Queen rockstar unleashes badass space song about mysterious world of Ultima Thule

Queen rocker Brian May used to beg his parents to stay up late, so he could learn about the stars.

Now six decades later, the guitar legend turned astrophysicist has released an arena rock song composed for both the farthest away object humanity has ever visited — Ultima Thule — and the spacecraft sent to scour this distant world, NASA's New Horizons probe. 

"This mission is about human curiosity — the need for mankind to go out there and explore what makes the universe tick," May said Monday at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland, site of the New Horizons headquarters. 

"I hope you will enjoy it," added May, who released the song two minutes after midnight local time, during the first minutes of the 2019. "I hope it's worthy of this amazing cause."  Read more...

More about Space, Science, Queen, Brian May, and Ultima Thule
via IFmashable.com

'Stranger Things' rings in the New Year with a Season 3 release date

Stranger Things is kicking off the New Year in style. 

At the stroke of midnight (East Coast time) on New Year's Day, Netflix dropped a video announcement for the next season of the series.

The teaser looks like an old Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve clip, but distortion quickly sets in, and a date is revealed: July 4, 2019.  Read more...

More about Stranger Things, Entertainment, and Movies Tv Shows
via IFmashable.com

'Stranger Things' season three arrives July 4th

While we rang in 2019 on the East Coast, Netflix decided it was time to drop a new detail about one of its most-anticipated series, Stranger Things. An 80s-era rendition of Dick Clark's New Year's Eve broadcast revealed a premiere date for the show's third season: July 4th, 2019. Since you've probably seen the show you can expect that celebrations won't go exactly according to plan, while key art and the teaser trailer drop in a "One summer can change everything" tag line.

See you on Independence Day!

JULY 4 pic.twitter.com/UX9M1L02rd

— Stranger Things (@Stranger_Things) January 1, 2019

Source: Stranger Things (Twitter), Stranger Things (Netflix)

via engadget.com

Verizon deal averts blackout of Disney, ESPN channels on FiOS

As 2019 is about to arrive in the US, there was one major potential TV blackout looming, with a TV deal between Disney and Verizon (the owner of Engadget's parent company) due to expire. Over the weekend, however, the two reached a new agreement, so Disney and ESPN channels will stay on the air for FiOS customers going forward. The only statement released said the two "have reached a broad-based distribution agreement. Details will be released in the coming days."

With networks like Verizon rolling out different types of TV setups -- like the 5G service available in certain areas that comes with YouTube TV and Apple TV boxes -- it's not surprising the two could have issues seeing eye to eye. At the same time, Disney is expanding direct-to-customer offerings with the upcoming Disney+ streaming service and the already-available ESPN+. We'll have to wait and see if all of the channels remain on the same packages, or if prices go up to keep those channels in the bundle, however Bloomberg reports that Disney won a price increase for its channels.

Similarly, Cox and Nexstar reached a last minute deal to keep several networks on the air in specific markets, however Verizon did not reach a deal with TEGNA, so networks it owns in Washington D.C., Buffalo, NY and Norfolk, VA went dark at 5 PM ET. In a statement, TEGNA said it " has worked hard to reach a fair, market-based agreement with Verizon in Washington, D.C. (WUSA), Norfolk, VA (WVEC) and Buffalo, NY (WGRZ). We have successfully reached hundreds of deals with cable and satellite providers across the country with no disruption of service, so we are disappointed we could not reach a deal with Verizon."

Source: Verizon

via engadget.com

What's on TV: NYE, 'A Series of Unfortunate Events,' and 'Young Justice'

After the various New Year's Eve countdowns lead us into 2019, Netflix will kick off the year with its latest season of A Series of Unfortunate Events, as well as Tidying Up with Marie Kondo -- if you're looking for a fresh start then that's your show. The Rock's reality competition show Titan Games starts this week, and DC's streaming service has a new season of Young Justice. Finally, on Sunday night after the bowl games are mostly over NBC will air The 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Look after the break to check out each day's highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).

