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Boing Boing is the Web's favorite site devoted to technology, entertainment, and culture. Launched in 1989 as a print 'zine and still...
Site URL: boingboing.net
Feed URL: boingboing.net/feed
Posts: 113
Followers: 12
Why pay for Microsoft 365 every month when you can pay $30 once and get Microsoft Office forever?
Published: May 10, 2026 15:00
TL;DR: Stop paying monthly for Microsoft apps you use every day. Get a one-time purchase of Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows for $29.97 (reg. $219.99) through May 18. Microsoft 365 now costs $99.99 a year, which means you're essentially…
This fan edit corrects the continuty problems of a Star Wars favorite
Published: May 9, 2026 23:14
Star Wars, as George Lucas is quick to point out is, you know, for kids. But kids grow up. What seemed cool when you were 12 and Empire Strikes Back popped feels more like Elan Sleazebaggano by the time you hit 40. — Read the rest The post This fan edit…
Ben Palmer's fake ICE hotline is still getting hits
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/09/ben-palmers-fake-ice-hotline-is-still-getting-hits.html
Published: May 9, 2026 23:12
I'm genuinely amazed that the fake ICE tipline set up by comedian Ben Palmer — who specializes in pretending to be what he's not — is still operational. Of course, that fact is a pretty damning indictment of this country. Comedic value aside, it's…
Here are some terrific resources tracking the "Andes" hantavirus outbreak
Published: May 9, 2026 23:10
I've been glued to the news about the Andes virus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius. If somehow you've not yet heard of Andes virus, it's the only type of hantavirus that has been shown to spread from human to human, while most other hantaviruses spread only…
Another day, another gaming price hike
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/09/another-day-another-gaming-price-hike.html
Published: May 9, 2026 23:08
Hey, do you remember when the Switch 2 first launched and all anyone could talk about was how expensive it was? Don't worry, because Nintendo heard you loud and clear: the price of their hardware is going up once again. — Read the rest The post Another…
This 2019 Chromebook is a schoolwork machine—get it now for just $60
Published: May 9, 2026 21:00
TL;DR: This refurbished 2019 Gen 2 Chromebook is the perfect midyear gift for students and professionals looking for a hassle-free laptop. Grab one now at 70% off. Investing in an expensive, premium-grade laptop doesn't make sense if you're buying for…
Clear out storage for up to 3 Macs with BuhoCleaner for just $30
Published: May 9, 2026 15:00
TL;DR: With the Dr. Buho Mac Utility Lifetime License, you'll be able to remove leftover application files, duplicate files, large files, and cache junk with ease. Get coverage for up to 3 devices for just $29.99 (reg. $241.96). When it comes to longevity,…
Seattle's mystery soda machine vanished in 2018 with a goodbye note
Published: May 8, 2026 21:08
For roughly two decades, a battered 1970s Coca-Cola machine sat on the sidewalk outside Broadway Locksmith on East John Street in Seattle's Capitol Hill, and nobody seemed to own it. Drinks cost 55 cents back in 2002, climbed to 75 cents by 2014, and…
No one knows why dark side of Venus has a faint glow
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/08/no-one-knows-why-dark-side-of-venus-has-a-faint-glow.html
Published: May 8, 2026 21:02
On January 9, 1643, the Italian astronomer Giovanni Battista Riccioli pointed his telescope at Venus and noticed a faint glow on the planet's unlit side. Riccioli figured it was an artifact of his glass — the same trick that makes a prism throw rainbows. —…
75% off a MacBook Pro? Upgrade your laptop for just $400
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/08/75-off-a-macbook-pro-upgrade-your-laptop-for-just-400.html
Published: May 8, 2026 21:00
TL;DR: Save on upgrading your laptop with this deal on an Apple MacBook Pro (2020) 13″. Get this sleek and speedy device for just $399.99 (Reg. $1,580) when you buy refurbished. Time to upgrade your laptop? Don't waste your time wincing at the price on…
Safeway blames a "wood pulp shortage" for its handleless paper bags
Published: May 8, 2026 20:57
Karen Aitchison, a senior who has shopped the Diamond Heights Boulevard Safeway for 30 years, lives three flights up. When her grocery store stopped stocking paper bags with handles last month, she did what any sensible person would do — she hoarded the…
Physicist says the 'hard problem of consciousness' isn't real
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/08/physicist-says-the-hard-problem-of-consciousness-isnt-real.html
Published: May 8, 2026 20:53
When Carlo Rovelli's bicycle chain comes off, he calls a bike-shop mechanic, never a particle physicist — even though particle physics technically governs every bolt on the thing. The Italian quantum-gravity theorist uses that fact to swat away one of the…
Meta's daily user count just dropped for the first time ever
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/08/metas-daily-user-count-just-dropped-for-the-first-time-ever.html
Published: May 8, 2026 20:49
Daily active users across Meta's properties slipped from 3.58 billion to 3.56 billion last quarter, the first decline the company has ever reported. Julia Angwin, writing in a New York Times opinion piece, says Meta has caught the same stink that AOL did…
