Gizmodo
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useful skills
Survivornerd: How to Start a Fire With Your Cellphone
It's a tough call for a nerd lost in the wilderness: Use your cellphone battery to start a fire and survive the night, or play another game of Brickbreaker? At least with this guide you'll have the option of survival. More » -
fire
LiveSpark Is an Audio Visualizer Made of Fire
The LiveSpark Fireplace features music-reactive flames, meaning, like a real-life visualizer, that the fire will jump and shrink itself based on the thumping beats it detects. More »
12,757
By Dan NosowitzComment by Poiklpu says...: When I heard a "real life visualizer made of fire" I expected to see something more exciting 18 Responses | Other threads
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man vs machine
Lawnmowers, Killer Bees and Fire: Five Tales of Mowing Madness
Who knew a machine with razor-sharp blades spinning at 200RPM you're supposed to sit on top of might cause injury or death? Here are gruesome tales of mowing mishaps—from this past month alone! More » -
mods
Rovio Modded To Fight Blazing Candles
The Rovio is the most promising webcam-wielding robot out there that, sadly, we don't exploit because of conscience. But one modder has tweaked the otherwise pervy spybot to become a brave and loyal firefighter. More »
2,759
By Mark WilsonComment by Nick: kinda like a rhino. i heard they stomp out fires in the bush. 6 Responses | Other threads
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science
Seating a Tire Quickly Using Fire and Science
In this video, a guyinflates a tirere-seats a tire bead in about a second using starter fluid and a match. It sure is impressive; so impressive, I feel like I'm being tricked. Am I? [Flickr via Kottke]
13,354
By Adam FrucciComment by whatachiouche: I feel like you are being tricked as well...I mean, yes the heat would make the air expand, but if... 12 Responses | Other threads
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pork products
Prosciutto-Wrapped Air Hose Cuts Through Steel, Cucumber Version Proven Inferior
In a crushing blow for vegetarians worldwide, a cucumber doused in vegetable oil has been proven inferior to prosciutto when tasked with cutting through steel sheet metal. Pork: 1, PETA: 0. More »
27,778
By Dan NosowitzComment by Software_Goddess: Am I the only one that thought those 'Bacon Straws' would be great for BBQ drinks. Beer and Bacon Straws... 8 Responses | Other threads
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fire
Fire Tagging Makes Graffiti a Bit More Dangerous
Graffiti is cool, I guess. But graffiti that's been lit on fire before the paint dries? OK, now you have my attention. More »
13,983
By Adam FrucciComment by bosskev: If ever I were to run for public office, it would be on a platform of "Bring Back Cruel and... 24 Responses | Other threads
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fire
If You Can Light the Water Coming From Your Tap on Fire, You Might Have a Problem
A couple in Colorado thought they detected the scent of gas coming from their tap water. The test was simple: put a match to their water. What resulted is both awesome and terrifying. More »
48,037
By Adam FrucciComment by shpe11: let's have a drink... or better have a look at this: [concepts.shpe.ro] 12 Responses | Other threads
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fire
Acer Predator Desktop Gaming Units Recalled For Minor House Burning Issue
About 215 of Acer's ASG7200 and ASG7700 units were just recalled by the consumer product safety commission because their internal wiring could get "bent or stripped", causing them to overheat and create a "burn hazard." More »
7,434
By Jason ChenComment by KeepingTheForeName_GitEmSteveDave: So is the new meme going to be, "But can it broil?"? 8 Responses | Other threads
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grilling
There's a New BBQ Sheriff In Town
Lighting a BBQ can be done with a match. But, as any NRA member can attest, it's a job best left to a gun. More »
13,053
By Mark WilsonComment by Curves: If you carry this particular "14.5-inch implement" into a bar in your pocket, you will have the ladies asking for... 7 Responses | Other threads
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apple
iPod Touch Fires Up Kid's Pants, Suing Mom Says
A mother is suing Apple and ten Apple Store employees after his 10-yo kid received second-degree burns: His pants caught on fire when an iPod touch exploded in his pants. More »
17,039
By Jesus DiazComment by Hello Mister Walrus: What's so interesting about this? Explosions happen in my pants all the time. 12 Responses | Other threads
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cellphones
Motorola i356IS Won't Blow Up Gas Stations, Sadly
According to Motorola-and contrary to the cellphone now in your pants-their new i356IS won't blow up gas stations or ignite fuel, sadly getting rid of the last bit of fun left in Motorola handsets. More » -
breaking