Blu-ray & Games & Streaming

• Bad Times at the El Royale (4K)
• Night School (4K)
• Ken Burns: The Civil War
• A.X.L.
• Bluefin
• Tell Them Willie Boy is Here
• Don't Sink (Switch)
• Dreamwalker (Switch)
• Xenon Valkyrie+ (Switch)
• Legendary Eleven (Xbox One)
• Fitness Boxing (Switch)
• The Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human (Switch)

Monday

• Taylor Swift Reputation Stadium Tour, Netflix, 3 AM
• Dick Clark's Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2019 Part 1, ABC, 8 PM
• Fox New Year's Eve with Steve Harvey Part 1, Fox, 8 PM
• A Toast to 2018, NBC, 8 PM
• Dick Clark's Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2019 Part 2, ABC, 10 PM
• Fox New Year's Eve with Steve Harvey Part 2, Fox, 11 PM
• Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2019, ABC, 11:30 PM
• NBC's New Year's Eve, NBC, 11:30 PM

Tuesday

• Tidying Up with Marie Kondo (S1), Netflix, 3 AM
• Comedians of the World (S1), Netflix, 3 AM
• A Series of Unfortunate Events (S3), Netflix, 3 AM
• Pinky Malinky, Netflix, 3 AM
• Fiesta Bowl: LSU vs. UCF, ESPN, 1 PM
• Rose Bowl: Washington vs. Ohio State, ESPN, 5 PM
• Doctor Who, BBC America, 8 PM
• Lethal Weapon (winter premiere), Fox, 8 PM
• Sugar Bowl: Texas vs. Georgia, ESPN, 8:45 PM
• The Gifted (winter premiere), Fox, 9 PM
• Life Below Zero, NBC, 9 PM
• Inside the NFL, Showtime, 9 PM
• The Profit, CNBC, 10 PM

Wednesday

• Call My Agent! (S3), Netflix, 3 AM
• Grown-ish (Season premiere), Freeform, 8 PM
• Catfish, MTV, 9 PM
• The Masked Singer (series premiere), Fox, 9 PM
• Nova (Season premiere), PBS, 9 PM
• Vikings, History, 9 PM
• Seal Team (winter premiere), CBS, 9 PM
• Criminal Minds (winter premiere), CBS, 10 PM
• True Life/Now (series premiere), MTV, 10 PM

Thursday

• Tell Me A Story (season finale), CBS All Access, 3 AM
• Gotham (season premiere), Fox, 8 PM
• The Big Bang Theory (winter premiere), CBS, 8 PM
• The Titan Games (series premiere), NBC, 8 PM
• Young Sheldon (winter premiere), CBS, 8:30 PM
• The Last Days of JFK Jr., ABC, 9 PM
• The Orville, Fox, 9 PM
• Surviving R. Kelly (series premiere), Lifetime, 9 & 10 PM
• Star Trek: Short Treks (season finale), CBS All Access, 9:30 PM
• S.W.A.T. (winter premiere), CBS, 10 PM
• The Blacklist (season premiere), NBC, 10 PM

Friday

• Beautiful Boy, Amazon Prime, 3 AM
• El Potro: Unstoppable, Netflix, 3 AM
• And Breathe Normally, Netflix, 3 AM
• Lionheart, Netflix, 3 AM
• Young Justice (season premiere), DC Universe, 3 AM
• Fresh Off the Boat (winter premiere), ABC, 8 PM
• Macgyver (winter premiere), CBS, 8 PM
• Saving My Baby, Lifetime Movie Network, 8 PM
• The Cool Kids (winter premiere), Fox, 8:30 PM
• Speechless (winter premiere), ABC, 8:30 PM
• The Blacklist, NBC, 9 PM
• The Hollywood Walk of Fame Honors, CW, 9 PM
• Hawaii Five-0 (winter premiere), CBS, 9 PM
• Surviving R. Kelly, Lifetime, 9 & 10 PM
• Blue Bloods (winter premiere), CBS, 10 PM
• Ron Funches: Giggle Fit, Comedy Central, 11 PM

Saturday

• Colts/Texans AFC Wild Card, ESPN, 4:30 PM
• Seahawks/Cowboys NFC Wild Card, Fox, 8:15 PM
• Surviving R. Kelly (season finale), Lifetime, 9 & 10 PM

Sunday

• The 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards, NBC, 8 PM
• God Friended Me (winter premiere), CBS, 8 PM
• The Simpsons (winter premiere), Fox, 8 PM
• Outlander, Starz, 8 PM
• Bob's Burgers (winter premiere), Fox, 8:30 PM
• Family Guy (winter premiere), Fox, 9 PM
• NCIS: LA (winter premiere), CBS, 9 PM
• Counterpart, Starz, 9 PM
• Ray Donovan, Showtime, 9 PM
• Rel, Fox, 9:30 PM
• Madam Secretary (winter premiere), CBS, 10 PM
• Dirty John, Bravo, 10 PM

[All times listed are in ET]

via engadget.com

How to watch New Year's Eve 2019 countdowns online

If you'd rather stream New Year's Eve celebrations in North America than venture outside, you'll have plenty of options... including a novelty or two. The most notable example comes from Times Square itself, which will show the New York City ball drop for 2019 in all its glory. However, you can also watch well-known game streamer Ninja play in Times Square using Twitch. You're covered if Fortnite is more to your taste than champagne, in other words.

