Gizmodo: Gizmodo

Hands-Free GPS Device for the Blind Could Make You a Superhero

andi wang — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:07:51 EDT

The Navigation aid for the Blind headset is a GPS device, which not only works through speech recognition, but also uses obstacle detection technology that alerts the blind of any sleeping bums or other obstructions he could trip over as he is being guided to his destination.

In 2003, we reported on a GPS navigation device that led the visually impaired to their impending doom due to an "inaccuracy" of the system.

Although this new GPS device is not as cuddly as a guide dog, it is made up of one earpiece and microphone, which would allow the blind a certain anonymity, kind of like Daredevil, in that he would no longer need a cane or furry pet, which would leave both of his hands free ... to fight crime, perhaps? [create the future contest via gizmag]

Gizmodo Jobs: Resumes Wanted

Jason Chen — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 18:56:00 EDT

In an effort to make sure we've got the best talent for our positions, we're putting out a general call for applications. Read on, my friends, because this may be your ticket to working at Gizmodo.

We're going to take applications for all positions, from intern all the way up to [any job except mine you bastards]. Send in your application and resume (no attachments please) to application@gizmodo.com with your job title in the subject line. Applicable titles are:

• Intern (NYC and SF area only)
• Copy Editor
• Editorial Assistant (some experience needed, NYC and SF area only)
• Contributing Editor (experience needed)
• Associate Editor (experience needed)
• Senior Associate Editor (mucho editorial experience needed if you're going to apply for this, but go for it if this is you)

All positions have the same base requirements that you've got a passion for gadgets and technology, a desire to be self-motivated and would love to work at Gizmodo more than any other job out there. Of course, each position has its own requirements, and we'll evaluate accordingly. Get your foot in the door!

Gizmodo Jobs: Editorial Assistant

Jason Chen — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:06:47 EDT

Always wanted to work at Gizmodo? This is your chance. We're looking for an Editorial Assistant to join the ones we already have. This is a full time job and will be paid accordingly. Read on to find out if you fit the position.

We need an junior reporter with both tech knowledge and some editorial experience in NYC to work with our current team. Here's what you're going to be doing:

• Reporting on meetings and events either in a team, or by yourself
• Tracking down the best gadgets and entertaining stories on the internet
• Helping us pull together stories
• Writing. Yes, you're going to be writing. The stuff you see on Gizmodo? You're going to be making it.

To do all this, you're going to need some basic skills and qualifications. Here's what were looking for...

• Journalistic and editorial experience
• Above average tech knowledge
• Passion for gadgets and technology
• Ability to be self-motivated and self-directed but also work well in a team
• A genuine desire to write as much as they can

Basically, we want someone whose dream job is to work at Gizmodo and will work as hard as it takes to make that happen. Send your applications to application@gizmodo.com with the subject "NY Editorial Assistant".

Good News, Everyone!

Jason Chen — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:24:17 EDT

Six thousand, six hundred and sixty-two posts after I first started writing here at Gizmodo, I'm about to type the words that I never thought would ever dribble forth from my keyboard: I'm the new editor of Gizmodo. After working with Joel Johnson, John Biggs and Brian Lam all these years and absorbing all the lessons and insights about blogging they left in this sweat, tear and who-knows-what-else-stained Editor's hat, it's time for me to pick it up and shove my head in.

Brian will of course still be around in his new position as editorial director, but the new title gives me a chance to help take Gizmodo from being the best written, most interesting and most readable gadget blog out there to the site that everybody—even people who are only kinda into tech—can't wait to consume every single day. Of course, there's nobody more responsible than the guys who are working here with me every day (Adam, Adrian, Benny, Chris, Dan, Dave, Elaine, Jack, Jesus, John, John, Kit, Logan, Mark, Matt, Sean and Wilson), who help make Giz my, and your, favorite place to pass the time, be entertained and be informed. How we're going to continue to do this in the future is to go beyond just covering trade shows, gadget news or even writing phenomenal features, but to expand and tap into the entire culture of what it means to be a gadget fan.

The new gig also calls for me taking on more management duties, which means you'll seldom see any more 12-post days from me unless the entire East Coast, Midwest and West Coast teams are wiped out from a sexy robot uprising. But that doesn't mean you won't see me on the site; the number one reason why Gizmodo is the best job I could ever dream of isn't because of all the cool tech we get to see, but because we get to write, and do so in the most unfiltered environment you can imagine for a publication of this size.

Here's what the news hopefully means for you: more of what you like, less of what you don't. My email's always open, so drop me a message when you've got an opinion about how we're doing. Gracias.

Some more good news: that photo above was taken when I was on vacation last week, right before I got engaged to the unlucky lady whose shoulder is the only thing remaining after I cropped the rest of her out (she's shy).

[Dilbert Strip]

Apologies to Professor Farnsworth for aping his phrase.

You Put Your Gizmodo All Over My Email!

