Andrew Tarantola, Author at Gizmodo

Amazon Prime’s Streaming Title Count Might Be off by an Order of Magnitude

Amazon claims to be supplying “more than 17,000 movies and television shows” through Prime Instant Video and in some ways it’s true—like if you consider each episode in a TV series an individual title. Amazon confirmed to Fast Company that the “17,000 titles count is inclusive of both TV episodes and movies.” The problem lies…

Commerce Andrew Tarantola

Apple Claims It Broke “Amazon’s Monopolistic Grip” on Publishing

Apple’s delivered its response to antitrust charges leveled by the DoJ earlier in the week. Apparently the Feds have it all backwards, Apple is the hero here, not the villain. https://gizmodo.com/the-us-department-of-justice-files-antitrust-lawsuit-ag-5901002 Per an official statement from Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr delivered to AllThingsD The DOJ’s accusation of collusion against Apple is simply not true. The…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Study: Drinking Two Beers Makes You Clever

If you’re hung up on a brain-twizzling problem, crack a brew. A new study from the University of Illinois suggest that, contrary to common belief, alcohol’s buzz might actually improve your problem-solving skills. A team from the University of Illinois at Chicago and led by Professor Jennifer Wiley believes that inebriation might enhance the mind’s…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Boss Talks, Pickles N’ Sno Cones, and Motherf***ing Pterodactyls (NSFW)

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 Strawberry…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Announce Your Dominion over the Bike Lane with the Blast of a Freight Train

It doesn’t matter how much protective gear you wear or how bright your safety lights are, on a bike, cars consider you an afterthought at best. But with this homebrew bike horn, people will know you’re coming from over half a mile away. https://gizmodo.com/light-up-psychedelic-clothes-designed-to-freak-out-squa-5895778 The brainchild of Instructables contributor The Chadster, this system mounts a…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Mark Foster, A-Trak, and Kimbra: Warrior

Did you just wake up and find yourself in a Luchador Kumate? Remember these three things: bring a reliable wingman, don’t bail without the girl, and always aim for the mask. Warrior is a collaborative work by Mark Foster (of Foster the People fame), DJ A-Trak, and vocalist Kimbra. It was put together as part…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Better Late than Never, Apple Fixes Flashback Vulnerability

As promised, Apple rolled out a Java update today designed to combat the Flashback infection afflicting some 600,000 Mac users. https://gizmodo.com/mac-flashback-trojan-find-out-if-youre-one-of-the-600-5899352 The Java security update removes common Flashback variants and disables the auto-running of applets, which is how Flashback infiltrated systems. To ensure you’re protected, simply download and apply the latest patches from Software Update.…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

World’s Most Advanced Infrared Spectrometer Can Nearly See the Beginning of Time

The universe’s most distant and ancient galaxies are about to be brought into focus. At the Keck Observatory in Hawaii, a multi-university team of researchers has just installed a very sophisticated infrared sensor in the Keck I telescope. The MOSFIRE (Multi-Object Spectrometer for Infra-Red Exploration) is a five-ton, $14 million device. Ian S. McLean, a…

Space & Spaceflight Andrew Tarantola

Recycling Paper from Poop—I’m Not Sure I Want to Save the Planet That Badly

Would you lick an envelope made from used toilet paper? One Israeli firm hopes you will. Don’t gag, paper consumption is at an all-time high (damn Belgium, save some for later) and something must be done. https://gizmodo.com/were-using-way-more-paper-than-we-ever-have-before-5898830 Applied Clean Tech collects the solid sludge from water treatment plants and, through a proprietary method, extracts the…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Appeals Court Rules Computer Code Is Not “Property” and Can’t Be Stolen

Sergey Aleynikov, an ex-Goldman-Sachs programmer, spent a year in prison for downloading source code of the firm’s high-speed trading software before his sentence was overturned in February. Today, the court explained why—downloading computer code doesn’t constitute stealing under the National Stolen Property Act. The 2nd Circuit Appeals Court ruled that since computer code cannot be…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

The BBC Studies Stupid, Butterflies Induce Rage, and Dungeons & Dragons Is the Devil (NSFW)

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. This Chiesel…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Want to Look Two Inches Taller? Try Holding a Gun

A core tenet of the human “fight or flight” response begs the question, is this guy bigger than me? A recent study suggests that answer depends on if he’s wielding or not. Turns out, our brains might give a subconscious size advantage to opponents if they’re holding a weapon. Dr. Daniel Fessler and a team…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Biometric ATM Reads Palms, Not Debit Cards

