'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' is the best movie of 2015: Our Top 10

LOS ANGELES — For big, fun, populist popcorn movies, 2015 was a grand fireworks show with a blowout finale. For quiet adult dramas and prestige films, it started with a pop … and ended in a fizzle.

That’s why I struggled mightily to fill out a Top 10 for 2015, the biggest year ever at the North American box office. It’s also why this list is overwhelmed with blockbusters and populist hits.

SEE ALSO: Diversity report card: The film industry took 1 step forward, 2 steps back

And none packed more firepower than Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Mashable’s No. 1 movie of the year. Using a “best-in-show” mentality — that the biggest prize goes to the most fulfilling representation of its breed — there really is no contest in the Year of the Blockbuster. Read more...

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Best Gaming Gadgets of 2015

Here are the best gaming gadgets to come out in 2015 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Windows PC. From controllers to gaming laptops there was a little bit of everything for people this year.

Founder Of Williams-Sonoma Dead At 100

Chuck Williams, right, founder of Williams-Sonoma Inc., shakes hands with old friends outside his very first storefront in Sonoma, Calif., Tuesday, March 20, 2007. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) Charles E. ?Chuck? Williams, founder and director emeritus of Williams-Sonoma Inc., died peacefully earlier today according to a company press release. Williams? 100th birthday

How Not To Disgrace Yourself At The Office Holiday Party: A Handy Guide

The office holiday party has more potential to hurt your career than to help it, especially if you’re naive enough to accept more than a modest amount of the free alcohol that’s practically being poured into your lap.

New England Grid Operator Raises Doubts Over Mass. Attorney General's Gas Pipeline Study

New England’s grid operator reiterated the reliability risks posed by natural gas pipeline constraints during the winter heating season.

Roman Reigns Does Not Work as Face of WWE

As indicated by the slumping WWE television ratings, Roman Reigns does not have what it takes to be the face of the company moving forward.

Obviously Jaden Smith wants to watch Shia LaBeouf's movies with Shia LaBeouf

When you think about it, it's pretty bizarre that Jaden Smith hasn't already watched all of Shia LaBeouf's movies with Shia LaBeouf

But order can be finally restored in the multiverse if, per Smith's request, LaBeouf stays at his residency watching his feature films in New York City's Angelika Theater long enough for the teen philosopher/actor/musician to join him

See also: Jaden Smith says being born is the most influential thing he's ever done

Shia Labeouf Do Not Leave New York City Without Letting Me See You.

— Jaden Smith (@officialjaden) November 11, 2015

They are, after all, kindred spirits. Both became famous at a young age and devoted themselves to performance art Read more...

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Hearthstone Makes First Appearance on National Television

While Hearthstone has achieved very strong viewership on Twitch and has 40 million players, a Hearthstone competition hasn't appeared on national television until tonight. Blizzard's hit online card game made up the second round of competition during the Triumph Games on CBS Sports Network.

The Royal History of London's Top Luxury Hotel

You know very well that all that glitters is not gold. What’s more, the glittering objects fail to shine for an enduring period if they have no interesting story to tell.

NASA video reveals mesmerizing nature of the sun

A new video of the sun shows our closest star in all its glory. Using NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, a team of experts made a beautiful 30-minute-long video that we have condensed for your viewing pleasure. We've also added some interesting facts about the sun. You're welcome.

Read more: http://on.mash.to/1k8RZrp Read more...

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7 Tips And Tricks On Creating 2015's Best Sports Halloween Costumes

Halloween has arrived and you have no clue what to be. I solve that quandary for you with a list of easy but hilarious sports costumes.

DBS CEO Sees Bright Future For Asia -- Others See Some Problems

The CEO of one of the largest bank groups in Asia sees a bright future for the region, although he glosses over a few problems like China's demographic challenge and the challenges of moving beyond export-driven economies.

As California Rolls Out More Solar Power, Regulators Could Undercut The Industry

The fall season is kicking off a sizzling solar power debate in California and one that has the potential to undercut the state?s climate mission. Utility regulators there are in discussions over how to balance the interest of rooftop solar generators with the utilities on which they will still depend. Just

Volkswagen's CEO Has Resigned, But That Doesn't Solve Its Problems

Volkswagen’s CEO, Professor Martin Winterkorn, has done the decent thing and fallen on his sword. This is his resignation announcement, posted on the company’s website:

“I am shocked by the events of the past few days. Above all, I am stunned that misconduct on such a scale was possible in the Volkswagen Group.

Hands on with iPad Pro and Apple Pencil: A huge tablet and an impressive tool

I’m holding a giant iPad in my hands. It’s the iPad Pro and it is mind-bogglingly big, the biggest tablet Apple has ever produced. And that isn’t even the weirdest part.

Near the Apple iPad Pro I’m fiddling with at Apple’s big fall product event in San Francisco's Bill Graham Civic Auditorium is an Apple Pencil — a stylus. Apple’s…own…stylus, intended to be used with and only with the big iPad Pro. Next to that is an iPad Pro sitting in an Apple portable keyboard known as the Smart Keyboard.

