Articles by Mary Oates
Why is 'Serial' the Most Popular Podcast in the Country?
NPR's new podcast 'Serial' has created quite a buzz since premiering last month. It features host Sarah Koenig investigating the 1999 murder of high school student Hae Min Lee.
These high-tech ballet shoes visualize a dancer's movements as works of art
Designer Lesia Trubat has created Electronic Traces, pointe shoes that sense a dancer's movements and sends them to a smartphone. A mobile app then visualizes these movements by drawing the dancer's leaps, spins and glides on the screen.
Macaulay Culkin addresses death rumors with 'Weekend at Bernie's' tribute
Former child star Macaulay Culkin was the victim of a celebrity death hoax this weekend, with rumors of his death circulating the Internet. But the 'Home Alone' star is very much alive. The former child actor made fun of rumors about his death by tweeting photos of his body being propped up, 'Weekend at Bernie's' style.
You won't believe how much money Kim Kardashian's mobile app has made
The hit mobile app 'Kim Kardashian: Hollywood' made $43.4 million for Glu Mobile in the third quarter, making up over half of the company's profits. Kardashian could possibly receive $19.5 million from these earnings.
Netflix is adapting 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' into a TV show
Netflix has gained the rights to Lemony Snicket's 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' books, and plans to adapt the novels into a TV series. Over 65 million copies of the books have been sold, and the series has been translated into 43 languages.
Was #AlexFromTarget a marketing ploy or just another fangirl meme?
The CEO of Breakr claimed to be responsible for the photo of the Target employee going viral. He stated that the company's network of fangirls pushed the meme on Twitter.
'Wannabe' by the Spice Girls is the catchiest song of all time, study says
A new study testing how fast people can recognize songs found that participants identified the pop hit 'Wannabe' by the Spice Girls after only 2.29 seconds.
How Google, Facebook and Tumblr are trying to increase voter turnout
Many popular websites are providing voters with information for election day, such as their local polling place and who is on the ballot. Facebook has a button reminding people to vote at the top of their news feed, and lets users share that they've voted as a status update.
Listen to 12-year-old Lorde cover Kings of Leon's 'Use Somebody'
Lorde performed an impressive cover of the Kings of Leon song 'Use Somebody' for a radio station when she was just 12 years old.
Tom Hanks to write a book of short stories inspired by typewriters
Tom Hanks will publish a set of short stories based on typewriters from his personal collection. He has been collecting vintage typewriters for over three decades.
Is Beyoncé dropping another surprise album in two weeks?
A photo of an album release confirmation suggests that Beyoncé might be putting out a follow-up to last year's surprise album. The document states that the albums will be available on iTunes on Nov.14 and in stores on Nov. 25.
A regular guy working at Target becomes Internet famous within 24 hours
A photo of a young man named Alex working at Target has become an overnight sensation, inspiring more than a million tweets in less than 24 hours.
People are outraged over Tumblr's new update
Tumblr users are in an uproar over changes to the blogging site, which have caused existing images and GIFs to look stretched out and distorted.
This poster has every Apple product ever made on it
Pop Chart Lab is selling a poster that pictures all 534 Apple products in chronological order. Apple superfans can now show their love for the tech company on their walls.
New Pottermore story reveals Dolores Umbridge was inspired by a real person
J.K. Rowling posted six new stories on Pottermore today, including one that shared her thoughts on Potter villain Dolores Umbridge. Umbridge's affinity for pink and girly accessories was inspired by a teacher that Rowling said she 'disliked intensely on sight.'
Here's 5 reasons why Season 8 of 'Doctor Who' was a game changer
Season eight of 'Doctor Who' started with a new Doctor and many uncertainties. With the two-part season finale airing this week and next, we're taking a look at how this season was a game changer for the show.
You might be able to view the Sistine Chapel in 3D soon. But is that a good thing?
The Sistine Chapel has received a new lighting and air-conditioning system, but the Vatican Museums want to limit the number of visitors a day.
This video imagines what street harassment looks like for a white man
With a parody of the viral street harassment video, Funny or Die calls out white male privilege in a humorous way. The video is funny while still presenting social commentary about a sensitive issue.
Apple CEO Tim Cook: 'I'm proud to be gay'
Apple CEO Tim Cook made his first public statement about his sexuality, coming out as gay in a piece written for Bloomberg Businessweek.
Happy birthday, Internet! First message was sent over 45 years ago today
The first message transmitted over the Internet was sent on October 29, 1969. It contained just one word: 'login.'
Taco Bell's new mobile ordering app is changing fast food
The fast-food chain has introduced a new app that lets the customer order and pay for their food using their phone. Now you can order your Crunchwrap Supreme without waiting in line.
The windowless plane of the future is both terrifying and awesome
The Centre for Process Innovation hopes to develop a windowless plane within the next ten years, to help reduce the weight of the plane and save fuel.
Kindle Scout lets readers vote on which books they want published
Amazon has launched Kindle Scout, a program which lets users nominate books for publication by Kindle Press. Clearly, Amazon isn't backing down from making major waves in the book world.
Aphex Swift is the Aphex Twin/Taylor Swift mashup you didn't know you wanted
David Rees mixed together the music of pop star Taylor Swift and electronic musician Aphex Twin to create Aphex Swift, a mashup album that is surprisingly good.
Ikea's Bekant desk makes it easy to both sit and stand at work
Ikea's Bekant line of desks has a sit and stand function, allowing you to adjust its height with the push of a button.
J.K. Rowling is releasing a new story about Dolores Umbridge on Halloween
J.K Rowling is publishing a story about Potter villain Dolores Umbridge on October 31, which will give more insight into the character's backstory.
Conan O'Brien gets burned by Madeleine Albright on Twitter
Conan O'Brien made the mistake of joking about Madeleine Albright on Twitter, and the former Secretary of State retaliated.
Facebook brings back the 90s with new Rooms app
Facebook has introduced a new app, Rooms, which brings the chatroom experience to iPhones. Rooms allows you to create message boards focused on a certain interest.
Here's how a couple's text messages change after marriage
Data scientist Alice Zhao compared text messages between her and her husband during their first year of dating and first year of marriage. Her findings reflect how texting changes as a relationship progresses.
You have to see Benedict Cumberbatch's motion-capture performance as Smaug
Behind-the-scenes footage of Benedict Cumberbatch's motion-capture performance of Smaug in 'The Hobbit' movies shows the actor really getting into the role.