Listen to almost 50 years of startup sounds
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/08/listen-to-almost-50-years-of-startup-sounds.html
Published: May 8, 2026 19:09
The Data Drop releases one interactive visual essay every week, and the latest is a collection of startup sounds from 1977 to the present, covering everything from the Apple II to the Vision Pro. Along with the actual startup sound, or lack thereof, in the…
US and Iran practicing an "Israeli ceasefire," by shooting at one another
Published: May 8, 2026 18:24
Diplomacy in 2026 increasingly resembles two raccoons fighting inside a dumpster while insisting they are "de-escalating," and the latest US-Iran ceasefire appears to follow Israel's favorite template: keep firing, but call it a "ceasefire." A U.S.…
Yellowstone grizzly introduces two hikers to the "find out" phase of wildlife tourism
Published: May 8, 2026 18:14
Yellowstone's wildlife brochure probably mentions the geysers first, but this week a mother grizzly reminded two hikers that the park's unofficial mascot still has claws, teeth, and very strong opinions about strangers approaching her cubs. The…
Report says Kash Patel is spiraling over leaks and grilling staff with lie detectors
Published: May 8, 2026 18:02
According to new reporting from Carol Leonnig and Ken Dilanian, already paranoid-looking FBI Director Kash Patel has reportedly ordered polygraph tests for more than two dozen current and former staffers as leak paranoia and internal panic spread through…
This animator is doing wild things with construction paper
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/08/this-animator-is-doing-wild-things-with-construction-paper.html
Published: May 8, 2026 17:58
This animation by Philippa Rice uses an innovative technique I haven't seen before: paper cutouts. The video shows the technique used in different ways, and it's fun to see the possibilities that come from simply cutting paper and animating it. — Read the…
Handmade kaleidoscopes that open tiny portals into dreamlike mini universes
Published: May 8, 2026 17:54
Budderscopes is the creative world of artist Kaleb Weber, who makes handmade kaleidoscopes built from glass, mirrors, and found materials. Look through one, and color and shape break apart into endlessly changing patterns — each scope a different…
Cybertruck recall reveals embarrassingly low sales numbers
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/08/cybertruck-recall-reveals-embarrassingly-low-sales-numbers.html
Published: May 8, 2026 17:53
Tesla's latest Cybertruck recall comes with an awkward side effect: it appears to confirm that the company sold only 173 examples of its supposedly more affordable rear-wheel-drive-only model before quietly discontinuing it. The recall affects all 173 of…
Man accidentally interviewed live on BBC instead of tech expert became an internet legend
Published: May 8, 2026 17:45
Twenty years after accidentally being interviewed live on the BBC instead of the tech expert producers intended to book, Guy Goma is still remembered less as the victim of a TV blunder and more as the patron saint of pretending you know what's going on at…
Artist makes claymation while riding the subway
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/08/artist-makes-claymation-while-riding-the-subway.html
Published: May 8, 2026 17:44
This animation by Faraz is part of a series in which the artist creates on-the-go claymations. We get to see a little ball of clay transform into various shapes as the artist rides the subway and walks around the city. It looks like a magic trick, but…
The giant dinosaurs still standing by America's roads
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/08/the-giant-dinosaurs-still-standing-by-americas-roads.html
Published: May 8, 2026 17:28
These snapshots of dinosaur roadside attractions across America make me want to hop in my car and hit the road. A lot of these places weren't built as art pieces, but as advertising or local landmarks that just stuck around long after their original…
CIA reportedly delivers unwelcome reminder that Iran is tougher than Truth Social thinks
Published: May 8, 2026 17:27
A former State Department official says the Trump White House was apparently caught off guard by a CIA assessment concluding that Iran can absorb far more military and economic punishment than administration officials expected, and can still stand up to US…
This archive of old personal ads is strangely moving
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/08/this-archive-of-old-personal-ads-is-strangely-moving.html
Published: May 8, 2026 17:23
Long Lost Personal is an archive devoted to preserving vintage personal ads from decades past. Curated from old newspapers and alternative weeklies, the project collects tiny fragments of human longing, awkwardness, humor, and hope. Take a stroll into the…
Superman coaster stalls at Six Flags, riders forced to walk down emergency stairs
Published: May 8, 2026 17:18
If you ever get stuck on top of a roller coaster, cross your fingers it's not the Superman ride at Six Flags Magic Mountain. That's exactly what happened when the coaster stalled at the top — and instead of the usual screaming descent, adrenaline rush, and…
Did you know there was a bad Double Dragon comic book?
