Category Archives: Blog

You know you’re in trouble when your only hope for stability is something as notoriously unstable as cryptocurrency. And yes, Venezuela appears to be very much in trouble.  

According to Bloomberg, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced on Friday that he intended to link a new national currency, the sovereign bolivar, to a cryptocurrency of his own government’s making — the Petro. This is the first case of a government tying its economic fortunes so closely to that of any digital currency, and suggests a possible exit path for a country ravaged by hyperinflation. 

More about Petro, Venezuela, Cryptocurrency, Tech, and Cryptocurrency Blockchain

Nicki Minaj blamed a 6-month-old baby for lackluster album sales, and Twitter has been rolling out some golden memes about the whole situation.

Despite landing the No. 2 spot on the Billboard 200 with “The Queen,” Nicki was peeved that Travis Scott’s “Astroworld” topped charts for the second week in a row. During a Twitter meltdown on Sunday, Nicki blamed Spotify, Travis’ merch loophole, Kylie Jenner’s promotion tactics, and even the couple’s infant daughter, Stormi Webster, for keeping her from the coveted No. 1 spot. 

More about Memes, Twitter Reactions, Vmas, Culture, and Web Culture

More about History, Women, Mercedes Benz, Tech, and Identities

Last week, a bombshell AP investigation found that Google was still tracking iPhone and Android device users, even if they turned off the “Location History” setting. Now, the first lawsuit has been filed against the search engine giant over this issue, according to documents posted by Ars Technica. 

On Friday, attorneys representing the plaintiff, Napoleon Patacsil from San Diego, filed the lawsuit in federal court in San Francisco. The lawsuit is looking to establish an “iPhone class” and an “Android class” in its desire to obtain class action status. This could potentially affect millions of users — anyone who uses either an iPhone or Android device and had turned off Location History yet were still tracked by Google.  Read more…

More about Google, Iphone, Android, Lawsuit, and Gps Tracking

This is You Won’t Regret It, a new weekly column featuring recommendations, tips, and unsolicited advice from the Mashable culture team.

Nothing feels better than blocking an obnoxious branded Twitter account — whether you’re doing it to spite Alex Jones, to protect yourself from insidious marketing, or some combination of the two.

Look at what’s happening on Twitter, for example. As we reported earlier this month, #GrabYourWallet co-founder Shannon Coulter recently put pressure on the platform to remove Jones by creating a list of Fortune 500 companies on Twitter that people can block in protest. Read more…

More about Watercooler, Twitter, Alex Jones, You Won T Regret It, and Culture

Sacha Baron Cohen’s Who Is America has made it clear that no one is exempt from the comedian’s satirical skewering. The latest unfortunate victim is food critic Bill Jilla, whom Cohen convinces to eat (fake) human flesh while masquerading as a Michelin star-seeking chef.

Cohen dons another disguise, this time as Rick Sherman, an ex-con with a prison-themed menu at his restaurant. He serves Jilla a variant of beans on toast, followed by a sausage in a condom, followed by what he claims to be the cooked remains of a Chinese prisoner. Jilla barely balks before trying it and immensely enjoys the dish.  Read more…

More about Entertainment, Television, Food, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Satire

Spoilers for Netflix’s Insatiable lie ahead.

There’s a lot I really don’t like about Insatiable. But when it comes to the will-they-won’t-they throuple of three major characters… I am surprisingly on board.

The campy teen series proved it was borderline incapable of handling sensitive material throughout its first season and its ham-fisted approach to sexuality based narratives was no exception. (I mean, come on. Nonnie’s coming out story was an awkward, clichéd mess.)  

That being said, I give creator Lauren Gussis major props for writing a polyamorous relationship into Season 1’s final episodes. When it comes to mainstream storytelling, multiple partner relationships are too often left out or misrepresentedInsatiable explores the topic of polyamorous romance imperfectly, but deftly enough to add important representation to current conversation. Read more…

More about Netflix, Polyamory, Representation, Alyssa Milano, and Insatiable

Apple’s least expensive Mac, the Mac mini, will finally get an update later this year.

The standalone Mac, which Apple hasn’t updated in almost four years, will get a refresh aimed at professionals, reports Bloomberg. 

It’s embarrassing Apple continues to sell the outdated Mac mini. But just as Tim Cook promised, a new one is coming.

According to Bloomberg, the new Mac mini will target professionals and come with internal upgrades to the processor and storage. As a machine for pros (y’all are getting a lot of love from Apple these days), it will likely cost more than the current Mac mini, which starts at $499.  Read more…

More about Apple, Rumors, Macbook, Professionals, and Mac Mini

It’s going to be a little while longer until we see the third season of Stranger Things, but when it does, expect it to hark back to Chevy Chase at his most prolific.

David Harbour, who plays Chief Jim Hopper in the series, told Variety the new episodes will be inspired by the 1985 action-comedy Fletch.

“The Duffers are so specific each year with the movies. And Fletch is one movie we get to play around and have some fun with this season, which you wouldn’t expect from Stranger Things, and you wouldn’t expect from the Spielberg universe, and you certainly wouldn’t expect from a darker season,” Harbour told the publication. Read more…

More about Entertainment, Tv, Stranger Things, Stranger Things Season 3, and Entertainment

If there’s anyone out there who can shame you into buying a ticket for Crazy Rich Asians, it’s definitely the director of the blockbuster film and one of its many stars. 

Director Jon M. Chu showed up to a movie theater with Ken Jeong in tow this weekend. They apparently ran into three kids in the lobby who were spending their night seeing..The Meg? 

The teens were quickly talked out of their choice.

“We found these three Asian dudes who had tickets tonight to The Meg!! Hahaha so Ken Jeong decided to rectify the situation,” Chu wrote on Instagram.  Read more…

More about Ken Jeong, Crazy Rich Asians, Culture, and Web Culture