VIDEO: STRANGEST COMPUTER DESIGNS OF THE 1990S

Nowadays we see computers with detachable screens, backflipping or other unusual designs. If you think they are out of the ordinary, take a look at this video from Lazy Game Reviews. It walks you through some of the weirdest and funkiest PCs (as well as interesting experiments) in the 1990s.

[Source: Lazy Game Reviews via YouTube.]

8 ANIMALS THAT CAN WALK ON WATER

8 Animals That Can Walk on Water
By Jill Harness, Oddee, 28 December 2015.

Nature is incredible and there are a lot of weird creatures in the animal kingdom. In fact, some have even adapted to walking on water. Here are some amazing creatures that can run, skim and walk on the surface of water.

1. Basilisk Lizard

Photo credit

The basilisk lizard, also known as the Jesus Christ lizard, escapes its predators by dropping from its treetop home and running across the surface of the river below. They can reach an impressive speed of over five feet per second for about a length of 15 feet.

The lizards have long toes with fringes of skin connecting them and rapidly smack their feet against the water to create an air pocket while running, which helps them stay afloat as long as they maintain their speed. When they do fall in, they can swim, but prefer running as they are also at risk of being eaten by water-dwelling animals.

2. Brazilian Pygmy Geckos

Photo source

This tiny lizard isn't just cute, it's also gifted. Between its low weight and hydrophobic skin, the gecko is easily able to walk along the surface of the water.

Because the gecko is so tiny (more so than many of the insects that live in the Amazon rain forest with them), it is at risk of drowning in even the smallest puddles - scientists believe this is how their ability to walk on water evolved.

3. Water Striders

Photo credit

Water striders - a.k.a. water bugs, Jesus bugs, pond skaters, and water skippers - are members of the Gerridae family of insects and are distinguished by their ability to walk on water.

They do so with hydrophobic legs that help increase surface tension on the water and equally distribute their weight on all legs. Their movements are also helped by sweeping their middle legs in a circle like rowboat oars, which propels them forward.

4. Fishing Spiders

Photo credit

Fishing spiders (a.k.a. raft spiders, dock spiders and wharf spiders) are semi-aquatic and live near pools and streams where they hunt for food. They wait by waterways until they detect ripples in the surface of the water and then run across it to subdue their prey. The water also helps them avoid predators since they can hide under the surface of it by encasing their bodies in small air bubbles. While most fishing spiders eat insects, some larger species can even catch and eat small fish, tadpoles and frogs.

Fishing spiders, like geckos, can travel on water because they are lightweight and covered in short, hydrophobic hairs. They sometimes sail along the water, standing with a few legs up in the air as the wind pushes them along the surface. Their short hairs also allow for air bubbles to form around their bodies when they hide under the surface. In fact, they are so buoyant that they need to hold on to something while under, or they will float right back to the surface and emerge totally dry. Some of the spiders can stay submerged for as long as half an hour. Some species, such as Dolomedes tenebrosus, is more frequently associated with wooded areas and are frequently found far away from water.

5. Dolphin

Photo credit

Without feet, it's hard to say that dolphins can actually "walk" on water, but they are famous for being able to dance above the waves with their tail fins. Unlike other animals that use their water-walking abilities for some evolutionary benefit, researchers believe that dolphins only do so for fun - the equivalent of humans dancing.

Interestingly, while dolphins are equipped with the ability to tail walk, they almost never do it in the wild unless they have been exposed to a once captive dolphin who was previously trained in the behaviour by humans.

6. Western and Clark's Grebes

Photo credit

Both the western and Clark's species of grebes have a unique and beautiful mating practice called "rushing" that involves them running along the water in pairs. The birds will lunge forward and rise to their feet with their wings beating non-stop. The couple then runs across the water in unison for up to 30 feet, taking as many as 22 steps a second.

The birds spend nearly their entire lives in the water and have short wings and sturdy legs that are terrible for walking on land, but great for their mating dance.

7. Storm Petrel

Photo credit

Unlike most of the other animals on this list, this bird doesn't walk on the surface of the water, though it does look like it. In reality, it hovers close to the surface, and eats and runs its feet along the water. The bird gets its name from Saint Peter, who is said to have walked on water.

Their legs are too weak to support the bird's weight for more than a few steps, meaning they can appear to walk further on water than they actually can on land.

