Top Stories: May, 2011

Ceci n’est pas une Photoshop | See how National Geographic’s Frans Lanting captured this stunning image

https://gizmodo.com/this-is-not-a-painting-5802712

They’re Just Like Us, Honest: Apple Store Employees Caught Planking

Apple’s got quite the reputation as being a tough employer, so once they catch wind of employees planking on the job, will they follow Woolworths in giving them the sack? I mean, that’s a precious MacBook Pro he’s planking on! More »

https://gizmodo.com/apple-gestapo-how-apple-hunts-down-leaks-5427058

All the Amazing New Features in Windows Phone Mango

This is the new Windows Phone, Mango-with 500 new features, according to his Ballmerness. Crazy things, like multitasking! And other legitimately exciting stuff. More »

https://gizmodo.com/ballmer-promises-over-500-new-wp7-features-in-mango-upd-5804621

Why Kennedy’s Moon Speech Was Crazy-and How the US Could Have Landed on the Moon With the Soviets

https://gizmodo.com/why-kennedys-moon-speech-was-crazy-and-how-the-us-could-5805457

There are few moments in history as defining for a nation and the world as May 25, 1961. That’s when President John F. Kennedy announced a plan to put a man on the Moon before the decade was over. More »

111 Scenes that Lasted 1/1000 of a Second

Every image in this collection was captured in 1/1000 of a second-300x faster than a human blink-the briefest of moments that we would miss if not for the remarkable capabilities of the modern camera. More »

https://gizmodo.com/shooting-challenge-1-1000-of-a-second-5803159

The Inspiring Story of the 45-y-o Woman Who Had Her Brain Completely Erased at Age 22

https://jezebel.com/the-inspiring-story-of-the-45-y-o-woman-who-had-her-bra-5804641

When Su Meck got hit with a ceiling fan and woke up one week later with a total memory loss, her husband Jim thought “she was Su 2.0. She had rebooted.” More »

This Is What Happens When a 54,000-ton Ship’s Brakes Fail

https://jalopnik.com/this-is-what-happens-when-a-54-000-ton-ships-brakes-fai-5804699

Last week, the 54,000-ton cargo ship RHL Fidelitas arrived to the port of Odessa in Ukraine. Everything looked good as the Liberian-flagged ship approached port until the main engine failed. Without power to reverse the propellers, the inevitable happened. More »

The Ejector Seat’s Trial by Fire

Neil Armstrong and Yuri Gagarinin thi at least knew what they were getting into – Lt. Jack Fruin had no idea he’d be the first man shot out of a plane. Punching Out by James Cross recalls this Navy pilot’s momentous flight. More »

https://gizmodo.com/mr-gagarins-wild-ride-5788242

Facebook Fails

https://gizmodo.com/facebook-fails-5803497

Facebook wants to be your life. They want you to chat, exchange messages and publish your photos using their services. That’s ok. It’s a good concept. It’s just too bad their technology sucks to the point of being unusable at times. More »

SpaceShipTwo Returning to Earth Looks Just Awesome

https://jalopnik.com/spaceshiptwo-returning-to-earth-looks-just-awesome-5803128

Virgin Galactic has tested the return capabilities of their SpaceShipTwo spacecraft for the first time. The video of its first feathered flight is just too beautiful and elegant to describe. Just watch it More »

Massive Leak Reveals Intricate Details of Bin Laden Raid

Details of what happened on the night we killed Bin Laden have been dripping slowly from the White House, but anonymous government sources have just handed the AP the entire story. Every single detail. Even the SEAL dog’s name. More »

https://gizmodo.com/navy-seal-dogs-have-titanium-fangs-updated-5798978

Remember When AOL Instant Messenger Was Our Facebook?

After bowing down to Google Talk this week, AIM is effectively dead. Most buddy lists are ghost towns. Chatters fled to Google, Skype and Facebook for their conversational needs. But at its pinnacle, AIM was something singular and amazing. More »

https://gizmodo.com/its-official-this-is-the-new-aim-5801395

Sheex Performance Bed Sheets

https://gizmodo.com/sheex-performance-bed-sheets-5801426

You know those workout shirts that keep you cool and dry? Like from Under Armour and Nike? These Sheex “performance” bedsheets are made out of the same material. And they’re pretty much perfect for any type of activity you do in bed. More »

It’s Official: Fukushima Was Hit With a Nuclear Meltdown

https://gizmodo.com/its-official-fukushima-was-hit-with-a-nuclear-meltdown-5801376

The flow of bad news (and radiation) out of Fukushima’s reactors has diminished to a trickle over the past several weeks, as rescue work has proceeded. Not today. TEPCO’s admitted for the first time that Fukushima experienced a grave meltdown. More »

All the Great Stuff from Google I/O 2011 Live: Day 2

https://gizmodo.com/all-the-great-stuff-from-google-i-o-2011-live-day-2-5800352

It’s day 2 of Google’s developers love fest! Yesterday it was full of exciting announcements and it will be hard to beat. However, I’m sure they saved some punches for today. Here’s our live coverage from Moscone, with analysis and hands-on articles: More »

This Is What We (Ridiculously) Thought Osama Was Hiding in Ten Years Ago

https://gizmodo.com/this-is-what-we-ridiculously-thought-osama-was-hiding-5800027

We caught and shot Osama bin Laden in a rundown, decrepit compound, lacking any direct contact with the outside world. But in 2001, the Times of London (and the Pentagon) thought he was living in a comic villain’s super fortress. More »

Five Cutting-Edge Buildings From Google’s New Campus Architects

https://gizmodo.com/five-cutting-edge-buildings-from-googles-new-campus-arc-5799999

Google finally decided they’ve outgrown the Googleplex and tossed $30 million at the city of Mountain View for some space to build a new 10-acre campus. Who’s gonna design it? Ingenhoven, one of Germany’s biggest architectural firms. More »

The Navy SEAL Team 6 Dog Is a Bigger Badass Than You

https://gizmodo.com/the-navy-seal-team-6-dog-is-a-bigger-badass-than-you-5798745

The word circulating among news outlets is that a single dog was involved in the Osama bin Laden raid. According to the UK Sun, dogs (typically German Shepherds) involved in Navy SEAL operations are usually strapped with armor and cameras to sniff for explosives, attack armed foes and provide valuable intel for soldiers. More »

How to Respond to Facebook Birthday Wishes

https://jezebel.com/how-to-respond-to-facebook-birthday-wishes-5798576

Today is my birthday. Yeah! But unlike when I turned 18 (old enough to bet the ponies) or when I turned 21 (duh), I don’t really care. And like many of us on our *special days*, I’m getting a lot of love on facebook: from old friends, family members, professional contacts-that random guy whose friend request I accepted while drunk and who now invites me to “ragers” almost every weekend. It’s actually quite touching, and I totally appreciate it. But also: a puzzle. How do you properly acknowledge all of this good will? Unless you have like 4 friends, answering each post is a losing proposition. More »

Giz Explains: What Happens when You Get Shot in the Head

https://kotaku.com/giz-explains-what-happens-when-you-get-shot-in-the-hea-5798102

You may or may or may not see it coming, but it doesn’t really matter. You’re not going to have time to react. Because a bullet can travel at speeds exceeding 3200 feet per second, which is too fast to duck or yell or plead. Hang in there. Taking a cap to the dome means that it will be over faster than a fatal wound anywhere else. More »