Andrew Tarantola, Author at Gizmodo

The Feds Will Shut off Your Internet If You Don’t Clean Your Computer by July 9

When the FBI and Estonian authorities finally crushed the DNSChanger Trojan network in January, they set up a temporary DNS exchange to maintain connectivity for the millions of infected users until they could wipe the bug from their systems. https://gizmodo.com/the-fbi-might-cut-off-the-internet-for-millions-of-peop-5885716 Those temporary systems are going offline by the middle of the year, so if you…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

The CIA’s Mach 3 Recon Drone

Gary Power’s failed sortie over Soviet Russia in 1960 prompted military brass to search for unmanned alternatives for performing recon over hostile territory. The D-21 drone was Lockheed’s solution—launched from a modified A-12, it spied on Red China at over 2,000 MPH. Lockheed began its work in late 1962 on a high-altitude, high-speed reconnaissance drone.…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

ATF: Curbside Trash Is Not the Proper Means to Dispose of a Rocket Launcher—Unless It’s Unloaded

Is the guided missile launcher of yours taking up too much space in your home? No worries! Turns out, you don’t even need to recycle it. Houston PD and the ATF were summoned to the Kingwood neighborhood in Houston after residents discovered a rocket launcher set out with the curbside trash. “We have it in…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Sick Bikes, Sicker Patients, and The Most Disgusting Elevator of All Time

The Best Bike Race Finale of All Time Seriously, this will have you on the edge of your seat even if you’ve never seen a MotoGP race before. The POV shots alone are insane. It features Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo battling in the last three laps of Catalunya 2009 with Rossi eventually winning the…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Marley: The Definitive Biography of the Man Who Invented 4/20

Well, not really, that’s just an urban legend. But even 30 years after his death, Bob Marley remains a cultural, musical, and spiritual icon worldwide. Marley, simultaneously released today in theaters and online aims to be the man’s definitive biography. https://gizmodo.com/what-is-4-20-5903598 Directed by Academy Award-winner Kevin MacDonald and produced with the blessings of his family…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Kinects Could Get 3D Audio

That swanky surround-sound system might have eight point one channels, but you’ve got to be sitting at their precise focal point to get the full effect. This newly-filed Microsoft patent application will track listeners throughout the room and provide 3D audio regardless of their position. The 3D sound system relies on a “depth camera system”…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

The Incredibowl i420

The full i420 assembly with standard expansion chamber. The full i420 assembly with standard expansion chamber as seen from the side. The glass bowl sits below the rim of the aluminum collar. A close-up of the carb The bowl, carb and armor assembly easily separate from the expansion chamber. You can see the 13 carb…

Reviews Andrew Tarantola

Incredibowl i420 Lightning Review: The Robocop of Toking Implements

If you’ve held onto a piece for more than two years, consider yourself lucky—glassware is designed to look pretty, not to be rugged. Until now, that is. The Incredibowl i420 smokes like a chimney no matter how hard you beat on it. What Is It? It’s a chillum, but more durable. Who’s it For? Ham-fisted…

Reviews Andrew Tarantola

The World’s First Bionic Foot Mimics Flexion to Aid Gait

Using traditional lower leg and foot prosthetics is like walking in sand. Since the user can’t push off with that foot, there’s no muscle for power or an Achilles tendon to pull against. The BiOM prosthetic, however, supplements user effort with robot power. Even modern carbon fiber prosthetics can require as much as an extra…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

How to Rule a Weed Empire Through Violence

Empires are not ruled by kind-hearted men. Cornbread Mafia by James Higdon explores what it takes to maintain order within the “largest domestic marijuana syndicate in American history.” Several farmers came to Johnny Boone to complain that Abell owed them money for doing their part. This sort of discontent bred disharmony in a network that…

Books & Comics Andrew Tarantola

How To Choose the Right Grow Light

Whether you’re propagating tabletop lettuce or a batch of the sticky ickies, window sills just won’t cut it. You need yourself a proper lighting rig to get the most of your indoor garden. Here’s what you need to know. Image: aleks labuda Lighting Basics Plants eat sunlight, converting the solar energy to chemical throught the…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Ritz Flips a Switch, Queen Rocks Out, and We All Learn About Grow Lights(NSFW)

Roll that spliff extra phatly, pack some fresh ice into the binger, and set the Volcano to “Blasteroid.” It’s time for tonight’s Stoner Channel. We’ve collected our best high-times material for the discerning pothead on this, the stoney high holiday, so sit back, relax, and pass that shit on the left, yo. We’ll be updating…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

What Is 4/20?