8. A Heron on A Hippo

Photo source

Ok, herons can't walk on water, but the bird in this video sure looks like he can - until the hippo pops out above the surface showing us what's really going on here.

Sure, he might not be able to walk on water, but this is about as close he - and the rest of us - will ever get, so we might as well celebrate the illusion.

Top image: Basilisk lizard walking on water. Credit: Ted/Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0.

[Source: Oddee. Edited. Top image added.]

10 MOST SHOCKINGLY BARBARIC HOLIDAYS IN HISTORY

10 Most Shockingly Barbaric Holidays In History
By Derek Bramwell, Listverse, 28 January 2016.

Holidays can be a chore for many people. Spending money, visiting family, and attending multiple celebrations is not always fun. If we look at history, however, all of these complaints will dissolve into dust.

10. Childermass

Photo credit: Workshop of Peter Paul Rubens

Europeans in the Middle Ages took their holidays seriously. For example, Christmas wasn’t just celebrated on a single day. Instead, the entire 12 days of Christmas were observed, with each day representing a different Catholic belief.

These were days of merry festivities which gave overworked peasants the opportunity to relax. There was one day, however, that wasn’t so merry. Well, at least not for children.

Celebrated every December 28, Childermass (aka The Feast of The Holy Innocents) represented the killing of new-born boys by King Herod. According to the biblical story, King Herod got angry when he realized he had been tricked, so he ordered all new-born boys in Bethlehem to be slaughtered.

In the Middle Ages, parents wanted to make sure that their children understood the cruelty of King Herod. To remind them, children would be severely beaten during Childermass. Bright and early in the morning, kids were dragged out of bed and beaten to a pulp by their parents. These annual abuses were seen as the only real way to show them how much of a jerk Herod really was.

Thankfully, the barbaric Childermass celebration eventually started to change. In some European countries, the ritualistic beatings morphed into beating the last person out of bed. After the abuse, that person was forced to be the household slave for a day. In other areas, the whole family would just beat each other up.

Today, most Europeans would probably cringe at the idea of severely beating their kids every year. However, things are a little different in Eastern Europe. Slovakia and the Czech Republic celebrate their ritual beatings on Easter Sunday. Every year, young girls are whipped with willow branches and then drenched in ice-cold water. Supposedly, this makes them “youthful” and “strong.”

9. The Sharo Festival

The tribal Jafun Fulani people of Nigeria still inflict a torturous old ritual on young boys. Twice a year, boys are stripped shirtless and taken to an outdoor ring. Then they are severely beaten with whips by other boys of a similar age. For some time, they have to endure this ordeal while they gaze upon the girl they wish to marry. In this way, they are expected to “man up” and become eligible for marriage.

A young boy has a lot on the line with this ritual. If he flinches, he is deemed a coward and humiliated. On top of that, he may not be able to marry the girl of his dreams. All that pain would be for nothing. Typically, other members of the tribe also offer gifts to the boy as further incentives to show his unwavering bravery.

Most of the boys end up with huge scars for the rest of their lives. Undoubtedly, it is painful. But with the increasing spread of Islam in the region, this ritual is slowly starting to disappear. However, most of the Jafun Fulani still look upon this festival as having great importance.

8. The Flaying Of Men

Photo credit: Joseph Florimond, duc de Loubat

The Aztecs once celebrated an annual holiday that would make a good horror movie. Called Tlacaxipehualiztli (“the flaying of men“), this festival was held in honour of Xipe Totec (“Our Lord the Flayed One“), a central fertility god for the Aztecs. Scholars have noted that this was the biggest festival of the year for the Aztecs. It was also the bloodiest.

War captives across the kingdom were forced to take part in complex rituals. Several days later, they were sacrificed to Xipe Totec. Their hearts were torn from their living bodies and held up for everyone to see. Then the priests cut off and wore the skins of the victims. They did this with pride as they sung holy songs.

The Aztecs who wore these skins engaged in mock battles and demanded gifts from the villagers. During these activities, they carried the severed heads of the victims.

Blood was collected from some of the sacrificial victims, and their bodies were cut into pieces. Then these portions of flesh were eaten by the priests for religious power. This ritual continued for several days. When it was over, the skins were stored in a cave.