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/08/did-you-know-there-was-a-bad-double-dragon-comic-book.html
Published: May 8, 2026 16:56
Double Dragon was the first game I really knew back to front, the first I beat, though kid me never got past the elbow smash trick: an overpowered move made unbeatable by alternating sides to keep a pounded enemy down. This 40-year-old arcade classic has a…
Boox Tappy is a wireless e-book page turner
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/08/boox-tappy-is-a-wireless-e-book-page-turner.html
Published: May 8, 2026 15:39
The Boox Tappy is a tiny Bluetooth device with two buttons and the legend "tap it" imprinted above them. You can use it to turn the pages of an ebook without raising your free hand from where it rests, alongside the tappy, or perhaps in a pocket. — Read…
Stop rage-quitting your language learning app and try this $49 lifetime subscription instead
Published: May 8, 2026 15:00
TL;DR: Get a lifetime subscription to Qlango Language Learning, with 71 languages included, for $49 (reg. $239). Learning a new language is no small feat, but this app is making it a little bit easier. Qlango isn't trying to guilt-trip you into a 365-day…
Tilly the Friendly Loaf will make you smile
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/08/tilly-the-friendly-loaf-will-make-you-smile-i-promise.html
Published: May 8, 2026 14:57
If you need a break from doom-scrolling, take a few minutes of your day to enjoy some videos featuring my new favorite internet doggo, a cute Tibetan Spaniel named Tilly who goes by the nickname "the friendly loaf." Tilly was rescued by her human mom, Anna…
The weirdest scammers you've never heard of
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/08/the-weirdest-scammers-youve-never-heard-of.html
Published: May 8, 2026 14:56
Do you find yourself scrolling mindlessly through YouTube Shorts on occasion? It's nothing to be ashamed of; I do too. If you do, though, you've likely stumbled across any number of automatically-recommended livestreams. How many times have you seen one of…
Atari buys rights to RPG classic Wizardry
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/07/atari-buys-rights-to-rpg-classic-wizardry.html
Published: May 7, 2026 23:52
Wizardry, originally coded in BASIC at the turn of the 80s, was one of the early greats in computer role-playing games, spawning a long-running series with countless spin-offs. It is now the property of Atari, following a successful remake by the latter of…
A free site uses live weather data to flag pavement that will burn your dog's paws
Published: May 7, 2026 21:58
Press the back of your hand against the sidewalk for seven seconds. If you can't stand it, your dog can't either. That's the old vet's rule for hot pavement, and it works. Asphalt at an 87°F air temperature can reach 140°F in direct sun; vets see paw…
AI Graveyard: 142 AI companies so far buried, many more to come
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/07/ai-graveyard-142-ai-services-so-far-dead-many-more-to-come.html
Published: May 7, 2026 21:53
You've probably visited the Google Graveyard, which keeps track of bodies dumped by the tech giant, but the AI boom has already got it beat. There's already a veritable mountain of corpses in the AI Graveyard, lurching with "142 AI tools that have shut…
ReMarkable Paper Pure claimed to be 50% faster than last-gen model
Published: May 7, 2026 21:07
ReMarkable's progress has been quite, well, remarkable. Despite being in the shadow of Amazon's Kindle ecosystem, it (and Kobo, Boox, Supernote…) have put out nicer and more useful e-ink devices than the tech giant, forcing it to keep pace. — Read the rest…
France summons Musk for X criminal charges
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/07/france-summons-musk-for-x-criminal-charges.html
Published: May 7, 2026 20:48
Sam Schechner reports in The Wall Street Journal that French prosecutors have summoned Elon Musk to Paris to face preliminary criminal charges as part of their investigation into X. The summons comes weeks after Musk skipped a voluntary interview, and the…
Fantasy book community Tome shuts down
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/07/fantasy-book-community-tome-shuts-down.html
Published: May 7, 2026 20:36
Goodreads remains the dominant social media site for readers, despite the almost total hatred they seem to have for it. It has two overwhelming advantages: it already has the users and it's owned by Amazon. The latest competitor to shut down is Tome, which…
California has four to six weeks of gasoline left
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/07/california-has-four-to-six-weeks-of-gasoline-left.html
Published: May 7, 2026 20:31
California has enough gasoline and diesel to last four to six weeks at normal demand, the state's Energy Commission said this week — and the last tanker of crude from the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran closed in February, just docked in Long Beach. — Read…
Brain-eating amoeba turns up in five western national parks
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/07/brain-eating-amoeba-turns-up-in-five-western-national-parks.html
