Volcanic hot spots around the world appear to be pulsating together — like one giant planetary heartbeat. Two eruptive pulse periods have been detected at five and 10 million years. The discovery suggests that hot spots are responding to regular fluctuations that come from way down in the Earth’s core. It’s from the core that …

Prepare yourself for any type of wilderness survival/Bear Grylls moment with the ultimate Swiss Army knife, the Giant Knife. Featuring 87 tools that serve 141 functions, the $1,400 oversized gadget tips the scales at 2 pounds. Now if only it could do the dishes, we’d be all set for life. Full story at Neatorama. Oodles …

Television audiences met Monica, Rachel, Ross, Joey, Chandler, and Phoebe when Friends debuted on this date in 1994. The show was an instant ratings hit for NBC and became one of the 1990s’ most iconic sitcoms. Central Perk shuttered its coffee-slinging service more than six years ago when the show bid farewell, but it lives …

Via Geekologie. Ring! Ring! All the top mobile news.

Why do we help others, even if we know it will hurt us? As it turns out, the concepts of altruism and selfishness may be linked — much more so than we thought. The answer to the age-old question of whether there is such a thing as an unselfish act is no, since we gain …

Via Medical Insurance Oodles of oddities.

The social media landscape in China looks a bit different from many other parts of the world—no Facebook domination or Foursquare check-ins, but plenty of Renren and Foursquare-wannabes (none of which allow check-ins at Tiananmen Square). Government crackdowns and cultural differences have spurred a competitive social media scene in China. Digital strategist Thomas Crampton and …

Store your bike in style with the Bike Shelf, an elegant fixture keeps your bike with a polished woodwork piece.”While visiting many friends small apartments here in SF and more so in NY, I noticed that there is a void when it comes to elegant bike management,” said Bike Shelf designer Chris Bringman. “Bikes always …

If you can’t make it to see the world’s cities or earth’s wonders, consider the rich world of cool comic book urban landscapes. Web Urbanist has captured 13 of these beautiful, albeit fictitious, cities. Here are just a few: Gotham City Transmetropolitan Starman’s Opal City Full story at Web Urbanist. More of the latest design.

Shirley Sirivong has dealt with a difficult pregnancy that ultimately required her to go on bed rest and stick to a strict diet of bland, diabetic-friendly foods like egg whites, wheat bread, and a limited amount of fruits and veggies. The monotony of dull food coupled with spending all day cooped up in bed could …

It may have seemed effortless, but not every brand has had a smooth ascent to stardom. Graphic Design Blog brings interesting facts about 10 famous brands. The sources for the stories are unknown, but they’re certainly interesting tidbits (just like your uncle’s fish and grandpa’s icy route to school). Here are just a few: Apple—The …

Addicitive Fonts brings together the top 50 fonts that are both beautiful and free. Here are the top five: Full story at Addictive Fonts. More inspiring typography.