Sex robot more popular at brothel than REAL prostitutes

Austrian local media reported the unusual story of "Fanny", a sex doll which has become the top-selling superstar of the "Kontakthof" brothel in capital Vienna. It left Austrian newspapers wondering what men see in Fanny, which costs 80 EUR (£71.60) for an hour to rent. At the weekend, we revealed the first pictures inside a new sex robot factory making human-like dolls.
Read more: http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/633323/sex-robot-prostitutes-brothel-more-popular-real-girls-Vienna-Austria?source=Snapzu

Columnist fired over 'anti-Semitic' Sunday Times article

A Sunday Times columnist "will not write again" for the newspaper after one of his articles was branded "anti-Semitic" and "disgraceful". In the piece, Kevin Myers suggested BBC presenters Claudia Winkleman and Vanessa Feltz earned high salaries because they were Jewish. Editor Martin Ivens said the piece, which appeared in the Irish edition and online, should not have been published.
Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-40768352?source=Snapzu

Netflix is carrying $20 billion in debt. Can it keep borrowing its way to success?

The digital streaming giant plans to continue burning cash to fuel original productions and subscriber growth. When Netflix was founded, the Internet was young, DVDs were popular and no one considered watching a movie streamed online. Twenty years later, Netflix’s transformation from an underdog DVD-by-mail service to Hollywood powerhouse — one that has redefined how TV and movies are produced and consumed — has been remarkable.
Read more: http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-netflix-debt-spending-20170729-story.html?source=Snapzu

Time Warner CEO: ‘Game Of Thrones’ Setting Piracy Records Is ‘Better Than An Emmy’

Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes had his annual earnings call this morning, in which he discussed all sorts of money-related things that are very boring and are only important to people who have stupid things like “stocks” and “investment portfolios” and “retirement strategies.” But he also discussed Game of Thrones and piracy, and in doing so, he said this, which I kind of love.
Read more: http://uproxx.com/tv/time-warner-ceo-game-of-thrones-setting-piracy-records-is-better-than-an-emmy/?source=Snapzu

Putin Signs Controversial Law Tightening Internet Restrictions

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed controversial legislation prohibiting the use of Internet proxy services -- including virtual private networks, or VPNs -- and cracking down on the anonymous use of instant messaging services. The law on proxy services, signed by Putin on July 29 and published by the government on July 30, was promoted by lawmakers who said it is needed to prevent the spread of extremist materials and ideas.
Read more: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-putin-signs-vpn-law-internet/28648976.html?source=Snapzu

Venezuelan officials killed as voting starts

A candidate in Sunday's assembly elections and an opposition activist have been killed in Venezuela. The killings took place before voting started to elect a new assembly with powers to rewrite the constitution. The opposition says it is a power grab by President Nicolás Maduro and is boycotting the vote.
Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-40769737?source=Snapzu

Amtrak's $630m Trump budget cut could derail service in 220 US cities

Long-distance services could be devastated by budget cuts, and the blow will be especially painful in rural areas that bought the president’s infrastructure pitch.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jul/30/amtrak-budget-cuts-texas-trump-support-betrayal?source=Snapzu

The World's First Autonomous Ship Will Set Sail In 2018

A Norwegian container ship called the Yara Birkeland will be the world’s first electric, autonomous, zero-emissions ship. With a capacity of up to 150 shipping containers, the battery-powered ship will be small compared to modern standards (the biggest container ship in the world holds 19,000 containers, and an average-size ship holds 3,500), but its launch will mark the beginning of a transformation of the global shipping industry. This transformation could heavily impact global trade as well as the environment.
Read more: https://singularityhub.com/2017/07/30/the-worlds-first-autonomous-ship-will-set-sail-in-2018/?source=Snapzu

3-year-old girl dies after being pierced with needles for black magic

A three-year-old girl, who was allegedly made a voodoo doll by a man practising black magic and had been inserted with seven needles in her body, died today at a state-run hospital here. The Purulia-based girl, who was admitted to the government-run SSKM hospital had undergone a surgery on Wednesday and doctors had extracted seven needles from her body.
Read more: http://www.deccanchronicle.com/lifestyle/health-and-wellbeing/300717/3-year-old-girl-dies-after-being-pierced-with-needles-for-black-magic.html?source=Snapzu

Linus Torvalds pens vintage 'f*cking' rant at kernel dev's 'utter BS'