Jason Chen — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 18:30:00 EDT

There's an easy way to get Gizmodo top stories updates in your inbox without paying a 19-year-old college kid to manually do it. It's the Gizmodo email subscription, and will alert you to our top stories via Email (or if you like, Skype, AIM, Twitter, MSN, private Twitter or Yahoo Messenger). Pick your favorite and go nuts. [Sign up]

William Shatner, Other B-Listers Start Signing Autographs In Personalized Video Form

Benny Goldman — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 19:00:00 EDT

At a time when the $2 billion per year autograph business runs rampant with counterfeits, it's tough to ensure your memorabilia is authentic. Thanks to LiveAutographs.com, a website that shills personalized video "autographs" from B-listers like Carmen Electra, Stone Cold Steve Austin and the cast of Lost, that problem may soon be obsolete. Trekkie and TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington recently praised the service after paying $150 for a message from William Shatner, which took three months to arrive. Joke's on you Mike—I got a video from Shatner in an hour, and it only cost me iMovie and elbow grease. But for the last time Bill, my name isn't "Jackass". [LiveAutographs via TechCrunch, Reuters]

Gizmodo's Own Cappuccino, Gizuccino

Christopher Mascari — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT

Here's a little Gizmodo treat from the guys at OnLatte. That's right, we've got our own personalized cappuccino. We wish we could tell you how amazing the Gizmodo cappuccino tastes, but OnLatte wouldn't allow us to gulp it down because they wanted to show it off. So if you're at SIGGRAPH today stop by their booth and check out the Gizuccino for yourself. [OnLatte Inc.]

Gizmodo's Official License Plate

Jason Chen — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EDT

The guys at Tasty Booze may think whoever owns this guy is a gigantic douche, but we know better. This guy is a gigantic Gizmodo fan. You can't fit "Gigantic Gizmodo Fan" on a license plate, so he shortened it to "BIG GIZ". Here's to you, Giz fan—you Pontiac driver you. [TastyBooze - Thanks Blakeley!]

Cool Tip: iPhone 2.0 Software Has Built-In Screen Capture

Matt Hickey — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:15:00 EDT

You've probably seen the cool screen shots we've got all over Gizmodo today and wondered to yourself what tool we're using to make them. We're not using one, because the iPhone 2.0 software has a built-in screen capture shortcut. Hold the "home" button, then hit the "power/sleep" button, and presto, a capture of your screen is in your photos. This doesn't work in the 1.1.4 or earlier versions, so you'll need to upgrade, but chances are you already have.

Apple Store in Sydney, Oi Oi Oi!

Benny Goldman — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 23:53:28 EDT

Our brothers from down under at Giz Australia got a full-on press-packed walkthrough of the new Apple store in Sydney, the first on the continent, and it looks as nice and Apple-y as you'd expect. This long staircase—to places unknown—is especially cool, and unique compared to what we have in the cramped confines of NYC. However, the retail and Genius Bar sections still do look like, in Blam's words, an "evil twin" of the NYC Meatpacking District's store. Hit the link to see the rest of the pics. [Giz AU]

Sorry Guys

AddyDugdale — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 09:23:00 EDT

We've banned everyone. Even Strider. Have a quiet weekend folks.*

*This may not be true. I think we're having technical whoopsies on the comment front. Normal service will be resumed, etc, etc.

Gizmodo Gets iPhone Icon

Jesus Diaz — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 08:30:14 EST

A gazillion readers asked for it, so here it is: if you are reading Gizmodo now in the iPhone, you can bookmark us in your home screen and you will get a shiny Giz icon to add to your Springboard, for you to tickle every time you need a Giz fix.

Darth Vader Leaves Galactic Empire CEO Job, Joins Rock Band

Jesus Diaz — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 11:40:18 EST

ORLANDO, FL. (Agencies) - Following disagreements with the Galactic Empire President and Emperor over the arrest of Santa Claus last year, Darth Vader resigned today from his post of Imperial CEO effective immediately. Citing personal reasons, Lord Vader's spokeswomen Lucy Lamarr pointed out that the Dark Lord will now join a rock band. "And by 'joining a rock band,' I mean playing guitar in Rock Band on his PS3 with his pals, back in his home city of Dyersburg, Arkansas." Later this morning, however, Lord Vader clarified his position:

"The Emperor just kept trying to force my hand over some, mostly musical, issues... like the Death Star's muzzak." Lord Vader said in an exclusive interview to the Dyersburg's Rock Scene Monthly, "I was like, Palp, mate, you just can't play f*cking Celine Dion all day! It's bad for the troops! Put some Led Zep, dude!" Lord Vader also pointed out that the Santa Claus affair was the last drop. "He wants to replace him with Michael (Jackson) next year. Imagine that, that guy. In red velvet. And with a line of kids waiting to sit on his lap. That's trouble, I tell you. Big trou-ble," he remarked. "Anyway, I'm looking forward to playing guitar with the guys back at home."

Brian Lam, Gizmodo editor-in-chief and reputed banjo player, said that Vader's music skills were strong but he needed to go easier on the solos. "Yeah, Darth kind of rocks. It's just when he gets into one of his Pink Floydish solos... it's like, yo, Darth, dude, stop it already!" he declared while eating a lasagna and showing absolutely no surprise over the fact that Lord Vader owns a Sony PlayStation 3. "I mean, come on, it matches the decor for chrissake. And remember the rumors that say that [Sony CEO Howard] Stringer used to be a Dark Lord himself."

Stringer was unavailable to comment but a Sony spokesman denied that he was pals with Vader: "at most, with his third cousin, Jabba the Hutt." Coincidentally, the Hutts are also Arkansas residents. [Techware Labs]

Energizz: The Official Energy Drink of Gizmodo at CES/AVN

Jason Chen — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 21:00:58 EST

Wonder how we get the energy to pump out hundreds of posts from CES and AVN with only about four hours of sleep every night? Energizz, the new official drink of Gizzmodo. Energizz: Get Your Recommended Daily Allowance of Gizz.

