Now Time News: 2018

Monday, December 31, 2018

Trump compares border wall to 'Wall around' Obama home - NBC News

Trump compares border wall to 'Wall around' Obama home NBC News

In a tweet, President Donald Trump compares border wall to a barrier around the Washington home of former president and first lady Barack and Michelle ...

View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://nbcnews.to/2s0hCQD

Armed man arrested on way to Texas church to fulfill a 'prophecy' - NBCNews.com

Armed man arrested on way to Texas church to fulfill a 'prophecy' NBCNews.com

SEGUIN, Texas — An armed man wearing police tactical-style clothing who said he was on his way to a church to fulfill "a prophecy" was arrested in suburban ...

View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://nbcnews.to/2GNzwk7

'I don't think he tells the truth': Retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal says Trump is immoral - USA TODAY

'I don't think he tells the truth': Retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal says Trump is immoral USA TODAY

Retired four-star Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal sharply criticized President Donald Trump in an interview Sunday, saying he does not think the president is ...

View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2Thcsve

Louisiana Police Department Offers To 'Test' Meth For Zika Virius - Newsweek

Louisiana Police Department Offers To 'Test' Meth For Zika Virius Newsweek

"If you have recently purchased meth in any area of Louisiana it may be contaminated with the Zika Virus. Please bring all of it to your local Police Department ...

View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2Sostzz

Dow is set for triple-digit gains on hopes for US-China trade talks - CNBC

Dow is set for triple-digit gains on hopes for US-China trade talks CNBC

U.S. stock index futures are set for a higher open on Monday on growing optimism surrounding U.S.-China trade talks.

View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://cnb.cx/2LExWzA

Russia detains US citizen on suspicion of spying - CNN

Russia detains US citizen on suspicion of spying CNN

Russia has detained a US citizen on the suspicion of spying, according to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).

View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://cnn.it/2LIg1Ie

What to expect from smartphone cameras in 2019 - The Next Web

What to expect from smartphone cameras in 2019 The Next Web

A camera on a mid-range phone from 2018 can outperform a lot of top-end phone cameras from 2016, and even 2017. That's thanks to major improvements in ...

View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2Spphnl

Say goodbye to 2018 with New Year's Eve freebies and deals, including free rides - USA TODAY

Say goodbye to 2018 with New Year's Eve freebies and deals, including free rides USA TODAY

Ring in 2019 with champagne, free coffee and more deals. Monday, Dec. 31 also is National Champagne Day. Find out ways to save on your celebrations.

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2CFRoci

Justin Bieber Apologizes to JoJo Siwa After Bizarrely Shading Her New Rainbow Car - Entertainment Tonight

Justin Bieber Apologizes to JoJo Siwa After Bizarrely Shading Her New Rainbow Car Entertainment Tonight

File this under bizarre feuds of 2018! Justin Bieber found himself apologizing to JoJo Siwa on Sunday, after he dissed her new rainbow car on Instagram.

View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://et.tv/2AnXXil

Colts’ Win Over Titans Creates an AFC Playoff Field Featuring the Division’s Best QBs - Sports Illustrated

Colts’ Win Over Titans Creates an AFC Playoff Field Featuring the Division’s Best QBs Sports Illustrated

Indianapolis capturing the last AFC wild-card spot ensures that the division's best quarterbacks, both young and old, will be playing in this season's playoffs.

View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2F13n5M

Lamar Jackson Leads Ravens to Playoffs w/ Week 17 Win! - NFL

Lamar Jackson Leads Ravens to Playoffs w/ Week 17 Win! NFLView full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckX3qElXTbA

Hubble telescope 'mother' Nancy Grace Roman dies - Engadget

Hubble telescope 'mother' Nancy Grace Roman dies Engadget

The astronomy world is poorer off today. Nancy Grace Roman, the first chief of astronomy at NASA's Office of Space Science, died on December 25th at 93.

View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://engt.co/2CGpcWR

Trump points to 'wall' built around Obama's DC home during fight for border wall funding - Fox News

from Top stories - Google News https://fxn.ws/2Su8H5A

Lion escapes locked area at North Carolina center, kills 22-year-old intern - USA TODAY

Lion escapes locked area at North Carolina center, kills 22-year-old intern USA TODAY

ANDERSON, N.C. – An animal keeper at a zoological park about 50 miles from the state capital, Raleigh, was killed Sunday when a lion got out of a locked ...

