Australian government won't accept grieving family's anti-bullying petition — because it's online

The family of a 14-year-old Australian girl who died by suicide after being cyberbullied is facing a second, bureaucratic, nightmare. Local news channel 9NEWS reported Saturday that Melinda and David Graham, who have gathered more than 25,000 signatures supporting stronger anti-bullying legislation since their daughter, Jessica Tolhurst, died in December, have been told their petition is no good — all because it’s online. SEE ALSO: Giving young people a chance to grow up without online shame The petition calls to criminalize bullying and cyber-bullying, including bullying that results “in psychological harm” or incites “suicide and self-harm.” "We've been told that after we got the nominated amount of signatures that it is no good, and they want hard copies," Graham told 9NEWS. The situation is an example of how some governments remain behind-the-times when dealing with their constituents. It's a stark contrast to places like the United States, where the White House has pledged to respond to any online petition submitted on its "We the People" platform that earns more than 100,000 signatures. Meanwhile, the New South Wales government has conceded that its "traditional rules" about requiring paper signatures has failed to keep up with the rise of social media and online advocacy, and said it is “open to members of the Legislative Assembly to consider changes to the rules for petitions,” 9NEWS reported. Until changes are made, Jessica's parents are prepared to collect signatures on paper. Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

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Team apologizes for asking NFL Draft prospect if he 'likes men'

Year after year, the NFL Draft spawns weird analyses of future football pros — transforming the entire process into something that resembles a cross between a livestock market and a psychology exam. This, however, takes the weirdness cake: The Atlanta Falcons publicly apologized Friday for asking one highly touted prospect During a pre-draft interview if he "likes men." See Also: Marshawn Lynch forever: An ode to Beast Mode Cornerback Eli Apple is expected to be a first-round pick in April after a standout career at Ohio State. During a recent appearance on Comcast SportsNet, Apple was asked about some of the more bizarre job interview questions he's been faced with. "I've been asked a lot of weird questions. I don't know if I could say on TV," Apple initially replied. Then he told the story and — well, this isn't how job interviews normally start! "The Falcons coach, one of the coaches, was like, 'So do you like men?'" Apple said. "It was like the first thing he asked me. It was weird. I was just like, 'No.' He was like, 'If you're going to come to Atlanta, sometimes that's how it is around here. You're going to have to get used to it. "I guess he was joking, but they just ask Most of these questions to see how you're going to react." SEE ALSO: Microsoft and the NFL's $400 million marketing fumble Most humans in 2016 have evolved beyond implying that someone's sexual orientation is relevant to their job performance. No surprise: The Falcons released an apologetic statement shortly after Apple told His story. “I am really disappointed in the question that was asked by one of our coaches," read a statement attributed to head coach Dan Quinn and sent to Comcast SportsNet. "I have spoken to the coach that interviewed Eli Apple and explained to him how inappropriate and unprofessional this was. I have reiterated this to the entire coaching staff and I want to apologize to Eli for this even coming up. This is not what the Atlanta Falcons are about and it is not how we are going to conduct ourselves.”

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Why you should be paying attention to 'The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl'

There are a lot of comic books out there. Keeping up with all the major titles is definitely Not an easy task. But there is one book where the dudes who work at my comic shop put a copy behind the counter for me every single time. The series is called The unbeatable Squirrel Girl, and it is everything right now. You'll likely love it, especially if you loved Deadpool. Here's why. See also: Deadpool and Harley Quinn: The most perfect (and batsh*t crazy) couple The Squirrel Girl lore Here's a little background on this character. Squirrel Girl's name is Doreen Green. She's been on Marvel's "D-List" since she first appeared in 1992, even though she's defeated some of the biggest villains in Marvel lore she's defeated some of the biggest villains in Marvel lore, including Thanos. that's correct

