Midtown Blogger/Manhattan Valley Follies: Gizmodo Australia

REGULARS

5 Big Updates We Want From Android In 2016

DARREN ORFTODAY 11:15 AM

Google I/O, the company’s annual developer conference, will be taking place in Mountain View on May 18-20. The only thing we know for certain is that we’ll get our first look at Android N, the mobile operating system’s next big update.

ENTERTAINMENT

Netflix's Movie Libraries In Every Major Country, Compared

CAMPBELL SIMPSONTODAY 11:00 AM

With the news that Netflix is finally cracking down on VPNs, the implication is that we Aussies will — eventually — be stuck with onlythe Australian region’s content to watch. The vast majority of us only browse the correct region anyway, but it is possible (for the time being) to conceal your real location and watch US or UK Netflix. But how does each major region stack up in terms of the breadth and variety of content available — what are we going to be missing?

COMPUTING

Lunch Time Deals: $100 Off A Microsoft Surface 3

CAMPBELL SIMPSONTODAY 1:15 PM

When you’re buying your lunch today, you might want to take a moment and spend a little more. Gizmodo’s Lunch Time Deals posts point out any particularly good bargains for Aussie bargain hunters around the ‘net. Today, JB Hi-Fi has $100 off Microsoft’s Surface 3 tablet, with the cheapest 64GB model down to $598.

SCIENCE & HEALTH

Suffering For Science: Why I Have Insects Sting Me To Create A Pain Index

JUSTIN SCHMIDT, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONATODAY 1:00 PM

Over the past 40 years (but in reality since I was five years old), I’ve been fascinated with insects and their ability to sting and cause pain. In graduate school, I became interested in why they sting and why stings from such tiny animals hurt so much.

To answer these questions, we first needed a way to measure pain – so, I invented the insect pain scale. The scale is based on a thousand or so personal stings from over 80 insect groups, plus ratings by various colleagues.

ENTERTAINMENT

FBI Worried About Communist Spies Invading Disney Theme Park

MATT NOVAKTODAY 12:45 PM

Disney’s Epcot theme park in Florida includes exhibits of countries from around the world, staffed by student ambassadors from those countries. But before the theme park even opened in 1982, the FBI was concerned that EPCOT might become overrun with Communist spies from China, Poland, and the Soviet Union.

SCIENCE & HEALTH

Thanks To El Niño, Rare Tropical Storms Signal A Wacky Start To 2016

GEORGE DVORSKYTODAY 12:30 PM

For the first time since records began, two tropical storms — one in the Atlantic and one in the Pacific — have appeared at the same time in January. Named Alex and Pali, these storms are being fuelled by unusually warm surface waters. On their own, these early storms are rare occurrences. This is first hurricane to form over the Atlantic since in January since 1938, according to NASA. But the fact that they’re appearing at the same time in January is altogether unprecedented. Normally, a converging event like this wouldn’t happen until July.

SCIENCE & HEALTH

Obama Ponders 'Find My iPhone' For Stolen Guns

ALISSA WALKERTODAY 12:15 PM

Over in the US, president Obama announced a new executive order to stop gun violence in that country, with several new policies including a national registry for gun vendors. But he also called for gunmakers to “update firearms technology,” which would include not only biometric locks but a new idea to track guns with an app.

CARS

What It's Like To Be Behind The Wheel Of Google's Self-Driving Car

ALISSA WALKERTODAY 12:00 PM

Yes, there is a Big Red Button for… something.

ONLINE

Zoosk Loses Userbase To Tinder, Lays Off Staff

RAE JOHNSTONTODAY 11:45 AM

Zoosk has confirmed it will be laying off over 40 of its staff — one-third of the company — as Tinder continues to dominate the mobile dating app market.