View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2EUaii0

7-Year-Old Girl Killed by Gunman in Houston Parking Lot - TIME

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2EY85RO

Russia detains US citizen accused of being on 'spy mission' in Moscow - The Independent

Russia detains US citizen accused of being on 'spy mission' in Moscow The Independent
Russian security agency arrests 'US spy' in Moscow BBC News
Russia detains US citizen on suspicion of spying CNN
Alleged U.S. spy, Paul Whelan, detained in Moscow, Russian news outlets say CBS News
Russia detains American in Moscow suspected of spying The Guardian
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://ind.pn/2AqB3qx

President Trump Blames Detained Migrant Children's Deaths on Democrats - Daily Beast

President Trump Blames Detained Migrant Children's Deaths on Democrats Daily Beast
Trump blames Dems for deaths of migrant children on the border CNN
Trump tries to deflect blame for migrant children's deaths Philly.com
Trump’s tweets on children dying in U.S. custody are a new low The Washington Post
Trump politicizes deaths of two immigrant children to score points in border wall fight The Washington Post
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://thebea.st/2GMh0s9

Apple’s new iPhone XS Max explodes in Ohio man’s trouser pocket: Report - Hindustan Times

Apple’s new iPhone XS Max explodes in Ohio man’s trouser pocket: Report Hindustan Times
Man claims iPhone XS Max exploded in his pants pocket Notebookcheck.net
iPhone 'X' names have nowhere to go in 2019 CNET
This report claims all may not be ‘well’ with Apple’s most expensive iPhone Times of India
Citi Research cuts estimate for Q1 production of iPhone XS Max by half Notebookcheck.net
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2LJ0AiY

Top 5 Best Camera Phones of the Year 2018 - News18

Top 5 Best Camera Phones of the Year 2018 News18
What to expect from smartphone cameras in 2019 The Next Web
Best of 2018: an iPhone so good it won over an Android fan South China Morning Post
Mobile Of The Year Awards 2018: Best Flagship Smartphone (Price no bar!) MySmartPrice
2019 looks promising for 5G rollout INQUIRER.net
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2Tldjv8

Citi slashes sales outlook for iPhone XS Max by nearly half - TechCrunch

Citi slashes sales outlook for iPhone XS Max by nearly half TechCrunch

Citi Research has joined a growing list of analysts to lower first-quarter production estimates for Apple's iPhones amid weakening demand for the smartphones.

View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://tcrn.ch/2Alpfpm

Russian security agency arrests 'US spy' in Moscow

The FSB security agency says a US man named Paul Whelan has been charged with spying.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2CHzCFI

Mother of the Hubble: Tributes paid to Nasa scientist

Dr Nancy Grace Roman, the first woman to hold a senior leadership position at NASA, has died at 93.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2SoZ7kp

Duterte: Outrage as Philippines president says he touched a maid

Rights groups call Rodrigo Duterte's comments "repulsive" and "unworthy of his position".

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2VjtESU

Armed Man in Tactical Clothing Headed to a Texas Church to ‘Fulfill a Prophecy,’ Police Say - The New York Times

Armed Man in Tactical Clothing Headed to a Texas Church to ‘Fulfill a Prophecy,’ Police Say The New York Times
Seguin PD say man with loaded gun and wearing tactical gear headed to church to 'fulfill prophecy' FOX 7 Austin
Man With Gun Told Police He Was Going To Texas Church To Fulfill 'A Prophecy' HuffPost
Here's everything we know about Tony Dwayne Albert II KSAT 12
Armed man headed to 'fulfill prophecy' at church is from Houston area KENS5.com
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://nyti.ms/2EVFGvP

U.S. stock futures climb over trade-deal hopes in last session of 2018 - MarketWatch

U.S. stock futures climb over trade-deal hopes in last session of 2018 MarketWatch
Almost nothing paid off for investors in 2018, as the bull market headed to the slaughterhouse Los Angeles Times
Can You Bank On A Stock Market Bottom? Forbes
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://on.mktw.net/2BOnCRa

Mike Taylor, keyboardist for Burlington, Ont.-based Walk off the Earth, dies - CityNews Vancouver

Mike Taylor, keyboardist for Burlington, Ont.-based Walk off the Earth, dies CityNews Vancouver
Canadian band Walk Off the Earth says Mike 'Beard Guy' Taylor has died USA TODAY
R.I.P. Mike Taylor, multi-instrumentalist of Walk Off the Earth, has died Consequence of Sound
Mike Taylor, keyboardist for Burlington-based Walk Off the Earth, dies TheSpec.com
Walk Off the Earth's Mike 'Beard Guy' Taylor Dies Billboard
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2LIktGV

Deadly blast ruins Russia housing block in Magnitogorsk

At least three people died in a suspected gas explosion in the city of Magnitogorsk.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2EYqvTq

MIT researchers are now 3D printing glass

While the thought of a machine that can squirt out endless ropes of molten glass is a bit frightening, the folks at MIT have just about perfected the process. In a paper published in 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing, researchers Chikara Inamura, Michael Stern, Daniel Lizardo, Peter Houk, and Neri Oxman describe a system for 3D printing glass that offers far more control over the hot material and the final product.

