I texted all the random numbers in my phone. Here's what happened.

This post is part of Mashable's Spring Cleaning Week. Just a little something to distract you from the eternal dread of constantly wiping all those fingerprints off your screen. 

It required a glass of wine. A big one.

On a weeknight, I settled down at my dining room table to do something no one should have to do, ever: Text all the names in my phone's contact list that I did not recognize. 

SEE ALSO: Do the decent thing and send one of these texts instead of ghosting

The idea was to reach out to people and numbers I couldn't identify, ask if they remembered me, and delete the "Contact" if neither of us knew when, where, how, or, why that contact had ever been established. Previous scans through my contact lists on bored evenings had made me realize I had dozens of these digital lurkers; friends said that they did, too. It was time to clean house, and subject myself to just a bit of squirmy torture. Read more...

More about Iphone, Spring Cleaning, Embarrassing, Embarrassing Stories, and Tech

from Mashable https://mashable.com/2018/04/28/cleaning-out-phone-contacts/
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Kanye West trolls us into listening to a song about scooping poop

We've all had to scoop our way through the poop pile that has been Kanye West's Twitter feed for the last week, now we're poop-scooping our way through his newest single.

After teasing a new single on Friday, West dropped a link to his website, which contained a stream to the new track "Lift Yourself." 

I'm going to drop a song with a verse that will bring Ebro the closure he's been seeking

The bars 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

It's called Lift Yourself

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) April 27, 2018

Lift Yourself  https://t.co/shjFIROujA

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) April 28, 2018

SEE ALSO: John Legend's texts to Kanye West proves he's as kind and perfect as he seems Read more...

More about Kanye West, Poop, Culture, and Music

from Mashable https://mashable.com/2018/04/27/kanye-west-new-single-scoop-poop-lift-yourself/
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7 monitors photo editors will love

It's never been easier to take phenomenal photos. As smartphone cameras improve, and professional-quality lenses abound at affordable prices, your food, kittens, tropical landscapes, and #nofilter selfies have never looked better. 

But if you want to take your photo-editing game to the next level, whether you're a professional photographer, designing posters for work, or photoshopping inappropriate things into Trump's mouth, the right monitor can make a huge difference in the quality of your work. 

If you're serious about producing great photos, you'll want a monitor with clean, accurate colors, a display large enough to fit all the windows you need, and the appropriate settings and calibration tools for the work you're doing.  Read more...

More about Photography, Monitors, Monitor, Photo Editing, and Tech

from Mashable https://mashable.com/2018/04/27/best-monitors-for-photo-editing/
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Go download your Instagram history now (then delete your account)

So you've deleted your Facebook account and feel pretty good about it. But there's still that nagging feeling, that itch in the back of your mind, insisting quietly yet forcefully that you haven't escaped Mark Zuckerberg's data-slurping maw just yet. 

That would be Instagram. To be truly (well, sort of) free, you know deep down that you must delete Instagram, too. Thankfully, the company was just compelled (hat tip, GDPR) to release a new feature which enables you to download a bunch of your data — making sure you don't have to leave empty handed when you walk out that social-media door.

SEE ALSO: Don't forget: Instagram is creepy, too Read more...

More about Facebook, Instagram, Tech, and Social Media Companies

from Mashable https://mashable.com/2018/04/27/download-instagram-data-delete-your-account/
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Restaurant manager shows up at customer's house after leaving 3-star Yelp review

This restaurant took it way too far after someone left a mediocre review.

Yesha Callahan had a rough experience after eating from La Porchetta, a restaurant in Sterling, Virginia. She ordered a burger, fries, and zeppoles for delivery to her apartment. 

"The delivery guy was quite friendly and asked if I could leave a review on Yelp," she wrote in the Root, "I said sure, and he went on his merry way."

But she was disappointed when she opened the styrofoam box and found "sorry-looking steak fries" and a burger without any lettuce or tomatoes. 

SEE ALSO: Why chain restaurants are so much better in the suburbs Read more...

More about Yelp, Restaraunt, Culture, and Web Culture

from Mashable https://mashable.com/2018/04/27/3-star-yelp-review-manager-shows-up/
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'Shadow of the Tomb Raider' preview: Why do we need to torture Lara Croft?

Since 2013, the Tomb Raider reboot video game series was billed as Lara Croft's modern origin story: a journey from survivor to hunter. In the newly announced Shadow of the Tomb Raider, she's reached her "defining moment," finally embodying the badass apex predator we knew in the older games.

But it's going to cost her. And honestly, I'm kind of tired of watching Lara Croft suffer.

Because in practice, the survivalist story arc of the series reads more like the developers asking themselves: "How can we torture Lara Croft this time? What fresh hell can we drag her through?"