Salute Our Brave Gizmodians as They Fly Off to CES

AddyDugdale — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 10:00:00 EST

So, here I am, on my own in the Giz office. The door has just closed behind the last one (Benny the Intern, struggling under the weight of Our Dear Leader's cases—a different outfit every day, I believe, and 17 brand-new batteries for his MacBook Pro) and it's just me here. Everyone's gone to Vegas for something called, I believe, CSI.

Er, no, that's not right. E-Z Sex, is it? Or something like that. CES. Right. Yep. I knew that all along. We shed tears at the farewell ceremony. I fired a party popper and played my kazoo. Blam made a stirring speech all about fighting them in the booths, fighting them in the corridors, fighting them in the virtual theaters of war. The troops all had lumps in their throat—especially Wilson, who's been grappling with a nasty cold this week—and I could only stand and and marvel at their certain sacrifice all in the name of ~~freedom and liberty~~ consumer electronics.

Reader, it is a sacrifice. Barely have these young men recovered from Slut Machine's New Year's Eve Party, their reward for the earlier horrors of chatting up Great Aunt Ethel on Christmas afternoon in the Old Kuntz home, than it is time for them to brave the horrors of Homeland Security, remove their shoes, belts and electronic devices (trust me, Muscles, you don't want to be on the wrong end of a "You want me to put my iPhone in that tray? Seriously??" look from Blam) and get on a Vegas-bound plane that is Wi-Fi un-abled. I mean, you don't expect them all to have actual spoken conversations with each other, do you?

Having just fought my way through the new-gadget desert of December, I can understand why the powers that be want to hold CES in January. The beginning of the year is all about hope, it's a shiny and new time for everything—except people's livers and wallets. But do they have to go and hold it in Vegas? Sheesh, those guys have got a lot to learn about mankind. At least they should give everyone a couple of months to recover from cocktail and credit excess before dangling expensive, sexy bits of metal, plastic and silicon in front of their eyes.

Wilson, between sneezes and swigs of Robitussin, described CES as a "masochistic feat of machismo." I, sadly, will not be able to verify that, as I have been instructed to stay in the office, rather like Miss Moneypenny. Guarding the door, keeping everything ticking along, a little bit of co-ordinating here, some dusting there, checking out Jason's nekkid lay-dee collection that's on that secret hard drive he thinks I don't know about, reading Matt Buchanan's dear diary, that sort of stuff, waiting for the special red CES-emergency telephone to ring and Blam to tell me breathlessly that he put his foot through the paper-thin Pioneer 118-incher, and does Giz have insurance?

Then the doorbell will ring, and I'll open it, and standing there will be a stacked young man from the Geek Squad, wearing funny overalls with no shirt underneath. And suddenly all my clothes will fall off and excruciatingly cheap-sounding R 'n' B will start playing before the bloke says "Ja, Ja, Das Is Fantastiche, Grossen, Filthen Schlutten" and drops his pants.

Anyway enough about my fantasies—and the Adult Entertainment Expo. Salute the bravery of these guys. The crazy-assed figure of 250 posts a day was being bandied about our chatroom the other day. That is five times our daily post rate. Over 10 an hour. One every six minutes or so. And let's not forget the surprises, like one-on-ones with the innovators, the exceedingly rich and geeky, and of course all those booth babes.

Readers, they're doing it all for you—and without an in-suite hot-tub between them. I'm not going because I've got an unbreakable engagement in London, but I wish I could be there to do more than the dusting. Next year, I guess. Viva Las Vegas!

Quizmodo: The Answers

AddyDugdale — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 06:23:03 EST

Here are the answers to our Quizmodo feature that we put up on New Year's Day. Most of you knew your onions, but there were a couple of glaring errors. There is, as far as I know, no such thing as a USB Log Cabin, although, if any one would like to build one for us, we'll be very impressed indeed. Blam does love his snowboarding, but we can't all fit into his Tahoe cabin at the same time. Answers are below.

1Who said?
1. "It's a husband-wife thing."
Ballmer talking about his relationship with Bill Gates.

2. "We've kept our marriage secret for over a decade"
Steve Jobs on his relationship with Bill Gates.

3. "My brain is filled with software."
Bill Gates (Do you think I have a teeny obsession here?)

4. "I have Nerd credentials."
Jeff Bezos.

5. What made us want to: "Haul burlap sacks full of potatoes, in a plaid shirt made of really itchy wool, in the forest, as I cultivate a beard"
USB Log cabin my arse. It was the new nano.

6. What is "like walking in an attic crawlspace - cramped and uncomfortable."?
Helio Ocean keyboard.

7. What was "like being tossed into a menage a trois with Angelina and a She-Yeti."
The AT&T-iPhone bunk-up (although most of you thought it was Mossberg on his Gates-Jobs showdown.

8. "Two words: Fisher. Price."
The Nokia N95, top answer of the Zune was, however, cheered by the rabid Apple fanboys on the site.

9. What product won Mark Wilson's epic Battlemodo of the Docks back in August?
Altec Lansing IMV712.

10. "My wife thinks it looks like a medical device." What does?
Amazon Kindle.

11. "Really ties the room together." What the hell was Wilson talking about?
Gateway XHD3000 monitor.

