It is June 22, 2014. Jackson Palmer, a self-identified "average geek," is high in the stands at a Nascar race at the Sonoma Raceway in California. He is an Australian man in his 20s. He has zero interest in racing. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine it would come to this.He surveys the scene. Below him: a tremendous crowd. The overwhelming blare of engines. Hurtling round at tremendous speeds: the #98 Moonrocket, a high-performance racing car. No different from the other cars on the track, except for one crucial detail.On the bonnet of the car: a dog. A Shiba Inu, more commonly known as a "Shibe," the dog made famous in the Doge meme that was popular in 2013. Emblazoned on top: the word "DOGECOIN" in all caps. Below: "digital currency".Palmer describes the situation using words like "crazy," "surreal" and "nuts." He remembers this moment as a "reality check." Dogecoin was a tweet, then it was a cryptocurrency worth money in the real world. Six months later, he watched as a joke … [Read more...] about Dogecoin: The meme that somehow became a real cryptocurrency
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7 new TV shows and movies on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple TV Plus and more this weekend
Wondering what to stream on Netflix and other services this weekend? Let's rephrase that: have you finished WandaVision episode 5 already, and you're left at a loose end with stuff to add to your watch list this weekend? We can help. Every week, we round up the best – and sometimes worst, for completion's sake – in the world of streamers so you've got a slew of entertainment options to choose from.This weekend, the best non-MCU highlight is the new movie Malcolm and Marie on Netflix, which, while filmed in lockdown, was exciting enough to the streaming service that it dropped an eight-figure sum just to release it. Here's what's new on Netflix and other streamers over the next few days. Best Netflix showsBest Netflix moviesHow to watch the Super Bowl 2021Malcolm & Marie (Netflix)Our interest in lockdown-related content peaked with last year's Host on Shudder, but this film shot mid-pandemic has piqued our interest, too. Netflix paid an eye-watering $30 million … [Read more...] about 7 new TV shows and movies on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple TV Plus and more this weekend
The original Barcode Scanner app, seemingly mistaken for malware, is getting review-bombed
One of the first Android apps — ZXing Team’s Barcode Scanner, an app that predates the first official release of Android itself — is currently getting review-bombed on the Google Play Store. Hundreds of users are leaving 1-star reviews claiming a recent update hijacks your browser to spew unwanted ads, while nearly 200 more have come to the app’s defense with 5-star reviews of their own. It’s not quite clear what’s going on here, but the prevailing theory is that the 100 million-download strong app is getting mistaken for another one with the same exact name — one that might have been a clone of ZXing’s app and one that did add malware in a recent update, according to digital security firm MalwareBytes . MalwareBytes seems to be aware of the confusion; it updated its original post yesterday to be extra clear that the bad barcode scanner app was this one , which came from a company called Lavabird, not ZXing Team. Google removed that app from the Play Store, so it wouldn’t … [Read more...] about The original Barcode Scanner app, seemingly mistaken for malware, is getting review-bombed
Operation Avalanche is a fake documentary about the faked Apollo Moon landing
Sometimes all it takes is one scene for a movie to stand out. A single moment, concept, or shot can make the difference between something sticking in your mind indelibly, or fading from memory altogether. When you’ve got several of those moments strung together, you’re not only ahead of the curve — you’ve likely got a very strong film on your hands. All of which makes Matt Johnson’s second feature, Operation Avalanche , so frustrating. Premiering here at Sundance, it’s a conspiracy thriller about the faking of the Apollo Moon landing that doesn’t just have one special moment — it’s got dozens of them, piling smart ideas and clever beats atop one another into a pastiche that should be a home run for anybody with a love of movies, space exploration, or just good old-fashioned X-Files government paranoia. Instead, it ends up being a little too smart for its own good, so enamored with the cleverness of its found-footage premise that it forgets to tell a riveting story along the way. … [Read more...] about Operation Avalanche is a fake documentary about the faked Apollo Moon landing
Kids Who Own Dogs Are More Active
When little Johnny or Molly asks for a puppy for their birthday, parents may want to give in. New research in England suggests children whose families own dogs are more active than those without a furry friend running around. The research could have implications for childhood obesity in the United States, where 17 percent of 2- to 19-year-olds are obese, according to a 2007-2008 survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Among 6- to 19-year-olds, obesity has tripled over the past two decades, according to the CDC. The researchers from St George's, University of London used activity monitors to record movement levels of 2,065 children ages 9 and 10 over the course of seven days. The kids came from 78 schools in London, Birmingham and Leicester, 202 of whom owned dogs. Results showed children with dogs spent an average of 325 minutes (more than five hours) doing physical activity per day, 11 more minutes than those without household dogs. This included time … [Read more...] about Kids Who Own Dogs Are More Active