December 23, 2024

About the author  ⁄ Jessica Hyndman

Facebook Is Trying To Make Chat Rooms Happen Again With Their New App

by 17 mins ago

Remember when Facebook suddenly took a 180 degree spin on their feelings about anonymity and announced a secret project that would allow users to chat inside of Facebook without using their real names? Well, they would like to introduce you to Rooms.

Old Meets New

The new Rooms app feels almost like something out of the early 2000s, returning to the good ol’ days of anonymous chatrooms where people could be anyone they wanted and freely converse with strangers from around the globe. The company even notes it felt “inspired by both the ethos of these early web communities” and sought to merge old with new by taking advantage of the popularity of smartphones.

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Multiple Personalities

Sometimes you feel like you’re really five different personalities wrapped up in one. The social media giant is finally recognizing that point and opening up the platform to embrace your inner selves.

“In Rooms you can be Wonder Woman – or whatever name makes you feel most comfortable and proud,” Facebook wrote in a blog post. “You can even create different identities for different contexts.”

So, if you’re a self-proclaimed fashionista, but secretly a huge tech nerd, those two side never have to meet. You can assert your authority on both subjects without the fear of pre-judgement based on your varied interests.

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Visual Chatrooms

Users will be able to share not only text, but photos and videos too in the chatrooms. If you’re a ’90s kid, you probably remember having to ...

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What Is ‘Inbox,’ And Why Is Google So Hyped On It?

by 27 mins ago

Google launched Gmail over a decade ago, and the email service has remained largely unchanged since that fateful April Fool’s Day in 2004. Most of the service’s tweaks have come in the form of user interface adjustments and some new organizational features — until now.

The Silicon Valley giant claims that its new product, Inbox, will help users stay on top of their potentially overwhelming email clutter like never before.

“We want this to be your inbox for the next 10 years,” Alex Gawley, Product Director of Gmail and Inbox, told USA Today.

Sundar Pichai, Senior Vice President of Android, Chrome & Apps, explains why in a blog post: “We get more email now than ever. For many of us, dealing with email has become a daily chore that distracts from what we really need to do—rather than helping us get those things done.”

So, how does Inbox propose to “get those things done”? It’s apparently got these things called “Bundles” for automatic sorting, “Highlights” so you know what’s important at-a-glance and “Reminders” that can be scheduled within the app to make sure you complete every task. There’s even a “snooze” function.

Wait, why haven’t we had a “snooze” for email sooner?

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Want it? Inbox began rolling out on Android, iPhone and Google Chrome on Wednesday (October 22) by invitation only. You can request an invite by sending an email to inbox@google.com.

Even The Biggest Football Rivalry Is No Match For Taylor Swift

by 6 mins ago

Some football rivalries need to take a step back and just “Shake It Off,” amirite? Enter the Queen of Pep herself, Taylor Swift, here to squash all beef shared among the Big Ten college mascots.

Related: Check Out Taylor Swift’s 1989 Track List

The video, uploaded onto Sparty the Michigan State Spartan’s YouTube channel, also features cameos from Rutgers’ Scarlet Knight, Ohio State’s Brutus Buckeye and more.

Their incredible moves almost put the Delta Sigma Phi frat brothers’ recent lip dub of the song to shame. Almost.

“Shake it Off” is the lead single off of Taylor Swift’s upcoming fifth studio album, 1989. The highly anticipated LP drops on October 27.

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Demi Lovato Says She’s Totally Got Taylor Swift’s Back

by 11 mins ago

Demi Lovato was hanging out with our neighbors to the North this past weekend while on the latest stops of her Demi World Tour, but that didn’t stop her from taking a minute to remind Taylor Swift that she totally has her back.

During an interview with ET Canada, the “Really Don’t Care” singer was asked about Swift’s recent spate of sexist detractors. Lovato’s response? “Don’t f–k with me if you’re going to say women suck.” Any questions?

Related: Taylor Swift Reveals Her 1989 Track List

Demi claims her Cat Queen BFF is one of the most grounded people she knows in the fame game.

“She’s one person that I feel like, one of the few people I’ve maintained a friendship with in this industry,” Lovato says. Adding, “[fame] just changes people and it’s hard because you have incredible friendships and people change.”

Swift’s lyrics have been forced under a microscope for years, with the media clamoring to decipher which of her past relationships, if any, they describe. In a recent interview with the Huffington Post, the pop star laid into what she sees as a “sexist” approach to her work.

“Frankly, I think that’s a very sexist angle to take,” Swift said. “No one says that about Ed Sheeran. No one says that about Bruno Mars. They’re all writing songs about their exes, their current girlfriends, their love life and no one raises a red flag there.”

Related: Which ...

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Ariana Grande Had Dinner With Imogen Heap, And None Of Us Were Invited

by 7 mins ago

Ariana Grande got to hang out with Imogen Heap. I repeat: She got to hang out — like, actually hang out — with Imogen Heap.

Imogen Heap, the mastermind behind “Hide & Seek,” one of the most perfect musical recordings of all time. Imogen Heap, easily the greatest addition to the roster of artists included on the “O.C.” soundtrack. Imogen Heap, the woman who is at least partially responsible for the monster success of Jason Derulo’s debut, “Whatcha Say.”

Seething. With. Jealousy.

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The “Love Me Harder” singer and her idol got together for a home-cooked meal (vegan, obvi), and she even got to play around with Imogen’s Mi.Mu glove.

BRB, foaming at the mouth.

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Grande Instagrammed a video on Tuesday (October 21), showcasing the glove in action. Watch as she controls and manipulates a recording of her vocals with the power of her hand movements — and maybe some unseen magical forces.

