What do you do when you urgently need to improve a city’s air quality ahead of a major event? If you’re the Chinese government, the answer is launching a military-style strike on the sky.
Wednesday, 8 December 2021
China Is Using Rockets to Control the Weather
Twitter Tests Easier Way to Report Abusive Tweets
Twitter is testing a new way of allowing users to report tweets that potentially break the social media platform’s rules. And it’s frankly surprising that it took the company this long to try it out.
Guy Who Claims He Invented Bitcoin Loses $100 Million in Court, Calls It a Win
After a week of deliberation, a Miami jury has cleared Craig Wright, an Australian computer scientist who claimed to have helped invent Bitcoin, of most claims in a multi-billion dollar lawsuit. The suit was brought by the estate of Wright’s now-deceased friend over the cryptocurrency’s intellectual property rights.…
Razer’s New MagSafe Cooling Fan Brings RGB to Your iPhone, Because Why Not
Leave it to Razer to turn your iPhone into a gamer’s dream. The gaming hardware maker’s latest colorful creation is the Razer Phone Cooler Chroma (I kid you not), an RGB-illuminated cooling fan that mounts to the back of your iPhone.
Instagram Unveils New Features to Show Everyone It Really Cares About Teens’ Mental Health
Instagram wants you to know it really cares about teens’ mental health and safety, despite everything you may have heard. In fact, it’s rolling out a slew of new tools and features it says will protect teens that use its app.
Chinese City Offers $1,500 to Residents Who Report Positive Test for Covid-19
The city of Harbin, China has started offering 10,000 yuan ($1,570 U.S.) to anyone who proactively comes forward to report their own covid-19 symptoms or a positive test, according to the South China Morning Post and Chinese state media.
Tuesday, 7 December 2021
Patty Jenkins' Rogue Squadron Movie Is Back In Play
Of course a third Venom movie is on the way. New Spider-Man: No Way Home footage gives a better glimpse at its multiversal menaces. A former Power Ranger heads behind the camera on Superman & Lois to give us a look at Clark’s updated suit. Plus, what’s coming when Sabrina weaves her magic in Riverdale. Spoilers away!
The R2-D2 Tamagotchi Is for Serious Star Wars Fans
10 Important Google Maps Settings You Probably Don't Know About
Google Maps continues to get new features and updates more often than you’d think, and if you haven’t been paying attention, you might have missed a number of changes that can make getting around a lot easier.
White House Mocks Idea of Mailing Every American Free Covid-19 Tests
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki mocked the idea of mailing out free covid-19 tests to every American household on Monday, in just the latest sign that President Joe Biden’s lack of imagination is making the pandemic worse.
MyCryptoWallet Collapses and Leaves Bitcoin Traders Stranded: Report
MyCryptoWallet, an Australia-based cryptocurrency exchange that allowed users to buy and sell coins like ether and bitcoin, has collapsed and left users without access to funds, according to multiple reports. The company called in a firm called SV Partners on Friday to liquidate what remains of the exchange and deal…
Monday, 6 December 2021
Life360, the Company Buying Tile, Is Purportedly Selling the Location Data of Millions of Families and Kids
Life360, a popular tracking app that bills itself as “the world’s leading family safety service,” is purportedly selling location data on the 31 million families and kids that use it to data brokers. The chilling revelation may make users of the Tile Bluetooth tracker, which is being bought by Life360, think twice…
The Batman's Penguin TV Show Will, Unsurprisingly, Bring Back Colin Farrell
Batman’s world is expanding, and its star power is rising. A few months back, news broke that Warner Bros. was developing a show centered on the new iteration of the Penguin from the upcoming Matt Reeves film The Batman. Colin Farrell plays Penguin in the film but, at the time, it was unclear if the star would reprise…
Devin Nunes Joins Trump's Shady Tech Venture Just As It's Under Federal Investigation
Donald Trump’s effort to launch a MAGA-centric tech firm to rival the likes of Google and Facebook landed a new CEO on Monday. It also disclosed that it’s under investigation by the feds.
