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Despite a huge library of successful games, the Gameboy was deeply underpowered, even for its time. At its heart was a modified version of the same CPU that’s still used in some graphing calculators.

Thrifty architecture created some benefits, like a lower price point and better battery life than its competitors. But that also made programming the games that much harder. As JackTech explains in an info-packed 12-minute video, everything had to be written in assembly language using basic commands that also had to account for the Gameboy’s minimal storage.

Maybe that’s why Gameboy games always seemed to have the best bugs.

[YouTube]

SPLOID is delicious brain candy. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

It’s time! This week, news that Hamburg banned coffee pods from government buildings set off a larger conversation about why we’re still giving our money to companies like Keurig and Nespresso. Let’s be honest: It’s time for the whole world to stop buying coffee pods.

The news from Hamburg comes a year after Keurig announced that nobody was buying its DRM-enabled coffee machine that only accepted “Keurig 2.0” branded coffee pods. The company said it would finally allow people to fill their own coffee pods (again). But again, you shouldn’t be buying these wasteful little pods to begin with.

By some bizarre twist of fate, I attended a Nespresso event a couple years ago and received its newest machine for free. I’d used a Keurig machine at my old office and was thrilled by the convenience. The new Nespresso Virtuoline, however, is like a Cadillac version of the Keurig 2.0 in a way. At $350, the system is expensive, and it’s also equipped with a barcode scanner that ensures your coffee is brewed perfectly you only use Nespresso brand pods. The Keurig 2.0 is equipped with similar technology that Keurig says exists for safety reasons. Everybody knows that it’s really because companies like Keurig and Nespresso really just want to sell you bad, wasteful coffee for over $50 a pound.

Like a chump, I started buying Nespresso pods for my otherwise free machine. It was so shiny and those little pods saved me a trip to the coffee shop! When news of Keurig’s inevitable downturn hit, however, I did a little bit of math in my head. Over the past few months, I’ve spent more on those pods than the machine’s original cost. At $1.50 per pod, they’re actually more expensive than a small coffee at the trendy spot across the street from my apartment. The pods are also clogging up a landfill somewhere, since I can’t really recycle them when they’re full of coffee grounds. That’s a handful of my spent pods in the photo above. I certainly can’t re-use them. Meanwhile, the coffee kind of tastes like mud.

This is all my fault. It would be easy to blame Nespresso—or Keuring, since that’s what got me started on coffee pods. But this shiny new machine was free, and I would’ve been a fool not to use it. Therein lies the fault.

Even if you buy the machine, you can convince yourself that convenient, pod-hungry coffee machines pay for themselves in time and convenience. You convince yourself that the pod coffee tastes not too bad and ignore how many pounds of garbage you’re creating along the way. You tell yourself that America promised you innovation. You even think that refillable coffee pods make the whole system more sensible, less wasteful, and even acceptable.

I did all of these things, save the last part about refillable pods. (Nespresso doesn’t offer this option.) And at this point, I’m ashamed for being such a terrible consumer. I’m going to start making coffee that tastes good. I’m going to get a Chemex or, better yet, a cheap pour-over coffee dripper. I’m going to start using my brain. I’m not buying coffee pods any more, and you shouldn’t either.

This post was originally published on May 8, 2015. It’s been updated with news of Hamburg’s ban on coffee pods.

Big carnivores are scary, both to humans and the animals they prey upon. But as a new study demonstrates, the fear that these predators instill among their prey can have a positive influence on ecological health and biodiversity, a finding with important implications for conservation.

By playing the threatening sounds of large carnivores over speakers, researchers from Canada’s Western University and Simon Fraser University have demonstrated how fear in an ecosystem can produce the same effect as predation itself and can also facilitate cascading effects down the food chain. It’s a finding that shows the far-reaching influence of top predators within an ecosystem, and the need to protect this increasingly threatened class of wildlife. The details of this work are published in the latest edition of Nature Communications.

Ecologists have known for some time that fear of predators can affect species at several levels of the food web, including animals with whom predators don’t directly interact. But these effects have only been demonstrated in small animals, such as spiders, grasshoppers, crabs, and snails. There’s been some controversy over whether or not the trickle-down effects of fear are pertinent for large carnivores and their prey in real ecosystems. This has been hard to prove because it’s tough to disentangle the effects of fear from other factors affecting wildlife, such as actual predation itself, and the influence of environmental change. This new study, headed by Western’s Liana Zanette and PhD student Justin Suraci, found a way to overcome these problems.

Going into the experiment, the researchers knew that raccoons on British Columbia’s Gulf Islands were devastating songbirds on land and intertidal crabs and fish in the ocean. This is largely because these raccoons have little to fear: Most of the large carnivores that prey on raccoons—such as cougars and wolves—were wiped out from the islands a century ago. Researchers wanted to see how these raccoons would react to the mere presence of fear, and how any changes to their behavior might be felt down the food chain. Despite the absence of cougars and wolves, these raccoons have learned to be fearful of at least one large carnivore: dogs. Zanette and Suraci took this important bit of insight and used it to their advantage.

The researchers played the threatening sounds of large carnivores (and also non-threatening control sounds) from speakers along an extensive length of shoreline for months at a time. While this was happening, they monitored the effects on raccoon behavior (using continuous video and photo monitoring), and changes in abundance of the raccoon’s prey. They were also careful to isolate the effects of fear from other potential causes of behavioral changes in the raccoons or in prey abundance.

The effects were dramatic. Over one month, the foraging time spent by raccoons in their favorite areas dropped 66 percent. This resulted in a 97 percent increase in the abundance of shore crabs, an 81 percent increase in intertidal fish, and a 61 percent increase in red rock crabs. This is turn produced yet another ripple effect: Populations of other species of invertebrates decreased, because they were outcompeted or eaten by the crabs that had suddenly been released from the predation pressure of raccoons. The presence of fear had, over several weeks, been felt throughout the entire food web.

The researchers say these results have “critically important implications” for conservation, wildlife management, and public policy, and that failing to consider fear dramatically undermines and underestimates the role that large predators play in ecosystems.

http://io9.gizmodo.com/the-world-is-l...

No doubt, conservationists are increasingly pointing to the devastating ecological and environmental impacts of losing large carnivores around the globe. A 2014 report in Science showed that more than 75 percent of the globe’s large carnivore species—including lions, dingoes, and wolves—are in decline. Those losses have been blamed for dramatic increases in herbivores, such as deer and elk, leading to excessive vegetation loss, which then affects birds and small animals and even contributes to soil erosion.

For the researchers, their experiment affirmed something they suspected all along—that these cascading effects can be influenced by the presence of fear. What’s more, the study strongly hints at similar processes elsewhere. Take the controversial reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park in the 1990s. As Suraci pointed out to Gizmodo, the presence of wolves in the park yielded beneficial cascading effects on the entire ecosystem. The elk were so scared of the wolves that they ate fewer shrubs, allowing the plants to regrow, which in turn allowed species like songbirds and beavers to recolonize.

Looking ahead, Zanette and Suraci want to use their newly developed experimental procedures to investigate the role of large carnivore-induced fear in other ecosystems. “We now have the tools to experimentally manipulate fear in wildlife,” Suraci said. “And these should be used to build a general understanding of how the fear of predators structures ecosystems, information that may be critical to effective ecological restoration.”

The researchers are also hoping to understand how humans are altering food webs by affecting animal behavior. Suraci strongly suspects this is happening. But as to the extent and nature of these effects, he said, “We simply don’t know.”

[Nature Communications]

Email the author at george@gizmodo.com and follow him @dvorsky.

A surprisingly-great $20 kitchen knife, Quick Charge 3.0 accessories, and a cordless vacuum lead off today’s best deals. Bookmark Kinja Deals and follow us on Twitter to never miss a deal. Commerce Content is independent of Editorial and Advertising, and if you buy something through our posts, we may get a small share of the sale. Click here to learn more, and don’t forget to sign up for our email newsletter.

http://deals.kinja.com/todays-best-ap...

