The Headlines:
- Detroit Offers Tax Credit for Residents Who Didn’t Complain About City Government Online for 30 Days (FAKE)
- New Silicone Phone Case Feels Like Human Skin...And Can Get Sunburned (REAL)
Well, this isn’t creepy at all. Researchers in France and the U.K. have built a “Skincase” that looks and feels just like human skin, and even “sunburns” in real time. Created by designer Marc Teyssier with telecom firm Virgin Media O2, the silicone cover mixes UV-reactive pigments with 3-D-printed layers and hand-carved wrinkles. As your phone soaks up sunlight, the beige, tan, or brown case gradually turns pink, then red, reminding users to put on sunscreen. Teyssier says the goal is to bridge people’s digital habits and their health, noting studies that show folks check their phones dozens of times in high-UV hours yet rarely reapply SPF. The lifelike look is purely synthetic and meant for awareness, not shock value, though many online viewers call it “creepy.” For now, Skincase is just a lab prototype with no release date, but the team hopes it can spark clever, hands-on ways to promote sun safety during hotter summers ahead.
- Man Arrested Trying To Color In White Stripes On Zoo Zebra With Sharpie (FAKE)