In Thursday night’s game against the Magic, time was running down in the third quarter with the Warriors leading 96-91. Curry had the ball, and crossed half-court to suddenly heave up the rock and sink a three-pointer all the way from San Francisco. Curry celebrated his long-distance shot with a look out into the crowd, and with his teammates when he headed to the bench.

The Warriors went on to beat the Magic 130-114.

Curry has been nailing half-court shots with ease in the past couple months. Remember on January 22 when he sunk not one but TWO half-court shots against the Pacer?

A couple weeks ago during the All-Star Game in Toronto, Curry also sunk a half-court shot to end the game, which elicited ooohs and ahhs from the crowd:

Last night’s game was notable for another reason. Curry isn’t only breaking ankles but also breaking records. He has hit a 3-pointer for the 128th consecutive game, setting an NBA record. Atlanta’s Kyle Korver held the previous mark of 127, which Curry tied at Miami on Wednesday.

Curry is on pace for another MVP season. He is leading the league in points at 30.7/game and in three-points made at 5.

The Warriors lead the league with a 52-5 record, but the Spurs are hot on their heels with a record of 49-9.

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“We don’t want people to access anything on our phones,” says Evans in the interview, citing how privacy on smartphones is a critical issue for consumers.

What worries Evans the most about the FBI request is the slippery slope argument. “If this single piece piece of software is developed, the likelihood is it will not stay in the FBI, it will get on the open market very quickly and can be a tool used by anyone to access any Apple device and the implications of that are fairly obvious.”

Later in the interview, Evans remarked: “The amount of data out there we’re grappling with will be an ongoing challenge, and how we manage it and how it’s used by others will be an increasingly large issue as data becomes more complex.”

The interview was hosted by Robyn Bresnahan and joining Evans was David Skillicorn, a professor at the School of Computing at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario and author of Knowledge Discovery for Counterterrorism and Law Enforcement.

In recent news, it’s being reported Apple may be getting more time to fight the U.S. government’s efforts to have it hack a terrorist’s iPhone.

As Fortune writes, tech giant is reportedly getting until Friday, Feb. 26—instead of Tuesday, Feb. 23—to respond to a court’s decision allowing the Justice Department to have it hack the Farook’s iPhone.

To listen to the full interview, click the Soundcloud file embedded in this post.

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Being absorbed by the trailer for Assassin’s Creed Syndicate Jack the Ripper DLC made me a VR believer. I have since enjoyed videos on the Samsung VR app ranging from GoPro clips of guys surfing to Star Wars footage to short films reminiscent of early Alien. And with almost every video, where I spin around on a chair to see the full range of viewing angles available, I am enthralled by how advanced this tech has become since its nascent days.

I remember two years ago when my colleague Michael and I first experienced VR at a Game of Thrones exhibit in downtown Toronto. It was cool, it was breathtaking, but was short-lived. We were taken atop the Wall to overlook the fantastical land below and we flinched when a catapulted fireball rocketed past us. It lasted around a minute

Now, with Samsung Milk’s app, more variety is spicing up the wow factor. I especially found it fascinating to be inside a real-world scenario, such as following a girl in Africa as she travels to a stream to get water for her home. Or sailing along the Ganges River in India, complete with close-up views of men washing themselves in the river as part of a religious ceremony.

The headset and Samsung phone used for the Samsung Gear VR

David Silverberg

Fictional filmmaking would also benefit from touches of VR, but a major caveat here: I could handle around 15 minutes of VR maximum before I felt a little dizzy, even nauseous. Our brains are just not accustomed to this type of technology, not yet at least. And so filmmaking can definitely take that innovative leap with short films, either animated or real-life. I can see how the VR film will be unlike any film in the world, where outside distractions don’t impede your viewing entertainment, even if that does make us more isolated in a community of fellow film-goers.

It’s almost jaw-dropping to think about how gaming could harness VR. It might be available now in patches, but if gaming in VR matures enough to allow mass adoption for this tech, watch out! Imagine playing a game like Call of Duty as if you’re actually a Navy SEAL, or imagine how haptic technology could let you feel the wind zipping by as you careen through a city in a racing game.

