Friday, December 27, 2013
Start here: the best apps for all your new devices
Christmas morning is over. The fire is roaring with wrapping paper, broken candy cane pieces litter the phone, and you've just opened a brand-new gadget. Maybe it's a new PlayStation 4, or an iPhone 5C, or the Windows tablet you've been not-so-subtly asking for all year. You've unwrapped it, torn the box to shreds, and turned it on. Now what?
100 things we didn't know last year
Interesting and unexpected facts can emerge from daily news stories and the Magazine picks out such snippets for its weekly feature, 10 things we didn't know last week. Here's an almanac of the best of 2013.
Everyone Wants to Be a Flight Attendant
Whenever airlines advertise openings for flight attendants, the applications gush in. Southwest Airlines (LUV) recently received 10,000 applications for 750 attendant positions—in about two hours. A year ago, 114,000 people sought 2,500 flight attendant spots at the airline, known for its laid-back work environment. It’s the same at other carriers: US Airways (AAL) had 16,500 applicants this past January for 450 spots, and Delta Air Lines (DAL) got 22,000 for 300 to 400 positions a year ago.
Why such interest?
Why such interest?
Your E-Reader Is Tracking You
Scribd is just beginning to analyze the data from its subscribers. Some general insights: The longer a mystery novel is, the more likely readers are to jump to the end to see who done it. People are more likely to finish biographies than business titles, but a chapter of a yoga book is all they need. They speed through romances faster than religious titles, and erotica fastest of all.
Logorama
This is a short film that was directed by the French animation collective H5, François Alaux, Hervé de Crécy + Ludovic Houplain. It was presented at the Cannes Film Festival 2009. It opened the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and won a 2010 academy award under the category of animated short.
FOR ADULTS ONLY!!!!
Volvo Trucks - The Epic Split featuring Van Damme & The Parody
The top video really happened! The bottom one... Not so much.
Friday, December 20, 2013
Saturday, December 14, 2013
The Rescue of Harrison Okene
What caused the rugged tugboat, which was built in 2004, to keel over was yet unknown at the time of this report. Chevron’s General Manager in charge of Policy, Government and Public Affairs, Mr. Deji Haastrup, said initial report indicated that the accident was caused by a “sudden ocean swell”.
That ‘ocean swell’ also began a nearly 72-hour ordeal under the belly of the Atlantic Ocean for the cherub-faced Okene, who was barely days away from marking the fifth anniversary of his wedding to his heartthrob, Akpos.
That ‘ocean swell’ also began a nearly 72-hour ordeal under the belly of the Atlantic Ocean for the cherub-faced Okene, who was barely days away from marking the fifth anniversary of his wedding to his heartthrob, Akpos.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Monday, December 09, 2013
A Fake Slum for Luxury Tourists Who Don't Want to See Real Poverty
It's estimated that one in eight people worldwide live in so-called slums, which, in some cities, makes visiting these informally maintained neighborhoods unavoidable. Although controversial, the practice of "slum tourism" has become a popular way for tourists to engage with poverty on a personal level. But why go visit an actual slum when you can simply stay at a luxury resort that looks like a slum?
Cold dis-comfort: Antarctica set record of -135.8
Feeling chilly? Here's cold comfort: You could be in East Antarctica which new data says set a record for "soul-crushing" cold.
Sunday, December 08, 2013
Saturday, December 07, 2013
What It Was Really Like To Fly During The Golden Age Of Travel
When we think about the Golden Age of Flying--the glory years of Pan Am and the Concorde in the 1950s and 1960s, before flight became cheap with the rise of the jumbo jet--we imagine a colorful, lavish era in which our every comfort and requirement is catered to. Gone are the inconveniences and annoyances of modern travel: the cramped seats, the dismissive stewardesses, the long security lines, and so on. Instead, we think of a vintage airline brochure come to life.