Dev bounces back with 'fair enough' as rc3 for 4.13 lands
Read more: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/07/31/linus_torvalds_expletive_laden_rant_at_developer/?source=Snapzu

Future ‘Dragon Age’ Games Will Keep Moving The Story Forward, Original Series Protagonist Will Never Return

While BioWare’s Dragon Age franchise features an entirely new protagonist with each installment, the games still take place inside the same fantasy world. As a result, players often encounter characters that were first introduced in earlier installments of the series.
Read more: http://www.inquisitr.com/4395061/future-dragon-age-games-will-keep-moving-the-story-forward-original-series-protagonist-will-never-return/?source=Snapzu

Broadcom chip bug opened 1 billion phones to a Wi-Fi-hopping worm attack

Wi-Fi chips used in iPhones and Android may revive worm attacks of old.
Read more: https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/07/broadcom-chip-bug-opened-1-billion-phones-to-a-wi-fi-hopping-worm-attack/?source=Snapzu

Hackers break into voting machines in 90 minutes at competition

Hackers at at a competition in Las Vegas were able to successfully breach the software of U.S. voting machines in just 90 minutes on Friday, illuminating glaring security deficiencies in America's election infrastructure.
Read more: http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/344488-hackers-break-into-voting-machines-in-minutes-at-hacking-competition?source=Snapzu

Philippine cops gun down mayor, cuff daughter in drug raid

Philippine police said they fatally shot 14 people Sunday, including a city mayor who was among the politicians President Rodrigo Duterte publicly linked to illegal drugs, in the bloodiest assault so far under Duterte's anti-drug crackdown. Officers were to serve warrants to Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr. of Ozamiz city to search his houses for the suspected presence of unlicensed firearms when gunmen opened fire on the police, sparking clashes that killed the mayor and at least 14 other people, Ozamiz police chief Jovie Espenido said.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/philippine-cops-gun-mayor-daughter-drug-raid-article-1.3368520?source=Snapzu

Baltimore prosecutor tosses 34 cases after officer seen planting evidence

A Baltimore prosecutor tossed 34 criminal cases and said that 123 cases are under review after video surfaced of a city police officer planting evidence.
Read more: http://wtop.com/baltimore/2017/07/baltimore-prosecutor-tosses-cases-123-under-review-after-officer-caught-planting-evidence/?source=Snapzu

HBO declares war on Game of Thrones pirates, but it may be a losing battle

Season seven of Game of Thrones has only just begun, and already HBO is cracking down on people illegally downloading the wildly popular TV series. But it's questionable how successful the TV network's attack will be, especially when many pirates are turning to streaming — a form of piracy that's hard to track but easy to do, even for Luddites.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/hbo-game-of-thrones-piracy-streaming-1.4226959?source=Snapzu

Utility Helps Wean Vermonters From the Electric Grid

In a new low-income development that replaced a trailer park here, rooftop solar panels sparkle in the sun while backup batteries quietly hum away in utility closets. About an hour away, in Rutland, homes and businesses along a once-distressed corridor are installing the latest in energy-saving equipment, including special insulation and heat pumps.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/29/business/energy-environment/vermont-green-mountain-power-grid.html?source=Snapzu

‘Stranger Things’ Renewed For Season 3 By Netflix

The premiere season of ‘Stranger Things’ took the world by storm, proving to be one of the biggest players in the industry. Prior to releasing season 2, Netflix is anticipating the continued success of the show and has in-turn, merited the science-fiction drama a third season. That could not be the end either, with the show’s creators, Matt and Ross Duffer stating that they have a 5 season plan in mind for the future.
Read more: https://dragonfeed.net/2017/07/28/stranger-things-renewed-season-3-netflix/?source=Snapzu

Wells Fargo Forced Unwanted Auto Insurance on Borrowers

More than 800,000 people who took out car loans from Wells Fargo were charged for auto insurance they did not need, and some of them are still paying for it, according to an internal report prepared for the bank’s executives.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/27/business/wells-fargo-unwanted-auto-insurance.html?source=Snapzu

Veteran with heart condition says insurance company denied coverage 4 times

A southern Indiana veteran was prescribed a Zoll Life Vest, an external defibrillator, to protect his life while battling a heart condition. But his health insurance company has denied coverage for the device. The Nunley family was hit with tragedy in November 2016 when 31-year-old Matthew Nunley was diagnosed with congestive heart failure as a result of a the flu. Doctors told Nunley it was a one-in-10,000 chance a virus would attack his heart like that. His heart was functioning in the 10-15 percent range when he was diagnosed.
Read more: http://www.wdrb.com/story/35998808/veteran-with-heart-condition-says-insurance-company-denied-coverage-4-times?source=Snapzu

