My Windows 10 PC seized up coming out of sleep mode this morning, and then the WiFi had to be disabled and reenabled before it could see my network. Patrick Thibodeau, however, found a computer that's been running without a hitch since 1993. They're about to turn the Stratus Technologies fault tolerant server off, though, because all good things come to an end.

MIT Professor Emeritus of Robotic Rodney Brooks has published a thought-provoking essay on the most concrete, most likely ethical questions that will be raised by self-driving cars; Brooks is uninterested in contrived questions like the "Trolley Problem" (as am I, but for different reasons); he's more attuned to the immediate problems that could be created by selfish self-drivers who use their cars to get an edge over the people who drive themselves, and pedestrians. (more…)

The Federal Reserve Board, charged with maximizing employment in America, sets interest rates and takes other measures to achieve this goal; because of public records laws, we get to look in on their deliberations five years after the fact. A recently released transcript, dating from the depths of America's unemployment crisis in 2011, reveals that Board members selected by American business (as opposed to those members appointed by the President) mocking unemployed Americans as being uneducated, addicted to drugs, and having a poor "work ethic." (more…)

Apple Mail is a sensible default mail client for anyone interested in managing their inbox outside of a browser. But sadly Mail hasn’t matured as much as I would have hoped over the past years. Enter MailButler, a plugin for Mail that adds a host of productivity improvements.With MailButler, you can treat emails like to-do list items to keep them from getting buried. When I get a message while I’m in the middle of something critical, I now snooze incoming emails to stay focused. I even schedule memos for later delivery to stay ahead throughout the day. My favorite feature is being able to see when my recipients open messages with email tracking.Since MailButler integrates with my existing mail client, I get to keep the same familiar, native interface. I appreciate that I don’t need to send my email through another third-party service just to get modern features and regular updates. Right now, MailButler is considerably marked down from $89.00. I highly suggest you get a 1-year subscription to MailButler for just $14.99—83% off retail.Explore other Best-Sellers on our network:

A young couple and two cats found dead in their Berkeley, Calif., apartment may have been overcome by fumes vented from a 3D printer, reports CBS News. 35-year-old Roger Morash and 32-year-old Valerie Morash were discovered in the morning by a visitor.

Sprucing up the throne room might not have been the resolution you told everyone about on New Year's Eve, but it's definitely not a bad idea. Take advantage of the new year’s promise by adding some flare to your bathroom with the following deals—all available for under $50.#3 IllumiBowl 2.0 – $19.99This motion-activated toilet bowl nightlight will add some colorful illumination to the least glamorous place in the house. No need to fiddle with a lightswitch in the dark—these vibrant LEDs are a great help for potty-training youngsters and sleepy parents alike. Get the Shark Tank-featured Illumibowl for just $19.99.BUY NOW for $19.99#2 FresheTech Splash Tunes Bluetooth Shower Speaker – $19.99Keep the tunes playing while you wash up with this waterproof speaker. Attaching easily to bathroom walls and shower doors via suction cup, this wireless speaker provides audio playback controls and hands-free calls without getting your phone wet. Usually $49.95, this Bluetooth Shower Speaker is just $19.99 for a limited time only.BUY NOW for $9.99#1 Choose your own shower curtainGive your drab shower curtain a monster makeover. Marked down from $49.99, get this tentacle shower curtain for just $31.99 so you can release the Kraken. If cretaceous thunder-lizards are more your thing, pick up this T-Rex Silhouette shower curtain for $49.99, 37% off the regular price of $79.99.BUY NOW for $31.99Explore other Best-Sellers on our network:

Donald J Trump's executive order banning Muslims from entering the US threw the world into chaos yesterday, as US citizens, lawful permanent residents and visa holders found themselves stranded abroad, detained at airports on arrival to the USA, or helplessly waiting outside immigration checkpoint for news of sick and vulnerable family members who were held incommunicado by US immigration officials who refused to obey a US federal court order. (more…)

Under the 2004 Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement, refugees that are turned away from the US are not allowed to seek entry into Canada. (more…)

Shortly after Donald Trump was sworn in as president, the Department of Labor's whistleblower site -- for Wells Fargo employees who wanted to report fraud in the ongoing scandal affecting millions of Americans -- disappeared. (more…)

A federal judge for New York's Eastern District issued an emergency stay on Saturday night that temporarily halts President Donald Trump’s Friday executive order banning entry to the US from seven mostly Muslim countries.(more…)

