Author Archives: Carol Edwards

Groundhog Day has been a movie and a musical, so why not make it a virtual reality game next?

Sony Pictures has teamed up with Tequila Works — the studio behind 2017’s wonderful indie efforts Rime and The Sexy Brutale — for Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son. It’s a……… sequel? To Groundhog Day? Set 26 years later, where you’re playing as Phil Connors’ son as he’s caught in the same kind of time loop as his dad?

Sure, why not?

This game looks completely cuckoo bananas, though it’s not yet clear if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. There’s reason to be hopeful with Tequila Works at the helm though! And Groundhog Day, the 1993 film, is such a wonderful, well-told story. Any chance to spend a little more time in that world is a welcome thing. Read more…

More about Entertainment, Film, Gaming, Groundhog Day, and Groundhog Day Like Father Like Son

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is giving back to the community and adding her own personal touch along the way.

On Friday, she and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, visited the One25 organization in Bristol, which works to “reach out to women trapped in or vulnerable to street sex-work, supporting them to break free and build new lives away from violence, poverty and addiction.”

During the unplanned visit, the Duchess helped volunteers pack bags of food for women in need. As they went about the work, she spontaneously decided to leave an uplifting, handwritten note in each package. 

“Do you have a Sharpie marker? I have an idea,” she can be heard asking in a video shared by reporter Omid Scobie. She then proceeded to write empowering affirmations on the skins of bananas. Read more…

More about Uk, Social Good, Sex Workers, Meghan Markle, and Duchess Of Sussex

Punxsutawney Phil, the Pennsylvania groundhog we let decide our seasons for us, is officially predicting an early spring.

On Saturday morning, the famous groundhog awoke at sunrise to celebrate Groundhog Day and did not see his shadow. This, his male handlers in top hats dramatically said, signals an early start to spring and an end to winter. But don’t get too excited.

Would an early spring be nice? Sure! Especially considering temperatures have recently reached record-breaking lows in states across the country. But with the ever-present threat of climate change on the brain, reactions to Phil’s verdict this year were pretty mixed. Read more…

More about Science, Animals, Climate Change, Web Culture, and Groundhog Day

This is One Good Thing, a weekly column where we tell you about one of the few nice things that happened this week.

While there are plenty of differences between Millennials and Gen Z, as digital natives we can all relate to one thing — being the in-house IT department for our parents. 

We’ve all been there: When your mom wants to change her Facebook profile pic, you’re the expert. But one wrong click and suddenly — you’ve broken her entire phone, all her photos are gone, and it’s somehow your fault. 

YouTuber Gus Johnson captures this hilarious juxtaposition of youth frustration versus parental struggle in his video titled “helping mom use the ipad.” Watching the video threw me straight back into circular conversations I’ve gone through with my own mom, who’s a big fan of calling all Apple products “iPods,” and referring to everything from the remote, to her phone, as “el tiki-tiki.” Read more…

More about Youtube, Funny, Technology, Culture, and Viral Videos

 Ordering an Uber or Lyft in New York City just got pricier. 

Back in August, the city council voted on a minimum rate for independent contractors driving for ride-hailing apps such as Uber, Lyft, Via, and Juno. The new city law is supposed to guarantee drivers a rate of $17.22 per hour after expenses, which supporters say is a livable wage.

Now, the time has come for those new rates to kick in. With the higher pay, Uber says riders should expect to see higher fares. A new surcharge to fund the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will make some rides even more expensive. 

More about Uber, Nyc, Lyft, Ride Hailing Apps, and Juno

Who has two thumbs, rocket ships, and the stankest of memes? This guy, that’s who. 

Everyone’s favorite hole digger, Elon Musk, announced on Feb. 1 that he is now the new and proud owner of what is sure to turn into a bustling empire. That’s right, Musk bought stankmemes.com. 

“Just bought stankmemes.com  oh yeah,” he tweeted in what was either a great public-relations move for a burgeoning meme empire or a bold declaration that even the rich start dicking around online come Friday afternoon at the office.  

More about Memes, Elon Musk, Tech, and Elon Musk

It’s the Super Bowl this weekend and even if you’re not a fan, you can score some sweet deals. 

Uber and Lyft are offering discounts for riders in Atlanta, but everyone can take advantage of free delivery for Uber Eats orders. Starting Saturday, a promo code will be available in the Uber Eats app and is good for free food delivery through Monday. The fee is usually about $5.

For fans of the two teams, the Patriots and Rams, Uber is offering “Unhappy Hour” after the game. That’s right, instead of rewarding the winners, the losers get a consolation prize — free rides for Uber Rewards members for up to an hour after the game. You know, to mope in peace.  Read more…

More about Uber, Lyft, Ride Hailing Apps, Super Bowl 2019, and Tech

Rapper Sheck Wes hired the production company Ridge Production to shoot a music video for his song “Gmail.” Now, Ridge alleges that Sheck Wes didn’t like the completed video and stiffed them on their work — so, naturally, they’re trolling him into oblivion.

On Thursday, Ridge uploaded a YouTube video called “Sheck Wes Didn’t Like Our Music Video, So We Made This.” It’s the “Gmail” video, but the song has been replaced with troll-y narration making fun of Sheck. (Listen for highlights like “I’m outside; kiss my gun” and “kick sand.”)

The video blew up on the subreddit r/videos, where people were 99 percent on Ridge’s side.  Read more…

More about Viral Videos, Music Videos, Sheck Wes, Culture, and Web Culture

Read more…More about Netflix, Streaming Services, Mashable Reels, Tech, and Streaming Services

Sorry, Ariana. 

Although Ariana Grande probably meant well, her  botched tattoo tribute to her single “7 Rings” — which was mistranslated in Japanese to “BBQ grill” and then “fixed” to “BBQ grill finger” — is a meme now. 

People are writing their favorite phrases in different languages on their hands, and then horribly mistranslating it, like calling the constantly advertised Shen Yun performances. 

More about Memes, Ariana Grande, Culture, and Web Culture