June 26, 1886

Jamie Swan jumps off a short stone wall at Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn.

Image: Wallace G. Levison/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

Wallace G. Levison was a chemist, inventor, and lecturer who founded the Departments of Mineralogy and Astronomy at the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences in the latter half of the 19th century.

He was also an avid photographer, using the new technology both as a scientific tool and a recreational activity.

As the dawn of the 20th century approached, newer, more sensitive film emulsions were developed that allowed pictures to be taken with faster and faster shutter speeds. Read more…

More about History, Retronaut, New York, New York City, and Brooklyn
Source: Mashable | A Brooklyn chemist's 1800s photos capture New York in motion

My wife recently decided to print out a hundred or so of the best photographs we’ve taken with our smartphones over the years. Looking at them, I’ve noticed something interesting: More than half of them were selfies.

It’s hardly surprising. Rear cameras are great for taking photos of sunsets, but for those family moments you really want to remember, a selfie makes more sense. So why are rear cameras on phones vastly better than the selfie cameras?

China’s Vivo, a top five smartphone manufacturer but not very well known outside of its home market, reverses this situation completely with its Vivo 7+ phone. This smartphone has a 16-megapixel shooter on the back, and a vastly better, 24-megapixel camera on the front.  Read more…

More about Selfies, Vivo, Selfie Camera, Vivo7, and Tech

Source: Mashable | What can a 24-megapixel selfie camera do for you? We reviewed the Vivo 7+ to find out

Freitag has completely changed the way your travel bag is made. Instead of a heavy metal frame, the bag uses compressed air for support, making the Zippelin bag the inflatable gear you never knew you needed. Read more…

More about Travel, Transportation, Mashable Video, Real People, and Real Time
Source: Mashable | This full-size travel bag fits in a shoe box

The best part of Halloween by far is the candy. 

If you’re young and hungry for those sweets, obviously the best way to get them is to go trick-or-treating 

But, have you ever wondered who created this prestigious celebration (still not a federal holiday, but whatever) and who decided to add trick-or-treating to the mix. 

One spooky night…

Halloween derives from the three-day Celtic festival Samhain. The Celts believed the dead would return on Earth at the end of the harvest season (Oct. 31) and decided to honor them. The “villagers disguised themselves in costumes made of animal skins to drive away phantom visitors; banquet tables were prepared and edible offerings were out to placate unwelcome spirits,” states The History Channel. Celts knew how to throw the ultimate Halloween bash.  Read more…

More about Halloween, Culture, Web Culture, Trick Or Treating, and Culture

Source: Mashable | The origins of trick-or-treating begins and ends with honoring the dead on Halloween

Today’s aspiring robot inventors have an advantage over droid-loving Anakin Skywalker and it comes in the form of the Ultimate DIY Arduino Robotics Bundle. Over the course of 22 hours of expert training, you’ll get familiarized with the world’s most popular open-source electronics platform so you can break into the fields of robotics and coding and start building the next C-3PO or HAL 9000* in the comfort of your home. (*Results may vary.)

More about Robotics, Arduino, Online Learning, Mashable Shopping, and Shopping Stackcommerce
Source: Mashable | Become fluent in Arduino for less than

Choosing a new pair of workout headphones is more complicated than it should be. Beats are too expensive, Bose are way too expensive (the dream), and the internet is full of knockoff pairs that were potentially built with Elmer’s Glue. And all you want is a reliable stream of your favorite track playing during your daily jog. Is that so much to ask?!

The FRESHeBUDS Air Bluetooth 4.1 Earbuds are a popular choice and for good reason. They cover the basics: water-resistance, Bluetooth technology, comfort, and battery life. Let’s break it down: Read more…

More about Earbuds, Bluetooth, Mashable Shopping, Shopping Stackcommerce, and Shopping Solo

Source: Mashable | Pay for these Bluetooth earbuds that are usually

Two years of business school? Hard pass. Student debt? Double hard pass.

Avoid both of these factors on your journey to becoming an expert manager or executive by enrolling in Your MBA In a Box: The Advanced Management Training Program. While this online class doesn’t come with an actual degree, it’ll give you the necessary knowledge and skills to further your career in virtually any field without zapping too much of your free time or funds.  Read more…

More about Business, Online Learning, Mashable Shopping, Shopping Stackcommerce, and Shopping Solo
Source: Mashable | Take an online class in business management and skip the MBA