ASMR is the third most popular search term on youtube worldwide. But in case you haven’t heard of it, it stands for autonomous sensory meridian response. ASMR is a complex emotional state that only some people experience when they hear, see, and feel certain “triggers,” such as whispering, delicate hand movements, and light touch. The feeling is described as a tingling sensation beginning at the crown of the head which can spread down the neck and limbs....

Customers at the Zeroken Robo Tavern in Ikebukuro train station first order their drinks at an automated kiosk, which prints a QR code receipt that they take to the robot. The machine then scans the code, which triggers its robotic arm to swing into action, mixing the drink and swiftly returning it to the customer. Watch the video below to see how it works. The robot may not yet match the personal touch offered by human bartenders, but it does provide a smiling face on a tablet that can chat about the weather....

The Microsoft co-founder revealed his intention while appearing on the Daily Show with Trevor Noah last week. Gates, one of the world’s richest people, left the boards of Microsoft and investment house Berkshire Hathaway in March to better focus on his philanthropic endeavours. [Watch: How Tesla engineers are building a ventilator using car parts] “Our early money can accelerate things. Even though we’ll end up picking at most two of them, we’re going to fund factories for all seven, just so that we don’t waste time in serially saying which vaccine works and then building the factory,” said Gates....

Tons of Bitcoiners are sharing their predictions for the cryptocurrency and the blockchain industry 11 years from now with the hashtag #TheYearIs2030. Blockstream CSO Samson Mow kicked off the trend with a sarcastic take on recent news of high-profile departures from popular cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, which previously drew the ire of Twitter’s cryptocurrency community with the acquisition of controversial blockchain analytics firm Neutrino. In the tweet, Mow took a dig at Coinbase’s loose token-listing criteria, forecasting its demise at the greediness of its co-founder and CEO Brian Armstrong....

In a quiet announcement on Twitter, TCL announced it would stop selling BlackBerry devices starting August 31, at the conclusion of its license. The company “has no further rights to design, manufacture, or sell any new BlackBerry mobile devices,” though the company says it will continue to honor warranties until 2022. — BlackBerry Mobile (@BBMobile) February 3, 2020 In case you’re confused about what TCL has anything to do with BlackBerry, remember that technically the BlackBerry we all remember hasn’t made any phones since 2015....

Then we have the mental impact of the past few months piling up — and it’s easy for everything to feel a bit much. Which is why I’m stoked about discovering the joy of CBD bath bombs. But let’s backtrack a little. If you don’t know what CBD is (which is odd, because it’s been a health craze for years now), it’s the non-psychoactive element of marijuana. It’s an abbreviation of cannabidiol and the idea behind it is to get the positive benefits of weed, without getting stoned....

It’s very likely that your podcast queue is starting to look a lot like your Netflix backlog these days. With so many cool podcasts and episodes dropping all the time, it isn’t unusual to look up and realize you’re now several episodes behind on a bunch of your favorites. Who can find the time? Of course, that was what you said when that stack of unread books you wanted to get to started getting unruly too....

The 36-year-old has been fitted with a system that’s been described as a “pacemaker for the brain.” Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco surgically implanted the matchbox-sized device in the patient’s skull more than a year ago. The system then began searching for neural signals of depression. Once these patterns were recognized, the device stimulated a different area of the brain circuit to relieve her mood symptoms. Sarah, who asked to be known by only her first name, said the approach has had long-lasting effects: The system harnesses a technique called deep brain stimulation (DBS)....

For one, ebikes typically command large price tags that make them compelling targets for thieves; carrying two heavy duty locks with you everywhere is usually a minimum. For another, they tend to weigh 50-70 pounds, making them a pain to manuever while not riding them. God forbid you need to carry your bike up a fifth floor walkup, or that your bike breaks down and you need to take it on the subway....

Earlier this week, Facebook released a new update for its Creator Studio, allowing businesses on the platform to schedule Instagram posts and IGTV videos up to at least six months in advance. This update isn’t completely new as companies have been able to schedule posts through third-party services for a while. But the problem with using third-party tools, including HootSuit and Sprout Social, is the annoying limitations like being unable to add multiple images in a post — something that’s possible to do with Facebook’s first-party update....