Published: May 7, 2026 20:18
Naegleria fowleri — the single-celled organism that causes a brain infection with a 98% fatality rate — has been showing up in warm waters at Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Olympic, Lake Mead, and Newberry National Volcanic Monument, according to a SFGATE…
Richard Dawkins renamed Claude "Claudia" and decided she's conscious
Published: May 7, 2026 20:06
Richard Dawkins, the 84-year-old evolutionary biologist who spent decades insisting people stop believing in things without evidence, has decided that Anthropic's Claude chatbot is conscious. He gave it a new name, Claudia, and reports that she seemed…
US debt hits $31.26 trillion, exceeds annual GDP
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/07/us-debt-hits-31-26-trillion-exceeds-annual-gdp.html
Published: May 7, 2026 19:58
The last two times the United States owed more than its annual economic output, the country was either fighting a world war or shutting down due to a pandemic. As of March, it's happened again — this time without an emergency to point to. — Read the rest …
Stranger Than Heaven isn't just inspired by Yakuza, it is an official prequel
Published: May 7, 2026 18:04
If you're a frequent reader of the site, you may have noticed my prior posts on Stranger Than Heaven, a brand-new, next-generation game from Ryu ga Gotoku Studio, best known for their Yakuza series of intricately detailed brawlers. I've already gushed…
Google using Chrome to install AI files without permission
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/07/google-using-chrome-to-install-ai-files-without-permission.html
Published: May 7, 2026 18:03
Hey guys, that four gigabytes of artificial intelligence model you didn't ask? Good news! It's finished downloading onto your computer. Unwanted data-sucking software: it's just another way that Google is watching out for you, ensuring that—oh. You don't…
Remake of Star Fox 64 remake announced
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/07/remake-of-star-fox-64-remake-announced.html
Published: May 7, 2026 18:00
I sure didn't have this on my bingo card for a random Wednesday. Out of nowhere, Nintendo launched a surprise livestream promoting a hitherto-unheard of Star Fox project. There hasn't been an original Star Fox title since the dark days of the Wii U, after…
Spider's mouth infected by Kyle Rittenhouse
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/07/spiders-mouth-infected-by-kyle-rittenhouse.html
Published: May 7, 2026 17:59
A brown recluse spider is currently receiving treatment after accidentally getting a mouthful of acquitted murderer Kyle Rittenhouse. "I was just keeping to myself, man," the spider told Boing Boing in an exclusive interview. "You know, being reclusive and…
This $20 bundle is the perfect gateway into the cybersecurity industry
Published: May 7, 2026 15:00
TL;DR: With this 2026 AI Security & Cybersecurity Expert Bundle, you'll learn the fundamentals of AI, its applications in cybersecurity, ethical hacking, and penetration testing for just $19.97 (reg. $120). Cybersecurity skills are in demand, but the…
Create professional-grade voiceovers with FineVoice AI for under $65
Published: May 7, 2026 15:00
TL;DR: Become your own production studio with this all-in-one AI voice generator for just $63.99 (reg. $449.99). Content creation these days isn't easy. Not only has the overall standard increased over the years, but considering the amount of AI…
How a banned rice cooker cost a Welsh university ÂŁ264,442
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/06/how-a-banned-rice-cooker-cost-a-welsh-university-264442.html
Published: May 6, 2026 23:50
Peak Ong, a 72-year-old cleaner at Aberystwyth University in Wales, won £264,442.09 from the school after a dispute that started with a banned rice cooker ended in her firing and a vindictive job reference. Catherine Green, Ong's manager, accused her of…
Newborn gosling leaps from an I-5 offramp into the Willamette River
Published: May 6, 2026 21:58
Watch an adorable, fluffy newborn gosling take its first leap, and what a leap it is. This brave little chick jumped from an I-5 offramp high above Portland's Eastbank Esplanade and the Willamette River, falling toward its parents and siblings waiting…
Devils Hole pupfish: rarest fish on Earth lives in one Nevada cavern
Published: May 6, 2026 21:56
This video shows the weirdness of the Devils Hole pupfish. Deep inside a single limestone cavern in Nevada's Mojave Desert lives one of the rarest fish on Earth. The tiny, shimmering blue fish can be found in only one known natural habitat in the world: a…
His brother's hamster is charging his phone now
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/06/his-brothers-hamster-is-charging-his-phone-now.html
Published: May 6, 2026 21:53
A YouTuber going by Flamethrower spent nights listening to his brother's new hamster squeak through the exercise wheel and decided to harvest the energy. The result is a working phone charger powered by the rodent. A hamster runs in bursts, while a phone…
