2015 Holiday Gift Guide
Think your friends and family are impossible to shop for? We’ve found tech for everyone on your holiday and Christmas lists. We’ve complied all the best laptops, phones, TVs, home theater devices, wearables, gadgets, and more to help you get the perfect gifts for your loved ones. Whether your family is full of gadgeteers who always want the latest and greatest tech or not-so-tech-savvy folks who’d rather have the analog version, we’ve got suggestions for you.
‘You need things like straps’ when it comes to sex in space, says Neil deGrasse Tyson
What requires straps, grim determination, and two consenting individuals? Sex in space, of course, which is a whole lot trickier than you’d think. As we continually make advances in the realm of space travel, we consider how the human race might one day thrive in a zero-gravity environment. Naturally, procreation is a very important consideration; one that has yet to be addressed. But thankfully, celebrity astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has lent his expertise to the subject, noting, “You need things like straps” in order to have a successful romp in the hay when you’re away from planet Earth.
Black Friday: $905 million in sales came from smartphones and tablets, iOS led the way
When it comes to mobile shopping on Thanksgiving, e-commerce sites probably saw nearly 80 percent of purchases come from iOS devices, according to a report from online retail analytics company Custora. There was also an uptick in e-commerce purchases coming from Android mobile devices this year. Smartphones and tablets accounted for 36.1 percent of e-commerce orders on Black Friday, up from 30.3 percent on Black Friday last year. No matter how you slice it, it seems that mobile shopping is on the rise — especially on Black Friday.
Grab the gear you’ve been waiting all year for with the best Cyber Monday deals
While Black Friday continues to creep into Thanksgiving day, with stores opening as early as 3 p.m., Cyber Monday remains a core celebration falling on the Monday after the big shopping weekend. This year, many retailers, even those traditionally brick and mortar, are joining in on the Cyber Monday craze, launching sales that last all week long. Stay tuned here and we’ll keep you updated on new, worthwhile deals as they get announced.
Jessica Jones is four times more popular on Twitter than The Man in the High Castle
On November 20, two titans in on-demand video streaming, Netflix and Amazon, each premiered highly promoted new series on the same day. Netflix’s Jessica Jones, a show based on the superhero comic book series Alias, faced off against Amazon’s drama about a world where the Allies lost World War II, The Man In The High Castle. And, as far as Twitter was concerned, Jessica Jones crushed its opponent.
Next page: 5 more tech stories you might have missed this week
Report: Apple may kill the 3.5mm headphone jack on the iPhone 7
Even though the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus mildly surprised the world by being ever-so-slightly thicker than the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Apple’s apparent obsession with thinness is far from over. A Japanese blog cites a source who says Apple intends to do away with the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack for the iPhone 7 and require users to hook up their cans via a Lightning connector or Bluetooth. Such a move would no doubt upset many iOS users with third-party headphones.
Before silicon gets under your skin, get it etched on top with a Tech Tat
If you haven’t heard already, the future of wearables is going to get under your skin – literally. Implantable technology trackers may still be a distant future, but Chaotic Moon is presenting an interim option in the form of Tech Tats. These removable biosensor wearables put complicated circuitry into the form of a temporary tattoo. Before you know it, you could be wearing a Tech Tat to get diagnostics when you’re feeling ill, to monitor your fitness during a workout, or even to check in for an annual physical from the comfort of your home.
Adele says Hello to a bunch of world records
Alert the presses: Adele’s 25 is breaking all time records. Her album sold 3.38 million copies in its first week, blowing away the 2.415 million unit mark that the previous record holder, NSync, set in 2000 with No Strings Attached. The album is not available on streaming platforms like Spotify, Tidal, or Apple Music, which may have played a part in the incredibly high sales figures.
Sony reveals 30 million PS4 sales since launch
Sony has passed another sales milestone, announcing 30 million PlayStation 4 sales worldwide since launch. That brings sales this year up to 9.5 million, meaning Sony will most likely surpass its 12-month sales average by the end of the year. The PS4 has been the leader in the console war since the start, and has double the sales of Microsoft’s Xbox One. The software giant confirmed it would stop revealing sales numbers for the Xbox One earlier this year, but according to VGChartz, Microsoft has sold 15.6 million units since launch.
Koenigsegg vs. the ‘holy trinity:’ Sweden comes out on top in 0-186 mph comparison
Don’t get us wrong, the McLaren P1, Ferrari LaFerrari, and Porsche 918 Spyder are all incredibly impressive machines, and they stand head and shoulders above 99 percent of the vehicles on the road. But there’s a small manufacturer out of Angelholm, Sweden that is more than willing to go head-to-head with the trio. Koenigsegg published a press release comparing the performance capabilities of its vehicles to the trinity listed above. The consumer in question had just ordered an Agera RS — a 1,160-horsepower dynamo of which just 25 will be made — and he was concerned about how his ride would stack up against the holy trinity in a 0 to 300 kph (0 to 186 mph) test. As it turns out, the Swedish brand can more than hold its own.