Their system, called G3DP2, “is a new AM platform for molten glass that combines digitally integrated three-zone thermal control system with four-axis motion control system, introducing industrial-scale production capabilities with enhanced production rate and reliability while ensuring product accuracy and repeatability, all previously unattainable for glass.”

The system uses a closed, heated box that holds the melted glass and another thermally controlled box where it prints the object. A moveable plate drops the object lower and lower as it is being printed and the print head moves above it. The system is interesting because it actually produces clear glass structures that can be used for decoration or building. The researchers take special care to control the glass extrusion system to ensure that it cools down and crystallizes without injecting impurities or structural problems.

“In the future, combining the advantages of this AM technology with the multitude of unique material properties of glass such as transparency, strength, and chemical stability, we may start to see new archetypes of multifunctional building blocks,” wrote the creators.

from TechCrunch https://tcrn.ch/2StjgG9

Videos showing shelter staffers pushing, shoving migrant children under review for possible criminal charges - CNN

Videos showing shelter staffers pushing, shoving migrant children under review for possible criminal charges CNN

A case regarding the alleged abuse of migrant children in a Southwest Key shelter will be referred to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office for review and to ...

View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://cnn.it/2Q9N0G5

El-Erian, Like Trump, Says Fed Would Benefit From 'Better Feel' - Bloomberg

El-Erian, Like Trump, Says Fed Would Benefit From 'Better Feel' Bloomberg
Fed Chair Powell's unscripted approach sets up for rocky 2019 Yahoo Finance
Shelby defends Fed chairman, says Trump can’t fire him without cause The Washington Post
Life Is Getting Harder for Central Banks Bloomberg
The Long Pause Seeking Alpha
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://bloom.bg/2SsZYka

Kirk Cousins, Adam Thielen of Minnesota Vikings downplay sideline confrontation - ESPN

from Top stories - Google News https://es.pn/2QWYh1L

Philippines deadly storm and landslides kill more than 60

An official says people did not take precautions as the storm was not classed as a typhoon.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2VkEYy4

Possible death penalty for Missouri man who shot to death his family - Business Insider

Possible death penalty for Missouri man who shot to death his family Business Insider
Missouri man fatally shoots girlfriend, her kids, her mother KGO-TV
Children, grandmother among 4 fatally shot in St. Louis area WLS-TV
New details emerge from quadruple homicide in St. Charles KTVI Fox 2 St. Louis
Murder Charges Filed Against Man Accused of Killing 4 in Overnight St. Charles Homicide OzarksFirst.com
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://read.bi/2Stf6hv

Trump effect: How out-of-state money fueled Democratic House wins in 2018 - USA TODAY

Trump effect: How out-of-state money fueled Democratic House wins in 2018 USA TODAY

Democrats who flipped 43 districts to win the House got more than half of their funding from outside their states.

View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2ETqPlv

Review: Nokia 7.1 - Nokiamob

Review: Nokia 7.1 Nokiamob
Nokia 9 PureView press render leaked, reveals penta-lens camera setup MSPoweruser
Nokia 9 PureView leaks in high-quality image androidandme.com
Nokia 9 PureView Press Image Shared by Known Tipster, Showing Five Cameras at the Back Wccftech
Freshly leaked Nokia 9 PureView press render affirms in-display fingerprint sensor Gizchina.com
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2SrG9tz

Samantha Markle on Police's ''Fixated Persons List'': Report - E! NEWS

from Top stories - Google News https://eonli.ne/2AkeVhl

Six Iranians cross English Channel in inflatable boat from France - Al Jazeera English

Six Iranians cross English Channel in inflatable boat from France Al Jazeera English

Number of migrants making the risky crossing from France to UK in small boats since October continues to rise.

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2EZkMw1

Galaxy S9 series reportedly experiences battery drain on Pie - Notebookcheck.net

Galaxy S9 series reportedly experiences battery drain on Pie Notebookcheck.net
Samsung Leak Suddenly 'Confirms' Radical Galaxy S10 Forbes
Galaxy S9 and Note 9 PRICE CRASH - Ultimate Samsung deals make flagships more affordable Express
Samsung Galaxy A8s to go on sale tomorrow for 2799 Yuan ($407) Gizchina.com
The 8 best new phones we can’t wait to get our hands on in 2019 TrustedReviews
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2LEBNNg

‘Aquaman’ Leads Year-End Openers as ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ Soars - IndieWire

‘Aquaman’ Leads Year-End Openers as ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ Soars IndieWire
'Aquaman' is King of the Box Office Seas for a Second Weekend in a Row Box Office Mojo
‘Aquaman’ Still Rules, and Others See a Post-Christmas Bump KTXL FOX 40 Sacramento
‘Aquaman’ Keeps Its Box-Office Lead as ‘Mary Poppins’ Gets a Holiday Boost The New York Times
'Aquaman' Fan Theory Calls Out Arthur Curry For Being A Tyrant Heroic Hollywood
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2RhpJqz

