The evil prank to end all evil pranks

The bug without the fix

DISCLAIMER: This post was done entirely with an iOS and Mac app called RemoteMouse. To find out more about it, click here. The Bellend of the Month of September 2015 is the genius who didn't fix the lockscreen bug in the latest version of iOS. The bugs that were fixed in last week's update, iOS 9.0.1, include a system freeze on the slide to update screen, alarms and timers that would fail to go off, and frame distortion in paused videos. The one bug Apple didn't address allows an intruder to bypass a device's lock screen and access your photos and contacts. See it in action here:

THE BIG REVIEW: Pranksters in Love

This is hands down the best YouTube channel out there. Click here and enjoy.

Volkswagen turning into Stinkwagen

Who knew about the deception, when did they know it, and who directed it? Those are among questions that state and federal investigators want answered as they plunge into the emissions scandal at Volkswagen that has cost the chief executive his job, caused stock prices to plummet, and could result in billions of dollars in fines. Legal experts say the German automaker is likely to face significant legal problems, including potential criminal charges, arising from its admission that 11 million of its diesel vehicles sold worldwide contained software specifically designed to help cheat emissions tests. The Environmental Protection Agency has accused VW of installing sophisticated stealth software that enabled "clean diesel" versions of its Passat, Jetta, Golf, and Beetle models to detect when they were being tested and emit less-polluting exhaust than in real-world driving conditions. The agency says the "defeat devices" allowed those models to belch up to 40 times the allowed amounts of harmful fumes in order to improve driving performance. Driving performance is a must when deciding on your next vehicle, but so is telling the truth. It's bad enough that VW got its start because of a promise Hitler made but eventually didn't keep; they have now had their integrity called into question because they decided to go the same way as certain sporting "greats" like Tom Brady and Lance Armstrong.

LVG makes it to the top

After beating Sunderland 3-0 at Old Trafford, Manchester United now sit top of the table with 16 points after seven matches - that's one more point than bitter rivals Manchester City. Memphis Depay opened the scoring for Manchester United in first-half injury time from close range, United captain Wayne Rooney ended his 12-game league goal drought with a second shortly after the interval, and Juan Mata completed the scoreline with another close range strike on 90 minutes. This is what the Reds have been fighting for ever since Alex Ferguson left. Keep it up, guys. As for Sunderland, they remain rooted to the bottom of the table and still yet to record a Premier League win this season.

It seems Bruce Jenner is finally no more

Bruce Caitlyn Jenner can make her name and gender change legitimate, a judge ruled. Jenner filed paperwork with the court on September 15 requesting the change after her transition as a transgender woman. She asked her name be legally changed to Caitlyn Marie Jenner and her gender be made female. The petition has been granted, Los Angeles Superior Court spokeswoman Liz Martinez said Friday. It means her new name now replaces her birth name of William (yes, William) Bruce Jenner. But the reality is, I just don't care. I just don't see why the Kardashian clan have to be such a big deal. We already know he's a tranny, we don't need that crap shoved in our faces non-stop.

Comet - it makes your teeth turn green

And it's also the name of a buoyant smartphone. Don't believe me? Check this out.

Got high hopes for the game against Namibia

The All Blacks have never faced Namibia. Until now. And records could tumble when the All Blacks face Namibia in the biggest mismatch of the 2015 Rugby World Cup tomorrow. Not only does the game pitch world No 1 against No 20, it also pitches the biggest whipping boys in World Cup history against the biggest bullies. Namibia have the worst average losing margin of any minnow team against a tier-one team in World Cup history. The All Blacks, on the other hand, have by far the highest average winning margin against minnow teams at World Cups (64 points) - 17 points more than the next biggest bullies, Australia. They will win this one hands down.

Deader than the average Berra

Baseball legend Yogi Berra, whose humorous quotes made him one of America's most beloved sports icons, has died at the age of 90. The Yogi Berra Museum announced that the Hall of Fame catcher had died on Tuesday evening. Berra spent almost all of his 19-year career with the New York Yankees. He was a three-time Most Valuable Player and 13-time World Series champion. His famous "Yogi-ism" quotes included "it ain't over till it's over". And now it's over. Yogi will be sadly missed, as will his insatiable love of pic-a-nic baskets.

THE BIG REVIEW: Gotham S2E1

A review of the season premiere will be up once I can get the episode downloaded, copied to a USB stick, and viewed. Right now, our household has ditched Sky and subscribed to Netflix so now I'm just about to binge on another Jonah from Tonga marathon - brought to me without the help of an expensive satellite!

United under Martial law

Anthony Martial enhanced his burgeoning reputation by scoring twice in a 3-2 win over Southampton that moves Manchester United up to second in the Barclays Premier League. The French summer signing executed two impressively composed finishes either side of the half-time break to overturn Graziano Pelle’s opener at St Mary’s. Juan Mata enhanced the lead and Italian striker Pelle bagged his second to set up a tense finale, though the Reds held on to claim an excellent result that closes the gap on leaders Manchester City to just two points following City's well-deserved home defeat to West Ham. To say that Martial is really proving himself on the field is an understatement. He may well be what the Reds needed all along.

The Rise of the iDroid

Apple's first Android (logo pictured) app, "Move to iOS", which lets users migrate mobile phone data to a new iOS device, is reportedly easy to use. However, tech enthusiasts warn against loss of data and other data transfer issues. Following Apple's launch of "Move to iOS" Android app on Sept. 16, users affirm that the process of migrating data to an iPhone or iPad running on iOS 9 is relatively easy, except for the loss of some data. According to Mac World, users should know which contents are transferred and where they get stored in the iOS device. For instance, although there is an option to transfer all photos, some might be lost because of lack of space in the iOS device. Users need to check if all files they want to transfer are migrated into the device. I have a solution for that: don't skimp on storage space for your new iDevice just because it's cheaper to do so. And make sure you don't have too much stuff on your Android. Also, you shouldn't even be using Android in the first place. Android is by far the most retarded excuse for a mobile operating system. If it's not Apple, it's crapple.

Chromecast to serve up some tunes

Google may have more than one Chromecast to show when it announces new products later this month. According to 9to5Google, Google is also working on a Chromecast that's designed for streaming music and other audio. It's apparently called Chromecast Audio, and it'll hook up to speakers through a standard 3.5mm headphone cable. But seriously I just don't care. How is such a pointless device going to help the cord-cutters among us stream their Netflix or whatever else they use to their TV? And why would you want one when other devices exist for their intended purpose?

Almost time for the RWC

And I hope the All Blacks can successfully defend their title.

Thumbs up for thumbs down

During a Q&A session at Facebook HQ, CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed the company is planning to publicly test a Dislike button. It’s finally real. While Zuckerberg had previously suggested Facebook was considering alternatives to ‘liking’ something, this is the first time he has definitively indicated it will ship a Dislike button to users. By the sound of it, we may not even have to wait too long. He was also clear the button won’t be about fostering negativity the way YouTube and Reddit’s downvotes often can. Instead, it’s about “expressing empathy.” Proponents of the dislike button have long argued that the Like button is not appropriate for certain topics – sad news about the refugee crisis, for instance – and that a wider gamut of reactions could help people to more accurately express their emotions without needing to type out a full comment. It’s quite possible the company is working on a wider range of reactions, so posts aren’t limited to simple Likes and Dislikes. Maybe a merger with Google could be next?

News to lick donuts to

Ariana Grande has just made a very exciting announcement — she’s releasing a BRAND NEW single! While promoting her gorgeous new fragrance line, the singer revealed that she has a new single dropping very, very soon. While sitting down and chatting with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show last night, Ariana revealed her new single “Focus” will be released on October 30. We can’t wait! “My first single off my new album is coming out on Oct. 30,” Ariana said before Jimmy asked, “What is the name of the song?” “It’s called Focus,” she proudly added. It’s a really exciting time to be an Ariana fan, especially as she promotes her first-ever fragrance line, Ari by Ariana Grande. So now not only do you have new music on the way, but you also have new music to listen to as you spritz yourself with her scent! While I myself won't use her scent, I would totally lick some donuts to her new song if it's any good. Speaking of which, just when you thought #Donutgate was over, Ariana has apologized again for offending many of her fans when she said “I hate Americans” on July 4. “My behavior was very offensive and I apologized,” Ariana told Good Morning America. “There’s no excuse or there’s nothing to justify it. I think that as human beings we all say and do things that we don’t mean at all sometimes and we have to learn from it, I mean, it’s part of our process. We have to learn from our mistakes and that’s how we grow.” “I think one of the biggest things I learned from that was what it feels like to disappoint so many people who love and believe in you. And that’s an excruciating feeling… You have to remember that your words, your actions, have, you know, ramifications and you have to really think about what you’re about to say and do because it’s important. It’s important to so many people,” she went on. But what's important right now is whether or not New Zealand can become the first nation to successfully defend the Rugby World Cup.

THE BIG REVIEW: The new PS4

If you've delayed getting a PlayStation 4 for whatever reason, your call might have been right as the new version of the PlayStation 4 is not only lighter and more power efficient but has some other little tweaks. Apparently the CUH-1200 new models are apparently at least 12 decibles quieter and use 30 watts less power than the older CUH-1215. The touch-sensitive buttons have also been swapped up for more responsive mechanical buttons, and the machine does run a little hotter but has fewer memory modules on the motherboard with a lower-output power supply. But there is still no backwards compatibility. The PS1 and PS2 had games actually worth playing like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro. Sadly, the only way to play Spyro on a PS4 is if you have one of a series of games called Skylanders, and even then, he's not the main character and his appearance is to previous Spyro games what Saudi Arabia is to women's rights.