4/20 is the high stoner holiday fer sure but where does it come from? Like, what are its origins, where’s it comin’ from, what’s its back story man? Luckily, the day has nothing to do with the Nazi. There are a lot of theories about how the term 4/20 entered the American lexicon, ranging from…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Scottish Scientists Invent “Sonic Screwdriver”

Part Tricorder and part lock-pick, Dr. Who’s famous all-in-one device could handle any crisis—save deadlock seals. Now, researchers from Dundee University have replicated at least some of the screwdriver’s functionality with a machine capable of lifting and turning suspended objects. The Dundee device is able to raise and turn disks suspended in a water-filled tube.…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

The Supermen Lovers: Say No More (NSFW)

Part pop culture parade, part earnest plea, Say No More by French House musical ensemble The Supermen Lovers features the work of nearly 20 designers creating a cavalcade of modern icons we just can’t stop talking about. (NSFW on account of boobies). You may also remember The Supermen Lovers from 2001’s “Starlight,” which hit #2…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

The Viper Strike Glide Bomb Floats Like a Butterfly, Stings Like a Kilo of High Explosive

As war moves off the battlefield and into urban areas, carpet bombing becomes decidedly less effective. The Viper Strike glide bomb was built for just such an occasion. It locks on with lasers to take out targets without nixing the whole neighborhood. Designated the GBU-44/B by the USAF, the Viper Strike is a GPS-aided, laser-guided…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Bust Heads, Not Your iPhone

Apple sells some pricey hardware, everybody knows it. That’s why iOS devices are at the top of muggers and robbers lists. So what better way to protect your phone than to integrate it into a vicious melee weapon. https://gizmodo.com/which-of-your-gadgets-is-worth-fighting-for-5866776 The Knucklecase is machined from solid aluminum (“totally recyclable,” boasts the site) and fits both the…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Penguins Rocket Away from Danger Aboard Supercavitating Bubble Jets

Turns out, not being eaten by a leopard seal is excellent motivation. It’s what spurred penguins to develop an ingenious method of cutting down their drag—by wrapping themselves in a shawl of bubbles. When being hunted by a leopard seal in the water, penguins will attempt to escape by hurling themselves out of the water…

Biology Andrew Tarantola

Hacking Bikes, Finding Weed in Malawi, and Growing Weed in Meijers

Roll that spliff phatly, pack some fresh ice into the binger, and set the Volcano to “toastify.” It’s time for tonight’s Stoner Channel. We’ve collected our best high-times material for the discerning pothead so sit back, relax, and pass that shit on the left, yo. Click here for more hits from the bong. Tonight’s mystery…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Randall Jr Makes Beer Taste…Different

Tired of your Coors Light tasting like fermented horse piss but don’t want to actually, you know, buy better beer? You are in luck with this single-serving beer infuser from Dogfish Head Brewery. Dubbed the Randall Jr, this device is a hand-held version of the brewery’s Randall The Enamel Animal infuser. They both work essentially…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Andrew Tarantola

The Feds Will Shut off Your Internet If You Don’t Clean Your Computer by July 9

The CIA’s Mach 3 Recon Drone

ATF: Curbside Trash Is Not the Proper Means to Dispose of a Rocket Launcher—Unless It’s Unloaded

Sick Bikes, Sicker Patients, and The Most Disgusting Elevator of All Time

Marley: The Definitive Biography of the Man Who Invented 4/20

Kinects Could Get 3D Audio

The Incredibowl i420

Incredibowl i420 Lightning Review: The Robocop of Toking Implements

The World’s First Bionic Foot Mimics Flexion to Aid Gait

How to Rule a Weed Empire Through Violence

How To Choose the Right Grow Light

Ritz Flips a Switch, Queen Rocks Out, and We All Learn About Grow Lights(NSFW)

What Is 4/20?

Scottish Scientists Invent “Sonic Screwdriver”

The Supermen Lovers: Say No More (NSFW)

The Viper Strike Glide Bomb Floats Like a Butterfly, Stings Like a Kilo of High Explosive

Bust Heads, Not Your iPhone

Penguins Rocket Away from Danger Aboard Supercavitating Bubble Jets

Hacking Bikes, Finding Weed in Malawi, and Growing Weed in Meijers

Randall Jr Makes Beer Taste…Different

Leaked Anthropic Model Presents ‘Unprecedented Cybersecurity Risks,’ Much to Pentagon’s Pleasure

Don’t miss out: Bitdefender, One of the World’s Best Antiviruses, Is Now on Sale

The Secret to Better Sperm? It’s Probably Already on Your Schedule

Lego Is Leaning Into Your Marvel Memories With a New Helicarrier Set

Toshiba’s 65-inch Smart Fire TV Now Matches 43-Inch Pricing After 44% Drop on Amazon

Kash Patel’s Email Account Hacked, Iran-Linked Group Takes Credit

Repair Workers Accidentally Stumble Upon Lost Remains of Legendary ‘Fourth Musketeer’

Dreame Aero Pro Wet Dry Vacuum Mop Drops 20% Shortly After Launch in the Spring Cleaning Sale

Darth Maul’s Legs, Ranked

April Set to Unleash Some Wild Weather Across Parts of the US, Meteorologists Warn

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

Asus ROG’s Massive Swift OLED Gaming Monitor Epitomizes Excess in the Best Way

The Ikea Varmblixt Smart Lamp Fills a Donut Hole in My Life

Nothing Headphone A vs. Headphone 1: Which Pair of ANC Wireless Headphones Wins?

Asus ROG’s Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds Might Be Better Than Wearing a Headset

Nintendo’s Talking Flower Is Annoying as Hell. I Love It

Level Lock Pro Review: As Good as a Secret Smart Lock Gets

Apple Studio Display XDR Review: It Looks So Good, I Wish It Were an iMac

RayNeo Air 4 Pro Review: My Eyes Love These Video Glasses, but My Nose Disagrees