But was it really so great to fly 50 years ago? To find out, we asked Guillaume de Syon, a professor at Pennsylvania's Albright College and an expert on aviation history. Although there were many benefits of flying in the 1950s and 1960s, de Syon says, the reality was far different than you might expect. In fact, once you know what flying during the so-called Golden Age was really like, you might prefer a jaunt on easyJet.
But was it really so great to fly 50 years ago? To find out, we asked Guillaume de Syon, a professor at Pennsylvania's Albright College and an expert on aviation history. Although there were many benefits of flying in the 1950s and 1960s, de Syon says, the reality was far different than you might expect. In fact, once you know what flying during the so-called Golden Age was really like, you might prefer a jaunt on easyJet.
18 Things You Learn Driving The $2.35 Million Bugatti Veyron Vitesse
Imagine you're the superhero who saved the entire world from an alien invasion, and you're sitting in a convertible as it rides through in the parade thrown in your honor. You're waving to your adoring public, all of whom are ecstatic just to get a glimpse of you. That's what it's like to drive a Bugatti.
The 50 Free Apps We're Most Thankful For
It's the time of year where we all give thanks, and among many other things, we here at Lifehacker are thankful for all the free apps out there that improve our lives (and the developers that make them!). Here are 50 of our favorites.
Most Popular Photography Tips, Tricks, and Hacks of 2013
This was a great year for all things photography, with posts to help you behind the camera, in front of it, when you're shooting, and when you're editing. Here's a look back at our most popular photography tips, tricks, and hacks of 2013.
Ketchup: The All-American Condiment That Comes From Asia
There probably isn't a more American condiment than ketchup. Millions of Americans douse their french fries, hamburgers, hot dogs and other favorite foods with it every day. The ubiquitous tomato-based sauce has been a staple in American cuisine for over a century, with surveys finding that 97% of kitchens in the United States contain a bottle.
The Future (And Not So Future) of In-Flight Entertainment
Careening through the air 30,000 feet above the ground can be a brutal experience. To help us cope, airlines have evolved some pretty sophisticated on-demand entertainment in the form of games, movies, internet, and the occasional backrub. Here's a look at some of the ambitious ideas that got us there, the failures along the way, and concepts we might see in the future.
Sunday, December 01, 2013
It’s not your imagination, airlines really are shrinking the size of seats
Air Canada’s third “high-density” Boeing 777 airplane will take to the skies in mid-December. The new plane will feature three cabins—business, economy and premium economy—and will pack in 109 more paying customers than existing 777s, boosting the total number of passengers per plane to 458 from 349. As if it needed saying, most of the extra bodies will be squeezed into the economy-class cabin. Each seat is about 43 cm across instead of the usual 46 cm, allowing them to be laid out in rows that are 10 across instead of the standard nine. “I’m not sure customers really notice the inch that much,” says airline spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick, who adds that many of the narrower seats are more ergonomically designed. “Sometimes they don’t notice until they’re told.”
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Singapore 21: a farewell trip on the world's longest flight
As of tomorrow, the longest flight in the world will shuttle passengers on a 747-400 from Sydney, Australia to Dallas, Texas. That 15-hour, 25-minute hop on board Qantas 7 may not be the lengthiest in duration, but at 8,578 miles gate to gate, it'll lead the industry in miles flown. For a few more hours, however, Singapore Airlines' decade-long run from Newark, N.J., to Singapore remains the record holder for both time (more than 18 hours) and distance (9,534 miles). It's a journey that's been on the bucket lists of the world's most ambitious aviation enthusiasts since the city-state's namesake airline first launched the service in 2004, and following tonight's final jaunt, this record-setting A340-500 will touch down at Changi Airport for the very last time.
How The Chinese Used Ice To Build The Forbidden City
The Forbidden City, is one of the largest palaces in the world. It’s a large, sprawling, ancient city, and has baffled historians for centuries as to how it was built. The materials used in its construction were taken from a faraway quarry, and how they got to the city has been a mystery for years. We now know that ice roads were used to transport materials during construction.