Why the iPad Pro could be good for Microsoft

Sounds unlikely but I'll bite. Apple's new iPad - though not expected to sell like crazy - could lift the entire market for large, touchscreen tablets, boosting the fortunes of Microsoft, Dell, and several other hardware makers. Going on sale in November, the iPad Pro comes with features and accessories designed to make it more suitable as a work machine than the first nine iPad models. Its screen size is just a centimetre less than the MacBook Pro's 13-inch display, and it weighs half as much as the laptop. It supports running multiple apps at once and works well with speedy Internet connections. In fact, in introducing the iPad Pro at an event in San Francisco on Thursday, Apple stated that the processor and display on the iPad Pro were superior to many popular laptops. Most demos focused on using the iPad Pro to create, edit, and calculate. This is a stark leap from five years ago when then-Apple chief executive Steve Jobs introduced the iPad as a thing to read, watch, and listen. So come on, people. This is an iPad we're talking about here. How can you not want this?

New guy seals visitors' fate

Manchester United earned another victory to savour against Liverpool with Anthony Martial scoring on a dream debut to ensure a 3-1 triumph at Old Trafford. The visitors looked to have set up a nervous finale when Christian Benteke's spectacular strike replied to earlier goals by Daley Blind and Ander Herrera. However, Martial took centre stage by announcing his arrival with a superb solo third. Van Gaal bought Martial for his planned successor Ryan Giggs, and I know he made the right choice in doing so because Martial clearly knows one of the fundamental things about excelling in soccer: you have to keep putting the ball in the back of the net.

Time to print some keys

It's a basic fact of life that once you publish something on the Internet, it's pretty much impossible to get it back. Now illustrating that point with painful clarity, images of the TSA's master luggage keys have been published online, meaning that anyone with a 3D printer can make their own. It all started when The Washington Post published a story last November about "the secret life of baggage" that was reportedly accompanied - only briefly, though - by a photo of the master keys the Transportation Security Administration uses to open what it calls "TSA recognized" luggage locks. The photo was hastily taken down, but not before it was snagged and circulated. Reports about the leak began to appear last month, but it wasn't until this week that detailed blueprints showed up on GitHub. "Security researchers have long warned of the dangers of using master-keyed locks," wrote Xyl2k, the GitHub user who posted the detailed plans. They were right to warn us because anyone with a 3D printer can now create their own copies of the TSA master keys, which were designed to enable security officers to inspect luggage without having to cut off any locks protecting it. They work on locks created specifically for that purpose through partnerships between the agency and lock manufacturers. But enough about that because Super Mario, the hyperactive little plumber who has become one of the best-known characters in video-gaming history, celebrates his 30th birthday tomorrow for which Japanese giant and creator Nintendo is marking the event with the release of a creative new format. Big deal. It's not the only birthday in the video gaming world to take place in recent days. The North American releases of the PlayStation and the Dreamcast were both on September 9 (in 1995 and 1999 respectively), with both consoles having been launched in Japan a year prior. And Spyro the Dragon turned 17 on Thursday.

Allegiant to split into Allegiant and Ascendant

Lionsgate has retitled the final two films of its “Divergent” franchise, “The Divergent Series: Allegiant — Part 1” and “The Divergent Series: Allegiant — Part 2.” The third film in the franchise is now going by the name “The Divergent Series: Allegiant” and is scheduled to open March 18, 2016. The fourth and final pic has been renamed “The Divergent Series: Ascendant” and will open March 24, 2017. Both movies are based on Veronica Roth’s “Allegiant,” the third novel in her “Divergent” trilogy, which begins with the Faction system being dismantled. The studio also revealed new logos for the next two films with the taglines “Break the boundaries of your world” for the third and “The end is never what you expect” for the fourth. But just as long as Ascendant doesn't suck, it's all good.

Old germ, meet the old germ

A ‘giant’ virus has been unearthed in the frozen wastelands of Siberia and reports are that researchers will reanimate it. It is reportedly a 30,000-year-old giant virus and might receive a wake up call provided it poses no threat to living forms. It’s hoped the study could shed insight into ancient dormant viruses that could get another chance at spreading as permafrost retreats due to climate change. Mark my words, polluters: if you don't stop it, we could be done for if a virus from pre-history were to make a comeback.

Punniest. Puns. Ever.

They say couples who IKEA together, stay together … OK, "they" don't all say that – only some do. Anyone who's been furniture shopping knows every single trip means serious business – that is unless you bring someone with you who doesn't agree. This was the case for Dana who was trying to go about her normal IKEA business, only to have her boyfriend Simon turn the trip into a game by making puns with those hard-to-pronounce Swedish product names. Because sometimes you just have to let go and have pun:

THE BIG REVIEW: Having a new feature up and running

It's just great that there's a replacement out there.

Second Jobs biopic already looking to be a winner

A weekend screening of “Steve Jobs,” a biopic about Apple Inc’s famous co-founder, drew high praise from some reviewers and suggestions that actor Michael Fassbender could be an Oscar contender for his portrayal of Jobs. While the positive views were not unanimous, Variety.com was impressed. Its reviewer said that Fassbender, director Danny Boyle, and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin gave Steve Jobs “the brilliant, maddening, ingeniously designed, and monstrously self-aggrandizing movie he deserves.” It described the movie as a “terrific actors’ showcase and an incorrigibly entertaining ride that looks set to be one of the fall’s early must-see attractions.” The website also listed Fassbender as a “no-brainer best actor Oscar contender.” I've only seen the one with Ashton Kutcher playing Jobs, so I wouldn't know how Fassbender's one will fare.

Replacing the Bad Idea of the Week is...

Not telling.

Kid power + lead = one less intruder

An 11-year-old St. Louis-area boy left alone at home with his 4-year-old sister staved off several home invasion attempts before finally shooting and killing a 16-year-old intruder, according to police. At least one neighbor, however, offered a different account of the shooting - that the boys were arguing on the front porch before the younger child pulled out a gun and shot the teenager. The incident occurred Thursday afternoon in north St. Louis County. Police called to the home discovered the teenager's body lying in the front foyer. St. Louis County police Sgt. Brian Schellman said it was the third time that the 16-year-old had attempted to break into the house. Neither sibling was hurt, and it wasn't immediately known why the two were left alone in the first place or why the 11-year-old had access to the firearm. It was reported that the mother purchased the handgun because of prior break-in attempts. It's sad, really, that people need to resort to firearms. If Spyro was a real dragon, he could've used his fire breath to take care of that delinquent without the need to pump him full of lead.

THE BIG REVIEW: The last 2000 days

It's been a great journey - here's to the next 2000.

AIDing in the prevention of AIDS

Demonstrating that taking a daily pill to prevent HIV infection can work in the real world, San Francisco’s largest private health insurer announced yesterday that not one of its 657 clients receiving the drug had become infected over a period of more than two years. That outcome contradicted some critics’ predictions that so-called pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, would lead to less condom use and more HIV infections. A study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases found that the San Franciscans on PrEP, almost all of whom were gay men, did use fewer condoms — and contracted several other STD's as a result. But none got HIV. Now onto finding a cure for this evil disease.

Conman's last chance

A man who conned an Oamaru woman out of NZ$15,000 has been told to repay the money or face jail time. The man in question, 33-year-old Mrinal Sardana, had his sentencing at the Dunedin District Court this morning deferred until Friday after claiming he could pay the money back in full by that date. I hope he does because the trial judge, Kevin Phillips, told Sardana and his counsel, John Westgate, that failure to front up with the money by 9am New Zealand time on Friday, plus NZ$5000 reparation for emotional harm to the victim, would result in a jail sentence of around 15 months. Sardana was found guilty by a jury in July of obtaining by deception after he falsely represented himself to the victim as a wealthy businessman and said he would establish her in a business. He then accepted $15,000 in cash from the victim on May 17 last year, before flying to Macau and losing the money gambling. At time of writing, he has just under 35 hours to win all that money back otherwise he will be spending the rest of this year, and almost all of next year, behind bars. If he does pay the money back by Friday, he will only face four months' community detention and 300 hours' community work.

2000 POSTS

And we have a super Bellend of the Month for August 2015 - Lakeisha Hunter. She was arrested last month for putting vaginal discharge in a customer's burger. That is the epitome of disgusting and I hope she gets what's coming to her.

RIP Wes Craven and Oliver Sacks

But that's not what post number 1999 is about. Manchester United tasted defeat once again at the Liberty Stadium as Swansea City recorded a second successive 2-1 win over the Reds in South Wales. It was Swansea's fourth win in five league and cup matches over United in what turned out to be a disappointing 50th match in charge for Louis van Gaal. After a goalless first half, the Reds started the second period on top and went ahead through Juan Mata's close-range finish. The advantage was shortlived, however, when Garry Monk's side drew level 12 minutes later through Andre Ayew's header. The Swans took the lead five minutes later when Ayew set up Bafetimbi Gomis to slot home. This isn't good enough, but at least it's not as bad as the Bellend of the Month for August 2015, who will be revealed tomorrow.

There are rumours the iPhone 6S may be available in rose gold

But that's none of my business.

Android Wear to wear the Apple logo

Huawei’s long-awaited smartwatch briefly went up for preorders on Amazon on Friday before price and other details were eventually taken down. According to the listing, the Huawei Watch has a round 1.4-inch screen, comes in four different color and band combinations, and prices start at US$349.99 going up to US$799.99 for a gaudy gold version. It runs Android Wear - Google’s smartwatch operating system - and will be compatible with most smartphones running either Android or iOS. But wait a minute - Android Wear doesn’t work with iOS. It only works with smartphones running Android. There are workarounds, but at the moment, if you’re one of the millions with an iPhone, Huwaei Watch — and other Android Wear smartwatches — can’t easily sync with your phone. But if they manage to pull it off, its New Zealand release will surely be worth waiting for.

