TV Aerials Middlesbrough: 2019

Tuesday 31 December 2019

New Lyft and Uber rules to know for New Year's Day

Happy New Year! Now pay up.

That's what it feels like with new fees, regulations, and taxes kicking in on Jan. 1 (on Wednesday) for ride-share trips on apps like Uber and Lyft.

In California, there's a lot to take in. A statewide change to gig job classifications, called AB5, goes into effect as soon as it's officially 2020.

That means on-demand drivers for apps like Lyft and Uber can argue they should be treated like employees with better pay and benefits, not like independent contractors. Lyft and Uber don't plan to change anything yet with how it hires, pays, and employs drivers, claiming its drivers are truly independent workers who don't need to be reclassified. Read more...

More about Uber, Lyft, Ride Hailing Apps, Tech, and Transportation

from Mashable https://mashable.com/article/ride-hailing-lyft-uber-2020-fees-laws-changes/
via Middlesbrough

Matty Benedetto is the master of unnecessary inventions — Mashable Originals

From a pair of fingerless Croc gloves to a backpack designed to carry only a single baguette of bread, Vermont-based designer Matty Benedetto is solving problems that don't exist. Find out how and why these useless products come to creation. Read more...

More about Mashable Video, Standalone Featured, Mashable Shopping, Mashable Originals, and Unnecessary Inventions

from Mashable https://mashable.com/video/master-of-unnecessary-inventions/
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Tana Mongeau opens up about her marriage with Jake Paul

Nearly six months after her very public wedding to controversial YouTuber Jake Paul, Tana Mongeau opened up about how her relationships have affected her mental health.

In a vlog posted on Sunday, Mongeau told her followers that she should have been single after her relationship with Brad Sousa ended poorly in April. Discussing her "really fucked up dating history," she also acknowledged the correlation between growing up with absent parents and her tendency to jump into relationships. And although her relationship with Jake Paul started out well, she said she was so infatuated, she ignored "any" red flags before their Vegas wedding. Read more...

More about Viral Videos, Jake Paul, Tana Mongeau, Culture, and Web Culture

from Mashable https://mashable.com/video/tana-mongeau-jake-paul-relationship-marriage/
via Middlesbrough

Bye, Siri. Make your car give you directions in your own voice.

Forget a random digital voice telling you to turn left in 800 feet. A new service "clones" real voices so that your mom, sister, or even you can be the one giving you directions.

It's called "My Car, My Voice," and it's built into Cerence, the voice software in many cars from Toyota, GM, Audi, Chrysler, BMW, and other automakers. It's only available for the voice assistant built into the car, not Google Assistant or Apple's Siri.

To generate the voice, you need a live person to speak a series of sentences into the Cerence app in your infotainment system, which means you can't make it sound like your favorite celebrity unless you know them IRL. If you can get Timothée Chalamet into your car to record some phrases for you, by all means, please do. Read more...

More about Voice Assistants, Infotainment, Tech, and Transportation

from Mashable https://mashable.com/article/record-your-own-voice-directions/
via Middlesbrough

The case for 'The Witcher 2'

With The Witcher's arrival on Netflix, there's a renewed fervor for the medium-crossing fantasy series.

There are, of course, the original Witcher books by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, as well as the video game series created by Polish developer CD Projekt Red. On Sunday, the game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which came out in 2015, set a new record for concurrent players on Steam.

That's not surprisingThe Witcher 3 is the latest and best-looking game in the series, and it received a ton of acclaim when it first launched. Its sprawling open world filled with colorful characters and cool monsters is pretty enticing. Read more...

More about The Witcher, Entertainment, and Gaming

from Mashable https://mashable.com/article/play-the-witcher-2/
via Middlesbrough

Yep, Venmo was down for a few hours

UPDATE: Dec. 30, 2019, 3:57 p.m. EST By around 3:45 p.m. ET, Venmo appeared to be working again. The original story on the outage is below.

Given the need to buy weed so you can get through another few days with your family, it's a bad time for Venmo to go down but here we are.

The issues first hit Venmo around 11:30 a.m. ET on Monday morning and have continued for more than two hours.

Users trying to access their funds or pay someone for last night's pizza were met with the following error screen.

Welp, Venmo pic.twitter.com/LO8bSogTqX

— Marcus Gilmer (@marcusgilmer) December 30, 2019 Read more...

More about Venmo, Tech, and Consumer Tech

from Mashable https://mashable.com/article/venmo-down/
via Middlesbrough

New top story on Hacker News: I asked a hacker to spy on me via my Amazon account

I asked a hacker to spy on me via my Amazon account
8 by wslh | 3 comments on Hacker News.

Middlesbrough

New top story on Hacker News: Rhasspy is an open source, fully offline voice assistant toolkit

Rhasspy is an open source, fully offline voice assistant toolkit
4 by reedlaw | 0 comments on Hacker News.

Middlesbrough

Behold this ridiculous Cybertruck knockoff

Russian YouTubers making a fake Tesla Cybertruck feels so on-brand for 2019 that it couldn't possibly be true. And, yet, here we are.

