| You weren't hallucinating |
| Doesn't it feel like every time Apple releases a new iPhone, your old device starts acting up? Some users have wondered whether the company is messing with the performance of older devices to bully us into buying new ones. Apple isn't copping to that, but it did reveal just before Christmas that it has been using software tricks to slow down the processing speed of older phones. Why? Apple says it's so they won't malfunction as their batteries age. So what's the big deal? The company wasn't transparent about it, so some are using this as proof to show Apple can't be trusted. Apple says batteries in old iPhones can be updated for $80. Its fan base is not amused. Some eight consumer fraud lawsuits have already been filed. |
| As if North Korea could get any scarier |
| North Korea is a terrifying place (one of the most repressive authoritarian regimes in the world) and poses a terrifying international threat (nuclear war). Now, a South Korean intelligence officer is saying the threat may be even more ominous than we thought. Senior defense analyst Shin Jong Woo said anthrax antibodies were found on a North Korean defector, which he said probably means that not only is North Korea developing nuclear weapons, but it is also developing biological ones. The revelation about the defector comes a week after reports began circulating that North Korea had begun tests to load anthrax onto intercontinental ballistic missiles. |
| The Virginia House race that reveals the incredible ways election ties can be broken |
| Earlier this month, Democrat Shelly Simonds learned she'd won a Virginia House race by a single vote. But shortly after popping the champagne, a panel of judges ruled that a ballot — originally thrown out by officials — should be counted in favor of her opponent, Republican David Yancey, which meant a tie. The election was supposed to be settled Wednesday by placing Simonds' and Yancey's names in old film canisters, shuffling them in a clear bowl and pulling out the winner. But last night Simonds asked a court to reconsider the decision that stripped her of a victory, postponing the tie-breaker. The race is a big deal, because it may help Republicans maintain control of the chamber. And in case you were wondering, this isn't the weirdest tie-breaking method we've got in American politics. See felt-top hats and Scrabble tiles. |
| Why Obama may not be on Prince Harry's wedding guest list |
| Prince Harry and former president Barack Obama are buds. Obama was there to support Prince Harry at his Invictus Games this fall. Prince Harry was recently in Chicago to attend the Obama Foundation's inaugural summit. Harry is set to wed American Meghan Markle this spring, and naturally the question on everyone's minds (other than Markle's dress) is whether the former president will be in attendance. British tabloids have reported government officials don't want the Obamas on the guest list, for fear of upsetting President Trump. The prince was asked on the BBC Wednesday whether the former president would be on the guest list. He avoided the question. "I wouldn't want to ruin that surprise," he said. |
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| This may get you off the fence about whether to cough up for that DNA kit |
| For 60 years, they were best friends. But this Christmas, Alan Robinson and Walter Macfarlane found out they were much more: brothers. The two were born in Hawaii 15 months apart, and met in the 6th grade. Robinson was adopted and Macfarlane didn't
know who his dad was. Recently, the two turned to a DNA website for help nailing down their respective family histories, and learned they share a birth mother. "It was a shock," Macfarlane told KHON-TV. What's next? The two plan to travel and enjoy retirement together. "This is the best Christmas present I could ever imagine having," Robinson said. |
| This is a compilation of stories from USA TODAY. |
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