful vacuum that'll suck up all that pet hair, but don't want to spend a fortune, look no further than Amazon's deal on the Hoover WindTunnel 3 Pro Pet. On sale for $75, you not only get a great bagless vacuum, it comes with the Pet Tool Pack, which includes a pet turbo tool, a pet upholstery tool, and a telescopic extension wand.
Indochino is your favorite custom clothing company, and this week they're offering Kinja Deals readers their best shirt pricing ever. $279 gets you five shirts with promo code KINJA5. Read more about the deal here.
Some of our peers have Melania'd the discount we launched with Indochino back in May, so we can't call it an exclusive anymore. However, it's still the best pricing they've ever offered, so if you missed out last time or want more suits, here's your chance. Read more here.
If you can't find the time to get to the gym every day, this under-desk elliptical lets you squeeze in some light exercise while you fill out your TPS reports. This typically sells for $170 on Amazon, and today's $100 Gold Box deal is the best price we've ever seen.
The complete Firefly DVD is still available for an all-time low $13, but if you're ready to chuck physical media out into the black, you can buy the full series (season) for $10 on Amazon and iTunes right now.
The Char-Griller Akorn Kamado Kooker features a 306 square inch cast iron cooking surface (which is most similar to the $829 large Big Green Egg), and traps heat inside a heavily-insulated stainless steel body. Our deal researcher, Corey, owns a BGE, and I asked him about it on Slack:
And I use my BGE for about 70% of meat meals.
Probably 90% during the warm months.
Best Father's Day gift I'll ever get.
Lana jokes that she's the one who benefits most because I cook on it all the time.
Worth the price just for its ability to cook pizza, IMO.
But pork chops, lions, tenderloin are beyond incredible on it.
Obviously, this isn't the “real thing,” but the consensus among Amazon reviewers is that it's at least nearly as good, which sounds like a decent compromise considering it's only about 1/3 of the price, and comes with a stable cart and folding shelves, both of which you'd need to buy separately with the Egg.
Running low on digital storage space, or just want to start keeping better backups? Amazon's marked the 2TB WD Elements external drive to $70, which is about as low at that capacity ever gets.
Fried foods are delicious. Fried foods will kill you. These are the laws of our cruel existence, and generally-speaking, there's no avoiding them. I'm not going to tell you that cooking foods with this $60 air fryer is healthy, but Chefman claims that it uses 80% less oil than conventional deep frying, resulting in less trans fat in your favorite meals.
Another huge sale from Timbuk2 brings a ton of their excellent bags down to hard-to-resist levels. Be sure to let us know what you pick up in the comments.
Sporting a lower price and a built-in touchscreen, the GoPro Hero4 Silver might actually a better choice than the Hero4 Black for most consumers. Today on GoPro's eBay storefront, you can get a refurb for just $244, the best price we've seen. And since you're purchasing it direct from GoPro, it'll still be backed by a one year warranty.
The extremely versatile and reliable Timex Ironman watches are under $25 today only on Amazon. Water resistant of up to around 300 feet, take these on a few laps around the pool and cool off during this Heat Dome without worrying about how much time you're spending in the water.
The marquee spec here is the DPI range of 200-12,000, adjustable on the fly. There are also five easily movable and removable weights, and 11 customizable buttons, along with the classic Logitech dual-mode scroll wheel. Mechanical microswitches and a braided cable are also nice touches.
These cheap LED lights can stick directly into your grass to light a path to your front door, and since they include built-in solar panels, you won't have to run any wires or replace any batteries. $18 for a 2-pack is one of the best deals we've seen on a product like this.
People keep saying that ethernet is dead, but every time we post a good deal on an ethernet switch, they fly off the virtual shelves. This one's so good that it's already somewhat backordered, so log onto Amazon and lock in your order before it's totally unplugged.
If you've never checked out Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale, you're missing out on some pretty awesome savings. The retailer puts a bunch of Fall and Winter styles on sale way before they go into the stores. Once the sale is over, you'll only be able to get them for full price, so you'd better get on it.
The MTA is a dumpster fire. Anything short of Stockholm syndrome and you'll be having a bad time riding the MTA, and that's before taking the heat dome into account. Save on already-discounted uberPOOL rides during commuting hours with the Uber Commute Card.
Your two-week Commute Card period will begin on the day you take your first ride; your first ride must be completed between August 1 and August 31, 2016
Valid Monday through Friday between the hours of 710 AM and 58 PM only. Trips must begin and end in Manhattan below 125th Street. Valid on $5 POOL service only
The total voucher cost includes New York sales tax ($3.91), New York Black Car Fund Fee ($1.07) and the uberPOOL Commute Card ($44.02)
$100 is a comparable retail price; MSRP is based off of two $5 uberPOOL rides per weekday
Offer is final sale; offer cannot be combined with other offers or promotions
Valid for new and existing Uber riders; limit one per person
May be used to obtain the discount stated on the Voucher until the “redeem by” date stated above; after that time, the customer may obtain a full refund of the purchase price of the Voucher by contacting Gilt City's customer service team
Restaurant Week is back with 3-course lunches and dinners for $29 and $42 respectively. It's a great excuse to try some new restaurants, but you can save even more (always) by maximizing your credit card rewards.