7. Thargelia

The ancient Athenians are known for their virtuous philosophy. They are less well-known, however, for their barbaric human sacrifice rituals. The festival of Thargelia was probably the worst one. It was held on the sixth and seventh days of the month of Thargelia - which is usually in late May on our calendar - for the purpose of making crops grow.

The Athenian community would pick two of its ugliest people. Then they would beat the victims’ genitals, drape them in fig leaves, and ritualistically banish these people from the city forever. On some occasions, these unfortunate folks were burned alive outside the city. Then the sacrificial ashes were thrown into the sea. The Athenians felt that this practice “purified” their city for a new harvest.

Oddly enough, the day after the sacrifice was the day for official adoption registrations. New parents hoping to adopt could do so after Athens sacrificed two innocent human beings. It was also a day of celebrations, processions, and offerings to the Greek gods and goddesses.

6. The New Fire Ceremony

Photo via Wikimedia

The Aztecs believed that the world would end every 52 years unless they saved it through a complex, gruesome ritual called the New Fire Ceremony.

Every 52 years, Aztec villagers meticulously cleaned their houses and destroyed their most treasured possessions. All fires in the Aztec kingdom were allowed to burn out. This paved the way for the “new fire,” which the Aztecs believed would keep the world going for another 52 years.

The priests dressed up in robes with the symbols of their gods. Then they cut open the chest of a victim and started a fire inside it. After that fire was lit, the victim was thrown into a larger fire. People cheered and celebrated as they watched this horrific ritual.

After the celebration, men holding torches started fires throughout the kingdom. This was symbolic of the “new fire” which spread throughout the world. Knowing that the Earth would still exist, the Aztecs felt much safer after this ceremony.

5. Day Of The Skulls

Indigenous Bolivians engage in an ancient death ritual every November 8. Since before Columbus, the Day of The Skulls has been a controversial melding of Roman Catholic and native Andean belief systems.

Participants take human skulls dug up from abandoned graveyards and heavily decorate them. The skulls are dressed up in flowers, jewellery, sunglasses, and just about anything else that can be found.

Then they are paraded around town in a community-wide celebration. Music is played for the skulls, and they are offered gifts. In general, the skulls are treated like royalty.

The Bolivians call these skulls natitas and give them major religious significance. They feel that the skulls are protective and bring good luck. For this reason, they regularly pray to the skulls using Christian-style prayers.

The Catholic Church denounces the ritual and has repeatedly asked the Bolivians to stop these celebrations. But the Bolivians refuse the church’s requests and continue to pray to the skulls for assistance.

4. Dies Sanguinis

Photo credit: Rembrandt

One of the most shocking holidays came from a Roman cult. Every year on March 24, followers of the Roman war goddess Bellona engaged in horrifying rituals to show their submission. This festival was called Dies Sanguinis (“Day of Blood“).

The priests of Bellona would cut open their arms and legs, collect the blood, and drink it. The blood was also ceremoniously sprinkled upon images of the gods. The lower clergy would do the same, as well as dance, sing, and play music. They felt that this would give them strength and war-like abilities.

Some devotees went even further. To show their reverence for the severed penis of the Roman god Attis, they would castrate themselves with flint rocks. These people felt that Attis had made a huge sacrifice for humanity by cutting off his own penis, so they naturally wanted to “pay it forward.”

3. The Tinku Festival

Every year, the native Macha people of Bolivia get together to beat each other up in a ritual celebration called Tinku (“Encounter”). It is an ancient practice that predates the arrival of Columbus.

First, the villagers consume copious amounts of liquor for several days. Then they sacrifice a llama and do a few dances. After the rituals have been completed and everyone is drunk, they all start fighting each other.

Young, old, male, and female - they all beat each other up in the name of peace. The purpose is to dispel any anger that they might have toward each other. That way, fights don’t happen during the rest of the year.

Invariably, the ground becomes bloody, and people are often killed. Villagers see the blood as a symbol of fertility and feel that Tinku promotes a good harvest. In the past, dead bodies have been eaten as a religious part of the practice.

Today, there are police on-site as well as tourists with cameras in hand. Several changes have occurred in the ancient ritual, with reports that it has been toned down because of all the foreign exposure.