Martin Shkreli gets smacked down on Twitter (again) after another lewd comment about reporter

That Martin Shkreli is still a real online charmer — even while facing a possible prison sentence. Shkreli, who is on trial for securities fraud, boasted Thursday night on Facebook that if he gets acquitted he will get to have sex with a female journalist — the same woman whose earlier harassment by the "pharma bro" got him banned from Twitter.
Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/28/shkreli-smacked-down-on-twitter-after-a-lewd-comment-about-reporter.html?source=Snapzu

US Slaps Iran Firms With Sanctions After Rocket Launch

The United States on Friday imposed new sanctions targeting Iran's ballistic missile programme, one day after Tehran tested a satellite-launch rocket – an act that Washington had called "provocative." The US Treasury singled out six companies owned or controlled by Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group (SHIG), which it said was central to the Islamic republic's missile programme, freezing their US assets and barring US citizens from dealing with them.
Read more: https://www.albawaba.com/news/us-slaps-iran-firms-sanctions-after-rocket-launch-1002752?source=Snapzu

Nasa needs you: space agency to crowdsource origami designs for shield

In the search for ways to efficiently pack a radiation shield to protect manned spacecraft on deep space missions, Nasa is looking to the public for help
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/jul/20/nasa-needs-you-space-agency-to-crowdsource-origami-designs-for-shield?source=Snapzu

Initiative aims to eradicate book deserts in communities

Thousands of children who live in San Antonio public housing now have plenty of new books to read, thanks to an initiative that aims to eradicate book deserts and promote literacy.
Read more: https://www.ksat.com/consumer/saha-children-get-thousands-of-books?source=Snapzu

Florida man bitten by a poisonous snake slapped with 6-figure bill

A Florida man was bitten by a poisonous snake and treated with an expensive antivenom that cost more than $150,000. He was lucky: Venomous snakes kill 100,000 people every year. The Weather Channel’s Dave Malkoff met with members of a nonprofit hoping to lower the death toll by creating a cheaper treatment.
Read more: http://www.today.com/video/florida-man-bitten-by-a-poisonous-snake-slapped-with-6-figure-bill-1012833347793?source=Snapzu

Trump threatens to end ObamaCare payments unless repeal passes

President Trump on Saturday threatened to end key payments to insurance companies made under Obamacare if a repeal and replace bill is not passed.
Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/344463-trump-threatens-to-end-csr-payments-if-healthcare-reform-isnt-passed?source=Snapzu

Mom dies after giving birth to twins following dad's gunshot death

Three young siblings are being cared for by family members after both parents tragically died just weeks apart. On July 11, Jevaughn Suckoo, 26, was shot and killed at an apartment complex in West Palm Beach, CBS 12 reported. Three days later, his girlfriend, Stephanie Caceres, gave birth to twins, but developed fatal complications stemming from the delivery.
Read more: https://cbnewser.com/health/mom-dies-giving-birth-twins-following-dads-gunshot-death/?source=Snapzu

Attorney General Jeff Sessions Heads To El Salvador To Discuss Gang Violence

Sessions is meeting with the president of El Salvador and high-ranking law enforcement officials, as well as with an FBI anti-gang task force, to talk about combating the powerful gang MS-13.
Read more: http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/07/27/539747978/attorney-general-jeff-sessions-heads-to-el-salvador-to-discuss-gang-violence?source=Snapzu

Australia police foil 'terrorist plot to bring down an airplane'

Police disrupted a terrorist plot to bring down an airplane and arrested four men on Saturday in raids on homes in several Sydney suburbs, the prime minister said on Sunday.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/australia-terror-plot-bomb-arrests-sydney-1.4227944?source=Snapzu

Four huge airlines on three continents are creating a virtual super-airline

Four huge airlines on three continents want to create a virtual super-airline. They plan to spend more than $1 billion to do it. In a series of transactions announced Thursday, Delta Air Lines (DAL) and Shanghai-based China Eastern (CEA)are each buying 10% of Air France/KLM (AFLYY)Group. And Air France/KLM will buy 31% of Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic Airways. The roughly $1.2 billion worth of investments will deepen business ties between the carriers, giving them the ability to coordinate across the busy air corridor between Europe and the United States.
Read more: http://money.cnn.com/2017/07/27/news/companies/delta-airfrance-virgin-china-tie-up/index.html?iid=Lead?source=Snapzu