In the above video, a group of Russians called "Pushka Garazh" create their own version of the Cybertruck out of a Lada (a Russian brand of car). If you want to skip ahead to the good stuff, scroll to about 40 minutes in for shots of the fake Cybertruck in action.

The deliriously ridiculous results feel like a drunken mash-up of Top Gear and Mythbusters with a healthy dose of Jackass thrown in for good measure.

Watching the group tear around in the fake Cybertruck, you get the sense the entire vehicle is going to come apart at any moment, which also feels pretty on-brand for 2019. Read more...

More about Russia, Cybertruck, Tech, Elon Musk, and Transportation

from Mashable https://mashable.com/video/russian-knockoff-tesla-cybertruck/
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Here's Yoda singing about his big boy stick, courtesy of Bad Lip Reading

Most Star Wars fans don't know Yoda for his absurdist musical numbers, but the folks at Bad Lip Reading want to change that.

Three years after "Seagulls," the truly bizarre lip dub about Yoda's harrowing experience with some birds, they've released "My Stick," which is a song about — you guessed it — the merits of Yoda's walking stick in The Last Jedi.

We regret to admit that, like its predecessor, the song is very catchy. Unfortunately, the line "it's my big boy stick" will probably keep it out of our Spotify rotation. Read more...

More about Bad Lip Reading, Yoda, Culture, Web Culture, and Star Wars

from Mashable https://mashable.com/video/yoda-bad-lip-reading-star-wars-the-last-jedi/
via Middlesbrough

New top story on Hacker News: U.S. Goods Trade Deficit Declines to Smallest in Three Years

U.S. Goods Trade Deficit Declines to Smallest in Three Years
21 by whack | 8 comments on Hacker News.

Middlesbrough

New top story on Hacker News: A music player for the TS80 soldering iron

A music player for the TS80 soldering iron
8 by mdp | 1 comments on Hacker News.

Middlesbrough

New top story on Hacker News: Measuring mutexes, spinlocks and how bad the Linux scheduler is

Measuring mutexes, spinlocks and how bad the Linux scheduler is
29 by bazzargh | 5 comments on Hacker News.

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New top story on Hacker News: Happy 10th Birthday, Krebsonsecurity.com

Happy 10th Birthday, Krebsonsecurity.com
2 by utopian3 | 0 comments on Hacker News.

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Here’s how thinking about building on Mars can help us build better right here on Earth

Thinking about how to build things on Mars comes with a surprising advantage, according to AI SpaceFactory. The company recently won first place at NASA’s 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge with their 3D printed Martian habitat, MARSHA. A few months after the competition, TERA, AI SpaceFactory's first attempt to 3D print a home designed for Earth, is now under construction.

The company believes its space construction technology could help us build sustainable and recyclable houses here on Earth, too. Read more...

More about Space, Mashable Video, Mars, 3d Printing, and Construction

from Mashable https://mashable.com/video/space-construction-helps-build-sustainably-on-earth-ai-spacefactory/
via Middlesbrough

LG's answer to foldable phones may be a detachable display that wraps around the phone

In the never-ending quest for increasing the screen real estate on smartphones, LG has a new idea: a case that's actually a big, foldable OLED display that can wrap around the phone.

Yes, it's a little weird.

This is according a new LG patent unearthed by Dutch outlet LetsGoDigital (via Android Central). The patent, submitted to the WIPO Global Design Database, as well as The Hague International Design System, describes a case that's essentially all screen, and can be combined with the mobile phone and used as a foldable display. It can also be set next to the phone (it connects to the phone via a special, vertically positioned connector), allowing you to get a vast amount of screen space. Read more...

More about Lg, Foldable Display, Tech, Smartphones, and Big Tech Companies

from Mashable https://mashable.com/article/lg-foldable-display-case/
via Middlesbrough

Thousands told to jump into the ocean as Australia's raging fires approached

The sun didn't rise on New Year's Eve. The summer morning in a small beach town on the east coast of Australia looked like a winter's night.

That black sky soon gave way to a blazing, eerie orange as the flames approached. At least 4,000 people were told to jump into the ocean if the worse came to pass. Gas cylinders could be heard popping like fireworks as they exploded.

The town of Mallacoota looked apocalyptic on Tuesday local time as it became the latest victim of Australia's out-of-control bushfires.

It was too late to evacuate.

"We are one road in, one road out. That road's been blocked for hours and hours and hours," Francesca Winterson from Mallacoota Community Radio told News Breakfast, a national TV broadcast. Read more...

More about Australia, Bushfires, Science, and Climate Environment

from Mashable https://mashable.com/article/australia-bushfire-mallacoota/
via Middlesbrough

New Lyft and Uber rules to know for New Year's Day

Happy New Year! Now pay up.

That's what it feels like with new fees, regulations, and taxes kicking in on Jan. 1 (on Wednesday) for ride-share trips on apps like Uber and Lyft.

In California, there's a lot to take in. A statewide change to gig job classifications, called AB5, goes into effect as soon as it's officially 2020.