1940s miner crafted dentures from toothbrush handles and coyote teeth
Published: May 6, 2026 21:44
This unusual set of dentures was made in the 1940s by a California miner named George Washington Hancock, who couldn't afford conventional dental care. He needed teeth, so he made them. Hancock fashioned the bases himself by heating celluloid toothbrush…
The man who discovered microwaves measured a flower's heartbeat in 1926
Published: May 6, 2026 21:30
In August 1926, Jagadish Chandra Bose walked into an Oxford lecture hall carrying a snapdragon stem. He hooked it to one of his handmade instruments, told the audience they were watching the plant's heartbeat, and pointed to a tracing that rose and fell in…
Upgrade to Windows 11 and get Office 2024 for under $100
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/06/upgrade-to-windows-11-and-get-office-2024-for-under-100.html
Published: May 6, 2026 21:00
TL;DR: Give your wallet and chosen device an easy win with lifetime access to both Windows 11 Pro and Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC—now just $95.97 (reg. $448.99). Microsoft recently ended Windows 10 support, which means there's…
Simple app to make images look like they're on an old CRT display
Published: May 6, 2026 20:17
Everytime I want to make pixel art look old-timey, I find myself searching for and fussing with online filter sites that don't look right, or trying to do something clever with scanlines or shadowmask textures in Photoshop, which also never looks quite…
Musk defends tweets that allegedly tanked Twitter stock before buyout
Published: May 6, 2026 19:40
Elon Musk defended his conduct in federal court Thursday as former Twitter shareholders accused him of deliberately driving down the company's stock price ahead of his 2022 purchase of the platform now known as X. The case, which represents Twitter…
Security researcher tears apart White House app and finds a tracking and security nightmare
Published: May 6, 2026 19:26
A security researcher who decompiled the White House's new mobile app says it contains hidden GPS-tracking capabilities, weak security protections, and code loaded from an outside GitHub page, raising serious questions about privacy and cybersecurity. And…
Tom the Dancing Bug: A peek into the skull of Dementia Donnie
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/06/tom-the-dancing-bug-a-peek-into-the-skull-of-dementia-donnie.html
Published: May 6, 2026 19:25
Tom the Dancing Bug: Dementia Donnie, in "Atrophy Case" -> Please join the team that makes it possible for your friendly neighborhood comic strip Tom the Dancing Bug to exist in this hostile Trumpverse! JOIN US IN THE INNER HIVE, and be the first kid on…
SkyParkour mod turns Skyrim into a better Assassin's Creed
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/06/skyparkour-mod-turns-skyrim-into-a-better-assassins-creed.html
Published: May 6, 2026 19:23
At a certain point, sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Whoever first said that must have been talking about Skyrim modding, because it feels more like wizardry at this point. As the single most fan-modified game in history,…
Woman accused of drunken sidewalk chase after child on dirt bike
Published: May 6, 2026 19:19
Authorities say a Spokane County woman drove onto a sidewalk and allegedly chased a child riding an electric dirt bike while intoxicated before later wandering onto a stranger's property looking for eggs. The Spokane County Sheriff's Office and court…
Remember when digital cameras stored photos on floppy disks?
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/06/remember-when-digital-cameras-stored-photos-on-floppy-disks.html
Published: May 6, 2026 19:10
In this wonderfully self-aware 1990 episode of Tomorrow's World, presenters revisit the futuristic photographic gadgets they'd hyped throughout the 1980s—from floppy-disk digital cameras and 3D photo systems to autofocus lenses and disposable cameras.…
America's worst counterfeiter forged $1 bills for a decade
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/06/americas-worst-counterfeiter-forged-1-bills-for-a-decade.html
Published: May 6, 2026 18:43
Emerich Juettner spent nearly a decade printing one-dollar bills in his New York kitchen, and the U.S. Secret Service spent nearly a decade unable to catch him. According to Kaushik Patowary at Amusing Planet, Juettner's bills were terrible. Wrong paper,…
A errant SpaceX rocket booster is going to smash into the moon
Published: May 6, 2026 18:34
On August 5, 2026, a SpaceX rocket booster is going to smash into the moon at 5400 miles an hour. Bill Gray, an astronomer who notes that although astronomy is his profession, he is reluctant to call himself a professional astronomer as he lacks a PhD,…
Aliens or Rohypnol? Goldie Hawn describes extraterrestrial encounter
Published: May 6, 2026 18:26
Goldie Hawn told Jimmy Kimmel about an emotional extraterrestrial encounter she says occurred when she was a teenage dancer in California, involving paralysis, high-frequency sounds, and silver beings with triangular heads communicating through vibration. …
Pope issues diplomatic version of "Whatchu talkin' about, Willis?"