Star Wars Hunters Looks Way More Fascinatingly Weird Than It Should
Star Wars’ current canonical era—where the series is bigger and more expansive across film, TV, books, comics, and video games than ever, and yet also everything simply must align and matter to the rest of its wider universe—makes for a weird mix. It means that we’ve gone from, say, a side character in a series of…
UK Scientists Are Testing a New, Minimally Invasive Weight Loss Surgery
Researchers in the UK are beginning an important clinical trial of a relatively new type of weight loss, or bariatric, surgery. The minimally invasive procedure is designed to reduce the production of the so-called “hunger hormone” called ghrelin, but with less cost and upkeep than existing bariatric treatments.…
James Cameron’s Unmade Spider-Man Movie Would Have Been Spectacularly Generic
James Cameron’s Spider-Man. It’s a phrase film fans have heard and thought about for years. The idea of one of the greatest blockbuster filmmakers in history tackling one of the most popular, cinematic superheroes ever is incredibly enticing. And, in the mid-1990s, it almost happened. Cameron was aggressively trying…
Sharks ‘Amassing’ on the East Coast Is Totally Normal, Uprising Not Imminent
If you visited the Ocearch marine animal tracker in the last week, your eyes might have been drawn to the eastern seaboard of North America, where a bombardment of blue dots made it look like the coastline was being assaulted by white sharks.
Founder of Massive Robo-Text Service Accused of Running Secret Spying Operation: Report
One of the top executives of a gargantuan texting contractor has been accused of running a secret surveillance business, the likes of which sold access to the company’s partner networks so that governments could spy on various users.
Google's Pixel Watch Just Leaked, and My Anticipation Is Now Dangerously High
As a longtime Android user, I’ve spent the better part of a decade on the sidelines of an entire product category, awaiting a wearable that could rival the Apple Watch. From startups to traditional watchmakers, many companies have promised a worthy alternative, only to release smartwatches with crippling compromises.…
Cat People's Supernatural Transformations Made Female Desire the Ultimate Transgression
While we sometimes mistakenly think of old Hollywood as being a relatively chaste place (compared to the modern film industry), where the Hays Code forced studios to self-censor sexuality and anything that bucked American social norms, that’s not at all the case.
Striking NASA Animation Reveals the Dirty Truth About Ocean Plastic
The world dumps some 17.6 billion pounds (8 billion kilograms) of plastic into the ocean every year—and now, you can check out how all that trash moves around. NASA released an animation showing shifting plastic concentrations in the world’s oceans over an 18-month period, the first research of its kind to map…
The Expanse Season 6 Is Almost Here—Where Did Season 5 Leave Off?
In just a few days, the sixth and final season of Amazon’s beloved sci-fi series The Expanse will premiere. This new season is only going to be six episodes, so you know it’s going to hit the ground running—and you gotta be prepared, beltalowda! Here’s a crash course for fans on where things stand.
Leaked TikTok Doc Reveals Its Obvious Secret to an Addictive Feed
Among the ongoing cavalcade of lawmakers and laypeople concerned about whether social media algorithms might be rotting their user’s brains, TikTok’s faced a fair amount of scrutiny, and for good reason. Despite the app’s ballooning usage across the globe—with ballooning revenue figures to match—there’s still a hell…
Marvel's Shang-Chi 2 Is a Go From Director Destin Daniel Cretton
Disney is all in with Destin Daniel Cretton. The co-writer and director of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has just signed an exclusive multi-year overall deal with Marvel Studios and Hulu’s Onyx Collective which includes a sequel to Shang-Chi as well as programming for Disney+.
Controversial Assisted Suicide Pod Cleared for Use in Switzerland
Assisted suicide booths, a longtime fixture of sci-fi, may soon be a thing in Switzerland. Swiss outlets report that the manufacturer of a 3D-printed assisted suicide pod called the Sarco capsule has received legal approval to be used by the public.
Doctor Who Brought It All Together... For This?
