Most of have heard about the big asteroid (6 miles long) that smacked the Earth 66 million years ago and created a nuclear winter that killed the dinosaurs. It’s pretty accepted, though it remains a theory. Well…maybe not. Professor Gerta Keller is leading the charge gathering mounting evidence that the timeline doesn’t match up. According to her, the Chicxulub asteroid hit 200,000 years before the extinction event that killed the dinosaurs. And what she thinks did it is the same thing blamed for other extinction events, massive volcano eruptions that lasted—in this case—60,000 years. There in a part of India called the Deccan Traps today, though we don’t know what the dinosaurs called them. Those eruptions do line up with the extinction event nicely. Apparently, all this evidence is causing quite the hubbub in academia, and The Atlantic has a very long and detailed story about the whole thing. It’s fascinating. The image included is from the Deccan Traps.
Cure The Beachball – Mac Geek Gab Podcast 722
The spinning beachball sucks. It sucks time away, and it sucks the life out of your computing experience. So let’s talk about at least one way to solve it. And let’s learn at least four other things along the way. Sound good? Great. Press play and you’re on the train.
TMO Background Mode Interview with Host of The Carson Podcast Mark Malkoff
Mark Malkoff is a comedian, filmaker, and the host of The Carson Podcast in which he talks with guests about legendary talk show host Johnny Carson. His guests include stand-up comics who debuted on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, individuals who worked on the show, and entertainers who were influenced by Carson. I chatted with Mark about his early jobs on various TV shows, sketch comedy, and video projects. As a comedian, he’d always been fascinated by Johnny Carson. It was Peter Jones (PBS) who encouraged Mark to do a podcast all about Carson’s Tonight Show. Mark told me about how he lines up guests and how he prepares. In 180+ podcasts, Mark has learned a lot about Mr. Carson’s personal life and the details of show’s production. Mark enthusiastically shares it all.
The Story Behind Sci-Fi Infographic Untold AI
There’s a sci-fi infographic called Untold AI that examines artificial intelligence, and we now have a behind-the-scenes glimpse from the creator.
Sci-Fi Interfaces is one of those websites the Internet was (originally) built for. It’s a passion project focusing on an incredibly niche subject, created and maintained by someone with real subject matter expertise.
Much of Chris Noessel’s professional work, academic study and enthusiasm for science fiction has come together in the creation of the Untold AI infographic. It’s breathtaking in both its scope, and as a graphic design achievement.
Apple Pulls Group FaceTime from iOS 12, macOS Mojave Betas
Apple pulled Group FaceTime calling from iOS 12 developer beta 7 and macOS Mojave developer beta 7 saying it plans to bring the feature back later this year.
Malware Mouse Clicks Let Hackers Take Over macOS
MacOS gives you the option to Allow or Deny a program’s access to certain features. But what if malware clicked the Allow button itself?
This Watch Wants to Curb Ocean Plastic Pollution
There’s a watch that wants to help curb ocean plastic pollution. Awake Watch’s mission is to prove that there is a smarter and more sustainable way to consume goods. It wants to show that it can create objects with innovative design and very high quality, while still limiting its environmental impact as much as possible. And give people the opportunity to make a difference. The fabric the company uses for the strap is made from plastic waste, which has been collected from South East Asian seas and Japan. It turns the plastic into pellets, and then into nylon yarn. It creates the straps directly from rolls of this material, which is made using no chemical dyes, and is certified by the Global Recycled Standard label. The leather straps are made by a French company that uses Italian leather tanned in a vegetable tanning process. The Kickstarter was fully funded in an hour. To get a watch, rewards start at US$229.
Surprise! Google Tracks You Even With Location History Off
And it doesn’t matter if you have an Android phone or iPhone.
Extra-Long MFi-Certified 2-in-1 iOS/Android Charging Cable 2-Pack: $19.99
We have a deal on a pair of extra-long MFi-Certified 2-in-1 iOS/Android charging cables. It’s a USB charging cable with a micro USB end for Android devices, but with an attached adapter for quick conversion to a Lightning cable for iOS devices. The 2-pack is $19.99 through us, and it ships to more than 40 countries.
Should Apple Create a Video Platform for Creators?
In 9to5Mac‘s Reddit-esque Change My View series, Ben Lovejoy writes that Apple should have a video platform for creators.
What I’m proposing is that Apple create a platform for creators of original content. Like YouTube or Vimeo, but with greater control and focus…I’d love to see someone do YouTube properly. Take it back to its roots as a true platform for original content providers. And there are two reasons I think Apple could be the right company to do it.
I can’t decide if I agree or not. I don’t think Apple needs to do everything, and if there’s already a size-able contender like YouTube, it would be hard for Apple’s platform to compete. This is similar to why Apple doesn’t have its own search engine. It might be easier for Apple to just buy Vimeo than create a platform from the ground up.
