A man who calls himself AfroDuck has apparently set the record for the fastest lap around the island of Manhattan, and made a Drive -esq video of his trip. It’s amazing, but also illegal and terrifying. But amazing.

On August 26 a driver called AfroDuck broke the record for the fastest loop around Manhattan. He drove a 2006 BMW Z4, and documented the 24-minute drive in this time-lapse video.

In an interview with Jalopnik the driver said that because he maintains control of his vehicle, his driving is not dangerous or irresponsible:

Being a good driver, you're more aware of what is around you. Being a fast driver doesn't mean that you're inherently a bad or reckless driver. Like I said before, I'm in control. That said, understand traffic patterns, understand what's around you and understand how others control or don't control their cars.

The New York Police Department have responded to the video. The New York Post reports that Police Commissioner Ray Kelly plans to "hunt down the dangerous driver," and claims that the police department has "license-plate readers in the city that will assist in this type of investigation."

Update - Sept. 6, 12:12 p.m., EDT: The NYPD have identified AfroDuck, The Associated Press reports. They arrested 30-year-old Christopher Adam Tang of Manhattan and charged him with reckless driving and reckless endangerment, among other charges. The police seized Tang's 2006 BMW Z4, which the driver used to make the 24-minute loop around Manhattan.

The loop is 26.5 miles, meaning AfroDuck's average speed was only 66mph.

The route was from at FDR/116th Street, down the east side of Manhattan.

Via jalopnik.com

The previous record was set by a group called CPC, who made the drive in 26 minutes and three seconds. They released this video in 2011.

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Holy s%*t I want one of these things so bad. So so so bad.

THIS is the Flying Manta Ray Inflatable and it is awesome and it can be yours for only $499.95. Now, $499.95 might sound like a lot of money for a giant inflatable tube, but when you think the fact that it's so much more than just a giant inflatable tube- it's a way of life. Soar through the skies at speeds of as low as 23 miles per hour, reach heights of 3 feet above the water, and do it all with a friend by your side. And it's supposedly not even that dangerous!

Finding a roommate is hard, especially when using Craigslist. But Hugh Podmore and his clever slideshow makes it look adorably easy.

This is Hugh Podmore. And he needs a roommate.

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And why wouldn't you want to be his roommate?!

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He's smart.

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A slew of negatives plague video games -- Peter Pan Syndrome, hyper-violence, camping -- but their youthfulness could do just what Nintendo's Brain Age promised: improve elderly brain function. Over four years, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco had a group play a custom game (video of it in action is after the break) that tasks players to drive and identify road signs that appear while ignoring certain others, according to the New York Times. It's not quite Grand Theft Auto, but it proved how hard successfully multitasking becomes with age. However, after training with the game, the 60 to 80 year old test subjects stomped those a fraction of their age who had no prior exposure to it. What's more, this experience produced brain functionality benefits outside of the game.

This isn't a fluke, either. For proof, the scientists used electroencephalography to monitor the older subjects and found that while playing, the theta wave activity -- associated with attention -- in their prefrontal cortexes looked like that of a younger adult's. These findings may help scientists understand what areas of the brain "could and should" be manipulated to improve cognitive functions like memory. The study appears in today's edition of Nature and backs up similar research from May that also used a concentration-heavy game, and reported like results. Now if you'll pardon us, we have to show our parents that all those hours of our childhood weren't wasted.

Filed under: Gaming, Science, Alt

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Source: New York Times

The Norwegian group Ylvis has created the most bizarre, trippy, music video of all time. Say hello to the internet’s next big thing.

I have no words. Just watch it.

While America debates Syria, Norway asks an even tougher question...

Ellie Hall / BuzzFeed / Via youtube.com

The answer to the question you didn't know you had.

