Scroll and Click a Clit With the G-Spot Vagina Mouse
Just in time for your holiday gift-giving, it's the G-Spot: a mouse that's shaped like a vagina, with a scrolling clitoris, and a button in place of the eponymous spot. With all the hand-wringing over women orgasming less during casual sex
Scientists Build Sexist Comedy Robot to Generate Hacky Jokes
Because apparently humans weren't doing an efficient enough job at coming up with boring, regressive jokes, scientists at the University of Edinburgh have developed a computer program that does just that. The program was designed "to find unlikely pairings of words and to make a connection between them," within the…
All That Technology in Bed Is Stressing the Sleep Out of You
In 2011, the National Sleep Foundation polled over 1,500 Americans and found that ninety-five percent of respondents used some form of technology in the hour before bed. That's not great, especially considering new research suggesting that all that time you spend reading Wikipedia's Unusual Deaths page in the comfort…
7-Year-Old Zora Ball Is the World's Youngest Game Programmer
Pint-sized programming wizard Zora Ball is now the youngest person to create a full version of a mobile application video game. A first grader at Philadelphia's Harambee Institute of Science and Technology Charter School, she's already more accomplished than everyone you know. Consequently, we should all go eat a tub…
Louisiana Girl Scouts Are Geeking Out This Summer
Something pretty cool is happening in New Orleans at the end of August, something that will help mitigate the unrelenting sorrow and ennui precipitated by the dreaded march back to school — Girl Scouts Louisiana East will partner with the Geek Squad to organize a two-day technology "academy" just for girls.
You're A 'Tecnho-Dunce'
This scene from a short '80s film (that once appeared on MTV!) highlights the frustrations of a young girl at the computer lab. She, apparently, is what some bully's Dad calls a "techno-dunce." Obviously this leads to the classroom teacher bringing the boy to the principals office; when she shuts the door behind her,…
Sesame Street Clip From 1984 Asks Kids To Explain Computers
Here's a vintage segment from an episode of Sesame Street in 1984 that shows a teacher sitting down with her class and asking them what they know about computers. Before you laugh at how little the kids know about computers, remember that 1984 was the first year Apple started widely promoting their personal…
Another Way In Which Computers Are Melting Our Brains
A new study shows computer use may affect the way we remember things. But don't freak out just yet.
The Women Who Programmed The First All-Electronic Digital Computer
Odds are you haven't heard of Jean Jennings Bartik, who died recently at age 86.
Smell-O-Vision Device Coming Soon To Your Computer
The $70 ScentScape is a new device that can emit various scents when connected via USB to a computer. It also accepts customized scent cartridges sold with games and movies, so prepare to experience the scent of World of Warcraft.
12-Year-Old Designer Is Proof Our Culture Has Gone Very, Very Wrong
- Precocious-in-the-bad
-way tween "designer" Cecilia Cassini, who sells $500 dresses, says she took "like, three" sewing classes, but quit because her teacher was "like, rude." We have a feeling one day soon Cassini will be horribly embarrassed of all this.
My Gender Transition Means I'm Suddenly Mr. Fix-It
Before Tom Forrister transitioned to male, no one asked him to fix a broken car or a jammed printer. Now he's the go-to guy.
Woman Watches As Dell Techs Remotely Download Nude Pics Of Her
Says Consumerist, a CA woman "not only watched as a Dell tech support worker downloaded nude pics of her remotely...he also set up a website featuring the photos...then used her Dell credit card to buy stuff for another woman:"
The Next Crappy Technology That Will Take Over The World
According to the Times, voice recognition is the next frontier in technology. As a five-year veteran of voice rec software
The 5 Most Overused Expressions On The Internet
As someone who has been moderating comments for over two years (and using the internet for about 17), I've seen a lot of internet slang fads come and go. But there are some phrases, it seems, that just won't die:
The Facebook Trap: How Do You Stay Connected Without Compromising Your …
Over-sharing on Facebook is nothing new; there are several sites devoted to highlighting the worst offenders. But now that Facebook's privacy settings are changing, even those who don't fit the typical Facebook over-sharing mode are scaling back their online presence.
100-Year-Old Woman Composes Limerick On iPad
Apple's marketers have suggested that the iPad is great for the elderly (in addition to anyone fascinated by "magical" devices). Now here's the evidence: Video of 100-year-old Virginia Campbell learning to use the iPad, her first computer. [Buzzfeed]
In Pennsylvania, School Administrators Used Laptops To Spy On Minors
Students in Pennsylvania were thrilled to receive laptops free of charge from their school district to create a "seamless" way to collaborate on projects and access school materials. What they didn't expect was school officials activating the laptop webcams remotely.
The Great Emoticon Debate Rages On ;-)
Writes Salon's Mary Elizabeth Williams, "Smart people, nay, brilliant ones use emoticons. Articulate, bright, funny people. Yet when I see a smiley, my first thought is, 'What are you, 12 years old?'" :-<
Is Social Networking Actually Hurting Your "Real World" Social Life?
The Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, head of the Roman Catholic Church in England, claims that "transient relationships" on sites like Facebook and MySpace are detrimental to teenagers and society in general. But is he right?
The New York Times Sheds A Tear For Your Orphaned Blogs
Have you heard of these things called blogs? Well the New York Times certainly has, and they're exposing the wacky phenomenon of people starting blogs and then abandoning them. It's all 2001 up in here!
Dell Discovers Ladies Use Computers For More Than Diet Tips
In response to widespread internet backlash, Dell has revised "Della," its website marketing netbooks to women, purging it of references to calorie counting and shopping.
Transatlantic Facebook Friend Saves Boy's Life
An American teenager alerted her mother and local authorities after a Facebook friend she'd been chatting with, a boy from the UK, indicated during one of their Facebook chats that he intended to kill himself.
What If Everything Had An "Undo" Button?
Gmail recently unveiled a new email feature, the "undo" button, that allows users to "take back" an email within 10 seconds of sending it, which will surely save millions from the dreaded "reply all" mistake.
Form/Fashion
Researchers in Japan have developed a way to make computerized 3D models of the women's bodies, which can designers create clothing and lingerie that conforms more accurately to the female form. [EurekAlert]
Nerds Vs. Geeks
Geek chic may be in, but nerds are still uncool, says Lori Kendall, researcher from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Is The Internet Making You More Girly?
A Washington Post article claims not only that men and women use the Internet differently, but that Internet use may magnify sex differences.