Lion kills young worker at North Carolina wildlife sanctuary

A lion at a North Carolina private wildlife sanctuary fatally mauled a 22-year-old worker on Sunday before being shot and killed by local law enforcement, officials said.

from Reuters: U.S. https://reut.rs/2Thb1wY

Republican Senator Graham says Trump receptive to shutdown deal idea

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said on Sunday he was optimistic that Republicans, Democrats and President Donald Trump could reach a deal to end a government shutdown that includes border wall funding and legal status for some illegal immigrants.

from Reuters: U.S. https://reut.rs/2QV4XgM

Border patrol chief defends agents in child deaths

The head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Sunday defended his agents' handling of two sick children who died in their custody, saying they did everything they could to get medical help for them in difficult circumstances.

from Reuters: U.S. https://reut.rs/2EWPS7p

China Thwarts U.S. Effort to Promote American Culture on Campuses - The New York Times

China Thwarts U.S. Effort to Promote American Culture on Campuses The New York Times
The US can't 'out-China' China | TheHill The Hill
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://nyti.ms/2RtuLQU

Trump: The country needs a 'slightly larger version' of the 'wall' around Obama's home - Washington Examiner

Trump: The country needs a 'slightly larger version' of the 'wall' around Obama's home Washington Examiner
Fact Check Friday: Trump's stocking full of falsehoods ABC News
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://washex.am/2Vj6wUn

More popular apps are sending data to Facebook without asking - Engadget

More popular apps are sending data to Facebook without asking Engadget
How Facebooks Tracks Non-Users via Android Apps Threatpost
Popular apps share data with Facebook without user consent Financial Times
Some popular Android apps are sharing your data with Facebook without user consent MSPoweruser
Some popular smartphone apps send users data to Facebook - even if they don't have account Independent.ie
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://engt.co/2ThotAR

Louis CK's Leaked Comedy Cellar Set Panders to the Alt-Right - The Daily Beast

Louis CK's Leaked Comedy Cellar Set Panders to the Alt-Right The Daily Beast
Louis C.K. Goes After Parkland Victims in Leaked Audio of New Stand-Up TMZ
Leaked Tape: Louis C.K. Attacks Parkland Shooting Survivors, Mocks Gender Identity in Standup Set Newsweek
Louis C.K. mocks Parkland survivors, gender-neutral pronouns in leaked standup set Consequence of Sound
Louis CK makes fun of Parkland shooting victims in shocking leaked stand-up audio Daily Mail
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News https://thebea.st/2LIcaLg

Former LSU CB Donte Jackson caps impressive rookie season with hometown win - NOLA.com

Former LSU CB Donte Jackson caps impressive rookie season with hometown win NOLA.com
Teddy Bridgewater gets golden opportunity to start, and doesn't do much with it Yahoo Sports
Panthers vs. Saints Week 17 Highlights | NFL 2018 NFL
Saints looked like team in throes of classic holiday hangover vs. Panthers NOLA.com
Meaningless Carolina Panthers victory had meaning anyway Charlotte Observer
View full coverage on Google News

from Top stories - Google News http://bit.ly/2LGO5o9

Syria conflict: Trump 'slowing troop withdrawal', says Lindsey Graham

A top Republican says the president remains determined to defeat the Islamic State group in Syria.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2SrBV5i

Bangladesh election: PM Sheikh Hasina wins landslide in disputed vote

Sheikh Hasina wins a third consecutive term in a vote marred by violence and claims of vote rigging.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2EWFJbC

Angela Merkel: Germany to take on greater global responsibility

Germany will assume greater international responsibility, Angela Merkel says in her New Year address.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2SzaEhv

Mexico wall: Trump aide says concrete wall idea was dropped early on

Outgoing chief of staff John Kelly appears to contradict the US president on the border wall plan.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2EXMmcP

'Dangerous orange pill' prompts Australia festival warning

Festival-goers are told that a "dangerous" drug is circulating in Australia, following a man's death.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2AmSDfb

Californian law change means pet shops can sell only rescued animals

The state bans retailers from selling animals sourced from breeders, to cut down on "puppy mills".

