Category Archives: Blog

The “Idea Train” is pulling into the station and with it comes workout stations, a children’s lounge, and relaxation compartments.

Deutsche Bahn, a German rail system, recently revealed its concept train of the future. It includes many amenities because the company anticipates future trains will be competing with self-driving cars. The appeal of the train as a place to read and work will be eliminated when riders can do the same thing in an autonomous car.

So the train company has to step up its game. As Deutsche Bahn said on its site about the train (translated by Google), “Train travel must be more fun again and become an experience!” Read more…

More about Technology, Transportation, Fitness, Future, and Germany

Unless you live in Japan, fried chicken and Christmas aren’t really things that go together.

Regardless, KFC in New Zealand is trying to make it a thing with a series of tree decorations for the unrelenting chicken fan.

The set of five decorations features a drumstick, chips (a.k.a. fries), a wing, a bucket of fried chicken, and of course, Colonel Sanders. 

Packed “beautifully” in a black presentation box, the fast food chain will release these in New Zealand stores in early-December. Sadly, it appears you can only win them on the chain’s Facebook page. Read more…

More about Christmas, New Zealand, Kfc, Christmas Tree, and Holidays 2017

Instagram addicts may now have a new reason to give Motorola’s Moto Z another look.

Polaroid and Motorola have teamed up on a new Moto Mod for the company’s Z series of phones. The Polaroid Insta-Share Printer is an instant camera accessory that turns the Moto Z into a tiny photo printer.  

It clips onto the back of the phone and connects to the Moto Z’s camera (the Mod also has a dedicated shutter button to make snapping photos even easier) to turn the phone into a tiny Polaroid camera. 

You can also use the accessory to print out photos you’ve already taken, like your favorite Instagram shots and other pics you have stored on your phone. Speaking of Instagram, the Polaroid Mod has an accompanying app that will let you add text and filters to your pics before you print them. Read more…

More about Tech, Mobile, Gadgets, Motorola, and Polaroid

It’s unclear if this kid actually knows just how lucky he truly is.

Two boys were biking home from school in Ha Noi, Vietnam earlier this month when they came across a truck approaching them slowly. The boys pulled over to the side of the narrow road to let the truck pass, but one of the boys lost his balance.

After going up on the small curb, the boy lost momentum, and toppled over into the street just as the truck was passing. Somehow, be it sheer luck or quick reflexes from the truck driver, the boy escaped getting run over, though it appears his backpack was underneath the truck’s tire.  Read more…

More about Kids, Viral Videos, Wtf, Dashcam, and Culture

The San Diego Zoo announced the birth of a newborn hippopotamus back in September. And now we finally know the young calf is a boy and his name is Tony. Oh, and our sweet Tony is also the adorable crowned prince of the zoo — nay, the country.

Tony is the twelfth hippo born to his mother and father, Funani and Otis, according to the San Diego Zoo. But he’s the number one hippo in our hearts (well, maybe number two after Fiona). 

In just a couple months, Tony has already embraced his best life.

On his first day Tony, was getting around the water with a little help from his mom. Read more…

More about Animals, Zoo, Zoos, Calf, and San Diego Zoo

OK, congratulations Blake Shelton, I guess. 

You have successfully managed to beat some odds, and have convinced the editorial board of People magazine to name you the Sexiest Man Alive. Nice.

But as much as you want everyone to look at the that big bold title on the cover of that magazine, it can’t distract us from the real thing on everyone’s mind. Something that you have shown in picture after picture over the years. 

Well, now we demand to know.

What are you hiding behind your head, Blake Shelton? 

On this just spectacular cover, and so many other photos, it is very clear that you, Grammy Award-nominated artist Blake Shelton, have something you’re holding just out of sight behind your head.  Read more…

More about People, Headshot, Blake Shelton, Hiding, and Sexiest Man Alive

It’s that time of the year again when Americans come together with friends and relatives to share a hearty meal and not think about the world falling apart around them. Or, alternatively, to argue about the different politicians responsible for the crumbling state of our society and planet. 

What Thanksgiving revelers might not realize, however, is that the precise geographic details of their communal experience are being recorded, analyzed, and monetized by a combination of smartphone apps and a little known San Francisco-based company by the name of SafeGraph.

And it’s super creepy. 

More about Apps, Privacy, Smartphones, Study, and Tracking

Amazon Alexa is now available in Canada. 

Amazon announced today that its intelligent personal assistant is moving north for the holidays, along with three of the devices it powers: Echo, Echo Plus, and Echo Dot. 

Canada is the third country to receive Alexa — it was previously only available in the U.S., the U.K., and Germany. 

Canadian users will get a tailor-made experience. Canadian Alexa is equipped with a Canadian accent, local knowledge, and functionality from Canadian developers. Companies such as Air Canada, TELUS, CBC, and the Bank of Montreal have contributed skills.  Read more…

More about Amazon, Amazon Echo, Amazon Alexa, Echo Dot, and Echo Dot 2

A week after giving another white supremacist a coveted blue checkmark, Twitter is taking new steps to address problems with its verification process.

The company, which previously paused its verification program following a backlash, said Wednesday it’s working on a new verification system, saying they “did not prioritize the work as we should have.”

“Verification has long been perceived as an endorsement. We gave verified accounts visual prominence on the service which deepened this perception,” the company wrote in a tweet. “We should have addressed this earlier but did not prioritize the work as we should have.” Read more…

More about Tech, Twitter, Apps And Software, Social Media Companies, and Tech

Just when it seemed the Roy Moore sexual assault scandal couldn’t get more unbelievable, someone went ahead and pretended to be a Washington Post reporter in a robocall.

After Moore’s wife’s shared fake news on her Facebook page in a misguided attempt to bring down the accusers, it seems the senate candidate’s defenders took her effort to the next level.

An apparent robocall going out to voters in Alabama claims to be from a Washington Post reporter named “Bernie Bernstein,” who is seeking women to give “damaging remarks” about the candidate. Read more…

More about Media, Washington Post, Roy Moore, Sexual Asault, and Robocall