The New York Subway isn't like this anymore, but the sheer decrepitude and negligence of it in the 80s is always amazing to behold. This video shows a ride to Coney Island in 1987. Londoners like me will sometimes get a bit snooty about this sort of thing, but the London Underground was about as filthy back then. The distinctive manifestation was trash fires rather than free wall art, and the consequences were far worse.
A NYC subway ride to Coney Island in 1987
National Museum of American History wants your tales of 2020 for a time capsule
The National Museum of American History is creating a "digital time capsule" of 2020, and is inviting folks to submit their recollections of this Annus horribilis. They have a form here for submitting stories up to 500 words, and up to five photos and one video. As they write … We're assembling a digital time… READ THE REST
The evolution of the guitar over the centuries
YouTuber Rob Scallon invites guitar historian Brandon Acker on to discuss the history of the guitar from the 1400s through current models: "We learn about and play 7 instruments along the path of the guitar's evolution, from the Arabic Oud to the modern acoustic as we know it today." A relaxing and informative hour! Image:… READ THE REST
The sounds of (old) computer games loading
In the 8-bit age, data screeched slowly off tape decks. In the 16-bit era, floppy drives whirred, clinked and chunked according to the peculiarities of the system's disk controller. For the BBC's "Boring Talks"—podcasts about things most people would find boring—journalist Keith Stuart remembers. If you're never heard these sounds before, you're in for a… READ THE REST
The FOBO Tire 2 keeps an unblinking eye on your car's tire pressure
If your vehicle tire is flat, you know it's a huge danger to keep your car or truck on the road. What many drivers may not realize is that underinflated tires can ultimately be just as dangerous for the driver, their passengers, and everyone else. If a tire is underinflated, that means more of the… READ THE REST
This professional-grade espresso brewer is on sale for $150 off
For some coffee drinkers, java is life. Now, as it turns out, scientists might be willing to, at least tentatively, back up that claim. A new study by Italian researchers says they've found that espresso drinkers might actually do a better job staving off death than their non-espresso drinking friends and neighbors. They say, of… READ THE REST
Get an unlocked iPhone 11 Pro for just $900
When happy revelers unwrapped a brand new smartphone under the Christmas tree last month, which model do you think was most often beaming back at those delighted giftees? If you thought it was likely the new flagship of the Apple iPhone fleet, the iPhone 12, you'd be incorrect. But only half incorrect – because the… READ THE REST