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2EXbrFC

American college football: Huge bald eagle lands on fans

A bird named Clark goes rogue in front of 90,000 fans at a college game.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2Tg7r6c

UAE helicopter crash kills four crew on rescue mission near zipline

Four die in a helicopter crash near the world's longest zipline, in the UAE's northern-most emirate.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2QXx536

France to help combat Channel smuggling

Six Iranian migrants are found on the Kent coast as the home secretary cuts short a holiday to deal with the issue.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2Ak3q9S

DoubleTree Portland hotel fires staff who evicted black guest

Police escorted Jermaine Massey out of the DoubleTree Portland after he called his mum in the lobby.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2Tist3Y

What it’s like to be Black and Argentine

Afro-Argentines often feel like they’ve been written out of history and are mistaken for foreigners in their own country.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2s2fJ6c

Bangladesh election: Voting disrupted by violence

Clashes between ruling party and opposition supporters have resulted in 17 deaths.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2Sv4fni

Spoken word poet Dylema: On a stroll through Africa in 2018

Dylema leads us through key events on the continent this year in a specially commissioned poem.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2BZzjVp

Lederhosen love among Austria's millennials

Lederhosen and dirndl dresses are making a comeback in Austria.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2AmkSL1

Female fightback... 2018 in hashtags

A look at the year's most influential hashtags used by women on social media.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2RntUB7

The 90-year-old back-flipping daredevil

This Canadian man is being called the world's most extreme grandpa.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2AntDnS

In search of Leonard, my martyred ancestor

Eli Melki looks for traces of a relative who was killed at 33 during a wave of attacks against eastern Turkey's Christians.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2BMln0I

2018 in news: The alternative end-of-the-year awards

From the ridiculous to the more ridiculous, here are the weird stories that caught our eye this year.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2s3oDAp

Why legalising gay sex in India is not a Western idea

India's decision to decriminalise gay sex has taken the country back to its roots, some historians say.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2ApBWzF

Remembering the entertainment and arts figures we lost in 2018

Remembering some of the figures from music, film, TV, radio and literature who died in 2018.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2F03HlD

Bangladesh clothing factories: Are they safe now?

Are garment factories in Bangladesh safe five years after the Rana Plaza disaster?

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2s3oVat

Africa's year in pictures 2018

A selection of the best photos from across and about Africa this year.

from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2GIKAyK

A look inside the Taipei 101 New Year’s Eve fireworks show as it goes green

One of the tallest buildings in the world, Taipei 101’s New Year’s Eve fireworks have become an iconic celebration since the first show at the end of 2004. But despite being a major tourism draw, the fireworks haven’t been immune from criticism.

Over the past couple of years, as poor air quality becomes an increasingly serious issue throughout the country, the show has been targeted by Taiwanese environmental groups. The major of Taipei City, Ko Wen-je, said at the beginning of this year that the fireworks show should continue and other, more permanent measures against air pollution should be taken. “There are 365 days in a year,” he told reporters. “But the firework display was only 300 seconds, so we need a long-term plan to solve this problem.”

As one of the tallest LEED-certified buildings, however, Taipei 101 often serves as a case study for how landmark skyscrapers can reduce their carbon footprint, and it has been taking steps to reduce pollution from the show while keeping it a spectacle. A couple weeks ago, a group of bloggers and reporters was invited to take a look at this year’s preparations. (All photos in this story, with the exception of the one at the bottom featuring last year’s show, are by Garret Clarke.)

A technician with some of the fireworks that will be part of Taipei 101’s show.

16,000 fireworks will be used in this year’s show and preparations are usually finished by Dec. 28.

Over the past couple of years, the organizers of Taipei 101’s fireworks show have taken several measures to reduce pollution. Starting with last year’s show, the number of fireworks was reduced from 30,000 to 16,000. To add oomph to the reduced pyrotechnics, a 55-story-tall mesh screen made up of 140,000 LEDs, called a T-Pad, was installed by Taipei 101 fireworks contractor Giant Show on the north side of the skyscraper. The LED screen overlooks the plaza outside of Taipei City Hall where a New Year’s Eve concert is held every year and showcases animations that coordinate with the music and fireworks.

The LED screen is used during the rest of the year for promotions, advertisements and holiday messages

Andy Yang, head of corporate branding and communications for the Taipei Financial Center Corp., Taipei 101’s owner, told TechCrunch that this year’s show cost a total of about NTD $60 million (about USD $1.96 million). It will also include 16,000 fireworks, installed from the 34th to 91st floors of Taipei 101, and animations on the T-Pad. The team that plans the show includes 10 to 15 designers and about 50 pyrotechnicians who install the fireworks on the exterior of the building. Preparations are typically completed by Dec. 28.

Andy Yang stands in front of the scaffolding that leads up to Taipei 101’s 55-story-tall LED mesh screen

Yang says Taipei 101 has been decreasing the number of fireworks used year by year. The LED screen is currently only on one side of Taipei 101, but Taipei 101’s management is exploring the possibility of extending it to other sides of the building.

