Category Archives: Blog

When it comes to buying gifts for your mother, don’t shy away from technology, gadgets, and trends. There’s an unfortunate narrative afoot that suggests that everything your mother might want can be placed in a kitchen cupboard or encircled in an embroidery hoopWhile embroidery is rad, don’t let the standard mom gifts put your favorite lady in a box. It’s time to help your mama branch out. Make sure your gifts are actually gifts for her and don’t all have to do with serving others, an all-too-common issue with the more standard mom gifts. 

SEE ALSO: These are the best gifts for your dad

Your mom should revel in her own glory with gifts that make her feel smart, sophisticated, and valued. Consider what she does when she has no one putting demands on her time — then shop for those moments.  Read more…

More about Mom, Mashable Shopping, Gift Guide 2018, Gift Guide, and Gifts For Her

After transforming the once tranquil town of Paradise, California into charred automobiles and tales of horror, the Camp Fire takes its infamous spot as the deadliest wildfire in California history. 

At a multi-agency press conference Monday night, the Butte Country Sheriff’s Office announced that 42 have been confirmed dead. This grim statistic surpasses the 29 Los Angelenos killed by the Griffith Park Fire in 1933. While it’s unclear just how many individuals are still missing, officials said they’ve located 231 previously missing persons, who are now safe, and have received 1514 requests to check on or locate people. But, that large number may include multiple requests for the same person. Read more…

More about Science, Global Warming, Climate Change, California Wildfires, and Science

Crisis can bring people together in unprecedented ways. That’s the theme of Rising, a new short film directed by Game of Thrones’ David Nutter and written by Lena Waithe, creator of The Chi. 

The film, which is the latest installment of the popular Ad Council “Love Has No Labels” PSA campaign, imagines how a massive storm and flood affects a group of neighbors who at first glance have little in common. 

A white man stares menacingly at his neighbor, an American teen from an Indian Muslim family. Two women, who are a couple, run down the block and take note of the scene. Other residents, who are people of color, watch the white neighbor’s intimidation with disapproval. Then disaster strikes and everyone becomes essential to the block’s collective survival. The film was created pro bono by the ad agency R/GA and is designed to make viewers remember how vital people are to each other — even when political and cultural polarization threatens to tear America apart.  Read more…

More about Politics, Psa, Natural Disasters, Ad Council, and Social Good

Are you the type of person who just wants to rip the cover off your dear, sweet 2001 Xbox and see how it all ticks? Ever wanted to smash open a Game Boy? Lift the lid on an Atari 2600?

Shot by photographer and lifelong gamer Evan Amos, The Game Console: A Photographic History from Atari to Xbox does exactly that, as a visual history of video game hardware released by San Francisco-based publishing company No Starch Press. 

Photographed in intense, loving detail, the book quite literally unpacks 86 consoles and examines their innards, from the Magnavox Odyssey to the Atari 2600, Nintendo Entertainment System, and the Commodore 64, all the way to the Game Boy, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Wii U. Read more…

More about Nintendo, Xbox, Video Games, Playstation, and Atari

“Out of sight, out of mind” doesn’t work when cleaning out the darkest corners of social media platforms. 

That’s what the documentary The Cleaners, which airs Monday night on PBS, reveals about content moderators in the Philippines who are relentlessly bombarded with violent, graphic, and disturbing images and videos. Ahead of the TV release at a San Francisco screening, the filmmakers Hans Block and Moritz Riesewieck praised the subjects in the documentary for being “brave enough to talk to us.”

Manila has become a de facto headquarters for content moderation for some of the biggest social media and content services like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Google, Twitter, and others. But outsourcing the harmful work doesn’t eliminate the problem. Read more…

More about Documentary, Content Moderation, Social Media Companies, Tech, and Health

ASCII bunnies are evergreen. 

Best known for holding signs with hot takes, the bunny has taken on a more wholesome character of late with this new meme.

The “u want this?” bunny took over Twitter in early November. Like a saucy Janet from The Good Place, the bunny can fulfill all of your requests, but only if you meet its conditions. 

The meme started with the bunny offering its heart, but only if you promised to give it something in return. In this case, you’d have to give it your full astrological chart to check for compatibility.  Read more…

More about Twitter, Memes, Culture, and Web Culture

The death of Stan Lee, age 95, has been felt by many, but the loss has been particularly profound for the many fans-turned-artists who were inspired by Lee’s legendary career.

In the wake of Lee’s passing, as notes of honor and remembrance have flooded social media, stunning portraits of the renowned comic-book writer have stood out. Many of the tributes are accompanied by short anecdotes noting the impact Lee has had on the lives of so many, particularly in the worlds of illustration and animation.

One post from late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, a rendering of Lee he created when he was just seven years old, perfectly captures the awe so many have felt because of Lee throughout their lives. Read more…

More about Entertainment, Marvel, Jimmy Kimmel, Marvel Comics, and Entertainment

No matter what kind of home assistant or smart speaker you’re on a first name basis with, chances are you’ve reached co-dependent status with it — because no one wants to physically do things when you can yell at a piece of plastic to do it instead. Playing actual board games? It’s not 1984. Jotting down things for your to-do list? Uh, pens are practically an endangered species. Knowing things? Please, there’s the internet for that. 

Our go-to commands get us through the day, but when you really think about it, your favorite requests actually reveal a lot about your character. Here, we take a closer look at what your choice commands could be saying about you.  Read more…

More about Gift Ideas, Entertainment, and Web Culture

Leftover season is upon us, which means that now is the time to invest in some solid Tupperware. 

You may be thinking that the mix-matched menagerie of lids and plastic containers you have tucked away in your kitchen will do the trick, but I regret to inform you that it will not. 

Come the end of your Thanksgiving meal, as you try to fit your leftovers into whatever food storage containers you have, you’ll wish you’d invested in some sturdy containers worthy of storing the meal you spent hours—days, even!—creating.

More about Culture, Food Preparation, Food And Drink, You Won T Regret It, and Culture

When you’re hailing a ride, you probably flip between the Uber and Lyft apps to see which one will give you the best deal. But what if one of them offered you rewards in exchange for your loyalty?

Lyft is banking on that idea with its forthcoming rewards program. 

The company will soon let users earn points for all the money they spend in the app on Lyft rides. Once a user has earned enough points, they can redeem them for Lyft Rewards, such as a ride in a more luxurious car or discounts on future rides. Points will be tracked in the app as part of a user’s profile.

More about Uber, Lyft, Ride Hailing Apps, Rewards Programs, and Tech