Building Near Beijing's Rem Koolhaas-Designed CCTV Headquarters is Up in Flames
Guess what's happening in China? Beijing's CCTV headquarters, the Rem Koolhaas building, is at a major fire risk. Fireworks, from the last day of New Years celebrations here, could be the culprits. Updated More » -
cable guy
Comcast Cable Guys Save Elderly Woman From Burning Home
Sure, they might sometimes fall asleep on your couch (or your bed), but Comcast guys aren't all bad. Two Cape Cod Comcast repairmen ran into a burning house and saved an 88-year-old woman. More »
25,702
By Elaine ChowComment by tehsquish - Still plays Ultima Online: Good for them, I'd like to think that I'd make the same decision when faced with it point blank. A... 6 Responses | Other threads
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photos
The Nintendo Wii Is Not Fireproof
Recently, a Nintendo fanboy suffered a house fire that burned most of his family's possessions. The Wii, picture here, didn't make it. The Gameboy, on the other hand, fared slightly better. More »
17,685
By Mark WilsonComment by Carey Smith: Dont send a wii. Build them a new house 6 Responses | Other threads
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tutorials
How To Photograph Fire
Digital Photography School has a tutorial on how to photograph fire. Basically, spot focus on the flame and overexpose a few stops to compensate for the fire's brightness. [DigitalPhotographySchool via Lifehacker]
11,121
By Brian LamComment by Chris Tricerri: u mean "underexpose" to compensate for the fire's brightness. am i wrong photographers?? 14 Responses | Other threads
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ces 2009
Video: ioSafe Solo Fire/Flood Hard Disk Test Puts "Will It Blend?" To Shame
I was taken to a Vegas house off the strip. There's a fluorescent green pool, a purple jacuzzi. No strippers in sight—it was time to set a fireproof hard disk aflame. More » -
usb
Brando 7-In-1 USB Cable Creates Portable Charging Orgy
For $7, you can grant your Nintendo DS the fantasy it has kept secret until today: That it could one day charge alongside a Game Boy Advance SP, DSi, and PSP via a USB port.
12,673
By Jack LoftusComment by EqualOpportunityCrasher: Wouldn't it split the power with each additional device and make it take even longer to charge? Also, I'd... 4 Responses | Other threads
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the medieval future
Candle-Powered LEDs Are Both the Future and the Past
A company called Nextreme Thermal Solutions recently demoed this LED—which shines brighter than the candle whose heat powers it—as first step in what I assume is a move toward bonfire-charged laser weapons. [Tech-On]
7,704
Comment by DisposableInterloper: This isn't anything special. Thermoelectic effect, anyone? 3 Responses | Other threads
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irony
Giant Snow Globes Recalled, Might Burn Down Your House
Your favorite pyromaniac might have to surrender his giant Hallmark snowman snow globe: The US Consumer Product Safety Commission just discovered that a bit of sunlight passes through them and it's "Goodbye drapes, hello firestorm!"
8,642
Comment by OMG! Ponies!: Humans roasting on an open fire Defective products burning down your home The family dog gnawing at a sparking wire, And your... 6 Responses | Other threads
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fire
If You Melt Ice With a Blowtorch, You Will Set Your House on Fire
Giz winter tip: If you need to melt ice on your back porch, use this. If you use a blowtorch, you will probably set your house on fire like this dumb guy in Massachusetts. [Yahoo]
12,579
Comment by Serolf Divad: So last night I had just finished reading my daughter her bedtime story when the fire alarm went off. I... 3 Responses | Other threads
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welding
12 Videos of Metal Being Sliced and Diced by Lasers and Fire
Welding goes back thousands of years, but was totally revolutionized just a couple centuries ago. Oobject has 12 awesome videos showing the evolution of welding from blue-collar craftsmen last century to laser-wielding robots today. [Oobject]
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Comment by aprather: That video was awesome. That was back in the day when people actually did hard work for a living! 4 Responses | Other threads
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don't try this at home
Lighters Will Blend, But Also Ultimately Pwn "Will It Blend" Blender
Will lighters blend? Yes, they will. And the explosive results, filmed in slo-mo, have finally warmed me up to this otherwise inscrutable internet meme. Good thing we didn't try this at the Giz Gallery! [Kotaro269] More »
23,889
By Elaine ChowComment by Knirfie: This looks more like 100 lighters and a few bottles of lighter fluid. I've experienced often enough what happens when a... 7 Responses | Other threads
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gizmodo gallery
Can The World's Most Powerful Flashlight Light My Cigarette?