— Thanos, the big bad guy that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been teasing audiences with for years via post-credit scenes. Squirrel Girl kicked His butt, and thoroughly earned that "unbeatable" title. She doesn't have strong, flashy powers. her most unusual skill is the ability to talk to squirrels, which usually amass an army to take down whoever she's fighting. She also has agility, enhanced strength, and good reflexes. Nothing really fancy. But it's not about what powers she has -– it's about how she uses them to her advantage. Squirrel Girl Old School Image: MARVEL COMICS part of what makes Doreen So lovable is the fact that she is an Avengers fangirl. In her first ever appearance, she tracks down Iron Man and tries to persuade him to let her be his sidekick. She's the kind of character a lot of comic readers can relate to, and many have embraced her for it. An unbeatable series In late 2014, Marvel gifted Squirrel Girl with her own run of comics written by Ryan North and drawn by Erica Henderson. In both series, Doreen is a freshman at a college in new York City, majoring in computer science. She and her squirrel friend, Tippy-Toe, fight classic but kind-of-niche villains like Kraven the Hunter. She also takes on Galactus, the planet-eater. The way she defeats these enemies is something to behold and should be commended. But more on that later. Doreen keeps up her fangirl nature in this series. She's consistently running into fellow heroes such as Iron Man and the Hulk, and she carries a collection of cards called "Deadpool's Guide to super Villains." These things are hysterical; they actually have little anecdotes from Deadpool himself concerning the character in question. It's also a really great way to inform readers about a classic villain they may not know about, so props to whoever came up with that device. SG Deadpool card IMAGE: MARVEL COMICS another comedic part of this book: the comments at the bottom of each page. These little footnotes break the fourth wall, and often make quips or pop culture references directly to the readers. So if you're a fan of Deadpool, you're probably going to dig this book, too. (Hey Marvel, that's a hint. Please make a Squirrel Girl movie or TV show or something. Kthanksbye.) Social importance In a world that is begging for more women in Stem, a comic book that is very much aimed at teenage girls and features a young woman studying computer science is simply awesome. Her best friend, a young black woman named Nancy Whitehead, is also studying computer science. Their entire multicultural friend group is made up of computer science majors. That's a major win for representation in comics. Squirrel Girl friends IMAGE: MARVEL COMICS The fact that she's a young woman is seen as an asset. She's still feminine and emotional, and is a super fangirl, but that's what makes her awesome. She isn't diminished because of it, as female characters in that age group sometimes are. The way Squirrel Girl goes about taking down her enemies is pretty notable. She doesn't have amazing powers that put her at an advantage, so she has to be incredibly intelligent when taking on people like Galactus or Thanos. In the past, she's relied on keen use of her limited powers and those she's going up against underestimating her, which tends to happen. But recently she's been going about it another way

— diplomacy. This girl literally talked down the mighty villain Galactus. She kept him from eating Earth by befriending him. She also found him a planet with no life on it that could sustain him for a while. It was a planet full of nuts. Naturally. Squirrel Girl Galactus IMAGE: MARVEL COMICS Doreen doesn't always resort to violence; she remains calm tries to find a solution to a problem before doing anything rash. This too seems like something we can all learn from. Squirrel Girl does not look like your average female super hero. She doesn't have long, flowing hair or a perfect figure. She even

stuffs her tail (yes, she has one of those) into her pants, giving her a donk even Kim Kardashian would envy. And she loves it. She embraces her squirrel-like teeth and all of her other so-called imperfections, and encourages those around her to love themselves as well. She is a beacon of body positivity and cheeriness She is a beacon of body positivity and cheeriness, and she's honestly someone I personally aspire to be more like. So if you're looking for a new book to pick up, definitely check out Squirrel Girl. Not only is she hilarious and kick-ass, but she just might teach you something, too.

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How to politely ask people to get the f*ck off their phones