You can also watch the Times Square festivities from ABC, CNN and NBC through a variety of streaming TV services beyond their respective apps and pages. DirecTV Now, Hulu (with a live TV package), PlayStation Vue, Sling TV and YouTube TV can provide your fix.

You'll have more choices if you're not too attached to New York. Disney is streaming the New Year's Eve fireworks at its Magic Kingdom park. USA Today is broadcasting events from the around the world. And Canadians won't go without, either, as the CBC is airing countdowns across the country through its YouTube channel. All told, you won't be hurting for choice if you want something to watch when the clock strikes midnight.

Source: Times Square, Ninja (Twitch), Disney, Roku

via engadget.com

Beijing uses face-detecting smart locks to curb public housing abuses

China's ever-growing reliance on facial recognition is spreading to public housing. Beijing is ramping up the use of face-detecting smart locks in public housing projects to bolster security for tenants (such as denying access to strangers) and crack down on abuses like illegal sublets. It even asks management to check on senior residents if they haven't entered or left their homes after a certain period of time.

There are 47 projects using the technology as of the end of 2018, but the city now aims to have it in every project (serving about 120,000 tenants) by the end of June 2019.

As with other uses of facial recognition in the country, this convenience comes at a steep cost to privacy. The building owners know exactly when tenants enter or leave, and the restrictions on strangers could make it difficult to invite guests without the building's knowledge. And since this is public housing for low-income families, residents frequently won't have a choice but to live with this surveillance.

Source: South China Morning Post

via engadget.com

This 'Infinity War' tune was the throwback jam of 2018

2018 was a year that cried out for a simple, effervescent throwback tune we could use to forget our present troubles. No one could have guessed we'd find it in a movie that was all about the successful eradication of 50 percent of humanity. 

But that's exactly what happened this May when Avengers: Infinity War topped the movie charts, and sent a 42-year-old track bouncing up the music charts in its wake. With Infinity War newly available on Netflix as of last week, we're just a-movin' and a-groovin' to it all over again.

The track, of course, is "Rubberband Man" by the Detroit Spinners (full name, please, lest you confuse them with a contemporary British folk group). It's in the movie for less than 30 seconds, but leaves a hell of an impression — partly because its 1970s bass-twanging  intro perfectly announces the Guardians of the Galaxy, but mostly because Chris Pratt so utterly throws himself into TikTok-like lip syncing.  Read more...

More about Guardians Of The Galaxy, Motown, Avengers Infinity War, Infinity War, and Entertainment
via IFmashable.com

Mysterious deep space world Ultima Thule already looks weird — and we've only had a glimpse

Ultima Thule — an uncharted world over 4 billion miles away — is coming into view.

On Monday, planetary scientists released a fuzzy image of Ultima Thule, snapped the day prior by the New Horizons exploration spacecraft from some 1.2 million miles away. Previously, New Horizons swooped by Pluto in 2015, capturing the icy, mountainous world in unprecedented detail.

Increasingly rich, detailed images of Ultima will start arriving on January 2, but already the deep space object looks elongated, not round, said New Horizons deputy project scientist John Spencer from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, the Maryland headquarters of the New Horizons program. The program is a collaborative effort between NASA, the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), and the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, where scientists navigate and control the spacecraft. Read more...

More about Space, Nasa, Science, New Horizons, and Ultima Thule
via IFmashable.com

Nokia's five-camera phone will include an in-screen fingerprint reader

Thanks to some leaks, Nokia's five-camera smartphone is no longer a mystery -- and it might just be one of the more intriguing handsets of 2019. Well-known leaker Evan Blass and MySmartPrice have posted stills and videos of the Android One phone, now called the Nokia 9 PureView (yes, the PureView revival is real), and it's evident that the spider-like rear cameras aren't the only trick up the device's sleeve. It'll have an under-the-display fingerprint reader, for one thing. It'll still use the 2018-era Snapdragon 845 for a processor instead of the 855, but you can expect 6GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage, wireless charging and a 6-inch "2K" display with both HDR10 and a tall aspect ratio.

As for what that abundance of rear cameras will do? It ultimately appears to be an evolution of what you saw in PureView devices like the Lumia 1020. The five cameras will work in tandem to capture much more detail than usual, and "10X" the light of other smartphone cameras. This might be your pick if you want a camera-centric phone without spending a small fortune.