12. What happened at Plaster City, CA, on Oct 7?
X-Wing crashed and burned.

13. What was so awesome for Giz about the Apple event on Sept 5 this year?
First Liveblog that didn't crash the system.

14. Which two Giz regulars are married to each other?
Addy and Jesus.

15. Who came and put the C into Gizmodo back in February?
Joel Johnson.

16. What's this then?

Robosapiens dildo.

17. And this?

Blowjob machine.

18. What about this?

Tilt Smartphone.

19. This?

El Jobso looking fly.

20. Bueller... Bueller....

All of the above. Oh, okay then, the Optimus Keyboard.

21. Anyone? Bueller?

Honey Doll.

22. Uh, any ideas?

TiVo.

23. Next!

Robotech Thruster masturbatronic device.

24. Nearly there.

Angel Kitty tailcam.

25. OK, last one. WHAT IS THIS?

Hot Doll, sex doll for dogs.

[Quizmodo 2007: the Giz's Tech Knowledge Mega-Quiz]

Quizmodo 2007: the Giz's Tech Knowledge Mega-Quiz

AddyDugdale — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 10:00:00 EST

Fancy yourself as the King or Queen of All-Things-Tech? Were you a Gadget Addict in 2007? Think you know everything that happened on our gorgeous little site over the past year? Well, now's your chance to prove to all of us just how switched-on you were in 2007. Click on, and play on, play on, play on. Answers will be up later on in the week, but feel free to speculate as much as you like in the comments.

(NOTICE: Sometimes the voting system gets stuck and won't show the results for some time. Don't worry. Just keep voting on the next questions, and the previous results—counting your vote—will appear shortly thereafter)

Who said:

PICTURE CLUES
Guess the gadget

Gizmodo's Most Popular Hits of 2007

Jesus Diaz — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 19:30:21 EST

Here are Gizmodo's Greatest Hits 2007, the most popular stories, the best of the best in a single bubblelicious list full of gadgets, juicy industry happenings, in-deep reviews, shocking tech news, weird war planes, Star Wars, boobs and sex. With dogs. Sometimes, all combined into one. What are the most popular Giz stories of 2007? See the top 20 and the monthly top 5, re-read the stories and pick your favorite 2007 article after the jump:

Top 10 Giz Stories for 2007

1. Hotdoll: The Sex Doll for Dogs - 721,911 views

2. Rocket-Powered 21-Foot-Long X-Wing Model Actually Flies, Has Built-in R2-D2 - 468,346 views

3. Verizon's LG VX10000 Voyager Revealed and Groped (with Gallery) - 444,887 views

4. Sidekick 4 and Sidekick Slide? - 437,106 views

5. Storm Trooper Stripper (OK, Prostitute) 410,361 views

6. X-Wing Rocket Launches, Disintegrates Mid-Air - 398,872 views

7. The World's Most Effective Speed Bump - 376,581 views

-
8. The iPhone: Price - $499 4GB, $599 8GB in June - 356,735 views

9. Video of Bill Gates Showing off his Expensive Table - 301,060 views

10. Breaking: Digg Riot in Full Effect Over Pulled HD-DVD Key Story - 268,268 views

11. How To: Install Apps on Your iPhone Easily, No Hacking Skills Required - 259,005 views

12. Terminator Sex Positions - 252,253 views

13. iPhone Firmware 1.1.1 Out and Tested: Breaks 3rd-party Apps, Relocks iPhones and Sends Them to Semi-Brick Activation Limbo (Updated with video) - 246,681 views

14. Exclusive: iPhone Free Software Unlock Confirmed (Death Star Explodes) - 243,591 views

15. Gang Kidnaps Gamer to Get Password Using Fake Orkut Date - 242,272 views

16. iPhone Review - 232,079 views

17. Squirrel Catapult is Awful, Yet We Can't Look Away - 226,650 views

18. Biggest BSOD of All Time? - 225,035 views

19. iPhone Software Unlock Confirmed on Video - 222,088 views

20. The Gizmodo Ultimate Black Friday Deal Guide - 209,135

Monthly Top 5 Stories for 2007
The numbers of the monthly top 5 stories for 2007 are different from the top 20 above. The reason is simple: the following are the readers of a new story in that given month. The list on the top, however, shows the cumulative 2007 readership.

January
1. Leaked: Screenshots of OS X Leopard Terminal, Parental Controls, More
Jan 24 2007 153,475

2. iPhone Ringtone Sounds Like Holy Angels Tinkling: Download it Here
Jan 18 2007 141,867