Top Deals

I wouldn’t want to use it for my floors, but with its handheld design, long hose, and multiple attachments, this powerful Black & Decker cordless vacuum is perfect for detail cleaning. Sure, you could get a Dustbuster for a little less, but this model’s hose should be much more maneuverable in tight spaces. [Black & Decker FHV1200 Flex Vac Cordless Ultra-Compact Vacuum Cleaner, $39 for Prime members only]

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Mpow’s Swift Bluetooth headphones were a breakout hit on Kinja Deals in 2015, and today, the 2nd-gen models are on sale for under $20. [Mpow Swift 2nd-Gen Bluetooth 4.0 Wireless Sports Headphones, $18 with code B7CLEELZ]

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And though they have fewer reviews, these SoundPeats alternatives add in an over-ear hook for added security. [SoundPEATS Q9A Wireless Bluetooth Sweatproof Secure Fit Earbuds (Black), $16 with code SDQ9A15U]

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One of the only downsides of cast iron pans is that they can be a nightmare to clean, but this 4.6 star-rated chainmail scrubber can scrape away caked-on food without hurting your seasoning, or resorting to soap. [Hudson Cast Iron Cleaner XL 7x7 Premium Stainless Steel Chainmail Scrubber, $14]

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Victorinox’s Fibrox 8" chef’s knife is one of your favorite kitchen blades, and today, the nimbler 6" version is all the way down to $20. I’ve been using the same 8" knife for years, and it’s maintained a fantastic edge with very little maintenance. [Victorinox 40570 Cutlery 6-Inch Chef’s Knife, $20]

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Most gaming mice look like futuristic EMP grenades or robotic pets, but Razer’s DeathAdder became one of your favorite gaming mice by keeping things clean and simple. If you want to try it out, Amazon’s marked the color-changing Chroma model down to $54 today, the best price they’ve listed since the holidays. [Razer DeathAdder Chroma, $54]

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Today’s best console deals are nothing if not unique. If you’re interested in an Xbox One, this Gears of War Bundle comes with a free bonus Halo gamepad and a copy of Far Cry Primal, for some reason. If you’d prefer a PS4, this Star Wars Battlefront bundle costs $50 more than usual, but it comes with a Sphero BB-8 droid toy, which is a $140 value on its own.

Xbox One Gears of War Bundle + Far Cry Primal + Halo Controller ($350) | eBay

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Sony PS4 Star Wars Battlefront Bundle + Sphero BB-8 ($400) | eBay

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Samsung’s SmartThings ecosystem is one of the easiest and most powerful ways to give your home a brain, and you can get started today with a solid Amazon Gold Box deal.

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$120 gets you a SmartThings hub, and a WeMo-style smart outlet to get you started. Out of the box, this will let you use your phone (including an iPhone) to control any lamp or appliance that plugs into the wall, but you’ll get a lot more out of the system when you start attaching multipurpose sensors, arrival detectors, water leak sensors, and security cameras. [SmartThings Hub and Outlet Bundle, $120]

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ExOfficio’s Give-N-Go boxer brief was one of your favorite pairs of men’s underwear, and the best-selling variety of underwear we’ve ever posted. If you prefer standard briefs though, today’s you lucky day. [ExOfficio Men’s Give-N-Go Brief, $12. Black only]

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2016 will be the year of Quick Charge 3.0, which can take your phone from zero to 80 in 35 minutes, and you can get ready with some of the first deals we’ve seen on compatible chargers.

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AUKEY Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 USB Wall Charger ($15) | Amazon | Use code TS8778MR

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AUKEY Quick Charge 3.0 USB Car Charger ($14) | Amazon | Use code KUTGGMWI

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Look, I hear you. $149 is a lot to spend on a toothbrush. That said, this particular Sonicare model has never been this cheap before, and it includes three different modes combined with three different intensity settings, plus bells and whistles like a travel charger, pressure sensor, and three week battery. [Philips Sonicare Flexcare Platinum Sonic Electric Toothbrush, HX9112/13, $149]

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If you’ve been waiting for a deal on Huawei’s excellent-but-expensive Android Wear smartwatch, Amazon’s taking $50 off the base stainless steel/leather strap model today. It was cheaper for a little while around Black Friday, but this is the best deal of 2016. [Huawei Watch, $300]

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Today on Amazon, you can take your pick of two great Mpow Bluetooth speaker deals that are great for taking on a camping trip, or into the shower.

The Mpow Armor is IP65 dust and water resistant, so it should stand up fine to a little splashing. Its headline feature though is a dedicated 1000mAh backup battery that you can use to give your phone a little bit of juice in an emergency. [Mpow Armor Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speakers with Additional 1000 mAh Emergency Power Bank, $28 with code VNZDPEWC]

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If you’re really serious about getting your speaker wet though, the new AquaPro is IPX7 water resistant, meaning it can be fully submerged in a meter of water for 30 minutes. Hey, it’ll be pool season before you know it. [Mpow AquaPro Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker with SOS Emergency Alert, $27 with code DN4TV5AB]

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Sure, you could throw your old SSD into a cheap plastic enclosure, and have yourself a speedy little external drive. But if you do that, how will people know you’re a tech savvy person using an external SSD, and not a plebe who bought an $80 hard drive at Best Buy? These two alternatives will keep your drive on display for all the world to see, so you can sit back and accumulate your precious nerd points.

Inateck USB 3.0 to SATA Converter Adapter for 2.5 inch/3.5 inch Hard Drive Disk HDD and SSD ($19) | Amazon | Use code NNUA2WGL

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SuperSpeed USB 3.0 to SATA Hard Drive Docking Station for 2.5 & 3.5" ($16) | Amazon | Use code RN3O9JYT

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Giddyup over to Amazon, where you’ll find not one, but two western-themed Gold Box apparel deals today. As always, these are only available today, or until sold out.

Note: The “Western Clothing & Accessories” sale includes some perfectly normal-looking jeans.

• 50% Off Western Boots | Amazon
• 40-60% Off Western Clothing & Accessories | Amazon

This tiny camping lantern includes a hand crank for charging, and even a USB output to charge up your phone. It should go without saying that you won’t want to rely on this to give your phone a full charge, but it’d be great for emergencies. [ThorFire USB Rechargeable Camping LED Lantern w/ Hand-Crank USB Charger, $9 with code LBMBUL53]

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You don’t need a yard, or even any gardening skills to grow your own food at home; you just need Miracle-Gro’s Aerogarden line. These fully-integrated, soil-free indoor gardens can grow herbs, vegetables, and salad greens up to five times faster than regular soil, and nearly the entire lineup is on sale right now.

Prices start at just $45 for the Sprout model, which can grow three pods at a time, and range up to $198 for the Bounty, which fits nine. All of these prices are either all-time lows, or the best we’ve seen outside of special one-day promotions, so don’t hesitate. If you need help deciding, each Amazon page has a comparison chart with all of the main features.

• Miracle-Gro Aerogarden Sprout ($45) | Amazon
  
• Miracle-Gro AeroGarden 6 LED ($100) | Amazon
  
• Miracle-Gro AeroGarden Ultra ($110) | Amazon
  
• Miracle-Gro AeroGarden Extra LED ($150) | Amazon
  
• Miracle-Gro AeroGarden Ultra LED ($170) | Amazon
  
• Miracle-Gro AeroGarden Bounty ($198) | Amazon
  

Sony’s MDR-XB950BT Bluetooth headphones are extremely popular even at their usual $200 price level, but if you buy refurbished today, you can save 50%. Reviewers say that these sound great, which shouldn’t come as a surprise, but its the 20 hour battery life that really makes them stand apart. [Refurb Sony MDR-XB950BT Bluetooth Headphones, $100]

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For all of your vitamin and supplement needs, Vitamin Shoppe is taking 20% off sitewide today. That goes for protein powder, energy drinks, lube...anything they sell. [20% off Vitamin Shoppe with code TWENTY16]

Your Mac probably doesn’t have enough USB ports, but this brushed aluminum 4-port hub will look right at home next to the rest of your Apple gear. [Aukey 4-Port Aluminum USB Hub, $11 with code KKR7ZNJE]

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Want Bluetooth audio and handsfree calling in your older car? This little dongle takes the Bluetooth signal from your phone, and retransmits over a 3.5mm AUX connection, or to the FM radio station of your choice. If you go the FM route, the sound quality will take a hit, but it’ll be a truly wireless experience, and probably your best option short of buying an entirely new stereo. We’ve seen deals on similar products before, but rarely for this cheap. [Senbowe SW-BFT-01 Wireless In-Car FM Transmitter with Bluetooth, $11 with code BI25OHDH]

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This 55” Vizio M-series 4K TV is one of the single most popular TVs we’ve ever posted, and Dell is offering a screaming deal on it today. You’ll spend $800 up front (which is just $20 more than its all-time low), but you’ll get a bonus $250 Dell promo gift card tossed in for good measure. That’s good for anything Dell sells online, including video games, speaker systems, and of course, computer gear. [Vizio M-Series 55” 4K, $800 + $250 Dell promo gift card]

Note: Make sure you see the gift card in your cart before checkout; these deals can end without warning. The gift card balance is valid for 90 days after purchase.