More about Uber, Lyft, Ride Hailing Apps, Tech, and Transportation

from Mashable https://mashable.com/article/ride-hailing-lyft-uber-2020-fees-laws-changes/
via Middlesbrough

Matty Benedetto is the master of unnecessary inventions — Mashable Originals

Tana Mongeau opens up about her marriage with Jake Paul

Nearly six months after her very public wedding to controversial YouTuber Jake Paul, Tana Mongeau opened up about how her relationships have affected her mental health.

More about Viral Videos, Jake Paul, Tana Mongeau, Culture, and Web Culture

from Mashable https://mashable.com/video/tana-mongeau-jake-paul-relationship-marriage/
via Middlesbrough

Bye, Siri. Make your car give you directions in your own voice.

Forget a random digital voice telling you to turn left in 800 feet. A new service "clones" real voices so that your mom, sister, or even you can be the one giving you directions.

More about Voice Assistants, Infotainment, Tech, and Transportation

from Mashable https://mashable.com/article/record-your-own-voice-directions/
via Middlesbrough

The case for 'The Witcher 2'

With The Witcher's arrival on Netflix, there's a renewed fervor for the medium-crossing fantasy series.

More about The Witcher, Entertainment, and Gaming

from Mashable https://mashable.com/article/play-the-witcher-2/
via Middlesbrough

Yep, Venmo was down for a few hours

UPDATE: Dec. 30, 2019, 3:57 p.m. EST By around 3:45 p.m. ET, Venmo appeared to be working again. The original story on the outage is below.

Given the need to buy weed so you can get through another few days with your family, it's a bad time for Venmo to go down but here we are.

The issues first hit Venmo around 11:30 a.m. ET on Monday morning and have continued for more than two hours.

Users trying to access their funds or pay someone for last night's pizza were met with the following error screen.

Welp, Venmo pic.twitter.com/LO8bSogTqX

— Marcus Gilmer (@marcusgilmer) December 30, 2019 Read more...

More about Venmo, Tech, and Consumer Tech

from Mashable https://mashable.com/article/venmo-down/
via Middlesbrough

New top story on Hacker News: The Immortal Game

The Immortal Game
9 by keiferski | 2 comments on Hacker News.

Middlesbrough

New top story on Hacker News: Show HN: Blackpage – A Social Network for the Command Line

Show HN: Blackpage – A Social Network for the Command Line
15 by MCrekt | 7 comments on Hacker News.

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New top story on Hacker News: The Second SHA-1 Hash Collision

The Second SHA-1 Hash Collision
32 by fulldecent2 | 17 comments on Hacker News.

Middlesbrough

New top story on Hacker News: Ask HN: How do I choose the right resource to learn CS fundamentals?

Ask HN: How do I choose the right resource to learn CS fundamentals?
20 by 8589934591 | 5 comments on Hacker News.
I am trying to learn CS on my own. But there are so many resources available online for every course from many of the top universities. For example: For intro courses: * Computer science an interdisciplinary approach (princeton) * CS61A - UCB * Introduction to CS and programming (MIT) * Stanford * CMU Data Structures and Algorithms: * Princeton Algorithms * CS61B - UCB * Stanford Algorithms course * MIT Algorithms * CMU Apart from this you have multiple books on each topic - Data Structures/Algorithms, Discrete Mathematics, Theory of Computation, Operating systems, Networks, and so on. Apart from these you also have resources like teachyourselfcs, ossu, functionalcs.github.io/curriculum/. I am attracted by the resources/online/books posted by courses in UCB/Princeton/MIT/Stanford/CMU. At the same time I get boggled down and overwhelmed that I have soooooooooo many materials to cover. Intro courses aren't that big of a deal since I am able to recognize/solve most questions fairly easily in multiple resources. But my next step of Data structures and algorithms is overwhelming that I am unable to start somewhere. How do you recommend to choose the right resource (online/book) for each topic/course? Is it worth going through multiple university courses/books for the same topic?

Middlesbrough

New top story on Hacker News: How a preventable disaster killed six marines

How a preventable disaster killed six marines
3 by jbegley | 0 comments on Hacker News.

Middlesbrough

Monday 30 December 2019

New top story on Hacker News: New Material Breaks World Record Turning Heat into Electricity

New Material Breaks World Record Turning Heat into Electricity
47 by ragerino | 11 comments on Hacker News.

Middlesbrough

New top story on Hacker News: Police Departments Are Using Swatting Registries to Protect Swatting Targets

Police Departments Are Using Swatting Registries to Protect Swatting Targets
8 by MaysonL | 1 comments on Hacker News.

Middlesbrough

New top story on Hacker News: Squoosh: Make images smaller using best-in-class codecs, right in the browser

Squoosh: Make images smaller using best-in-class codecs, right in the browser
4 by Tomte | 1 comments on Hacker News.

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New top story on Hacker News: The Fallacy of Premature Optimization (2009)

The Fallacy of Premature Optimization (2009)
3 by valand | 1 comments on Hacker News.

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New top story on Hacker News: Amazon is about to host a homeless shelter in its Seattle headquarters

Amazon is about to host a homeless shelter in its Seattle headquarters
19 by prostoalex | 4 comments on Hacker News.