3. Leaked Pt 2: OS X Leopard Spotlight, QuickView
Jan 25 2007 80,704

4. Zune: How We've Lived With It For Three Months
Jan 25 2007 75,430

5. Microsoft Ultimate Wireless 7000 Keyboard Hands-On
Jan 19 2007 68,750

February
1. The Original 1983 Microsoft Mouse
Feb 2 2007 102,235

2. Coolest... Lamps... Ever...
Feb 8 2007 92,891

3. Super Bowl Ad Watch: Top Spots
Feb 5 2007 82,479

4. The Most Ridiculous Windows Video Ever
Feb 7 2007 77,769

5. Horseshoes and Hand Grenades: Joel Johnson Returns...to Spank Us All for Supporting Crap
Feb 13 2007 75,338

March
1. AppleTV First Unboxing
Mar 21 2007 124,935

2. Best Booth Babe Ever: Samsung's Leopard Lady
Mar 12 2007 117,883

3. DirectX 9 vs DirectX 10: Worth Upgrading to Vista For?
Mar 9 2007 97,587

4. Real Picture of the Optimus Keyboard?
Mar 6 2007 76,200

5. DIY: Apple TV Hard Drive Upgraded to 120GB
Mar 23 2007 74,235

April
1. Hotdoll: The Sex Doll for Dogs
Apr 18 2007 466,081

2. This is Why You Shouldn't Clean Your HDTV with Windex
Apr 11 2007 145,288

3. Booster Blades: Honorable Suicide
Apr 22 2007 127,038

4. Exclusive Pics of the Vudu - Video Store In A Box
Apr 28 2007 73,004

5. Shocking: An Innovative iPod Case from DLO
Apr 18 2007 71,634

May
1. Breaking: Digg Riot in Full Effect Over Pulled HD-DVD Key Story
May 2 2007 264,776

2. F-35 Helmet Display System To Scare the Bejeezus Out of Enemies
May 15 2007 180,525

3. Video of Bill Gates Showing off his Expensive Table
May 30 2007 176,985

4. Intel Unveils Metro, World's Thinnest Laptop, Almost Skinny as a RAZR
May 24 2007 130,423

5. World's Highest Swing Looks Terrifying
May 11 2007 111,855

June
1. Squirrel Catapult is Awful, Yet We Can't Look Away
Jun 19 2007 173,917

2. The iPhone: Price - $499 4GB, $599 8GB in June
Jan 9 2007 159,483

3. Amazing SawStop Cuts Anything But Your Fingers
Jun 4 2007 144,130

4. Angel Sword Guitar Plays Iron Maiden Songs, Slays Teen Pop Stars
Jun 21 2007 139,922

5. Megan Fox Gets Ready for Transformers Debut By Lounging Around in Her Underwear
Jun 27 2007 106,588

July
1. Gang Kidnaps Gamer to Get Password Using Fake Orkut Date
Jul 20 2007 225,306

2. Typhoon Strike Fighter Closing Dangerously On Hercules C130's Cargo Bay
Jul 29 2007 179,998

3. iPhone Review
Jul 9 2007 159,698

4. Google Streetview Camera Car Fleet Set to Invade America
Jul 17 2007 159,505

5. Why You Shouldn't Smash a Can of WD-40
Jul 19 2007 156,794

August
1. Storm Trooper Stripper (OK, Prostitute)
Aug 5 2007 389,709

2. The iPod nano Mock-Up (UPDATED again: Yes, It Is Real)
Aug 22 2007 177,832

3. Oops, iPhone Display Needs to Reboot, Runs Windows XP
Aug 2 2007 171,650

4. Best. Phishing email. Ever.
Aug 17 2007 164,397

5. F Cup Cookies Promise That Their Fat Will Go Straight to Your Boobs
Aug 6 2007 151,274

September
1. iPhone Free Software Unlock Confirmed (Death Star Explodes)[
Sep 11 2007 188,569

2. iPhone Firmware 1.1.1 Out and Tested: Breaks 3rd-party Apps, Relocks iPhones and Sends Them to Semi-Brick Activation Limbo (Updated with video)
Sep 27 2007 179,010

3. iPhone Software Unlock Confirmed on Video
Sep 7 2007 144,263

4. New 8-mm-Thick iPod Touch Makes Us Drool, Itch with Desire Sep 5 2007 128528

5. 35 Years of Tokyo Progress in 10 Seconds
Sep 8 2007 122,991

October
1. Rocket-Powered 21-Foot-Long X-Wing Model Actually Flies (Updated: Built-in R2-D2)
Oct 2 2007 459,513

2. X-Wing Rocket Launches, Disintegrates Mid-Air
Oct 8 2007 393,467

3. Verizon's LG VX10000 Voyager Revealed and Groped (with Gallery)
Oct 3 2007 234,147

4. Family Guy Explains The Death Star Flaw
Oct 13 2007 151,608

5. James Randi Offers $1 Million If Audiophiles Can Prove $7250 Speaker Cables Are Better
Oct 1 2007 145,641

November
1. The World's Most Effective Speed Bump
Nov 26 2007 309,788

2. Biggest BSOD of All Time?
Nov 9 2007 221,151

3. The Gizmodo Ultimate Black Friday Deal Guide
Nov 20 2007 209,135

4. Soldier Uses Wii to Catch Wife Doing Up, Down, Left, Right, A-B-A-B With Another Man
Nov 20 2007 203,717

5. Desktop Evolution: Windows and Mac OS Visual Comparison Through the Years
Nov 26 2007 176,796

December
1. Very NSFW Video: Beautiful Topless Girls Playing Wii
Dec 4 2007 198,743

2. Best Windows Error Ever May Rip Time-Space Continuum, Destroy Reality
Dec 6 2007 196,517

3. Imperial Stormtroopers Arrest Santa, Emperor to Take Over Xmas
Dec 16 2007 145,247

4. The New Dark Knight Trailer
Dec 16 2007 144,614

5. Google Maps Catches Sophisticated High School Football Field Prank
Dec 5 2007 142,398

Do you have any other suggestion as the best post of 2007? Tell us your favorite in the comments.

Have great fun tonight and a Happy New Year from everyone in Gizmodo!