As for the public debut? Nokia Anew had rumored an introduction by late January, but that puts it awkwardly between CES earlier that month and Mobile World Congress later in February. It's entirely possible that Nokia will show off the 9 PureView at one of those two events, when more people are likely to pay attention.

Nokia 9 PureView "Beholder." HNY pic.twitter.com/x4Kh3anP46

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) December 31, 2018

Via: 9to5Google, The Verge

Source: Evan Blass (Twitter), MySmartPrice

via engadget.com

Taylor Swift was dubbed 2018's most influential person on Twitter

Taylor Swift was the most influential person on the platform, according to Brandwatch. Here's how the singer pulled it off, as well as who else on Twitter was highly influential this year.  Read more...

More about Twitter, Mashable Video, Taylor Swift, 2018, and Influencers
via IFmashable.com

FCC to suspend operations January 3rd unless funding resumes

It looks like the FCC will be joining the list of government offices that will shut down in light of the ongoing funding lapse. The commission released a statement today saying that if the partial funding lapse continues into January 3rd, it will initiate an "orderly shutdown of operations." The majority of the FCC's operations will be put on hold by mid-day Thursday if funding isn't resumed and employees will have four hours to complete the shutdown.

The commission said any work that's required for "the protection of life and property" will press on and since spectrum auctions are funded by auction proceeds, they'll continue as well. On Wednesday, the FCC plans to release a Public Notice that will describe what effects the shutdown will have on commission services like electronic filing and database systems, filing deadlines, regulatory and application fee payments, and transaction shot clocks, among others.

As the funding lapse became imminent, it wasn't clear when or if the FCC would suspend its operations as that's determined by the extent to which prior year funds are available. When those funds are unavailable or are used up during the course of a funding lapse, the FCC's policy is to furlough employees and begin a shutdown. The commission said on December 22nd that it would remain open at least through January 2nd. You can read the commission's full orderly shutdown plans here and Wednesday's notice will be available on the FCC's website.

Source: FCC

via engadget.com

Faraday Future comes crawling back to its main investor

Faraday Future is ending its very tumultuous year on a positive note... in a manner of speaking. The electric car startup has reached a restructuring deal with its main investor, Evergrande Health's Season Smart, that will put legal battles in the past and potentially keep the money flowing. The two sides have dropped their earlier contract, and Faraday has pulled litigation that tried to force Evergrande to cough up cash. The pact both lifts a hold on the EV maker's assets and removes limitations on its equity financing, theoretically freeing it to take on financing that just wasn't an option before.

It's not yet clear how this will affect furloughed employees, although their status likely depends on Faraday's ability to attract financing.

That's the real challenge. The company predicted a "breakthrough" in financing and said that investors "all over the world" have already been interested in equity deals. However, it's not clear that backers will necessarily flock to the company's side. It's still destined to burn cash for a long time even if the FF 91 proves a hit, and that still doesn't tackle issues like founder Jia Yueting's various offshore roles or the departure of key executives. While Faraday is no longer knocking on death's door, it's not guaranteed to enjoy a resurgence.

Source: Faraday Future (Twitter)

via engadget.com

5 things we'll miss about 2018

2018 was a pretty eventful year. Despite all the ups and downs, these are 5 things we are sure to look back on with nostalgia.  Read more...

More about Mashable Video, Beyonce, Ariana Grande, World Cup, and 2018
via IFmashable.com

'Fortnite' New Year's event forces players to dance when it turns 2019

If you're spending New Year's eve playing Fortnite, be prepared to party. Epic Games has set up an in-game event to celebrate the changing of the calendar by dropping a giant disco ball from the sky and forcing everyone on the map to dance. The event occurs every time the clock strikes midnight in a new time zone, so don't panic when you see the ball drop and you don't have a glass of champagne ready to go.

Here's how the ongoing in-game event works. When it's about to become January 1st somewhere in the world, a giant rift in the sky opens up above the map and a disco ball slowly descends from the sky. A countdown starts, and when it hits zero, fireworks are shot off and everyone is made to dance for about five seconds or so. It's basically like Epic Games is tossing a giant boogie bomb on everyone playing.

2019 NEW YEAR LEAKED!?!?! pic.twitter.com/T8t81LPEOQ

— dakotaz (@dakotaz) December 31, 2018

The event has been catching players off guard, with some theorizing it was a scheduling issue. Members of the Epic Games team have had to remind players that there are other time zones and it's already New Year's day in some places. "Woke up to learn that many Fortnite players are unaware of time zones," Nick Chester of Epic Games tweeted. "We're an educational and international game."

