Here's the third part of my reading (MP3) of Petard (part one, part two), a story from MIT Tech Review's Twelve Tomorrows, edited by Bruce Sterling; a story inspired by, and dedicated to, Aaron Swartz — about elves, Net Neutrality, dorms and the collective action problem.
Podcast: Petard, Part 03
U.S. West bracing for "blowtorch-like" heatwave. Death Valley could reach 129 F
It's only 98 degrees (37 C) here in LA as I write this, but our friends in beautiful Las Vegas are enjoying 114 F weather with a Wednesday forecasted high of 116 F. Meanwhile Death Valley is 119 in the shade and weather forecasters say it could hit 129 F this week. Get ready for… READ THE REST
Fox plays "f*ckin" version of Ariana Grande song, Kayleigh McEneny apologizes
Fox "News" got down and dirty today while teasing a story about unsold Girl Scout cookies, playing Ariana Grande's unstripped version of "Thank U Next" as its bumper music. The on-air lyrics included: "Thank you, next,I'm so fuckin' grateful for my ex.. Thank you next, I'm so fuckin …" After the commercial break viewers were… READ THE REST
The FlashBooth 2.0 is a portable studio for shooting beautiful product images in seconds
It seems like the easiest project you could conceive. Just take a picture of a watch, or a baseball card, or a hamburger so you can put it up on your website and try to sell it. Now … ask any small business owner, eBay seller, or any of the thousands of online retailers about… READ THE REST
This shimmering LED floor lamp can bathe your room in 16 million different colors
Did you use to have one of those torchiere floor lamps in your college dorm room? Or is there one standing vigilantly next to you now as you read this? Those straight, upright lamps found their way into every home, almost like they were part of some Invasion of the Body Snatchers-style alien takeover scenario.… READ THE REST
The TREBLAB HD-Max is a booming Bluetooth speaker with powerful, satisfying volume
The biggest frustration most Bluetooth speaker owners face is when they realize their speaker is completely inadequate for serious booming. They may be perfectly fine for casual, indoor listening, but if you're taking the speaker outside or trying to boost your tunes over the dull roar of a party, you'll need extra horsepower on the… READ THE REST
Paintstorm Studio is a godsend for digital painters, and it's on sale for $15
Digital painting has truly become an art in itself. Even with artists like Andy Warhol creating digital art on a Commodore Amiga back in the mid-80s, digital painting has mostly been a kitschy bit of artistic fun, not stuff to be regarded as a true masterwork. But much has changed over the past decade. Technology… READ THE REST