Pop-up ads have long been the scourge of the internet. But the rise of ad blockers, plus anti-pop-up moves by Google and Firefox had given us hope that those days would soon be behind us. 

So why are even the most tech-savvy among us starting to see ads appear congratulating us for being “selected as a winner” of a $1,000 Amazon gift card?

The pop-ups in question appear on both smartphone and desktops, promising a prize in exchange for your personal information or a few clicks. They are is undeniably annoying, and quite clearly a scam.  Read more…

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Police responded to an active shooter at YouTube headquarters in San Bruno, California on Tuesday that left three people injured and one dead. But before police could even get a grasp on the situation, Twitter erupted with lies and misinformation. 

While many people on Twitter grabbed their “fake news” pitchforks, this situation felt different than the misinformation spread in the past, especially during the election. This wasn’t some politically-driven website promoting lies; this was straight up trolling in the most classic sense of the word.

More about Youtube, Shooting, Trolling, Fake News, and Culture

Ah, wardrobe malfunctions. Everyone has them, but not everyone handles them as gracefully as actress Jenna Fischer.

The star of The Office stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live to discuss her new ABC show, Splitting Up Together, but the dress she intended to wear did some splitting of its own before the interview started and she wound up wearing a towel.

While seated next to what would have been her very nice outfit, Fischer explained to Kimmel that her zipper broke right before she had to come on stage and she had to improvise.

“The show must go on,” the actress said, adding, “I’ve never been more comfortable.” Read more…

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Without so much as a warning, Siri suddenly became smarter, Google Translate became more accurate, and Amazon could straightaway predict when you were going to buy a new pack of toilet paper. If you’re wondering how this happened, you can thank artificial intelligence and deep learning. 

Yup, you read that right. They’re not just buzzwords thrown around by Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg to prove that they’re smarter than everyone else. These technologies are swiftly creeping into our lives and changing how the world works in more ways than we even realize.  Read more…

More about Artificial Intelligence, Coding, Machine Learning, Mashable Shopping, and Shopping Stackcommerce

Reddit’s design has stayed mostly the same since it launched more than a decade ago, and that’s the way many of its users like it.

But starting from Monday, the news aggregator will slowly roll out a redesign to a small percentage of users, Reddit’s administrators announced in a post.

The refresh will apply to the desktop version of the site, and in coming weeks users will be able to opt-in to the new version of Reddit. 

As WIRED notes, the redesign has been in the works for the past year-and-a-half. Reddit’s co-founder and CEO Steve Huffman noted in an “Ask Me Anything” last year that the site’s information-dense setup was often confronting to new users, hence the need for a redesign. Read more…

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Step Up fans, the dream is over.

Hollywood stars and Lip Sync Battle favourites Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan Tatum are separating after nine years of marriage.

The couple posted their co-written statements to their individual Twitter accounts. About their conscious uncoupling, the pair said they have “lovingly chosen to separate as a couple.” The statement was also published by People. 

Dissolving tabloid speculation about their separation, Tatum and Dewan wrote, “There are no secrets nor salacious events at the root of our decision — just two best-friends realizing it’s time to take some space and help each other live the most joyous, fulfilled lives as possible.”  Read more…

More about Entertainment, Separation, Celebrity Couple, Channing Tatum, and Jenna Dewan Tatum

They say imitation is the highest form of flattery — unless you’re talking about straight up ripping off someone else’s show.

Michael Rauch, showrunner behind the new CBS crime procedural, addressed accusations of plagiarizing from the well-loved and recently canceled Fox crime show, Bones. You see, when Episode 3 of Instinct (not to be confused with the 1999 Anthony Hopkins crime thriller of the same name, or the 1992 crime thriller Basic Instinct) premiered, fans expressed indignation at its uncanny similarities to a plot from an episode of Bones in 2009.

More about Entertainment, Cbs, Bones, Fox, and Crime Thriller

Here’s a newsflash for male authors of the world: women don’t just want to read about female characters, they want strong female protagonists who have actual personalities. 

A new Twitter challenge proves it. 

On Friday, writer Gwen C. Katz posted a screenshot of a male author’s attempt at writing a female character. 

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Tesla has lots and lots of cars to build so Elon Musk will be sleeping at his electric car factory.

That’s what the Tesla CEO tweeted Monday after an Information article about his deeper involvement in Model 3 production went out. 

Musk bristled at the premise of the story: That he was stepping in to oversee the electric sedan’s production as senior VP of engineering Doug Field was being pushed out. 

Musk insisted it’s “better to divide & conquer, so I’m back to sleeping at factory.” The billionaire noted, “Car biz is hell.” Read more…

More about Tesla, Elon Musk, Model 3, Tech, and Elon Musk

Ever wondered what it would be like to drive a three-wheeled electric car around New York City at rush hour?

It’s terrifying, and also awesome. 

On Thursday at the New York International Auto Show, I had the opportunity to test-drive Arcimoto, a three-wheeled electric car that the company refers to as “the first fun utility vehicle.” 

Pre-orders are already under way, with the first products rolling out to customers this fall. The base price is around $12,000, but you can ramp that up with various add-ons, such as a bigger battery or even doors (if you’re a wuss).  Read more…

More about New York Auto Show, Tech, Climate Environment, and Transportation