Brazil's buying $4.5B worth of fighter jets. And rather than buy them from American military-industrial complex go-to Boeing, they're buying them from Sweden's Saab. Why? A contract with Boeing is synonymous with NSA surveillance. Multiply this by every country in the world and you start to get a sense of the cost of letting the NSA run around without any adult supervision. (via Techdirt)
NSA spying means Brazil's $4.5B fighter jets won't be built by Boeing
Why e-sports careers are shorter than those of athletes
E-sports stars have short careers—shorter than sports stars. The general assumption is that the coordination and focus required selects for youth even more than athletic performance does, but medical experts say that's not at all true. Instead, the Washington Post's Jonathan Lee traces more complex causes: success leads to an entrepreneurial track promoting gamer bric-a-brac;… READ THE REST
Amazon to close 68 stores, including all bookstores
Amazon is to close all its "physical" bookstores among dozens of others, reports Publishers Weekly, ending a six-year experiment even as other brick-and-mortar efforts thrive. Many industry observers believed Amazon's goal in opening the stores was to experiment with new shopping technologies, showroom its book and book-related offerings, and examine consumer behavior. Indeed, after the… READ THE REST
Epic Games is buying Bandcamp
Fortnight publisher Epic Games has acquired Bandcamp, the online platform that transformed the independent music business in wonderful ways. "The products and services you depend on aren't going anywhere, we'll continue to build Bandcamp around our artists-first revenue model," said Bandcamp co-founder/CEO Ethan Diamond in a statement. From The Verge: Epic describes Bandcamp as committed… READ THE REST
The ultimate gift for any 'Star Wars' fan is here
You know how some movie lines are so iconic, you have to actually imitate the actor's voice when you quote them? Think "I'll be back" from "Terminator" or "My precious" from "The Lord Of The Rings." That's how we feel about "Luke, I am your father" from "Star Wars" (and basically every other phrase Darth… READ THE REST
Capture your memories with this waterproof Polaroid camera for $49.99.
As the years go by, the photos we have are the best and most vivid way to remember our defining moments with loved ones and of great adventure. Typically, though, the family birthday pool parties, epic kayaking adventures on the river, and sublime snorkeling with sea turtles, are left without much photographic evidence. The refurbished… READ THE REST
The OMNIA Q5 5-in-1 Wireless Charging Station will make sure you never run out of juice
Getting your act together now that the sun is shining and you have better things to do with your time is hard, especially when you need to focus. Then, as everything turns into busy work and you're just trying to make it through the day so you can enjoy an exhaustive list of fun things, bam,… READ THE REST
