Offbeat

Offbeat

Offbeat / This banana could sell for over $1 million

At the international arthouse Sotheby’s, Maurizio Cattelan’s famous artwork 'Comedian' is about to hit the auction block for an estimated price between $1 million to $1.5 million. But... why?

1m ago

ChatGPT helps 89-year-old Japanese app developer learn programming

89-year-old Japanese Tomoji Suzuki took up coding in his retirement, developing apps specifically for the elderly Japanese population. As per a recent interview with AFP, he has credited ChatGPT as a "great teacher" and "programming mentor" in his coding journey.

6m ago

Offbeat / Biden hiring a 'meme manager'; will pay up to $85,000

The role, which offers a salary of up to $85,000, involves collaborating with podcasters, digital-media companies, and popular social-media meme pages, reports Business Insider. Successful candidates will need to relocate to Wilmington, Delaware, where the campaign is based

7m ago

4 Tejgaon College friends reunite 32 years later via Facebook

The last time they all spent quality time together was at a friend's wedding in 1991

7m ago

KFC launches perfume Eau De BBQ

Finger sniffin’ good?

8m ago

Did you know an Indian startup 3D-printed a house in 21 days?

On April 27, 2021, Tvasta, a startup founded by alumni from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, completed the construction of India's first 3D-printed house - in only 21 days. Modules for this 500 sq. ft. house were printed in the startup's facility in Chennai and assembled at the site, as per the company's official website.

11m ago

Storm in a teacup: US, UK banter over the perfect 'cuppa'

The "special relationship" between Britain and the United States came under pressure this week when a US academic had the cheek to suggest adding salt to tea, sparking a flurry of diplomatic banter

11m ago

Meet the Xbox Series S Toaster

Microsoft has recently released the Xbox Series S Toaster, a kitchen appliance inspired by the design of the Xbox Series S gaming console. The toaster, currently listed in Walmart for US$39.99, will imprint an Xbox sphere logo on the bread during toasting.

12m ago

Sea slugs lose heads to rid bodies of parasites, Japan researchers show

Japanese researchers have shown that a type of sea slug are able to self-decapitate and regrow their bodies, a discovery that could have ramifications for regenerative medicine.

3y ago

Irked Thai PM sprays reporters with hand sanitiser to duck tricky questions

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha left reporters stunned and amused when he interrupted his own news conference to spray them with hand sanitiser in a bid to dodge tough questions.

3y ago

Dubai cat cafe hopes rescues will find purr-fect new homes

A haven for humans craving furry feline company, a cat cafe in Dubai also doubles as an adoption centre for some of the United Arab Emirates’ many strays.

3y ago

Forbidden fruit: Taiwan urges people to eat more pineapples after China ban

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen called on people to eat more pineapples to help farmers, saying Taiwan had been “ambushed” by a ban on the fruit by neighbouring long-time rival China which claims the island as its own.

3y ago

Spanish chess board sales soar after ‘Queen’s Gambit’ cameo

A Spanish chess board maker discovered by chance that its products played a cameo role in hit Netflix series “The Queen’s Gambit”, and its sales have since soared.

3y ago

Covid-19 maths: All the virus in the world would fit in a coke can

All the Covid-19-causing virus circulating in the world right now could easily fit inside a single cola can, according to a calculation by a British mathematician whose sum exposes just how much devastation is caused by minuscule viral particles.

3y ago

'I'm not a cat,' says lawyer after Zoom filter mishap

When Judge Roy Ferguson opened up virtual proceedings of the 394th Judicial District Court in Texas on Zoom on Tuesday, he was not expecting to see two lawyers and a kitten.

3y ago

South Korea offers free Covid tests for dogs, cats

Seoul to test pets for free if they come into contact with infected humans and show symptoms.

3y ago

Kashmir hotel lures tourists with igloo cafe

Tourists in Kashmir’s Gulmarg ski resort have a new place to chill out - an igloo cafe that serves hot food and drink on tables made of ice and snow.

3y ago

Colombian taxi driver and canine co-pilot spread Christmas cheer

Taxi driver Nicolas Walteros and his beloved dog Colonel take passengers around the Colombian capital together, dressed in matching green Santa tops and hats, aviator sunglasses and a fluffy fake beard resting on the pup’s blonde snout.

4y ago