Lyft disables San Francisco e-bikes after suspected battery fires

Lyft has made its Bay Wheels e-bikes in San Francisco unavailable to customers after a couple of them caught fire. According to San Francisco Examiner, a witness who saw the first incident on Wednesday said the flames came from the bike's battery. A second bike burst into flames on Saturday, and a local resident even tweeted a photo of its charred remains:

Don't think I'll be going on a @lyft @baywheels any time soon. Yikes. pic.twitter.com/MOU9wIjgII

— Zach Rutta (@zrutta44) July 27, 2019

Bay Wheels used to be known as Ford GoBikes until Lyft rebranded it in June, a few days before the ride-sharing service sued the city over e-bike exclusivity -- the city wanted to welcome bike-share services other than Lyft's. Bay Wheels just made thousands of e-bikes available again in San Francisco a couple of weeks ago, three months after Lyft pulled them out because their stronger-than-expected brakes could be dangerous.

As a response to the recent incidents, Bay Wheels announced:

"Because the safety of our riders is our number one concern, we are temporarily making the ebike fleet unavailable to riders while we investigate and update our battery technology. Thanks to our riders for their patience and we look forward to making ebikes available again soon."

The company has yet to issue an official statement on how and why the e-bikes burst into flames. A spokesperson for the San Francisco Fire Department told SF Examiner, though, that the agency has classified them as a "battery pack issue" and as fires that "came from battery pack."

San Francisco authorities also told the publication that they agree that the e-bikes should be taken off the streets until Lyft figures out what happened and issues a fix. San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency spokesperson Ben Barnett said the agency has opened an inquiry into Lyft to determine the circumstances surrounding the incidents. Further, it wants to know how the company intends to "prevent any future fires and ensure the safety of customers and the ongoing operability of the bike-sharing system."

Source: The San Francisco Examiner

via engadget.com

Joe Biden flubbed his website during debate, so of course someone bought the domain

At the end of CNN's second Democratic presidential debate on Wednesday night, all the candidates ended their closing statements with their websites. 

Except Joe Biden, who got confused. He gave the number to his text line with no context instead. 

“Go to Joe 30330, and help me in this fight,” Biden said, faltering very slightly mid-sentence, possibly as he realised his mistake.

Before the candidates had even left the stage, Joe30330.com was purchased. And a moment later, it was redirecting to fellow presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg's site, PeteForAmerica.com.

But another couple of minutes later, the redirect changed again ... to joshforamerica.com.  Read more...

More about Joe Biden, Domain Name, Pete Buttigieg, Culture, and Politics
via IFmashable.com

FAA's new B4UFLY app makes it easier to know where drones are allowed

The FAA's free app that kept drone pilots aware of "no fly zones" performed a much-needed service -- but had few fans. The federal agency teamed up with drone software maker Kittyhawk to create a new version of the B4UFLY app that is being released today. The revamped app makes use of Kittyhawk's airspace controller, Dynamic Airspace, to manage real-time flight restrictions, authorizations and guidance.

Currently, most hobby drone pilots are forbidden from flying drones near special use airspace, controlled airspace (unless you get prior approval), critical infrastructure, airports, national parks and military training routes. Temporary flight restrictions can also apply in certain situations. The sheer number of restrictions makes regularly checking the FAA website a necessary -- though inconvenient-- part of being a UAV operator.

With B4UFLY, users can simply open the app -- it detects the user's location and informs them of any nearby areas with flight restrictions. The app is integrated with Mapbox, an open-source mapping platform used by Snapchat and the Weather Channel's app. There's also a new alert system that consists of "Good to Go", "Warning" and "Do Not Fly". "B4UFLY is a hallmark of our commitment to ensuring drones are safely integrated into the NAS. Our partnership on B4UFLY with Kittyhawk represents the kind of public-private partnership that is essential to advance this burgeoning industry. As the skies become more crowded and UAS operations become more complex, basic airspace situational awareness, especially for the newest of fliers, will be essential," said Jay Merkle, Executive Director of FAA's UAS Integration Office in a statement.

You'll still need to check the weather before heading outside to fly your drone. Tracking the weather and integrating a pilot's Remote ID are all in store for future versions of the B4UFLY app. Kittyhawk is also working on additional layers for use in public safety, natural disasters and emergency response.

Source: Kittyhawk

via engadget.com

'Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled' gets a dinosaur-themed grand prix

If you've already mastered Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, the game has another challenge for you. When Activision and Beenox revealed their revival of the Naughty Dog classic last month, they kicked off the Nitro Grand Prix. With that first race complete, Activision is ready to launch the second: the Back N. Time Grand Prix.

This time around, Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is getting a new dinosaur-themed track, new characters and new rides. The grand prix is free to all users, and the action starts on August 2nd. All players have to do is download the game update (on PS4, Switch and Xbox One) and jump in.