Doctor Who’s latest season has come to an end with the conclusion of Flux, a storyline that started off weird and found little footing as it continued these past six weeks. But while “The Vanquishers” did its damndest to wrap things up nicely, its conclusion did little to demonstrate that this was an experiment worth…
Kevin Feige Says Charlie Cox Is the MCU's Daredevil, But What Does That Mean?
The upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home tells the story of how Peter Parker and Doctor Strange accidentally mess up their reality by breaking open the multiverse. So much of the speculation about the movie has focused on which other Peters Parker, as portrayed by previous Spider-Man actors, might team up with Tom…
9 Photos of Indonesia’s Apocalyptic Volcanic Eruption
A massive eruption at Mount Semeru rocked East Java, Indonesia, this weekend. The volcano started erupting Saturday, sending a thick cloud of ash rising more than 40,000 feet (12,000 meters) in the air.
Clearview AI's 'Search Engine for Faces' Set to Receive Patent
300 Giant Cockroaches, Tarantulas, and Scorpions Found in Luggage at Columbian Airport
Airport police in Columbia thwarted a pair’s attempt to leave the country with hundreds of unauthorized critters. Late last week, government officials reported that the travelers were stopped with over 300 tarantulas, scorpions, and giant cockroaches stuffed into their luggage as they were preparing to fly back to…
The New Matrix Resurrections Trailer Declares War
We just got a new trailer for The Matrix Resurrections less than a week ago, so getting another new trailer today can only be... déja vu? Much like the last one, this newest trailer melds old footage from the original trilogy with shots from Resurrections in the same “the more things change, the more they stay the…
Chinese Rover to Investigate ‘Mysterious Hut’ Spotted on Far Side of Moon
An intriguing object that appears cube-shaped has attracted the attention of scientists working on China’s Chang’e 4 mission on the far side of the Moon.
The Boys-iverse Expands Yet Again With the Animated Series Diabolical
Amazon Studios has gone boy crazy! Er, Boys crazy! First the streaming giant confirmed a live-action spin-off show set at “America’s only college for superheroes.” Then today it announced that an animated, eight-part anthology series titled Diabolical is on the way from The Boys’ executive producers and writers, Seth…
Apple's 2022 Lineup Said to Include Rugged Apple Watch and AR/VR Headset
Chip shortages and declining demand are complicating things for Apple, but these won’t stop the company from launching a range of new products next year, of course. But now we have some idea of what to expect.
A Message From Your New Editor
Hello, readers of io9! As you became aware last week, io9's wonderful managing editor, Jill Pantozzi, ascended to a good place of her own and said goodbye after four years guiding the ship. Which means it’s time for a new pair of hands at the helm, or at least hands that will wave at the person at the helm, telling…
Explosive-Powered Nutcracker Obliterates Every Festive Snack
‘Tis the season for treats like candy canes, figgy puddings, and bowls overflowing with nuts ready to be cracked open. As far as Shane Wighton is concerned, that last option deserved a completely over-engineered snacking tool, which led to the creation of an utterly terrifying custom nutcracker powered by an explosive…
Updates From Batgirl, The Last of Us, and More
Jada Pinkett-Smith returns to The Matrix in new Resurrections footage. The latest Scream team look back on Ghostface’s legacy. A familiar face returns to Fear the Walking Dead. Plus, Riverdale goes classic for its 100th episode, and get a look at what’s coming in the back half of Hawkeye. Spoilers now!
Keychron's Q1 Is the Perfect Introduction to Mechanical Keyboard Modding
As I’ve been using the Keychron Q1, I keep thinking to myself: Where was this mechanical keyboard when I was first attempting to build my own? It’s by far one of the easiest DIY-optional mechanical keyboards I’ve used, and from the moment I took it out of the box to the thousands of words I’ve since typed on it, it’s…
What Will Smartphones Be Like in 10 years?
