Geek News

Gadgets The end-of-week dispatch from PopSci's commerce editor. Vol. 59. My job is to find cool stuff. Throughout the week I spend hours scouring the web for things that are ingenious or clever or ridiculously cheap. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2CBErAv"

DIY Force them to pay attention. What happens when a company won’t refund your purchase—or worse, refuses to answer the phone in the first place? Here’s how to get a response from customer service. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2QQhodT"

Space MU69 is far from your run-of-the-mill solar system object. Get ready to meet 2014 MU69 (unofficially known as Ultima Thule), an object a billion miles beyond Pluto and 4.1 billion from Earth itself. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2GIZ7KU"

Space It's actually more of a holiday yardstick. This season is full of stories about stars guiding travelers to far-off destinations, but new imagery from NASA shows off a stellar guide of a different sort. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2Rp74ZE"

Gadgets Bias lighting will enhance the picture of your screen in a dark room. Eye experts and home theater nerds recommend a little extra light in your home theater. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2TgXSUJ"

Science It takes the right gear. Volcano researcher Jessica Johnson explains how she scoops up 1800°F lava—and what scientists can learn from it. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2CBOGVk"

DIY PopSci readers made their own DIY ice orbs. When temperatures plunge, there's only one thing to do: Try a Popular Science DIY project that lets you freeze soap bubbles into gorgeous ice. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2DpwOvB"

DIY Get some friends for your Google Home or Amazon Alexa. The Google Home and Amazon Echo smart speakers sync with a growing number of gadgets. Here are our picks to control your lights, television, security, and more. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2jMn0WW"

Gadgets My favorite products of the year. I've been testing products for two years. Testing for the year has come to a close. Here are the items I loved. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2BEQsDr"

Technology This week, Google pushed out its multi-step smart home actions you can start with a simple voice command. Whether your smart home is based on the Google, Apple, or Amazon platform, you can cut down on the number of commands you have to shout. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2VbscSv"

The View from Above: Newly Added Photos from Carol M. Highsmith By Kristi Finefield Today we take to the air with photographer Carol M. Highsmith and journey up and down the Eastern seaboard. Over the last year, photos of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia have come to the Library of Congress to be added to the ever-growing Carol M. Highsmith Archive. Highsmith's project to document America with her camera took her through numerous states on the East Coast in the last few years, and in many states, she took to the skies to capture aerial views of the land and water below. These aerial (and some almost aerial) views are just a portion of the photos taken of these states, and the change in altitude certainly offers a new perspective. Let's start and finish above small islands in the selected photos below, first up north in Maine an...

Health Treat your gut to some roughage. In a study in mice, researchers found that just a week on a low-fiber diet caused a drastic shift in gut microbes, which could lead to diseases over time. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2CgpOTL"

NGC 6357: The Lobster Nebula Why is the Lobster Nebula forming some of the most massive stars known? No one is yet sure . Cataloged as NGC 6357, the Lobster Nebula houses the open star cluster Pismis 24 near its center -- a home to unusually bright and massive stars. The overall blue glow near the inner star forming region results from the emission of ionized hydrogen gas. The surrounding nebula, featured here , holds a complex tapestry of gas, dark dust , stars still forming, and newly born stars. The intricate patterns are caused by complex interactions between interstellar winds , radiation pressures , magnetic fields , and gravity . NGC 6357 spans about 400 light years and lies about 8,000 light years away toward the constellation of the Scorpion . December 26, 2018 via NASA https://go.nasa.gov/2EJYLRE ...

Technology The wrong moves will make your new UHD set look worse than your old display. Your new 4K TV will look worse than an old tube TV if you don't set it up correctly. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2Bvwb2o"

Health The most scientifically effective exercises you can do with a Christmas ham. During the holidays, it’s smart to squeeze in a workout or two between the hearty meals, endless cookies, free-flowing booze, and egg nog. We devised four workouts that… via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2Q2cuFn"

DIY This holiday season, help save the planet. Let's keep Christmas-tree carbon locked up in the wood. Here's how to get rid of your Christmas tree without damaging the environment. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2Q3tVoW"