2. Shiites’ Day of Ashura

The Day of Ashura means different things to Sunni and Shia Muslims. The Sunnis see it as the day that the Jews were set free by the pharaoh in Egypt. For them, it is a great celebration. The Shiites, however, see it as the day that Husayn ibn ‘Ali (a descendant of Muhammad) died. To commemorate this story, they engage in a 1,300-year-old bloody ritual.

It begins with Shia Muslims gathering publicly on the 10th day of Muharram (an Islamic month). They cut their heads with swords, whip themselves with chains, and mourn Husayn’s death. By the end, the streets are filled with blood, and the participants are usually covered in it. Children and infants are often forced to participate.

In recent years, the self-harm has been denounced by most Shiite leaders. Instead, they promote the donation of blood. However, thousands of Shiite Muslims worldwide still prefer marching around the streets covered in their own blood.

1. The Gadhimai Festival

Perhaps the biggest and saddest waste of animal life occurred during the Gadhimai festival. Every five years, Nepal hosted the world’s largest mass slaughter in the name of religion. Hundreds of devotees would gather to appeal to the Hindu goddess Gadhimai for good fortune by slaughtering thousands upon thousands of animals.

Countless animals - ranging from water buffalo to rats - were gathered for the festival. Then the participants went around with machetes and killed every last one of them. Thousands of animal carcasses littered the landscape, all for the purpose of receiving “good fortune.”

It is estimated that 500,000 animals were slaughtered in the 2014 Gadhimai festival. Fortunately, after 250 years, this ritual killing was finally banned in 2015. Balinese authorities and the ritual temple promise that the next festival in 2019 will be far different.

Top image: The Gadhimai Festival. Credit: Kinship Circle.

[Source: Listverse. Edited. Top image added.]

9 MUCH-HYPED TECH FEATURES THAT AREN'T WORTH THE MONEY

9 Much-Hyped Tech Features That Aren't Worth the Money
By Evan Dashevsky, PC Magazine, 27 January 2016.

Tech companies go to great lengths to foster the illusion that they are not actually tech companies. They would rather you believe they are just a merry band of dedicated craftspeople bonded by the single-minded pursuit of delivering to you - their beloved customer - a magical gadget that will improve your life in every way.

To be sure, tech companies do invest a lot of time and resources creating their products. But let us never lose sight that tech companies are not in this for the love. They are not your family. They are not your friends. They are amoral, for-profit entities whose whole raison d'etre is to part you from your money.

Each time these companies introduce a new product, they hope it will compel you to head down to Best Buy and fork over hundreds - if not thousands - of your hard-earned dollars. Whether that device actually ends up improving your life in some meaningful way afterwards is no longer their concern.

Tech companies are under pressure to constantly deliver newer, better products. But sometimes, their R&D teams just aren't able to deliver bona fide magical new features. But that sure won't stop them from attempting to convince you otherwise (and will probably try to make you pay more for it in the process)!

There are dozens of examples of needless flourishes that are very specific to particular brands, but we've isolated nine that we see again and again across the board. Don't fall for it, people.

Newer, bigger, better is all well and good. Just don't make us pay extra for it.

1. Fancy Phone Designs

Sorry, Jony Ive. All those sleepless hours spent perfecting the iPhone's sinewy rounded corners and Apple-worthy hues were for naught, you design nerd! According a 2013 report from consumer data firm NPD, 75 percent of phone users - wisely - use phone covers, effectively nullifying all those minute design obsessions.

A smartphone is a not-insignificant financial investment; you'd be foolish not to protect it from the bumps, scratches, and occasional oops that will most-definitely befall it. Apple certainly isn't the only company that uses external phone design as a selling point. Remember when the original HTC One made the jump to its much-hyped all-metal exterior? But once a case comes into play, your phone's exterior will be seen about as much as its interior. Do you want to pay a premium for that?

2. 'Exclusive' Video Game Titles

When you buy an "EXCLUSIVE" video game for your console, there are probably some additional caveats out there you should be aware of. Microsoft and Sony are so caught up in their own console war that they often choose to forget non-console platforms. For example, the box art for Street Fighter V includes the designation "PS4 CONSOLE EXCLUSIVE GAME," but neglects to mention that the game is also available for PC via Steam. So, while SFV is indeed not available on the Xbox, it can be played on Windows and Linux PCs.