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New top story on Hacker News: Noam Chomsky on the Climate Crisis

Noam Chomsky on the Climate Crisis
5 by pier25 | 0 comments on Hacker News.

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New top story on Hacker News: The Four-Inch Flight – A Lesson from History

The Four-Inch Flight – A Lesson from History
3 by spzb | 0 comments on Hacker News.

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New top story on Hacker News: The Private and External Costs of Germany's Nuclear Phase-Out

The Private and External Costs of Germany's Nuclear Phase-Out
36 by sampo | 4 comments on Hacker News.

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New top story on Hacker News: Verdigris: Qt Without Moc

Verdigris: Qt Without Moc
4 by ailideex | 1 comments on Hacker News.

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New top story on Hacker News: The battle to save America’s undercover spies in the digital age

The battle to save America’s undercover spies in the digital age
12 by carrozo | 0 comments on Hacker News.

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New top story on Hacker News: KernType – A Kerning Game

KernType – A Kerning Game
15 by kristianc | 2 comments on Hacker News.

Middlesbrough

Thousands told to jump into the ocean as Australia's raging fires approached

The sun didn't rise on New Year's Eve. The summer morning in a small beach town on the east coast of Australia looked like a winter's night.

That black sky soon gave way to a blazing, eery orange as the flames approached. At least 4,000 people were told to jump into the ocean. Gas cylinders could be heard popping like fireworks as they exploded.

The town of Mallacoota looked apocalyptic on Tuesday local time as it became the latest victim of Australia's out-of-control bushfires.

It was too late to evacuate.

More about Australia, Bushfires, Science, and Climate Environment

from Mashable https://mashable.com/article/australia-bushfire-mallacoota/
via Middlesbrough

New top story on Hacker News: Huawei’s Revenue Hits Record $122B in 2019 Despite U.S. Campaign

Huawei’s Revenue Hits Record $122B in 2019 Despite U.S. Campaign
6 by vo2maxer | 2 comments on Hacker News.

Middlesbrough

Vox Sentences: an anti-Semitic attack at Hanukkah

Men in Orthodox Jewish attire stand outside a house and talk to one another.

Members of the Jewish community gather outside the home of rabbi Chaim Rottenberg after a knife attack that took place during Hanukkah in Monsey, New York, on December 29, 2019. | KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images

Five wounded in attack on rabbi’s Hanukkah celebration; truck explosion in Somalia proves deadly.

Vox Sentences is your daily digest for what’s happening in the world. Sign up for the Vox Sentences newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox Monday through Friday, or view the Vox Sentences archive for past editions.

Suspect pleads not guilty in Hanukkah party attack

A man arrested for stabbing five Jewish people at a Hanukkah celebration now faces federal hate crimes charges. [New York Times / Michael Gold and Benjamin Weiser]
Grafton Thomas allegedly entered Orthodox Rabbi Chaim Rottenberg’s home Saturday night and attacked with a knife before fleeing the Hanukkah celebration. [Vox / Zeeshan Aleem]
New York police apprehended the suspect two hours after the attack. While police and Thomas’s family claim he has no known ties to hate groups, he has “a long history of mental illness and hospitalizations.” [NBC News / Dennis Romero and Jonathan Dienst]
Of the nearly 70 people in attendance, five victims were taken to local hospitals for their stab wounds, according to the Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council (OJPAC). By Sunday night, only one victim was still in critical condition with a skull fracture. [NBC 4 New York / Jonathan Dienst and Ken Buffa]
“People feel their families [and] their friends are under attack,” said Yossi Gestetner, the co-founder of OJPAC. “A lot of people can identify with the attacks up close.” [The Atlantic / Emma Green]
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called the attack “an act of domestic terrorism.” Cuomo said, “It’s important for me to express to the rabbi and for all of the people of New York that intolerance meets ignorances, meets illegality. We see anger. We see hatred exploding. It’s an American cancer in the body politic.” [ABC News / Bill Hutchinson, Stephanie Ramos, Josh Margolin, and Marc Nathanson]
Thomas is pleading not guilty to five counts of attempted murder, one count of burglary, and the hate crime charges. [Washington Post / Kevin Armstrong, Katie Mettler, Marisa Iati, and Hannah Knowles]
Following the attack, Rockland County officials confirmed they are soliciting pro-bono assistance from a private security firm to partner with law enforcement during increased patrols in the area. [CBS New York]
This year alone, anti-Semitic crimes have jumped 21 percent in New York, causing concern from local communities and national organizations about the safety of their friends and families. [Washington Post / Shayna Jacobs]

