The Week's Funniest and Most Intriguing News (week starting September 19)

Article by George Norman (Cybersecurity Editor)

on 23 Sep 2016

As the weekend gets closer and closer, your productivity goes out the window. You don’t feel like working and you’re not really willing to go over serious news about serious topics.

So, just like the weeks before, I invite you to check out 10 news that will put a smile on your face, make you laugh, and probably even say 'wow' or 'what the f...'

1. Nike’s self-lacing sneakers are coming

Remember the self-lacing Nike HyperAdapt sneakers I told you about back in April? At the time, Nike said that these Back to the Future inspired sneakers will hit the market "beginning holiday 2016." Nike’s now offered a more precise date: November 28.



Nike HyperAdapt 1.0 will be available for "experience & purchase" starting on the 28th of November, at select Nike locations in the US.


2. Google gifts Android statue to "world capital of nougat"

The latest version of Android and the French city of Montélimar have something in common: nougat. Android 7.0 carries the codename Nougat, and Montélimar is widely regarded as the world capital of nougat. Google decided to honor Montélimar by gifting it a special Android statue.



The statue is similar to the one that’s on display at the Google Campus.



With Android’s infamous fragmentation problem, you probably just got Marshmallow on your device.


3. Space Invaders in real-life (with drones and lasers)

vHive, company that develops software to manage UAV fleets, did some showing off at Israel’s GeekCon 2016. It turned the classic Space Invaders game into a real-game.



The invaders have been replaced with eight DJI Phantom 3 drones carrying LED strips and laser sensors. The player uses a laser turret to shoot them down.


4. This has to be the best iPhone 7 water test

Lots of people put Apple’s claims to the test and ran water resistance tests on the iPhone 7. Informative as they may be, these tests are rather dull. So here’s one that isn’t, featuring Kai Lenny and some sweet surfing moves.



Kai Lenny is a complete waterman. He’s into surfing, kiteboarding, stand-up paddling, big wave surfing, tow-in surfing, and racing.


5. Throw and catch paper planes with people around the world

Paper Planes, the Android experiment that was displayed at this year’s I/O conference, has been released to the public. The idea behind this app is quite simple: fold a virtual paper plane, stamp it with your location, then "let it fly." You can also catch other people’s planes and stamp them with your location.



Close to 80,000 paper planes are flying around the world right now. Go get the Paper Planes app.


6. Here's the first IoT-inspired thriller, starring Pierce Brosnan

I.T. comes out today, September 23, to a limited number of theaters in the US (and video on-demand). This movie is a thriller that focuses on the Internet of Things (IoT) and the dangers of having a sleek, state-of-the-art smart home that’s connected to the cloud.



But knowing how Hollywood never gets technology right, I think I’m going to skip this one.


7. Virgin America promotes new app with lame dad joke

Virgin America’s new mobile app, after having spent a couple of months in Beta, has finally been released. On the website that Virgin America set up for the app, the company says that “our new app has landed” and "the all new app that’s just plane better."



Virgin America’s new app is available for Android and iOS on their respective app store.s


8. Take the 1st Inaugural Firefox Census

As a big Firefox fan, I just have to tell you about Mozilla’s 1st Inaugural Firefox Census. Spurred by an NPR story that said Firefox users are most likely to be non-conformists, the census aims to find out more about the Firefox community.



"We’ve been wondering," says Mozilla. "What else are Firefox users likely to be? Good cooks? Adventurous travelers? Hufflepuffs? It’s time to find out."

Mozilla said it would publicly release the results of the census, for all to see. This should be… interesting.


9. "Between Two Ferns" is back, features Hilary Clinton

After a considerable break, Zach Galifianakis has returned with a fresh edition of Between Two Ferns. Last time, he interviewed Barack Obama. This time, he interviewed presidential candidate Hilary Clinton.



"Does Obama like his coffee like himself? Weak?"


10. Mocking Apple’s paper bag patent

Earlier this week, we found out that Apple filed a patent for a paper bag. Yes, a paper bag. Do you think something like that would go unmocked? Of curse not.



Want more mockery? Here are 10 videos that make fun of Apple’s iPhone 7 and AirPods.



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