Be on the lookout for geysers and prehistoric obstacles, plus one other big change coming early in the month. Players will soon have option to purchase Wumpa Coin bundles in their game console stores to supplement the coins they earn. Activision promises buying coins won't change the game's core mechanics and that you'll still have plenty of changes to earn coins as you race.

Source: Activision

via engadget.com

Impossible Foods gets FDA approval to sell fake meat in grocery stores

Fake meat is coming to a barbecue near you. Impossible Foods has been granted approval by the FDA to sell its plant-based meat in US grocery stores this fall, reported Bloomberg. After expressing some initial doubts, the agency formally ruled that soy leghemoglobin -- the additive in Impossible Burgers that gives it a meat-like flavor and makes it "bleed" -- is safe for consumers to eat. If no objections are raised, the FDA rule change becomes effective on September 4th.

Currently, consumers can only purchase Impossible Foods' fake meat at the many restaurants it has partnerships with -- including Burger King, Qdoba and Claim Jumper. Bringing Impossible Burgers to supermarket aisles will be sure to increase its mainstream relevance and expose it to a wide market. It also ensures that Impossible Foods keeps up with its competitor Beyond Meat, which already sells its products in grocery stores. High demand this summer even lead to Beyond Meat's product being out of stock at select Whole Foods store. Impossible Foods faced shortages of its own this year, and has since doubled employment at its Oakland facility and teamed up with a food production company, OSI Group, to increase supplies.

Demand for meat alternatives will likely only rise as Americans grow more health-conscious. While selling fake meat in restaurants has proved successful, it's still seen as a special occasion or niche dish -- rather than something to be consumed on the regular. Now with the two major fake meat brands readily available in the frozen foods aisle, its plant-based products can compete against industry stalwarts like Tyson and Morningstar Farms -- not to mention each other.

Source: Bloomberg, Eater

via engadget.com

'Jane the Virgin' gives fans a perfectly sweet goodbye

As our beloved and recently unveiled narrator tells us at the top of Jane the Virgin's final episode, everything ends. Stories end, friendships end, relationships end, and we must come to terms with it.

Yet so often in real life – outside of telenovelas and the CW shows that honor them – things don't end. Chapters of our own lives draw to a close, but then things go on. You learn to live without the thing that ended, or with the new change. The endings we experience in letting go of television are unique because rarely in life do we have to let go of so many beloved people and places at once, never to hear from them again. Read more...

More about Entertainment, Television, Jane The Virgin, The Cw, and Entertainment
via IFmashable.com

Cruel Google Maps trick marked livestreamer's mansion as a homeless shelter

While most pranks that originate from YouTube are terrible, a recent one targeted at homeless people in Los Angeles was particularly abhorrent and cruel. According to the Los Angeles Daily News, a group of online pranksters connected with popular YouTuber Paul Denino -- better known by his online handle Ice Poseidon -- created a fake homeless shelter on Google Maps that directed people looking for a place to stay to a private mansion he was renting.

The people behind the prank named the San Fernando Valley home "Ice Poseidon Homeless Shelter" and created a listing on Google Maps to make it appear as though it was equipped to house and feed people in need. They added photos of beds and a large dining area. To make the shelter seem legitimate, the people behind the prank added dozens of reviews. Unfortunately for the homeless who found the listing, they traveled all the way to the would-be shelter only to get turned away.

Denino, the YouTube personality linked to the prank, told the Los Angeles Daily News that he tried to get the listing pulled from Google Maps. (It has since been removed.) Denino's fans have a history of playing pranks, though they are typically at the streamer's own expense. People have ordered unwanted pizzas to his house and even swatted him, an extremely dangerous practice of sending law enforcement to a person's home on false pretenses.

Via: The Guardian, Los Angeles Magazin

Source: Los Angeles Daily News

via engadget.com

Google unveils advanced G Suite protection for high-risk employees

Google is levelling up its security for businesses. The company unveiled a host of new protections for its G Suite, Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Cloud Identity customers at the Next Tokyo summit. G Suite Enterprise admins can choose to enroll high-risk employees in an advanced protection program, automatically receive anomalous activity alerts and enable one-click access to additional apps.

A new Advanced Protection Program is meant for clients who are high-risk for a targeted online attack, such as IT administrators, CEOs and those who work in security-sensitive roles in finance and government. To protect against phishing or account takeovers, the program would enforce the use of Google's Titan Security Keys or compatible hardware. Admins would be able to automatically block access to third-party apps that the company does not trust. The program will be released in beta over the next few days.

Google has also made improvements to its G Suite security and alert center for admins, which it launched in beta back in April. The new alert center is now equipped with machine learning models that detect security risks such as unusual external file sharing or download behavior. Admins can now receive alerts of such "anomalous activity" in the G Suite alert center. It will also roll out support for password vaulted apps through Cloud Identity over the next few days.