Chances are, you’ve span id=id_ch_1>experienced the following situation: You’re with a small group of friends at a nice restaurant. everyone is enjoying the food and conversation when someone decides to take out His Phone — not for an urgent call, but to check email, Instagram and Facebook. Maybe you’ve witnessed this behavior and found it unsettling. What do you do? Do you sit idly by, thinking disparaging thoughts? Or do you call out the offender? For years, I accepted ill-timed tech use as a sign of the times. Sherry Turkle, an author and professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, diagnosed the situation succinctly: “We expect more from technology and less from each other.” I used to do nothing in the face of indiscriminate gadget use. Now I’ve come to believe that doing nothing is no longer okay. Staying silent about bad technology habits is making things worse for all of us. social antibodies Paul Graham, the famed Silicon Valley investor, observed that societies tend to develop “social antibodies” — defenses against new harmful behaviors. He uses the example of cigarette smoking: Smoking in public became taboo over the span of just one generation after social conventions changed. Legal restrictions played a part, but a shift in the perception of smokers — from cultured to crude — laid the groundwork for public support of smoking bans. Similarly, the remedy to screen indiscretion may be developing new norms that make it socially undesirable to check one’s phone in the company of others. By better understanding the psychology behind our technology, we can put it in its place. like cigarettes, our personal technology use can become a bad Habit. people enter a zone when they use their gadgets. Checking email or scrolling through Facebook can be intoxicating and disorienting. Tech makers design these products using the same psychology that makes slot machines addictive. The variable rewards built into apps make time pass quickly, and can make people oblivious to what’s happening around them. �� Most people I know have problems with Internet addiction,” Graham wrote in 2010. “We’re all trying to figure out our own customs for getting free of it.” Ironically, despite his awareness, Graham has poured millions of dollars into addictive sites and apps, including Reddit and the gaming companies Machine Zone and OMGPop. To be clear, I’m not pointing fingers. Like Graham, I am conflicted. My book, Hooked, is a how-to guide for building habit-forming products. I wrote the book in hopes that more companies could utilize the techniques used by Facebook, Twitter and the like to make their products more engaging. However, the byproduct of making technology better is that sometimes it’s So good, people can’t seem to put it down. The trouble, as Graham points out, is that “unless the rate at which social antibodies evolve can increase to match the accelerating rate at which technological progress throws off new addictions, we’ll be increasingly unable to rely on customs to protect us.” In other words, if we don’t build social antibodies, the disease of distraction will become the new normal. But how do we develop and spread social antibodies to inoculate ourselves against bad mobile manners? At work One solution is to take an explicit approach. At almost every corporate meeting I attend, someone (typically the highest-paid person in the room) starts using his or her personal technology. The behavior is toxic in many ways: It sends a message to everyone in the room that gadget time is more important than their time; it distracts people who assume the boss is sending work their way; and, perhaps worst of all, it prevents the person using the device from participating in the discussion, which means the meeting wasn’t worth having in the first place. The best way to prevent this waste of time is for someone senior to mandate a “no-screen meeting.” In my experience conducting hundreds of workshops, the discussions declared device-free are by far more productive. setting expectations Up front is equivalent to administering a distraction vaccine. Among friends In other situations, being explicit isn’t as easy. Take the Dinner-party scene described earlier. Unlike in a corporate setting, no one at a dinner is the boss, so no one has the inherent right to enforce a device-free fiat. For a while, phone stacking — in which people tossed their phones in the center of the Table, and the person who first reached for his phone during the meal had to pay for everyone — was sort of a thing, but it never took off, because the whole exercise felt punitive and patronizing. Setting expectations up front is equivalent to administering a distraction vaccine. Most people understand that using their gadgets in an intimate social setting is rude — but there’s always that one person who doesn’t. So what’s the best way to get the transgressor off the phone? Embarrassing him in front of others isn’t a good idea, assuming you want to stay friends. A more subtle tactic is required. The goal is to snap the offender out of the phone zone and to give him two options: either excuse himself to attend to whatever crisis is happening, or put away the tech. Over time, I’ve hit on one way to effectively call out someone while keeping things cordial: Ask a question. Posing a direct question does the person a favor by pulling him Back while sending a clear message. The technique works like a charm. For one, the unexpected question elicits an entertaining reaction — sort of like what happens when you hold someone’s nose when he’s dozing off: He gasps and sputters. But in this case, it’s not your fault, because you, as questioner, can play dumb. “Oh, sorry, were you on your phone? Is everything O.K.?” If there really is an emergency, the person can excuse himself — but more often than not, he’ll tuck it back into his pocket and start enjoying the night. Let’s do something Related articles Moment Brings Back Family Dinner Time By Sounding Alerts If You Pick Up Your Phone At The Table Is Some Tech Too Addictive? Asking a direct question and declaring device-free meetings are simple tactics that spread social antibodies. Though personal technology clearly isn’t tobacco, it’s important we know that our devices are also designed to keep us hooked. By better understanding the psychology behind our technology, we can put it in its place. Now is the time to take a stand. Fight fire with fire by sharing articles like this one on social media. Set limits, and don’t resign yourself to being ignored. The idea is not to disavow technology completely, but to encourage people to appreciate its power, and to be aware when its power over them is becoming a problem. In the end, technology should serve us — we should not serve it. Author’s note: I will be at the Habit Summit on March 22nd at Stanford University. TechCrunch readers get $50 off tickets using the discount code “TechCrunch50” at HabitSummit.com.