Want some cash in Gifu Prefecture, Japan? Come September, you’ll be able to just press some flesh with one of Ogaki Kyoritsu Bank’s biometric ATMs to access your accounts. These are expected to be the first biometric-only teller machines in Japan. The technology is already employed by some other banks but in conjunction with a…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Facebook’s “Groups for Schools” Is a Walled Garden of Higher Education

Facebook unveiled its new “Groups for Schools” feature today which will allow American colleges to create Group pages accessible only within the school community. It will also feature a file-sharing service, though the second-coming of Napster, it’s not. Groups for Schools is open only to people with active school email addresses, which will help keep…

Social Media Andrew Tarantola

Crumpler Nhill Heist Lightning Review: Keeps your Laptop Safe Without Getting in Your Way

Your morning commute is trying enough without having to muscle a huge bag along with you. The Nhill Heist from Crumpler holds everything you need without getting in the way. What Is It? A secure laptop pack that fits you like a shadow. Who’s it For? Agile commuters, urban ninjas, corporate spooks, NASA employees, and…

Reviews Andrew Tarantola

US Coasts Could Be Guarded by Unmanned Piranha Drone Boats

UAV’s are old hat nowadays—they’ve been overhead for nearly a decade. The next frontier in unmanned vehicles isn’t in the air. It’s on the waves. The Piranha Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) could revolutionize ocean-based military operations drones have done for the skies. The Piranha USV prototype, developed by Zyvex Marine, is a 54-foot long drone…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Are MIT’s “Double Bubble” Planes the Future of Air Travel?

Fuel continue to be the largest operating expenditure for airlines and is expected to cost them an extra $40 billion this year. So, MIT’s developing a new style of aircraft that could run on as little as 30 percent as today’s 737’s. The D8 “double-bubble” configuration, currently being developed by a research team at MIT…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

How to Conduct a Pipe Organ Concert with a Kinect

The Kinect has been re-purposed for projects ranging from piloting UAV drones to steering shopping carts, so why not use one to play Melbourne Town Hall’s 4-story organ like a gigantic theremin? https://gizmodo.com/autonomous-drones-could-one-day-recognize-flight-crew-g-5893249 Composer Chris Vik did just that, developing the KiNECTAR program in 2011. According to Vik, it is an, “interface where I could…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

The Apple Store Is Updating

The Apple Store is currently closed for business. It is very unlikely that Apple could introduce the MacBook Pro 2012 overnight, especially when everything indicates that it would be a heavily redesigned model. We will see what happens, but most probably it is some kind of routine database maintenance. https://gizmodo.com/new-macbook-pro-2012-may-be-imminent-5900766

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Superman vs Kitty Litter, Shamans of the Amazon, and Frickin’ Sharks (NSFW)

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 Red…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Andrew Tarantola

Amazon Prime’s Streaming Title Count Might Be off by an Order of Magnitude

Apple Claims It Broke “Amazon’s Monopolistic Grip” on Publishing

Study: Drinking Two Beers Makes You Clever

Boss Talks, Pickles N’ Sno Cones, and Motherf***ing Pterodactyls (NSFW)

Announce Your Dominion over the Bike Lane with the Blast of a Freight Train

Mark Foster, A-Trak, and Kimbra: Warrior

Better Late than Never, Apple Fixes Flashback Vulnerability

World’s Most Advanced Infrared Spectrometer Can Nearly See the Beginning of Time

Recycling Paper from Poop—I’m Not Sure I Want to Save the Planet That Badly

Appeals Court Rules Computer Code Is Not “Property” and Can’t Be Stolen

The BBC Studies Stupid, Butterflies Induce Rage, and Dungeons & Dragons Is the Devil (NSFW)

Want to Look Two Inches Taller? Try Holding a Gun

Biometric ATM Reads Palms, Not Debit Cards

Facebook’s “Groups for Schools” Is a Walled Garden of Higher Education

Crumpler Nhill Heist Lightning Review: Keeps your Laptop Safe Without Getting in Your Way

US Coasts Could Be Guarded by Unmanned Piranha Drone Boats

Are MIT’s “Double Bubble” Planes the Future of Air Travel?

How to Conduct a Pipe Organ Concert with a Kinect

The Apple Store Is Updating

Superman vs Kitty Litter, Shamans of the Amazon, and Frickin’ Sharks (NSFW)

Elon Musk’s Lawyer Claims Jury’s 420 ‘Joke’ Proves He Didn’t Receive a Fair Trial

‘Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice’ Is a Genre Blending Delight

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

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