Not only do you save $20 with this PS4 Uncharted Bundle deal, you get a second DualShock 4 controller as well. Normally, this setup would cost you about $400, making this one of the better PS4 deals we’ve ever seen. [PS4 Uncharted Bundle + Extra Controller, $330]

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Steaming your clothes might not get them as crisp as ironing, but it does a decent enough job in a fraction of the time, and for $15, why not? [Pure Enrichment PureSteam Fabric Steamer, $15 with code STEAMR15]

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Tech

Storage

• Lexar 633x 128GB High-Performance microSDXC w/USB 3.0 Reader Flash Memory Card ($49) | Amazon
• Inateck USB 3.0 to SATA Converter Adapter for 2.5 inch/3.5 inch Hard Drive Disk HDD and SSD ($19) | Amazon | Use code NNUA2WGL
• SuperSpeed USB 3.0 to SATA Hard Drive Docking Station for 2.5 & 3.5" ($16) | Amazon | Use code RN3O9JYT

Power

• Aibocn 10000mAh USB External Battery ($12) | Amazon
• Aukey Quick Charge 2.0 10400mAh Portable External Battery Power Bank ($16) | Amazon | Use code YQVR9U55
• Inateck Quick Charge 30W 3-port USB Car Charger ($8) | Amazon | Use code GVKE9ODP
• AUKEY 4-Port USB Car Charger ($6) | Amazon | Use code 93GPRYIP
• AUKEY Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 USB Wall Charger ($15) | Amazon | Use code B018RR30TK
• AUKEY Quick Charge 3.0 USB Car Charger ($14) | Amazon | Use code KUTGGMWI

Audio

• Mpow Swift 2nd-Gen Bluetooth 4.0 Wireless Sports Headphones ($18) | Amazon | Use code B7CLEELZ
• SoundPEATS Q9A Wireless Bluetooth Sweatproof Secure Fit Earbuds (Black) ($16) | Amazon | Use code SDQ9A15U
• Mpow Armor Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speakers with Additional 1000 mAh Emergency Power Bank ($28) | Amazon | Use code VNZDPEWC
• Mpow AquaPro Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker with SOS Emergency Alert ($27) | Amazon | Use code DN4TV5AB
• Tontec Home Studio USB Microphone ($5) | Amazon | Use code 6EOV9AS
• Boom Swap On/Over Ear Headphones ($10) | Amazon
• Sennheiser HD 429S Over-Ear Headset w/ Mic ($30) | eBay
• Francois et Mimi Elite Magixx Wireless Bluetooth 4.0 Noise Isolating Hi-Fidelity Stereo Headphones ($10) | Amazon
• LG Electronics Tone Pro HBS-750 Bluetooth Wireless Stereo Headset ($24) | Amazon
• Inateck Portable Hi-Fi Wireless Bluetooth 4.0 Speaker with 15 Hour Playtime and Precision Enhanced Bass ($27) | Amazon | Use code WKOVMLQ6
• Puro BT5200 Bluetooth Headphones ($100) | Amazon

Home Theater

• Sony XBR65X850C 65-Inch 4K Ultra HD 3D Smart LED TV (2015 Model) ($1798) | Amazon
• VIZIO 60-Inch Ultra HD 4K Full-Array LED Smart TV ($900) | Walmart
• Seiki SE42UMS - 42-Inch 4K Ultra HD LED HDTV ($300) | eBay
• Pioneer VSX-524-K 5.1-Channel A/V Receiver ($130) | Newegg | After $20 rebate
• Viewtv Flat HD Digital Indoor TV Antenna, 30 Mile ($10) | eBay

Computers & Accessories

• Perfect Pixel Crossover 28-Inch HDMI 4K UHD LED Monitor ($270) | eBay
• AOC M2870VHE 28-Inch Class MVA LED-Lit 1080p Monitor ($184) | Amazon
• LG Rolly Wireless Keyboard ($60) | Best Buy
• Inateck Unibody Aluminum USB 3.0 Hub adding a Gigabit Ethernet port and 3 USB 3.0 ports to Mac ($20) | Amazon | Use code 9NWX9I9B

PC Parts

Mobile Devices

• $50 off Huawei Android Wear Watches ($300-$350) | Amazon
• Apple Watch Band, Oittm 42mm Stainless Steel ($21) | Amazon | Use code OWUTQWO4

Photography

• 50-Inch Extendable Aluminum Tripod w/ Case ($9) | Rakuten
• Tamrac 551303 Adventure Zoom 3 Holster Case ($9) | Adorama
• Improved DBPOWER Original EX5000 Action Camera ($72) | Amazon | Use code MTRCOJLP

Home

• Take 20% off Local, 15% off Goods at Groupon with Code SALE3
• 50% Off Papa John’s Large or Extra Large Pizza with Code GIVEME50
• $100 Target Gift Card ($95) | eBay
• $100 CVS Gift Card ($88) | eBay
• MIU PET Safety Retractable Dog Leash with Comfortable Handle, 16ft ($16) | Amazon | Use code S6B7ASW9
• Samsung SmartThings Hub and Outlet Bundle, Works with Amazon Echo ($120) | Amazon
• Black & Decker FHV1200 Flex Vac Cordless Ultra-Compact Vacuum Cleaner ($39) | Amazon
• HomCom Three-Seat Sofa ($280) | Sears
• Warmwave 1,500-Watt Electric Fan Portable Heater ($13) | Home Depot
• Rubbermaid Commercial 7577-88 WaveBrake 35-Quart Bucket/Wringer Combo, Yellow ($71) | Amazon
• Stack-On Personal Safe with Electronic Lock ($61) | Amazon
• Select Surveillance Systems are up to 47% Off at Home Depot
• Rope Lights, Kohree 33Ft 100 LEDs Decorative Christmas Party String Lights ($10) | Amazon | Use code OVTSBF8E

Beauty & Grooming

• Philips Sonicare Flexcare Platinum Sonic Electric Toothbrush, HX9112/13 ($149) | Amazon

Kitchen

• Schmidt Brothers 12-Pc Knife Set ($125) | Woot
• Victorinox 40570 Cutlery 6-Inch Chef’s Knife ($20) | Amazon
• Hamilton Beach BrewStation Summit 12-Cup Coffeemaker ($30) | Walmart
• Starbucks Verismo 580 Coffee Pod Brewer ($50) | Staples
• SKG New Generation Wide Chute Anti-Oxidative Slow Masticating Juicer ($297) | Amazon
• MIU COLOR® Endurance bent 18/10 Stainless Steel Drink Straw, Set of 4 ($6) | Amazon | Use code 7GNUT2LM

Fitness

• Gonex Road Mountain Adult Bike Helmet 24 Vents ($26) | Amazon | Use code NU6RE7LD

Apparel

• ExOfficio Men’s Give-N-Go Brief ($12) | Amazon
• Scarpa Reflex Rock Shoes - Women’s ($43) | REI
• Skechers D-Lite Women’s Fashion Sneakers ($37) | eBay
• Fila Men’s Checker Pullover Athletic Hoodie ($18) | Amazon
• 50% Off Western Boots | Amazon
• 40-60% Off Western Clothing & Accessories | Amazon

Camping & Outdoors

• BYB 2 in 1 Mini Camping Lantern Flashlight, High output 200 Lumen Cree LED Lamp with 3 Adjustable Modes ($6) | Amazon | Use code K9XWGCJX
• ThorFire USB Rechargeable Camping LED Lantern w/ Hand-Crank USB Charger ($9) | Amazon | Use code LBMBUL53
• Ohuhu Dry Sack/ Waterproof Bag for Boating, Kayaking, Hiking, Snowboarding, Camping, Rafting, Fishing and Backpacking ($7) | Amazon | Use code MHEEORJI
• Gonex Packable Travel Backpack,Outdoor Light Daypack 25L ($10) | Amazon | Use code HXF57UAO
• 110lb/50kg Electronic Balance Digital Fishing Hanging Hook Scale with Measuring Tape ($8) | Amazon | Use code F8JDSW25
• Baofeng UV5RA Ham Two Way Radio 136-174/400-480 MHz Dual-Band Transceiver ($23) | Amazon
• Yuneec E-GO Electric Skateboard w/ Remote ($550) | eBay

Tools & Auto

• ThorFire VG10 Cree XM-L2 LED 4 Mode Tactical Flashlight w/ Battery and Charger ($23) | Amazon | Use code EJ23SMAD
• DIGISION Car Back Seat Multi-Pocket Travel Storage Bag ($12) | Amazon
• Hitachi 728699 Nickel Plated Impact Rated Torsion Bit Set, 35-Piece ($10) | Amazon
• Agri-Fab 4 gal. (Dry) 50 lbs. Hopper Capacity Spreader ($30) | Sears
• Etekcity MSR-R500 Digital Multimeter, Amp / Ohm / Volt Meter, Multi Tester w/ Diode and Continuity Test ($13) | amazon | Use code PMRRYCOE

Media

Movies & TV

• John Wick ($8) | Amazon
• The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo ($8) | Target
• Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian ($8) | Amazon
• Labyrinth ($8) | Amazon
• Jaws ($8) | Amazon
• James Bond Collection ($80) | Amazon

Books & Magazines

• Dear John, Nicholas Sparks [Kindle] ($2) | Amazon
• The Thin Black Line [Kindle] ($1) | Amazon
• The Republic of Pirates Audiobook ($5) | Audible