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/06/pope-issues-diplomatic-version-of-whatchu-talkin-about-willis.html
Published: May 6, 2026 18:16
After Donald Trump repeatedly claimed that Pope Leo XIV supports Iran obtaining nuclear weapons, the pope responded with a calm reminder that the Catholic Church has consistently opposed nuclear weapons for decades. Without responding to Trump's comments…
A revealing interview with Bryon Noem's domme
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/06/an-revealing-interview-with-bryon-noems-domme.html
Published: May 6, 2026 17:26
To be clear, there's nothing wrong with having a kink. If you want to strut around wearing comically massive fake breasts and fantasize about being a blonde-haired, sparkly-lipped valley girl, more power to you. The issue, rather, is with hypocrisy: which…
Anthony Bourdain biopic a fresh take on the genre
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/06/anthony-bourdain-biopic-a-fresh-take-on-the-genre.html
Published: May 6, 2026 17:25
After Michael, can we agree that biopics have gotten a bit paint-by-numbers? They're great for squeezing easy cash out of fans of the famous faces they depict, but their plot has been refined to a cynical formula with plenty of space reserved for musical…
Banana-obsessed beaver makes brilliant ASMR
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/06/banana-obsessed-beaver-makes-brilliant-asmr.html
Published: May 6, 2026 17:22
I can't stop watching videos of a beaver named Tulip who is absolutely OBSESSED with bananas. Tulip came to Something Wild wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center when she was a tiny sick baby, after a kind human found her stranded and all alone after…
Windows users can save 63% on this lifetime PDF editor subscription
Published: May 6, 2026 15:00
TL;DR: Save 63% with this lifetime subscription to PDF Reader Pro Premium for Windows.  For a universal format dubbed "the gold standard," PDFs are still pretty difficult to work with. Sure, they're a lifesaver when it comes to printing, but try to edit…
Extended trailer for Christopher Nolan's Odyssey
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/05/extended-trailer-for-christopher-nolans-odyssey.html
Published: May 5, 2026 21:49
Chris Nolan may be done making Batman movies, but you could be mistaken for thinking otherwise with how dark, gritty and full of black armor his upcoming The Odyssey movie is shaping up to be. Better-informed historians than I have torn into this movie for…
The case for thinking of yourself as a meat-based language model
Published: May 5, 2026 21:22
Are humans just LLMs in meat suits? Arturo Nereu doesn't quite think so, but in a recent essay, he lays out the uncomfortable parallels between how large language models work and how he experiences his own thinking. The more he interacts with AI tools for…
Keep your projects on track with Microsoft Project Professional 2024
Published: May 5, 2026 21:00
TL;DR: The ultimate project management tool, Microsoft Project Professional 2024: Lifetime License for Windows, is available now for $54.97 (MSRP $1,129.99) until May 10 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Level up in the workplace with prime project management software…
Why the "It's not X, it's Y" AI tic backfires on its writers
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/05/why-the-its-not-x-its-y-ai-tic-backfires-on-its-writers.html
Published: May 5, 2026 20:44
Try to keep the idea of a white bear out of your head. Daniel Wegner's 1987 experiment is now showing up in a critique of one of the most recognizable AI writing tics, the LinkedIn-saturated "It's not X, it's Y," by University of Guelph linguistics…
One psilocybin dose may reshape brain wiring a month later
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/05/one-psilocybin-dose-may-reshape-brain-wiring-a-month-later.html
Published: May 5, 2026 20:40
A new paper in Nature Communications, covered by Ian Sample at the Guardian, claims a single 25mg dose may leave behind anatomical changes in the wiring itself, still visible 30 days on. Researchers at UC San Francisco and Imperial College London recruited…
After Friday, Meta can read your Instagram DMs again
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/05/after-friday-meta-can-read-your-instagram-dms-again.html
Published: May 5, 2026 20:35
This Friday, May 8, Meta will turn off end-to-end encryption for Instagram DMs. The feature, added as opt-in in 2023, is being yanked because almost nobody used it — or at least, that's the official explanation, according to MacRumors, citing a Meta…