This is definitely one of those through-the-looking glass kind of moments

See also: iPhone 6S, iPad Pro and Apple TV: What you need to know Read more...

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Dragon Age: Inquisition Trespasser Review

The latest piece of downloadable content for 'Dragon Age: Inquisition' is epic, beautiful and a warning of things to come. Forbes contributor Todd Kenreck has high praise for the game in this review.

Mysterious fireball falls through the sky in downtown Bangkok

A fireball in the sky over Bangkok has ignited speculation over whether it's a shooting star, exploding aircraft or falling meteor.

In a YouTube video, the burning object is shown falling with a bright streak and blazing up into a larger ball before disappearing.

See also: Dazzling photos capture shooting stars during Perseid meteor shower

Reports say it was spotted around rush hour at 8:40 a.m. ICT on Monday.

The video poster, Porjai Jaturongkhakun, said he saw a trail of smoke following the fireball as it fell.

The video was posted from the Nonthaburi area in Thailand. Nonthaburi is located near the popular Chatuchak market in Bangkok, and just around 20 kilometres (12.4 miles) from Don Mueang Airport, one of two international airports serving Bangkok. Read more...

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Stock Market Crashes Again: Proven Indicators Show Bulls Remain In Charge

The stock market terrified investors again with a 3% plunge Monday, deepening the sell-off from its May 20th high to 10%. Market watchers blamed worries over weak Chinese economic data for inciting the selloff. The doyenne of technical analysis, Louise Yamada of Louise Yamada Tech Research Advisors told CNBC: the bull market is over. However, some proven indicators show the bulls remain in charge.

Los Angeles named U.S. candidate for 2024 Olympics

LOS ANGELES — The U.S. Olympic Committee on Tuesday named Los Angeles as its candidate for the 2024 Games, replacing Boston's soured bid and marking a comeback for L.A.'s dream of becoming a three-time Olympic host.

The announcement by USOC CEO Scott Blackmun came under a summer sun at Santa Monica Beach, where the city's plan calls for staging beach volleyball on the site where the sport was founded.

"I want to thank Los Angeles for standing up, once again, as America's bid city," Blackmun said, adding that L.A.'s proposal squares with the Olympic movement's goals of watching the bottom line while investing in projects that dovetail with community needs. Read more...

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Woodstock, Coachella, Outside Lands, Kaaboo - How Technology Improves the Music Festival Experience

Over the years, advances in technology have subtly changed the experience at music festivals. When the organizers of Woodstock 46 years ago determined that the fences and ticket booths were not equipped to handle the arriving crowds, there was little more than landline telephones and word of mouth that spread the word to the massive number of young people who eventually attended what became the most famous free festival of all time. Careers were set in motion for Santana, Sly and The Family Stone, Crosby Stills Nash and Young. Legends were cemented with performances by Jimi Hendrix, The Who and Jefferson Airplane.

Live Blog: The Midnight Release of 'Until Dawn'

Live blogging the midnight release of 'Until Dawn". Fright, Fear, Life and Death choices are paramount.

Keeping An Eye Out For China Stock News This Weekend?

I’ve had the great experience to have a job compiling the Forbes China Rich List for the past dozen years. That means interviewing a lot of rich Chinese and talking to their friends and rivals about their wealth. It’s a fascinating window into China and its growing clout in the world.

Softbank's Pepper robot offered as rental assistant for Japan businesses

When Softbank made its Pepper helper robot available for sale back in June, the device sold out almost immediately

Now, before announcing the availability of additional units to the general public, the company is offering the robot as a rental device, officially putting robots in the same category as other mainstream rental appliances (at least in Japan)

See also: Japan's NTT to put home care robot's in the homes of the elderly

The price for the "Pepper for Biz" service will be 55,000 yen per month, or about $444. (Incidentally, the number four is considered an unlucky number in Japan. Kind of like the number 13 in the U.S. But that's all silly robot apocalypse superstition, right?) Users will be required to sign a three-year contract, which will total about $16,000 in rental charges Read more...

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Defense Department to Congress: Global warming is a 'present security threat'

For the first time, the U.S. Department of Defense has detailed what it views as its greatest challenges related to climate change.

In a report to Congress, the Defense Department said that global warming poses a "present security threat, not strictly a long-term risk."

See also: Global warming helped trigger Syria's civil war

The report, delivered to the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday and publicly released Wednesday, further stated the Defense Department is "already observing the impacts of climate change in shocks and stressors to vulnerable nations and communities," including in the United States, the Arctic, Middle East, Africa, Asia and South America Read more...

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'King's Quest: A Knight To Remember' Review (Episode 1)

The new 'King's Quest' is a strong adventure game on its own merits, while staying true to the spirit of the long-running franchise.

Forget The Bears, Major Opportunities Exist In China

The financial press made a big deal out of mega hedge fund Bridgewater Associates dumping on China recently. But any talk about there being nothing worthy of investing in there is just chatter from a lover scorned.

