There are a lot of high-tech drones and RC planes flooding the market lately, and the innovations are coming so fast on each new iteration, most of them forget one crucial thing: Flying these is supposed to be fun.

Here's an alternative that keeps that ethic firmly in mind: The Moskito Smartphone-Controlled Plane.

This thing glides effortlessly and has an effective range of nearly 200 feet from any Bluetooth controller. The EPP foam construction makes it super-light and impressively durable, able to bounce back from any number of head-on collisions. A set of programmable LED lights makes it easy to fly at night, and there are tutorials included that let you improve your pilot skills.

But what really makes it cool is the smartphone control interface. Thanks to the included app, you can maneuver it by intuitively tilting the phone, or attach a special joystick by suction cup and get a little more hands-on.

The Moskito is currently almost 15% off the MSRP, but you can take off an extra 15% by using the holiday discount code MERRYSAVE15. Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/RRKC1glVQRk/fly-this-remote-controlled-pla.html

Anytime I fry something that requires more than a few drops of oil, I cover the pan with a splatter screen. It keeps drops of hot oil from shooting out of the pan while at the same time allowing steam to escape. It also works as a colander. The one I use is excellent and it costs Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/5At_hjZ84mQ/splatter-screens-are-welcome-a.html

In 1920, the great Nikola Tesla patented this ingenious valve that allows fluid or gas to flow in one direction but not the other. And it does it based entirely on its geometry without any moving parts. Here is the US patent, number 1,329,559.

Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/PUjSL9i_K_Q/see-the-magic-of-a-tesla-valve.html

As pranksters target skeezy t-shirt sellers that mine Twitter for replies containing "I want that on a t-shirt" and then put the original Tweet on a t-shirt and shame online t-shirt sellers for underpolicing copyright, let's not lose sight of what happens when they overpolice copyright.

For many years, Techdirt has sold a handsome "Copying is Not Theft" tee through Teespring -- but last week, Teespring emailed Techdirt to tell them that the shirt had been removed from its store for "copyright infringement."

When Techdirt emailed to ask for an explanation, they got an autoreply from "Team Teespring": "We apologize if you disagree with our decision and for any inconvenience this matter has caused. Please understand that we are not in a position to debate our policies or discuss this issue further; however, your feedback has been noted and we truly appreciate your time today."

On Techdirt, Leigh Beadon wonders if this was Teespring overreacting to the "I want that on a t-shirt" scandal, embarking on "a not-too-discerning copyright sweep of existing products."

If you want a "Copying is Not Theft" shirt, badge, tote or phone case, you'll have to but it at Threadless (for now?).

I told them I wasn't seeking a debate, and just wanted to know what policy we violated, and...

You've been advised three times that the content has violated our acceptable use policy. You have been provided with the links to this policy for further information. This policy and choice to remove the content are not up for discussion.

Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/qZ7AbJPIkIE/dolphins-in-tuna-nets-2.html

Uri Rafaeli (83) a retired engineer, underpaid his property tax bill by making a mistake calculating the interest. He paid $8.41 less than he owed. As a result Michigan's Oakland County seized the property, sold it for $24,500, and kept the overage from the auction ($24,215), reports Forbes. Rafaeli has tried to get the house, or at least the overage back, but he keeps losing in court. The house is currently valued at $129,245 on Zillow.

From Forbes:

He didn’t argue that he didn’t owe tax, penalties, interest and fees. But he did object to the County taking the excess. The County argued that Rafaeli had no rights to the equity because the General Property Tax Act does not expressly protect it. And that’s the reason that Rafaeli keeps losing: The courts have sympathy for his plight but have found that the law does not prevent the County from keeping it.

He’s not alone. Tens of thousands of properties in Detroit have been subject to the same kind of treatment. Many of those who owe taxes understand that they have a debt, but they don’t necessarily understand how to navigate the process or what the failure to pay on time can mean. As with Rafaeli, even something as simple as miscalculating the interest due, can have serious consequences.

Image: Zillow Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/cFWtKtVI5Xs/county-seizes-mans-home-beca.html

Rewound is a free iPhone app that simulates the iPod Classic click wheel interface. How did its creator Louis Anslow manage to get it approved for the App Store? From 9to5Mac:

The app used some tricks to get through the App Store review process, which generally prohibits the use of images from Apple products or interfaces. It works just like any other third-party player created for Apple Music and you probably won’t find it in the store as an “iPod Classic simulator”.