Stunning new scans reveal RMS Titanic debris field in eerie detail
Published: May 5, 2026 17:35
Newly released 3D scans of the RMS Titanic wreck site reveal a sprawling debris field where everything from delicate tableware to massive machinery lies scattered across the ocean floor, presenting an unusually clear picture of how the ship broke apart…
When your yacht is too big for Monaco, Italy, and reality
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/05/when-your-yacht-is-too-big-for-monaco-italy-and-reality.html
Published: May 5, 2026 17:26
Jeff Bezos may be looking to unload his record-setting sailing yacht Koru after discovering that a 417-foot floating monument to excess is, inconveniently, too large to dock in many of the places billionaires like to show them off. Koru is one of the…
HowToBasic goes vegan with extremely cursed burger recipe
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/05/howtobasic-goes-vegan-with-extremely-cursed-burger-recipe.html
Published: May 5, 2026 17:04
I never thought I'd see the day when HowToBasic, the unhinged YouTube chef most famous for adding an artery-clogging amount of raw eggs to the smoldering detritus he calls his food, went vegan. Not a single one of his recipes ends without something on fire…
This destroyed Nintendo 3DS restoration is supernaturally relaxing
Published: May 5, 2026 17:04
There's something about tech restoration that I find ASMR-like. Carefully disassembling layers of wafer-thin circuit boards, the lineup of delicate, specialized tools, the anti-yellowing washes, it's all extremely methodical in a way that scratches my…
Steam Controller launches at $100, sells out in under an hour
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/05/steam-controller-launches-at-100-sells-out-in-under-an-hour.html
Published: May 5, 2026 17:03
Rejoice! It feels like it's taken way longer than it should, but the Steam Controller — the first of three brand-new hardware ventures Valve announced last year — is finally here. The price is a full hundred dollars before shipping and tax, more than…
Cardboard Wars is a loving parody of Star Wars all in cardboard
Published: May 5, 2026 17:01
Cardboard Wars is the best fan-made Star Wars creation since Troops. The 52-minute Star Wars parody on YouTube is a worthy successor to Spaceballs and Hardware Wars. Cardboard Wars tells the entire story of Star Wars using practical effects and cardboard.…
Trees that refused to be stopped by brick walls and cracks
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/05/trees-that-refused-to-be-stopped-by-brick-walls-and-cracks.html
Published: May 5, 2026 16:54
This collection of photos celebrates trees growing on the sides of buildings, through small cracks, and in one case, straight out of a narrow slit in a brick wall. The trees aren't struggling — they look completely at home, roots anchored in mortar,…
Bondi, DOJ continue procedural chicanery over Epstein questions
Published: May 5, 2026 16:47
Pam Bondi and the U.S. Department of Justice appear to be engaged in a carefully choreographed bit of procedural maneuvering: after declining to comply with a subpoena while in office, Bondi is now set to answer questions about Jeffrey Epstein as a…
Magnified Sand reveals the hidden beauty of individual grains
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/05/magnified-sand-reveals-the-hidden-beauty-of-individual-grains.html
Published: May 5, 2026 16:46
Magnified Sand is Robert Maronpot's ongoing microscopic photography project. He photographs individual sand grains up close, revealing shapes and colors that are completely invisible to the naked eye. The results look less like beach debris and more like…
Cursor Camp is a wholesome no-chat online hangout spot
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/05/cursor-camp-is-a-wholesome-no-chat-online-hangout-spot.html
Published: May 5, 2026 16:42
Cursor Camp is a wholesome little website where you and everyone else visiting appear as small cursors. There's no chat, no usernames, no profiles — you can only interact by moving around the screen and watching each other do the same. — Read the rest The…
Another Tennessee "DUI" case with no alcohol ends in lawsuit
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/05/another-tennessee-dui-case-with-no-alcohol-ends-in-lawsuit.html
Published: May 5, 2026 16:24
A retired Federal Bureau of Investigation employee is suing the Knoxville Police Department after she was arrested for DUI, jailed overnight, and forced to install an ignition interlock despite toxicology tests later confirming she had no alcohol or drugs…
Did the fire "save" Notre-dam?