Gaming

Peripherals

• Two Rosewill REACT Gaming Mouse Pads ($7) | Newegg | Add Two to Cart for qty Discount
• SteelSeries Siberia 650 Gaming Headset ($183) | Amazon

PC

• FREE Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II: Retribution - Last Stand Tau Commander DLC | Steam
• Final Fantasy Franchise Sale at Gamestop
  
• Tic-Toc-Tower ($2) | Steam
• Drizzlepath: Genie ($7) | Steam
• Journey of a Roach ($1) | Amazon
• Lifeless Planet Premier Edition ($10) | Steam

PlayStation 4

• Final Fantasy Type-0 HD ($13) | Newegg | Promo code EMCEGGH78
• Sony PlayStation 4 500GB Star Wars Console Bundle+ Sphero BB-8 App-Enabled Droid ($400) | eBay

Xbox One

• Get a $50 Gift Card with any Xbox One Console Purchase at Best Buy
• POWER A FUSION Pro Controller for Xbox One ($41) | Amazon
• Sunset Overdrive ($15) | Best Buy
  

Wii U

• Shulk amiibo Figure - GameStop Exclusive ($13) | Gamestop | Back in Stock
• Little Mac amiibo Figure ($13) | Gamestop | Back in Stock

Vita

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This year marks 400 years since the death of William Shakespeare, and to commemorate the bard, acclaimed authors are taking some of the most popular plays and retelling them with weird and wonderful twists. Margaret Atwood has revealed her own entry in the project: a novel that turns the fantastical world of The Tempest into a crazy prison revenge drama.

Hag-Seed will be the second in Hogarth’s series of Shakespeare adaptations that kicked off with Jeanette Winterson’s The Gap of Time, a retelling of The Winter’s Tale. Atwood’s story will follow a young theater director named Felix, who in the wake of ousted from a Festival production, plots revenge with prison inmates after landing a job teaching drama at a local penitentiary. Here’s a full picture of the cover, revealed by Atwood on Twitter:

It’s an interesting twist, but considering Atwood’s background in scifi and fantasy (especially her poetry), the most interesting part of Hag-Seed will be seeing how she adapts the mystical and weirdest aspects of The Tempest into what sounds like an otherwise relatively normal setting.

Hag-Seed will release worldwide on October 6th this year.

[The Bookseller]

Next month, Frank Castle and Matt Murdock will battle each other for the soul of Hell’s Kitchen in Daredevil season 2, but it won’t be the first time the Man Without Fear has gone up against the Punisher. Want to know more about Daredevil and Punisher’s long history together before the show returns? Here’s a few comics you should read.

http://io9.gizmodo.com/say-hello-to-t...

The Bully

Issue: Daredevil #257 (1988)

By: Ann Nocenti, John Romita Jr., Al Willamson

There’s a certain formula to a Daredevil and Punisher crossover. Frank and Matt both end up tailing the same criminal, they argue whether bringing them to trial or just murdering them instead is the right thing to do, they punch each other a bit, agree to disagree and team up, and bag the criminal in the end. “The Bully” is no different, but with some interesting twists.

This story is curious because of its shifting perspectives—it’s actually a retelling of a story told in The Punisher #10, released the same month as Daredevil #257, except from the perspective of Daredevil and the criminal he and Punisher are both on the hunt for, Alfred Coppersmith. In a move that’s tonally perfect for the characters, each issue paints Coppersmith in a different light based on each vigilante’s worldview. In Punisher #10, Coppersmith is a simple, villainous entity—a murderer and threat that has to be eliminated, like so many of Frank’s foes. But in Daredevil, Nocenti has Matt investigate why Coppersmith turned to crime, revealing a picture of a man angry at an evolving world around him, and making him a more sympathetic figure who deserves the right to a day in court.

When Daredevil and Punisher inevitably come to blows, we get to see it from Coppersmith’s perspective, his own internal monologue painting Matt and Frank, and their strange relationship with each other, in a different light.

Daredevil vs. Punisher: Means & Ends

Issues: Daredevil vs. Punisher #1-6, 2005/2006

By: David Lapham, Studio F, Chris Eliopoulos

The Punisher wants to fight crime through murder; Daredevil wants to fight it through the court of law. These diametric opposites sit at the heart of virtually every tale about the two characters. It’s a debate between the morality and ethics of heroism and vigilantism. Means & Ends doesn’t particularly offer anything fresh on that age-old clash between Punisher and Daredevil, but Lapham (best known for his excellent crime-focused independent series Stray Bullets) executes the familiar story incredibly well.

Set in a Hell’s Kitchen without the Kingpin, Frank and Matt begrudgingly find themselves both trying to bring down Hammerhead and Jackal, who have usurped the neighborhood’s criminal operations. Lapham doesn’t just offer a deep examination the different moralities Daredevil and Punisher represent—There’s also a superb throughline, which looks at the impact the two characters have on the ordinary people of Hell’s Kitchen. It’s a sort of tragic, human crime drama that wouldn’t look out of place in the pages of Stray Bullets.

Many stories about Matt and Frank together are laser-focused on having the two vigilantes debate, bounce off, and fight each other—Means & Ends might not have much new to say on that debate, but it’s a well-crafted take with the added bonus of bringing a wider perspective to the moral battle between the characters.

The Omega Effect

Issues: Avenging Spider-Man #6, Punisher #10, Daredevil #11 (2012)

By: Mark Waid, Greg Rucka, Marco Chechetto, Matt Hollingsworth, Joe Caramagna

The Omega Effect shakes up the typical Daredevil/Punisher team-up by throwing in a character with ties to them both: Spider-Man. Peter Paker’s presence naturally lends a slightly lighter tone to this short saga than many of Daredevil or Punisher’s past outings together, in which Daredevil comes into possession of a flash drive filled with information on the biggest criminal organizations of the Marvel universe. It’s a refreshing team-up from most of their stories. in which even the Punisher can’t kill people, thanks to the presence of Daredevil and Spider-Man on his shoulders advocating a non-violent solution for what to do with the drive.

It’s strange to have an adventure with Matt and Frank that feels fun rather than needlessly grim. It works here by turning the usual debate between Punisher and Daredevil about their approaches on its head, Instead of the usual Matt-Frank fisticuffs, the battle takes place between Matt and Rachel Cole, the ally/apprentice that Punisher had taken on in Rucka’s series. Daredevil sees her as a proto-Punisher that he could redeem, unlike the lost cause of Frank.

Welcome Back Frank: Devil by the Horns

Issue: The Punisher #3 (2000)

By: Garth Ennis, Steve Dillon, Jimmy Palmiotti , Chris Sotomayer, Richard Starkings, and Wes Abbott

Devil by the Horns, a small part of Ennis’ larger, stellar “Welcome Back Frank” arc, is one thing we know the show is definitely going to pay homage to—and there’s good reason for that. It’s perhaps the most iconic of all Daredevil and Punisher team-ups, and unlike many of the duo’s encounters, the Punisher actually gets to come out on top.

Ennis was totally nailing Frank Castle’s character during his run, but this crossover with Daredevil really drove it home early on in the series. Like most of their crossovers, it involved the two characters tracking down the same criminal, mob boss Dino Gnucci. Although Daredevil begins with the upper hand, easily beating Frank up, the tables quickly turn. After being knocked unconscious, Matt is tied up in chains and given a revolver by Frank. It’s the ultimate test of his morals: either shoot and kill Frank to save Gnucci, or spare Frank and watch him assassinate Gnucci. It leads to the most famous dialogue between the two, and in one masterful page, sums up how Ennis understood everything about the Punisher:

Punisher: If you don’t shoot you’ve got a death on your conscience. A death you could have prevented. If you do shoot, you’re a killer.

Daredevil: What kind of choice is that...?

Punisher: The one I make every time I pull the trigger.

If you’re especially looking to know more about The Punisher before Daredevil season two, this is the story to read.

The Devil in Cell Block D

Issues: Daredevil #82—#87, (2006)

By: Ed Brubaker, Michael Lark, Frank D’Armata, Cory Petit

Most Daredevil and Punisher stories are about posing Matt and Frank as complete opposites in their actions and morals, but this story from Brubaker and Lark’s run on Daredevil puts a different spin on the pair’s relationship by focusing on how Frank Castle really sees Daredevil.

The culmination of Brian Michael Bendis’ run on Daredevil, Matt finds himself locked up on Ryker’s Island (not to be confused with Riker’s Island, the real New York’s main prison complex) alongside the criminals and supervillains that he helped put away as Daredevil. He’s pushed to the limits on the inside, as he tries to discover who killed his best friend Foggy. The Punisher hears that Matt has been locked up, and gets himself thrown in Ryker’s to help Matt survive.

This adds a fresh element to the dichotomy between Castle and Murdock—a sense of respect that was never really there as part of their previous encounters. The two will probably never agree with each other’s methods, but it doesn’t mean they outright hate each other for it.