ONE-LINE CHALLENGE: September 9

Ask Siri to give you a hint.

McNo to the McWhopper

Burger King proposed the two fast-food giants come together to make a hybrid called the McWhopper for Peace Day. But McDonald's isn't lovin' it. In an open letter to McDonald's, Burger King proposed creating a burger that would include "all the tastiest bits of your Big Mac and our Whopper. McDonalds replied with a swift no, and end their public reply with "P.S. A simple phone call will do next time." But they should look into it as that would be a McWhopper of a burger.

Too noisy - it's just code for too black

The CEO of the Napa Valley Wine Train calls removing members of a book club for being too loud a “100 percent customer service fail.” The removal of the group of predominantly black women from the train sparked a firestorm on social media. Tony Giaccio is apologizing for the company kicking 11 members of the book club off the train for being disruptive. “It was 100 percent customer service fail on our part,” he said. Lisa Johnson and her 10 friends ranging from 39 to 85 years old boarded the wine train over the weekend expecting to have a good time. “We shouldn’t have been subjected to being ejected from a train for laughing while we were black, that’s pretty much what we firmly believe,” she said. The group was kicked off the train after being warned they were too loud and disturbing others. The story made national headlines. “It felt like stories I would hear my grandmother talk about and her experiences of not being able to go into places,” she said. “I don’t think we were loud I think that when you have a group of 11 there’s a certain amount of noise that comes with that.” Giaccio agrees. The CEO says his staff was in the wrong. “We didn’t afford them … enough space around them so they wouldn’t have interfered with somebody else,” he said. “At the same time we didn’t provide that space for our individual passengers so that they can have the experience they expected.” He has offered to have up to 50 members of the book club and their friends come back on the train in a reserved car as his personal guests. He says his staff will also undergo additional diversity training. My advice would be to hold off until said training has been completed, and invite me on board that car.

BAD IDEA OF THE WEEK: The end of the feature

No booze at the grocer's

Countdown's central Dunedin store will be banned from selling alcohol for three days next month, after offering illegally discounted alcohol as part of a nationwide promotion. The ruling by the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority was released today. It said General Distributors Ltd, which holds off-licences for 175 supermarkets including Countdown's central Dunedin store, accepted the findings and the punishment to be imposed from 7am on September 7 to 7am on September 10. It serves them right, as the company had twice offered discounts on wine in a way that was likely to lead people to believe a discount of 25% or more was available - an offence under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012. The authority had been told the discounts were offered on two occasions earlier this year.

No goals, no glory

Manchester United were forced to settle for a point as Louis van Gaal's former Dutch goalkeeper Tim Krul left his old manager frustrated and earned Newcastle United a goalless draw at Old Trafford. Krul made a host of top saves, including a brilliant one to deny Juan Mata in the first period and an even better one after the break to prevent substitute Javier Hernandez from snatching a winner. Van Gaal made just one change to the side that began the 3-1 Champions League play-off win over Club Brugge with Bastian Schweinsteiger starting his first competitive match for the Reds since his summer move, in place of Michael Carrick. A draw isn't good enough. The Reds need to keep putting the ball in the back of the net.

Celebs in the leaks too

Celebrities are desperately calling up experts to help them manage their reputations following the Ashley Madison leak. These include actor from a recent Hollywood action film, top NFL player, reality TV star, well-known Southern politician, and a Coca Cola executive. Understandably, they worry being publicly outed as cheats will destroy their reputations. One company, Reputation Management Consultants, has received record number of calls from celebrities panicking about the hack and data leak. One 'was so scared of his marriage falling apart he cried for five minutes,' and another feared family would actually kill him if they found out. It serves them right. Anyone whose info was part of the leak, I have only this to say to you: you shouldn't have cheated on the love of your life. If your relationship falls apart, it's your fault for being unfaithful.

THE FILM BEAT: Trainwreck

Seriously one of the funniest movies of 2015. If you haven't seen it yet, then you are really missing out.

HR to go all out

In response to accusations of an abusive workplace environment, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos assured employees Tuesday that the company’s human resources staff was working 100 hours a week to address their complaints. “I’ve heard your grievances, and I promise that HR is toiling 16 hours a day, plus weekends, until the problem is solved,” read a company-wide email from Bezos, who promised that members of the human resources department would not be allowed to rest for a single second until allegations of a cruel, backstabbing office culture at Amazon were fully dealt with. “Nothing matters more to me than the well-being of our employees, and our HR staff will continue to work their fingers to the bone — not seeing their families or friends or anything at all outside their offices — for as long as it takes to make this right.” Bezos added that any employee not fully committed to ensuring a healthy work-life balance should look for a job elsewhere. But he should be aware that a healthy work-life balance cannot be a balance without any balance. An abusive workplace culture may be a bad thing, but so is effectively detaining human resources over the issue. It is not the end of the world just because things are falling apart within the company.

Big disks and crappy consoles

Samsung Electronics has unveiled a new solid state drive - and the drive, known as PM1633a, has a skyrocketing storage capacity. With a never-been-seen-before capacity of nearly 16 TB, the SSD is small enough to fit perfectly in your modern laptops and desktops. It is that small – only 6.35cm (2.5 inches). The SSD was introduced at the Flash Memory Summit in California. As per the reports, the drive is capable of storing the data of 15.36 TB, which makes it break the record set by Western Digital (only 10 TB of flash storage). This much storage is enough for an average of 4 million songs or thousands of HD movies. This may seem to be a lot, but when compared with those that are running on servers, the storage capacity is pretty small. However, if combined, the new 16 TB SSD from Samsung can help servers become even more compact for the high performance it achieves. As for the other details, the South Korean giant had no word about the price, availability, or speed of these drives. One of those drives would, however, be great for game saves on the latest knock-off video game system. You heard right - another Chinese company has managed to rip off all the gaming consoles, including the Xbox, PlayStation, and Ouya, at once. This new console has its name taken from the Ouya and has the design from the top two consoles in the world – PlayStation and Xbox One. This new rip off has been named as Ouye, and is currently being funded at the Chinese site Jd.com. Apart from this, the makers of this console are not convinced that this is a rip off of the existing consoles in the market. Instead, the Ouye’s creator claimed that their team has spent nearly six months in fine-tuning the design that sets them apart from all of the consoles in the market. My advice to you is don't buy one - it won't be compatible with your current video game collection. But I will consider one if they port some of my childhood favourites (including but not limited to Spyro) to it.

BAD IDEA OF THE WEEK: Changing a perfectly good formula

From its commitment to the Italian coffeehouse tradition to its “Race Together” campaign, Starbucks has often tried to keep it real. And after an influential food blogger took action, one of the company’s heretofore ersatz offerings — Pumpkin Spice Latte, a.k.a. “PSL,” established in 2003 — will include actual pumpkin. “After hearing from customers and partners about ingredients, we took another look at this beverage and why we created it so many years ago,” Peter Dukes — Starbucks’s “Director of Espresso and Brewed Coffee Americas” — wrote in a blog post entitled “Big News for the Beloved Pumpkin Spice Latte.” “It was simple — espresso, perfectly steamed milk, warm fall spices with delicious flavor of pumpkin pie that reminds you of the cool, crisp days of autumn. So, with that great taste you know and love, the PSL returns this fall, and this time it will be made with real pumpkin and without caramel coloring.” Though Starbucks did not credit her with motivating the change, the PSL’s real pumpkin came after Vani Hari, a food blogger known as the “Food Babe,” targeted the drink in a post last year. Hari’s list of alleged problems with the PSL was long. Among her complaints: She took issue with the drink’s caramel coloring, an alleged carcinogen; objected to its high sugar content; decried Starbucks’s use of “Monsanto Milk,” or milk “from cows that are fed genetically modified feed all day long”; and she pointed out that it had no pumpkin. The PSL hasn't been available in New Zealand yet, but the new formula better not suck.

Thieves got game

The owner of a central Dunedin home disturbed a group of burglars when she arrived back at the property at the weekend. Initially confused about what the group of people were doing at her property on Saturday afternoon, she went inside to find four gaming consoles and about eight games missing, of which I hope none of them were Spyro. The woman managed to get a description of one of the alleged offenders as he ran off. He is described as a male Caucasian, 20-25 years of age, of skinny build, and with short brown hair. He was last seen wearing a maroon hoody with grey sleeves, and he is a very naughty boy.

Apple to get into the Netflix game

Apple is not months, but a year away from introducing its very own Internet-based TV streaming service on the Apple TV. Reports from the internal sources suggested that the Cupertino Giant was previously going to launch it on the exclusive iPhone 6S launch event in September but now has delayed it even further for the next year. Internal sources who agreed to share the details on condition of anonymity said that the licensing process with the telecom companies is very slow and hence is taking time for the Apple to establish a network for that. Talking about the term network, the company isn’t yet ready to launch the TV network service as it lacks the hardware and computation power it will require serving millions of users in the US. As of the reports, initially this service will be for the United States only. But there is a chance it will fail, for the SVoD market is already saturated.