Among the many wonders at Gizmodo Gallery, we've got a couple Wicked Lasers Torches to play with—the world's most powerful, nearly weapons-grade flashlights that put out light so intense it can burn paper. So when it came time for a cigarette, we knew what to reach for... More »
28,878
By John MahoneyComment by phas3d: Man, who cares. Smoking will kill you and why is the Verizon Network guy watching you smoke it up? 13 Responses | Other threads
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military
Firestrike: World's First Solid-State Battlefield Laser Now Available
Get ready for some real pew pew, because Northrop Grumman has just announced that the first ever high-energy, solid-state lethal laser for actual war applications is now available for ordering. This means that you can pay now a few millions and get yours for Xmas. The new Firestrike units offer 15 kilowatts of power, but can be combined to offer 100 kilowatts of technological terror, capable of actually destroying the enemy. According to the company, this new laser "changes the game" of military engagement. Nobody would say by judging the neutral looks of it: More »
65,409
By Jesus DiazComment by newgalactic: Ok, so pretend that I don't know how powerful a 15kW laser is. What will that do to the... 15 Responses | Other threads
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weapons
Secret Kinetic Rocket Fire Balls Can Create Hell Anywhere
They are secret. They are kinetic. They are made of rubberized rocket fuel. And they fire up destroying absolutely everything they come across, bouncing through bunkers, filling buildings with extremely hot flames, obliterating everyone and anything inside with fierce heat. The Pentagon officially calls them "kinetic fireball incendiaries". Other people call them kinetic rocket fire balls, and the way they work make them absolutely terrifying weapons. More »
21,530
By Jesus DiazComment by Ethan Allison: If they stopped using liquid napalm, I doubt they'd use bouncy solid napalm much either. 6 Responses | Other threads
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battery
Sony Recalls Battery Packs Found in HP, Toshiba and Dell Laptops
Today HP, Toshiba, and Dell issued a recall of 100,000 Sony battery packs found in their laptops sold between 2004 and 2006. Only 35,000 battery packs were affected in the U.S, with an additional 65,000 batteries recalled worldwide. Out of the 40 reported incidents, only 19 incidents have been in the U.S., thus affecting a smaller amount of people than in past Sony battery recalls. There have been reports of smoke and fire coming from the laptops. Sony issued a statement saying that the defective batteries are related to manufacturing line adjustments from 2004 to 2005. For a list of affected laptops, please head over to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) website for more details. The CPSC asks that laptop owners should take the batteries out and immediately contact the manufacturer for replacements. [U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission]
4,507
By Erica HoComment by daftrok: ....Crap did I travel back in time again? 2 Responses | Other threads
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enhanced interrogation techniques
Esquire E-Ink Cover Hacked (To Death, with Knives and Fire)
When the much-hyped Esquire E-Ink cover finally shipped to newsstands a few weeks ago, we were kind of underwhelmed. Using conventional methods, the sectioned panel isn't really hackable in any meaningful way, so Phone Losers took a more proactive approach: violence. More »
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By John HerrmanComment by freakerz: No one noticed he is drilling the wrong way? No wonder it was hard to get through... lol 2 Responses | Other threads
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hard drives
SentrySafe Hard Drive Endures Trial by Fire (and Water)
Whenever our journalistic brethren get to set something on fire and douse it with water, we like to commemorate the moment. Wired's Gadget Lab just performed such a battery of tests on the SentrySafe fire-and-flood proof hard drives, ones we first saw almost a year ago. On one hand, the test went as predicted, but on the other hand, data doesn't seem as protected as you might think. More » -
ipod nano
Apple Confesses First-Gen iPod Nanos Smoking and Sparking, Will Replace Them
Thanks largely to those meddling kids at Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry—who were investigating cases of people burned by too-hot-to-handle nanos—Cnet says Apple admitted today that some first-gen iPod nanos were overheating and said that it will replace any first-gen iPod nano that smokes or sparks (or blows up). More »
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Comment by stupidjerk: what a relief! it's good to know that if my nano explodes in my pocket and blows my left nut... more » | Other threads
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fire
Fire Damages Building at Apple's Cupertino HQ
A fire broke out in Apple's Cupertino headquarters last night, starting on the roof of a two-story building, and severely damaging it. Initial reports suggest that the three-alarm fire at Valley Green 6 started at or near an air conditioning unit, and was phoned in by workers on site. About 66 firefighters were on scene ultimately—they put the fire out in approximately half an hour. Currently there's no details about what Apple uses the particular building for, so the repercussions are unclear. But luckily it looks like no one was hurt. CBS5.com has some video of the aftermath. [CBS] -
fire
Jet-Engine-Alike Fire Sculpture Will Please Your Inner Pyromaniac
Flames, thunderous noise, drama and the threat of explosive, combustive doom: That's why this sculpture by Dave Umlas will please your inner fire-starter. Made from stainless steel, propane gas-air jets and what seems to be a turbine-like system somewhere in its construction, it exists merely to thrill you with flames. If the still photos of the sculpture aren't enough for you, check out the video. It's freakin' firey. More »
5,159
By Kit EatonComment by FiveLiters: So if one of these tips over in your lap,can you sue McDonalds and tell them you didn't realize it... more » | Other threads
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Portable Fireplace
Bring Romantic Business Time Anywhere with Portable Conmoto Suitcase Fireplace
Fireplaces are great for ambiance, but generally not portable. Kooky German design firm Conmoto, who brought us the bookshelf fireplace back in December, has solved the portable problem with the Travelmate Portable Fireplace. At 55 lbs. it will require a little effort to cart it from room to room, but we think the resulting night of intimacy, wherever it happens to be, will be well worth the strained back. More »
6,461
By Jack LoftusComment by AppleSalsa: I saw this somewhere else. . it wasn't here was it? I remember though that Kanye West commented on it... more » | Other threads
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flaming
Fairground Shooting Gallery Gets Flamethrower Makeover for Burning Man
Created for this year's Burning Man festival, the Flamethrower Shooting Gallery looks like one hell of a stress-relieving sideshow amusement. It was created by Matisse and Roxie and recently debuted at the Oakland The Crucible’s Fire Arts Festival... presumably to a warm reception. Check out the short video to see it in action—though you might want to turn the volume down, the happy screams are a little loud. More » -
question of the day
Question of the Day: Would You Save a Gadget From a Burning Building?