Header Image Credit: Daredevil #183 (1982) cover by Frank Miller, marking the first time Daredevil and the Punisher met.

Tesla Powerwalls could change your whole home (and your power bill), but they’re still difficult to buy. Fortunately alternatives are slowly appearing on the market. Orison is one such alternative.

Launched as a Kickstarter project earlier this month, Orison has already earned more than $250,000—five times the amount requested. We had the opportunity to see the device at Mobile World Congress and were impressed by some of its very clever ideas.

The Orison home battery comes in two flavors. First is a traditional wall-mounted device similar to Tesla’s Powerwall. The other is a stylized tower that resembles an expensive design hi-fi speakers. No matter its form factor, the battery packs in 2.2 kWh with a constant flow of 1.8 kWh. That’s enough to to power an AC Unit, a laptop, and a television set for six hours, as well as a refrigerator for 24 hours a day. A simple online tool helps you figure out how many home batteries you should install to fit your needs.

The big deal with Orison home batteries is that they connect to their own cloud system to figure out which time of the day is the best to recharge. They consume electricity only when the kWh price is cheaper so that it can store the energy to be consumed at peak hours. And the process is completely automatic. An app lets users check how much money they’ve saved and see the general usage statistics from the device.

Whether they come in wall-mounted or tower form, the Orison batteries don’t need installation. Just choose a location to place it in, plug the device in, and you’re done. The company also offer a ten years or 5,000-recharge-cycle warranty.

Apart from its basic purpose, Orison batteries have some interesting gimmicks. The powerwall version has customizable LED backlighting. The tower form factor also has an integrated Bluetooth speaker and five 1.5W USB ports ready to charge your gadgets.

One caveat. Orison batteries are not cheap. The wall-mounted version will retail for $1,600, and the tower version will retail for $1,950, though you can pre-order either for a discount via Kickstarter. The first units for backers are supposed to arrive early this summer.

Agent Carter has given us one of the most fascinating villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Whitney Frost is a classic femme fatale, who’s also a science genius, with extradimensional death powers. We spoke to Wynn Everett, who plays Whitney Frost, about playing a villain with real vulnerability.

Spoilers ahead, for people who aren’t caught up on Agent Carter...

One of the most fascinating things in last week’s two episodes is the way that Whitney Frost appears completely blindsided by her husband’s betrayal. She really believes he’s going to help her get help from the powerful Council that he belongs to—and she’s shattered when he helps them to attack her, instead. Just how naive is Whitney, anyway?

The relationship between Whitney and her husband has always been a complicated one, said Everett. We know from the very first episode of the season that Calvin Chadwick cheated on his wife, and “he chose a very unwise mistress, which kind of got them in the trap in the first place.” This stupid choice set off the “domino effect” that led to Isodyne being shut down, the Zero Matter accident, and everything else that has happened to Whitney, said Everett.

So Whitney is very aware that her husband is not faithful to her and that she can’t entirely trust him—but at the same time, she really believes that he has her back, said Everett. “So that betrayal was, I believe, very real.” She really does believe that Calvin is bringing her to the council to highlight her knowledge and all the wonderful things she can do with Zero Matter. “It was piercing” to realize that she’s been completely betrayed.

“It’s incredible” to play a character who’s simultaneously a genius and yet totally naive, said Everett. “The creation of this character is very human.” Whenever we see someone who is a leader in their field, or a great achiever, we assume they have to be great in every area. “But no-one is capable of doing that. There’s no human alive who’s capable of doing that.” So she loves that these characters are allowed to “be as naive as they are, and to have these blind spots, where a viewer would say, ‘What are you thinking?’ But they’re not thinking. Especially for Whitney—she’s not thinking in her right brain, because the Zero Matter is taking over everything, her whole thought process.”

When Everett first took the role of Whitney, she told the creators she thought Whitney Frost was trapped by Hollywood, “by this role she has to play out as an actress.” But the creators responded, “Yes and no. [It’s] more [that] she’s trapped by this sense of beauty, and what her mother told her was the only way that she would be able to get ahead.” But as her beauty is destroyed by the Zero Matter on her face and the cracks are (literally and figuratively) opening wider and wider, “it’s allowing her to find her real power within, and shut the door on all the things her mother told her about, ‘It’s only your physicality.’”

In tonight’s episodes, we see a moment where Joseph (Ken Marino) tells her that her power is beautiful and good, and “you should not hide this.” This is “so incredibly layered,” and has a lot of meaning for people today, in terms of what we’re being told about beauty and power, said Everett.

But meanwhile, Whitney is trying to be in charge of the Council, this super-patriarchal organization. “The only way she’s able to wield the authority is because they’re petrified,” said Everett. “Watching what she can do with Zero Matter, it’s just a pure sense of fear, [so] they obey. And she’s willing to take that, even though deep down I think what she yearns for is the respect that she sees Peggy get. And Peggy does it in a non-violent way, a non-threatening way, [because] she’s just doing the work.” But Whitney can only command respect through total fear.

One of Whitney’s best moments is when she talks to Dr. Wilkes about the fact that they’re both science geniuses, who aren’t taken seriously because Whitney is a woman and Dr. Wilkes is African American. Could Whitney ever have a moment like that where she bonds with Peggy over their shared experience with 1940s sexism? “We were just talking about that,” said Everett. “Deep down, there’s almost an obsession with Peggy coming from Whitney and Dottie [Underwood], because of the goodness within Peggy that we envy so much. I think we both wish that we had that. We really do envy her, and it’s turned into hatred. And it turns into the desire to eliminate her. She’s almost a constant reminder of what we’re not.”

How much did Everett base her portrayal of Whitney Frost on Madame Masque, the Marvel Comics villain that Whitney is loosely based on? “I researched a great deal on Madame Masque, which was insane,” said Everett. “It was so vast, and so huge, her backstory—where she’s gone, and the evil, and the good, and her interactions with Tony Stark, and the plane crash, and her upbringing—I mean, it just goes on and on. It’s incredible to see how these creators have taken the elements of all those [stories about] Whitney Frost from Marvel, and literally just dripped them into the Whitney Frost that they’ve created.” You see shout-outs to the comics version of Madame Masque everywhere, from the masks that hang in the background of her scenes to her ties to the Maggia (aka the Mafia), as personified by Joseph. “It’s all so beautifully tied in and weaved together, in a very unique way that honors the old and honors the new.”

Speaking of Joseph Manfredi, getting to have a number of scenes with Ken Marino has been a lot of fun, said Everett. Marino is “incredibly kind” and easy to be around, and “just wanted to play.” Marino does a lot of comedy, so this was “a dramatic turn for him,” and it was a fun challenge. “He just took it head on and had a blast with it.”

Agent Carter appears tonight at 9 PM on ABC.

Charlie Jane Anders is the author of All The Birds in the Sky, which is available now. Here’s what people have been saying about it. Follow her on Twitter, and email her.

If you stream videos or listen to music over a cellular connection, you probably want to keep your data usage down, so that you don’t end up with an ungodly phone bill at the end of the month. Luckily, the most popular streaming apps all have settings that can help. As an added bonus, you can probably save some battery life too. Here’s exactly how to stop Netflix, YouTube, Spotify and other popular streaming services from eating up you precious mobile data:

Netflix

Netflix’s data usage settings can only be found on the company’s website, not inside the service’s phone or tablet apps. In a pinch, you could technically access your Netflix settings through a mobile browser by requesting Netflix’s desktop site—but it’s much easier to navigate on a desktop or laptop. To reduce your data usage, choose from one of the three settings: Low (0.3GB/hour), Medium (0.7GB/hour), or High (up to 3GB/hour).

There’s also an Auto setting that chooses the best rate for your current connection speed. To access the settings, choose Account and then Playback settings from the main Netflix Android app menu. Please note: these settings must be configured on a profile-by-profile basis if you share your account with other people.

If you don’t share your Netflix account with other people, we recommend setting up two profiles: one each for maximum and minimum data usage (depending on where you’re watching from). Choose App Settings from the menu to restrict Netflix streaming to times when you have a wifi connection.

On iOS, the wifi setting is under the Netflix entry inside the main Settings app. To get at the video quality options on an iDevice, launch the Netflix app then choose Account. Note that the quality setting you choose applies to any device you use your Netflix profile with, whether desktop or mobile.

YouTube

You can change video quality in the YouTube mobile apps just as you can on the web: tap the menu button (three vertical dots) then choose Quality. Oddly enough this setting seems to stay put in the YouTube Android app but not the one for iOS (so you need to adjust each video quality every time).

Unlike Netflix, your choice doesn’t automatically persist across multiple devices, which means you can have different quality settings for a tablet and a phone, for example. Bear in mind that not all the videos you come across will have the same encoding options available in terms of quality.

To disable all non-wifi HD streaming, choose Settings, General and Limit mobile data usage from the main app menu on Android. On iOS devices there’s a Play HD on Wi-Fi only toggle switch on the first page of options. It’s a quick way of cutting down bandwidth for all the videos you watch.

