This Columbus day, celebrate the person who really discovered America — aka, pretty much everyone except Christopher Columbus.

By now, it’s well known that Indigenous people populated America well before Columbus arrived, and he wasn’t even the first European to land here. 

So instead of throwing up a dumb Columbus meme on Facebook, use your free time to see what Indigenous groups lived in your area using the Native Land map. 

The map is available online and via the Native Land app (for both iOS and Android). Just type in your address, and you’ll be able to see what indigenous group(s) once lived there or nearby. It’s even possible members of that community still live in that area, though of course many native people were displaced, thanks to, uh, centuries of shitty federal policy. Read more…

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Spoilers ahead for the Season 9 premiere of The Walking Dead.

The premiere of a new season of television should be enticing. It should be exciting. It should pull viewers in and make them want to watch more.

“A New Beginning,” the premiere of the ninth season of The Walking Dead, did none of this.

Like most episodes of The Walking Dead, Sunday’s premiere was mostly boring, entirely too predictable, and devoid of any stand-out moments or performances. Perhaps this is because the show has gone on for too long. Perhaps this is because the show is afraid to break from the formula it established in Season 1. Read more…

More about Television, The Walking Dead, The Walking Dead Season 9, Entertainment, and Movies Tv Shows

Taylor Swift has long shied away from politics, a silence which has led to intense criticism from both sides of politics.

But on Sunday night, the pop monarch at last voiced her political stance on the upcoming midterm elections on Nov. 6.

Swift, who’ll be voting in the state of Tennessee, actively voiced her concerns for Republican Marsha Blackburn, and backed Democrats Phil Bredesen and Jim Cooper.

“In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now,” Swift captioned her post. Read more…

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Finally, a world of Doctor Who fans has seen the result of a very brave and controversial decision, unprecedented in the show’s 55-year history. 

That’s right: in Sunday’s episode, for the first time ever, most characters on the show — including the lead — speak with broad Yorkshire accents. 

Luckily, that trail was blazed by Game of Thrones, so hopefully most American audiences can understand what the hell this Sheffield crew is talking about. 

Oh yes, and Jodie Whittaker just happens to be the first woman to play the Doctor. But judging by a packed house of fans at Madison Square Garden, where Whittaker and incoming showrunner Chris Chibnall watched and discussed her first episode live with New York Comic Con attendees, that part was not controversial in the slightest.  Read more…

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We’re just three days away from Google’s Fall 2018 event, and the leaks are still coming.

Both 9to5Google and MySmartPrice spotted an FCC filing for an “Interactive Video Streaming Device” in September. And now, thanks to Jon Prosser via Twitter we might have our first look at marketing materials for this rumored “Home Hub.”

The Home Hub should allow for easy control of smart home devices in addition to everything a Google Home can do. Things like answering questions, identifying multiple users via voice, and communicating with others. Read more…

More about Google, Tablet, Google Assistant, Google Home, and Tech

WatchOS 5 has been available for all users (Series 1 and newer) for a few weeks now. 

Speed improvements and some new watch faces are in tow, but there is another communication method in it. You’ve always been able to get that Dick Tracy effect by taking phone calls on your wrist, but there is now a Walkie-Talkie app as well.

It’s precisely what you think it is. You can now have push-to-talk conversations with other Apple Watch users. Those who remember the push-to-talk feature on Sprint Nextel might be fond of this. 

Here’s how to use Walkie-Talkie in WatchOS 5. Read more…

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Listen, the Apple Watch Series 4 might have a larger display and a better processor, but the real news is fall detection.

Yep, there’s a feature that notes when you’ve stumbled and checks in on your well-being. Important note: it’s not on by default for those under 65. So in the event that your attempts to trigger it end up causing an injury, it won’t help.

With the feature turned on, the Apple Watch can detect a fall and ask if you’re all right. It can even call emergency medical services and notify an emergency contract. Read more…

More about Apple, Health, Healthcare, Apple Watch, and Apple Watch Series 4

David Harbour is back into the retweet game.

The Hellboy star promised to officiate film reporter Spencer Perry’s wedding in full Hellboy costume — that is, if Perry gets 666,000 retweets. 

Harbour’s done similar stunts before, but this one has a particularly fun twist: He pledged to knock 500K retweets off the minimum if Hellboy creator Mike Mignola promised to read a poem at the ceremony. Read more…

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The people of New York City got quite the surprise on Saturday night as the Empire State Building put on a wild light show.

The top of the building began lighting up in various colors at around 11:00 p.m. ET, and it continued for about two hours. In addition to the effect, two helicopters were seen the circling the top. 

Perplexed citizens took to Twitter. Theories ranged from aliens coming in for a landing to the light operator being on drugs. Many were asking for clarification from other users or anyone who might know the real reason behind it.  Read more…

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Welcome to Fat Bear Week at Mashable! Each fall, Katmai National Park holds a competition as Alaska’s brown bears finish fattening up for their long winter hibernation. This year, Mashable is getting in on the salmon-munching action. Check back with us all week as we follow the fat bear face-offs each day, and remember to get your votes in for each round. Happy fishing!

Fat bear aficionados, it’s time to meet your final four.

In an upset that won’t soon be forgotten, Bear 32 Chunk took down the most dominant bear at the river this summer, Bear 856. Bear 856’s fat just couldn’t cut it. 

In Saturday’s second matchup, Bear 747 — a beloved fat bear by watchers of the river’s drama — also advanced to the final four beating out the smaller, Bear 719. Read more…

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