The cave dwellers of 21st-century China
China’s high-tech building industry may have been flexing its ample construction muscles for the past decade in places like Beijing and Shanghai, but a few hundred miles away in Shanxi province, an estimated three million people still live in caves.
Never Swim in the Congo: Goliath Tigerfish
Growing up to 5 feet and length and weighing in at over 150 pounds, the Goliath Tigerfish makes a piranha look like a guppy in comparison to this ferocious beast. Locals say it’s the only fish that doesn’t fear the crocodile, and will even devour some of the smaller ones! In rare instances, it’s also been known to attack humans. *Gulp*
Russia’s Secret City: The Most Radioactive Place On Earth
Russia’s Lake Karachay was used in the 1950s as a dumping site for radioactive waste. Now it is the most polluted place on the planet, with enough radioactivity to kill a person in less than an hour. At its height, it was putting more than 200,000 times the normal amount of radioactivity into the area due to poor waste disposal practices.
Insects Don’t Feel Pain
Emotional and physical pain allow us to learn from our experiences and modify future behavior. Nocireceptors, responsible for the sensation of pain, are not present in insects—whose lifespans are too short for pain to be useful. Since insects lack nocireceptors, they cannot experience pain.
How To Build A Fire Pit
You could just build a fire somewhere, then put it out when you're done. Or you could buy one of those metal basins at a place like Williams-Sonoma. But by actually digging into the dirt and constructing a pit whose sole purpose is to contain a campfire — by permanently incorporating it into the tiny speck on the earth that belongs to you — you are making a commitment. A commitment to your family, a commitment to your friends, and a commitment to having fun even when it's cold out.
8 Basic Life-Saving Skills Everyone Should Know
We've featured a ton of survival and MacGyver tips over the years that could help you out of a fix, but what if you're next to someone else who's having an emergency? Don't just stand there as the person chokes or faints! Know what to do in these life-or-death situations.
Mystery of the Forest Swastikas
Over 20 years ago, a landscaper in eastern Germany discovered a formation of trees in a forest in the shape of a swastika. Since then, a number of otherforest swastikas have been found inGermany and beyond, but the mystery of their origins persist.
HOLE-IN-ONE? That's Gunna Cost ya!
Ikuo Ikeda teed it up one sunny morning, swung hard and sent the ball on an arc toward the flagstick.
"Oh my God!'' said Ikeda, the 50-year-old president of a publishing company. A second or two later, the ball dropped into the cup for a hole-in-one.
It could have been an expensive stroke.
Realistically colorized historical photos make the past seem incredibly real
Over the last couple years, an increasingly popular trend online has been to create and share colorized photos from history. Artists such as Jordan Lloyd, Dana Keller and Sanna Dullaway take intriguing old black-and-white photos and bring them to life with color as if they’d been taken only yesterday.
Time Travel Is Banned In Chinese Movies
In 2011, the Chinese government passed guidelines that would largely prohibit any time travel plot devices in television and movies. According to the State Administration of Radio Film and Television, time travel represents “ambiguous values” and “lack of active ideological significance.”
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Here’s the most amazing part of flying we hope you’ll never have to experience
It’s hard to comprehend when you’re waiting to deplane upon arrival, and even more dumbfounding once you see it: every airplane you’ve ever been in can be evacuated in less than 90 seconds.
The killer cure for alcoholism in Russia
Alcoholism and Russia have a long and destructive history together. Alcohol abuse costs that country half a million deaths a year, most of them men of working age. It also costs billions of dollars in lost productivity. Male life expectancy in Russia is just 60 years, and the Russian population is predicted to shrink nearly 20 percent by the middle of the century, in part because of the drinking. Every problem, though, creates a market for a cure.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Famous Brand Logos Recreated With Honest Slogans
Nashville-based graphic designer Clif Dickens has recreated the logos of famous brands to include “what people really think” for his website cheekily titled ‘Honest Slogans.’ Have a look at our favorite picks from the collection.
