Tesla CEO Elon Musk isn’t made of money, but he sure has a lot of it. Of the billions he’s amassed over the years from his early days at PayPal, and now as CEO of SpaceX and electric car company Tesla, a big chunk every year is siphoned through his tax-exempt Musk Foundation.

The Guardian went through Musk’s charitable foundation tax filings from 2002 to 2016 and spotted some highlights and big-ticket donations that overall added up to $54 million in the years since it started in 2001. The foundation’s website, a simple Yahoo site created back then that simply states its mission in Times font, explains that money is given to certain organizations: Read more…

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“Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat!” Well, unless you get offered the juicy role of one of America’s most infamous murderers—then all bets are off. 

High School Musical, Baywatch, and Greatest Showman alum Zac Efron is shedding his handsome boy-next-door-ness to tackle the role of notorious serial killer Ted Bundy for a chilling new biopic. The results are confusing, upsetting, horrifying, and (broadly speaking) super not okay.

The first trailer for the project, titled Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile—a direct quote from one of Bundy’s numerous guilty verdicts—reveals the shudder-inducing tone of the film, told from the perspective of Bundy’s lovestruck girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer (Lily Collins.) At the time of his state-administered execution in 1989, Bundy was believed to be responsible for upwards of 30 deaths. Read more…

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Grant Margolin, the chief marketing officer of the colossal disaster that was Fyre Festival, seemed to drop off the face of the Earth after the event. 

The festival’s founder and CEO, Billy McFarland, is serving six years in prison for defrauding over 100 investors out of $27.4 million. But Margolin, who is portrayed in both recent Fyre Festival documentaries as McFarland’s right-hand man, settled out of court and has kept a low profile. 

All the documentaries managed to say about what he does now is that he volunteers as an EMT. 

But now it seems Margolin has been found — selling his services in New York City as a tutor, specializing in business and marketing, for $90 an hour. But we’ll get back to that.  Read more…

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In this special edition of MashTalk, Mashable sits down with the founder of Impossible Foods Dr. Pat Brown to discuss the importance of food technology. Detailing the terribly destructive environmental impact of the meat industry, Brown outlines the company’s plan to completely replace animals in the food system by 2035. Read more…

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We love our pets and would hang out with them (and only them) all of the time if we could. But did you know DNA test kits for dogs can help you and your pup get even closer?

It’s true. DNA test kits like this one from Embark can find preventable diseases and other disorders hiding inside of your dog’s genetic makeup. If you ever wanted to learn more about your dog, then the Embark’s DNA test kit can help and it’s now on sale for $179, or $20 off its retail price.

Once you get the DNA test kit in the mail, use the included cotton swab tool to swab the inside of your dog’s cheek. Then place the used swab back into the packaging and return it to Embark. The company’s scientists and geneticists in a partnership with Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine will then analyze and test your dog’s DNA sample, while it’s screened for ancestry and origins of over 250 dog breeds and more than 165 diseases like glaucoma, degenerative myelopathy, and more. Read more…

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Hollywood has been slow to respond to the new sexual assault allegations against director Bryan Singer, published in a bombshell Atlantic exposé yesterday, Jan. 23. 

But the LGBTQ media alliance group GLAAD is taking matters into its own hands.

Bohemian Rhapsody, directed by Singer, was officially pulled from the list of nominees for outstanding film (wide release) at the GLAAD Media Awards, Variety reports.

“This week’s story in The Atlantic documenting unspeakable harms endured by young men and teenage boys brought to light a reality that cannot be ignored or even tacitly rewarded,” GLAAD wrote in a statement. Read more…

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There are literally thousands of different headphones, earphones, and earbuds out there to choose from. All have the same idea at heart — to provide you with music without having to play it out loud for everyone to hear. But some achieve this result so much better than others. 

Sure, you could just hit Amazon and buy the cheapest, but that’s not always a great idea either. There’s also the issue of different headphones and earphones being good for all kinds of different purposes. Are you planning on listening at home? Taking them on your commute? Do you want to avoid lousy battery life? Go completely wireless? Read more…

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New York City has been a holdout in the electric scooter craze, but after a city council hearing Wednesday, that could finally change.

The city’s Committee on Transportation introduced four bills concerning e-scooters and electric bicycles. Companies like Bird and Lime that rent out the motorized scooters haven’t been allowed to operate in the city’s five boroughs, despite a growing international presence.

The four bills include a pilot program for shared e-scooters and legalizing e-scooters that can only go  up to 15 mph. A similar bill would allow for the use of e-bikes with a max speed of 20 mph, while another creates a conversion program for throttle e-bikes to become pedal-assist e-bicycles. Read more…

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Want to work out like Thor? Marvel star Chris Hemsworth is releasing his own fitness app.

Dubbed Centr, the app will be available for iPhone and Apple Watch starting Feb. 4, and features workouts, meal plans, and mindfulness exercises all helmed by the Australian actor.

“I believe we all have untapped potential,” reads Hemsworth’s website statement. “And we all need support to achieve our goals. Centr puts the world’s best in the palm of your hand, to help you develop a healthier body, stronger mind, and a happier life.” Read more…

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On my way home from the gym Tuesday evening, I was pleasantly surprised to see an invite to join Uber Rewards on the ride-hailing app. 

I’m in San Francisco and the loyalty program hadn’t made it there yet — or so I thought. As of this week, the program that offers perks and rewards based on the number of Uber rides taken expanded with a long list of new areas. 

Uber Rewards was first announced in November in nine areas. Now it’s also in:

• Washington, D.C.

• Philadelphia

• Atlanta

• San Diego

• New York City

• Miami

• New Jersey

• Denver

• Tampa Bay

• Boston

• Dallas

• Orange County

• Houston

• New Orleans

• Kansas City

• Indianapolis

• Los Angeles

• San Francisco

• Fort Collins

• Rockies

• Pittsburgh

• Lehigh Valley

• York-Gettysburg

• Erie

• Western Massachusetts Read more…

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