Amex is offering up to four $5 credits when you spend $35 or more on restaurant week meals, while Chase Freedom happens to be in the middle of their 5% back on dining rotating quarter. You have to manually activate both these offers.
So where's the threshold? If you value your 5% back on Chase at face value (Ultimate Rewards points are actually worth more or or less depending on how you redeem them), your check needs to exceed $100 to get more from your Chase Freedom, which isn't much of a stretch!
If your home or apartment doesn't have screen doors installed, this easy-to-install magnetic curtain will achieve the same effect, meaning you can let in some fresh air, while keeping out the bugs.
It's a scientific fact that every outdoor space looks better with copper string lights, and while $30 isn't a particularly low price for a 66' strand with 200 bulbs, this set does include a remote that can power them on and off, and even make them dim, pulse, and strobe on demand.
You never want to be in a situation where you need a solar and hand crank-powered weather radio with a flashlight and USB port for charging your phone, but you probably should buy it just in case. This one also includes a 130 lumen flashlight, and even an ultrasonic dog whistle.
While it doesn't print in color, it more than makes up for that with the ability to spit out 32 pages per minute, duplex printing, and inexpensive toner cartridges that can last for years without being replaced. We've posted a lot of Brother deals in the past, and we've heard nothing but good things from readers about them. Plus, this particular model has a sterling 4.4 star review average on Amazon, a built-in scanner, and AirPrint and Google Cloud Print support, so it should serve you well for years.
That price gets you 1080p recording, night vision, auto on/off, and a g-force sensor to automatically lock your footage in the event of an accident. Now go film some meteors.
If you still haven't watched Firefly, or just want to own a physical copy for posterity, the complete Blu-ray is down to $13 on Amazon, the best price ever listed. Shiny!
You've heard of Automatic's smart driving assistant, but if $80-$100 is too rich for your blood, this cheap OBD2 dongle connects to any iPhone or Android device over Wi-Fi, and can fulfill many of the same functions using various third party apps.
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%feed http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.slate.com%252Fblogs%252Fbrowbeat%252F2016%252F07%252F25%252Fmr_robot_s_latest_episode_was_an_extended_kubrick_homage.html%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8 r0B0t: The Latest Episode of Mr. Robot Was an Extended Homage to Stanley Kubrick
After every episode of Mr. Robot before this past Wednesday night's, I ended up asking myself the same question: Is this TV show ripping off all its cinematic influences in order to combine them into something new, or is it just ripping them off?
But after Wednesday's episode, the series' most referential yet, I'm starting to think that the show is up to more than just nodding towardthe giants on whose shoulders it stands. This time, if you connect the dots between the allusions, they begin to form a bigger picture.
A few recappers noted oneortwo individual Kubrick references in “eps2.1_k3rnel-pan1c.ksd,” but no one seems to have put them all together, revealing how each of the episode's three principal storylines echoes a different Kubrick movie.
Eyes Wide Shut
Let's start with the first Kubrick reference I noticed in the episode:
Angela's storyline begins when E Corp CEO Phillip Price propositions her with a mysterious, vaguely sexual invitation: “Have you ever had dinner at Fidelio's?” Fidelio is the name of Beethoven's only opera, and it derives from the Latin for faithful, but any Kubrick diehard will recognize it first and foremost as the passcode used to get into the secret gatherings in Eyes Wide Shut. Given the nod, it seems like no coincidence that Angela's entrance into the restaurant is soundtracked by a song called “Just Say the Word.”
Angela's plotline also echoes the journey of Tom Cruise's character in Eyes Wide Shut, Dr. Bill Harford, in other ways. Like Harford, Angela finds herself for the first time infiltrating the luxe lives of shadowy men of power. And as with him, what might have seemed like an erotic encounter becomes nothing but creepy. In each case, the protagonist eventually discovers that the powerful men have conspired together to cover up some nefarious deaths.
Dr. Strangelove
While the Angela plotline echoes Eyes Wide Shut, the Dominique DiPierro (Grace Gummer) plotline echoes Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. This is most obvious when we she unearths the poster for F Society's “End of the World Party,” which completely rips off a poster design for Dr. Strangelove, and if you look closely, even bears the subtitle “Or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love F Society.”
In fact, her whole plotline in this episode finds her obsessed—and perhaps vaguely attracted to—the end of the world. She attempts to have cybersex with “happyhardonhenry806,” a man whose priapic moniker is reminiscent of Strangelove's own “Buck Turgidson.” When she stops, she asks her Amazon Echo, “Alexa, when is the end of the world?”
