Even the 19th Century Had Needy Nigerian Prince Scams

We’ve all received that email at least once before. A kind prince/princess/spambot in Nigeria has millions of dollars, and better yet, they want to split it with you . Just hand over your social security code and wait for them to arrive on American soil. As the above newspaper clipping shows, these types of scams were going on even before email came around—in this case, as early as 1876. Read more…

More:
Even the 19th Century Had Needy Nigerian Prince Scams

Hope You Enjoyed Today’s Ad-Free Internet, Thanks to a Google Glitch

A bug in the service that delivers Google ads to thousands of websites went down this morning, producing acres of blank pixels where banner ads once resided . It was a little ad-vacation. Read more…

More here:
Hope You Enjoyed Today’s Ad-Free Internet, Thanks to a Google Glitch

A Man Going Deaf Can Hear Wi-Fi Signals, and Here’s How They Sound

Losing your hearing can be a frighteningly isolating experience. But instead of trying to replace the audible landscape he began losing at age 20, science writer Frank Swain decided to find a way to listen in on something humans can’t hear: the hum of Wi-Fi all around us. Read more…

Read More:
A Man Going Deaf Can Hear Wi-Fi Signals, and Here’s How They Sound

All of Microsoft’s Best Subscription Services Are Now in a $200 Bundle

Live in a Microsoft bubble? Then you might be able to make good use of its new Work & Play Bundle, which wraps up all its subscription services in one place for $200 a year. Read more…

See the original post:
All of Microsoft’s Best Subscription Services Are Now in a $200 Bundle

Brazilian Vigilantes Used WhatsApp to Warn People of a Coming Massacre

Following a police shooting in northern Brazil, people started getting messages . On WhatsApp, they were warned to stay indoors that night. Some of the WhatsApp messages were texts, though the most popular was an audio file with a dire warning: “Don’t go to Guama, Canudos or Terra Firme tonight. It concerns your security, ” it said, according to the BBC . “One of our policemen was killed and we will be cleaning the area.” Read more…

Read the article:
Brazilian Vigilantes Used WhatsApp to Warn People of a Coming Massacre

Amazon’s Next 7 Pilots Will Be Out in Early 2015

Amazon Studios just announced its next slate of television pilots, which will debut sometime in early 2015. Once they’re released, feedback will help decide whether Amazon will order them to series, the same as previous pilot rounds . Read more…

More here:
Amazon’s Next 7 Pilots Will Be Out in Early 2015

Radar-Enabled Light Bulbs Automatically Detect When the Elderly Fall

Even when the elderly are being tended to by a caregiver, it’s almost impossible to keep an eye on them 100 percent of the time. So a Japanese company has developed a pair of LED light bulbs featuring built-in laser-based radar to track the movements of someone in its vicinity, and automatically send alerts when they have fallen or suddenly stopped moving. Read more…

View article:
Radar-Enabled Light Bulbs Automatically Detect When the Elderly Fall

Rosetta’s Comet Is Singing and You Can Listen To It Here

Listen to it! That’s Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko singing. This cosmic song was just discovered by the European Space Agency, which released the soundtrack for our enjoyment. It’s totally new and unexpected, say the scientists who will remotely land a probe on the rocky surface of the comet tomorrow. Read more…

Excerpt from:
Rosetta’s Comet Is Singing and You Can Listen To It Here

Sharing Night-Time Photos Of The Eiffel Tower Is Illegal

Here’s a fun but depressing Saturday afternoon fact: taking and sharing photos of the Eiffel tower at night is a copyright violation that could land you with a hefty fine (not that it’s stopped the selfie-snapping masses, of course). Read more…

Excerpt from:
Sharing Night-Time Photos Of The Eiffel Tower Is Illegal