Ellie Hall / BuzzFeed / Via youtube.com

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At Samsung's press conference it's bringing some of those extra large Ultra HD TVs it promised at CES, and mentioned something even more tantalizing: a 4K OLED. Unfortunately that last one did not make an appearance on stage, however the company has promised it will be present in its booth for demos tomorrow. We expect that, like the ones shown by Sony and Panasonic at CES, this is just a prototype, but if it's anywhere near as beautiful as those we can't wait to see it. As far as products that are actually shipping, Samsung also showed off its 55-inch curved OLED again, as well as the 65-inch F9000 UHD TV. As far as the supersized 4K sets, Samsung is showing off 98-inch and 110-inch models that outsize the 85-inch behemoth it kicked this crazy trend off with back in January. Finally, it's trying to address the issue of high-res content, with representatives from Eutelsat and TF1 present to talk about the projects they have in the works.

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, HD, Samsung

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Source: Samsung Tomorrow Liveblog, Samsung

OMG! Don’t try this at home, kids.

GIF of the best part of the video:

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Only You Can Prevent Wildfires

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NGC 6751: The Glowing Eye Nebula

Many people read while they're using exercise machines, but we don't envy them; it's not easy to concentrate on a novel when running. Weartrons may help those athletic readers maintain their focus with its upcoming Run-n-Read peripheral. The clip-on device detects its wearer's movements and compensates for them on a host Android or iOS device, keeping e-book text steady in the midst of a treadmill run. Owners can also tap the Run-n-Read to turn pages, and the gadget doubles as a pedometer in between reading sessions. Weartrons is starting a crowdfunding campaign for the Run-n-Read today, and is asking gym rats to pledge a nominal $55 to get a device of their own. If all goes smoothly, the company should deliver its first units no later than January.

Filed under: Wearables

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Source: Weartrons, Dragon Innovation

Today, after about fifteen minutes of my cat bullying me into letting him get onto my lap, I finally caved. He clambered on, turned around, farted in my direction and got off as fast as he got on. FML

BOSTON—Boston residents once again hustled and bustled their way into the nation’s hearts this week as they continued playing their adorable little game of “Big City,” a live-action role-playing adventure in which Bostonians buzz a...

Sure, you could use an ROV to feel like a regular Jacques Cousteau (or James Cameron, for that matter), but nothing beats the real deal: a personal submarine. UK department store Harrods used its Technology Showcase 2.0 event to highlight a mockup of Spymaster's Orcasub: a made-to-order $2 million submarine that can drop up to 2,000 feet into the briny depths. A total of two passengers can climb aboard the 4-ton, 22 foot-long submersible thanks to a pair of 360-degree domes that offer 80 hours of life support for each occupant. The battery-powered sub is piloted by using two foot pedals and a joystick, and handles somewhat like an aircraft since it was built with the principles of flight in mind.

Orcasub comes outfitted with sonar for collision avoidance, a digital long-range communications system and a 60,000 lumen LED lighting rig. What you see above is just a miniature, but Spymaster is taking orders for the real, full-size McCoy. In fact, folks who'd like to dive deeper can put in a request for pricier models, with the most expensive version nabbing explorers a maximum depth of 6,000 feet for a cool $9.32 million. If you ask us, this sounds like a perfect escape vehicle for any luxury yacht worth its salt. Hit the source link for Pocket-lint's photo gallery of the craft.

Filed under: Misc

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Source: Pocket-lint

Tardigrade in Moss

KANSAS CITY, MO—Reportedly overcome with frustration following an onslaught of recent media attention, 33-year-old Macy’s cashier Lisa Gunman was apprehended by police earlier this evening after allegedly stabbing two reporters and two photogr...

KANSAS CITY, MO—Eyewitnesses at Kansas City’s Crown Center mall are reporting that a Gunman entered the shopping center’s food court at approximately 10:30 a.m.

KANSAS CITY, MO—Bystanders at the Wyandotte Street Cheesecake Factory confirmed that a lone Gunman entered the crowded restaurant at approximately 12:30 p.m.

KANSAS CITY, MO—According to reports, Kansas City police officers are currently searching for a missing Gunman last seen earlier this afternoon in the parking lot of the Cheesecake Factory on Wyandotte Street.