The Shining
Elliot's plotline is about being cooped up and going mad, so it's appropriate that it's packed with references to The Shining. The most obvious one is one of Elliot's hallucinations, which shows two twins wearing blue dresses with white ribbons. Interestingly, creator Sam Esmail (who also wrote and directed the episode) also tosses in a third girl wearing Kubrick's favorite color. In fact, there are splashes of the same shade of bright red throughout the episode, which add in a more subliminal way to the Kubrickian feel.
And then there's Elliot's attempt to stay sane and avoid relapse by writing in his notebook, which echoes Jack Torrance's attempts to keep his head and try not to fall off the wagon by working on his manuscript. We were introduced to this coping mechanism in the season premiere, but in this episode it falls apart in rather Shining-esque fashion:
In terms of Clockwork, the title cards are an inspiration. There are these glasses that I make Darlene [Carly Chaikin] wear that are a little bit of a nod to Lolita. And, actually, it's not a huge spoiler, but there'll be a little bit of a nod to Dr. Strangelove in the season finale that people can look out for.
What does this all add up to? I think it has something to do with another recurring theme in the episode: the F-word.
As Slate TV critic Willa Paskin noted in her smart review of the premiere, the second season of Mr. Robot spends a lot of time critiquing itself. With its repeated idle banter about Seinfeld, its disses directed at NCIS (which, as Paskin points out, airs in reruns on USA), and its harrowing depiction of the sheer sadness of watching Vanderpump Rules, Mr. Robot has more and more become a TV show that doesn't just push the boundaries of television but also draws attention to its limits.
And while regular Slate contributor Sam Adams sees all this episode's bleeped-out F-words as a symptom of the show's juvenile attempts to be subversive, I see them differently: as Mr. Robot's way of highlighting the limits of what you can and can't say on TV.
After all, “eps2.1_k3rnel-pan1c.ksd” doesn't just bleep the F-word, it's largely about censored F-words. Why else would it not only repeat the word so many times but open and close the episode with the origin of the name “F Society”? And soundtrack its main montage with a song by a band called Holy F---? And go out of its way to black out the word on screen, in a manner that makes it look not so much bleeped as redacted?
The episode even includes a (censored) F-word in both its final shot and its final line, with DiPierro looking at the sign on F Society headquarters and exclaiming, “You've gotta be f---ing kidding me.” You can imagine Esmail wanting to write the word into his screenplay and thinking the same thing.
This surprisingly jokey ending also reminds me of another movie that uses the F-word as its final punchline: Eyes Wide Shut. In the movie's closing exchange of dialogue, Nicole Kidman's character tells her husband, “You know, there is something very important we need to do as soon as possible.” When her husband asks, “What's that?” she responds, “Fuck.”
After pulling off the unlikely feat of putting must-watch prestige television on the USA Network, Esmail has been given more creative control than just about anyone else on television. But while he's now free to make the show about as cinematic as he wants, he's still running up against restrictions. After pulling off the nifty trick of changing “Fun Society” to “F Society,” he wants to point out that there's still at least one thing he can't say: “Fuck Society.”
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%feed http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.theguardian.com%252Flifeandstyle%252F2016%252Fjul%252F25%252Fparking-the-car-theres-an-app-for-that-and-itll-drive-you-mad%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8 r0B0t: Parking the car? There's an app for that. And it'll drive you mad
The days of coins and tickets are over, making way for ‘seamless, stress-free mobile parking' that will send you away blubbing
I try to keep up with the modern world. I have all the mandatory equipment: computer, cash card, mobile phone. I can do things online, I can tweet, and I have learned to obey robot voices without screaming but, sometimes, even with all my equipment, a little everyday task can defeat me. Such as trying to park the car. Because, of course, things have changed again. Last week, I found that the days of coins and tickets are over for no particular reason that I can find, other than to drive me raving mad.
%feed http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fredirect.viglink.com%2F%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fnews.google.com%252Fnews%252Furl%253Fsa%253Dt%2526fd%253DR%2526ct2%253Duk%2526usg%253DAFQjCNFS99nwo8RWopy3Xg0c2xwgpPLMjg%2526clid%253Dc3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331%2526cid%253D52779166781077%2526ei%253DuH-WV9g2xuvMBu_4pdAL%2526url%253Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%252Ffood-and-drink%252Fnews%252Frevealed-the-best-biscuit-for-dunking-into-your-tea%252F%26key%3Dddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8 r0B0t: Revealed: the best biscuit for dunking into your tea - Telegraph.co.uk
Revealed: the best biscuit for dunking into your tea Telegraph.co.uk Sarah Barnes, an Outreach Officer at the Institute, teamed up with Wired.co.uk to test ten biscuits in terms of 'dunkability'. Barnes used an igus robolink D robot arm to dunk the biscuits - ensuring no outside forces altered the results - and timed ...
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Between the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift, we've come a long way towards being able to step in to virtual worlds -- but touching those false realities is a different matter. Solving this means finding a haptic technology that can adapt to needs of a c... !["U.S.]("https://grist.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/u-s-coal-jobs.png?w=660&h=471")
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