Gaming could also be used for a more therapeutic purpose. PTSD sufferers have been trying VR to immerse themselves in exposure therapy in a manner that hasn’t been done before. But what if VR can help those with mental health issues receive more appropriate training for new jobs? We know that training is often done across the board for all new staff, but if VR can help tailor certain training programs for those with special needs, then its holistic reason for existence is further justified.

VR’s potential is just starting to be realized, but if my weeks of testing is any indication, the future of virtual reality looks incredibly high-def…and in full 360-degree panorama.

Related: The top Samsung Gear VR videos and games

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What appears as a coming-of-age tale goes to the spec-fiction route when it’s revealed Mustard is being pursued by villains of the world where imaginary creatures come from, the Boon Swallows. Mustard will do anything to remain with his owner, the girl who drew him in the first place, but Thai’s maturity into a boy-hungry teen becomes the central conflict to the show, while also giving us a glimpse into a teen’s cluttered headspace.

A scene from the Toronto play Mustard

Courtesy Tarragon Theatre

What makes Mustard so compelling is how it’s such an entertaining and intelligent show. I barely noticed the 90 minutes were up when the final scene darkened. Kat Sandler’s script is very tight and well-paced, while never lagging with too much exposition. And the acting propels this show to the next level: kudos to Rebecca Liddiard for showing emotional range in her portrayal as Thai, and a big hat-tip to Dodd for perfectly capturing the look of an exasperated mom who is up to her neck in parent-daughter drama. Sometimes, just a glance from Dodd can speak novels about what she’s thinking.

A scene from the Toronto play Mustard

Courtesy Tarragon Theatre

Mustard runs until March 13 at the Tarragon Theatre Extraspace, 30 Bridgeman Avenue

The post Review: Tarragon Theatre’s Mustard is a must-see Toronto play (Includes first-hand account) appeared first on Digital Journal.

Amazing how much lightning can strike our planet in a short time Principia timelapsePeake (@astro_timpeake) February 9, 2016

During the 33-second clip, a barrage of flashes is seen on the horizon. As the ISS roams towards Eastern Europe, the flashes become more intense and centralised and the cloud cover thickens.

As the Daily Mail writes, “More lightning occurs over land than water because the sun heats the land surface faster than the ocean…The heated land surface warms the air above it and that warm air rises to encounter cold air.

Researchers recently found that regardless of where in the world a person is, lightning bolts are at their most powerful at 8am.”

Peake is following in the steps of Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield by providing us with glimpses of his space voyage with mesmerizing photos and video. On Sunday afternoon, he posted this short clip of his trip over Italy and the Alps:

Flying over Principia timelapsePeake (@astro_timpeake) February 7, 2016

Peake was launched to the International Space Station (ISS), on December 15 2015, for Expeditions 46 and 47.

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Durant dribbled the ball up court, closely guarded by a Magic defender. He made a few quick moves and then pulled up for a tough three-pointer…and swish! Durant knocked it down to give the Thunder a last-minute win!

“I saw they were off-balance a little bit and [Harris] didn’t know what was going to happen, if a screen was coming; I saw he kept turning his head,” Durant said to media later. “Left-to-right cross, been working on that since I was 6 years old. Just felt confident in that shot when I let it go.”

Durant finished with 37 points, plus five rebounds, five assists and three blocks. His talented back-court mate Russell Westbrook notched a triple-double with 24 points, 19 rebounds and 14 assists.

The Thunder have now won 12 of their past 13 games. They now sit in third in the Western Conference, four games behind the second-seeded San Antonio Spurs.

Durant has primarily been in the news due to his free-agency next year. If Durant leaves the Thunder, the Warriors are the significant frontrunners to sign him, league sources told media outlets.

As Yahoo Sports writes: “Outside of a Thunder championship closing down the process before July 1, there’s a strong expectation that Durant will hit the road, tour campuses and become a recruit again.”