The secret world of cargo ships
THE BRIDGE OF a modern ship is a shock on first encounter. Although this place is still known as the wheelhouse, the wheel at the helm is not wooden and impressive, but mundane plastic, the kind that would suit a video arcade game. Nearly all else is automated. A bank of screens contains radar, ECDIS — an electronic chart system — and AIS, an automatic identification system that transmits the ship's name, speed and heading, and other details to other ships, port authorities, and well-equipped pirates. There is radio, a gyrocompass and magnetic compass, a tachometer and echo sounder.
On a modern shipping vessel, what's in the hold is unknown — even to the people moving it.
On a modern shipping vessel, what's in the hold is unknown — even to the people moving it.
Your Tough-Love Guide to Getting Enough Sleep
November 3rd marks fall’s Daylight Savings Time, also known as that day when it is suddenly dark before we leave the office. But while DST might be a legit excuse to “lose” an hour of sleep, it’s really not going to fly any other of the 364 nights of the year. This is what we learned when we checked in with four experts in the sleep field to find out (sometimes shocking) consequences are of not getting enough shut-eye.
Shanghai police crowd more than 60 surveillance cameras on single overhead bar watching one road; demolish most of them after media attention
Over 60 surveillance devices watching one road in Shanghai shock passersby, draw public outrage over concern of wasting public money.
Beautiful cityscape photos by and of thrill-seekers who are far too comfortable atop skyscrapers
Now, the internet is full of crazy people climbing terrifyingly tall structures and then taking pictures and video of their exploits. But Ryobai’s work seems to take this horrifying hobby and move it into the realm of fine art.
Sunday, November 03, 2013
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I Hit "Fever Mode" Today On My 'Fever Aqua Nine © 2004 Sankyo'
Fever Aqua Nine © 2004 Sankyo
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Single Bonus - One line of gold dolphins
Big Bonus - Two or more lines of gold dolphins or all sea animals
During the time reels are spinning, there are three possible screen background "yokoku" events: a turtle and killer whale, ray, or shark will be seen swimming. Any of these yields a 100% chance of a reach. There is also a reel-based "yokoku" event: if the reels stop on sea animals formed in a pattern like:
and if this pattern comes out continuously in successive spins, there is a high chance of a win. During this pattern, if a single dolphin in the center space pattern appears like this:
it's an automatic win.
During a reach, there is a step-up "yokoku" event pattern that involves a mermaid: if the mermaid just swims there is just a small chance of a win. If she stops and hovers near the reels, then it's an automatic super reach. Finally, if she makes a action as if she is praying then it's an automatic super reach and your odds of winning increase.
There are four reach patterns:
Normal: Very low chance of winning. Usually automatic win if during "bonus" mode.
Friends of the Ocean Super Reach: Only occurs during an "all sea animals" super reach. High chance of winning.
Wink Super Reach: Mermaid winks. Low chance of winning.
Pray Reach: Cut-scene of mermaid praying. Medium chance of winning.
There are also several automatic win patterns:
If you see a white dolphin.
If you see a cut scene of a trolling line being pulled quickly through the water.
If the mermaid appears during the Friends of the Ocean Super Reach.
If the cameo-looking mermaid above the screen lights up it's an automatic big bonus win.
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During normal play, the background screen is blue, during big bonus play it's pinkish, and during chance time play it's green-ish.
How China Profits From Our Junk
In this excerpt from the forthcoming Junkyard Planet, author Adam Minter explores China's central role in the world's vast global recycling trade.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
China Says Goodbye To Its Mysterious, Illegal High-Rise Fortress
The luxurious "mountain villa" built atop a Beijing high-rise is being torn down. The $4 million penthouse was built by a Chinese health care entrepreneur named Zhang Lin on the roof of an existing apartment building earlier this year, much to the chagrin of its party-pooper occupants.