Titan Security Keys, which only have been available in the US since last fall, will soon be available in Japan, Canada, France and the UK. The Bluetooth-enabled keys have drawn criticism from the security community over safety concerns. Google recalled some of its Titan Security Keys earlier this year due to a minor security flaw.

Security concerns are a major reason why Google's productivity platform isn't quite taking off with bigger businesses, who tend to stick with Microsoft Office for that very reason. Earlier this year, the company launched several new security tools for G Suite clients, including a beta launch of advanced protection for malware and phishing attacks. With this latest set of tools, it's likely that Google hopes to prove it takes the security of such high-profile clients seriously.

Source: Google

via engadget.com

Calphalon knife sets on sale for up to 53% off on Amazon

TL;DR: Score a fancy Calphalon knife block set for up to $90 off when you order from Amazon.

---

August is nearly upon us, and you know what that means: It's apple-picking season, my dudes.

The beginning of the month marks the official start to several weeks of peak harvesting for the juicy red fruit, which means two things: For one, everyone you follow on Instagram is about to go to an orchard and post about it relentlessly. But more importantly, it means you can start cranking out homemade pies and cobblers like it's nobody's business. 

To make the latter easier, you'll need a great set of knives in your kitchen arsenal — super sharp ones that can slice through a crisp Macoun or Macintosh like it's butter.  Read more...

More about Cooking, Knives, Kitchen, Mashable Shopping, and Calphalon
via IFmashable.com

Nintendo Switch Lite pre-orders are now live

TL;DR: The ultra-portable Nintendo Switch Lite is the newest iteration of the handheld console that changed it all, and you can pre-order yours now for $199.99.

---

The Nintendo Switch was the console that changed handheld gaming forever. A small, portable device that could support huge games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on-the-go? One that you could place on a dock and seamlessly transfer your gameplay to your home TV screen without having to even pause what you’re doing? Bonkers. Years ago, something like the Nintendo Switch was just a fantasy to gamers everywhere.

But it’s here (well, it’s been here for a bit at this point), and now we have the next iteration of the universally acclaimed handheld console that set the games industry ablaze with excitement: The Nintendo Switch Lite. And even more exciting, you can pre-order yours starting now for just $199.99. Read more...

More about Gaming, Nintendo, Nintendo Switch, Mashable Shopping, and Handheld Consoles

via IFmashable.com

I can't stop watching this overdubbed video of a duck falling asleep in class

You ever see a video on the internet and know, somehow, that it will be a pretty big deal for you? That is how I felt on Monday, when my brother Owen (hello, Owen) dropped a video of a duck falling asleep into the family group chat. 

The clip features a voiceover from comedian Tony Baker, who's playing a schoolteacher scolding the duck — Mr. Duckworth — for falling asleep during lecture. "Had a long night, Mr. Duckworth? Class is not for sleeping," Baker says as Mr. Duckworth's head lurches forward. (If you've ever fallen asleep at your desk, you know the feeling.)

SEE ALSO: Overenthusiastic dog has no idea how to drink water Read more...

More about Comedy, Viral Videos, Ducks, Culture, and Animals
via IFmashable.com

Apple MacBooks, Huawei tablets, Braun electric shavers, Philips TVs, Instant Pots, and more on sale for July 31 in the UK

Ford bought a robotics company to boost its self-driving cars

Back in April, Ford chief Jim Hackett admitted that the company overestimated the arrival of self-driving cars. He added that the applications of Ford's first autonomous fleet will likely be narrow, "because the problem is so complex." Now, the automaker has acquired a Michigan-based company called Quantum Signal to help it solve those problems and advance its goal of launching a self-driving vehicle business. Quantum Signal may not be a household name, but it played an important role in helping the US military develop software that can control its robotics vehicles from thousands of miles away.

In particular, the military's robotics program used the company's ANVEL robotic vehicle simulation software to explore the performance of unmanned systems. Also, Quantum Signal developed algorithms that guided the military's autonomous vehicles.

In his announcement, Ford Chief Technical Officer Randy Visintainer said the company's expertise will give the automaker a way to create comprehensive simulation environments that it can use to test its autonomous vehicles. Quantum Signal's expertise in sensing and perception systems will be put to good use, as well.

"All of [the company's] work can be repurposed to support Ford's self-driving vehicles to help improve their ability to analyze the environment around them," he wrote. In other words, Quantum Signal will support Ford in various areas. The QS team, which will be joining the automaker, will work on both software development and hardware prototyping to help ensure that Ford can truly deploy its first self-driving car fleet in 2021.

Source: Ford

via engadget.com

John Legend takes on James Corden in a glorious a capella riff-off

When it comes to summer tunes, what do you prefer — a classic ballad or an upbeat bop?

