Andrew Tarantola, Author at Gizmodo

Boom Boom Satellites : Kick It Out

Gotta love this video. It starts out innocently enough with a bit of Jet-style garage rock, then the beat drops and everything goes sideways. Boom Boom Satellites formed back in 1990, when college friends Michiyuki Kawashima and Masayuki Nakano began tooling around. By 1998, BBS had released its debut album 7 Ignitions/Auto Re-Birth, performed at…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Nov 11 '11

One of the Most Important Internet Hubs in the World Is in Manhattan

Getting data that’s generating these words from Gizmodo’s servers to your computer, requires a vast global array of networks. And, at one point along its journey, the data will likely pass through the Ethernet switches at 60 Hudson Street, one of the most densly-packed network hubs on the Internet. 60 Hudson Street in Lower Manhattan…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Nov 11 '11

Smart Case Concept Will Turn Your iPhone into a Homing Beacon

The BiKN for iPhone (rhymes with deacon, not chicken) comprises a radio-enabled case for the iPhone 4 and a set of tracking tags. These tags can be attached to important stuff like house keys or children—really anything you misplace on a regular basis—and up to eight tags can be utilized simultaneously. The BiKN app will…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Nov 11 '11

How T-Shirts Have Become Wearable Art

T-shirts aren’t just a way of getting around “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service” requirements at restaurants—they’re an expression of your interests and personal style. This video from NEXT celebrates the history of the T and discusses its future with some of the world’s top graphics designers. Produced in conjunction with aMBUSH, this video is…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Nov 11 '11

Light Paint Can—Photographic Vandalism for Polite Society

Unless your name rhymes with “Anksy” or you’ve got the chops to do burners like this, you might want to consider a less…permanent means of expressing yourself in the public space. The Light Spray Can might just be the answer. Instead of spraying paint, the Light Spray Can emits a high-intensity beam of UV light.…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Nov 11 '11

Who Wouldn’t Want a Twin-Engine Jet-Powered Harley?

It’s like the Sons of Anarchy and Evel Knievel conceived a kinky lovechild while jumping over the Grand Canyon aboard rocket sleds. Based on off a 1929 Harley Board Track design, this custom motorcycle forgoes the normal engine bits for something with a bit more oomph. And a top speed of 200 miles per hour.…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Nov 11 '11

Bike Chains Welded into the Shape of Human Despair

The tightly-bound sculptures of Korean artist Yeong-Deok Seo are equally impressive and depressing. Impressive in that such detail and texture can be coaxed from something as ordinary as a bicycle chain. Depressing in that these pieces all appear anguished and include titles like Infection – Ego and Addict. Yeah, good times in South Korea. [This…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Nov 10 '11

Stanford Is Building the World’s Biggest Digital Camera

So just how much can a digital camera the size of a Hyundai see? Hopefully, if you’re the Stanford team building it, enough to answer some fundamental questions about our galaxy. It will be the world’s largest digital camera by a good margin, built by the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center for the Large Synoptic Survey…

Space & Spaceflight Andrew Tarantola Nov 10 '11

Philips Beehive Concept Has Urban Farmers Abuzz

Urban beekeeping is reemerging as a popular pastime for city-dwellers but a stack of conventional hive boxes won’t generally fit in a third-story apartment. Philips’ new urban beehive concept, however, aims to bring a colony to every balcony in your town. The hive consists of a smart-looking central chamber pre-loaded with honeycomb frames. Bees enter…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Nov 10 '11

XXIT Is 11 Minutes of Awesome from Stargate Studios

I was never much of a Stargate SG-1 fan—just wasn’t the same without Kurt Russell—but if the TV series is as good as this short film (by a completely unrelated, yet similarly-named company), I’m going to need to clear some space on my Instant Queue. XXIT is the story of a time-travelling replicant who travels…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Nov 10 '11

Can 3D Printers Make Libraries Useful Again?

As the printed word gives way to digital distribution, libraries must change in both form and function in order to remain relevant in the Internet age. One New York book repository has taken the lead in this effort by installing the country’s first “maker’s space” within a public library. The effort is being spearheaded by…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Nov 10 '11

How To Enable iOS 5’s Hidden Auto-Correct Feature

Turns out iOS 5 is hiding Easter Eggs aplenty. Besides the camera’s secret panorama mode, an Android-style auto-correct bar has been uncovered as well. https://gizmodo.com/there-is-a-secret-panorama-mode-hidden-in-the-iphones-c-5857318 Here’s how to enable the feature in just six steps per 9 to 5 Mac: 1. Download iBackupBot 2. Backup your iPhone/iPod in iTunes 3. Open iBackupBot and find the…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Nov 10 '11

World’s Priciest Picture Is as Bland as It Is Expensive

Andreas Gursky is well-known for his stunning full-color landscapes, though this one seems to only include green and grey. And yet it just became the world’s most expensive photograph, fetching a whopping $4.3 million. This is Andreas Gursky’s Rhein II, an 81- x 140-inch print of the famous German river. It went on sale at…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Nov 9 '11

Suck on These Single-Serving Coffee Sacks

I’ve never been one much for chewing tobacco—couldn’t ever quite get the hang of spitting without drooling all over myself. These coffee sacks provide a similar kick without water or, you know, the whole mouth-cancer issue. The Grinds Coffee Pouch works just like bagged chaw does, just cram a pack into your lip and leave…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Nov 9 '11