That’s because the app comes with normal control buttons by default. The secret is in a function that allows users to add any type of image as a player skin. When you add the iPod Classic theme, which is not included in the app, it hides the buttons so it can be controlled by the virtual Click Wheel.

Download Rewound from the App Store and then grab the skin from 9to5Mac or elsewhere. Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/MsVc8TZJN2M/this-app-turns-your-iphone-int.html

In Uniontown, Pennsylvania, Walmart was hosting a "shop with a cop" event where police officers take young people from low-income backgrounds on shopping sprees to buy gifts for their families. According to PA State Police Troop B, that was probably not the best day for Sunny Ray Firestone, 32, to "try and walk out of the store with a shopping cart full of merchandise that you did not pay for."

From KDKA:

According to a complaint Firestone told police her sick mother needed new clothes

Firestone has a history of retail theft.

Thank you to Mike Kelly Toyota, Fayette County Community Action Agency and Uniontown WalMart for hosting the shop with a cop program. Law Enforcement from the Pa State Police, Masontown Borough and The Fayette County Sheriff’s Department met some happy kids. pic.twitter.com/waa4fK985q

 TroopB (@PSPTroopBPIO) December 11, 2019

Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/XHeYH-XwOJM/tip-dont-shoplift-when-stor.html

In this video, we learn that children enjoy bullying a mall patrol robot. The kids will kick, slap, surround, and throw things at it. Tests show that kids are more likely to abuse the robot when adults aren't around. So programmers designed the robot to anticipate when it was likely to be abused by kids and roll next to an adult, which will keep the kids from hurting it. (If you know the source of this video, please post in the comments so I can add it to the post.)

Robot being able to figure out when he’s about to get messed up by a couple of little devils. from r/Damnthatsinteresting

[via r/Damnthatsinteresting] Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/KfsFUZqvmj4/mall-robot-is-programmed-to-de.html

On Twitter, David Wahl (Archie McPhee's Director of Awesome)  shared his latest discovery: the Drawstring Piglet Electric Luminous Concert Walking Doll Crystal Pig. This incredible creature is my new ShorDurPerSav.

Electric music pig has everything you want in a pig.

· Running · Having traction rope · Good music · can emit light pic.twitter.com/RLDrICVHRv

— David Wahl (@zoomar) December 12, 2019

Gets along well with emoji baby. Has grown wings. What is happening? pic.twitter.com/tepQMEGLD9

— David Wahl (@zoomar) December 12, 2019

Love shape Crystal ears, shining well pic.twitter.com/4Utv0oWQoI

— David Wahl (@zoomar) December 12, 2019

Don't F with "Walking Singing Musical Light Pig Electric Toy with Leash Interactive Plastic with Electronic Components Toy for Boys Girls Kids Random Color" or it will kill you. pic.twitter.com/j9SiS81LZv

— David Wahl (@zoomar) December 12, 2019

I am a running pig.

Babies grow up to be playmates pic.twitter.com/ylKM1nmkDm

— David Wahl (@zoomar) December 12, 2019

Interesting tie Funny and fun pic.twitter.com/w0OtpoeAHw

— David Wahl (@zoomar) December 12, 2019

Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/Z24NHZGLEvM/behold-the-drawstring-piglet-e.html

[Omoyele Sowore is a Nigerian journalist and owner of the independent media outlet Saraha Reporters; shortly after the election of President Buhari, Sowore was arrested under the country's anti-cyberstalking laws for "causing insult, enmity, hatred and ill-will on the person of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria." He's still in jail, where he has been tortured. His case has attracted condemnation from US senators and solidarity from PEN. My EFF colleague Cindy Cohn, who met Sowore through her work on the Bowoto case, prosecuting Chevron for a mass murder in service to oil exploration, wrote a post, crossposted below, about how overbroad, sloppy harassment and stalking bills can be weaponized. -Cory]

EFF has long been concerned that—unless carefully drafted and limited—cyberstalking laws can be misused to criminalize political speech. In fact, earlier this year we celebrated a federal court decision in Washington State in the United States that tossed out an overbroad cyberstalking law. In the case, the law had been used to silence a protester who used strong language and persistence in criticizing a public official. EFF filed anamicus brief in that case where we cautioned that such laws could be easily misused and the court agreed with us.