Apple paid Nokia $2 billion to escape fight over old patents

Apple’s latest patent spat with Nokia resulted in a $2 billion up-front payment from the iPhone maker, a colossal sum that seems to indicate Apple was eager to avoid a protracted and ugly dispute.
Read more: https://www.theverge.com/2017/7/28/16058868/apple-nokia-patent-dispute-settlement-2-billion-dollars?source=Snapzu

Congressional IT staffer charged with home equity loan fraud

A congressional information technology staffer was arrested Monday evening before a scheduled flight for Lahore, Pakistan, and charged with bank fraud in connection with a $165,000 loan from the congressional Federal Credit Union, authorities said.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/congressional-it-staffer-charged-with-home-equity-loan-fraud/2017/07/26/f5f402e8-71a7-11e7-9eac-d56bd5568db8_story.html?source=Snapzu

Father of 2 feels "great" after surviving 98 cancerous brain tumors

A 46-year-old man from Colorado is beating the odds. He once feared he had just weeks to live, but now, five years later, the melanoma that spread to his brain is in remission. "I feel great, you know. Normal as — normal, whatever normal is," Leland Fay told CBS Denver.
Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/father-of-2-feels-great-after-surviving-98-cancerous-brain-tumors/?source=Snapzu

Dark web doesn't exist, says Tor's Dingledine. And folks use network for privacy, not crime

Cofounder brings us up to date on network status
Read more: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/07/29/tor_dark_web/?source=Snapzu

Man killed wife on cruise ship for 'laughing' at him

A man suspected of killing his wife while on a cruise ship in the US state of Alaska did so because "she would not stop laughing" at him, a witness says. Kenneth Manzanares has been charged with the murder of his 39-year-old wife, whose body was found with severe head wounds in their cabin. He was detained after security agents found blood on his hands and clothes, court documents said.
Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40751459#?source=Snapzu

US says will work with allies after Russia sanctions anger EU

Washington vowed Saturday it would it "work closely with our friends and Allies" after US lawmakers passed sanctions on Russia that upset some European nations fearful that it could hit their businesses.
Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/world/us-says-will-work-with-allies-after-russia-sanctions-anger-eu/article/498738#.WXyrHIM612A.twitter?source=Snapzu

'Incredible shrinking airline seat': US court says seat size a safety issue

Passenger group challenged Federal Aviation Administration after agency rejected request for rules on seat size and distance between rows...
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jul/29/incredible-shrinking-airline-seat-us-court-says-seat-size-a-safety-issue?source=Snapzu

One dead after stabbing attack in Hamburg supermarket

A man wielding a large kitchen knife killed one and wounded four others after storming into a supermarket in the German city of Hamburg. The attacker is reported to have screamed 'Allahu Akbar' before running into the Edeka shop where he stabbed one person and slashed at four others while trying to flee. He was pursued by passers-by who wrestled him to the ground and called the police, who later arrested him.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4739888/One-dead-stabbing-attack-Hamburg-supermarket.html?source=Snapzu

U.S. indicts suspected Russian 'mastermind' of $4 billion bitcoin laundering scheme

A U.S. jury indicted a Russian man on Wednesday as the operator of a digital currency exchange he allegedly used to launder more than $4 billion for people involved in crimes ranging from computer hacking to drug trafficking. Alexander Vinnik was arrested in a small beachside village in northern Greece on Tuesday, according to local authorities, following an investigation led by the U.S. Justice Department along with several other federal agencies and task forces.
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-greece-russia-arrest-idUSKBN1AB1OP?il=0?source=Snapzu

It’s Happening: US Scientists Reportedly Made a Genetically Modified Human Embryo

What now? Researchers in Portland, Oregon have used a powerful gene editing tool called CRISPR to create genetically modified human embryos, MIT Technology Review reported on Wednesday in an exclusive. This is the first confirmed case of the gene editing of human embryos in the US, and gets scientists closer to the ability to create genetically engineered humans.
Read more: https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/43dzqg/its-happening-us-scientists-reportedly-made-a-genetically-modified-human-embryo?source=Snapzu