5 Creepy, Scary, Awesome Things You Never Knew About Blood
The internet has been beating us over the head with the fact it's Halloween today, and that means lots of fake blood. But the real stuff coursing through your veins can be scary all on its own. Here are some of the weirdest and wildest things going on in the world of blood.
A Map of Where All Your Favorite Horror Movies Take Place
The monster in a horror movie is scary, sure. But an eerie setting is just as important. Fortunately just about anywhere can be freaky as hell when you're alone in the dark, but some places get more horror movie love than others. And this great map by the folks at Esri shows you the horrible hotspots.
10 Truly Creepy Vampires From Around The World
Looking at the plethora of wimpy, tween-friendly vampires books and movies have given us in the last few years, it’s easy to forget that vampires began life as something a lot different—and a lot scarier. Centuries ago, our ancestors would quiver with dread at the mere mention of the word, which isn’t surprising when you consider just how downright unsettling and macabre their mythology could be.
Consider the following 10 vampires, taken from the traditions of 10 different countries, which, even by the standards of our ancestors, manage to stand out as some of the creepiest creatures mythology has to offer.
Consider the following 10 vampires, taken from the traditions of 10 different countries, which, even by the standards of our ancestors, manage to stand out as some of the creepiest creatures mythology has to offer.
10 Spooky Facts About Halloween
Halloween has a very long and storied past, rich with tradition and lore. Originally it was known as “Samhain,” a Celtic festival marking the end of the summer and the beginning of the cold months. The pagans who first celebrated the holiday believed that on Samhain the veil between the two worlds was at its thinnest, and the dead could walk the earth. The otherworldly nature of Halloween has captured people’s imaginations for centuries, and led to many superstitions and traditions that last to this day.
Why A Lake In India Is Full Of Skeletons
In 1942, hundreds of skeletons were found in a lake located in the Himalayas. For over 60 years, nobody knew who they were or how they got wiped out. There were many theories surrounding this morbid enigma, and it wasn’t until 2004 when scientists concluded that a freak, brutal hailstorm was the culprit.
9 Intensely Creepy Stories To Really Get Under Your Skin
We know how much our readers love creepy stories, and we've once again hit the creepiest time of year. You clicked the article—you must want to be creeped out. In fact, you must want to be downright disturbed, clicking on an article with a title like this.
Allow us to oblige you.
Allow us to oblige you.
FAA Oks Air Passengers Using Gadgets on Planes
Government safety rules are changing to let airline passengers use most electronic devices from gate-to-gate.
The change will let passengers read, work, play games, watch movies and listen to music.
The Federal Aviation Administration says airlines can allow passengers to use the devices during takeoffs and landings on planes that meet certain criteria for protecting aircraft systems from electronic interference.
Most new airliners are expected to meet the criteria, but changes won't happen immediately. Timing will depend upon the airline.
Connections to the Internet to surf, exchange emails, text or download data will still be prohibited below 10,000 feet. Heavier devices like laptops will have to be stowed. Passengers will be told to switch their smartphones, tablets and other devices to airplane mode.
And cellphone calls will still be prohibited.
The change will let passengers read, work, play games, watch movies and listen to music.
The Federal Aviation Administration says airlines can allow passengers to use the devices during takeoffs and landings on planes that meet certain criteria for protecting aircraft systems from electronic interference.
Most new airliners are expected to meet the criteria, but changes won't happen immediately. Timing will depend upon the airline.
Connections to the Internet to surf, exchange emails, text or download data will still be prohibited below 10,000 feet. Heavier devices like laptops will have to be stowed. Passengers will be told to switch their smartphones, tablets and other devices to airplane mode.
And cellphone calls will still be prohibited.
The Roller Coaster Designed to Kill Its Passengers
In 2010, architect and PhD candidate at the Royal College of Art in London, Julijonas Urbonas, from Lithuania, decided to attempt to design a method of euthanizing people that they might even enjoy.