Well, here to settle the argument once and for all are John Legend and James Corden.

In a segment on The Late Late Show, the two go head-to-head in an a capella riff-off, with Legend fighting for ballads and Corden defending the bops.

There's an entertaining version of Billie Eilish's "Bad Guy," a slowed down "All of Me," and the whole thing finishes with a rousing duet of Lewis Capaldi's "Someone You Loved."

Needless to say, the harmonies are on point. Read more...

More about John Legend, James Corden, The Late Late Show With James Corden, Entertainment, and Music
via IFmashable.com

Learn a new language (and fast) with this genius app that's on sale

TL;DR: Snag a lifetime subscription to the immersive Babbel app in the Mashable Shop for $149. Typically $299, you save $150 with this deal.

---

Learning a new language offers you so much more than just bilingual street cred. It’s your gateway to exploring new cultures, beefing up your résumé, romancing a foreigner (we can dream, right?), and even potentially reducing your risk for diseases such as Alzheimers. 

Given the fact that we live in the digital age, an easy and effective way to start your learning journey is via a language app. The right one allows you to practice your comprehension, listening, and speaking skills from pretty much anywhere in the world and at any given moment. But with so many different app options out there, how do you decipher which ones are actually très bon?  Read more...

More about Apps, Apps Software, Mashable Shopping, Shopping Onlinelearning, and Language Learning
via IFmashable.com

8 flashlights and lanterns on sale that are great for camping

Are You Afraid Of The Dark isn't just a classic piece of television history that defined a generation, it's a legitimate concern. The dark is a scary place, especially when exploring the great outdoors. Before you head out on your next camping adventure, grab one of these flashlights or lanterns to keep it lit. Everything on this list is on sale in the Mashable Shop for a limited time.

1. Bell + Howell Taclight Flashlight and Lantern Bundle

Why settle for a flashlight or lantern when you can get both? With this bundle, you'll get a taclight flashlight, which is great for emergencies or finding your way through the dark. It features five light modes, including a built-in strobe to stun potential attackers and an SOS mode for emergencies. You'll also get a collapsible lantern that shrinks down to the size of your smartphone. Read more...

More about Camping, Flashlight, Lantern, Mashable Shopping, and Lanterns
via IFmashable.com

Hulu's 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' will only slightly scratch your rom-com itch

If you know one thing about Mindy Kaling, the co-creator of Hulu's Four Weddings and a Funeral reboot along with The Mindy Project co-conspirators Matt Warburton and Tracey Wigfield, you know that she loves romantic comedies. It takes minimal exposure to Kaling's work with Hulu to understand that she'd happily live in this world if she could, and that almost every piece of media she offers us is supposed to provide us the same escape.

Four Weddings and a Funeral, like the team's last project, is by no means a brilliant addition to its genre. It features a promising cast and established writing team, all unfairly burdened with delivering a revelatory rom-com they were never going to make. What they did make is perfectly fun and fine, a breezy way to pass the evenings as summer winds wearily toward winter. Read more...

More about Television, Hulu, Mindy Kaling, Four Weddings And A Funeral, and Entertainment

via IFmashable.com

National Orgasm Day deals: Save over 50% on sex toys at Lelo, Babeland, more

TL;DR: July 31 is National Orgasm Day and sales at Lelo, Lovehoney, Ella Paradis, and Babeland can save you up to 54% on vibrators, dildos, cock rings, and more.

---

Twitter likely alerted you that National Chicken Wing Day was this week, but there's another holiday that's garnering even more excitement: July 31 is National Orgasm Day.

Now, we don't need an official holiday to fire up that warm and fuzzy feeling, but it's nice to call some attention to the importance of the Big O. 

SEE ALSO: Best sex toys for women: Take pleasure into your own hands

Orgasms release oxytocin, the anti-stress hormone that gives you butterflies while cuddling, and dopamine, the neurotransmitter that regulates sleep. Whether you got laid or achieved the fireworks via your own handy work, orgasms are a self-care tool that we all deserve to experience. Read more...

More about Sex Toys, Vibrators, Masturbation, Orgasm, and Mashable Shopping
via IFmashable.com

What 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' gets right about Charles Manson

The following article contains spoilers for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. 

Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a purposefully fantastical rewriting of the infamous Manson Family murders. So it's ironic that this alternate history is also one of the more honest depictions of America's favorite true-crime legend, revealing the perception of Charles Manson as evil incarnate to be more sensationalized myth than fact.

When people learned the premise of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood revolved around the Manson murders, it raised some eyebrows. Tarantino himself expressed the care he took to avoid yet another distasteful scavenging of Sharon Tate's tragic death to sell movie tickets — even managing to convince Tate's sister that his approach would be unlike any other.  Read more...

More about Entertainment, Quentin Tarantino, Charles Manson, Serial Killer, and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

via IFmashable.com