About a year ago, I reported my discovery of a mysterious old safe at the back of a closet in the old house I'd just bought. After much fooling around with combinations and pointless gadgets in my spare time over the course of many months, you finally insisted I call in the professionals. I ignored this plea until you summoned them yourselves.It took a little time to actually find one, though: the skills it takes to crack a 1920s safe are both uncommon and in-demand, and local locksmiths in Pittsburgh ultimately sent me on to master safecracker Gary Timchak.He drilled a hole, slid a rigid borescope within, and had it open in minutes.What was inside? Spoilers are below! (more…)

Threats from the Trump administration to withhold federal funds from sanctuary cities have caused California to start looking for methods to not pay taxes to the Federal government.California's long-time status as a "donor state," one that pays more tax than it receives in federal funding, has been a contentious issue. Teapublicans have also long claimed the government has no right to tax people, anyways, and it'd be super fun to see what they have to say about liberals using their rhetoric against them.Regardless, it should scare the ill-fitting pants off our illegitimately elected President that the most populous state, contributing the most money to his coffers, has state officials looking for ways to not pay taxes, and a public movement to secede. He may be in a place to push his bigoted and hateful policies forward, but California doesn't want to pay for them.CBS Local:

More news on the Chinese crackdown on money-laundering and its impact on the global property bubble: the controls the Chinese government has put on "capital outflows" (taking money out of China) are actually working, and there's been a mass exodus of Chinese property buyers from the market, with many abandoning six-figure down payments because they can't smuggle enough money out of the country to make the installment payments. (more…)

17 minutes of funny and informative notes from the history of DRM from Lazy Game Reviews, starting with Bill Gates's infamous Open Letter to Hobbyists and moving through to the modern era with its activation codes, rootkits and scandals. (Thanks, Fipi Lele!)

Actor John Hurt, famous for his gravelly-yet-vulnerable voice and craggy appearance, is reported dead at 77. Known for his roles in Alien, Elephant Man, Nineteen-Eighty Four, Doctor Who and the Harry Potter series, Hurt was knighted in 2015 for services to Drama and won two Golden Globes, four Baftas and two Academy Award nominations. (more…)

Some brilliant entrepreneurs decided to open an Aushcwitz themed escape room. I don't even want to fucking know what happens if you don't get out in time.In America Nazis are as likely to get attacked by Shia LeBeouf as they are appointed Senior Advisor to the President.Via fake news site CNN:

https://youtu.be/gZeCvEa7OqIThe legendary hardware hackers speak for two hours about gender, participation and representation in tech, teaching electronics with papercraft, and the joys of open source hardware.

I really love the entire album Consolers of the Lonely (2008.)

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Alexandra Petri covered Trump’s inauguration, "written in compliance with the Trump style guidelines that we should have been obeying all along."

Postmodern Jukebox always creates great covers, but Tove Lo’s “Habits (Stay High)” proves to be a particularly perfect match for the concept. This vintage 1930s take on the song is incredibly soothing and perfect for unwinding after a long week.

YouTuber KittyPouncer created this terrific timelapse video of curly icicles extruding from pipes. Here's how it happens: (more…)

Devin Stratton, 25, was backcountry skiing in Utah's Wasatch Range when he accidentally glided right off a 150-foot cliff. It was unmarked. Above, his Instagram post with the video evidence.(more…)

Hexbugs are cute insect-like toys with a remote control. Brad Knox has created a mod that harnesses smartphone technology to make them autonomous, able to distinguish colors and navigate obstaccles. (more…)

The FBI has released a heavily redacted 173-page PDF of GamerGate documents under FOIA. Much of the material has any identifying information stripped out, but it's clear that many of them are explicit threats and other harassment. (more…)

The typography and semiotics of Alien are fascinating, and now you can have them on your keyboard. The G20 Semiotic Keycap Set from Signature Plastics embodies almost all of Rob Cobb's design work for the movie, right down to the references to Hindu mysticism from the briefly-glimpsed self-destruction console keyboard. (more…)

Verdant Labs put together an interesting infographic on the political tendencies of various jobs. (more…)

The petition to "immediately release Donald Trump's full tax returns, with all information needed to verify emoluments clause compliance" has received more signatures (385,845 so far) than any other petition in the White House's We the People petition system's history.From Huffington Post:

Chris Notap is having fun with his $30 DIY vacuum chamber. In this video, he experiments with shaving cream inside a bottle with different kinds of nozzles cut into the screw-on caps.