This could be LVG's season... or not

Adnan Januzaj justified his recall to Louis van Gaal’s starting XI by scoring the only goal in Manchester United’s 1-0 win over Aston Villa in the Barclays Premier League. The Reds are now unbeaten in 20 top-flight matches at Villa Park in a run that stretches back to September 1996. The victory also means United have tallied six points from six available following two tricky opening fixtures, five points more than the total registered at this stage of the last campaign. The match was notably moved to Friday night local time due to a heavily-policed event in Birmingham the following day, and although many fans were late to the stadium following traffic issues, most supporters at Villa Park appeared to enjoy the novelty of the change in schedule judging by the raucous atmosphere. If they keep this up all season, then van Gaal will have definitely proven himself to be just as capable as Alex Ferguson was.

WHO DID IT BETTER: This stupid hairdo

Friday Night Fights in Jo'burg

A school fight in South Africa nearly turned tragic when a teenage girl was pushed into moving traffic by schoolmates who accused her of gossiping about them. The 15-year-old Grade 9 pupil, who can’t be identified, was thrown in front of a moving car when the five girls attacked her outside a high school in Allens Nek, west of Johannesburg. The girl’s uncle said that last Friday, five girls waited for his niece outside the school premises because she had allegedly “leaked” information about one of their boyfriends. “The girls attacked her and then threw her into oncoming traffic in the street. She was lucky she was able to get out of the way before being hit by a car. But the worst is, it turns out the group attacked the wrong girl. She wasn’t even involved in the issues they were fighting about,” the uncle said. Before throwing her into the traffic, the five girls, aged between 15 and 17, swore at her, then slapped, kicked, and punched her in front of a large crowd of other pupils. They also allegedly assaulted her with shoes. This is not called for, be it in South Africa or a more developed nation. Students getting into fights over things like that is just stupid. Everyone involved should just chill, find this post, and then click here and absorb the song's message.

Forced update means forced reboot

Windows 10's automatic updates are designed as a safety measure to stop users avoiding security patches, as a neglected computer can be dangerous not only for its users but for other machines to which it's connected. And with Windows 10 expected to reach one billion devices over its lifetime, the stakes are too high to expect Microsoft to perfectly vet every update on every potential combination of hardware to which it will be exposed. These two factors, when combined, can lead to some serious problems, like with a new update to Windows 10, designated KB3081424. This update is reportedly causing serious issues for a small number of users, seeming to validate those who criticised Microsoft's decision to make automatic updates mandatory. Issued last week, KB3081424 can hit a snag during installation that causes Windows to abandon it and reboot. Since updates are automatic and mandatory Windows will try to install the update again later, forcing another reboot and locking the user in a endless loop. Come on, guys - if Windows 10 is giving you grief, GET A MAC.

BAD IDEA OF THE WEEK: Suicidal comedians

Grown in Space!

This week on the menu for astronauts aboard the International Space Station: a purplish-green sample of romaine lettuce, the first plant ever to be grown and eaten in space. NASA’s plant experiment, called Veg-01, has been used to study the ability to produce crops while in-orbit over the last year, and scientists hope the result will be the chance for astronauts to be able to grow their own food in space during missions that take them far away from our planet — like to Mars. I still think Earth-grown food is better.

Reds claim early scalp

Manchester United have kicked off their 2015/16 Barclays Premier League campaign at Old Trafford with a 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur thanks to a 22nd-minute own goal by Kyle Walker. The Reds were grateful to debutant goalkeeper Sergio Romero for preserving the slender advantage as the visitors showed few signs of tiredness after their midweek friendly exertions in Germany. And so am I because this means the right team is 1/38 of the way back to the top. And it means LVG is finally pulling his weight in the manager department.

Joker spared due to one juror

The jury deciding whether Aurora movie theater shooter James Holmes should be sentenced to death ended deliberations after it became apparent one juror would not budge from her opposition to a death sentence, a juror told reporters. Because the jury could not reach a unanimous decision, Holmes will be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for opening fire during a screening of "The Dark Knight Rises" on July 20, 2012, killing 12 people and wounding 70 others. "We ended our deliberations when one absolutely would not move," the juror, who only identified herself as "juror 17," told reporters after the verdict. Whoever the naysayer is, I hope you're proud of yourself. Because of your decision to be a hero, that sicko gets to live while 12 of his victims don't. The only suitable form of justice in such a case is the chair.

THE BIG REVIEW: Office for Mac 2016 (as promised)

It's actually a really good product. You need to try it.

Microsoft looking for undeserved megagreen

Users of the latest version of Microsoft's Windows operating system are being slugged almost US$20 - just to play DVDs. While previous versions of Windows could play DVDs for free, Windows 10 users are being asked to pay US$18.39 for a standalone app. The cost is likely to irritate many users, given the operating system itself is free for most users. For those wishing to play DVDs without spending a cent, many tech blogs are recommending the free VLC Player, and so am I. DVDs are expensive enough without having to pay out the ass for a special app. In fact, it's even cheaper to just download the movie you want via BitTorrent and watch it on your computer.

Fly Away? More like Fly Undone!

Lenny Kravitz's trousers split open on stage on Monday leading to the 'Fly Away' hitmaker accidentally exposing himself to the whole crowd as he wasn't wearing any underpants. The 51-year-old rocker was left red-faced following his performance in Stockholm, Sweden, when his leather trousers ripped open along the crotch revealing he was wearing no underwear and showing his bare genitalia to thousands of fans. So what? At least he has balls unlike James Holmes.

BAD IDEA OF THE WEEK: Meth

Guess who's back, back again? Zoolander's back, tell a friend!

It's been a long time coming, more than a decade in fact, but Zoolander 2 is in the making and fans have finally seen a glimpse of what's to come. Paramount Pictures has released the first trailer for the long awaited sequel to Zoolander, the 2001 film that brought the dim-witted but adored male model onto their screens. At first it seems more like a scientific lecture into the workings of the brain with a Steven Hawking-style voice over, but then words like 'Eugoogly' pop up and a 'no left turn' sign followed by a merman - things any Zoolander fan would recognise from the original film. Then comes Derek Zoolander, played by Ben Stiller, pondering life's big questions such as 'If God exists, then why did he make ugly people?' It's hard to believe it's been that long, or that my favourite use of free time back then was manoeuvring a little purple dragon. And speaking of drag, a drag king bar has opened in Britain. That's right - Sue Northover and wife Frankie Du Mongh have unveiled the UK’s first karaoke bar aimed at male impersonators. The pair say the the venue – Kings Bar, in Blackpool – has proven extremely popular since its opening. But what I'm really looking forward to is the upcoming Premiership season, because this is the year that LVG will win.

Trainwreck not a trainwreck

Amy Schumer is moved people like her new movie 'Trainwreck', which is based on her embarrassing dating experiences. The 34-year-old comic's romantic comedy, which is based on her own unfortunate dating experiences, has almost reached $30 million with its US box office release and she is overwhelmed by its success. The stand-up star said: "I'm so moved that people like the movie". The 'Inside Amy Schumer' star, who has been nominated for seven Emmys this September, is clearly keeping her head on the ground amidst all the box office commotion. And Amy is "super grateful" to her writing and production team, including her brother and sister, Kim and Jason. She added to People magazine: "Making them laugh is the still the best feeling in the world." Wrong. The best feeling in the world will be when it gets released in New Zealand on the 13th.

ONE-LION CHALLENGE: Bring Walter Palmer to Zimbabwe

As we had a One-Line Challenge (VERY short posts that I try to fit on one line, hence the name) last night, we couldn't bring you the Bellend of the Month as originally planned. But now, we can. And the Bellend of the Month for July 2015 is Walter Palmer, a dentist and big-game hunter who killed Cecil the lion. He is facing extradition to Zimbabwe, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's own investigation into the hunt could lead to charges under U.S. law. If Palmer is charged with similar offenses by Zimbabwe, that would clear the way for him to be extradited to that country under a treaty Zimbabwe entered into with the United States in July 1997. It calls for persons of interest to be extradited between the two countries in cases that include a conspiracy or attempt to commit a crime, aiding and abetting a crime, or being an accessory. So remember this, Walter Palmer: Zimbabwe is looking for you. You shouldn't have killed that lion.

ONE-LINE CHALLENGE: Here's a challenge for you

Google the phrase "year of the dragon speedway bug".

Nintendo about to get into the theme park game

Sure, Disney have done a great job of turning their beloved and iconic movies and characters into tangible and equally magical theme parks, but there could be some new kids just around the corner. According to industry rumors, Universal and Nintendo are teaming up to deliver a theme park based on the properties owned by the Japanese gaming giant. We already know Nintendo has been working with Universal to revamp their current parks, but they will not stop there. According to ThisIsInfamous.com, Universal hope to split Nintendo's various major franchises into separate areas, as well as develop rides based on their games and characters in a third park. As you can probably imagine, a Mario Kart ride is apparently in the cards, as are zones based on Pokémon and The Legend of Zelda. Furthermore, there are also suggestions Universal are developing a literal World of Warcraft. This seems at least partly legitimate, as the studio is currently developing the upcoming movie adaptation. Personally, I can see this as an addition to their previous parks, as opposed to an area in a Nintendo park. The sources of the rumors claim the Universal development is mostly in response to Disney making their own improvements to their Disney World Theme Park. Currently, no one is entirely sure what these improvements will involve, but we're likely to find out at the upcoming D23 expo. These mysterious sources also claim Universal hopefully plan to open their video game inspired park sometime in 2021. But seriously, if any video game character is deserving of a theme park, it's Spyro. The original trilogy was just the best.