It's already New Years Eve in the Christmas Island, in the country of Kiribati and it will soon be New Years Eve in Fiji. https://t.co/pJKMaPIatB

— Mark Rein (@MarkRein) December 31, 2018

Woke up to learn that many Fortnite players are unaware of time zones. We're an educational and international game.

Happy New Year to you if you're already in 2019! https://t.co/CnqzyXfFE5

— Nick Chester (@nickchester) December 31, 2018

Via: Kotaku

Source: Nick Chester

via engadget.com

Amazon sends customer a picture of their package mid-air

As the holidays wrap up, so, too, do the constant deliveries. But not before one Reddit user got quite a surprise: Amazon's picture-proof alert for his delivery captured his package in mid-air, flying toward his front door. 

That's quite a toss, to be honest, and even better photo-capturing skills.

SEE ALSO: UPS delivery driver spots a doorbell camera and busts out a little dance

And for those skeptical that maybe the package is just wedged into the door for a unique perspective that simply makes it look like it's been thrown, well, the same Reddit user shared this video to support his claim. Read more...

More about Amazon, Reddit, Package Delivery, Culture, and Web Culture
via IFmashable.com

How terrifying is 'Bird Box'? Two scaredy-cats decide to find out

Netflix's new horror movie Bird Box has taken the internet by storm, which is a little surprising considering horror is really not for everyone.

It's especially not for us, two scaredy-cats who do not like to watch horror movies for the simple fact that we don't like to be scared. 

But with so much fervor swirling around Bird Box (over 45 million users have watched so far), we decided to give in to the hype for the sake of all the other wimps out there and see if Bird Box is actually too spooky.

Here are our impressions of Bird Box, which we both watched on a bright Monday morning.

SEE ALSO: Netflix's 'Bird Box' is blind to the issue of stigmatizing mental illness Read more...

More about Movies, Netflix, Bird Box, Entertainment, and Movies Tv Shows
via IFmashable.com

Google aims to fix laggy interface on Chrome OS tablets

Chrome OS tablets still have some problems, not the least of which is lag. Even if you buy a higher-end model like some configurations of Google's own Pixel Slate, there's a real chance you'll grapple with a sluggish, stuttery interface -- it's been bad enough to be a deal-breaker for some. Thankfully, Google feels your pain. Chrome Unboxed has discovered that Google hopes to address at least some of the lag that persists in tablet mode. As it turns out, there might be a (relatively) simple fix.

Developers noticed that a lot of lag in the tablet's overview mode stems from the performance-intensive way it draws rounded corners. When you take them away, performance jumps significantly even on the Celeron-based entry-level Pixel Slate. This might not solve every issue with lag, but it could at least improve the experience for tablet users who have to enter overview mode on a frequent basis.

Just when you might get a fix is another story. Google has labeled the lag issue as a high priority, but the discussion thread on the topic started in early November. A solution might not be right around the corner. If and when it does show up, though, it could be welcome for anyone who likes the thought of a Chrome OS tablet but wants software that lives up to the hardware's potential.

Via: Chrome Unboxed, 9to5Google

Source: Chromium Bugs

via engadget.com

Popsugar's Twinning app was leaking your photo, even if you didn't share it

If you spent anytime on the internet this holiday season, you likely saw friends and family sharing a photo matching their face with their celebrity look-alike. If they didn’t share the photo, it very likely was made publicly available anyway.

The Twinning app created by Popsugar has been inadvertently making the photos uploaded by its users publicly available via an unsecured web address where the pics were stored. 

TechCrunch discovered the data leak on Monday when it noticed an Amazon Web Services storage bucket URL in the source code of the Popsugar Twinning web app. A real-time photo stream of users uploading pics to the app was viewable when opening the AWS address in a web browser.  Read more...

More about Popsugar, Photo Apps, Data Leaks, Tech, and Social Media Companies
via IFmashable.com

We used Boring’s Not-A-Flamethrower to burn away the worst of 2018

As 2018 comes to a close, it’s hard not to look back at the year with some bitterness.

Okay, okay, 2018 wasn't complete trash for everyone. But for all the highs, there were an equal amount (if not more) lows that made the year kind of suck.

We're not here to be a Debbie Downer and dredge up all the bad moments 2018 threw at us, so instead we're using this very last day of the year to cleanse the past and ring in 2019 in Mashable style: by burning it all away 🔥.

Armed with our new little friend, the Boring Not-A-Flamethrower, we torched some of the year's worst times — trends and products that rightfully deserved to be incinerated. Read more...

More about Reviews, Elon Musk, Flamethrower, Boring Company, and End Of Year 2018
via IFmashable.com