More than 75 dead in Somalia terrorist bombing

A busy intersection in Mogadishu was wracked by a truck bomb explosion Saturday morning in one of the worst attacks in recent memory. [AP News / Abdi Guled]
At least 79 people died and 149 more were injured when a driver exploded their vehicle at a checkpoint at the outskirts of the city. [Vox / Zeeshan Aleem]
While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed and several other members of the government are pointing at fundamentalist extremist group al-Shabaab. [Bloomberg News / Mohammed Omar Ahmed and Mohamed Sheikh Nor]
A Somali government spokesman said a senior-level al-Shabaab official was killed in an air assault that was designed to respond to the terrorist attack. [CNN / Omar Nor, Raja Razek, and Lauren Said-Moorhouse]
This attack is one of several terrorist incidents in the country this year. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that much progress has been made against combating what has become a very resilient and deadly insurgency,” said Murithi Mutiga of the International Crisis Group. [New York Times / Hussein Mohamed, Abdi Latif Dahir and Eric Schmitt]

Miscellaneous

If well-behaved women rarely make history, what’s America’s problem with them? [Vox/ Anna North]
Not even children were spared in China’s crackdown on its Uighur population. [New York Times / Amy Qin]
After an American contractor was killed in Iraq by a rocket attributed to an Iran-backed militia group, 25 people were killed in US retaliatory strikes in Iraq and Syria. [TIME / Qassim Abdul-Zahra]
German Lopez writes about what his reporting about addiction and treatment has taught him. [Vox / German Lopez]
The Fab Five’s arrival in small-town Illinois wasn’t as warm and welcoming as Queer Eye made it seem. [The Guardian / Kate Abbott]

Verbatim

“We have learned many times over that there is no such thing as a gun-free zone. Those with evil intentions will violate the law and carry out their heinous acts no matter what.”
[Sen. Donna Campbell, co-sponsor of Senate Bill 535 that allowed the parishioners of the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs to carry firearms]

Watch this:

The reason carry-on luggage became such a hassle

A new government study shows how Trump’s tariffs have backfired

The best things to eat and drink to fight wintertime dread

Game of Thrones’ final season told flattering lies about wanting power

The controversy over Bret Stephens’s Jewish genius column, explained

from Vox - All https://www.vox.com/vox-sentences/2019/12/30/21043628/anti-semitic-attack-hanukkah-somalia-truck-bomb-explosion
via HDMI Installers

New top story on Hacker News: “Wyze was committing espionage against American citizens in the United States”

“Wyze was committing espionage against American citizens in the United States”
4 by Andrex | 0 comments on Hacker News.

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New top story on Hacker News: Deep learning algorithm outperforms 5 full-time breast imaging specialists

Deep learning algorithm outperforms 5 full-time breast imaging specialists
31 by rusht | 7 comments on Hacker News.

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New top story on Hacker News: Researchers observe brain-like behavior in nanoscale device

Researchers observe brain-like behavior in nanoscale device
5 by known | 0 comments on Hacker News.

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New Lyft and Uber rules to know for New Year's Day

Happy New Year! Now pay up.

That's what it feels like with new fees, regulations, and taxes kicking in on Jan. 1 (on Wednesday) for ride-share trips on apps like Uber and Lyft.

In California, there's a lot to take in. A statewide change to gig job classifications, called AB5, goes into effect as soon as it's officially 2020.

More about Uber, Lyft, Ride Hailing Apps, Tech, and Transportation

from Mashable https://mashable.com/article/ride-hailing-lyft-uber-2020-fees-laws-changes/
via Middlesbrough

Sunday 29 December 2019

5 big takeaways from 'The Mandalorian' Season 1 finale

Spoilers ahead! I have spoken.

What a finish!

The Mandalorian was mostly content to spend its first season introducing characters and setting a mood. Exposition took a back seat again and again even as a larger story was clearly developing. That changed in a big way in Chapter 8.

The final episode of Season 1 is filled to the brim with major developments that are sure to shape the course of the story as we head into a second season. We know more than ever about our heroes and villains, as well as the various forces (no Star Wars pun intended) that guide their actions.

So let's get to it. What are the big details we should all be chewing on as we start to look ahead toward Season 2? Read more...

More about Star Wars, The Mandalorian, Disney Plus, Entertainment, and Streaming Services

from Mashable https://mashable.com/article/mandalorian-chapter-8-explainer-takeaways-season-1-finale/
via Middlesbrough

Trevor Noah's 'In Demoriam' honors the lost presidential candidates of 2019

As the presidential election grows closer and 2019 comes to an end, let us take some time to remember the 2020 candidates who have dropped out of the race.

Thanks to Trevor Noah and The Daily Show's parody "In Memoriam" video, titled, "In Demoriam: The Campaigns We Lost," we can fondly look back on the candidates who will definitely not be elected president in the coming year.

There are some names we remember, like Kamala Harris and Kirsten Gillibrand, and other people we associate more with their character traits, like "Skateboard Guy" and "Dude who farted on TV."

We miss them all, but maybe not "Dude who watched porn with his mom" or the guy simply labeled "F*ck if I know" so much. Read more...

More about The Daily Show, Trevor Noah, 2020 Election, Culture, and Politics

from Mashable https://mashable.com/video/daily-show-trevor-noah-in-demoriam-candidates-dropped-out/
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10 'Saturday Night Live' sketches that made us scream in 2019

We can't seem to quit Saturday Night Live.

In any given episode, you're never more than a tasteless punchline away from cringing out of existence. And yet the show can still bring plenty of laughs, too, usually thanks in no small part to the Herculean efforts of its talented team of cast members and featured players.