The Best Upcoming Video Games Of 2015

The Best Upcoming Video Games Of 2015

Guy with drone scares the crap out of trespassing kids

Drone enthusiast Stephen Coyle was flying his DJI Phantom 3 near a school in Letterkenny, Ireland when he noticed a few kids up to no good on the school's roof.

But once the kids noticed the drone they immediately assumed that it was there for them and a hilarious chase ensued.

In the video's description, Coyle explains that the kids eventually ran into where he was piloting the drone, realized they weren't in trouble and asked that he put the video on YouTube

[H/T: Reddit]

2-year-old pulls off some sick doughnuts in his toy Corvette

3-month-old baby mimics his dad, says 'I love you' back

Local badass pulls hooks out of hammerhead shark

What your handwriting reveals about your personality Read more...

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India's 'Baahubali' Punches Out 401 Crore / $62.6 Million Gross In 15 Days

At the start of its 3rd week of worldwide release, S.S. Rajamouli’s game-changing Indian epic Baahubali: The Beginning has become only the 4th film in the country’s history to cross the 400 crore rupees (US$62.4 million) threshold. On Friday the film took in an additional 10 crore ($1.56 million) to extend its cumulative 15-day global total to 401 crore.

The Development Of eSports Arenas Makes Economic Sense

Major sporting events need arenas to host games. Now that eSports is recognized as a real, growing industry, it too must develop arenas for game-play.

Rare photos of Obama's visit to Kenya in 1987

President Barack Obama arrived in Nairobi, Kenya on Friday — his first trip as president to his father's native country.

He's the first sitting president to visit Kenya, though he's been three times before. He last did so in 2006, as a senator from Illinois.

See also: Obama on 'The Daily Show': I'm sure the Republicans are enjoying Trump's dominance

But his first trip came all the way back in 1987, when the president was in his 20s. These often unseen images show a young Barack visiting his family and learning about the village where a lot of his family still lives. Read more...

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This Company Wants To Recycle Carbon Dioxide From The Atmosphere

Video

A pellet reactor helps pull carbon dioxide from the air and turn it into a pure co2 stream inside Carbon Engineering's plant in Squamish, British Columbia. Photo Credit: Carbon Engineering We recycle cans, we recycle clothes, yes, we even recycle bras and old prosthetic limbs. But what if you could recycle some of

Thomas Peterffy Lists His Greenwich Estate For $65 Million

Digital trading tycoon Thomas Peterffy today listed his 80-acre Conyers Farm estate in Greenwich for $65 million. It is the largest and the most expensive home for sale in Greenwich.

HDFC Bank's Aditya Puri Has Created India's Most Valuable Bank

Aditya Puri built HDFC Bank into not only one of the best banks in India, but also one of the best companies in Asia. Here's how he did it.

As the Part-Time Market Booms, Japan's Largest Job-Search Website Excels

Hideki Tomita's firm links to part-time jobs, but what fully engages him is Japan's entrepreneurial climate.

Jet.com Is Making Its Employees' Salaries Transparent -- And Non-negotiable

Jet.com charges a membership fee, which is how the company keeps the lights on. Its model is all about stripping every last bit of supply chain inefficiency off of a price to get the best deal for a customer. Savings increase based on how much the customer buys and where he is based.

Back to School Shopping in Full Swing, With 56% of Parents Planning to Spend More Than Last Year

Back to school shopping is officially underway, and some key findings from a recent Consumer Pulse survey from Rubicon Project (NYSE: RUBI) offers insight on how much parents are spending, when they’re shopping, what they’re buying, and where they’re purchasing products from during this back to school season.

Newsroom Fact Checkers: No runs, No Hits, Just Errors

Do you ever shout aloud at your television or computer screen? Come on, now; ‘fess up. So maybe you haven’t actually done it. But you’ve been tempted, right? For me, the temptation is too great. I literally scream at the images that appear on the screen. And I’m doing it more often now because, in order to do this job properly, I must watch a lot of television and spend what some might regard as an inordinate amount of time online. There are times, more often lately, when my spouse (and the cat) is startled when she hears “Nooooooo!” bellowed from either the living room or the office. Or, sometimes, the word “Idiot!” exclaimed at an equally high volume.

'Suits' Season 5, Episode 3 Review: 'No Refills'

Suits' third episode of season five is decent, but it feels more like a step back than a step forward.

Microsoft's Paul Allen launches major conservation project during 'shark week'

Saving sharks from extinction may not be the first thing that comes to mind during Shark Week, which is famous for frightening tales of shark attacks. But a new project spearheaded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's charity aims to help conserve sharks worldwide, which face threats from human fishing, pollution, climate change and other causes.

While the recent rise in shark attacks along the East Coast certainly don't bolster general sympathy toward the sea creatures, this lack of awareness is also largely due to the fact that there are many things that we simply don't know about these creatures, which live in the vast abyss of the ocean. Read more...

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