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Do you think one day @CaitlinRiceFit woke up, looked at her ass in the mirror and thought “damn… that’s going viral”? Because to me, it’s pretty obvious.

If you weren’t a fan before these pics, you will be after.

This 1955 Woodill Wildfire (chassis WW9915) is said to be one of about 30 remaining out of the original 100 or so built. Restored in 2011, the car has been shown at several concours since and was an award winner at the 2013 Goodguys Nationals in Columbus, Ohio. One of the first fiberglass sports cars, B.R. Woodill was a successful California Willys dealer who decided to build his own car after deciding that an XK Jaguar was too expensive. Find this one here on eBay in Fenton, Michigan for $65k OBO.

​Deep blue over caramel looks great, but we don’t know if it’s correct to the car’s original spec as vintage photos are mentioned but not included in the listing—chances are they’re black and white anyway. A correct Lincoln Zephyr rear bumper is included but was left off for a cleaner look, and overall it’s an attractive if not groundbreaking example of period American sports car styling.

​The cabin is bare bones but nicely tailored with tight fitting carpets and upholstery. The view over its molded-in dash is reminiscent of a carnival ride car, but that’s how they did it in the pioneering days of composite coachbuilding. Seatbelts are notable for their absence, but we’d fit some appropriately vintage looking items immediately even if only occasional, light traffic drives were planned.

​The three air cleaners seen peeking through the hood feed triple Rochester carbs sitting on top of an Offenhauser intake manifold, itself mounted to a period correct 322 CI Buick V8 running an Isky cam. Designed around a custom frame and 1939 Ford suspension and transmission, this particular car’s gearbox isn’t mentioned but is probably the old FoMoCo 3-speed. The car looks quite tidy underneath, and we bet those side pipes exiting just forward of the rear wheels sound fantastic.

​Like most early American designs, sports car in this case means swoopy and low with handling and braking performance following much lower on the list of priorities. Unlike a six cylinder C1 ‘Vette, though, this one should be plenty fast to boot. Sometimes a great soundtrack and looking cool are more than enough—it’s all about context.

submitted by Arrakis35
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As if the game industry's annual trade show weren't enough of a spectacle on its own, massively tall comedian/talk show host Conan O'Brien took to E3 2014's lavish booths and talked with swaths of attendees for a hilarious recap video. He makes the...

submitted by gingerstick [link] [357 comments]

Previously: Teens React to 90s Internet, Kids React to Portable Cassette Players

[thefinebros]

This is a conceptual bed set designed by artist Claire Manganiello. The comforter looks like cheese and pepperonis, the pillows like crust, and the sheets like tomato sauce. I dunno, I feel like you couldn't get in the bed without feeling greasy. Still, it would be fun to pretend I'm a GW stuffed pizza. "Are you kidding? The monsters in your closet will devour you." Damn, you're right. SAD FACT: If I don't lay out clean underwear and pajamas during the day then I have to sleep naked because I'm too afraid to open my closet after dark and have some monster rip my penis off. Even my dog whimpers at the closet some nights and in her mind she's a f***ing hellhound. Thanks to me, for being man enough to admit the things I'm afraid of, including shitting in public restrooms.

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan's Quanta Computer Inc will start mass production of Apple Inc's first smartwatch in July, according to a source familiar with the matter, as the tech giant tries to prove it can still innovate against rival Samsung Electronics Co Ltd.

The watch, which remains unnamed but which company followers have dubbed the iWatch, will be Apple's first foray into a niche product category that many remain skeptical about, especially as to whether it can drive profits amid cooling growth in tech gadgets.

Apple will introduce a smartwatch with a display that likely measures 2.5 inches diagonally and is slightly rectangular, one of the sources said. The source added that the watch face will protrude slightly from the band, creating an arched shape, and will feature a touch interface and wireless charging capabilities.

The source said Apple expects to ship 50 million units within the first year of the product's release, although these types of initial estimates can be subject to change. The watch is currently in trial production at Quanta, which will be the main manufacturer, accounting for at least 70 percent of final assembly, the source said.

While the watch is widely expected, the start date of its mass production and the extent of Quanta's involvement were not known until now. Mass production will start in July and the commercial launch will come as early as October, according to the source and another person familiar with the matter.

A third source said LG Display Co Ltd is the exclusive supplier of the screen for the gadget's initial batch of production.

It also contains a sensor that monitors the user's pulse. Singapore-based imaging and sensor maker Heptagon is on the supplier list for the feature, two other sources said.

Apple declined to comment. Quanta, LG Display and Heptagon also declined to comment.

(Reporting by Michael Gold; Additional reporting by Reiji Murai in TOKYO, Christina Farr in SAN FRANCISCO, Jeremy Wagstaff in SINGAPORE and Vincent Lee in SEOUL; Editing by Rachel Armstrong, Bernard Orr)

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This 1972 K5 Blazer has received a complete mechanical and cosmetic restoration and looks great in turquoise/white over black. A 350 powered truck, its said to drive very well with fully functional speedometer, fuel gauge, radio and lights. It’s described as “very rust free” and appears to be quite solid, while stock wheels with beefy Goodyear Wranglers is a good look. Find it here on eBay in Monticello, Illinois with a $26,800 BIN.