When Carmen Arroyo asked her apartment’s management company in 2016 if her son, Mikhail, could move in with her after a bad accident left him unable to care for himself, her request was denied. A tenant-screening background check had dredged up a minor (and considering his current circumstances, irrelevant) shoplifting charge from Mikhail’s past. This past month, a federal district court judge in Connecticut agreed to let Arroyo’s lawsuit against the screening company, CoreLogic, go to trial in what experts believe is the first case of its kind, targeting a screening company, rather than a landlord for housing discrimination....

From 2022, new homes and buildings such as supermarkets, shopping malls, and workplaces will be required to install electric vehicle charging points. Specifically, new office blocks will need to install a charge point for every five parking spaces, and the regulations also apply to large scale renovations with over ten parking spaces. — Ros Atkins (@BBCRosAtkins) November 23, 2021 It was a strange bumbling speech, as reported by the BBC, where the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson lost his place in his notes and referenced a visit to Peppa Pig World....

While there’s a push to reduce levels of urban air pollution by encouraging people to use sustainable forms of transportation such as walking and cycling, many are concerned about how much pollution they’ll be exposed to while traveling these ways. Although a review that looked at 39 studies on air pollution found that car commuters were exposed to more air pollution than other commuters, when you consider that a person breathes more air during physical exercise, cyclists and pedestrians actually inhale higher doses of pollutants than vehicle drivers....

It’s a collaborative effort between a range of government departments, such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, to centralize many tasks and responsibilities under a central plan. It gets its funding from the bipartisan Build Back Better bill. I took a look through the 40-something page document, and I’m summarising the main points for you and offering some analysis. The Safe System Approach The National Roadway Safety Strategy embraces an approach that acknowledges that humans make mistakes: People will inevitably make mistakes and decisions that can lead to or contribute to crashes....

The controversial firm provides software to law enforcement agencies that can match photos of faces to a database of more than 3 billion images. Canada’s privacy watchdogs said this creates a risk of significant harm to the public. They noted that people whose images are captured in Clearview’s database could be misidentified or exposed to data breaches. “What Clearview does is mass surveillance and it is illegal,” said Daniel Therrien, Canada’s privacy commissioner....

It comes after the Canadian government relaxed some of its new anti-money laundering regulations following feedback from payment service providers and cryptocurrency exchanges. As a result of the changes, cryptocurrency platforms, both in and outside of Canada, now classify as money service businesses (MSBs). “MSBs will now include domestic and foreign businesses that are “dealing in virtual currency […], Canada’s government said. “As required of all MSBs, persons and entities dealing in virtual currencies would need to fulfil all obligations, including implementing a full compliance program and registering with FINTRAC,” the government said....

Cardano is an open-source blockchain and smart contracts platform, which is fueled by its namesake cryptocurrency, Cardano also abbreviated to (ADA). [Read: Shorting Ethereum before Q4 2019 would’ve been a good idea — here’s why] Unlike Bitcoin’s blockchain, Cardano uses a proof-of-stake algorithm to approve transactions and processes on its blockchain. Cardano was set up by one of Ethereum’s co-founders Charles Hoskinson. Cardano is unique in the blockchain community, in that it has some credentials in academic research....

Recently, I saw a bunch of former coworkers moving on to new roles, new jobs, and new companies. People I had once worked with are now VPs or senior directors. I love seeing old friends take risks with new opportunities — it’s inspiring to see their growth. But I’ll admit it: this prompted a bit of a reflective moment on my own growth. My job title has been Team Lead since 2015....

Sure, you can get better headphones for less money, but let’s be honest, nobody buys them because they’re good. AirPods are a luxury object. They’re a fashion accessory that screams “I can afford to spend $160 on mediocre audio equipment!” Well, on that note, I’ve got some good news for you. For a limited time, you can the latest AirPods with the old charging case for £10/$20 off the usual retail price of £159....

You’re doing some important work on your laptop as you torrent some crappy blockbuster movie you anticipate will be too disappointing to watch in the cinema, and boom – you’re hit with the dreadful warning: “Your disk is almost full.” Look, we all know the feeling. Sure, you can buy some cloud storage to free up some space… or you can get SanDisk’s 1TB Extreme Portable SSD for just $166,50 – a juicy 47-percent discount off its list price of $316....