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TechCrunch went skiing with a drone

Add this one to the bucket list. A startup called Cape Productions will use a Drone to capture footage of you skiing. Stationed at Squaw Valley in Lake Tahoe, the team provides aerial footage of you racing down the slopes, including different angles from your GoPro. Because of its impeccable safety record, Cape is currently the only FAA-approved company that’s allowed to fly drones closeto people in locations other than a closed set. Yet the opportunity is still highly regulated. Select ski areas let Cape Productions filmskiers, but only in areas away from crowds because the drone still has to stay at least 500 feet from anybody who is not directlyparticipating in filming the video. there is an exception, though: Cape can fly drones within 500 feet of people who are not participating only if there are barriers or structures that would protect them from a malfunctioning drone. Related Articles DJI Announces Drone Repair Service Because Drones Crash And Break The SkyWall 100 bazooka captures drones with a giant net DJI'sLatest Drone Saves Crops From Pests The Cape crew uses DJI drones (an Inspire 1, in this case), which they have programmedusing their own proprietary software. The drones are programmed to stay away from obstacles and follow skiers on their paths. They are not allowed to fly directly over a skier’s head. Cape works with Olympians and says its footage helped Lindsey Vonnpinpoint what caused her injury. They have also captured mountain biking and other action sports. Launched last year, Cape hasalready received $10 million in venture capital from New Enterprise Associates, The Commercial Drone Fund and others. In the video above, I’m in the purple pants and producer Felicia Williams is on the snowboard.

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PayPal makes money every time you use Uber by Katie Roof

PayPal has been going through some big changes since separating from eBay last year. The company recently introduced aredesigned app and is now monetizing its popular peer-to-peer payments app, Venmo. Already with 18 million users, PayPal isexpanding its One Touch checkout to 120 new countries. Related Articles PayPal Overhauls Its mobile App PayPal CommerceMatches Stripe With PayPal's Own Native Shopping Toolkit For Apps Venmo Opens Its Payment Service To Third-Party Apps And they are doubling down on Braintree, which powers the mobile transactions on Uber, Airbnb and StubHub. TechCrunch sat down with senior vice president, Bill Ready, to find out about what’s in store for PayPal, and why he’s not worried about Apple Pay.

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Snoop Dogg On Why He’s Investing in GameOn

A new sports conversation app called GameOn has secured an investment from Snoop Dogg, TechCrunch has learned. The rapper has added onto the seed round, which also included former NFL players Joe Montana and Lawyer Milloy. Snoop told TechCrunch that he’s investing in the app because he “loves sports” and he thinks it’s a good way to chat about the games. “Fans from all over the world can join me and talk about their favorite teams, best plays, and of course a bunch of trash talk,” said Snoop. A big Steelers fan, Snoop has already been conducting regular group chats on the app during the games. “Join my huddle and have a chance to chat with the boss,” he said about Sunday’s upcoming Steelers’ game. The app, available on both iOS and Android, is free and founder and CEO Alex Beckman describes it as “ESPN meets WhatsApp.” Users can select their favorite teams to receive updates on the latest news, and also chat with friends or larger groups about the games in real-time. This is “the mobile app for watching sports with your friends,” said Beckman. GameOn launched about five months ago and already has north of 100,000 users. The app pulls in scores and stats from Sportradar, which also has star-studded investors. There has been a bit of innovation in the sports startup space and TechCrunch is partnering with the NFL for our inaugural 1st and Future competition on Super Bowl Weekend. This is not the first startup investment for Snoop. He has also invested in Reddit, stock trading app Robinhood, weed delivery startup Eaze, and launched His own marijuana content startup, Merry Jane, at TechCrunch Disrupt in September. When it comes to his latest investment, Snoop says, “I love Sports, especially football so teaming up with GameOn was only natural.” Fo shizzle.

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