Deep inside an astronomer’s head, a parasite (voiced by Alan Tudyk) taps into his brain to learn about… science! Specifically, about why astronauts appear weightless in space. Wil Wheaton co-stars.

[NASA Spitzer | Via IO9]

Public employees who testify to corruption cannot be fired in retaliation, Supreme Court rules.

IRS agents could be examined at an evidentiary hearing based on a taxpayer's mere "conclusory allegations."

Whiskey lovers have discovered that rye can be every bit as smooth a sipping spirit as bourbon, and America's distillers have responded, bringing out entire new lines of rye whiskeys. Here are five of the best we've found. Read More

The Supreme Court today issued rulings on a handful of cases. One was about two companies nobody’s ever really heard of, arguing over patents for software to manage banking transactions. The details of the patents themselves, and the transactions they deal with, are kind of complicated and insidery — but they’re also not necessarily that important. The broader implications of the ruling, and the legal precedent the Court set with it, though, will have an impact for years to come.

What was the actual case before the Court?
The case is Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank International. It all started over ten years ago: Alice owned patents on certain computer programs for managing risk in financial trades. CLS started to use a similar technology to solve the same risk problem. Alice said: you can’t do that, we have a patent and we will sue your pants off. CLS said: you can’t patent an idea, we’ll sue you. Lower courts sided with CLS about the validity of Alice’s patents. After many years of suits and appeals, the case came to the Supreme Court and they heard arguments on it in March.

Specifically, the legal question the Court was looking at was “[w]hether claims to computer-implemented inventions—including claims to systems and machines, processes, and items of manufacture—are directed to patent-eligible subject matter within the meaning of 35 U.S.C. § 101.”

Back in English, that question more or less is: can software and computer processes be patented under this section of patent law as currently written and understood?

What was the Court’s ruling?
The Court ruled 9-0 (PDF) to affirm the lower court’s finding that Alice’s patents on the financial software were not valid. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the opinion, with Justices Ginsburg, Breyer, and Sotomayor concurring. They found that the particular kind of risk mitigation that Alice held the patents for was an abstract idea, and as such, not eligible for patent.

The justices differentiated ideas from execution, writing:

The Court has long held that §101 [of patent law] … contains an implicit exception for ‘laws of nature, natural phenomena, and abstract ideas. … In applying the exception, this Court must distinguish patents that claim the ‘building blocks’ of human ingenuity, which are ineligible for patent protection, from those that integrate the building blocks into something more.

So did this undo patents on software?
No. At least, not entirely. Some software patents, on review, may not hold up to the new legal standard. However, patents that still show actual human legwork are still fine. Basically, it’s a narrowing of the category of “invention.” Just saying, “Let’s do something we’ve always done, but use a computer for it” doesn’t clear that bar. Showing how your idea, plan, code, or product is creative and inventive — something you actually made or thought up — keeps it eligible for patent.

Who does this ruling affect?
Most of the largest companies in the country, for starters. Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and a ton of others filed briefs in the case, as did the EFF and the ACLU. For once, though, the advocacy groups and the corporations were more or less on the same side. Though they had different legal arguments and different personal priorities, they all basically agreed that software patents should be limited.

For companies, narrowing the field of patentable software allows them to keep making stuff, and prevents them from having to spend time dealing with lawsuits from patent trolls. For advocates, narrowing the field of patentable software allows more developers and potential innovators to, well, keep making stuff, and to prevent getting sued by larger corporations. And patent trolls find themselves without a way to keep being a nuisance to the world at large. Kind of a win/win all around.

But the devil’s in the details, right?
As always. This case exists not in isolation but in a pattern of other cases. The Court has been gradually narrowing the scope of what can be patented since about 2005, as Vox points out, and the Alice finding is right in line there. But it also doesn’t draw a definitive, clear line in the sand.

As Gigaom explains, instead of creating a bright line, the Court proposes a new way of looking at patents: a relatively simple two-part test. First: does the patent cover an abstract idea that isn’t patentable? And second: if it does, are there new, inventive steps involved making the idea unique enough to patent?

The trick, for the Court, was to look at a way to limit patent trolls while also protecting legitimate inventors. But it’s a huge uphill battle; over 40,000 software patents are issued every year.

Tech and legal experts agree that patentability and software patents will almost certainly wind up before the Supreme Court again in the future at some point, because of the sheer number of them and because the Court has issued fairly narrow rulings each time the matter comes up, leaving the window open for stricter readings in the future.

Got it! But I don’t work in computers or IT. Why does this matter to me?
Because in 2014, pretty much everything you use is somehow driven by software. Sure, there are actual computer programs and mobile apps, but it’s more than that. Traffic lights and the cars that drive through them are software-driven. Consumer products from TVs to iPhone power adapters to wristwatches and coffeemakers have code controlling them. So, too, does physical infrastructure like the electric grid and virtual infrastructure like the entire financial system.