Windows - the way it was meant to be

Not really because that would mean Windows would be dead. But it ain't because Windows 10 is here and for the first time in a while, there's actual excitement about Microsoft's operating system upgrade. There's a sharper new browser that puts Internet Explorer to shame, Cortana integration, and an emphasis on a more productive experience in Windows. Windows 10 is so radically different that Microsoft even skipped over naming it Windows 9. Users who haven't already reserved a free upgrade in the Get Windows 10 app can still do so. Microsoft has the ambitious goal of rolling out the software to one billion users over the next few years. I wish them luck with that because Mac OS is the box they will eventually be burying it in.

BAD IDEA OF THE WEEK: Losing another Brown

Bobbi Kristina Brown, the only child of late singer Whitney Houston, has died at the age of 22, some six months after suffering irreversible brain damage in an incident at her suburban Atlanta home, her family said in a statement. Brown, whose father is R&B singer Bobby Brown, was found face down and unresponsive in a bathtub in her home by her partner and a friend on January 31. She was moved by her family to hospice care on June 24. She will be missed.

Deflategate II - not their future

NFL officials will be keeping closer tabs on football inflation this season, according to multiple media reports. Pregame pressure readings will now be documented and there will be random halftime and postgame rechecks, as reported by Fox Sports and other outlets. The new procedures also state that footballs remain under the watch of NFL officials, who will inspect each one and deliver them to the "kicking ball coordinator," who will take chain of custody of all footballs until 10 minutes before kickoff. Footballs will continue to be required to have at least 12.5 pounds per square inch of air and no more than 13.5 psi. If a ball falls outside of those numbers and the air pressure must be adjusted, it will be adjusted to 13 psi. According to the reports, which cite NFL officiating sources, the new procedures come in the wake of accusations of ball tampering by the New England Patriots in last season's AFC Championship Game. And now that they've taken care of the deflated pigskins, they can now look at changing the name of the Redskins, maybe to something like the DC Red Hawks.

Key and Peele are so over

The Comedy Central show Key & Peele, an absurdist sketch comedy that has become known for recurring skits like one in which an “anger translator” expresses emotions on President Obama’s behalf, will end after its current season. Speaking to the online entertainment journal TheWrap, one of the show’s stars, Keegan-Michael Key, said that it was time for him and his co-star, Jordan Peele, “to explore other things, together and apart.” Key & Peele premiered on the network in 2012 and won a Peabody Award in 2013 for its “inspired satirical riffs on our racially divided and racially conjoined culture.” The show, currently in its fifth season, received seven Emmy nominations this year, including a nod for Outstanding Variety Sketch Series. Both comedians are biracial and much of their comedy is given to exploring, mocking, and confounding racial stereotypes. In accepting the show’s Peabody Award, Mr. Key expressly thanked the network for allowing Key & Peele to tell a diverse set of stories. “We’d like to thank Comedy Central for giving us the opportunity to show the African-American experience as not a monolith, because it’s not,” he said. “It’s so many different stories and the danger of the world sometimes is trying to assign a single story to an entire group of people.” Mr. Key and Mr. Peele met as improv comedians in Chicago and performed together for five seasons on the Fox show “Mad TV.” Aside from starring on Key & Peele, both were executive producers and lead writers. Mr. Key told TheWrap that they plan to continue collaborating. “We might make a movie and then do our own thing for three years and then come back and do another movie,” he said. “There’s lots of stuff we have cooking up.” That's cool. Inside Amy Schumer is a much better show any day, and not because she's white - it's because she's actually funny.

Hulk made a hulkish mistake

Hulk Hogan's WWE contract has been terminated following allegations made by RadarOnline.com and National Enquirer magazine that he made racist comments on an unauthorised sex tape in 2012. World Wrestling Entertainment announced yesterday that they were releasing the Hall of Fame Superstar as reports broke on RadarOnline.com and via National Enquirer that Hogan had allegedly used the 'N-word' while complaining to ex-lover Heather Clem - the former wife of his friend Bubba 'The Love Sponge' Clem - about his daughter Brooke Hogan's apparent taste in men on an unauthorised sex tape recorded in 2012. The tape is the subject of an upcoming court case between the grappling icon and Gawker.com. A statement released by the company - who rehired the multi-time world champion in 2014 - read: "WWE terminated its contract with Terry Bollea (aka Hulk Hogan). WWE is committed to embracing and celebrating individuals from all backgrounds as demonstrated by the diversity of our employees, performers, and fans worldwide." It serves him right. If my niece or nephew started dating someone of a different ethnic background, I wouldn't complain about it, and I most certainly wouldn't be using the applicable racial slurs about them.

THE FILM BEAT: Ant-Man

Great use of 3D. Great storyline. Great powers on the part of the titular superhero. The only thing that could be greater is if the Justice League and the Avengers were in a movie together, because seriously, when do you get to see DC and Marvel characters together?

La guerre de tabac starts to smoke

And speaking of smoking, the mask is being applied to speed cameras throughout France. And no, I do NOT mean Jim Carrey. I mean this: France's tobacconists are protesting plans to force cigarette companies to use plain, unbranded packaging, by disabling traffic speed cameras. The radar 'hooding' - by covering them with bin liners - is symbolic: a 'cover up' that deprives the government of money in the same way that the anti-smoking legislation will reduce tobacco sales, and tax revenue, the protesters say. The first hooding took place over a month ago, and, by this week, speed trap cameras in as many as 20 of 97 districts had been affected, according to the group representing France's tabac bars, the Buralistes Confederation. Many of the tabac outlets, with their distinctive red cigar-shaped signs, are also bars and cafes. Some sell stamps and newspapers too, but they point out that a key function on their monopoly on tobacco sales is collecting tobacco tax: €14 billion for the French Treasury every year, according to the confederation. No responsible treasury should need to line their pockets with funds obtained from the sale of such an evil poison. Those things are called cancer sticks for a reason.

Je suis Richards

A New Zealander who topped the French Scrabble world without actually being able to speak the language got a standing ovation after his win - but needed a translator to thank the audience. Nigel Richards, originally from Christchurch but now living in Malaysia, defeated a rival from French-speaking Gabon at the final in Louvain, Belgium, on Monday. He took out his competition, Schelick Ilagou Rekawe, winning two of three matches: 370-427, 484-376, 565-434. Scrabble blogger Dzibz said on an online post, that Mr Richards may have even won his first game, if only time had not gone against him and run out. The New Zealander received a standing ovation after his win - but needed a translator to thank his audience. He is said to be participating in more Scrabble competitions this week. On Wednesday he is to play a version of the game called Duplicate, where all players start with the same letters and play against a computer - eliminating any chance of luck. His newly-acquired French fans will be watching to see just how he can surprise them next. Dzibz says while Mr Richards was an outsider to the French scrabble world he didn't believe the Kiwi was done. I don't either.

BAD IDEA OF THE WEEK: Keeping this gem from us

And by gem, I don't mean the ones you get for breaking all the boxes in a level. Animation believed to be from a Crash Bandicoot cartoon series that never aired is in fact a cutscene proposed for the original game and likewise left on the cutting room floor, according to this video uploaded Friday by the game's producer:

"This video is test animation that was done for Crash Bandicoot," said David Siller. "Produced by Universal Animation early in the development of the game. It was based on ideas for where we were going with this IP at that time. It was probably too ambitious in nature and was also trying to be humorous," adding "it was never used or even embedded in the game as a hidden 'easter egg' treat. There are many close to the development of the original game that do not even know that this material even existed." Crash Bandicoot, which launched in 1996, was a production of Universal Interactive Studios, which brought on Naughty Dog to handle development. Siller said later in comments that the plan was for the animated scenes to be source material for a full animated series, provided the game was successful and well received. Then Sony got involved and licensed the game, and didn't want the animated scenes because "they were heavily pushing the 3D agenda" at the time. I think Crash should have his own animated series. Better yet, Spyro should get his own series.

Their Royal Heilnesses?

Buckingham Palace scolded Rupert Murdoch's top-selling Sun tabloid on Saturday for publishing a previously unknown film from 1933 that appears to show Britain's Queen Elizabeth performing a Nazi salute as a young girl. The black-and-white film from the year Adolf Hitler came to power purports to show future British king Edward VIII instructing his nieces, the current monarch Elizabeth, aged about six or seven at the time, and her three-year-old sister, Princess Margaret, how to perform the Nazi salute. Dancing and smiling with little apparent understanding of the salute's significance as a sign of obedience to Hitler, the two young girls are encouraged by Edward to briefly perform the raised right-arm gesture in the grounds of Balmoral Castle in Scotland. The Sun published the story and the 17-second film on its website under the headline “Their Royal Heilnesses". Edward also raises his arm, as does his sister-in-law, the Queen Mother. That's nothing compared to what the Queen and her sister got up to on VE Day. She did a good job keeping that night a secret for 70 years. I wonder what other hidden treasures exist from her younger days.

Guess who's back, back again? Blue Bell's back, tell a friend!

For more than a century, Blue Bell ice cream has played off its roots as a favorite Southern treat from tiny Brenham, Texas, to quietly become one of America’s biggest brands — the third-largest ice cream maker last year. Last year, it sold 6.4 percent of America’s ice cream. Now, it accounts for none. The company hasn’t sold a scoop since April, when it halted production after Listeria-tainted ice cream sickened people in four states. But months after the outbreak put the company in dire straits, it may have been tossed a lifeline by one of Texas’ most prominent businessmen. Earlier this week, the company announced a “significant investment” from billionaire Sid Bass, and the company says it may soon be able to start making test batches of ice cream again. But the only comeback I'm interested in is if Louis van Gaal can start bringing in some silverware. If Manchester United can win the Premiership, the FA Cup, the League Cup, and the Champions League next season, then LVG would prove to be a major asset to the team.

