Researchers at MIT have taken inspiration from origami and created this robot gripper that can safely pick up and hold delicate objects, as well as heavier objects that are 100x its own weight. Read more…
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There are dozens of subreddits for the trans community on Reddit, each designed to meet a certain psychological need.
There’s r/asktransgender, dedicated to people’s questions about the community, r/transgender, a subreddit for trans news, and r/transtimelines, where people can document their transitions. These are large and vibrant groups, with followers in the tens of thousands.
But for some folks who are just coming out as trans, memes and GIFs — not traditional, location-based support groups or advice-based subreddits — are where they first find community.
Take r/traaaaaaannnnnnnnnns, Reddit’s oldest active subreddit for trans-centered shitposts, memes, and GIFs. Traaaaaaannnnnnnnnns currently has over 84,300 “shitposters,” many of whom post meaningful content about transphobia or transitioning, then disguise it in shitpost robes or meme make-up. Read more…
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Well that was one hell of a party.
On Thursday night, Elon Musk unveiled the Tesla Model Y to a pumped-up crowd of Tesla fan boys, employees, investors, and media at the Tesla Design Studio in Hawthorne, CA.
“We’re literally bringing sexy back,” Musk said, after walking onto the stage to the opening bars of the ’90s hit “I’m Too Sexy.” Musk was alluding to the fact that his line of cars, the Models S, 3, X, and now Y, now intentionally spell out the word — you guessed it — “sexy.” Or, uh, S3XY.
A newly completed wall at Tesla’s design studio.
Image: rachel kraus/mashable
Tesla bills its new model as an affordable crossover vehicle, that, as Musk said, “has the functionality of an SUV, rides like a sports car.” IRL, it kind of looks like the hatchback version of the Model 3; with cheeky curves and a big, bubbly behind, call it the Cardi B of Teslas. Read more…
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There aren’t many openly non-binary celebrities in the public eye, though thankfully, that list is growing.
Singer Sam Smith opened up about his gender identity Jameela Jamil’s new Instagram show “I Weigh Interviews.” In the past, Smith has publicly explored his gender identity, revealing in a 2017 interview with The Sunday Times that he could “feel just as much woman as I am man.”
View this post on InstagramIn the premier episode of I Weigh Interviews, Jameela Jamil discusses fame, body image and the daily practice of self acceptance with musician Sam Smith.
A post shared by Jameela Jamil (@jameelajamilofficial) on Read more…
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Looks like a lot of people went to Tumblr for erotica, because ever since their porn ban in December their site visits have dropped pretty significantly. Read more…
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Mark Ruffalo has proven time and time again he can’t be trusted with Avengers spoilers.
So, naturally, Jimmy Fallon hooked the Marvel star up to a lie detector to force secrets out of him ahead of the release of Avengers: Endgame in April.
Ruffalo, who plays our green, rage-fuelled friend Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, joined his buddy Fallon on The Tonight Show on Wednesday.
“I don’t want to get fired again,” said Ruffalo, as Fallon attached lie detector pads to his poor sweet temples.
So, what secrets did Ruffalo divulge? Is the Hulk actually a Skrull? Do Black Widow and the Hulk finally get together? Is there any way for our friends to be reclicked into action? Read more…
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Amazon’s Echo Auto just skilled up.
Developers can now make skills just for the Auto, which works with your phone or with some in-car infotainment systems. What’s it for? It’s basically an Alexa digital assistant device made specifically for the car.
Amazon announced on Wednesday the new customizable skill-making for the car, which it argues is different from developing skills for a living room or kitchen space. Car skills will determine how each is designed and works, whether it’s a game or a news-reading app.
SEE ALSO: Amazon’s Echo Auto is finally here
Amazon doled out advice for those looking to create skills for the car, such as keeping responses quick, considering synchronization with Alexa outside the car or when first coming into the car from elsewhere, location awareness, and using voice only. Read more…
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As if today couldn’t get any worse for Facebook, the company is now facing a criminal investigation as the result of its controversial data sharing practices.
Federal investigators are scrutinizing partnerships that allowed other companies to access users’ data without their consent, according to a new report in the New York Times.
SEE ALSO: Why we should all be skeptical of Mark Zuckerberg’s new commitment to privacy
The investigation reportedly stems from partnerships Facebook formed with more than 100 other companies, such as Microsoft, Netflix, and Spotify. Those deals, which were previously examined by the NYT, allowed companies to access Facebook features from their own services. For example, Yahoo’s email service could access your friend list to help you find people you know. Read more…
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The FAA may have just messed up your travel plans.
On Wednesday, the agency announced that it’s grounding all Boeing 737 Max 8 and 9 airplanes after two fatal crashes in the last five months. The two airlines with the most Boeing 737 Max 8 planes? Southwest with 34 and American Airlines with 24.
The Ethiopian Airlines crash on Sunday prompted the groundings. Just a few months before in October, the same type of plane crashed in Indonesia.
As President Donald Trump made the announcement Wednesday, more than a dozen flights on the affected planes were mid-trip. They will be allowed to land at their final destinations, but once on the ground they have been ordered to stay there as part of the temporary grounding order. Read more…
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Back in January 2018, HP issued a battery recall covering 50,000 laptop batteries which had the potential to overheat and become either a burn of fire hazard. A year on, and the recall has been expanded to include a further 28,500 batteries taking the total up to 78,500.
The faulty batteries were shipped in a wide range of products or sold as accessories for those products. As the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) website explains, the complete list includes “HP ProBooks (64x G2 and G3 series, 65x G2 and G3 series, 4xx G4 series), HPx360 (310 G2), HP Pavilion x360 11inch Notebook PC, HP 11 Notebook PC, HP ZBook (17 G3, and Studio G3) mobile workstations. The batteries were also sold as accessories or replacement batteries for the HP ZBook Studio G4 mobile workstation, HP ProBook 4xx G5 series, HP ENVY 15, HP Mobile Thin Clients (mt21, mt22, and mt31).” Read more…
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