This rather bizarre question was inspired by an article I came across involving a drunken man who was cited for obstructing a fire scene/disorderly conduct after he rushed back into his burning home to retrieve a computer. Why he risked his life to do so remains unclear (although a mixture of alcohol and a massive porn collection comes to mind), but I am willing to bet that a more than a few people out there would be willing do the same thing. So my question is, would you run back into a burning building to save a gadget? If so, which one—and why? More »
7,215
By Sean FallonComment by videoCWK: Well I know that before running out I'd grab my iMac from my room first. Even if I was in... more » | Other threads
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retromodo
What Happens When You Burn a Magnesium NeXTCube Computer Case?
If you are old enough to remember, NeXTCubes were high-end workstation computers built in the late '80s and early '90s that featured a die-cast magnesium case. Magnesium was an attractive metal because it was strong and light—but as any high school chemistry student with a penchant for pyromania can tell you, magnesium burns with a brilliant white light. Naturally, this lead some to wonder what would happen if you set one ablaze. More »
14,628
By Sean FallonComment by Worf: Definitely retro. Even Slashdot had the story dating back to the turn of the millenium! more » | Other threads
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tasers
Policeman Tases Guy, Sets His Pants on Fire
Ok, we know bad things can happen when the general public use tasers, but cops tasing a guy and setting him on fire? No... really? Apparently the 31-year-old in question was causing a disturbance in an apartment in Hamilton, Ontario, recently, and three police officers attended. Whatever happened after that, the police ended up firing a taser at him. Unfortunately when the high-voltage device went off some sort of flammable object in his pants waistband caught fire. He sustained burns to his hands and thigh, and had to be taken to hospital. Ouch. Someone at some point must've started saying "Liar! Liar! Pants..." [Danger Room] -
retromodo
Robot Shopping Cart Cruises Streets, Bursts into Flames
Why the hell is a dismembered pair of legs walking around willy nilly with a shopping cart? I'll tell you why...To draw awareness to homeless people, and the cutthroat world of cart-pushing. It was designed in 1993 by a college student who thought the concept of using robots for hazardous jobs could be applied to the most dangerous job of all, being homeless. The student rigged the cart together using a bunch of bike chains and a couple car batteries. We're not sure it serves any practical purpose—might be better if there were hands to put things in the cart. One thing the artist definitely got wrong though: homeless people do not spontaneously burst into flames. At least not in New York, they don't. [GizmoGarden via Make] -
fireplace
Safretti's Latest Wall-Mounted Gaya Fireplace Looks Like a Flaming Mouth
Safretti's latest in their line of wall-mounted fireplaces for urban living spaces without proper wood burning ventilation looks a lot like a mouth. A mouth much like the mouths Seth MacFarlane likes to draw on inanimate objects on Family Guy, which is why we picture this thing spewing obscenities, as well as 7.1kW of heat from its alcohol-fueld fire hole. The bad news? That 7.1kW doesn't really measure up against a real fireplace, so this is more for a mouth motif decoration than practical heating. [Safretti via Tuvie via MocoLoco via DVice]
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By Jason ChenComment by fastm3driver: @jbhitter24: Use mine all the time. It makes me feel rich! And also warm. more » | Other threads
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safety
Japan Develops a Fire Alarm that Sprays the Smell of Horseradish
In an innovative solution to the problem of deaf people not being able to hear fire alarms, Japanese researchers have developed one that sprays the strong smell of horseradish, ensuring that everybody with a functioning sense of smell wakes up. In tests, it successfully, silently woke up 13 out of 14 people, with deaf subjects much more receptive to the alarm. Combine this with an audible alarm and a small robot that goes around slapping people in the face and you've got yourself one foolproof fire alarm. Wait a minute. If they can smell horseradish, can't they also smell the fire? [WCTV via Boing Boing]
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By Adam FrucciComment by monkey144: So Japan's essentially found that using pepper spray is effective in waking people in the event of a fire? ... more » | Other threads
fire
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