Spotify

Spotify’s mobile apps include some easily accessible controls for choosing exactly how much data you want to be using on a daily basis. Open up the Settings page inside the app to find options for the quality of both streamed tracks and those downloaded to your device.

As far as streaming goes, Normal (96 kbit/s), High (160 kbit/s), or Extreme (320 kbit/s) are the three options (or automatic if you want to let Spotify make the choice for you). The toggle switch below lets you disable downloading over cellular connections, though this doesn’t affect streaming.

The option to download tracks for offline use is exclusive to Premium subscribers—if you know what you want to listen to in advance then do all the downloading over wifi at whatever quality you like (if you have the storage space to spare). There’s an Offline mode switch available in the Settings.

Other ways to reduce data usage

Most video or audio apps include some way of letting you restrict data usage. For example, in the configuration screen for Apple Music’s iOS app (found via the Settings app), you can choose to block all mobile data usage completely or enable mobile data use but keep the streaming quality at a low level.

Google Play Music for Android and iOS also has a streaming quality option that you can set to low, normal, or high as you wish. Whatever the apps you use on a regular basis, dig around in the settings to look for encoding quality or (perhaps even better) offline caching settings.

If you want to know which apps are using how much data on your device, it’s not difficult to find out. On Android (6.0 Marshmallow), tap Data usage from the Settings app; on iOS (9.0+), tap Cellular from the Settings app then scroll down to see who the worst offenders are (and disable them if necessary). Now you’ll never have to worry about your data usage again.

[Header image: Maxxa Satori/Shutterstock.com]

China’s become known for some of the zaniest, prettiest, most daring architecture of the 21st century. Sadly, that’s all coming to a halt, as the government is now banning any new buildings that are dubbed “oversized,” “xenocentric,” or “weird.”

The government’s State Council made the announcement on Sunday. From here on out, it wants cityscapes that are “suitable, economic, green, and pleasing to the eye.” We reported on this potential ban back in 2014, but as of this week, the kibosh is now reality.

In recent years, China’s really upped its architecture game. In 2013, the largest structure ever constructed was finished in Chengdu: the 1.7-million square meter New Century Global Center, an 18-floor mall that could fit 20 Sydney Opera Houses inside. And let’s not forget the gaming company CEO who secured the rights to build a headquarters shaped like the USS Enterprise from Star Trek. That’s only to name a couple.

Even chain hotels can be bold eye candy, like the Sheraton Huzhou Hot Springs resort:

The government document states that there will be a greater emphasis on prefabricated buildings going forward, and there will be a crackdown against designs or construction techniques it perceives to be wasteful, impractical, expensive, or aesthetically displeasing. To make it even more dystopian-nanny state, the document encourages the government to use satellites to monitor urban sprawl and make maps of new construction that can pinpoint anyone trying to break the new rules.

The government’s anti-fun campaign comes a couple months after the Central Urban Work Conference, a meeting aimed to address problems associated with China’s rapid urbanization, like pollution, safety, and traffic jams. The South China Morning Post points out that the last such conference was held back in 1978, when only 18 percent of Chinese lived in big cities. That figure now stands at 55 percent.

Wanting to tackle urban woes is one thing. But sucking all the insane pizzazz out of architecture that’s become world renowned? That’s just a bummer.

[China State Council and South China Morning Post]

Top image via Shutterstock

People talk all the time about whether science fiction accurately predicted the technology and science of the 21st century—but what about crime? It turns out, science fiction is great at predicting (or inspiring) some truly odd crimes. Here are five real-life crimes that happened first in science fiction!

1) Clown criminals

When pressured by the WB to create a sequel to Batman: The Animated Series with the prompt that it be “more like Buffy,” Bruce Timm and company answered the call with Batman Beyond. The show concerned a retired Bruce Wayne, who mentors a new teenager to become his successor in a future version of Gotham city.

With Batman’s major roster of antagonists either long dead or retired, the new villains in Gotham became less punchable, coming in the form of greedy corporations and their money-grubbing shareholders. To fill the void, the series imagined a society where its young men and women would rebel by dressing up as clowns to terrorize and bully the populace, all in homage to their late hero, The Joker, who was at least honest about it.

Flash-sideways to the 2016 of our own universe, or Earth Prime, and we’re currently in the midst of the largest worldwide wave of “phantom clown” sightings (a phrase coined by the Fortean anthropologist, Loren Coleman), to have ever occurred in modern times.

Behold!

• Last January, in Merseyside, UK, police met with fourteen separate incidents of clown-related crime, from armed robbery to bogus charity collections—in each instance, the perpetrators were dressed in greasepaint and circus attire.
• In July of 2015, a man in “clownface” was photographed scaling the seven-foot-tall gate of Chicago’s Rosehill Cemetery.
• In August, an axe-wielding clown assaulted a neighbor before turning himself in to the police.
• In October, a van full of clowns frightened the children of Kent, UK.

• In the same month, a 30-year-old man dressed as a clown was arrested after he carried a toy gun onto the Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri, claiming he had a bomb—an act of vengeance toward the admissions board that wouldn’t let him re-enroll into the school.
  
• November saw several reports of a teenager dressed as a clown skulking the Carroll University campus in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
  
• In December, a man dressed as Santa Claus stabbed two people on Christmas Eve in Lakewood, Colorado.
  
• Last month in Toronto, two axe-wielding teenagers dressed as clowns were arrested for eight separate robberies in the area, while two Subway sandwich restaurants were robbed by Clowns in Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

Not to mention the FBI classifying “Juggalos,” fans of the Insane Clown Posse rap group, as “a loosely organized hybrid gang.”

That a Fox Kids cartoon so ably prognosticated clowns as the new Teddy Boys or Hell’s Angels is remarkable—but the clairvoyance of Batman Beyond is not only limited to a Joker-obsessed youth culture. This show also predicted the collarless shirt.

2) Surfing gangs

Last summer, Vice ran an expose on the Lunada Bay Boys, a gang of white, rich surfers who have protected their precious surf spot for decades through force, intimidation and beatings. In 1995, the Bay Boys even broke the pelvis of a schoolteacher who tried to encroach on their surfin’ turf.

While I recommend reading the original article at Vice’s website for the full story, I’m here to mention that this has all happened before: in the 1987 Troma movie, Surf Nazis Must Die.

In the film, an earthquake leaves the beaches of California in a state of turmoil, prompting a number of rival surf gangs to battle for the ownership of its choicest surfing spots. A group a surfing Neo-Nazis reigns supreme.

When a man named Leroy is beaten to death for jogging on their dunes, his mother, “Mama” Washington breaks out of her retirement home, armed with a machine gun and hand grenades, to wipe them out.

3) Little league robbery

There’s a memorable scene, in Robocop 2 in which a little league coach uses his team to rob a battery of convenience stores. Until he’s stopped by Robocop, that is.

While this absurdist visual is meant to underline the level of corruption and apathy that has gripped Detroit since its bankruptcy (another development accurately predicted by an 80’s action movie), a similar crime was actually committed in 2010 by Little League coach, George Spady, Jr., and members of his team.

Spady pushed one of his players into an air duct, allowing the boy to unlock the door of a closed department store from within. Once inside, the boys looted the store of light fixtures, bolts, and other household supplies that Spady felt he needed. After the initial looting, one boy was sent back in for a bigger haul.

Spady was arrested after one of his teammates recounted the incident to his stepfather, who the called the police. He served 15 days in jail—a much lighter sentence than if he’d run into Robocop.

4) Killer robots

In July 2015, a 22-year-old man was lifted and crushed by an automated arm on the production line of the Volkswagen plant in Germany. The unidentified victim is considered the first person to die at the hands of a robot.

While science fiction is full of stories about robots killing humans, the automated arm bit, puts it closest to the 1977 Donald Cammell film, Demon Seed.

In the film, an artificial intelligence program named Proteus IV impregnates Julie Christie, creating the first human-robot hybrid. He manages this with the assistance of a robot named Joshua—a manipulator arm on a motorized wheelchair. When one of Christie’s colleagues, played by the great character actor Gerrit Graham, tries to investigate, he’s attacked by Joshua, and thrown into a deadly machine made of interlocking geometric shapes.

5) Scooby-Doo costume murder

In 2011, a junkyard owner named Clyde Gardner from Malone, NY, came up with an inspired idea to murder his girlfriend: He would dress up like a bear, and make it appear as if she’d been mauled by a grizzly. This obviously did not work, but Gardner was sent to prison for five to fifteen years on an attempted murder charge.

This bear suit is basically directly lifted from Scooby-Doo (“The Hairy Scare of the Devil Bear” from the first season of Scooby-Doo & Scrappy Doo.)

But it’s also similar to the 1983 slasher film, Girls Nite Out—featuring a killer who dresses up as the school’s ursine mascot.