The W-Fi extender to end all Wi-Fi extenders

Rhino Security founder Benjamin Caudill has created a tool to help privacy pundits (and criminals) connect to wireless networks from a distance of four kilometres, in a bid to foil eavesdropping authorities. The Proxyham Raspberry Pi hardware box is a complement to toolkits such as Tor that mask the source of web traffic. Prolific security prober Caudill told Motherboard the device would be placed at the Wi-Fi source to beam a signal at 900MHz to distant users. "We consider this the last or worst case scenario, the absolute fallback plan if everything else fails," Caudill says. "You can have it all the way across town, and worst case scenario the police go barge into the library across town." Caudill will sell the box at cost for about US$200. Users who wish to build their own will be able to check out the hardware schematics and open source software when it is detailed at Defcon in August. The device is about the size of a large router and sports three antennas. Caudill will work to alter the physical profile of the box cramming it into the form of a book such that it allows libraries to be turned into persistent hotspots. The box will also be upgraded with self-destruction features, capturing the surrounding audio during the unit's final moments to help the user identify their pursuers. It will come as no surprise that people on the sides of both good and evil would appreciate having such a tool available, including but not limited to the likes of privacy advocates, political dissidents, and would-be online drug lords. Having any good enough Wi-Fi extender, though, is better than nothing when you just want to use your home network on the go.

WHO DID IT BETTER: The embedded SIM

Apple and Samsung are reportedly in talks to collaborate on a shared format for hardware to replace SIM cards - hardware which would be embedded in the device and thus would not be swappable between devices. This is according to the Financial Times, which claims the two tech giants are seeking a standard that would see the SIM card embedded in devices and reconfigured on the fly. The talks are also reported to involve a number of major phone carriers from around the world. Vodafone, AT&T, Orange, and Deutsche Telekom were listed as some of those involved. Apple have, in fact, already gone on the record as looking for a way to cut the removable SIM out of its products. Last year, Apple equipped its iPad Air and iPad Mini models with a soft SIM card that was able to switch between carriers. A standard for embedded SIMS would have some benefits for all parties involved, but this new development will have one drawback: you can't put the same number in another device or change the number - or at least not by swapping the SIMs. But if the embedded SIM does become a thing, the question will be one of whether it was Apple or Samsung who did it better. So who do you think will do it better?

New flag in town

Let's face it - New Zealand has had the same flag since 1902, and some of us think it's time to ditch it. First off, there is a huge eyesore in the top left called a Union Jack. Not only can the Union Jack be confused with a Confederate flag, it's Britain's flag and should not be foisted onto those of other sovereign nations. Second, it's too similar to some other countries' flags, including but not limited to Australia. But there is talk of changing it, and even I'm throwing my hat into the ring. Here's my design:

Either love the scumbags or leave the Emirates

They could have just washed her mouth out with soap, but instead Abu Dhabi officials threw Austrailian Jodi Magi in jail for posting a picture of a parked car online, Australia's ABC News reports. It started in February when Magi, annoyed at a driver who took up two handicap-parking spaces in her apartment's lot, posted a photo of the car on Facebook. The 39-year-old didn't include any identifying elements in the photo, but the next thing she knew, a complaint was filed and she was in an Abu Dhabi courtroom, where she was found guilty under a UAE cybercrime law of "writing bad words on social media about a person," hit with a $2,700 fine, and told she'd be deported from Abu Dhabi, where she's lived since 2012. Asked by the ABC what she had done, she replied, "I have zero idea. I used the Internet." She adds she was forced to sign documents written in Arabic, with no translation provided. I think the problem here is the inconsiderate scumbag who parked on two handicap spaces. They shouldn't have even been parking on one of those spaces unless they had a permit.

BAD IDEA OF THE WEEK: Photographers who muck about

Prince Philip, the 94-year-old husband of Britain's Queen Elizabeth well-known for occasional verbal gaffes, has been caught on camera swearing at a photographer. At an event to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain between the RAF and the Luftwaffe in 1940, TV footage showed an exasperated Philip appearing to lose his temper during a photocall. More specifically, he was quoted as saying "Just take the f****** picture". Maybe we would be better off if the photographer would just take the f****** picture.

Just installed the iOS 9 beta

And so far, it's not that different except for the new font and the small letters on the keyboard.

Guess who's back, back again? Stability's back, tell a friend!

That's right, guys - the most stable iOS yet is available in beta form. Just to be clear, iOS 9 beta is now available to the public for the first time ever and users can download it on their iPhones and iPad. Users can sign for the iOS 9 (and OS X El Capitan) public beta access here. Apple warns you that this a beta version of the OS, which means it is still full of bugs and errors and that ideally you should not install this on your primary iOS device, but rather an older device if you have one. So what’s new in iOS 9? Well in terms of design it looks pretty similar to iOS 8, other than the big font change. As The Verge notes, iOS 9 ditches Helevtica Neue for San Francisco font by Apple. Additionally 9to5Mac reports that the iOS 9 beta 3 which was released to developers has a separate album for Selfies and that Siri does not make the usual ‘Ding’ sound when activated. But seriously, this is a beta so proceed with caution.

How much Moore can his Law take?

Not too much because IBM are loading 20 billion transistors on a chip only 7 nm thick. Sounds too good to be true, but it ain't.

THE BIG REVIEW: Microsoft Office 2016 for Mac

This is the last of four candidates to replace the Bad Idea of the Week later this year. In this feature, I will post a review of anything in particular. This month, the Big Review will be the newly-released Microsoft Office 2016 for Mac. More once I've actually tried it out.

Whoa, hold on - is that car seat in the front seat?

Yes. Yes, it is. You heard right - car maker Volvo is turning heads and creating buzz online with its new concept for child-safety seats in an unexpected area of the vehicle — right next to Mom or Dad. The company said the new approach could make it easier for parents to get their kids in and out of the car and keep an eye on baby as they drive. "Volvo Cars has completely re-imagined how children could travel safely in cars of the future," the company said on its YouTube channel. "Shown in the XC90 Excellence, this concept is innovatively designed to make it easier to get the child in and out of the seat without compromising comfort. It also provides a safe rear-facing seating position that brings parent and child closer together, and includes smart storage for vital child accessories." The new concept involves removing the front passenger seat and replacing it with a raised platform outfitted with child-safety seat that can swivel and then lock in place in a rear-facing position. When the infant or toddler is buckled in, he or she can choose to babble at the driver or at passengers in the backseat. But is it safe? In the United States, young children are required to sit in the backseat for safety reasons, and depending on state, parents are urged to keep them back there until age 12. For its part, though, Volvo said of its new child-safety seat that "from a safety perspective there is no difference between the rear seat or front seat, given that the airbag is disconnected." Here's how I see it: I don't have kids, so I won't be needing this for the foreseeable future. My sister might want one, so they can have one parent sitting in the back beside Hazel (my 29-month-old niece) and also being able to keep an eye on Oscar (my 8½-month-old nephew), who will be riding shotgun in the included seat.

Subway dumps Jared

Investigators raided the Indiana home of longtime Subway pitchman Jared Fogle yesterday, seizing electronics in a search that the sandwich chain says might be linked to the earlier arrest of someone who once worked for him. Agents took computers from Fogle's home in Zionsville, just north of Indianapolis, after arriving at about 6am local time, Fogle attorney Ron Elberger said, without disclosing what they were looking for. Elberger said Fogle, the man who soared to fame 15 years ago after saying he shed more than 200 pounds in part through a Subway diet, has not been arrested or charged with any crime. The raid comes more than two months after Russell Taylor, former executive director of the Jared Foundation (Fogle's organization that aspires to combat childhood obesity), was arrested in Indianapolis on federal child pornography charges. Authorities haven't said anything linking the search at Fogle's home to that case or any other investigation. Fogle became the Subway restaurant chain’s pitchman after shedding 245 pounds more than 15 years ago, in part by regularly eating Subway sandwiches. Subway began featuring Fogle in commercials soon after, and his story was instrumental in giving the sandwich chain an image as a healthy place to eat. During a search of Taylor’s home in May, federal investigators say they discovered a cache of sexually explicit photos and videos Taylor allegedly produced by secretly filming minor children at the home. They said they also allegedly found more than 400 videos of child pornography on computers and storage media recovered from Taylor’s home office in his Indianapolis residence. And if they find any more of that crap on the stuff seized from Jared, then I hope he gets what's coming to him. And speaking of coming, an NYPD sergeant has been suspended after a co-worker claimed he threw semen on her inside of police headquarters. The sergeant, identified as Michael Iscenko, allegedly tossed semen on the unidentified woman near a freight elevator at 1 Police Plaza. The victim — who worked with Iscenko in the Organized Crime Control Bureau — reported the recent incident immediately after it happened. The substance that was splattered on her was tested and determined to be semen, but it has not yet been determined if it was Iscenko’s semen. That is just disgusting and he should be fired.

BAD IDEA OF THE WEEK: Taxless tobacco

A World Health Organization report says taxing cigarettes to more than 75 percent of their retail price is the most effective way to reduce tobacco use, but that too few governments levy high enough taxes. The WHO's 2015 report on the global tobacco epidemic, released in Manila today, says more than half of the world's countries, encompassing about 2.8 billion people, have implemented at least one of six sets of agreed-upon tobacco-control policies. But it says many nations continue to have very low tobacco tax rates or no taxes at all. The report and officials say tobacco taxation could be a key source of funding to implement health and development goals. Seriously, there's plenty of money for governments the world over to be making from Big Tobacco. They've been making undeserved profits from pumping their poison into our lungs for too long and it's time somebody stood up to them.