Now the problem has occurred in a high-profile political case in Nigeria. Just this week the Nigerian government formally filed “cyberstalking” charges against Omoyele Sowore, a longtime political activist and publisher of the respected Sahara Reporters online news agency. Sowore had organized political protests in Nigeria under the hashtag #RevolutionNow and conducted media interviews in support of his protest. Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/mFesfu31t9M/thin-skinned-dictator.html

Just in time for the holidays, the China Law Blog (previously) rounds up the three most common scams in China that target foreign firms: "Come to China and celebrate our deal" (foreign business person concludes a deal, goes to China, and is roped into paying for a banquet, gifts for the Chinese company boss, and filing fees -- there is no deal); "New bank account" (foreign business is told that an existing supplier has changed banks, wires payments to a fraudster); "Fake company" (a fraudster offers to register copyrights/trademarks/patents in China and just disappears with the cash -- or strings along the mark for ever-larger sums, concluding with fake evidence of registration that leaves the target company vulnerable to future counterfeiting).

The computer networks of many Chinese companies are not secure. The networks are subject to abuse by employees of the Chinese company and by outsiders. This means that you can NEVER trust an email communication from a Chinese company. Email is inherently insecure in China and you never know with whom you are really dealing when engaging in electronic communication with Chinese companies.

Chinese companies tend to be very loyal to their banks and so you should view with extreme suspicion any request to make a change in the payment bank. You should not even consider following such a request unless the request is made in writing on a revised purchase order stamped with the company seal. Even in that case, it is important to contact someone you know in the company with supervisory authority to ensure that the request is valid.

Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/TqPIMXNtB1w/freight-forwarders-too.html

People in the United States who can't afford medical insurance are resorting to fish and veterinary medication to treat themselves, reports The Guardian. Antibiotics like amoxicillin are available online in the same dosages that people take.

Researchers found nine antibiotics for sale at 24 different websites, including some of the most commonly prescribed to humans, such as penicillin and amoxicillin. Only 55 of the 2,228 comments reviewed described human use, but garnered nine times as much attention as others through “likes” and “dislikes”.

Additionally, at least one online seller responded to an online question, saying fish antibiotics were suitable for human use.

There is also anecdotal evidence Americans are increasingly taking veterinary medicine. Dr Farzon Nahvi, an emergency room doctor in New York City and a member of Physicians for a National Health Program, said he had a patient overdose on fish antibiotics.

“One of my patients took fish antibiotics because she didn’t have health insurance,” said Nahvi. “She overdosed, ended up in the intensive care unit, and ended up far more ill and – having no insurance – with an even bigger bill. Plus, she missed a job interview, which could have been her ticket to health insurance, because of her hospital stay.”

Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/DB8pXohMkx8/americans-who-cant-afford-he.html

Got a real music junkie on your list this year? It's a good bet that they already have a solid pair of earbuds, but probably nothing quite like these Seeds Earphones.

Here's the thing: Wireless earbuds are all the rage right now, and there are a lot of good reasons for that. But for true audiophiles, nothing quite beats the sound of a well-made pair of wired earbuds.

This pair packs a lot of tech into each bud. There are dual voice coils and chambers, graphene diaphragms and 3.5 mm high-res IEMS, all combining to deliver beautifully reproduced sound from the tip-top of the range to the lowest bass.

That's all funneled through durable quad-core OFC balanced cables that are less prone to tangle, and wrapped up in an ergonomic package that stays secure in your ear without you ever noticing pressure from the smooth silicone ear tips.

These Seeds Earphones are already on sale for 10% off the store price, but you can take an additional 15% off that final total by using the holiday discount code MERRYSAVE15. Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/TlINFvsomcA/these-earbuds-are-the-perfect.html

The mayhem (or success) of the 1968 Democratic National Convention, and Abbie Hoffman's arrest for writing a forbidden word on his forehead.

From John Wilcock, New York Years, by Ethan Persoff and Scott Marshall.

(See all Boing Boing installments)

Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/u7zFCfsJxww/john-wilcock-the-brutal-1968.html

According to the nerd media website, Bleeding Cool, Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea's crazed, over-the-top, post-modern sci-fi satire, the Illuminatus! trilogy is slated to become a TV series. No details are given about where it might land, but given Hivemind's association with Amazon Prime and Netflix, one of these outlets is a likely bet.

