Articles by Lauren Keating
Why did the NSA create its own Google?
The National Security Agency created its own ‘Google-like’ search engine that shares more that 850 billion civilian records with the government. The NSA can legally invade your privacy and does not need congressional approval to use the search engine.
What does it mean to be sleep drunk?
Researchers found that a high rate of the general population suffers from the sleep disorder, sleep drunkenness. Those who suffer from being sleep drunk feel disorientated and severely confused when woken up, often experiencing amnesia relating to events after waking.
‘The Colors of Motion’ captures movie colors like never before
Interactive designer Charlie Clark creates a new way to see film by bringing out their colors in ‘The Colors of Motion.’ The website allows you to scroll through the average frame colors and see the hex color of each frame.
Ralph Lauren Polo Tech combines fitness with luxury fashion
Ralph Lauren is launching into wearable tech with its Polo Tech shirt, which will be unveiled at the US Open. The company’s tech shirt includes sensors to track overall health. The biometrics will also track heart rate and energy levels.
Rise in e-cigarettes sparks concern for teens picking up the habit
The American Heart Association released new policy guidelines on Monday that proposes the regulation of e-cigarettes. The policy raises concerns about marketing and teens, but believes e-cigarettes can help some quit smoking.
This nail polish could help prevent date rape
Men from the University of North Carolina have stirred up a mix of cosmetics and chemistry to create a sexual assault preventing tool. The Undercover Colors nail polish will help women detect rape-date drugs.
There are more adult women gamers than teen boys
Women are playing more games on computers, consoles and smartphones. The demographic of adult women gamers has increased more than males 18 and younger. Males still dominate the demographic as a whole, but developers are beginning to target more women gamers.
MIT scientists say people would rather take orders from a robot than their boss
Human workers do not worry they will be replaced when a robot becomes their boss. According to research from MIT, workers prefer to have a robot control and assign tasks to a team of workers.
Female tech execs model for controversial underwear ad
Dear Kate underwear company unveiled a new ad that features real female tech execs modeling the underwear. The controversial ad aims at empowering women in tech, but some find it hard to take the women seriously.
NASA confirms Mars ‘thigh bone’ is not an alien fossil
NASA officially addressed the rumors regarding a photo that looked like Martian fossil remains. The photo went viral after appearing on a UFO blog, but NASA confirms the image is of rock.
Perfectly portioned photos show what 200-calories looks like
A study from the website Wisegeek portioned a variety of different foods to see exactly what 200-calorie portions look like. It is no surprise that you can eat vegetables for the same amount of junk, but the photos put perspective on eating habits.
Turns out the Secret App isn't so secret
Hackers found 42 security holes regarding the anonymity of the app Secret. White hate hackers were able to reveal a user’s identity by using a simple e-mail trick.
Is cable news failing Ferguson?
A new study reveals that cable news networks are falling behind in the coverage of the Ferguson events and Twitter is filling in the gap.
Why are politicians hypocrites for participating in the ice bucket challenge?
Politicians are participating in the popular ice bucket challenge to raise money for ALS, but voted to cut funding for the research. The cuts are a result of the Budget Control Act of 2011 that prevented the government from going into debt.
Hacking into traffic lights with a laptop is apparently scarily easy
Hacking into the network of traffic lights is not only possible, but also easy to do. Researchers are worried that the industry is not taking security seriously. Bored hackers would be able to make all lights green or change road signs through their laptops.
TSA scanners can see you naked, but can’t spot bombs and guns
Scanners that were used by TSA in airports in the U.S. were found to have a breach in security. While the scanners are no longer used, researchers found that bombs and guns could easily be concealed.
Spiders grow bigger when they live in cities
Spiders who live in cities are bigger and produce more offspring than those that live in rural areas, a new study found. Researchers in Australia studied female golden orb-weaving spiders and find that they thrive under the big city lights.
Uncovering the scary reasons behind Switzerland’s suicide tourism
Germans and the British are among the tourist groups that travel to Switzerland for assisted suicide. Researchers found that ‘suicide tourism’ has increased more than a third in Switzerland from 2008 to 2012.
NASA wants to send rats into space
NASA plans to send rats to space in a new mission. The rats are part of an experiment to better understand microgravity among living organisms in space.
Why you may be seeing less baby photos on Facebook
Parents are keeping their babies' identity off the Internet because of privacy concerns. There was a time when all you saw on your Facebook timeline was baby photos and milestone updates about your friend's little ones.
There is now empirical evidence that skinny jeans are dead
Denim sales in the U.S. dropped six percent last year, but there has been a rise in the sales of more comfortable styles. The latest fashion trend has women trading in their skinny jeans for loose fitting boyfriends or ‘pajama’ trousers.
Shopping online to the perfect soundtrack can save you from overspending
Scientists have revealed the perfect soundtrack to listen to when online shopping. Auction site eBay launched the soundtrack to celebrate its 15th anniversary. The playlist includes pop music, football commentary and sounds of people chatting.
Astronomers capture stunning photo of bright red star clusters
Two star clusters in the Southern Hemisphere were captured by a telescope in a breathtaking mosaic image.
Twitter will remove images of deceased to respect family members
Social media site Twitter announced Tuesday that it will make changes to its policy to prevent the spread of offensive and graphic images of the deceased. Family members can now request for images and video of their lost loved ones to be removed.
Snapchat launches news services and ads
The popular vanishing message app, Snapchat, will debut new features in an attempt to have a steady stream of revenue. Snapchat Discovery will feature ads, TV and movie clips and news stories to its estimated 27 million users.
‘Breaking Bad’ actors Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul reunite for Emmys spoof
Fans of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman can see the meth-making duo together one more time in a spoof that features the actors as owners of a pawnshop. Julia Louis-Dreyfus joins spoof for the 2014 Emmys, where all three actors are nominated.
Why did Chinese hackers cyber attack U.S. health records?
Patients who visited hospitals in a small town near the southeastern part of the U.S. in April and June should keep an eye on their personal information. Chinese hackers are allegedly behind the cyber attack that resulted in the breach of personal information for 4.5 million patients.
Projection mapping creates ‘living makeup’ to transform faces
A Japanese producer and director created a visual effect called projection mapping that transforms a model’s face in real-time. Much like the CGI effects used on stationary objects and buildings, the ‘living makeup’ transforms features right in front of your eyes.
Top 5 best celebrity ice bucket challenges
Celebrities have accepted the ice bucket challenges in order to spread awareness for ALS. Check out the top 5 celebrity challenges that have hit social media by storm.
Google plans to target kids with its new services
Google is planning on rolling out services that would allow kids to create their own accounts. Parents will be able to monitor what information is used for ads.