X Factor auditions to be X'd

'The X Factor' auditions have been cancelled following the death of Simon Cowell's mother. A spokesperson for Syco Entertainment has confirmed that the planned events - the first of which was set to take place in Manchester later today - will not now go ahead after the death of 89-year-old Julie Brett, which follows a lengthy health battle that Simon had chosen to keep private. Speaking last night, the spokesperson said: "They were due to start tomorrow and carry on into Tuesday and Wednesday. Tomorrow's have been cancelled and we have not made any decisions beyond that." Meanwhile, a show insider has revealed the news has upset everyone connected to the ITV programme. They should cancel that crap altogether. The entire genre is the worst excuse for "entertainment" that the world has had to suffer through.

He's gonna start the marriage

Billy Joel has married his girlfriend Alexis Roderick in a surprise ceremony at the singer's Long Island estate. A spokeswoman for the star, who has been married three times before, revealed that the couple exchanged vows while they were hosting a Fourth of July party celebrating Independence Day. She said the small group of family and friends at the get-together did not know the couple were planning to get married. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo presided over the nuptials and those in attendance included Alexa Ray Joel, his 29-year-old daughter with model Christie Brinkley. But all I can say is congratulations. Just don't stuff it up like many other couples do.

To boldly name what nobody has named before

The quest to find out the new title of the Star Trek franchise's next movie is finally over. Director Justin Lin has just revealed on his Twitter account the title of the next film. "Let the next Starfleet voyage begin! #StarTrekBeyond #LLAP," he posted. That's right, "Star Trek Beyond" will be the next title of the film. He also made reference to Spock's famous saying, "live long and prosper," and posted a picture of the Starfleet: United Federation of Planets badges from a costume. Paramount Pictures also shared the picture on their official Facebook page with the caption, "JUST ANNOUNCED #StarTrekBeyond." And speaking of beyond, it will be beyond horrible if the Hurricanes win tonight. At time of posting, it is almost half-time and they are losing 6-0. Final score will be posted later tonight.

UPDATE: The Highlanders beat the Hurricanes 21-14 in the Super Rugby final.

ONE-LINE CHALLENGE: The Super Rugby Final

The Highlanders better win tomorrow.

Dukes to be duked

The Wi-Fi at my house may be back, but this hot piece can't wait until later tonight. US cable network TV Land has pulled re-runs of the 1980s sitcom Dukes of Hazzard, amid controversy over portrayals of the Confederate flag, which is notably featured on the show's "General Lee" vehicle. Viacom-owned TV Land declined to comment on why it has pulled the re-runs, but there has been growing criticism of displays of the Civil War-era flag in the wake of the shooting of nine black churchgoers in South Carolina last month. The man arrested in the shooting, Dylann Roof, is a 21-year-old white man who had posed with a Confederate battle flag in photos posted on a website that displayed a racist manifesto attributed to him. Dukes of Hazzard ran from 1979 to 1985 and centered on the fictional Duke family, who lived in rural Georgia. An orange car bearing a Confederate flag design of the roof and nicknamed "General Lee" was regularly featured in the show. Fans of the program took to social media to express frustration with TV Land's decision. A Change.org petition to bring the show back had more than 6300 supporters as of Thursday morning. This marks the latest effort to banish the racially charged Stars and Bars from pop culture after various states began debating whether to remove the flag, and it's one of the few that have gone too far. The General Lee, believe it or not, is one of few places where a Confederate flag belongs. And with today's photo-editing technology, they could've just digitally removed the flag in scenes featuring the car for the time being if it's that big a deal.

BAD IDEA OF THE WEEK: Forgetting it was supposed to be done on the Tuesday

But let's not worry about that because Donald Trump is suing Univision for US$500 million after his disparaging remarks about Mexican immigrants prompted the leading Spanish-language broadcaster to drop its July telecast of the Miss USA pageant. The suit, filed in New York by his Miss Universe Organization, called Univision's decision "in reality, a politically motivated attempt to suppress Mr. Trump's freedom of speech under the First Amendment as he begins to campaign for the nation's presidency." He accuses Univision of violating their multi-year deal. "Always fight back when right," Trump tweeted. Univision Networks' president of programming, Alberto Ciurana, was named as a co-defendant. In a photo he posted to his Instagram account, Ciurana compared Trump to Dylann Roof, the 21-year-old man charged with murdering nine African Americans in a Charleston, S.C., church. That is a rather unfair comparison to be making, but if that's how Univision feel about Donald Trump right now, then they were right to drop Miss USA from their lineup. And besides, beauty pageants are one of the biggest wastes of airtime around, even without the excessively dolled-up children you see at some of those things.

What the Nazis taketh, seventy years returneth

The Bellend of the Month for June 2015 is the Nazi regime. We all know what those creeps did to the Jewish populations of the territories they occupied, but what's most revolting is the fact that the global Jewish population has only just recovered to pre-WWII levels. That's right, seventy long years after the Holocaust, the global Jewish population has finally returned to the level it was at before the Second World War, after a surge in numbers in the past decade. The Jewish People Policy Institute said in its annual survey that there were about 16.6 million Jews around the world, a figure not seen since the 1930s and the Nazis’ attempts to exterminate them. “There is a certain symbolic value in that the Jewish people have reattained the number that they had before the awful destruction,” Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said after his cabinet reviewed the report. So PLEASE do not plan mass genocide. The groups you seek to rid the world of may take much more than seventy years to recover next time, and it could take even longer for populations to reach where they would be now had it not been for such callous intervention.

Dildos in the name of ISIS

A CNN reporter may never live down the day she was so pleased at being the only person to notice an Islamic State flag at a London gay pride march. Correspondent Lucy Pawle had no doubts she had seen the terrorist banner in the parade, even though she acknowledged it was a poor attempt at mimicry and the writing on it "could be gobbledygook". In fact the symbols on the flag weren't even writing, they were silhouettes of sex toys. The event at which the flag was flown should have given Pawle pause for thought before she started revelling in her own cleverness. Plenty of other people were able to join the dots and the torrents of derision soon followed on social media. If you look at the flag closely, it's clearly not Arabic, in fact it looks like it could be gobbledygook, but it's very distinctive, the Isis flag. But from far away, Arabic looks like buttplugs & dildos. Speaking of dildos, over 100 people rallying for the Confederate flag today say they don't want it removed from public places because they don't believe it's an offensive or racist symbol. Instead, they're stressing how important it is to the history of our country, specifically in the south. "It's not about racism," said supporter Tim Guthrie. "It's about our family heritage." Guthrie and organizer Bill Starnes say the "Save the Flag Rally" was an unfortunate necessity. That flag seriously needs to come down. The symbol has always been associated with racism, especially considering the Confederacy started over slavery. Even an ISIS flag would be a refreshing step up.

Small players, big brawl

Otahuhu College has spoken out about yesterday's violent brawl at a South Auckland rugby game which saw a 14-year-old knocked-out. The teen was knocked unconscious during a mass brawl involving up to 50 players and spectators following an under-15 rugby match between Otahuhu College and Tangaroa College. Otahuhu College left a message on its Facebook page this morning saying the student was making "steady progress". It went on to say that it didn't want the incident to "detract from the hundreds of OC students and their families who play, watch, and support sport every week". The school's comments come following rising concerns that ugly sideline antics are ruining junior sports. Police officers at amateur sports grounds are becoming a familiar sight. ONE News Facebook readers have called the incident and the increase in violence in junior sports "ugly behaviour" and are calling for a ban on the players and supporters involved in the fight. "Ban the players involved from playing for up to a year," David Richardson wrote. "Ban all the kids and parents involved from all rugby. Permanently," Digger Wright suggested, adding "Maybe that will sent he [sic] message that no one will put up with this kind of crap." Nobody should have to put up with this kind of crap. I realise this is South Auckland we're talking about, but come on. Fights have no place in any non-combat sport except for ice hockey and roller derby.

WE DID IT AMERICA!

The Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the U.S. Constitution provides same-sex couples the right to marry, handing a historic triumph to the American gay rights movement. The court ruled 5-4 that the Constitution's guarantees of due process and equal protection under the law mean that states cannot ban same-sex marriages. With the landmark ruling, gay marriage becomes legal in all 50 states. Immediately after the decision, same-sex couples in many of the states where gay marriage had been banned headed to county clerks' offices for marriage licenses as officials in several states said they would respect the ruling. President Barack Obama, appearing in the White House Rose Garden, hailed the ruling as a milestone in American justice that arrived "like a thunderbolt." "This ruling is a victory for America," said Obama, the first sitting president to support gay marriage. "This decision affirms what millions of Americans already believe in their hearts. When all Americans are treated as equal, we are all more free." As night fell, the White House was lit in rainbow colors - a symbol of gay pride - to mark the high court's decision. The ruling is the Supreme Court's most important expansion of marriage rights in the United States since its landmark 1967 ruling in the case Loving v. Virginia that struck down state laws barring interracial marriages.

THE FILM BEAT: Inside Out

Before I start my review, I will tell you why this post is a little early. It's because my dad literally broke the internet. More specifically, he removed our landline by mistake, so our home phone and Wi-Fi are out for the time being. As a result, I'm now having to do the next few posts with my cellphone or at public computing facilities during their respective opening hours. He's redecorating the hallway, and removed some old wires for the telephone connection, thinking we didn't need them anymore. It could be up to five days before someone comes up to fix it, so don't be surprised to see early posts into July.