The Popularity of Halloween Candy, Graphed
The beauty of Halloween is that we buy idiotically large bags of candy and then, pretending to be sad about the chore, eat what the trick-or-treaters don't take. (Unless you're bad at math, there's always candy left.) We decided to figure out which candies have been the most popular over the last five years, because we are social scientists.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Meet The Guy Who Drove Across The U.S. In A Record 28 Hours 50 Minutes
He's a tall, lanky Southerner with a penchant for cars, and, of all things, lizards. He teaches Sunday school with his wife. Ed Bolian is the kind of guy you might meet on an airplane and forget before you picked up your bags – with one exception: he claims he's the fastest man ever to drive across the United States.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Top 10 Scary Short Films
It's almost Halloween, which means it's that time of year again when you desperately search through your Netflix queue for anything scary that you haven't seen yet...and that doesn't look terrible.
Unfortunately, the search for a good scary movie can often lead to hours of your life being wasted on bad acting, horrible dialogue, incoherent plots, and awful remakes. Fortunately, there is some really fantastic work being done with scary short films that give you all of the best parts of a good horror flick (dread, fear, and something to keep you up at night) without all the other stuff.
Unfortunately, the search for a good scary movie can often lead to hours of your life being wasted on bad acting, horrible dialogue, incoherent plots, and awful remakes. Fortunately, there is some really fantastic work being done with scary short films that give you all of the best parts of a good horror flick (dread, fear, and something to keep you up at night) without all the other stuff.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Massive 80-Room Tree House Stands Almost 100-Feet-Tall
Anyone who ever wanted to have a small tree house in their backyard will be totally amazed by this massive construction, The World's Biggest Tree House, located in Crossville, Tennessee. Designed by Minister Horace Burgess, the structure relies on six oak trees as the base to support all five stories, which collectively stand 97-feet-high.
I challenged hackers to investigate me and what they found out is chilling
It’s my first class of the semester at New York University. I’m discussing the evils of plagiarism and falsifying sources with 11 graduate journalism students when, without warning, my computer freezes. I fruitlessly tap on the keyboard as my laptop takes on a life of its own and reboots. Seconds later the screen flashes a message. To receive the four-digit code I need to unlock it I’ll have to dial a number with a 312 area code. Then my iPhone, set on vibrate and sitting idly on the table, beeps madly.
I’m being hacked — and only have myself to blame.
I’m being hacked — and only have myself to blame.
What Lies Beneath
Deep below the streets of New York City lie its vital organs—a water system, subways, railroads, tunnels, sewers, drains, and power and cable lines—in a vast, three-dimensional tangle. Penetrating this centuries-old underworld of caverns, squatters, and unmarked doors, William Langewiesche follows three men who constantly navigate its dangers: the subway-operations chief who dealt with the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, the engineer in charge of three underground mega-projects, and the guy who, well, just loves exploring the dark, jerry-rigged heart of a great metropolis.
The Secret Life of a Manhattan Doorman
The smells are the thing I don’t forget. Harsh cleaners, dead bodies, the results of four a.m. bodega runs, cluttered apartments filled with rotting paper. I can recall each smell distinctively; they are unique to that time and place. It also works in reverse: if I stumble upon one of the smells, it takes me back to being a naïve seventeen-year-old, working in the hot New York City summer—the buzz of air conditioners working in the night, straining power grids. The city was asleep and I was awake. I was a doorman.
The 10 greatest Stephen King horror novels according to Goodreads
Although dismissed by critics for much of his career—one New York Times review called him “a writer of fairly engaging and preposterous claptrap” — Stephen King is by any measure one of the greatest horror writers of all time. The author of fifty novels, nearly two hundred short stories and nine collections of short fiction, he is as productive as he is versatile. With so much fiction to choose from, it can be difficult to decide where to begin.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Hanging Out At The DIVE Bar
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| Hermit Crab races! |
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| Rick & Deb's FIRST place winner! $23 dollars to the good. |
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