Jimmy Kimmel isn't taking your shit lying down. On Tuesday night, Kimmel went to town on the Graham-Cassidy bill — proposed by Republican senators Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy — for failing the "Jimmy Kimmel test." In the monologue, Kimmel said Cassidy "lied right to my face" when he appeared on the show in May, where the senator promised coverage for kids like Kimmel's son who was born with congenital heart disease. SEE ALSO: Thank you Jimmy Kimmel for slamming the GOP's new health care bill In the day after Kimmel's outburst on the bill, politicians and television personalities lined up to criticise the talk show host. Like Cassidy, who accused Kimmel of not understanding the bill, when talking to CNN's Chris Cuomo on Wednesday morning. So, in his opening monologue on Wednesday night, Kimmel returned fire, calling out Cassidy for pulling out the "all comedians are dummies card." "Which part of that am I not understanding? Or could it be Senator … [Read more...]
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Plantronics offers affordable wireless audio for your workouts
Plantronics' latest BackBeat wireless headphones have tended to focus on value for your hard-earned cash, and that's definitely the focus today. It's launching a range of BackBeat Fit headphones that promise sweat-resistant designs without a huge outlay. The BackBeat Fit 300 in-ears are billed as some of the lightest Bluetooth headphones on the planet, with stable earpieces and low-friction cloth cables, but the cost is relatively easy to swallow at $80 -- the only big catch is the so-so 6-hour battery life. And if you tend to work out more at the gym, the Fit 500 on-ears (shown up top) give you 18 hours of comfier playback for $100. If you're willing to splurge a bit, Plantronics hopes to sweeten the deal. The $130 BackBeat Fit Training and $160 Boost Editions (below) combine waterproof open-ears with a 6-month subscription to PEAR's pro workout service through its Personal Coach app. The concept isn't … [Read more...]
Clever backyard water tank looks like a giant raindrop
Home rain catching is a pretty slick affair these days, no longer relegated to the realms of industrial water towers. This new Dutch design is the newest backyard version of a trusty ol' water tank, a water-saving device dubbed the Raindrop. SEE ALSO: How your morning cup of coffee can help save the world The Raindrop is essentially an enhanced rain barrel, designed by Dutch designer Bas van de Veer as a graduation project in 2009 and produced by Dutch pottery company Elho in 2011. It's now received a redesign— new colours, new finishes and more compatibility with drain connections — unveiled during the Spoga Gafa trade fair in Cologne in Sept. 2017. Image: BAS VAN DE HEER Van der Veer did extensive research on household water use, identifying potential collecting and saving opportunities — in particular, the roof. "The project started with a desire to design a product that contributes to a better environment, considering the way we deal with water in … [Read more...]
CNBC: Tesla is working on its own AI chip with help from AMD
It's no secret that Tesla always wanted to develop an in-house chip to handle its cars' autonomous functions. Well, according to CNBC, the EV-maker is close to reaching that goal -- with help from AMD. The company is reportedly building its chip on top of AMD technology and is even working with AMD spin-off and chip fabricator GlobalFoundries to make its vision a reality. It also hired Jim Keller, who previously worked with AMD and Apple, to lead its chip division. In fact, they're far enough in the development process to be able to make samples of the processor's first implementation, and Tesla has already begun testing them. The automaker previously used chips made by Mobileye, which Intel acquired earlier this year. However, the two parted ways after a fatal Tesla Model S Autopilot accident in Florida. Its current Autopilot system uses NVIDIA chips, but Tesla clearly wants more: by building its own … [Read more...]
FIFA 18’s story mode has become the franchise’s best feature
When FIFA 17 came out last year, its standout feature was something called "The Journey." For the first time in the franchise's 24-year history, EA Sports added a story mode where you can pretend to live the life of a professional soccer (er, football) player. The plot centered around a fictional character named Alex Hunter, a British teenager who's trying to make a name for himself in the English Premier League. Your goal, naturally, is to guide him in his quest to do exactly that. Thanks to its success on FIFA 17, the adventure continues with FIFA 18's "The Journey: Hunter Returns." In the latest edition of the title, which arrives on September 29th for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, EA is bringing back the Alex Hunter narrative with branching storylines, celebrity cameos and player customization. FIFA 18 will also be on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 … [Read more...]