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When two defenders rushed to crowd DeRozan, the Raptors star made a move to the bucket, but he was fouled. Hoping for an and-one play, he heaved up the ball, which arced so high the broadcast cameras couldn’t catch its peak.

Amazingly, the ball sunk clean through the net. No splash, all 10s!

But the fly in the ointment? The refs said the foul “was on the floor,” which meant it wasn’t done in the act of shooting. DeRozan’s desperation fling didn’t count, and there was no FG plus a foul shot.

At the very least, Raptors fan saw another display of pure brilliance from the team’s leading scorer. The Raptors won against the Celtics 115-109, with DeRozan finishing with 34 points and six assists.

DeRozan is sitting at 11th in the league in scoring, with 23.1 points per game, just behind New Orleans All-Star Anthony Davis.

Speaking of All-Star winners, DeRozan and fellow backcourt mate Kyle Lowry are in the running to make the Eastern Conference All-Star Game, taking place in Toronto on Feb. 14. Lowry is more of a shoe-in to get the honour over DeRozan, whose shooting guard position is filled with top-notch players such as Jimmy Butler and Dwayne Wade. Thursday night the NBA will reveal the starters for the 2016 All-Star Game.

The Raptors currently sit at second in the East, three games behind Cleveland and two games ahead of the Chicago Bulls.

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That section of the video practically resembles a high-octane video game, where characters have to dodge obstacles to reach the end of the race. But here, daredevil athletes Reffet, Noah Bahnson Nate Jones, Graham Dickinson and Sam Hardy donned wingsuits to allow them to fly across the sky with ease. The flight took place last year reportedly near The Aiguille du Midi, a mountain within the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps, but this footage has only been made public this week.

Note that while from the perspective of one of the fliers we can only see two other athletes, Reffet’s video description writes there are four men altogether.

After Reffet posted this video on his Facebook Page Thursday morning, the views, comments and shares rocketed, with the video now enjoying 203,000 views at the time of this report.

If Reffet’s name sounds familiar to Digital Journal readers, you’re not alone. In November, he joined a fellow daredevil in an Emirates ad where they flew beside an Airbus A380 plane in a carefully choreographed flight.

Recently Deffet and fellow skydiver/wingsuit flier Yves Rossy appeared on the Conan talk show earlier this month. Check out their humourous chat below:

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The Netflix series has become a surprising hit, with arguments over Avery’s innocence taking over coffee shops and offices worldwide (as it has at Digital Journal HQ).

But since Netflix has released the true-crime series, there have been some key developments in Avery’s case, despite his 2005 life-in-prison conviction for the murder of Halbach, and Dassey’s conviction for being complicit in the homicide.

Below are the five most important updates on what’s next for Avery:

Another appeal for innocence

On Jan. 12, Avery filed an appeal with the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, asking the judge to toss out his conviction because he wants the judge to declare a mistrial. His allegations stem from a particular juror in the trial who he claims was aggressively trying to persuade other jurors to convict Avery. Avery alleges this juror repeatedly said things like Avery is “f–king guilty.” Avery says the one juror also told the other jurors, “If you can’t handle it why don’t you tell [the judge] and just leave.”

New lawyer, new hope?

Earlier this year, it was reported that defense attorney Kathleen Zellner will take on Avery’s case. She is teaming up with the Midwest Innocence Project, an organization known to work with those who claim they are wrongfully convicted. Zellner has long worked on exonerating the wrongfully convicted, as explained in this Chicago Lawyer Magazine profile that named her Lawyer of the Year in 2014.

The profile wrote:
Zellner, 57, has become a standard bearer among civil rights attorneys and has long been known as a fierce courtroom advocate — armed with a recorder-like memory, trial techniques that include videotaped re-enactments of crime scenes and, perhaps most crucially for her clients, an ability to elicit the truth from co-defendants or witnesses who have previously lied about innocent defendants’ involvement in crimes in order to save themselves.