Gizmodo Reader of the Year: David Bacio

Jason Chen — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 19:00:47 EST

Our official Gizmodo Reader of the Year for 2007 is David Bacio, also known as Deputy Sheriff David Bacio. He was one of the runners-up in the Inappropriate Gizmodo Browsing contest, submitting a picture of himself in front of a computer reading Gizmodo while at the station. So why is he the reader of the year? Because some douchebag called up his Sheriff, made a complaint, which ended up in a punishment for him just for being a loyal Giz reader.

In the end, David was determined (by the Sheriff's department) to have violated county internet policy and the code of conduct. He was also removed from his position, docked pay, and has a written reprimand that will stay in his file for three years. And for what? Taking an innocent picture of himself in front of a computer while on the job—an act that takes less time than going to the bathroom or taking a quick coffee break. We salute you, David, for being a loyal Gizmodo reader even despite the crap we got you into with the contest.

And here's to our worst Gizmodo reader of the year, the asshole who called up David's boss to complain. Please escort yourself out. Seriously. We don't want you here.

Gizmodo's 20 Most Commented Articles and Top 5 Commenters of 2007

Jesus Diaz — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 18:30:51 EST

Gizmodo would be a sad lonely place without you, the readers. Sure, we would keep drinking cocktails and having wild beach parties in the South Pacific, but it just wouldn't be the same. No, really. So here they are, without further ado, the Top 20 Most Commented Articles and the Top 5 Commenters of 2007. Check them out and vote for your favorite after the jump:

Top 20 Most commented articles of 2007

1. Halo: Halo 3 Swag Rebagging (Plus Apology) - 415

2. iPhone Revisited (Verdict: Don't Buy) - 344

3. Contest: Win a Free iPhone Software Unlock - 336

4. How to Comment: Win a Free iPhone Software Unlock - 286

5. Apple: 8GB iPhone Price Cut by $200, 4GB iPhone Gone - 279

6. Homophobia: Shareholder Takeover Planned to Stop Microsoft's 'Homosexual Agenda' - 273

7. Gizmodo iPhone Hands-On: I Called My Mommy - 237

8. Vote Giz: Vote for Giz! - 225

9. Apple: Apple's Beat Keynote Liveblog Here - 221

10. Exclusive: iPhone Free Software Unlock Confirmed (Death Star Explodes) - 215

11. Unicorn Chaser: We're Not Backing Out of Halo - 213

12. Top: Apple WWDC 2007 Liveblog - Steve Jobs Keynote - 211

13. Question Of The Day: Zune or iPod? - 209

14. iPhone Firmware 1.1.1 Out and Tested: Breaks 3rd-party Apps, Relocks iPhones and Sends Them to Semi-Brick Activation Limbo (Updated with video - 208

15. Whiners: Bitching About Too Much iPhone Coverage? Listen Up - 197

16. High Schooler Gets Detention for Using Firefox? UPDATE: Nope - 187

17. Announcements: Which Gizmodo Commenters Suck? - 184

18. Advertising: Intel Ad Might be Racist, but Boy Does It Make Me Want a Core 2 Duo 183

19. Oh, Food! I'll Just - Wahhhhhh!!: Squirrel Catapult is Awful, Yet We Can't Look Away 180

20. How to Comment: How Much Storage Do You Have? - 170

Top 5 Commenters of 2007
1. strider_mt2k's Activity - 4,151
2. Kaiser-Machead's Activity - 1,986
3. nutbastard's Activity - 1,356
4. ANoel's Activity 1,327
5. omg-ponies's Activity - 1,245

If you have another favorite comments or commenters, tell us in the comments and then other people can comment to your comments until a time-space warp is generated and gets all of us sucked into the next year or a new dimension.

Gizmodo Sues The Onion for Libel, Asks Drew Curtis for Legal Advice

Jesus Diaz — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 16:00:14 EST

LAKE TAHOE, Nevada (Agencies) — Popular technology blog and cocktail bar guide Gizmodo has sued leading international newspaper The Onion for libel, following the latter recent article on Microsoft Corp.'s (MFST) Zune 2 MP3 player's roaring success.

In declarations to the Reno Gazzette Journal this morning, Gizmodo's editor-in-chief Brian Lam categorically denied that he referred to the second-generation Zune as having "great design." "The Onion just made that whole thing up" Mr. Lam said, "what I really said was that the Zune 2 is an amazing piece of innovative engineering, a technological breakthrough that will affect all technology breakthroughs to come. The design, however, is a little bland." Visibly angry, Mr. Lam accused The Onion of systematically "getting things wrong."

Excerpt from The Onion's article on the second-generation Zune massive adoption

"The thing about Gates is true, though" the tech publication's mercurial leader added, "and I love his taste in pants and wool jumpers too. Specially that stripy one he wore at last year's CES. So cute. No, really, I love it. I know Chen is on the fence on that one but personally, I think his attire make him the fashion force in the industry. Like the Coco Chanel of tech, if you will" Later, he left the room bumping into a chair, spilling some of the contents from the bottle in a brown paper bag that he carried around all morning, which he referred to as "my coffee."

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the owner of popular news reference site Fark, amateur lawyer and fly fishing aficionado Drew Curtis said that he was going to give special legal counsel to Gizmodo and Brian Lam to stop what he referred to as "that bad bad bad source of news." "It's completely unacceptable" he said "I know that Gizmodo and me had our differences regarding the use of NSFW in the past, but The Onion's faulty reporting has to be stopped at once."