Ice Snitches and Cocktails Alike with These Frozen Bullets

Long known in assassin circles as a means of offing targets without leaving evidence, ice bullets now serve a less-than-lethal function—cooling your drinks. The Bullet Ice Cube Tray’s banana clip-shape holds ten icy rounds. It supposedly fills like a normal ice cube tray, though looks like it uses a separating two-part design. Be warned though,…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Nov 9 '11

Midnight Rider Is the Biggest Limo on the Planet

Cramming yourself into a Winnebago for your next road trip to Vegas? Ludicrous. Get there in the back end of a big-rig, a rolling disco, the worlds biggest limo. The 25-ton, 70 foot long Midnight Rider is the world’s heaviest limousine, according the the Guinness Book of World Records. Technically a “Tractor-Trailer Limousine,” it was…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Nov 9 '11

The Waldorf-Astoria’s Presidential Entrance Includes a Secret Train Station

How did President Franklin Delano Roosevelt get into the Waldorf-Astoria without alerting the paparazzi? A secret subterranean train station, obviously. This is track 61, a little-known extension of the New York subway system that runs directly under the world-famous Waldorf-Astoria hotel. It has hosted numerous luminaries from General Pershing, who visited in 1938, to Andy…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Nov 9 '11

With Blinds Like These, Who Needs Windows?

Winter’s quickly approaching and that subterranean studio apartment of yours won’t be getting brighter any time soon. So, instead of knocking out walls for an impromptu Sun room, just fake it with these illuminated faux-shades. Designed by Makoto Hirahara, Bright Blinds are constructed from electroluminescent sheets and controlled just like conventional window treatments. Tug on…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Nov 9 '11

How a Bland Polygon Sculpture Becomes Stunning, Psychedelic Art

This must be what electric sheep dream of. The contemporary installation Parmenides I by artist Dev Harlan comprises two parts—the wood, foam, and plaster that make up the sculpture itself and the four projectors that generate delicate, albeit visually arresting, patterns on its surface. It is currently part of Harlan’s solo exhibition “The Astral Flight…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Nov 8 '11

Heavy D & The Boyz : The Overweight Lovers In The House

Dwight Arrington Myers passed on today at the age of 44 from causes unknown. This one goes out to you Heavy D. With their debut album, Living Large, Heavy D & the Boyz were the first group signed to Uptown Records, the same label as such hip-hop giants as Guy, Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, The…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Nov 8 '11

Andrew Tarantola

Boom Boom Satellites : Kick It Out

One of the Most Important Internet Hubs in the World Is in Manhattan

Smart Case Concept Will Turn Your iPhone into a Homing Beacon

How T-Shirts Have Become Wearable Art

Light Paint Can—Photographic Vandalism for Polite Society

Who Wouldn’t Want a Twin-Engine Jet-Powered Harley?

Bike Chains Welded into the Shape of Human Despair

Stanford Is Building the World’s Biggest Digital Camera

Philips Beehive Concept Has Urban Farmers Abuzz

XXIT Is 11 Minutes of Awesome from Stargate Studios

Can 3D Printers Make Libraries Useful Again?

How To Enable iOS 5’s Hidden Auto-Correct Feature

World’s Priciest Picture Is as Bland as It Is Expensive

Suck on These Single-Serving Coffee Sacks

Ice Snitches and Cocktails Alike with These Frozen Bullets

Midnight Rider Is the Biggest Limo on the Planet

The Waldorf-Astoria’s Presidential Entrance Includes a Secret Train Station

With Blinds Like These, Who Needs Windows?

How a Bland Polygon Sculpture Becomes Stunning, Psychedelic Art

Heavy D & The Boyz : The Overweight Lovers In The House

Before ‘Witch Hat,’ Kamome Shirahama Blessed Us With a Hilarious Romp About Gals Being Pals

Meta Axes Contractors Who Had to Review Explicit Video From Smart Glasses

World’s Slowest Rocket Company Suddenly Wants to Churn Out 60 Rockets a Year

Lego’s May Releases Are Swooshing In

Buying Prescription Smart Glasses Might Not Be Such a Good Idea After All

Spirit Airlines Is Reportedly Moving Forward With Plan to Shut Down

Trump Resurrects Keystone Pipeline Killed Over Climate Concerns

The Old Republic Reigns Supreme in Hasbro’s New ‘Star Wars’ Figures

Everything You Missed From Elon Musk’s Testimony in the OpenAI Trial

New FCC Satellite Rules Could Improve Starlink Capacity to a Surprising Degree

The Best Tech Gifts for Mother’s Day 2026

Asus’ Dual-Display Gaming Laptop Will Ruin Your Single-Screen Lifestyle

Steam Controller Review: Trackpads Change Everything for PC Gaming

Soundcore Space 2 Review: A Shockingly Stellar Value for Budget ANC Wireless Headphones

Anker’s UV Printer Can Handle Almost Anything… If You Know What You’re Doing

HP’s EliteBoard Keyboard-Computer Proves We Can Stick a PC in Anything

Sleep-Tracking Earbuds Didn’t Fix Me, but They Did Open My Eyes

I’ve Tested a Lot of Bad Smart Glasses and These Are the Worst Yet

Roborock’s Qrevo Curv 2 Flow Is the Ultimate Robot Mop—If You Don’t Have Corners or Walls

Alienware’s $350 QD-OLED Gaming Monitor Nixes Everything for a Pretty Screen