The ability of individuals and companies to create new software innovations is crucial to almost every field. Patent trolls have been claiming ownership of abstract, general ideas to game the system and turn a buck. That wastes time and resources and increases costs for everyone up and down the line — including, in the end, consumers.

submitted by streeter5000
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For years, every time we so much as touch a toe out of state, I’ve put cemeteries on our travel itinerary. From garden-like cemeteries to boot hills, whether they’re the final resting places of the well-known but not that important or the important but not that well-known, I love them all. After realizing that there are a lot of taphophiles (cemetery and/or tombstone enthusiasts) out there, I’m finally putting my photo library of interesting tombstones to good use.

Though many know him from his talk shows and game shows, Merv Griffin was a man of many talents. From novelty song hitmaker to real estate mogul and thoroughbred horse breeder, he did pretty much everything he felt like doing—and he did it all well. Given everything else he had a hand in during his life, it’s not too surprising that he even wrote his own epitaph. But we’ll get to that in a minute.

Long before Jeopardy! and even The Merv Griffin Show, Mervyn Griffin, Jr. was just a kid singing in his church choir in San Mateo, California. He was so good that he landed a job as a big band singer by the time he was 19. He was the vocalist for Freddy Martin and his Orchestra when they made this song a top 10 hit in 1949:

Griffin made enough money to fund his own record label and album, Songs by Merv Griffin; he was touring when Doris Day “discovered” him at a nightclub. She arranged for a screen test, and before he knew it, Merv found himself on the silver screen. He wasn’t crazy about it, though, so he bought out his contract and switched to TV, where he hosted game shows called Play Your Hunch and Keep Talking. He also guest-hosted on The Tonight Show in 1962 during the transition between Jack Paar and Johnny Carson. This led to his very own daytime talk show, which was a bit of a dud and was cancelled the next year.

Then Jeopardy! came along. Merv was mulling over a new game show while on an airplane with his wife, Julann. She asked if it was one based on knowledge and trivia. When Merv responded that the networks weren’t too keen on those shows after the Quiz Show scandal, Julann suggested that the host just give the contestants the answer. Merv didn’t get it. “OK, the answer is 5280,” Julann said. Merv considered, then realized that the question was, “How many feet are in a mile?” They played this game the whole way home, and by the time their flight landed in New York City, Jeopardy! was born. 

And if creating the world’s most famous game show wasn’t enough of a life achievement for Merv, he also composed the world’s most famous “thinking” music—the Jeopardy! song, originally called “A Time for Tony,” was written as a lullaby for his son. He once estimated that the little ditty had earned him more than $70 million over his lifetime. Here's an hour of it, just in case you really need to ponder something.

Of course, in the middle of all of this, Griffin launched a syndicated talk show called The Merv Griffin Show (exponentially more successful than the 1963 go-around) that was famous for its eclectic and sometimes controversial mix of guests. It was on the air for 21 years and won 11 Emmy Awards. It also became the plot of a pretty memorable Seinfeld episode. Here's Merv interviewing Salvador Dali in 1965.

After his show ended in 1986, Merv proclaimed himself bored and bought the Beverly Hilton Hotel from Barron Hilton. He also purchased an Atlantic City hotel from Donald Trump, and owned a resort in Palm Springs, a boutique hotel in Ireland, and an entire island in the Bahamas.

Oh, and he was also a big fan of horseracing. His colt, Stevie Wonderboy, won the $1.5 million Breeder’s Cup Juvenile in 2005. It may have been one of his proudest moments—“There’s a lot of excitement winning Emmy Awards and all of that stuff,” Griffin said after the win. "Then there’s the fighting with Donald Trump, which is fun. But this is extraordinary.”

Sadly, the multitalented entrepreneur died from a recurrence of prostate cancer two years after the Breeder’s Cup win, before he could realize his dream of having one of his horses win the Kentucky Derby. But don’t cry for Merv Griffin—he realized more dreams than most people can even imagine.

If you’re a fan of Merv’s incredibly varied work (including Wheel of Fortune), you can stop and tell him thanks the next time you’re in L.A. He’s at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery, and as you can see, he had a sense of humor about his livelihood. He penned a couple of epitaphs in his 1980 autobiography, including “Stay tuned,” but ultimately, his family went with Griffin’s “I will not be right back after this message.”

See all entries in our Grave Sighting series here.

Ferrari is a byword for style and beauty in the car world, but they don't always come out with winners.

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We're at a point in our existence on Earth where we can truly help animals, yet poaching and needless hunting still goes on despite the warnings and knowledge that humans may very well cause some animal species to go extinct, and it seems like some people just don't understand the gravity of the situation.

Perhaps if there were more ads out there like the ones present in this collection of 33 Powerful Animal Ad Campaigns That Tell The Uncomfortable Truth people would have their eyes opened to the seriousness of the situation, and how every little bit we can do to help bring animals back from the brink of extinction, or keep our furry critter friends safe from exploitation, will ultimately benefit our lives as members of Team Earth.

(Warning- contains graphic imagery that may be shocking to some people)

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