Canada's economy grew by 4.6% in the year up to May, strongest pace since 2000

Canada's economy grew by 0.6 per cent in May, the seventh straight monthly gain. The overall economy has grown by 4.6 per cent in the 12 months leading up to the end of May, Statistics Canada said. That's the biggest 12-month figure since 2000. The strong showing blew past what economists were expecting, which was modest growth of 0.2 per cent for the month.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/canada-gdp-may-1.4225650?source=Snapzu

Toronto is the fastest-growing tech market in North America

A new report shows that Toronto is North America’s fastest-growing tech market. The fourth largest city in North America is becoming a leader in all things technology and innovation.
Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/business/toronto-is-the-fastest-growing-tech-market-in-north-america/article/498167#ixzz4o9jSfxVh?source=Snapzu

Saudi Arabia intercepts Houthi missile targeting Mecca

Saudi Arabian armed forces have successfully intercepted a missile launched by Yemeni Houthi rebels that was targeting the city of Mecca, considered one of the holiest places in Islam, the Saudi coalition said in a statement. Air defense units stationed in the area of Taif, located not far from Mecca, intercepted a ballistic missile launched by Houthi forces from Yemen that was intended to hit the Muslim holy city, the coalitions said in a statement published by the official press agency.
Read more: https://www.rt.com/news/397765-saudi-mecca-missile-intercept/?source=Snapzu

Australia warns of 'regional IS caliphate' ahead of meeting on terror threat

Attorney-General George Brandis has warned of Islamic State's desire to establish a "regional caliphate" and said the battle by pro-IS militants in the Philippines was of "great concern" ahead of a fast-tracked meeting of six countries. Indonesia and Australia will co-host a summit on Saturday with four neighbouring countries to respond to the mounting terror threat posed to South-east Asia by IS.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/australia-warns-of-regional-is-caliphate-ahead-of-meeting-on-terror-threat-20170728-gxkucd.html?source=Snapzu

Boom! Powerful Cosmic Explosion May Hint at How Black Holes Form

New research has revealed more about how superpowerful gamma-ray bursts are generated and how they evolve over time. By Elizabeth Howell.
Read more: https://www.space.com/37634-dying-star-collapse-gamma-ray-burst.html?source=Snapzu

Ferrari driver writes off new car on M1 in Barnsley

A driver lost control of his new £200,000 Ferrari and careered off a motorway before it burst into flames - after owning it for just an hour. The high-performance Ferrari 430 Scuderia was reduced to a twisted wreck after the smash on the M1 near junction 37 in South Yorkshire on Thursday afternoon. Police described how the car "went airborne" in the wet conditions.
Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-40748897?source=Snapzu

Samsung ends Intel’s 24-year reign, becomes the largest chipmaker in the world

Samsung announced its quarterly results yesterday, and became the most profitable company in the world. However, the company broke a few other records as well. It ended Intel’s 24-year reign as the largest semiconductor-based chipmaker in the world. Samsung has now leapfrogged Intel by posting a higher revenue as well as operating profits during Q2 2017.
Read more: https://www.sammobile.com/2017/07/28/samsung-ends-intels-24-year-reign-becomes-largest-chipmaker-world/?source=Snapzu

Irish woman (107) who emigrated to America finally gets high-school diploma

A Kerry woman who emigrated to America in her twenties was awarded her high-school diploma at the age of 107. Hanna Lovett (107) was born in Kerry in 1910 but left school at a young age before emigrating to New York, where she rebuilt her life.
Read more: http://www.independent.ie/life/family/family-features/irish-woman-107-who-emigrated-to-america-finally-gets-highschool-diploma-35976714.html?source=Snapzu

Donald Trump Endorses Police Brutality In Speech To Cops

The president said law enforcement officers shouldn't protect suspects' heads when putting them into police cars.
Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/trump-police-brutality_us_597b840fe4b02a8434b6575a?source=Snapzu

Russia Retaliates for U.S. Sanctions by Ousting Diplomats

Russia ordered the U.S. to slash hundreds of embassy and other personnel in the country in a dramatic and sweeping retaliation to the passage of a new sanctions bill in the U.S. Congress. The order means the U.S. would have to cut “hundreds” of personnel at its embassy and consulates in Russia, according to a diplomat familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details that aren’t yet public. U.S. officials didn’t immediately comment on how many would be affected.
Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-28/russia-orders-the-u-s-to-reduce-its-diplomatic-staff-in-russia?source=Snapzu