Often, console titles listed as "exclusives" neglect to include the PC versions. It's not "lying" as much as it's massaging the truth by ignoring some key details.

3. Large Megapixel Cameras

One of the most direct ways to discern the quality of a digital camera is to compare megapixel counts, right? As it turns out, not so much.

Let's start by defining "megapixels." The prefix mega = one million, so megapixels equals the number of millions of pixels a camera sensor can capture for a particular image (i.e. a 10-megapixel image contains 10 million pixels, an 18-megapixel image contains 18 million, etc.) But there's more to great photos than just numbers.

While megapixel counts on phones can contribute to better images, they only matter up to a point. When you look at an image on your tiny phone display or print it out, millions of extra pixels cease making a difference. So, insane megaxpixel counts end up being of little use to the average consumer. "Camera megapixel count above eight is often a red herring," according to our lead mobile analyst, Sascha Segan. "Especially on phones, optics and image processing matter so much more. The debate between 12-, 13-, and 16- megapixel cameras actually means little or nothing to real life use."

4. Smartphone Display Pixel Density

I predict that if any readers feel compelled to leave comments disagreeing with any points in this story, this will probably be the point that prompts them to do so: Pixel densities on smartphones are WAY overrated - after a certain point. I know there are people out there who swear that ever-increasing pixel counts on displays truly make a difference (some in this very office). I respectfully disagree.

I think that tiny smartphone displays reached peak "good enough" a few years ago when Apple introduced the 300ppi Retina display. And since then, there has been an escalating spec war in which each new salvo has failed to impress me in any meaningful way.

I'm currently rocking a Galaxy S5 with a 432ppi display. And it's great! I've seen its direct descendant, the Galaxy S6's far beefier 577ppi display and managed to not be blown away. I certainly don't mind having extra pixels, but I can't help but imagine what kind of explosive phone performance I'd have if my next-gen processor wasn't spending its resources with all those additional (and frankly unnecessary) pixels.

And it appears that Samsung may come around to my side of things - the recently leaked Galaxy S7 specs show that Samsung has opted not to pack in any more pixels into its next-generation flagship. This is a wise move IMHO. If it's true, the S7 and it's next-gen processor will be able to create a far slicker experience.

5. Automaker In-Dash Systems

By all accounts, Android Auto and Apple's CarPlay are capable on-the-road ecosystems, now that they're finally available. Some major automakers have accepted the fact that Google and Apple can probably handle UX better than they can, and have started incorporating these systems into their cars. But not all of them.

In particular, Toyota and Ford are attempting to avoid Big Tech's intrusion on their turf. These systems from Detroit may one day end up being as good as those from Silicon Valley, but I have my doubts. So, to all the automakers out there, Apple and Google know how to do software and interface - please stop wasting your time attempting to do your own thing (or, at least, don't expect us to pay extra for it).

6. Millimetres of Thinness

Remember those Apple TV ads that showed how the iPad Air was thinner than a No. 2 pencil? The reveal promo for the iPad Air 2, which debuted the following year, showed a pencil being sliced length-wise with a laser to showcase how this new generation was even thinner (0.29 inches versus 0.24 inches to be exact.) I actually have an Air 2 and am very happy with it. But I was by no means burdened by that extra .05 inches of thickness.

Many mobile manufacturers are quick to brag about how they are able to shave off millimetres of size. And when it comes to mobile, smaller and lighter tends to be better - certainly compared to the clunky mobile devices of old. But we hit "good enough" territory many years ago. I don't need my devices to be any thinner - I'd much prefer manufacturers make better use of the space they have to make the thing run even better for longer.

7. Not Everything Needs to Be Connected

The jury is still out on whether the public is ready to trust a smart house hooked into the Internet of Things. But that hasn't stopped a small army of upstart manufacturers from attempting to get their ticket on the connected train.

To be sure, there are some very cool "connected" products out there (even if they are still figuring out that whole security thing), but not everything needs to be hooked into the Matrix. There is not yet a compelling reason for the smart toilet to exist. We may one day want the ability to control our toilet seat's temperature remotely through an app, but that time is not now.

It's okay for some things to remain analogue.

