Smigin Is a Foreign Language Tool That Doesn’t Make You Sound Like A Tourist

If you’ve ever tried to learn a foreign language, you probably know that most existing methods focus on aspects of the language that aren’t very helpful in everyday life. For example, newcomers to a language are often first taught the names of animals or colors, words that aren’t normally applicable to the common traveler. Smigin aims to fix this problem with its app… Read More

People fainting on live television: a very strange supercut video.

I guess people faint on live television rather a lot. (more…)

"I’d like to raise my IQ. Where do I start?"

A new advice column by a television writer known for his high intelligence test scores and his unusual career. Read the rest

How the NSA searches the world's intercepted private communications

XKEYSCORE is a secret NSA program that indexes data slurped up from covert fiber-taps, hacked systems, and smartphones, including "full take" data and metadata. Read the rest

No links between recent black church fires, investigators say

In the weeks since the deadly shooting that killed nine at a black church in Charleston, South Carolina, seven black churches have burned across five states. While the investigations into these fires is ongoing, authorities are now issuing the causes for some of the fires.

See also: America's long, ugly history of burning black churches

State officials have ruled that Tuesday's fire that burned down Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church in Greelyville, South Carolina was likely started by natural causes

Mt. Zion AME Church fire in SC caused by lightning. No criminal intent. The investigation is completepic.twitter.com/SIY1yY4QmA

— ATF HQ (@ATFHQ) July 2, 2015 Read more...

More about Us World, Hate Crime, Arson, Church Fires, and Lightning Striike

Redneck Fireworks: DIY launcher shoots 8,500 bottle rockets

“This contraption makes an awesome firestorm.” Read the rest

Apple's new iTunes update arrives for some and not others

On the same day Apple released its much anticipated new streaming service, Apple Music, the company also offered users a new iTunes update that frustrated more than a few Apple fans.

iTunes 12.2 was meant to be available Tuesday, but the roll out was not without hiccups. For one thing, many users could not immediately access the update and took to social media to share their irritation.

See also: Apple Music first look: It's all about curation, curation, curation

Beats 1 radio on iTunes.

Image: Screenshot/Apple

Hey Apple? It would be really nice if I could get that iTunes update.

— Chad (@lionsworld) July 1, 2015 Read more...

More about Itunes, Apple, Software Update, Tech, and Apps Software