Author Archives: Carol Edwards

Please, for the love of comprehensive sex education, do not use wild yams for birth control. 

In an unfortunate now-deleted Bad Tweet, podcast host @MissBriaJanay called a variety of fruits and herbs “natural birth control options.” The accompanying graphics suggested using the plants instead of clinically-tested contraceptive, and included head-scratchers like injecting neem oil into “uterine horns” and eating dried figs after unprotected sex. 

@MissBriaJanay, by the way, does not promote herself as a medical professional or experienced herbalist. 

More about Twitter, Birth Control, Culture, Health, and Web Culture

Uber has announced the first international city its flying taxis one day might be buzzing over. 

The Australian city of Melbourne will join Los Angeles and Dallas as the third official pilot city for Uber Air, the rideshare company’s ambitious project to transport people in short distances via the skies. 

Test flights are expected in 2020, with commercial operations aimed for as soon as 2023. Uber claims trips will be priced the same as an UberX ride over the same distance, but we’ll see about that. 

“Australian governments have adopted a forward-looking approach to ridesharing and future transport technology,” Uber Australia, New Zealand and North Asia general manager Susan Anderson said in a statement. Read more…

More about Tech, Australia, Transportation, Uber, and Uber Air

The U.S. women’s national team won 13-0 against Thailand in their first match in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup on Tuesday. In light of their incredible victory — it was a record win in both men’s and women’s World Cup history — people want to know why they’re paid so much less than the men’s national team. 

Player Alex Morgan alone managed to score a record five times during the match. To put the team’s 13 goals into perspective, the U.S. men’s national team scored 12 in their last three World Cup attempts combined. 

So yeah, this is pretty freaking impressive. 

More about Twitter Reactions, World Cup, Equal Pay, Culture, and Web Culture

Life is like a box of timelines, and in the one we’re living in, Russian Doll is coming back for another round.

Netflix announced Tuesday that it had renewed the surreal dramedy for a second season.

On the one hand, the first season of Russian Doll was one of the best and buzziest shows of 2019, thanks to a genuinely original premise and uniformly strong performances by Natasha Lyonne, Charlie Barnett, and the rest of the cast. 

We’re still trying (and failing) to replicate the sheer coolness of Nadia’s wardrobe, yelling “Sweet birthday, baby!” instead of “Happy birthday” at our loved ones, and appreciating the very concept of Thursdays once a week. That’s how much we loved and still love the show. Who could possibly argue with this wonderful series coming back? Read more…

More about Russian Doll, Entertainment, and Movies Tv Shows

It’s all about balance when it comes to riding in self-driving cars. 

The sensor-loaded cars pick up so much more information than a human driver can, what with their cameras, radar, LiDAR, and other sensing equipment. But that doesn’t mean passengers want to know about each and every cyclist changing lanes, pedestrian crossing the street, or construction zone cone blocking the road. 

So the first companies to offer a self-driving car service — like Waymo, the Google autonomous car spin-off — have to think about every ping, notification, and alert that plays through their app and in-car screens. The allure of self-driving cars, of course, is that here’s a vehicle that can operate on its own, creating a “third space” that isn’t home or the office. It’s a space for you to chill or even sleep, to be productive or socialize, or to watch or listen to books, TV shows, movies, and other media. You might even ~ahem~ engage in other activities.  Read more…

More about Self Driving Cars, Waymo, User Experience, Tech, and Transportation

In the years since its release in 2005, Psychonauts has become a cult classic as an early game that was about something much deeper than it seemed. But because it was so ahead of its time, Psychonauts found both critical and commercial success to be middling compared to creator Tim Schafer’s other knockouts like Secret of Monkey Island.

But in 2019, Psychonauts is back for a sequel, its cult following out in full force to cheer its return to the main stage of Microsoft’s E3 showcase. A 30-minute demo for Psychonauts 2 and a Q&A with Schafer show the series has found the right time to shine.

You play as Raz, a member of a team of people who use psychic abilities to go inside others’ heads. Through puzzles and Psi-Powers, you battle their inner demons, like the goopy Regret monsters in the demo, who can “weigh you down” and are plaguing Dr. Caligosto Loboto’s mental world. Loboto’s been acting funny lately, so you’re tasked with blasting through his mental blockages to figure out who his nefarious “boss” is, a mysterious new character we only got a glimpse of.  Read more…

More about Entertainment, Video Games, E3 2019, Psychonauts 2, and Tim Schafer

Jon Stewart, comedian and former host of The Daily Show, delivered an emotional speech Tuesday that advocated for full funding of the 9/11 first responders compensation fund, and absolutely shredded Congress for its inaction. 

Stewart, who has long championed the cause, began his statement by angrily pointing out how few members of the House Judiciary subcommittee were present: “Sick and dying, they [first responders] brought themselves down here to speak to no one. It’s shameful. It’s an embarrassment to this country and it is a stain on this institution.”

Seething, Stewart lambasted an empty set of chairs. “It would be one thing if their callous indifference and rank hypocrisy were benign but it’s not. Your indifference cost these men and women their most valuable commodity: time. It’s the one thing they’re running out of.” Read more…

More about Congress, Jon Stewart, September 11, First Responders, and Culture

The NSFW images were part of a clever marketing strategy for Eizo, a Japanese visual tech company that manufactures high-end computer displays. Read more…

More about Mashable Video, Photoshop, Nsfw, X Ray, and Tech

At a Q&A during CodeCon, CEO Susan Wojcicki was asked if YouTube made the right call regarding conservative YouTuber Steven Crowder. Crowder recently made headlines after being accused of using racial and homophobic abuse against Vox journalist Carlos Maza.

Read more here. Read more…

More about Tech, Youtube, Mashable Video, Susan Wojcicki, and Hate Speech

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