Taipei 101’s fireworks show at the end of 2017, with the LED screen in view. (kecl/Getty Images)

Taipei 101 also instates an “all lights off” policy, turning off all exterior lights before and after the show in order to reduce carbon emissions. The LED screen not only enables Taipei 101 to reduce the number of fireworks used, but also enables the integration of pyrotechnics, animations, music, and lights into one show, “which brings more design and content opportunities and possibilities for Taipei 101 and Taiwan,” he says.

from TechCrunch https://tcrn.ch/2Al42Ms

Here’s how to play a game from Black Mirror’s Bandersnatch episode

If you’ve gone down the rabbit hole with Netflix’s latest Black Mirror release, there’s (at least) one more easter egg out there. As some intrepid Reddit users discovered, you can actually visit two different versions of fictional software company Tuckersoft’s website and… spoilers ahead.

On the regular Tuckersoft site, discovered through a QR code embedded in the show itself, Tuckersoft advertises its game lineup including Bandersnatch, a “revolutionary game from Stefan Butler.” In this timeline, Tuckersoft released both Nohzdyve and Bandersnatch and Stefan eventually eclipsed his gaming idol Colin’s own fame, driving the company forward. As the site notes:

“While Colin Ritman was Tuckersoft’s leading man, it was Stefan Butler’s 1984 release, Bandersnatch, that catapulted the company to new heights. The innovative narrative and gameplay transformed interactive entertainment forever.”

If you visit the Tuckersoft site but strip out the www., the company never released Colin’s game due to a tragic incident. If you’ve seen the episode, you can probably guess what that was. This version of the site includes the following text:

“A bleak turn of events would lead to the abrupt cancellation of Colin Ritman’s highly-anticipated game, Nohzdyve, and the end of Stefan Butler’s promising career.

“Metl Hedd remains a classic, but the world will have to wonder what Nohzdyve was like. Rumour has it, an early version of the game is somewhere out there, waiting to be played for the first time.”

Black Mirror fans will note that the fictionalized site for Colin’s other major title, Metl Hedd, depicts the BigDog-like robots that terrorized humans in season four’s particularly harrowing episode “Metalhead.” Tuckersoft’s other games contain plenty of references to Black Mirror episodes too.

In the timeline in which Colin was able to finish Nohzdyve, the game’s sub-page has a download link for a file called nohzdyve.tap and the instructions to “Play Nohzdyve on your ZX Spectrum emulator.” Apparently, the file works and if you run Windows and you’re willing to install an emulator (like Speccy) for the obscure British 8-bit console, you can actually play Colin’s rather prescient release. We’re told it might work on a Commodore 64 emulator too, but haven’t tested that out (yet).

So far it doesn’t look like Bandersnatch is playable anywhere, but given that the episode itself is a game and the game itself results in certain horror, that’s probably for the best.

Netflix releases a trailer for ‘Bandersnatch,’ the mysterious new episode of ‘Black Mirror’

from TechCrunch https://tcrn.ch/2AmLV8S

Investors and entrepreneurs need to address the mental health crisis in startups

Test your tech knowledge in TechCrunch’s 2018 Year In Tech Quiz

It’s the Jons 2018!

It was the best of years, it was the worst of years, it was the wokest of years, it was the most problematic of years, it was the year of AI, it was the year of scooters, it was the year of Big Tech triumph, it was the year of Big Tech scandals, it was the year of Musk’s disgrace, it was the year of Tesla’s redemption, it was the year of shitcoin justice, it was definitely not the year of AR or VR, it was the dumbest timeline, it was the spring of stanning, it was the winter of wtf.

It was, in short, a year tailor-made for The Jons, an annual award celebrating tech’s more dubious achievers, named, in an awe-inspiring fit of humility, after myself. So let’s get to it! With very little further ado, I give you: the fourth annual Jon Awards for Dubious Technical Achievement!

(The Jons 2015) (The Jons 2016) (The Jons 2017)

THE FEET AND LEGS AND TORSO OF CLAY AWARD FOR SUDDEN REGRESSION TO THE MEAN

To Elon Musk, who in the past year went from (in many eyes) “messiah who could do no wrong” to “man who has paid a $20 million fine and stepped down as chairman in order to settle with the SEC regarding allegations of tweeted fraud; been sued for very publicly accusing a stranger of pedophilia with no evidence; feuded with Azealia Banks; been roundly criticized for the conditions in Tesla’s factories; and been pilloried (though also, and to my mind more accurately, tentatively praised) for his new Boring Tunnel.” Don’t have heroes, kids.

THE BUT ON THE OTHER HAND THERE ARE ALL THOSE SHINY NEW ELECTRIC CARS AWARD FOR ATTEMPTED DOOMSAYING

Surprisingly, despite the previous award, this one goes to the herds of bears who spent much of the year claiming that Tesla’s imminent doom and bankruptcy would become obvious and indisputable any day now. The roars of the bears seem to have grown much quieter of late, probably because the Model 3’s production rate has rocketed from 1,000 per week at the start of the year to 1,000 per day of late. No mean feat on the part of Tesla employees.