Illuminatus! as the show will be called, will be executive produced by Dinesh Shamdasani and Hunter Gorinson for Hivemind, and Iris McPherson and Kirstin Winkler for Kallisti. Taylor will serve as executive producer and showrunner.

“The series’ staggering influence has only continued to grow with each passing year not just because it explores and indulges the most compelling depths of America’s conspiratorial imagination, but because it also gives us the tools and knowledge to understand it. If there was ever a series primed for 21st century television, it’s Illuminatus!” said fellow former Valiant Comics employee, Hunter Gorinson, Hivemind’s VP of Brand & Content Strategy.

Illuminatus! joins Hivemind’s roster including Amazon’s science-fiction series, The Expanse, Netflix’s adaptation of The Witcher and the Sony movie Bloodshot, based on the Valiant comic.

Read a bit more.

[Image: My Illuminatus! trilogy from when I was 18 years old.]

***

Full press release below:

LOS ANGELES, CA– December 11, 2019 – Hivemind today announced that it has partnered with writer/director Brian Taylor (HAPPY!, CRANK) and European production company Kallisti for a new television series based on THE ILLUMINATUS! TRILOGY – the hugely influential science-fiction franchise created by authors Robert Anton Wilson & Robert Shea that first introduced the concept of "the Illuminati" into the popular consciousness, while simultaneously fueling, deconstructing, and skewering America's modern-day obsession with conspiracy theories. Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/QPRDv7O3xb4/wilson-and-sheas-illuminatus.html

“What is this sorcery?”

Some cute video of a kitty playing in the fresh snow from IMGURian @Herkidar.

You need this.

Enjoy.

Silly cat play with snow

[via IMGUR] Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/U2PXwWSCfcU/cute-kitten-plays-with-snow.html

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/ZkePQK9ekjQ/holiday-baking-inspo-corgi-bu.html

In Chicago, a salt truck slid on the icy street right into Lake Michigan.

The incident happened early Wednesday morning. Nobody got hurt. Two workers for the Chicago Park District workers managed to get out of the truck with no injuries when the salt truck they were steering along an icy lakefront bike path slipped into Lake Michigan.

From AP:

The pickup truck hit a slick spot and slipped backward into the water on Chicago’s near North Side around 7:20 a.m., said Dep. District Chief Jason Lach of the Chicago Fire Department Marine Dive Operations. It slid halfway into the water before getting caught on a breakwall.

The two occupants were able to escape the sinking vehicle and crawl to safety, and both are in good condition.

Screengrab: @abc7chicago

“They were out there salting the area and the truck slid in,” Park District spokeswoman Michelle Lemons told the Chicago Tribune.

Light to moderate snow will continue to move across the area through 10-11 a.m. There will be light accumulation including on roads, so allow extra morning commute time. Remember, snow covered roads, even if just lightly covered, are often slick! #ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/cZRKCf6Sfl

 NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) December 11, 2019

[screengrab: ABC 7 Chicago] Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/SL1X2Ia9ARo/how-icy-is-chicago-salt-truck.html

When it comes to the qualities of a good project manager, you hear a lot of talk about "soft skills" like leadership ability and confidence. And where does confidence come from? It comes from people who are dead certain they know the right steps to take.

In other words, you've got to master the hard skills before the soft skills are even a consideration. And if you're gunning for a career in project management, the Official PMP 6 Certification Training Course is your quickest route to mastery over the all-important PMP Certification Exam (a major stepping stone for aspiring project managers).

The exam itself draws on essential project management procedures in the Project Management Body of Knowledge guide. This course distills all the knowledge in that guide into a curriculum that will stick. It incorporates games, questionnaires and a host of interactive activities - a full 40 hours of it. By the end, you'll know what it takes to guide any team from that first budget outline to the launch party. (And needless to say, you'll know how to ace that PMP Certification.)

The entire course is now on sale for 85% off the MSRP. Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/YSIF47gg-00/the-official-pmp-6-certificati.html

Vigilant trainspotters will notice Thomas the Tank Engine sitting in with these real world trains. Delightful editing by Pavel Jir'asek using source material from the video below (and elsewhere):

(via The Kid Should See This and Kottke) Read the rest

http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/rjm3P8riLSQ/trains-perform-pachelbels.html