The best headlines, the most interesting photography and conversation-starting articles from today’s newspapers.
Summer the Season of ‘Site-Seething’
Living in a city full of history is great—most of the time. Until everyone wants to visit at the same time. The Washington Post says D.C. residents have a name for the feeling that accompanies the crush of “friends” and distant relatives who surface on their couches and futons this time of year: “site-seething.” Writer Monica Hesse says Seinfeld’s puffy shirt is the site that gets her seething the most, not because she hates “Seinfeld” but because it’s on everyone’s must-see list.
Shark Removed From Applebee’s For Eating Tankmates
One shark is dead and another is wounded. It’s been quite a bloodbath in the 5000-gallon tank at Applebee’s new Coney Island restaurant, reports the New York Daily News this morning. First employees had to remove a Blacktip shark named Zane because he kept eating his tankmates and then a Whitetip shark died after colliding with the tank’s three-foot Wonder Wheel replica.
Meet ‘The Red Hook,’ Brooklyn’s Superhero
Manhattan may have Batman but the New York Post says now Brooklyn has its own superhero. Meet the Red Hook, “a street-smart superhero inspired by the gritty waterfront neighborhood” he’s named after. A former boxer and thief who keeps the bad guys in check with his powerful right hook, creator Dean Haspiel says the Red Hook is unique because he comes with human flaws.
Game On for Photos of Kim Kardashian’s Baby
She’s America’s latest celebrity but no one knows what she looks like…yet. USA Today says photos of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s new daughter have yet to become public but that those first photos, whenever they trickle out, will be worth a pretty penny. PR experts say it’s likely that Kardashian and West have already brokered a deal for the shots and named their price.
Photo-ID Database Casts Large Net
The Washington Post has an interesting story about the massive expansion of police photo-ID databases in this morning’s paper. More than 120 million faces come up in interstate databases, which were initially created to prevent driver’s licence fraud but now are increasingly used by police to identify suspects and witnesses. Experts say the far reach of these databases routinely puts innocent people in a digital lineup, a practice that makes some uncomfortable, especially as the NSA’s surveillance program begins to come to light.
Smartphone’s Future Lies in Software, Not Hardware
In the New York Times this morning, writer Nick Bilton says we have to get used to the idea that software not hardware is where the big advances in smartphones will come. Bilton says we’ve become addicted to the idea that there will be a new iPhone every year, which made some people disappointed when Apple “just” announced a software update last week.
The Future of Web Security
Forget having one password for your bank account, Netflix and Amazon accounts. The LA Times says in the wake of several high-profile cyber attacks, security officials are dreaming up new ways to protect your information. Like electronic tattoos that function as passwords or smartphones with built-in fingerprint scanners. Another idea in the pipeline: a USB thumb drive that would serve as a key once you insert it and unlock websites you visit.