THE YES BUT THE DIFFERENCE IS THE RUSSIANS KNOW IT’S DISINFORMATION AWARD FOR BAD OPSEC

To Donald Trump, who apparently continues to use an insecure iPhone which the Chinese and Russians listen in on. The good news? Officials have “confidence he was not spilling secrets because he rarely digs into the details of the intelligence he is shown and is not well versed in the operational specifics of military or covert activities.” Put less diplomatically, the President of the United States doesn’t pay enough attention to briefings to have any important secrets to share. Nothing to worry about there! Trump responded by tweeting a denial, saying he only had a “seldom used government cell phone” … from the iOS Twitter app.

THE YOU MUST ADMIT I WAS AT LEAST RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING BEING DIFFERENT NOW AWARD FOR BUBBLY BITCOIN PREDICTIONS

It’s too easy and obvious to give this award to John McAfee, who I suspect of actually angling for a Jon year after year. And as a believer that cryptocurrencies have long-term importance, I’m not going to award anyone for their less-outlandish-than-McAfee medium-term beliefs. So this award goes to Bitcoin uberbull Tom Lee, who claimed Bitcoin would end the year at $15,000 … in the second half of November. There’s a point you almost have to admire; the point at which hype becomes delusion.

THE SURE BUT IT’S A MORE CONNECTED KIND OF MISERY, EXPLOITATION, AND DISINFORMATION AWARD FOR DESTROYING THE GLOBAL VILLAGE IN ORDER TO SAVE IT

Not to Mark Zuckerberg, actually, whose company has, in its zeal for connecting the world, and its belief that this is always and automatically a good thing, amplified genocide, provided a platform for manipulation and disinformation which may have helped tip the Brexit referendum, and 2016 presidential election (both of which were admittedly so close that there were probably dozens of aspects which “helped tip” them) and is increasingly widely viewed as a significant net negative for the world thanks to its business model of incentivizing “engagement” above all else. He’d be a worthy recipient, but this goes to Sheryl Sandberg, for epitomizing Facebook leadership’s thin-skinned tunnel vision wherein they automatically suspect anyone who criticizes Facebook of having a bad-faith ulterior motive, when she “asked Facebook’s communications staff to research George Soros’s financial interests in the wake of his high-profile attacks on tech companies.”

THE PICK A HORSE ANY HORSE BUT LOOK JUST ONE HORSE AWARD FOR OXYMORONISM IN THE FACE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

To everyone — especially journalists and media executives — who thinks that the big social-media companies are too powerful and that tech companies should exercise more control over the dissemination of public speech, and/or to everyone who says that the big social-media companies shouldn’t ever censor while being perfectly aware that they are already exercising control over the dissemination of public speech via their timeline algorithms. There are many, many copies of this particular award to go around.

(Note that there are at least two intellectually consistent approaches here: one is to be explicitly supportive of social media companies moderating speech; another is to favor non-algorithmic, non-amplifying, non-optimized-for-engagement, strict-chronological feeds)

THE COMETH THE HOUR, COMETH THE SPECTACULARLY OUT-OF-TOUCH COVEN OF CLUELESS OLD WHITE MEN AWARD FOR REMINDING US THAT SOMETIMES THE CURE IS WORSE THAN THE DISEASE

To the members of the United States Congress, both houses, for making Mark Zuckerberg and Sundar Pichai seem cuddly, friendly, wise, warm, human, plugged-in, and in-touch with the common man and woman, by comparison with their unbelievably clueless question. Who can forget “Senator, we sell ads,” and/or “Congressman, iPhone is made by a different company”?

THE STREET FINDS ITS OWN DISUSES FOR THINGS AWARD FOR BOOTLEG URBAN RENEWAL

To Lime, Bird, and the other scooter companies whose products have spent the year being thrown by the dozen into Lake Merritt in the heart of Oakland, presumably with the collective intent of turning that empty water into reclaimed land, just as downtown San Francisco is built on the carcasses of sailing ships from the 49er gold rush.

THE OONTZ OONTZ OONTZ TRONC TRONC TRONC AWARD FOR FINALLY GETTING THAT THE JOKE WAS ON THEM

To Tribune Publishing, until recently known as Tronc, for reminding us of their unbelievably terrible name when they finally — finally! — decided to abandon it in favor of something not risible. A small silver second-place award goes to Oath, the owner of TechCrunch, for thereby rising to the top of the “Worst Media Company Name” rankings.

THE SOMETIMES NOTHING IS A REAL COOL HAND AWARD FOR DOING NOTHING BECAUSE NOTHING WAS NECESSARY

To Twitter, who, when noted far-right wacko Laura Loomer handcuffed herself to Twitter’s NYC building after she was permanently banned by them for hate speech, responded by — brilliantly — doing nothing at all. They did not ask the police to remove her. They did not press charges. They ignored her completely. And Loomer went from “she will not remove the handcuffs until CEO Jack Dorsey reinstates her account” to “After several hours of complaining about the cold, Loomer eventually requested to be removed from the door.”