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/05/did-the-fire-save-notre-dam.html
Published: May 5, 2026 15:54
This video discusses how the 2019 fire that almost destroyed Notre-dam "saved" it. In addition to all the interesting things the restoration taught us about the building, it evidently also provided the impetus to actually do something about a neglected,…
Grandpa Pudding Brains insists test was difficult, struggles to keep details straight
Published: May 5, 2026 15:22
Real, stable genius Donald Trump is again touting his cognitive test results, this time describing a question involving a lion, a bear, an alligator, and a squirrel. The problem is this example that differs from the versions he offered just days earlier. —…
Eliminate pop-ups, autoplay ads, and tracking on the web for just $30
Published: May 5, 2026 15:00
TL;DR: Protect your web experience on up to 20 devices with a 5-year subscription to AdGuard DNS Personal for $29.99 (MSRP $719.64). Wish you could say goodbye to ads and malware? Protect yourself from irritation and harm with AdGuard DNS, a personal…
NASA posts thousands more Artemis II photos
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/05/nasa-posts-thousands-more-artemis-ii-photos.html
Published: May 5, 2026 14:58
For the first time in half a century, humans visited the moon. If they did not land on it, that's coming soon, but they took a lot of photographs on the most epic sightseeing tour ever. The entire set is now to be found on the Gateway to Astronaut…
WhatCable tells you what that USB-C cable is good for
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/05/whatcable-tells-you-what-that-usb-c-cable-is-good-for.html
Published: May 5, 2026 14:28
USB-C was supposed to make things easy. But standardizing the connector didn't solve the problem of what the hardware was good for, not least the cables. And now they all look the same, making it a game of cable drawer roulette just to find the Good cable…
If only this gasoline-powered laptop were real
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/04/if-only-this-gasoline-powered-laptop-were-real.html
Published: May 4, 2026 21:21
Supposedly to be found on the Springfield, Missouri Facebook Marketplace, this unusual vintage Dell laptop has an Intel Core 2 duo processor, 2GB of RAM, a 120GB hard drive, and Windows XP. Justifying the $850 price tag, perhaps, is an unusual power…
Confidently order wine in another language with the help of Babbel's human-created lessons
Published: May 4, 2026 21:00
TL;DR: Babbel teaches real-world language skills (built by actual linguists, not AI) with lifetime access for $159 using the StackSocial code LEARN. Most of us have tried to learn a new language at least once. However, you often end up learning how to say…
A cyberdeck to help you airlock the Alien
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/04/a-cyberdeck-to-help-you-airlock-the-alien.html
Published: May 4, 2026 20:59
The Typeframe PS-85 is a cyberdeck crafted by Jeff Merrick, inspired by Epson portable computers and the design language of 1979 science fiction-horror classic Alien. In the movie, the MU/TH/UR computer had its own room; here's a terminal to ask it…
Lightning compilation video reveals how storms cause fires, explosions, and power loss
Published: May 4, 2026 20:46
This lightning compilation video captures what happens when the atmosphere turns volatile. A storm rolls in, looking routine, and then, suddenly, a tree is vaporized, a building is on fire, and the power goes out. It's a reminder of just how extreme…
Bear spotted in tree, LAPD reacts
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/04/bear-spotted-in-tree-lapd-reacts.html
Published: May 4, 2026 18:50
"Police do say they've seen the bear climb at least three different trees." A large black bear wandered into Hansen Dam, a patch of green space that, from a bear's perspective, looks exactly like the kind of place a bear should be. — Read the rest The…
The Force is strong at the Obama Presidential Center this Star Wars Day
Published: May 4, 2026 18:34
The Obama Presidential Center marked Star Wars Day with a quick, playful video. Leaning into the internet's favorite unofficial holiday with a wink to the galaxy far, far away, they used the opportunity to announce the opening of the center on May 6th. —…
The Colorado River's last buffers: officials juggle shrinking reservoirs to avoid system collapse
Published: May 4, 2026 18:08
Facing record-low levels in the Colorado River system, federal water managers are deliberately holding back water in Lake Powell to keep its hydroelectric turbines running even as downstream Lake Mead continues to fall. The strategy isn't about recovery so…
This video on the complicated color codes of US passports cracked me up
Published: May 4, 2026 18:01
The creators of this super informative video also made it super entertaining. Most Americans carry the familiar blue passport, but it turns out that's just one shade in a small but telling spectrum. From black diplomatic books to maroon emergency…
Study finds AI server farms creating their own local heat islands
Published: May 4, 2026 17:52
The same AI bubble promising to reshape the future may also be quietly reshaping the climate. A new study suggests massive data centers are generating localized "heat islands," raising temperatures around them and potentially compounding the effects of…
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