Aronofsky’s ‘mother!’ and the psychological horror of women’s domesticity
mother! isn't just the name of the most WTF movie in theaters right now — it's also what critics are cursing under their breath (followed by a modifier rhyming with "trucker") trying to understand what the hell Darren Aronofsky's even saying with his latest film. The most popular theories suggest: - It's actually just a biblical allegory! - It's just a meditation on the relationship between artist and muse! - It's actually a cautionary tale against climate change! - It's actually just a shitty movie! - It's actually just pop culture's most intense Rorschach test! But with Aronofsky, it's never just one thing. And this time, even he may not understand what actually makes his film so powerful. SEE ALSO: So ... what is Jennifer Lawrence's 'mother!' really about? Oddly, one of the least-parsed ideas is what mother! says about, well, motherhood. And women, and creation, and domesticity, and femininity. Possibly, it's overlooked because, for one, Aronofsky … [Read more...]
These baby meerkats are here to steal your jaded, jaded heart
Dang meerkat pups, why you so cute. A trio of baby meerkats have just made their public debut at the National Zoo and Aquarium in Canberra, Australia, the first pups ever to be on display at the zoo. SEE ALSO: Tiny baby hedgehogs resemble something a little NSFW and people are loving it These tiny little guys are only four weeks old and weigh 150 grams (5 oz), and of course, are still finding their feet around the place as their family take turns babysitting them. "We’re so excited to have three meerkat pups here at the zoo. It's wonderful to watch them explore their new surroundings and they’re always learning from their mum, dad and older siblings," Renee Osterloh, the zoo's operations manager, said in a statement. "As the pups are still young we haven’t named them as yet. In a couple of weeks keepers will take a closer look at the new arrivals and we will determine their gender." Meerkats have a gestation period of about 11 weeks, then two to five babies … [Read more...]
Help Puerto Rico and other islands as Hurricane Maria pummels the Caribbean
Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico Wednesday morning, destroying homes as rain, powerful winds, and floods devastated the island. SEE ALSO: Hurricane Maria rocks Puerto Rico as island's strongest storm in modern history The storm is moving northwest tonight, but Puerto Rico has been badly battered. The mayor of San Juan, the country's capital, said the island of 3.5 million people could go "four to six months without electricity." Here's how you can help far from the eye of the storm. The American Red Cross is busy getting supplies to Puerto Rico. Other organizations helping Puerto Rico and other Caribbean nations include Global Giving, UNICEF, Save the Children, and Catholic Charities. Donate to @GlobalGiving now to help our friends in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Florida, Houston & beyond https://t.co/Rc2trDgigO - Team Sia 🌏❤️ pic.twitter.com/l2J6NzOlKI — sia (@Sia) September 21, 2017 Dominica was hit hard earlier this week, so a hurricane … [Read more...]
Google buys a big chunk of HTC’s smartphone business
The rumors are (mostly) true: Google is buying a part of HTC to beef up its hardware business. Google announced the agreement late Wednesday. Senior Vice President of Hardware Rock Osterloh wrote in a blog post that a "team of HTC talent" would join Google's hardware team, along with a non-exclusive license for some of HTC's intellectual property. SEE ALSO: Leaked pics show Google's new high-end Chromebook 'Pixelbook' and stylus The deal is less dramatic than what was expected by many — that Google would buy HTC's entire smartphone business in a long-term bid to go toe-to-toe with Apple in the smartphone market — but it does show Google felt it needed more direct control over hardware assets to be more nimble competitor. Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed, but a Reuters report that broke just before the deal was announced said Google paid about $1 billion. By comparison, when Google acquired the entirety of Motorola Mobility in 2011, it paid $12.5 … [Read more...]
Emma Stone and Hillary Clinton are pretty happy with their Billie Jean King T-shirts
As far as high-powered female Twitter trifectas go, this one is an ace. Tennis legend Billie Jean King posted a photo of actor Emma Stone and former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Wednesday, featuring the pair holding up their own copies of a vintage-inspired T-shirt with King's face on it. The pair were both guests on Wednesday night's The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and were roped into this little gem backstage: Just a couple of 'fans' showing their support for #BattleoftheSexes. 😆 #casual pic.twitter.com/aEjDHF89DO — Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) September 20, 2017 Later on the show, Stone told Colbert she thought she "looked nude" in the photo. The shirt Stone and Clinton are holding is a replica of the T-shirt made famous by King’s longtime mate Elton John. It shows King's face and her final score from the famous 1973 "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match. SEE ALSO: Emma Stone talks tennis, sexism, and anxiety on Colbert Stone plays King … [Read more...]