THE COME ON NOW DON’T BE EVIL WAS A LONG TIME AGO AWARD FOR REDEFINING GOOGLEY

To Google, obviously, for being forced to come to terms with what sure looks from the outside like a culture of pervasive sexual harassment by a massive employee walkout in the same year its plans for a new censorship-friendly China search engine leaked. Look not for the trigram in thy brother’s eye, etc.

THE CENTRAL CASTING MAD SCIENTIST AWARD FOR BRINGING US THE DYSTOPIA WE DESERVE

To He Jiankui, the self-funded doctor who apparently brought us the world’s first two human babies genetically edited via CRISPR, without letting anything like an ethics review board, a well-considered benefit/risk ratio, the pre-existence of well-established less-dangerous ways to achieve the allegedly desired result, or anything else stand in his way. But then, if he had, that wouldn’t really have captured the 2018zeitgeist, would it?

THE WHAT ARE THE NEW RUULES AWARD FOR MAKING NICOTINE MORALLY AMBIGUOUS AGAIN

To Juul, which has made a ridiculous boatload of money and more importantly made a lot of people seem very silly as they moral-panic about vaping as if it is the same as smoking, and others seem just as silly as they moral-panic about that moral panic as if vaping has been guaranteed on stone tablets to have no deleterious side effects at all. Where is the nuanced middle? Ah, let’s not kid ourselves, it’s 2018, no one cares about the nuanced middle any more. Bring on the outrage!

THE LISTEN UP YOUNG WHIPPERSNAPPER I WAS THE CEO OF A CYBERSECURITY FIRM AND THE PRESIDENT’S CYBERSECURITY ADVISOR I’LL HAVE YOU KNOW AWARD FOR NOT ACTUALLY KNOWING ANYTHING AT ALL ABOUT HOW TO CYBER THE CYBER. CYBER!

To Rudy Giuliani, who really was the CEO of a cybersecurity firm (Cyber!) and really was the president’s cybersecurity advisor (Cyber! Cyber!) and yet, as shown by his bewildering yet hilarious accusations that one of his tweets was sabotaged by Twitter, does not actually understand the Internet at all. Or, we may presume, the cyber. Cyber!

THE LOOK WE’RE ONLY A $30B COMPANY HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO KEEP TRACK OF ALL THESE LITTLE DETAILS AWARD FOR FORCING PEOPLE TO INTERACT WITH OTHERS NEARBY

To Ericsson, who accidentally disabled phone service for hours for tens of millions of people around the globe because it failed to renew a (presumably TLS) software certificate used by its switching services ahead of its expiry. You can get those for free and automatically these days, btw. Never mind the cyber (Cyber!) attackers; it’s malingering incompetence that will get us all in the end. Speaking of which …

THE WHO COULD POSSIBLY HAVE IMAGINED THAT SUCH A THING WOULD HAPPEN OR IF IT DID THAT WE WOULD RESPOND TO IT IN ALL THE WORST POSSIBLE WAYS AWARD FOR A REPERTOIRE OF PANICKED FLAILING INEPTITUDE WORTHY OF ARTHUR DENT

To the authorities at Gatwick university, who first shut down one of the busiest airports in Europe for almost a day and a half during the pre-Christmas rush because there were reports of drones seen over its runways; then said they couldn’t possibly shoot down those drones for fear the stray bullets might harm someone; then conceded the possibility that there were no drones at all (though it seems like there probably were); then arrested a couple who turned out to be completely innocent; then reopened the airport with no resolution but that of the installation of an expensive new anti-drone system and the discovery of a single, untraced, damaged drone. This dithering paralysis raises many terrifying questions. I have two in particular. One: the people in charge of Gatwick — again, one of Europe’s biggest and busiest airports — never done any threat modelling / scenario analysis / contingency planning at all? And two: how many minutes-rather-than-hours would this shutdown have lasted if it had happened at a major airport in, say, Texas, before the bullet-ridden carcasses of the drones in question were dragged off the runway? I guess we’ll never know. But it gives me a certain dubious pleasure to bequeath to Gatwick, an airport I have known and disliked for many years, this year’s Jon of Jons.

Congratulations, of a sort, to all the winners of the Jons! All recipients shall receive a bobblehead of myself made up as a Blue Man, as per the image on this post, which will doubtless become coveted and increasingly valuable collectibles. (And needless to say sometime next year they will become redeemable for JonCoin.) And, of course, all winners shall be remembered by posterity forevermore.

¹Bobbleheads shall only be distributed if and when available and convenient. The eventual existence of said bobbleheads is not guaranteed or indeed even particularly likely. Not valid on days named after Norse or Roman gods. All rights reserved, especially those rights about which we have reservations.

from TechCrunch https://tcrn.ch/2QWDYBv