Author Archives: Carol Edwards

We’ve become largely accustomed to the perpetual maelstrom of bad ideas swirling around the Trump White House, but the latest plan responding to mass shootings reminds us that our cursed timeline can still always get darker.  

Specifically, according to the Washington Post, the White House is considering studying if monitoring individuals with mental illness via their smartphones and smartwatches can predict incidents of mass violence. This idea, which the Post notes relies on the false notion that mass shootings are “directly linked” to mental illness, was reportedly put forth at the request of Ivanka Trump. She asked a group advocating for the creation of a new health-focused research agency dubbed HARPA (a play on the military research agency DARPA) to pitch ideas on the matter. Read more…

More about White House, Mass Shootings, Tech, and Other

There’s a certain level of preparation that’s become standard with hurricanes. Making sure there’s enough food is typically close to the top of the list. 

This raccoon apparently neglected its hurricane prep trip to Walmart when Hurricane Dorian came rolling through Longs, South Carolina last week. Trying to scrounge up some food, it clings to a bird feeder dangling from a tree as the wind blows it every which way. 

It’s not the first trip the raccoon has made to the bird feeder. According to the video description, the raccoon shows up daily to get its paws on some bird food. With this kind of determination, we’re sure the little guy will be back again soon. Read more…

More about Viral Videos, Raccoon, Hurricane Dorian, Culture, and Web Culture

The “large scale” attack knocked out Wikipedia access in countries including Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland. Read more…

More about Tech, Mashable Video, Cybersecurity, Hacking, and Wikipedia

With the inclusion of this new feature, you may never have to wait on hold again. Read more…

More about Tech, Google, Smartphones, Mashable Video, and Pixel

Two years after it was announced that Wunderlist would be shutting down the app, Christian Reber is interested in buying it back to save it. Read more…

More about Tech, Microsoft, Mashable Video, Christian Reber, and Wunderlist

Pierce Brosnan, who played the role for 10 years, discussed having a woman play Bond, as well as the franchise’s relationship with women. Read more…

More about Entertainment, Movies, Mashable Video, James Bond, and Pierce Brosnan

Information about your mood, sex life, and (if you’re a woman) menstrual cycle is highly personal stuff; it’s also super valuable to advertisers. And according to a new report, if you use certain period-tracking apps, you could be sending that intimate information directly to Facebook. 

First, some good news. A report from Privacy International, published Monday in conjunction with BuzzFeed News, found that the five most popular period-tracking apps have taken proactive measures to protect your data. Namely, they don’t share information about your body and mental health with Facebook and its vast advertising network. Read more…

More about Apps, Privacy, Menstruation, Womens Health, and Tech

Volkswagen isn’t new to electric vehicles, but at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany on Monday, the German carmaker unveiled the first in its series of battery-powered cars based on VW’s new MEB — which means “modular electric drive matrix” — platform.

The ID.3, part of a new look for the company, was finally revealed to be a hatchback plug-in car similar in size to the VW Golf and the first of several different types of electric vehicles (think a minivan, sedan, bus, and even a dune buggy) with the same electric base that can be built on the electric framework.  

The ID.3 is set to be more than a concept car and will start production for a mid-2020 delivery in Germany with battery range of up to 340 miles and eventually a smaller battery version with up to 205 miles. Fast charging means it can charge 180 miles in 30 minutes.  Read more…

More about Electric Vehicles, Volkswagen, Id, Tech, and Transportation

Gun violence is set to be a key issue discussed ahead of the 2020 election.

More than 280 mass shootings have taken place in 2019 so far, according to the gun violence research group Gun Violence Archive. And presidential candidates Joe Biden, Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Beto O’Rourke, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren have come together to lead a conversation about the need for gun safety.

The eight Democratic candidates worked with Gabby Giffords’ organization to create a powerful PSA about the sober reality of gun violence in America, and vowed that, if elected, they will each take action to protect children and the American people from deadly shootings. Read more…

More about Social Good, Gun Safety, 2020 Election, Social Good, and Activism

A new country says Google and Facebook may have interfered in its elections — just maybe not the one you’d expect.

Officials in Russia have said that Google and Facebook published election-related ads in violation of the country’s laws, Reuters reported. 

Yes, you read that correctly: Russia is accusing the two tech giants of election interference. 

At issue are laws that prohibit political ads “during elections on Sunday and on the preceding day,” according to Reuters. Russia’s Roskomnadzor, the government body that oversees the country’s media laws, has said Facebook and Google both ran ads during Sunday elections.  Read more…

More about Tech, Facebook, Google, Tech, and Social Media Companies