The British have erected a "wall of genitals" so that you may climb upon it. "Ever fancied pulling yourself up a wall by firmly gripping a purple penis? ‘Course you have. Haven’t we all?" (more…)

Yesterday, the Israeli government announced major steps toward legalizing marijuana. Medical cannabis is already a big thing in Israel and permitted by traditional Jewish law. According to Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, the new policy is part of a "shift to decriminalization with responsibility." Progress! Yet, the focus on "treatment" for offending minors seems a bit ridiculous. From CNN:

Adam calls it a one-day build but it would take me a week and at least 23 trips to the hardware store. (Tested)

In November 1964, 17-year-old David Bowie (then Jones) appeared on BBC's "Tonight" to talk about his new Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired Men, a PR stunt cooked up by his dad. Bowie was already a veteran rocker, having played with The Konrads,Tthe King Bees, and The Manish Boys. From Wendy Leigh's Bowie: The Biography:

Skirt Club, a sex site "for girls who play with girls," required prospective members to upload "full body" photos with their applications; these photos were stored in world-readable folders with easily guessable names. When the site's owners were contacted about this, they promised action but did nothing for three weeks, and then made an incomplete job of it. They have not notified their users about the breach. (more…)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=hL3gA8IMO-wResearchers from Context Security have identified a vulnerability in Samsung Galaxy phones: by embedding commands in the obsolete, 17-year-old WAP proptocol in an SMS message, attackers can put them into endless reboot loops, or encrypt their storage and charge the phone's owners for a decryption key. (more…)

The White House's official schedule for UK PM Theresa May's state visit misspells the PM's name in three places, referring to her as "Teresa May," a soft porn star, model and musician. (Image: Charnwood Publishing Co Ltd)

From Scarfolk, the English horror-town stuck in a ten-year loop in the 1970s, comes this Action Man waterboarding playset, marketed after overwhelming popular demand: "A survey conducted in 1978 found that the jobs boys most wanted when they were older included astronaut, engine driver and chief torturer for a totalitarian regime which uses its cover as a civilised democracy to commit national and international atrocities with impunity."

Less than a week after Trump's inauguration, US immigration officers have begun harassment campaigns against migrants and those who support them: yesterday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided the Good Samaritan Family Resource Center in San Francisco's Mission District, looking for "an individual for arrest and possible deportation." (more…)

Akil Mitchell of the New Zealand Breakers is recovering after another player "accidentally dislodged his eyeball" on the court, reports the BBC.

Butane lighters work great—until you get them wet or it gets windy. The SaberLight is a rechargeable plasma beam torch that blows all my traditional lighters away.I purchased this lighter because TSA approves of its lack of open flame, making it safe to bring on airplanes. I also like that with no gas for fuel, it’s completely non-toxic and better for the environment than disposable lighters (that typically end up in landfills). Plus, it is totally wind- and splash-proof for use in any weather, making it a perfect companion for any type of travel or camping trip.The SaberLight offers up to 300 uses on a single charge, so I rarely find myself charging up. And with two included in this pack, you’ll always have one ready to go. Marked down from the usual price of $199.98 for a limited time, get a 2-pack of SaberLight Rechargeable Flameless Plasma Beam Lighters for just $34.99.Explore other Best-Sellers on our network:

Based on Andrew Ihla's tweet about the unexpected heroism of The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, The National Park Service, and Teen Vogue, animator Jessica (@my2k) created a trio of modern day heroes.https://twitter.com/AndrewIhla/status/824140994748809216 https://twitter.com/my2k/status/824517372413255680?refsrc=email&s=11You can see more of Jessica's work on her website.

CNN shared this mesmerizing footage of soap bubbles freezing. Although it looks like time lapse, the bubbles are actually freezing in real time. Photographer Mike Shaw shot the gorgeous footage.

Ever since Thomas Schelling -- an advisor on Dr Strangelove! -- published his work on negotiating theory and nuclear deterrence, we've developed a rich vocabulary for describing negotiating tactics and their underlying theories. (more…)

Back in 1997, Oprah Winfrey thought she was just airing a salute to her idol Mary Tyler Moore. But it turns out Moore was actually backstage to surprise her. Oprah explains that as a young woman she was a huge fan of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and felt inspired watching a series about an independent, career-minded woman who worked in television. The heartwarming footage demonstrates just how much representation matters.[via Vulture]

And so it begins...

40-year-old Andrew Wardle was born without a penis, but after 100 surgeries he now has one. Now, comes a two-week waiting period during which he will have a persistent erection. After that, his doctors will grant him permission to have sex with his girlfriend.From Vice:

Day six! It's also a pretty shitty password. Let's hope he's got 2-factor auth turned on! Also, Trump's still using his insecure personal Android device. (more…)

Google recently stopped serving ads to 200 fake news sites.From Recode:

Amnesty International has published a damning report on the organized networks of Mexican Twitter trolls and botmasters for hire who orchestrate massive harassment campaigns against investigative journalists, including death threats and misinformation/slander; they also hawk products and fake out Twitter's trending topic algorithm, operating with relative impunity -- thanks, in part, to Twitter's underinvestment in Spanish-speaking anti-harassment staff. (more…)