KANSAS CITY, MO—A shocking photo was released to the public this afternoon of a masked Gunman spotted outside a local residence at an undisclosed time.

Today, I downloaded a movie that I already own on DVD, because I was feeling too lazy to get up and fetch it from the living room. I think I've hit rock bottom. FML

Today, my brother accidentally hit me in the throat. After I stopped coughing, choking, and feeling like I was going to die, he came back into my room, quietly said "I know your weakness," and left. FML

Today, I was holding the door open for a friend. She told me to wait a second because she had to finish a text. Nearly a minute passed before I asked why she wouldn't come inside to finish typing. We were at a Chinese restaurant. She thought the "No MSG" sign meant you couldn't text inside. FML

An eye-implanted chip from Retina Implant has restored patients' ability to discern light during its latest trial, according to German researchers. The device works in a similar fashion to the newly FDA-approved Argus II retinal prosthesis to return limited vision in patients with photoreceptor cell diseases like retinitis pigmentosa. Unlike that system, however, light is picked up via 1,500 pixels on a retinal implant instead of an eyeglass-mounted camera. The signal is boosted by a coil implanted in skin behind the ear and sent back to so-called bipolar cells still active on the retina, which in turn send an image to the brain through regular neural circuits. A small battery mounted behind the ear -- the only external sign of the device -- contains controls for brightness and contrast. The recent trial let 8 out of 9 patients see in varying degrees, with three in the study even able to read letters and see the faces of family members. Given that the Argus II finally crossed the FDA's bionic eye barrier, hopefully we won't have to wait nearly as long for research like this to become a product.

Filed under: Wearables, Alt

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Via: MIT Technology Review

Source: Royal B Society

LOS ANGELES—Citing the positive impact it would likely have on the R&B star’s image, SavMedia publicist Erica Sandoval reportedly suggested to Chris Brown today that taking his own life could be a “really smart move” at this po...

Today, I walked in on my boyfriend taking pictures of his penis in a condom. When I asked him what the hell he was doing he told me that he was making a stop-motion film called "All Dressed Up with Nowhere to go." FML

Forget prize tickets or high scores. The minds at McKinney creative agency may have come up with the greatest reward for arcade victors -- an ice cold pour of beer. Created as a marketing tool for Big Boss Brewing Company, the aptly named Beercade features The Last Barfighter, a Street Fighter-like arcade game set inside a biker bar. To begin, two players place their cups in the tray below their respective tap, which replaces the machine's coin slots. Beer-thirsty combatants can do battle with a selection of five characters, all named after Big Boss brews. After three rounds of intense fisticuffs, fire throwing and unicorn horn impaling, the winner's cup is filled with a sample of beer from a keg placed within the machine. Don't believe us? You can click past the break for a video of the machine in action.

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Source: McKinney

PHILADELPHIA—Newly re-signed Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, 32, revealed in a candid interview Thursday that he’s not confident he has another 4-12 season left in him.

RIZHAO, CHINA—Harboring dreams for a better life and fleeing years of economic hardship back home, a small band of weary Americans confirmed they had completed a perilous journey across the ocean this week, landing their wooden sailing ship on the b...

There's no shortage of attempts to build a better battery, usually with a few caveats. USC may have ticked all the right checkboxes with its latest discovery, however. Its use of porous, flexible silicon nanowires for the anodes in a lithium-ion battery delivers the high capacity, fast recharging and low costs that come with silicon, but without the fragility of earlier attempts relying on simpler silicon plates. In practice, the battery could deliver the best of all worlds. Triple the capacity of today's batteries? Full recharges in 10 minutes? More than 2,000 charging cycles? Check. It all sounds a bit fantastical, but USC does see real-world use on the horizon. Researchers estimate that there should be products with silicon-equipped lithium-ion packs inside of two to three years, which isn't long to wait if the invention saves us from constantly hunting for the nearest wall outlet.

Filed under: Science

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Via: Gizmodo

Source: USC

Today, I was talking to an attractive guy, but I was so nervous that I got tongue-tied and then blurted out, "Stupid autocorrect." FML