Gizmodo's publisher Nick Denton was unavailable for comment, having margaritas at a party somewhere in Manhattan. [The Onion]

(Notice: While this should come as obviously fake to 99% of the people out there, for the 1%, yes, this post is fake fake FAKE. F-A-K-E. This one you just read and, like everything they do, the Onion's)

How To: Subscribe to the Best Gizmodo Stories on RSS

Jason Chen — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 16:20:25 EST

A couple of you have asked us how you can subscribe to a "best of" roundup of Gizmodo stories for the week, so we figured we'd share the answer with the rest of the class. There's no weekly Giz round up yet, but you can point your RSS reader here and subscribe to our top stories tag, which is essentially the same thing. You can pretty much do the same thing for any tag. Just enter in http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/taghere/index.xml and you should be able to get a feed of just the items you want. Enjoy.

Readers Choice: Pick Your Favorite Inappropriate Giz Browsing

Jason Chen — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 18:40:00 EST

You asked, we listened. Now you can choose your own favorite Inappropriate Gizmodo Browsing entry from the 11 different runners-up we showed you yesterday (the naked one is a duplicate—you're welcome). Which one will you choose? Mike Tyson, or reverse cowgirl shown above? Vote Now.

Inappropriate Gizmodo Browsing Contest Gallery (Some NSFW)

Jason Chen — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 21:30:04 EST

You saw the winner, now it's time to see the runners up of our Inappropriate Gizmodo Browsing contest. The theme was reading Gizmodo in the most inappropriate place you could think of, and many of our readers took that to mean either reading us at work or while having sex. In fact, there were four different entries of Gizzing during sex, one of them being topless. If one of these entries is yours and you've changed your mind about being shown off for the public (and your boss) to see, email me and we'll take down the picture. Otherwise, hit the link to see all the juicy Giz goodness. Thanks to everyone who entered!

Vote for Giz

Sat, 03 Nov 2007 17:20:24 EDT

Without trying to stuff the ballot box or anything, the 2007 Weblog Awards ballots are now online, with November 8th being the last day you can vote Giz for Best Technology Blog. We've been a good little Gizmodo, haven't we? And you, well, you're the best little readers, yes you are. Yes you are. If we win, we promise to give each of you a ride in our private Gizmodo jet, taking you to a week-long frolic at the Gawker recreational compound, and then you'll each walk away with your own pony, complete with iPhone holster. That's right, we'll buy you a pony. Vote here. [2007 Weblog Awards]

Gizmodo vs. Engadget Battle Spotlighted in Fortune Mag

Charlie White — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 13:00:00 EDT

Fortune magazine must have been sniffing around our haunts lately, because there's a fresh piece in its pages today about the ongoing war between your friends here at the Giz and our respected and worthy competitors at Engadget.

Entitled "The blogs of war: Engadget vs. Gizmodo," the one-page story recounts the origins of the two tech sites and competitiveness between us two, rightly surmising that the fight between us makes gadget blogging better overall.

While nobody's screaming, "Cry havoc! and let slip the dogs of war" (Shakespeare's Julius Caesar), we do have a competitive instinct around here, and any time there's a race going on, we intend to win. But maybe it's not a zero-sum game; while some say Giz vs. Engag is a fight between the cats and the dogs, others think matching up the two sites is more like comparing apples (lower-case) to oranges. [Fortune]

Mini Golfing Mario & Luigi Set

Haroon Malik — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 16:40:00 EDT

It appears the fat and thin plumbers are taking time out from saving the princess named after a furry fruit, and what better way to relax than with a round of golf? The Mini Golfing Mario & Luigi set includes both Mario & Luigi plastic figures connected to a Famicom controller. The A and B buttons articulate the swinging motion, and the others have no use but to make the controllers look pretty.

Each 3" tall character requires two AAA batteries to function and the set costs $49.98. I see another Gizmodo vs. Kotaku championship on the horizon—once they get over the shock of a thorough big daddy spanking, of course. [Product Page via Ubergizmo]

iBotics Stingray Up Against it in a San Diego Swimming Pool

AddyDugdale — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 07:56:14 EDT

This is the Stingray robo-sub, one of the competitors in the tenth Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Competition, which is taking place at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center in San Diego this weekend. Rather confusingly, one of its rival's entries, from the U.S. Naval Academy, is known as Project Stingray, which you can see below. It's not as sexy as the one above, although the Academy boys get points from me for looking buff in their shorts.

The Stingray, with its carbon-fiber hull, is the brainchild of the San Diego iBotics Student Society, a bunch of undergraduates from a variety of colleges and universities in the San Diego area. They and the Naval Academy will be battling it out against teams from Duke, Cornell, MIT and last year's winner, the University of Central Florida. There's a whole bunch of other pics at over at CNET if, like me, you're into hot pool action.

[CNET News]

Gizmodo's Female Reader Cellphone Study

Jason Chen — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 19:00:55 EDT

Samsung commissioned a boring cellphone survey for single women that asked them whether they had "text shame", which is sending a message and realizing that they shouldn't have sent it, whether women use it as an address book, whether they pretended to have reception trouble, and whether they had their friends call them on a date. All old stuff, so we're going to create our own, slightly more interesting survey after the jump.