It's been a long, brutal 2019 for an awful lot of us, but these 10 SNL sketches managed to pierce the darkness and get us shouting with joy. Let's take a look at the best the year had to offer across the back half of the show's 44th season and the first half of its 45th. Read more...

10. Weekend Update: Smokery Farms

More about Saturday Night Live, Entertainment, and Movies Tv Shows

from Mashable https://mashable.com/article/saturday-night-live-best-sketches-2019/
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The very worst denim trends of 2019 (no, you cannot unsee this)

We regret to inform you that the fashion industry has officially gone too far in 2019. Specifically with regard to jeans fashion, otherwise known as jashion.

Jeans are simple, classic, and a reliable tenant of wardrobes everywhere. You can wear them any season, any time, almost anywhere.

But certain clothing lines have turned our humble blue denim friends into a mad science experiment of tacky awfulness. And who among us has the right to play fashion god? Certainly not these runway clowns.

Jeans are dead and we've killed them. Here are the worst offenders of 2019.

1. Janties

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by SSENSE (@ssense) on Mar 26, 2019 at 8:07am PDT Read more...

More about Fashion, Jeans, Denim Trends, Best Worst Of 2019, and Jean Trends

from Mashable https://mashable.com/article/worst-jean-trends-of-2019/
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These are the Babu Frik tweets you're looking for

HEY-HEEEEYYYYY. All aboard the Babu Frik hype train.

People have officially fallen in love with the tiny alien droidsmith in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and we can't blame them. In fact, there's even some debate over whether little Babu's adorableness rivals that of the now legendary Baby Yoda.

But we're not here to take sides, and we're not going to argue. We just want to gather all the wholesome Twitter reactions to our hero and rising star, Babu Frik. Enjoy these Frik-kin' tweets.

It's unavoidable. Babu Frik is a Disney marketing dream

Good morning to no one except Babu Frik, the greatest character from #RiseofSkywalker

I want merchandise. I want a Disney ride. I want videogames. Milk this for all it’s worth like a 90s boybandpic.twitter.com/8O1oFiGn2s

— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) December 24, 2019 Read more...

More about Cute, Star Wars, The Rise Of Skywalker, Babu Frik, and Culture

from Mashable https://mashable.com/article/best-babu-frik-tweets-star-wars/
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This Lenovo tablet doubles as a smart display, and right now it's on sale for less than $200

TL;DR: The award-winning Lenovo Smart Tab P10 is currently on sale on Amazon for less than $200. It keeps waffling between a couple of different prices, but the last time we checked, it was listed at $194.46 — that's 44% off its usual retail price of $349.99.

Every once in blue moon, the Mashable Shopping team comes across a product on Amazon that gives us what can only be described as an acute case of "pricing whiplash." First it's on sale for amount A. It sells out minutes later, then comes back in stock at amount B when we refresh the page. Then it's back at price A upon another refresh, etcetera, etcetera, rinse and repeat. Read more...

More about Tablets, Lenovo, Mashable Shopping, Tech, and Consumer Tech

from Mashable https://mashable.com/shopping/dec-27-lenovo-smart-tab-p10-tablet-amazon/
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Get ready for New Year's Eve with wine delivered straight to your door

TL;DR: Try a new wine with Winc and get 35% off your first four bottles.

The countdown to New Year's has begun. If you're one of those brave souls who likes to have people over for the celebration, you know it's more complicated than it looks. There's a lot that goes into the preparation before glasses can be clinked.

One thing you'll definitely need to have in stock is alcohol. Luckily, Winc is around to save you the trip to the liquor store.

Winc is a subscription service that delivers bottles straight from the vineyard to your doorstep. You start by taking a quiz so they can learn more about your palate and then send you stuff you haven't tried before but will actually like. Read more...

More about Wine, Subscription Services, Mashable Shopping, Winc Wine Delivery, and Culture

from Mashable https://mashable.com/shopping/dec-27-winc-wine-delivery/
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The 10 worst dating trends of the decade, from 'orbiting' to 'breadcrumbing'

The last month of 2019, and thus of the decade, is barreling to a close, and thus it is time to reflect not only the year but the decade in dating.

Romance in the 2010s will go down in history for a myriad of reasons, not least of them the rise of dating apps. Match and eHarmony had already existed for awhile, but in 2012 Tinder came into the the world and ushered in nearly a full decade of "swiping" and all the consequences that came along with it.

The dating landscape in 2019 is much different than it was in 2009 (incidentally, the year Grindr launched — but that is an entirely different story). Many hand-wringing articles blame Tinder and similar apps for the dating apocalypse and for changing the very concept of dating as we know it. This is not necessarily wrong, but in a world where people watch movies and read articles and take photos and check email and live on their phones, what did we expect? Read more...

More about Online Dating, Tinder, Dating Apps, Best Of The Decade, and Culture

from Mashable https://mashable.com/article/worst-dating-trends-slang-2010s/
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Guy plays 'Jingle Bells' with wrenches to ring in the holiday season

Everyone knows that the Christmas doesn't really start until someone plays "Jingle Bells" on a bunch of wrenches. And we're pleased to announce that we can now officially say it: Merry Christmas.

