Cameras

Why Camera Nerds Can Be The Worst Nerds

There’s so much one can learn about cameras, from ISO to white balance to aperture settings. And there is, for some reason, an irresistible urge to share that knowledge once you’ve learned it, even if no one’s asking, and even if it’s totally irrelevant to the conversation at hand.


January 31, 2012
Online

Why That Fancy Password Isn’t Nearly As Safe As You Thought

Nice password you got there! Super complicated, I love it. You know who else loves it? Computers! Because by carefully crafted a string of alphanumerical gibberish that you need tattooed on your palm to remember, you’ve made a password much easier to crack than, say, four simple unrelated words. But hey, at least it feels safer, right? [xkcd]


December 20, 2011
Science

It’s About Time We Had Some New Mnemonics

Every Good Boy Does Fine? Not in this economy, bub. As xkcd properly points out, we’re overdue for some new science mnemonics. Preferably ones involving sharks and orgasms. Like these:


December 12, 2011
Geek Out

What Would Really Happen If Scientists Invented Cryogenics?

You see, the thing is that, in order to make the future happen, you need to have people in the present to work on it. So if you happen to invent machine-induced hibernation, just don’t tell anyone. [XKCD]


November 24, 2011
Geek Out

The Porn Folder Of All Porn Folders

What your porn folder is filled with is your own business. No, seriously, I don’t want to know. Unless it’s filled with another porn folder, and there’s another porn folder in that one, and so on. Because that’s pretty great.


November 19, 2011
Geek Out

Unlocking The Wisdom Of The Message Board Ancients

Sometimes, in our darkest hour, a hand reaches out through history, a fellow traveller from years ago who walked our same blighted road. Which is kind of magical, except when it’s incredibly frustrating because he apparently didn’t get his error message resolved either and ugh.


October 7, 2011
Geek Out

XKCD’s Tribute To Steve Jobs Is Simple, Clever And Moving

Everyone has their own way of remembering Steve Jobs. XKCD’s tribute is kind of perfect.


September 24, 2011
Science

XKCD Comic: Hedging Against Those Faster-Than-Light Particles

Yes, OK, it’s terribly exciting that Einstein’s theory of relativity has been put on notice by some perky faster-than-light neutrinos. But science, I’ve been burned before by your outsized enthusiasms. So here’s a great way to hedge my bets.


September 7, 2011
Geek Out

Why Burning Man Is Just A Chatbot Festival

Remember those amazing chatbots that talked about unicorns, God, and got a little flirty? As xkcd astutely observes, there’s only one other place on Earth you can find that combination of philosophy and disorientation: the Black Rock Desert, last weekendish.


August 24, 2011
Science

Why Earthquake Tweets Reached You Before The Earthquake Did

If you live in New York and were on Twitter about an hour ago, something like this probably happened to you: you read a tweet about an earthquake from someone in DC. Then, moments later, you felt it. Here’s why.