Contact the author at fisharebeautiful@gmail.com.

One million acres of farmland basically vanished from the United States last year alone. Was it due to the weird weather, condo uberplexes, a blip in the space-time continuum? Nope, it’s something else entirely: the fundamental realities of farming.

A new federal report out this week pinned the loss of American farmland in 2015 over a million acres. In the same period, 18,000 farms disappeared. At the same time, huge farms are getting bigger and bigger—This is all part of a trend that’s been going on for at least the last eight years.

It’s tempting to attribute it all to just how incredibly good at farming we’ve gotten. But while we’ve been seeing a visible increase in farm productivity for decades, the evaporation of farms and farmland has been happening rapidly over just a few short years. So, what’s going on? It all becomes a little clearer, when you look at a different set of charts from last year.

A farm has a less than 10 percent chance of making money at all, which makes farming sound like a pretty bad bet, until you start breaking that number down by farm size. Only the large farms have a better than even chance of not losing money, and the larger the farm gets, the safer that venture becomes.

Farming is inherently risky business—but the bigger the farm, the safer the bet. We’re losing farmland—and gaining big farms at the same time—not because of quirks of the environment or the farm itself, but simply because of the economics of farming.

Follow the author @misra.

Top image: Minnesota farms from space / NASA Earth Observatory

Some animals are capable of magnetoreception—an added sense that helps them detect magnetic fields. European scientists have now learned that the molecule responsible for this trait is also found in the eyes of dogs and some primates, which suggests they too might be capable of seeing magnetic fields.

Cryptochromes are a common group of light-sensitive molecules that exist in bacteria, plants, and animals. In addition to regulating circadian rhythms, these specialized proteins enable certain animals, such as birds, insects, fish, and reptiles, to sense magnetic fields, allowing them to perceive direction, altitude, and location. Humans are incapable of magnetoreception. Some mammals, like bats, mole rats, and mice, appear to have this sense, but the extent of this capacity among other mammals is largely unknown.

Now, in the first study of its kind, researchers from the Max Planck Institute and several other institutions have investigated the presence of the mammalian version of this molecule, called cryptochrome 1, in the retinas of 90 animal species. Researchers found this molecule in the blue-sensitive cones of dog-like carnivores, such as dogs, wolves, bears, foxes, and badgers, but not in the eyes of cat-like carnivores, such as cats, lions, and tigers (felines have their own unique way of looking at the world). Among primates, researchers discovered the presence of cryptochrome 1 in orangutans, the rhesus macaque, the crab-eating macaque, and others. The details can now be found in Nature Scientific Reports.

Though it’s considered a “sixth sense,” magnetoreception is tied to an animal’s visual system. Magnetic fields activate cryptochrome 1 in the retina, which the animal “sees” as the inclination of magnetic field lines relative to the Earth’s surface. Because the active cryptochrome 1 is located in the light-sensitive outer segments of the cone cells of the mammals, the researchers suspect that it’s assisting with magnetoreception, and not circadian rhythm management or some other visual capacity.

It’s not immediately obvious how mammals like dogs and primates use their magnetoreception, but foxes may provide a clue: When hunting, foxes are more successful at catching mice when they pounce on them in a northeast direction. For primates, this built-in compass may help with bodily orientation, or it could be a vestigial evolutionary trait that’s largely unused.

The next step will be to prove that these mammals are truly leveraging the power of cryptochrome 1, or whether the molecule is performing other tasks in the retina.

[Nature Scientific Reports]

Email the author at george@gizmodo.com and follow him @dvorsky.

New set pictures from Supergirl’s highly anticipated crossover episode with The Flash reveal that Barry will end up helping Kara fight not one but two villains: Livewire (who Kara has tussled with before) as well as the new-to-the-show Silver Banshee. Check them out, getting ready to kick superhero butt!

I mean, just look at these new pictures from the set of Supergirl are great. Here’s the first look at Silver Banshee (Italia Ricci) and Livewire (Brit Morgan) in the episode, due to broadcast at the end of March:

This is actually our first good look at Ricci as Silver Banshee, after she made her debut as Banshee’s alter-ego Siobhan Smythe in last night’s episode. The costume’s a little different, but otherwise it’s faithful to the comic books!

But we’ve also got an amazing look at the sheer supernova of cheerful glee that is Melissa Benoist and Grant Gustin goofing around together in costume. Seriously, this crossover episode might be one of the most delightful superhero team-ups in comic book TV history.

Look at them high-fiving. Oh my god, they’re Super Friends.

So much smiling. So much red leather costuming. After all this time demanding two of superhero TV’s happiest heroes meet, it’s almost painful that it’s still a month away from happening. At least it is actually happening though, after all that talk about how this would never get done.

“Worlds Finest” will air on CBS March 28th. You’ll have to contain your excitement until then.

The silly mystery on “Sweet Kicks” concerned dueling street artists, a shooting at a fashion show, and posturing gangsters. But the episode was mostly notable for all the ways Maze made it great: plotting, kicking many butts, and finally—revealing what’s beneath her earthly disguise.

Spoiler below, duh.

Yup, just like the comics—there’s her half-misshapen face, only glimpsed when she wants us to see it (much like Lucifer does with his own demonic visage).

That was a great Maze moment, and obviously a huge reveal for Lucifer. But the best part of the episode is when she meets Amenadiel in the coffee shop (har har, “Beelzebean”) to complain about Lucifer. The barista interprets “Mazikeen” as “Mike” when she writes it on her cup, and Maze casually observes that coffee shops are her favorite place in Los Angeles…because they’re full of people working on screenplays, “torturing themselves with dreams they know deep down they will never achieve.”

Ah, yes. “Reminds me of home!”

It’s taken several years, but Hogwarts is finally ready to open its doors in California. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park extension at Universal Studios Hollywood officially opens April 7, but we were given an early tour by Alan Gilmore, the supervising art director for both the Harry Potter films and theme parks.

California’s Harry Potter park is is the fourth such park in the world. The first, also called The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, opened at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure in 2010. Four years later, an extension called Diagon Alley was added to the neighboring Orlando park and soon after that, another Wizarding World opened at Universal Studios Japan.

This newest park, an addition to Universal’s existing Hollywood theme park, is a very close approximation to the original in Orlando. Both let fans walk through the wizarding village of Hogsmeade, complete with all the shops, sights, sounds, nooks and crannies people should remember from the eight Harry Potter movies. “You can watch the movies, then walk in here and it’s the same,” said Gilmore. “Everything you see here was originally designed for the movies, and we worked with Universal to make an absolutely perfect rendition of the film sets into reality.”

For someone who hasn’t been to the Orlando park, walking into Hogsmeade is a jaw-dropping, immersive experience. If you have been to Orlando, the park feels quite similar, with changes here and there. “It takes a really keen eye to spot the differences,” said Gilmore. “It’s generally the same, but theres a little more detail in a few places.”

Actually, he’s being modest. There are major differences immediately upon entering the area. There’s a full new street nicknamed the Town Wall along one side. At the entrance gate, there’s a replica of the Hogwarts Express, which links to a train cabin where patrons can take a photo. What patrons might not realize though are the luggage racks on the train are the exact same ones that were used in the films. They’re just a few of the many real film props scattered around the land. “But you’d never know, because the actual movie props blend in perfectly with the recreated world,” Gilmore said. (Gilmore revealed a few of the other screen-used props are Cho Chang’s Yule Ball dress in a shop called Gladrags, and the actual desks and chalkboard from the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom inside Hogwarts.)

Most of the Potter-themed shops are the same as Orlando, just moved around and with some slight extensions and tweaks. You can buy gags at Zonko’s Joke Shop, get some candy at Honeydukes, get fitted for a wand at Olivanders, send at letter at the Owl Post, have a beer (or non-alcoholic butterbeer) at the Hog’s Head, and eat at The Three Broomsticks. There are a few new additions too, such as Gladrags Wizardware and Wiseacres Wizarding Equipment. And no matter which shop you walk into, they’ve been designed top to bottom with detail upon detail, anywhere you turn your head. Floor to ceiling, even areas you aren’t able to explore, are fully immersive, just to give the whole park an authentic feel and look.

“Everything here is hand-done. Everything,” Gilmore said. “You can’t buy any of this out of a catalog. It really is art. Every stone, every piece of wood, everything you see was handmade by very creative people.”

The layout of the park is also carefully designed to hold its surprises until the last possible moment. So, for example, though you’ll see a forced perspective view of Hogwarts on the horizon when you walk in, you won’t get the full reveal until you walk up through the park.

“We treat it like a live movie,” Gilmore said. “So we storyboard it, we create all the views. It’s very important for us that it’s not too convenient. When you walk in we don’t want you to see everything straight away. It’s about the reveal. Lots of reveals. It’s a storytelling journey.”