Zellner is very active on Twitter, and recently tweeted:

Visit w/Steven Avery at Waupon CC. He is identical to the other 17 innocent men we've cleared. Won't quit until he's out. #MakingAMurderer

— Kathleen Zellner (@ZellnerLaw) January 12, 2016

Petitioning a pardon

More than 170,000 people have signed online petitions calling for a presidential pardon to free Avery and his nephew Dassey. When a petition crosses the 100,000-signature mark, the White House must consider it and offer a statement. In a statement, the White House said that President Obama did not have the power to free the men from prison, explaining that since the conviction occurred at a state level, only the Wisconsin Governor would have the authority to free Avery and Dassey.

Was Avery an abusive partner?

Yes, according to his ex-fiancee Jodi Stachowski, who seemed supportive of Avery in the Netflix docuseries. But in statement reported this week, she claims Avery is a “monster” and threatened to kill her unless she made “him look good” in the program.

“He would beat me all the time, punch me, throw me against the wall,” she told reporters. “I ate two boxes of rat poison just so I could go the hospital and get away from him.”

What you need to know about the pierced blood vial

One of the defense’s reportedly “Eureka!” moments featured in Making a Murder focused on a blood vial of Avery’s, which they claim had a piercing on the top of the tube which was meant to advance its framing theory. But the prison nurse who originally drew Avery’s blood and put it into the vial “would testify that she was the one who put the hole in the vacutainer tube at issue,” a court document obtained by OnMilwaukee says.

But the nurse wasn’t called to testify because prosecutors didn’t give that theory enough water to offer a rebuttal to it. Also worth noting is that two national experts – including the chair of the committee that writes the industry standards on drawing blood samples – told OnMilwaukee that “such blood vials are supposed to have holes pierced in their rubber stoppers. According to the experts, that’s how the blood gets into the vial.”

The post Making a Murderer: 5 important updates about Steven Avery case appeared first on Digital Journal.

The effect of being African American on getting a response from mortgage lenders is equivalent to the effect of having a credit score that is 71 points lower.

The paper’s authors wrote: “We find that Mortgage Loan Originators (MLOs), the primary contact person for a borrower looking to obtain a mortgage, are less likely to respond to inquiries from clients with African American names that they are to clients with white names. We also find that MLOs responding to inquiries from both races are more likely to write a preferential e-mail to white clients.”

MLOs are often the initial and primary contact person for borrowers hunting for a mortgage, and, as sales workers whose compensation is tied to performance, have some discretion over how they respond to customer questions. MLOs may suggest that a borrower attempt to improve their credit score before completing a loan application, or may encourage a borrower to act swiftly to take advantage of low interest rates. They may also present different fees or interest rates to borrowers, offer encouragement or discourage the borrower from moving forward with the loan, or offer other financial advice related to obtaining a mortgage, as the paper notes.

It’s important to note that the majority of MLOs do not discriminate based on race. But during this three-year study, the paper states, “1.9 percent of MLOs discriminate by not responding to inquiries from African Americans while responding to inquiries from white clients.”

The researchers conducted this study by sending emails via names associated with black Americans and white Americans. For instance, the African American names used included Jamal Washington, Jerome Jefferson, DaQuan Booker, Dashawn Banks. White names included Zachary Miller, Brendan Nelson, Spencer Miller.

What does this study mean for African American borrowers? “It means they’ll unfortunately have to work harder to get the information they want, like sending inquiries to two lenders rather than one,” says one of the study’s researchers, Andrew Hanson, an associate professor of economics at Marquette, in an interview with Digital Journal.

For MLOs, Hanson suggests they “take all their clients seriously, and try to work with as many clients as possible…It might be do them better to rethink their general rules of thumb when dealing with clients.”

A December study echoes Hanson’s work, when it was found that African-Americans and Hispanics are rejected at significantly higher rates for home loans than white mortgage applicants.

“It’s very discouraging,” said that study’s author, Jim Campen, economics professor emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Boston. “It’s all about the long legacy of historical discrimination.”

In 2012, in one of the largest fair-lending payouts in history, Wells Fargo agreed to spend at least $175 million to settle federal accusations that it steered black and Latino borrowers into high-cost loans and charged them excessive fees.

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