8. Special Editions

Do yourself a favour and DON'T download that extended "Unrated" version of that comedy you like. You may think it will contain some real raunchy stuff that kept things a little too real for the MPAA ratings board. It doesn't. It just has some additional scenes that were left out of the final cut (oftentimes, with good reason), and the studio didn't get the new edit officially re-rated. (Probably so they could push the new "Unrated" cut to fools like YOU.) Don't fall for it.

Also, DON'T pay extra to stream or download that Re-mastered album from your favourite band. It will sound exactly the same as the version you're used to (in fact, there's a real possibility it will sound worse).

Basically any "special editions" you see out there are (often) cynical attempts to get you to purchase or rent an album or movie a second time.

9. 8K TVs (Jumping in Early)

I've made my case against the escalating pixel wars earlier in this piece. So, I feel obligated to jump in the next chapter a bit early. While the price on 4K TVs are coming down, the next format is already being prepared: 8K. 8K is a resolution standard that has twice as many pixels as 4K and four times as many as HD. That's a lot of pixels!

There are some ludicrously expensive 8K displays already for sale. And even if you had the money to purchase a functioning 8K TV, it'd be a waste - there's no content for it (there's still a limited supply of 4K content right now).

To be sure, we'll start seeing consumer-grade 8K TVs and content within the next 10 years. But I'll take a stand now. I've seen 4K TVs, and they're all right. It hasn't made me contemplate breaking my HDTV just so I'll have an excuse to buy one.

[Source: PC Magazine. Edited.]

VIDEO: STUNNING VIEW OF ONE DAY ON EARTH FROM SPACE

Seeing One Day Pass on Earth from Space Is Beyond Stunning
By Casey Chan, Sploid, 27 January 2016.

This is what one day looks like on Earth from space. The footage condenses 24 hours of imagery from Japan’s Himawari-8 satellite into 12 seconds and shows us how the our beautiful blue marble peels itself from the darkness in unbelievable detail. The reveal of Earth is just beyond words. No planet is as beautiful as Earth and videos like this where we see Van Gogh in the moving clouds mixed with the colors of our land mass projected against the blue, no other planet even comes close.

Geo de Graff writes:

Japan’s Himawari-8 satellite is in stationary orbit over New Guinea where it captures some truly amazing imagery of the Earth. Every day the satellite captures imagery of the western Pacific, Australia, and parts of Asia, Antarctica & Alaska.

Glittering Blue is a video of Himawari 8's imagery from just one day. The video shows 24 hours of imagery from August 3rd 2015 in 12 seconds. What makes Glittering Blue stand out is its sheer size, which really showcases the amazing quality of Himawari-8's imagery.

To see Glittering Blue in an even more stunning resolution, click here.

[Source: Sploid.]

INFOGRAPHIC: AROUND THE WORLD IN WEIRD CRISP FLAVOURS

Around the World in Weird Crisp Flavours
By Express Vending, 26 January 2016.

It’s come to our attention that Americans may be slightly confused when it comes to their potato-based snack terminology.

Here in Great Britain crisps are a tasty sandwich-side treat. They’re rounded, thin, and usually flavoured. British ‘chips’ on the other hand are a thicker, oblong in shape, served hot, and usually reserved to sit beside either battered fish or, if no battered fish can be found, a burger. Salt, ketchup, mayonnaise, curry sauce, and gravy can all be added top at the eater’s discretion.

Across the pond however, British ‘Crisps’ are confusingly referred to as ‘Chips’, while British ‘Chips’ are called ‘French Fries’. Except when they’re called ‘Freedom Fries’.

The earliest known mention of this-potato-based-snack dates to 1822 in an English cookbook called ‘The Cook’s Oracle’. William Kitchiner, the book’s author, wasn’t very good at names either and simply left them as ‘Potatoes Fried in Slices or Shavings.’

Not content with renaming the snack, Americans also claim to have invented it, only 31 years after it was invented in England, in 1853. The American origin story suggests that a fussy eater in Saratoga Springs, New York forced one George Crum into creating the thinnest fried potatoes he could.

It all boils down to whether or not one considers a quarter of an inch thickness (Kitchiner’s suggestion) to be a valid this-potato-based-snack. What a conundrum.

Regardless of the Anglo-American debate, a world exists beyond the English speaking world. A world, as our graphic below reveals, is tasty in all sorts of weird ways:

[Source: Express Vending.]