Of course, though, the biggest part of the journey are the rides. Hollywood’s Wizarding World has two, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, which is an interactive, thrill ride inside Hogwarts Castle, and Flight of the Hippogriff, a family friendly outdoor roller coaster. Each has a counterpart in Orlando, so they aren’t exactly new, but there are some tweaks. (Full disclosure, when we visited, since the park wasn’t yet officially open, we didn’t ride the rides.)

On the Forbidden Journey, the queue still the best part. You line up outside next to Harry and Ron’s flying car, walk through the greenhouse on the way into Hogwarts, which then is filled with recognizable artifacts, rooms and moving pictures. Inside, you’ll encounter holograms of Dumbledore, Harry, Ron and Hermione that set up the story of the ride. Most of that is the same as Orlando, but the ride itself has been upgraded and is now in 3D, which is a huge change.

Here are just a few photos of what you’ll see inside Hogwarts, while while waiting for the Forbidden Journey.

Across the way, Flight of the Hippogriff differs from its Orlando counterpart in that it’s not just a refurbished old ride. This construction is totally new. On line, you get to walk by Hagrid’s hut and, because it’s outdoors, it’s one of the best places to enjoy what Gilmore feels it the best attribute in the park: The light.

“We designed [the whole park] to light,” he said. “California has amazing light. You can see for miles. The colors are vivid, it’s basically the best place in the world for an art director to work.”

And it’s not a bad place to visit for Harry Potter fans either.

Images: David Sprague/Universal Studios Hollywood.

Contact the author at germain@io9.com.

It’s taken quite a while, but the evil speedster from Earth-2 finally revealed his true identity on last night’s excellent episode of The Flash. Spoilers!

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[Ed: Sorry, figured I needed a bit of distance between the openng paragph and video’s spoiler-y thumbnail.]

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It’s... Jay Garrick! Well, it’s a Jay Garrick. But it’s a Jay Garrick who doesn’t seem like he could be from Earth-2, because the real Earth-2 Jay Garrick has been hanging out on Earth-1 all season with our heroes, and also because this Jay Garrick—who I will call Zoom to for here on to try to keep things from being totally confusing—killed Earth-2 Jay Garrick at the very end of last week’s episode (that’s Earth-2 Jay’s body that Zoom drops to the floor).

The obvious first candidate would be the Jay Garrick of Earth-1, who we saw from afar a few weeks ago, looking for all the world like a regular guy. He was adopted and renamed Hunter Zolomon, which Flash comic fans will know is Zoom’s real name. However, it seems like Zoom has been terrorizing the inhabitants of Earth-2 for quite some time, even before Barry opened the breaches between worlds in the season one finale. If Zolomon is Zoom, how was he able to travel to Earth-2 prior to Barry? If he has Zoom’s powers, why would he start his reign of terror on Earth-2 instead of his regular dimension

One other question that is probably relevant: Who is the man in the iron mask? He knew something about Zoom’s identity, and he’s dangerous enough to Zoom that he not only has him looked up but is keeping his face hidden from his other prisoners. Is it... another Jay Garrick? Is Earth-3 involved? Your theories in the comments, please!

Contact the author at rob@io9.com.

Gods of Egypt is finally premiering this week, but no matter how weel it does (or how poorly) it will always be remembered mainly for causing such an uproar, the director was forced to apologize. But it’s just the latest in a long line of movies where characters of color are played by white actors. Movies that should have known better.

Just look at how many films have fallen into this trap just since the turn of the millennium. This list is restricted to just genre movies, and only films from the past 15 years—and still, there are far more than there should be.

1) Gods of Egypt

Starting with the most recent one: this is a movie where the ancient Egyptian sun god is played by Geoffrey Rush. And Gerard Butler is playing the god Set. And when you think of Horus, is the name that immediately springs to mind is “Nikolaj Coster-Waldau?” And the whitewashing isn’t limited to the gods. Even the main human character, Bek, is being played by a white actor: Brenton Thwaites. This is a movie based on Egyptian mythology that takes place in Egypt, and pretty much every major character is white.

2) Avatar: The Last Airbender

Here’s a movie based on a cartoon, where the characters were clearly not white and were based on Asian culture. So of course, the film-makers cast Nicola Peltz as Katara, Jackson Rathbone as Sokka, and tried to cast Jesse McCartney as Zuko. The failure on the part of the studio was so large that the phrase “racebending” no longer refers to just this movie, but has become a synonym for whitewashing in general. And director M. Night Shyamalan’s defense that “The great thing about anime is that it’s ambiguous,” was not received particularly well. Avatar: The Last Airbender became the first movie the Media Action Network for Asian Americans boycotted.

3) Dragonball Evolution

Oh man, when you’re adapting a Japanese manga into a live-action movie and the main character is named Goku, don’t go with the white Canadian kid as your star. All the source material is Japanese. All of it. So of course this adaptation chose Justin Chatwin to play Goku and Emmy Rossum as Bulma. It’s offensive on every level.

4) Lone Ranger

Unlike Last Airbender and Dragonball, this is one franchise that wasn’t particularly revered before it became a movie—and a big part of that was the way the original TV series handles Native Americans. And when you update a character that is seen by some as a degrading stereotype, you want to do it with a lot of care. OR you can put Johnny Depp in white make up and put a stuffed bird on his head. And then the debate can be about whether or not Depp really has some Native American blood, rather than whether the character was even a good idea in the first place.

5) Exodus: Gods and Kings, 6) Noah, and 7) The Passion of the Christ

Let’s just lump all the Biblical epics together, since they all have the exact same set of problems. All of the Bible stories take place in the Middle East and the people in them are Middle Eastern. Exodus: Gods and Kings had Christian Bale as Moses, Joel Edgerton as Ramses II, Sigourney Weaver as Tuya, and Aaron Paul as Joshua. And then Ridley Scott said:

I can’t mount a film of this budget, where I have to rely on tax rebates in Spain, and say that my lead actor is Mohammad so-and-so from such-and-such. I’m just not going to get it financed. So the question doesn’t even come up.

Which managed to be both truthful about the state of Hollywood and offensive at the same time.

Noah went with Russell Crowe as the titular character, after offering it to the also-whites Christian Bale and Michael Fassbender. Co-writer Ari Handel said that everything was based on Crowe’s casting and they even made sure to make everyone white so that it wouldn’t look like the nonwhites were being punished.

And finally, The Passion of the Christ also went with white actors for its leads. In every single case, The Ten Commandments, which is from 1956, looms large as an obvious influence. Both in terms of being a Biblical epic and in casting choices.

8) Star Trek Into Darkness

When the name of the villain is “Khan Noonien Singh” and you cast Benedict Cumberbatch to play him, you’ve done something very wrong. Especially when that character was etched into the public consciousness by the performance of Ricardo Montalbán. To be fair, having a Mexican actor play a Sikh character in the first place was an odd notion—but that was a long time ago, and if anything, this feels like a step backwards.

9) Prince of Persia

A movie called Prince of Persia cast Jake Gyllenhaal as its titular character. And then doubled down, by making sure none of the other main characters were played by actors of Iranian, Middle Eastern or Muslim descent.

10) Pan

The role of Tiger Lily, a Native American character, was given to the decidedly-white Rooney Mara. Director Joe Wright supposedly envisioned an “international and multi-racial world,” which would challenge the traditional view of Peter Pan. Of course, the only challenge was in turning the nonwhite character into a white person. The leads all remained white.

I’m giving an honorable mention to Cloud Atlas—which is only left off this list because putting actors in yellow face is something even worse than whitewashing.

These are only 10 notable examples. And only from the last fifteen years. There is no reason for anyone to still be casting white people in nonwhite roles. And every time this happens, there are complaints. And the responses are always that they cast “the best person” for the role. But that usually just means the most famous name they can get. And since the status quo is that those are white people, the roles always end up being whitewashed. It is way past time for this practice to stop.

[A version of this article originally ran on December 23, 2015.]

Contact the author at katharine@io9.com.

Through a series of button inputs, a player has found previously undiscovered menus that lay dormant in the arcade versions of Mortal Kombat 1, 2 and 3. How did they last so long without being discovered?

The newly discovered menus were personally programmed by MK creator Ed J Boon, and display as “EJB Menu” after his initials.

The MK1 and MK2 menus allow you to watch various character endings, input initials directly into the leaderboard, run debug and diagnostic tests on the game cabinet, and do something called “coin bookkeeping.” There’s also a “Hello” option, which YourMKArcadeSource speculates is simply a list of people Ed Boon wanted to give a shoutout to. Fittingly enough, the first name on the list in MK2 is “mom.”

MK3's Ed Boon menu is considerably more robust, and includes an option to immediately unlock hidden characters. It also allows you to watch every fatality—a demonstration normally reserved for players who have beaten the game on Master difficulty. There is also something called the “Penacho/Miller Game,” which fires up an impossibly difficult Galaga clone.

It’s currently unclear if these hidden menus exist in other iterations of the franchise, or on any home console versions.

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