We have YouTube user TheBrandoAnderson to thank for this wonderfully festive — and, dare we say, wrenching — rendition, where he bangs out the tune of "Jingle Bells" on what appears to be a garage floor. No tightening up needed.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra who? Read more...

More about Christmas, Jingle Bells, Culture, and Web Culture

from Mashable https://mashable.com/video/jingle-bells-wrenches/
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Influencers are getting dragged for promoting a music festival in Saudi Arabia

It kind of looked like Coachella.

This past weekend, influencers, actors, and models accepted paid-for trips to Saudi Arabia, in exchange for which they posted from a music festival, MDL Beast, and tagged their photos in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It may sound like a pretty standard influencer transaction, but not when you consider that the United Nations called the Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen "the world's worst humanitarian crisis," or really any other aspect of the country's human rights record.

The latest event was part of a public relations campaign attempting to exhibit Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's reformation efforts in the kingdom. In the past, Instagram influencers have been hired to rehabilitate Saudi Arabia's image by promoting changes in the kingdom's tourism policy. Read more...

More about Culture, Saudi Arabia, Influencers, Social Good, and Politics

from Mashable https://mashable.com/article/influencers-saudi-arabia-mdl-beast/
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Get a free month of Book of the Month when you buy a gift card

TL;DR: Pick up a six- or 12-month gift card to Book of the Month and get a free month for yourself.

If you're like me, you have two holiday lists: One consists of people you need to buy gifts for and the other is all the books you want to read during your holiday break. You might have a friend or family member who is similar, and we're here to tell you about an awesome gift that will benefit the both of you.

Book of the Month is running a promo where you get a free month for yourself when you buy a six- or 12-month gift card (which are $89.99 and $149.99, respectively).

This subscription service lets you choose from five books each month and gives you the ability to skip any month you want with no penalty. The books are all new release hardbacks and are cheaper through Book of the Month than buying from a bookstore. Read more...

More about Books, Reading, Subscription Services, Mashable Shopping, and Culture

from Mashable https://mashable.com/shopping/dec-23-book-of-the-month-gift-card-free-month/
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Matthew McConaughey and Hugh Grant share Christmas plans, propose matchmaking their parents

In a conversation about Christmas plans, Grant and McConaughey discussed the frugal idea of playing matchmakers for their parents.

'Would your 87-year-old mom like a nice 91-year-old Englishman," Grant asked.

The Gentlemen hits cinemas January 1. Read more...

More about Christmas, Matthew Mcconaughey, Hugh Grant, Matchmaking, and Entertainment

from Mashable https://mashable.com/video/matthew-mcconaughey-hugh-grant-christmas-parents-matchmaking/
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Grab an HP InkJet printer and 4 months of ink for less than $90

TL;DR: Save up to 40% on the easy-to-use HP Home InkJet printers.

If you've been holding out for a new printer, this sale on Amazon will save you money and leave blotchy printouts in the past.

HP Home InkJet printers are up to 40% off, giving you four options all under $90.

If you want easy wireless printing, the HP OfficeJet 3830 is a steal at just $59.89. Or save space with the compact HP DeskJet 2655 for $49.89.

Whichever you choose, there are two sweet extras that come with your purchase. When you sign up for HP instant ink service during the setup process, you'll receive four months of free ink. Just make sure to redeem the offer by Jan. 11, 2020, which shouldn't be a problem because all of the options can arrive before Christmas. Read more...

More about Wireless Technology, Printers, Hp Office Jet, Mashable Shopping, and Tech

from Mashable https://mashable.com/shopping/dec-23-hp-inkjet-printers/
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Save 15% on Birchbox subscription gift cards with this code

TL;DR: Fun and exciting Birchbox subscription gift cards are 15% off with the code BESTGIFT15 — with prices starting at $25.50.

The best way to make up for giving someone a belated gift is to make it one that shows up at their doorstep three months in a row.

Birchbox is a fun monthly subscription box for either makeup or grooming products. Each month's box contains four to six deluxe samples. Right now, the company is running a promo where subscription gift cards are 15% off with the code BESTGIFT15. That means you can give an awesome gift and save some money while you're at it.

The beauty version of the box features products like makeup, hair care, and skin care, while the grooming version focuses on essentials like moisturizers, beard care, and hair care. The beauty box is meant to be for women and the grooming one for men, but we say screw gender norms, get whichever one you want. Read more...

More about Beauty, Subscription Services, Birchbox, Mashable Shopping, and Culture

from Mashable https://mashable.com/shopping/dec-23-birchbox-subscription-gift-cards/
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Sorry cord cutters, Sling TV just raised its prices

Just a few years ago, the prospect of cancelling cable and getting a cheaper streaming alternative seemed so smart and convenient. Now, Sling TV is the latest streaming services to prove that time makes fools of us all.

Sling announced on Monday that all three of its service tiers would get a $5 price increase. That means the Blue and Orange options, which have fairly small channel selections to begin with, now start at $30 per month. The combined plan that gets you every basic Blue and Orange channel is now $45 per month. Those are just base prices, as Sling also offers add-on packages to each service tier. Read more...