SEE ALSO: The 'Tomb Raider' movie surpasses gaming's Lara Croft, but is that enough? Read more...

More about Entertainment, Tomb Raider, Lara Croft, Crystal Dynamics, and Tomb Raider Reboot

from Mashable https://mashable.com/2018/04/27/shadow-of-the-tomb-raider-preview-demo-lara-croft-torture/
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Presidents Trump and Macron dug a tree and somehow that became a meme

It's been a long week of memes, guys. From the emoticon stare meme, to buying a perfect man for $5, to Kanye being Kanye, to Donald Trump hanging out with President Macron. We cover a lot of ground this week, so what are you doing? Hit play!

Thanks for watching! Let us know in the comments which meme-worthy moment was your favorite. We’ll be back next week with All the Memes! Read more...

More about Watercooler, France, Donald Trump, President Trump, and Emmanuel Macron

from Mashable https://mashable.com/2018/04/27/all-the-memes-trump-macron/
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This major US city just took a big step to curb bike litter

Chicago is the first major American city to take a strong stance on keeping its sidewalks open and accessible instead of littered with discarded bicycles.

The city begins a six-month pilot program next week in an aim to keep litter from bicycle-share programs off city streets. Any service renting out bikes that don't have bike stations — also known as "dockless" bikes — must make sure their vehicles have "lock-to" technology, which allows users to lock the bikes to a physical object, like a bike rack.

SEE ALSO: E-scooter company CEO wants to ‘Save Our Sidewalks’ from bike litter

With this pilot, which starts in the South Side area, Chicago is preemptively sparing its sidewalks from bicycles left in the way. Cities like Dallas, San Diego, and San Francisco have been dealing with unregulated bike-shares that allow riders to leave self-locking bikes strewn around those cities. Chicago currently only offers Divvy for bike rentals; those are checked out from dock stations around the city, as with Citi Bike in New York or Ford GoBike in San Francisco.  Read more...

More about Chicago, Bicycles, Bike Sharing, Dockless Bikes, and Tech

from Mashable https://mashable.com/2018/04/27/chicago-dockless-lock-to-bicycles-regulation/
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It takes absolute precision to construct Earth's largest telescope, which will peak into far-off alien worlds

The Giant Magellan Telescope, currently being constructed in Chile, is expected to be operational by 2026. Currently, the project is in a critical stage — casting seven huge mirrors that will hopefully allow the telescope to capture far-off alien worlds. Read more...

More about Space, Glass, Construction, Telescope, and Mirrors

from Mashable https://mashable.com/2018/04/27/giant-magellan-telescope-construction-mirrors/
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Parents surprise FaceTime friends with their first meeting, and it's too much

The internet has connected us in ways we never thought possible, allowing people who would've never met to create long-lasting friendships. Unfortunately, distance is a bitter reality and often those internet friendships are screen-only. 

SEE ALSO: Delightful water-filled glove is the internet's best son

Redditor core330 and his best friend have daughters the same age. The two introduced them on FaceTime four years ago, and since then, they've been best friend. Unfortunately, the two  were separated by a 7 hour distance, and were never able to meet IRL.

But without their knowledge, the dads decided to plan a surprise visit and captured the girls meeting for the very first time.  Read more...

More about Parenting, Kids, Viral Videos, Culture, and Web Culture

from Mashable https://mashable.com/2018/04/27/adorable-first-meeting-facetime-friends/
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7 year old who wants to watch dog videos cleverly made her own cardboard computer

Never underestimate the power of a kid's imagination, especially one who loves dogs.

Emma Saccá Marcano asked her mom for a computer for one reason only: to watch dog videos on YouTube. Unfortunately, Yubiry Marcano didn't have money to buy her one, so her daughter improvised and created her own computer instead. 

The little girl may have blown her chances, because this invention seems pretty great. 

Marcano posted the image of her 7-year-old daughter's creation on Reddit and the site was delighted. Emma used some cardboard, adding features like an alphabetical keyboard, images of dogs, and a headline of "Why Younicorns Egist." Big Mood.   Read more...

More about Reddit, Kids, Culture, Web Culture, and Culture

from Mashable https://mashable.com/2018/04/27/daughter-makes-cardboard-computer/
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Adam Rippon and other US Olympic stars decline White House meeting with Trump

Imagine becoming one of the most celebrated athletes in the world. Now imagine that the reward for your hard work is being asked to sit down with a man who mostly seems to want to scream conspiracy theories at the television and talk about how hot his daughter is.

It's only logical that Adam Rippon and many other members of Team USA decided not to attend their scheduled White House meeting with the president today and to instead do, uh, anything else.

SEE ALSO: Why does Michael Phelps brush his teeth in the shower?