Now to why I'm bringing back the Friday Film Beat. It's because we're retiring the Bad Idea of the Week later this year and I want to test out different candidates for its replacement. So here's my review: it was one of the most bizarre films Pixar has ever put out. Go see it and see just how right I am.

And now, back before it even starts...

USA Network has given a vote of confidence to its new series "Mr. Robot". The cable channel had ordered a second season of the cyber drama, hours before it premiered last night. The second season will consist of at least 10 episodes and will debut next year. "We knew from the moment we read Sam Esmail's provocative script, and witnessed the brilliant performances of Rami Malek and Christian Slater, that 'Mr. Robot' is a stand-out series that is unlike anything currently on television," said USA Network president Chris McCumber. "The overwhelmingly positive fan reactions to the pilot and the broad sampling of it reaffirms our confidence in the series, and we're excited to see where this timely drama will take us for season two." That's good to hear, but if you've not seen it yet, click here and get downloading.

Old system, new gadget

See for yourself:

BAD IDEA OF THE WEEK: The coming mass extinction

The world is witnessing extinction rates unseen in the last 65-million years. That was when dinosaurs died off – thanks to a mixture of an asteroid impact on Mexico and massive volcanic outbursts elsewhere. The four mass extinctions before that were also caused by natural disasters. But this time it is down to human activity, say a group of scientists writing in the journal Science Advances. Looking at data from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the researchers looked at the rate of extinction of animals over the last 500 years. The union runs a Red List of critically endangered animals. They found that normally two species per 10,000 go extinct every 100 years. That is the baseline, or natural rate of extinction without disaster events. Human intervention – they said in the release on Friday – has accelerated this rate by up to a hundred times. This has been during “the period during which Homo sapiens truly became a major force on the biosphere”. However, the number of up to a 100% increase in extinctions is conservative. The researchers said it would be hard to accurately predict extinction rates when numbers had only been effectively recorded in recent years. And even these numbers only scratch the surface. Their paper – “Accelerated modern human–induced species losses: Entering the sixth mass extinction.” – said only around 16 000 of the estimated 1.4-million invertebrates worldwide were catalogued. This meant species are going extinct without people knowing it. And the species that are going extinct are so small that they are hardly noticeable, the researchers said. The conservative scenario found that 111 mammal species have gone extinct between 1500 and 1900. Sixty-nine more have gone extinct in the last century. The same acceleration is evident in other species: 477 vertebrate species have gone extinct in the last century, compared to 617 in the four preceding centuries. In the five hundred years that they looked at, the researchers found that 130 000 species have been lost – 7% of the world’s biodiversity. “The particularly high losses in the last several decades accentuate the the increasing severity of the modern extinction crisis.” If nothing is done to stem the rate of extinction, the researchers said 75% of the species in existence today could vanish. “We have the potential for making massive change, and the bottom line is that we can’t be the generation responsible for wiping out three-fourths of life forms on the Earth.” This is serious stuff right here. If we don't clean up our act, 2012 will come. And the next generation of human life, if there is one, will be left picking up the pieces. We're better than that.

A woman's place is on the dough

By 2020, a woman will finally be right on the money — literally. A remake of the $10 bill will include a portrait of a woman and although a man, Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, gets the final say on who that woman will be, he's open to suggestions. So let's take him up on the offer. There are some great contenders for the coveted spot on the $10 bill — Clara Barton, Eleanor Roosevelt, Sally Ride, Harriet Tubman, and Susan B Anthony just to name a few. There's also civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer and Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman to be elected to Congress. And let's not forget Rosa Parks - by refusing to give up her bus seat to the white man in 1955, she sat and stood up against inequality not from some great platform but just as a citizen tired of injustice. And how can you read Sojourner Truth's 1851 speech "Ain't I a Woman?" and not consider her for the currency? "I could have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man — when I could get it — and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman?" And fans of Alexander Hamilton need not despair, for the woman on the $10 bill will have to share the space with Alexander Hamilton. In a release, the Treasury Department said Lew has "made clear" that the image of Hamilton will remain in some way as part of the new banknote. They could do what Australia does and have a man on one side and a woman on the other. But back to America's initiative: who will be on #thenew10?

HAPPY SOLSTICE EVERYONE

Spiderman, Spiderman, straight and white like a Spiderman is

The latest tidbit to come out from the Sony hack is the list of demands Marvel made to Sony when licensing the 'Spider-Man' flicks. The emails show the "mandatory character traits" needed to cast the "proper" Spider-Man/Peter Parker, which include (but are not limited to): male, does not have sex before the age of 16, not a homosexual, and Caucasian (white). However, it was mentioned that Spidey can be gay if "Marvel has portrayed that alter ego as a homosexual." The interesting thing about all of this is that the contract went into effect in September 2011, shortly after a black-latino Spider-Man was introduced in the comic book world. Seriously, guys, I think it is time we had a gay and/or black Spidey.

WHO DID IT BETTER: Team

It was previously mentioned there was something big coming later in the year. I can now tell you more about the event: it will be a new weekly feature to replace the Bad Idea of the Week after post #2000. Over the next twelve Fridays, I will be testing out four potential candidates for a new feature. Tonight will be the first of three of a feature called Who Did It Better? Tonight, it will be the Lorde song Team. Here's the original:
And here's a cover by a band called Local H:
So who did it better?

Don't mess with unlimited

But first, here's an old toy I played with today for the first time in a while. I had to put in some new batteries first, but it still works over 15 years after I first got it. In other technology-related news, the Federal Communications Commission has slapped AT&T with a US$100 million fine, accusing America's second-largest cellular carrier of improperly slowing down Internet speeds for customers who had signed up for "unlimited" data plans. The FCC found that when customers used up a certain amount of data watching movies or browsing the Web, AT&T "throttled" their Internet speeds so that they were much slower than normal. Millions of AT&T customers were affected by the practice, according to the FCC. The fine, which AT&T says it will fight, is the largest ever levied by the agency. It serves them right. By not properly disclosing the policy to consumers who thought they were getting “unlimited” data, the company violated the FCC's rules on corporate transparency. Consumers deserve to get what they pay for. Broadband providers must be upfront and transparent about the services they provide. And this isn't the first time AT&T's unlimited data policy has landed the company in hot water. The Federal Trade Commission sued the telecom company in October, alleging that 3.5 million users had their Internet service slowed to dial-up speeds an average of 12 days every month. SO DON'T DO IT.

Hitler, Hitler, he's their man, if he can't do it no-one can!

A girls’ cheer-dance team in Mexico has drawn criticism for a routine in which they displayed flags with swastikas, were dressed in pseudo-military outfits, and one girl tossed a Nazi salute to the crowd. The performance by about two dozen girls aged 10 to 16 came at a cheer-dance competition in the western city of Guadalajara at the end of May. The girls wore red armbands, camouflage dance outfits, and carried red flags as they strutted in marching-style formations. A video of the performance drew condemnation when it began to circulate Friday on social media sites. The abhorrent performance can be seen below:

BAD IDEA OF THE WEEK: Trying to kick the Coyotes out

If the Arizona Coyotes want to pick up and leave town, they can, but that does not appear to be the preference of the team's ownership group. Last Wednesday, the Glendale city council put themselves in the penalty box when they voted 5-2 to cancel the professional management contract and arena lease agreement with IceArizona, the Coyotes' ownership group, just two years into a 15-year lease. The team remains defiant about the ruling, and while markets ripe for relocation of an NHL team may be licking their chops, this isn't over yet in Glendale. The team has its chance to leave, but CEO and co-owner Anthony LeBlanc says it is doing whatever it can to stay. The first order of business for the Coyotes is to pursue action against the City of Glendale to challenge the legality of the decision. To that end, the Arizona Coyotes have acted to defend their rights and reaffirm their continuing commitment to their great fans by seeking a restraining order to stop the City of Glendale's baseless attack on, and improper attempt to void, the Coyotes' lawful and proper lease to play at Gila River Arena. The suit was filed in Maricopa County Superior Court against the City of Glendale, the Glendale City Council, and other City officials. Last Friday, Superior Court Judge Dawn Bergin granted the motion for a temporary injunction and set another hearing on the dispute for June 29, and I hope the Coyotes can keep playing at Gila River through at least the 2027-28 season, even if it means having to change their team name to the Redskins.

Dinosaur, dinosaur, resurrect the dinosaur

As if Jurassic Park through Jurassic World didn’t warn us enough, scientists in London have discovered red blood cells in dinosaur bones, which could lead to the potential of resurrecting dinosaurs. Perhaps one day we’ll be welcomed to a very real Jurassic Park. Materials scientist Sergio Bertazzo and his colleague paleontologist Susannah Maidment were testing dinosaur bones from the Cretaceous period (meaning the fossils were around 75 million years old). Using image enhancement and a mass spectrometer, Bertazzo and Maidment discovered red blood cells and collagen strands (or structural proteins) in the specimens. This discovery made them wonder if more existing fossils contain red blood cells. While these findings can lead to answers in many areas including the physiology, behaviour, and diet of dinosaurs, there’s a chance that these cells may also contain viable DNA. And if dinosaurs do get resurrected, maybe Peppa Pig's brother George will get a real dinosaur of his own.

Ads off to you

iPhone fans will be happy to hear that Apple's new iOS 9 mobile operating system will have a feature that will help them avoid advertisements before their videos. The feature will be a version of Adblock, an extension in the Safari browser that is more common on desktop computers, which makes this addition the first time that iPhones and iPads will have such a tool. In addition of letting users block ads and cookies, the feature will help browsers load web pages faster and more exclusively. Come on. You know you want that. All you got to do is lose the Android, get an iPhone, and wait for iOS 9 to come out.