By reaching Category 3 intensity on Saturday, Hurricane Ophelia became the strongest hurricane ever observed so far east in the Atlantic Ocean. It also became the sixth major hurricane to form this season so far, tying 1933, 1961, 1964, and 2004 for the most major hurricanes through Oct. 14. 

What the storm is about to do next is also unusual, though not at all unheard of. Over the next 24 to 48 hours, Hurricane Ophelia will transition from a storm containing a warm core — meaning warmer air is near the center of the storm — to a powerful cold core, post-tropical low pressure system.

More about Uk, Climate, Science, Weather, and Extreme Weather
Source: Mashable | Hurricane Ophelia smashes an Atlantic intensity record, heads for Ireland Monday

Dongles have become a pervasive aspect of our existence. 

New iPhone users who refuse to abandon the headphone jack are common dongle users. Dongle streaming devices are regularly employed in our homes, drooping from the television. Even Google is making more dongles now, to accompany its new Pixel 2 phones. 

Yes, Google, which earlier this week declared its massive, all-in commitment to developing devices that employ sophisticated AI technology, is also in the dongle-making business (it was already making Chromecasts).

As we settle into a dongle-filled society, it’s an appropriate moment to ponder the origin of such a silly word being used to describe a device with a purely technical purpose. Simply put, a dongle adds functionality to another device.  Read more…

More about Tech, Iphone, Headphone Jack, Dongle, and Headphone Dongle

Source: Mashable | Why is your dongle called a 'dongle?'

The ‘Side Winder’ is designed to keep your bulky and fragile ‘MacBook’ charger from fraying. It could also help to keep your electronics more organized. Read more…

More about Apple, Mashable Video, Mac, Tim Cook, and Broken
Source: Mashable | Disorganized techies will love this device

To Kill a Mockingbird has a long history atop banned books lists, but here’s a new reason: the 20th century classic about racism in small-town Alabama “makes people uncomfortable.” 

The Biloxi School District in Mississippi removed the novel by Harper Lee from an eighth-grade reading list after receiving complaints about the book’s language, the Biloxi Sun Herald reported. 

“There were complaints about it. There is some language in the book that makes people uncomfortable, and we can teach the same lesson with other books,” school board vice president Kenny Holloway told the paper. 

More about Mississippi, Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird, Banned Books, and Biloxi

Source: Mashable | School district removes 'To Kill a Mockingbird' from reading lists for the most alarming reason

Harvey’s out; will Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski be the next to go?

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has voted to revoke the lifetime membership of Harvey Weinstein in the wake of dozens of sexual misconduct allegations — immediately prompting questions about whether Cosby and Polanski will be able to retain their memberships.

The decision to expel the executive came from an emergency meeting of the academy’s 54-member board, which includes Tom Hanks, Whoopi Goldberg, and Kathleen Kennedy, among other Hollywood icons. 

More about Movies, Ampas, Harvey Weinstein, Entertainment, and Discrimination
Source: Mashable | Harvey Weinstein expelled from motion picture academy