American ski racer Lindsey Vonn, as well as Gus Kenworthy, Chloe Kim, Jessie Diggins, David Wise, Erin Hamlin, and other members of the Team USA figure skating team have also declined to attend. Read more...

More about Watercooler, President Trump, Adam Rippon, Olympics 2018, and Gus Kenworthy

from Mashable https://mashable.com/2018/04/27/adam-rippon-skips-white-house/
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Playful Shiba is a little too excited about new toy

Shiba Inus are one of the internet's favorite dog breeds, ever since the infamous doge meme that surged to popularity in late 2012. 

But just what is it like to own one of these majestic breeds?

SEE ALSO: Looking different doesn't stop this Instagram pup from inspiring others

Twitter user @Amanda_d1234 had an answer to that question. And it may not be what you expect. She posted a video of her Shiba, Major, receiving a new toy. 

We think Major is excited about it. But it's honestly hard to tell. 

“So what is it like to own a Shiba?” pic.twitter.com/TuzixPe0Tv

— Mandypants🕷🖤 (@Amanda_d1234) April 23, 2018 Read more...

More about Dogs, Doge, Shiba Inu, Shibe, and Culture

from Mashable https://mashable.com/2018/04/27/shiba-excited-new-toy/
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3 best drones for capturing epic aerial photos and videos

Getting cinematic aerial footage used to require expensive gear such as cranes or helicopters to get the job done, usually totaling thousands or tens of thousands of dollars of production costs.

But that's no longer the case thanks to myriad affordable consumer drones capable of taking off into the sky with a twist or flick of a control stick on a remote or connected smartphone or tablet. Some drones even let you control them with Jedi-like hand gestures.

Picking a drone comes down to price and performance. You want one that's within your budget and has a good balance of top speed, range, and battery life. A great camera is also key for taking sharp   photos and videos. Read more...

More about Drones, Dji, Parrot, Phantom, and Bebop

from Mashable https://mashable.com/2018/04/27/3-best-consumer-drones/
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The unspoken reason people are so upset about Kanye West and Chance the Rapper’s latest political tweets

We need to talk about Kanye Omari West. 

In anticipation of any new project of his, Kanye does what he does best — he hops online to ruffle up feathers and cause headlines to scream nothing but his name for weeks (remember the Taylor Swift/Kim Kardashian phone leaks before The Life of Pablo rolled out?). 

This time, though, things are a bit different. Kanye's wading in treacherous waters with his recent alignment with Donald Trump. While he claims that all he does is out of "love" and "free-thinking," many fans have chosen to pivot away from the rapper — but it's not because of what party he aligns himself with. Things have switched for a more sinister reason.  Read more...

More about Kanye West, Donald Trump, Chance The Rapper, Tweets, and Culture

from Mashable https://mashable.com/2018/04/27/kanye-west-donald-trump-tweets-chance-the-rapper/
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8 monitors to take your MacBook Pro to the next level

10 of the best instant cameras based on internet reviews

A film camera is fun and all, but who wants to wait for film to get developed? *YAWN*

While most of us have a smartphone glued to our hands for random shots on the go, more and more people are returning to a style of photography our parents and grandparents grew up with: instant cameras. 

We are the instant gratification generation, after all.

SEE ALSO: Best cameras for vlogging: Which features matter most

Yes, instant cameras are totally making a resurgence and if you don't believe us, just stop by your local Urban Outfitters and we guarantee you'll see a boatload of 'em. 

Some are just as classic looking as the ones from yesteryear, but many have totally modern twists.  You can find an instant camera in practically any color, with an onboard mirror for taking selfies, and numerous photo filters to enhance the vibe of the print. Plus we are here to tell you: the instant camera market is about more than just Polaroid cameras. Although those are still a major player in the game. Read more...

More about Camera, Polaroid, Instax, Fujifilm, and Instant Cameras

from Mashable https://mashable.com/2018/04/27/best-instant-cameras-reviews/
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Couple in need pulls off wedding thanks to...Reddit?

Reddit pulled through for this couple just trying to get married.

Dan and Gill McCauley decided to get married in New York City Hall. The couple, originally from the UK, told NBC New York they decided on a small ceremony "just for us." 

SEE ALSO: The best royal wedding merchandise available right now

After booking a date at the New York City Marriage Bureau, they realized they were missing a witness. Under New York law, a marriage is only valid if there's a witness present while exchanging vows. 

An ocean away from their hometown in Liverpool, the McCauleys didn't know anyone in the city who could be a witness, so they turned to Reddit. Dan posted in a subreddit for New York City locals, but didn't expect anyone to actually step up.  Read more...

More about Reddit, Wedding, Culture, and Web Culture

from Mashable https://mashable.com/2018/04/27/couple-finds-last-minute-witness-for-city-hall-wedding-reddit/
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