If you’d asked a panel of experts 10 years ago what smartphones would look like in a decade, you’d have gotten all kinds of wild responses. Recall that in 2001 the biggest thing in cell phone technology was the Nokia 8250, the chief selling point of which was its colorful display. Instead of black-and-white, this…
Trump's Shady Tech Company Raises $1 Billion, According to Serial Liar
Donald Trump’s new tech company has raised $1 billion from investors, according to a press release from the former president and a report from CNBC. But there’s no way of independently checking whether Trump, a man known for lying about literally everything, has actually been able to secure such a huge sum in a…
Sunday, 5 December 2021
Thousands of Honeybees Stared Down Spain’s Cumbre Vieja Volcano. They Won
Tens of thousands of honeybees in Spain’s Canary Islands can now add “survived a volcano” to their bucket list. Well, since they’re bees, we’ll add it for them.
Spotify Pulls Content of Hundreds of Comedians Fighting to Get Royalties for Their Written Work
Although some of us might forget since we’re too busy laughing, comedians, like songwriters, write content to entertain us. There’s a difference though: Songwriters get paid royalties for their written work, comedians don’t. In the age of streaming, comedians are hoping to change that, especially considering the…
Doctor Who Wants to Ring In the New Year with Some Daleks
Having just brought back those Weeping Angels a few weeks ago, Doctor Who is ringing in 2022 by calling in some old(er) foes in the form of the Daleks. Having spent most of Flux out on the sidelines, that emotionless master race is back to terrorize Jodie Whitaker’s Thirteenth Doctor and company in the holiday special…
Come Talk Your Doctor Who Hopes, Dreams, and Fluxes in the Season Finale Discussion Zone
We’ve only had six weeks in the TARDIS this time around, and at last: Flux is about to come to its final end. Come talk about Doctor Who’s present and future with us as we await it, why don’t you?
Spider-Man: No Way Home's Villainous Trinity on Returning to Their Evil Roles
Since it was first reported nearly a full year ago, one of the big things on everyone’s mind in regard to Spider-Man: No Way Home are its villains. The returning baddies of Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin and Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus from Sam Raimi’s original trilogy and Jamie Foxx’s Electro of the Amazing duology…
Spider-Man and The Rock Join Fortnite, Because Why the Hell Not at This Point
It’s a shame that Nintendo used the tagline “everyone is here!” for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, because it may be more apt for Fortnite. After the end of Chapter Two yesterday, the online gaming homunculus of IP rebooted itself today with Chapter Three that brings in the biggest star on the planet at the moment: …
Morbius' First Clip Won't Sate Your Desire for Blood
It’s been a little to figure out just what kind of vibe that Morbius is going for. Is it a tragic tale of a doctor desperate to save his life and losing his soul in the process? Is it a solo vampire story in the modern day, something we haven’t seen in movies in quite some time? The answer turns out to be...well, both…
Saturday, 4 December 2021
Facebook Messenger Is Coming After Your Money
Although Facebook Messenger’s entry into personal finance isn’t new, I’ve never quite managed to think about it as a payments platform. It’s more an inbox that aunts, uncles, and friends from high school blow up with messages when I haven’t posted on Facebook in a while. But it’s now becoming more and more clear that …
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Trailer Offers Up a Multiverse of Magnificence
When Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse arrived in theaters three years ago, it shattered expectations of what superhero movies, both live action and animated, could be. The follow up to Miles Morales’ big-screen debut was always going to be a big deal after the success of the first film, and Spider-Man: Across the…
The Animation Guild's Contract Negotiations Get Delayed to 2022
This past October saw the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) threaten to go on strike for better residuals and protections for on-set breaks. Though things came to a tenuous agreement, members of IATSE Local 839, aka The Animation Guild (TAG), were separate from those discussions. Now in…
Raised by Wolves 2's Trailer is Gorgeous and Just Creepy as Hell, Man
Back when HBO Max was getting its feet off the ground in 2020, one of its big shows at the time was Raised by Wolves. Though some found Aaron Guikowski’s series about android parents tasked with raising some important human children to be a bit of a slog, the show was renewed for second season just a few episodes…