Author Archives: Carol Edwards

For a little over 12 months, I’ve been testing the same model of the same $4,000 electric bike, the Gazelle CityZen Speed T10. This may seem an excessive amount of time; normally, bike reviewers might spend a few hours or a day or a week in the saddle. But nothing about this review is normal. 

For one thing, it is completely non-technical. I’m not one of those gear-heads who knows or cares about drivetrains or derailleurs or torque. I’m the customer who goes glassy-eyed when the bike shop clerk starts talking about the advantages of each model. Like many a casual cyclist weighing whether to drop a considerable chunk of cash on an electric bike, I cared only about these basic questions:  Read more…

More about Sustainability, E Bikes, Tech, Sports, and Health

Whenever global tragedy strikes, people on the internet rush to exploit it. 

The spread of the deadly coronavirus is no different, with fake stories going viral in an attempt to accomplish who knows what. Google, however, wants no part of that, and today announced a new feature in collaboration with the World Health Organization that will hopefully both reduce the spread of misinformation and get valuable information to those in need. 

“Today we launched an SOS Alert w/@WHO, to make resources about #coronavirus easily accessible,” wrote the company’s communication team. 

“When people search for related info on @Google, they’ll find the alert atop results page w/ direct access to safety tips, info, resources & Twitter updates from WHO.” Read more…

More about Google, Coronavirus, Tech, and Big Tech Companies

Motion Pillow analyzes your snoring patterns and then inflates the pillow in an attempt to correct the positions that causes snoring.  Read more…

More about Mashable Video, Sleeping, Snoring, Future Blink, and Motion Pillow

A new iPad with a triple rear camera and 3D support could arrive as early as March. Read more…

More about Tech, Apple, Iphone, Ipad, and Mashable Video

The extreme ember attack lit numerous spot fires, quickly overrunning the crew and forcing some to evacuate less than a minute after the wind changed. Read more…

More about Australia, Climate, Science, Mashable Video, and Australian Bushfires

The resulting video looks almost like a honeycomb come alive. Read more…

More about Space, Science, Mashable Video, Galaxy, and The Sun

TL;DR: Buy a budget-friendly Slumber 1 by Zinus mattress for as little as $79 on sale at Walmart. You can get an extra firm 8-inch Zinus mattress in any size for less than $200, or you can buy a 12-inch firm king-size mattress for just $203.72. 

If you made a resolution to sleep better this year, an old mattress won’t do you any favors. The best first step to live healthier is better sleep, and a new mattress-in-a-box helps you in an flash without the hassle of driving to a mattress store. If you want the right mattress to help with back pain that doesn’t hurt your budget, this sale on Zinus mattresses from Walmart is a dream come true.  Read more…

More about Sleep, Mashable Shopping, Mattresses, Culture, and Work Life

All eyes were on the Model Y after Tesla’s latest earnings call. The compact electric SUV based on the “budget-friendly” Model 3 sedan is apparently arriving sooner than expected.

During the Wednesday call, Tesla went over production plans for its newest vehicle and they were surprisingly ahead of schedule. No, we’re not talking about the Cybertruck, as that’s still a ways off before production, although Tesla CEO Elon Musk did rattle off some high praise for the sci-fi-inspired electric pickup. He was recently spotted in the Los Angeles area showing off the truck to former late night host Jay Leno. Read more…

More about Tesla, Electric Vehicles, Model Y, Tech, and Elon Musk

Facebook’s privacy violations are adding up. 

The Mark Zuckerberg-helmed behemoth has agreed to a $550 million settlement following a class-action lawsuit alleging the company violated an Illinois privacy law. So reports the New York Times, which notes that Facebook copped to the settlement in today’s earnings call; a call that also happened to include the announcement of $21 billion in fourth quarter revenue.

In other words, the $550 settlement is chump change to the same company that successfully brushed a $5 billion FTC settlement off its shoulder. But that doesn’t mean today’s news of the settlement doesn’t matter. Far from it. Read more…

More about Facebook, Facial Recognition, Tech, and Big Tech Companies

A new video shows the unfathomable speed at which the Australian bushfires are spreading, completely overwhelming a firefighting crew in less than three minutes. It’s a stark example of why, for so many people, running from the flames is much easier said than done.

Filmed around 7 p.m. on Jan. 4, the clip shows the Dunmore Rural Fire Brigade set up to protect property in Tomerong, approximately 90 miles south of Sydney and home to over 1000 people. However, 62mph winds hit the area 10 minutes earlier than expected, blowing thousands of embers their way. 

The extreme ember attack lit numerous spot fires, quickly overrunning the crew and forcing some to evacuate less than a minute after the wind changed — and less than a minute before the fire took over the road completely. Read more…

More about Australia, Firefighters, Bushfires, New South Wales, and Fires