Mark Wilson Wouldn't Give Up His Cellphone For Anything Less Than an Island

Jason Chen — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 13:10:53 EDT

In an interview with ABCnews, Mark Wilson reveals that he would only give up his cellphone if he was given enough money to buy his own private island. I'm sure he was just being facetious, because I have it on good authority that he would give up much more for much less.

In any case, his response was to the Mobile Life survey of 24 British cellphone users that would only give up their cellphone (a third of them) for 1 million pounds. Sixteen percent would keep it no matter how much money was given.

Compare that to our own Giz readers (96.8%) who would give up their phones for the money. We're glad we have readers who can make intelligent decisions.

Can't Buy My Cell Phone Freedom [MarkWilsonNews]

iPhone Countdown Calendar and Delivery Calculator

Brian Lam — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 12:59:41 EDT

Pretty, huh?

I was thinking about how far away June 29th is for iPhone fans. So Jesus Diaz and I came up with this idea of a countdown calendar that you can cross off the dates on, as we inch toward launch. An idea is just an idea, though. All the design work you see above belongs to JD.

It also has second feature:

Part of me believes that there'll be a massive Wii-like drought, and only the diehard Mactards that wait in line overnight will get theirs on day 0. It's a long shot, but it could be. You can use this calendar as a calculator for when you'll get your iPhone. When I say calculator, I mean dart board.

Since the shortage is pure speculation, we leave the math up to the chance landing of a dart. Instead of monkeys, Gizmodo readers. Just throw a dart once, and come up with the month. Throw a second dart to come up with the day. Throw a third dart to come up with the time of day. Silly, I know.

If you're wondering, this dartboard's earlier incarnation was to be a guessing game for the iPhone launch date when it was unknown. Jesus Diaz IM'd me with a finished copy minutes after the first "June 29th" commercials aired. It was a little frustrating for the both of us, but we're happy enough sharing this work with you here.

At the very least, you can print it out and put it on your cubicle wall. – Brian Lam

iPhone Countdown Calculator and Delivery Calendar (PDF)

How To Read Gizmodo Without the iPhone Posts

Jason Chen — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 16:50:21 EST

Getting tired of the iPhone? Here's a way to read Gizmodo and get everything BUT iPhone posts. Here's what you do:

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/not:iphone

Easy, right?

If you don't want posts about boobies:

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/not:boobies

And if you don't want posts about Microsoft or boobies:

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/not:boobies/not:microsoft

Have fun! – Jason Chen

Thanks Gina!

Deep in the Trenches: Your Gizmodo Crew

Travis Hudson — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 17:41:09 EST

Knee deep in laptops and box lunches, half of the Gizmodo team churns away posts as the rest are roaming the floors. We commandeered this table and by god, no one will take it away from us.

Casio's Big-zoomin' slim fittin' digicam

Louis Ramirez — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 00:01:00 EST

Slim cams with internally-zooming, nonprotruding lenses are nothing new. But Casio kicks it up a notch by squeezing a 7X (38mm - 266mm) zoomer into the one-inch thick Exilim Hi-Zoom EX-V7. Lots of other goodies are inside, too. In addition to the anti-shake chip that it's been using to (somewhat successfully) process blur out of photos, Casio finally sprung for a mechanical antishake system that shifts the CCD to compensate for jitters — a la the mechanisms in some Pentax and Olympus cameras.

And the V7 sports Casio's shiny new EXILIM Engine 2.0 image processor, which it says will reduce fuzzy pixel noise and speed up shooting. The new chip also lets it automatically brighten up dark parts of photos - something you've been able to do manually on HP and Nikon cameras for a while. And it has an "Auto Follow AF" capability to hold focus on moving subjects like sugared-up kiddies.

The V7 can record video in stereo - a rare feature on point-and-shoots. And it uses the new H.264 video codec to squeeze about 50 percent more footage onto a card, sez Casio.

No word yet on when you can buy one of these puppies, or on how much it will cost. – Sean Captain

Gizmodo Mobile: Tell Us What's Wrong

Jason Chen — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 16:20:59 EST

You've been asking for it, and now it's here: a mobile version of Gizmodo. Just point your mobile IE or mobile Opera browsers at Gizmodo.com and you'll be able to read us on the road. Another method we've been using is just grabbing a mobile RSS reader and reading it via RSS.

Check it out and let us know if there's anything funky/missing with on your mobile device. On an 8525 (Windows Mobile) using Opera, we're getting a picture on top of the text for each post. No flash, so YouTube's out. Not a whole lot of fancy formatting, but it's easy to read. – Jason Chen

Thank You for Voting: We Didn't Win the Weblog Awards

Brian Lam — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 11:00:15 EST

Some of you guys love reading Giz as much as we love writing it. But sometimes, that ain't enough to fight off the haters. After the dust settled on the Internort, we ended up scoring as runner ups for the weblog tech awards. Congratulations to Ryan Block and Engadget, our rivals, who are doing a good job over there.

Having said that, I'm proud of what we've done in the last six months, too. We were the first to give you obsessively in depth reports on the Zune, PS3, Wii, including the first dual unboxings and unpantsings. Our photos are beautiful, and although our grammar and spelling suck, well, Firefox 2.0 has that spellchecker built in, so we should be ok with at least 50% of that problem by the next award poll.

Maybe next year, the underdogs will be victorious.– Brian Lam

P.S. Speaking of underdogs, that skinny guy in the photo is friend Josh Davis, and thats really him sumo wrestling in the US open.