By now, we know that hacking into a webcam is fairly easy, and that covering up your webcam is generally a good idea. But lately, the internet seems to have made a bizarre, poignant peace with the idea that someone might be watching us — not rogue hackers, necessarily, but the FBI itself.

Jokes about the “FBI agent watching our computers” have becomes ubiquitous on Twitter in recent weeks, to the point where that phrase has been replaced, largely, with “my FBI agent.” The tweets are often mini-stories: the narrator does something meant to be seen by no one, only to remember there is someone watching on the other side. Read more…

More about Twitter, Memes, Fbi, Culture, and Web Culture

Source: Mashable | The surprising poignancy of the 'FBI agent' meme

Justin Timberlake’s fifth solo album Man of the Woods released on Friday and immediately got torn to pieces by Pitchfork.

Man of the Woods comes in at 66 minutes with 15 and a half songs and Pitchfork’s Jamieson Cox could barely find any moments worth praising, calling large swaths of the record shallow and uninspired. And that’s a pretty fair assessment.

Here are some of the hard-hitting highlights from Cox’s savage review of JT’s Man of the Woods:

• “Man of the Woods is a misstep large enough to merit relitigating Justin Timberlake’s status as a pop superstar.”

• “Instead of surging forward with a new vision for pop music, it leans on the sounds and genres that have become American comfort food: country, soul, funk, disco, gospel.”

• “Too much of Man of the Woods is musically and thematically shallow; at 66 minutes, it’s a mile wide and an inch deep.”

• ““Midnight Summer Jam” is a sub-Robin Thicke boogie with a sub-John Popper harmonica solo; “Sauce” is Beyoncé’s “Don’t Hurt Yourself” cut with a jug full of pond water.”

• “And there’s no refuge from the lyrics, which in many places engender the same mix of emotions you’d confront upon walking in on your parents having sex.” Read more…

More about Review, Justin Timberlake, Man Of The Woods, Pitchfork, and Entertainment
Source: Mashable | Justin Timberlake's 'Man of the Woods' gets savaged by Pitchfork

This column is part of a series called “Voices of Women in Tech,” created in collaboration with AnitaB.org, a global enterprise that supports women in technical fields, as well as the organizations that employ them and the academic institutions training the next generation.

Last fall, as the world reeled from Charlottesville’s white supremacist protests and the killing of anti-racist protester Heather Heyer, we applauded companies like GoDaddy and AirBnB for canceling the accounts of racist organizers and instigators. We also called for companies to go a step further, to move beyond passive bans and blocks, and to move into active resistance against hate speech and racial injustice. Read more…

More about Social Good, Silicon Valley, Diversity, Women In Tech, and Diversity And Inclusion

Source: Mashable | Hey, tech CEOs: Fighting racism isn't just right, it's also good business

If you’re especially bored this Friday and prefer to get your news from incredulous sources, you may be interested in this video of Punxsutawney Phil predicting the weather.

Spoiler Alert: Phil predicts six more weeks of winter.

These faithful followers of Phil have been forcing the poor guy out of his home to “predict” the weather every Feb. 2 since 1887. They’re actually an elite society compromised of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club’s Inner Circle. 

Here are a few more facts about Phil, the tortured muse of Punxsutawney: he has a wife named Phyllis,  he lives in the town library, and communicates with the Inner Circle via “groundhogese”according to the club.  Read more…

More about Weather, Winter, Groundhog Day, Groundhog, and Culture
Source: Mashable | Know-it-all groundhog releases obvious public statement about the winter

Your smartphone is using fewer and fewer wires these days. Try to keep up.

Amazon has the goods on wireless headphone deals today that you’ll definitely want to snatch up. From a single earbud for a minimalist headset aesthetic to a pair of wireless headphones that are great for the gym, there’s plenty to get you equipped for the hands-free revolution.

More about Bluetooth Headphones, Wireless Speaker, Bluetooth Speaker, Hoover, and Mashable Shopping

Source: Mashable | Amazon has wireless headphones, Bluetooth speakers, and a Poe Dameron electric razor on sale today