The pop star expressed her love for the veteran musician in the clip’s caption, writing: “There are no words to describe how much I adore you, how much I’ve learned from listening to your music throughout the years and how much this experience meant to me!”

Actually, I could come up with a few words, like, monumental.

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Epic.

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Legendary.

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For ‘Breaking Bad’ Toy Line, This Florida Mother Is The One Who Knocks

by 10 mins ago

If you were hoping to score yourself some brand-new “Breaking Bad” action figures, good luck finding any at Toys “R” Us. The toy store chain will no longer be carrying them.

Related: Say Hello To Walter White’s New Action Figure

Last week, a Florida mother started a Change.org petition to ban the toys from Toys “R” Us, citing the drug paraphernalia that comes packaged with the action figures along with other, generally age-inappropriate themes in the series.

After all, the fictional Walter White and Jesse Pinkman are a pair of drug-dealing meth cooks, and their plastic counterparts are sold with baggies of methamphetamines and duffle bags full of cash.

“Parents and grandparents around the world shop at Toys R Us, online and in stories, with their children and should not be forced to explain why a certain toy comes with a bag of highly dangerous and illegal drugs or why someone who sells those drugs deserves to be made into an action figure,” Susan Schrivjer wrote in her plea.

The petition currently has over 9,000 signatures.

The massive retailer previously stocked their shelves with the “Breaking Bad” action figures, but they swiftly answered Schrivjer’s request once the campaign gained steam. Local Tampa stores were the first to begin pulling down the toys, and the rest of the Toys “R” Us empire soon followed, including their online store.

“Let’s just say, the action figures have taken an indefinite sabbatical,” said Toys “R” Us in a statement to the Read More →

Taylor Swift’s New Song Off 1989 Will Never Go Out Of ‘Style’: Listen

by 27 mins ago

Are you ready for more Taylor Swift? Good, because there’s a new Target commercial starring the “Shake It Off” singer, and it contains about 30 seconds of a never-before-heard track off of 1989.

“You got the long hair, slicked back, white T-shirt,” she sings, “And I got that good girl faith and a tight little skirt/ And when we go crashing down, we come back every time/ Because we never go out of style.”

Although the YouTube description for the shortened version of the spot suggests that the song is titled “Never Go Out Of Style,” that is probably just a case of poor wording. (The error appears corrected in the longer version’s description.) The song is likely the highly anticipated “Style,” which Taylor teased in her Rolling Stone cover story last month.

As in hinted in RS, the song’s lyrics definitely seem to conjure up one of Swift’s ex-boyfriends, Harry Styles of One Direction — the rumored inspiration for another recently released 1989 track, “Out Of The Woods.”

Related: Taylor Swift’s “Living In A Big Ol’ City” In “Welcome To New York”

The “Steal My Girl” singer has been known to rock a plain, white T on the regular, and he definitely sports a long, slicked-back hairstyle. But, I guess we’ll have to wait until the song drops in full to know for sure.

Taylor Swift’s fifth studio album, 1989, will be released on October ...

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Remember That Anti-Abortion Film Justin Bieber’s Mom Produced? Watch It Here

by 21 mins ago

Pattie Mallette is more than just the mother of internationally renowned superstar Justin Bieber. She’s also a film producer — remember?

Mallette made headlines back in early 2013 when it was reported that she had served as executive producer on a short film titled “Crescendo.” Why was this controversial? Well, depending on where your politics lie, you’d probably either classify the film’s message as anti-abortion or pro-life.

On Tuesday (October 21), the “Confident” singer’s mom tweeted that “Crescendo” was finally available to watch online, and here it is.

SPOILER ALERT, but the period piece revolves around a pregnant young woman who seeks to induce a miscarriage using a particular tea she acquires from an apothecary. Her efforts are in vain, and she is forced to give birth to a baby boy.

And do you know who that baby boy grew up to be? Justin Bieber Ludwig van Beethoven.

Yeah, we never said it was subtle.

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Michael Sam Will No Longer Play For The Dallas Cowboys

by 20 mins ago

Michael Sam, the first openly gay football player to be drafted into the NFL, has been waived from the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad.

The 24-year-old athlete’s release on Tuesday (October 21) comes with the return of several previously injured players, DeMarcus Lawrence among them. The second-round draft pick has recovered from a broken foot sustained earlier this season and will be eligible to play starting November 2.

Sam took to Twitter to give thanks to his friends, family, fans and former teammates, and to express his unwavering hope that he will find another team.

The defensive end was drafted back in May as a seventh-round pick for the St. Louis Rams. However, he was removed from the team’s roster several months later, beaten out by rookie Ethan Westbrooks in the final round of cuts.

Four days after that setback, the unclaimed player was signed onto the Cowboy’s practice quad, much to the delight of Texas native Demi Lovato.

“We just want to give him a chance to come in and help our football team,” coach Jason Garrett has said with the pick. “That’s where our attention is (football). What people say outside the organization is up to them.”

Michael Sam remains a free agent.

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‘SNL’ Just Added A New Cast Member, And Her Name Is…

by 14 mins ago

“Saturday Night Live” made a surprise announcement on Monday (October 20), adding Leslie Jones to its cast.

The stand-up comedian will join the long-running sketch-comedy series as a featured player during this week’s show, which will be hosted by Jim Carrey. (So, uh… No pressure?)

Jones has been a writer on “SNL” since earlier 2014. She was one of the top picks during a talent search last fall, but that slot ultimately went to Sasheer Zamata, the series’ first black female cast member since Maya Rudolph left the show in 2007. Now with Jones onboard, that number has been bumped up to two.

Before joining the cast officially, Jones established her comedic aptitude with appearances on the show’s “Weekend Update” segment. Get a taste for what she’ll be bringing to the cast full-time below.

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