Here are the best stories on Gizmodo today. Enjoy them!
Apple Will Unveil iPad 2 On March 2
All Things D just reported that Apple will be holding their iPad 2 unveiling on March 2. No official invites have gone out yet, so think of this one as a strong rumor. Here’s an outline of what we think the next iPad is going to have. And even if you don’t believe ATD’s “confirmed” rumor, a bunch of signs are pointing at an event or announcement very soon. More »
https://gizmodo.com/a-basic-sketch-of-the-next-ipad-5736062
The Fantasyland Toyota Factory
https://gizmodo.com/the-fantasyland-toyota-factory-5766546
Currently on display as part of the Prix Pictet Exhibition in Paris, Stéphanie Couturier‘s dense composite photograph of a Toyota assembly plant is probably what it feels like like to work in one of those crazy high-tech car factories, even if it isn’t exactly what it looks like to work in one. More »
Mastermind Behind Chinese Net Censorship Censored by China
https://gizmodo.com/mastermind-behind-chinese-net-censorship-censored-by-ch-5767354
Rain on your wedding day: not ironic. Creating the backbone of China’s internet censorship apparatus, and then having an online profile of your work erased by the Chinese government? Perfect. More »
The Castle of Shadows, a 15th Century Virtual Reality Room
In 1420, Venetian engineer Giovanni Fontana proposed an elaborate mechanical room he dubbed the Castellum Umbrarum, or “castle of shadows.” Sound awesome? It is. In a recent paper, French professor Philippe Codognet described it as “a room with walls made of folded translucent parchments lighted from behind, creating therefore an environment of moving images,” adding that “Fontana also designed some kind of magic lantern to project on walls life-size images of devils or beasts.” Codognet deems it an early ancestor of the immserive VR rooms, like StarCAVE, that are used today. Whatever. Da Vinci probably had one as his guest room. More »
https://gizmodo.com/ucsds-starcave-is-a-real-3d-super-high-def-danger-room-5052552
Razer Chimaera Headset Bumps Xbox and PC Games in 5.1 Surround Sound, Sans Wires
https://gizmodo.com/razer-chimaera-headset-bumps-xbox-and-pc-games-in-5-1-s-5767299
The less cords the better, I say, and if your Xbox controller is already wireless why deal with a headset that keeps you tethered to it? That’s like one of those chains that goes from your lip piercing to your nipple piercing. Anywho, Razer’s new Chimaera headset, which works with both the Xbox 360 and PC, pumps out Dolby 5.1 surround sound and will keep you alert to enemy movements for 8 glorious, wire-free hours on a single charge. More »
Motorola Atrix Review: Great Phone, Weak Netbook
https://gizmodo.com/motorola-atrix-review-great-phone-weak-netbook-5765852
Saying that the Motorola Atrix is the best Android phone isn’t a big deal; that throne gets usurped every few months. But even though the Atrix’s accompanying laptop dock is slow and and expensive, the idea behind it is one of the first innovations in mobile technology in quite a while. More »
What Is Amazon Instant Video?
Amazon’s long-rumored video streaming service has finally arrived. But what is it, exactly? More »
https://gizmodo.com/amazon-wants-to-fight-netflix-with-unlimited-streaming-5626823
Visualization: How Netflix Beat Blockbuster
https://gizmodo.com/visualization-how-netflix-beat-blockbuster-5767052
With news today that a group of investors has bid $290 million to buy Blockbuster out of bankruptcy, it seems like a prudent time to take a look at how its competitor, Netflix, left it in a cloud of digital dust. More »
Never Worry About Wearing Out Your Favorite Shoes Again
https://gizmodo.com/never-worry-about-wearing-out-your-favorite-shoes-again-5766592
It always sucks when you wear out the sole on a favorite pair of sneakers. Sometimes the uppers are perfectly fine, but you have to throw them out. Urshuz wants to change that, by making the two parts of the shoe interchangable. Here’s how it works: More »