More about Tv, Streaming Services, Sling Tv, Youtube Tv, and Hulu Live Tv

from Mashable https://mashable.com/article/sling-tv-price-hike-2019/
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Take Alexa with you for less than $120 with Amazon's Fire HD 10 tablet

TL;DR: Watch all your favorite shows on the all-new Fire HD 10 tablet for $119.99, a 20% savings.

There's no shame in saying, "Your gift is on its way, I swear!" when it's this good. Although it'll arrive after Christmas, make the wait worth it by gifting someone the newest Fire HD tabletThe Fire HD 10 is $30 off, making it just $119.99.

It has a 1080p HD display and is 30 percent faster than the previous version, so you can read, online shop, and watch videos with ease. Plus, its battery life is longer and will give you up to 12 hours until the next charge.

If you love everything about this except the delivery date, there are other Fire HD tablets on sale that will arrive before Christmas. The Fire HD 8 is $30 off, with models starting at $49.99 (note that only the 32GB model without special offers will arrive before Christmas). The Fire 7 is $10 off, making it $39.99. Read more...

More about Tablets, Alexa, Mashable Shopping, Fire Hd 10, and Tech

from Mashable https://mashable.com/shopping/dec-23-amazon-fire-hd-tablet/
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Boeing fires CEO in wake of 737 Max crisis

Boeing fired its CEO Dennis A. Muilenburg to close out a 2019 marred by crisis after two fatal plane crashes.

“The Board of Directors decided that a change in leadership was necessary to restore confidence in the Company moving forward as it works to repair relationships with regulators, customers, and all other stakeholders,” the company said in a statement on Monday.

The move comes just one week after Boeing announced it was suspending production of its 737 Max aircraft.

Earlier this year, Boeing 737 Max 8 and 9 aircraft were grounded around the world after an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed in March. All 157 people on the flight were killed. This crash occurred just months after another fatal plane crash involving a Boeing 737 Max. In October 2018, 189 people onboard a Lion Air flight were killed after it crashed in Indonesia. Read more...

More about Aircraft, Boeing, 737 Max 8, Boeing 737 Max, and Tech

from Mashable https://mashable.com/article/boeing-fires-ceo/
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Tesla rolls out a holiday software update

A few days ago, Tesla CEO Elon Musk promised a "holiday software update," which, among other things, was to bring a preview of the upcoming Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature.

Now, according to Electrek, the update is rolling out. And while it does bring some cool new features, the FSD preview is a bit underwhelming.

Tesla holiday software update has FSD sneak preview, Stardew Valley, Lost Backgammon & a few other things

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 20, 2019

The FSD preview boils down to something called "Driving Visualization Improvements," which means Tesla's driving visualization can display additional objects, like stop lights, stop signs and "select road markings." It's activated by going to Control > Autopilot > Full Self Driving Visualization Preview. To get this feature, you need a car with the latest version of Tesla's FSD computer, which means cars that were produced in April 2019 or later (note that it's also possible to retrofit older cars with the feature). Read more...

More about Tesla, Elon Musk, Tech, and Transportation

from Mashable https://mashable.com/article/tesla-holiday-update/
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'The Aeronauts' star Felicity Jones on the importance of strong female protagonists in film

Felicity Jones has always been drawn to films with strong female leads. It continues to be one of the elements she looks for in new roles. Read more...

More about Mashable Video, Oscars, Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, and The Aeronauts

from Mashable https://mashable.com/video/felicity-jones-the-aeronauts/
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Saturday 28 December 2019

Tesla 'killers' that failed miserably

In 2010, the future of electric vehicles looked wide open. The terrain was rocky, but fertile; full of opportunity, if you could make it through the technical and consumer crags.

Now, 10 years later, things look different. Established car companies like General Motors and Porsche are elbowing for their share alongside startups like Rivian and Byton. But one company is inarguably both the trailblazer and master of EVs: Elon Musk’s Tesla.

In the first half of the decade, headlines frequently predicted doom for the fledgling company. When any new all-electric vehicle idea came out, critics were quick to anoint it with the label “Tesla killer,” no matter car type, range, or level of luxury. Those labels didn’t stick, however: Tesla is still alive and well. In fact, is "affordable" sedan, the Model 3, made up an eighth of all EV sales worldwide this year. It dominates. Read more...

More about Tesla, Porsche, Electric Vehicles, Best Of The Decade, and Tech

from Mashable https://mashable.com/article/tesla-killers-electric-vehicles-that-failed-decade/
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Today's Trending Video in Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough News Featured post

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Tuesday 31 December 2019

Monday 30 December 2019

Suspect pleads not guilty in Hanukkah party attack

More than 75 dead in Somalia terrorist bombing

Miscellaneous

Verbatim

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Sunday 29 December 2019

Spoilers ahead! I have spoken.

10. Weekend Update: Smokery Farms

1. Janties

It's unavoidable. Babu Frik is a Disney marketing dream

Saturday 28 December 2019