Andrew Tarantola, Author at Gizmodo

Why Is There a US Naval Cruiser in the Middle of This Cornfield?

If you’re driving along the New Jersey turnpike just outside of Moorsetown and think you see the top of an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer peeking above endless rows of corn, miles from the nearest ocean, don’t worry—it’s supposed to be there. It’s just a full-size mock up that Lockheed uses to develop its AEGIS Combat System.…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

This Bike Jacket Uses Embedded Glass “Pixels” to Light Up the Night

With an increasing number of bikes now sharing American roads with vehicle traffic, it’s more important than ever to be as visible as you can on two wheels, especially at night. But with the Zap commuter jacket from Sugoi, that won’t be much of a problem. Set for release later this fall, the nylon-shell Zap…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

The Weirdest Thing on the Internet Tonight: Asshole (NSFW)

Remember kids, you should never judge a book by its cover. Even if that cover looks like a parasitic, towel-eating monster that’s taken up residence in your anus.

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

San Francisco’s Most Adorable Crime Fighter Just Got His Own Movie

When the Penguin and the Riddler invaded San Francisco last November, causing havock, robbing banks, and kidnapping the Giant’s beloved mascot Lou Seal, the SFPD called in the only person that could stop them: Batkid. https://gizmodo.com/5-year-old-batkid-will-save-san-francisco-thanks-to-ma-1457323535 With the help of the Make A Wish Foundation, this pint-sized crime fighter not only nabbed the baddies, but…

Movies Andrew Tarantola

China’s New Hypersonic Missile Can Scream Past US Air Defenses

Just what we need, another arms race. China’s stepping up its bid for ballistic missile superiority, having just successfully test-fired the country’s first hypersonic missile delivery vehicle, one capable of penetrating American air defenses to potentially deliver nuclear warheads. The Pentagon is not amused. The WU-14 hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) is part of China’s extremely…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Albert Hoffman’s First LSD-Laced Bike Ride

Hey man, you ever ridden a bicycle? You ever ridden a bicycle on LSD?

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Cooking with Cannabis: How to Make Weed Butter

Getting your daily dose of THC shouldn’t require coughing and hacking through bong hits or dropping hundreds of dollars on vaporizers. Here’s how to give your cooking a dash of psychedelic deliciousness. Obligatory Bob Loblaw Disclaimer: While cannabis is legal for recreational use in Colorado and Washington, as well as for medical use in 20…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

This Winery’s Sorting Robot Only Has Eyes for the Tastiest Grapes

Bad grapes only lead to sour wine, and wineries know they must be discarded before they ruin the batch. Yet, even in Northern California’s multi-million dollar wine industry, separating good grapes from bad is still done by hand. That’s why one local winery now employs a single machine capable of doing the sorting work of…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

A Process of How It Seeks Itself, It Eats Itself

How do the animals we eat perceive their own existence and what do they think of us? This experimental short film from Shunsaku.H attempts to find out.

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Feds Arrest Defense Contractor for Shipping Military Secrets to Iran

Mozaffar Khazaee, a former Manchester, Connecticut resident and defense contractor has been arrested by federal authorities on charges that he attempted to smuggle classified technical data on a variety of military projects—including the new F-35 Lightning II—out of the country and into Iran. Khazaee is a naturalized U.S. citizen from Iran and holds citizenship in…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

China Is Building a Titanic Replica That Simulates the Disaster

From faked Austrian villages to cloned Russian jets, China’s reputation for shameless counterfeiting is well-earned. Now, a Chinese firm has plans to build a replica of the Titanic and take visitors on a morbid ride that recreates the sinking of the original. The plan, put forth by the Seven Star Energy Investment Group group, calls…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

6 Tips to Make Yourself a Chromebook Master

Chromebooks may be budget-priced, but that doesn’t mean you should have to endure cut-rate performance. Here are five simple ways to boost your Chromebook’s capabilities without breaking the bank. Live in the Clouds The Chromebook’s limited internal hard drive fills up fast, but there’s plenty of room for your data on the internet. Every Chromebook…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

The Weirdest Thing on the Internet Tonight: Mom Is a Knife Thrower

Why would you use your own child in a knife-throwing act? Why wouldn’t you use your own child in a knife-throwing act? Everybody knows that flesh wounds build character.

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Freiheit: George Lucas’ Very First, Very Worst Film

Many years before George Lucas decided it was ok to lie to the children of America, convincing them that tree-dwelling teddy bears with bronze age technology could really decimate the most capable military force in the galaxy, he started his directorial career with this short film about, um, freedom? Titled Freiheit, this 1966 short film…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

How Vanderbilt’s Secret Software Lab Is Saving America

On a quiet street just off of Nashville’s historic Music Row, a dedicated team of more than 100 researchers are developing software systems that may very well revolutionize the modern world. From cutting edge cyber-security tech designed to defend America’s most critical networks to computer-learning algorithms that could all but eliminate airline crashes, Vanderbilt’s Institute…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

These Doomsday Planes Protect Heads of State When Disaster Strikes

In the event of a nuclear strike on American soil, we’re going to be in a little bit of trouble. But at least we’ll die safe in the knowledge that the valiant leaders of our nation—or any yahoos lucky enough to be in office at the time—will be escaping the nuclear holocaust in a fleet…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

The Weirdest Thing on the Internet Tonight: Into the Fire

Hey man, remember that time in Berlin in ’71 when Deep Purple just like totally blew the minds of all those German kids by playing Into the Fire? Here, this should help.

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Israel’s National Missile Shield Could Shoot Satellites Out of Orbit

Israel doesn’t get on too well with its Arab neighbors, and the threat of annihilation by ballistic missile is always present. To defend itself against this potential threat, Israel has built an Iron Dome-like defense system that covers the entire nation. But if this system can exo-atmospherically neutralize incoming ICBM’s, what’s to keep it from…

Space & Spaceflight Andrew Tarantola

The Weirdest Thing on the Internet Tonight: The Dangers of Flossing

Remember kids, if your gums are bleeding when you finish flossing, you’re either pushing too hard or not hard enough.

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Happy Birthday David Bowie, Let’s Watch Some Labyrinth

A veritable Odin among rock gods, mightier than mere Rolling Stones, more talented than any formerly known Princes, the incomparable David Bowie turns 67 today. To celebrate, sit on down, shave off your eyebrows and watch Ziggy himself steal a baby (and our hearts) as the Goblin King in Jim Henson’s 1986 classic Labyrinth. [Google…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Andrew Tarantola

Why Is There a US Naval Cruiser in the Middle of This Cornfield?

This Bike Jacket Uses Embedded Glass “Pixels” to Light Up the Night

The Weirdest Thing on the Internet Tonight: Asshole (NSFW)

San Francisco’s Most Adorable Crime Fighter Just Got His Own Movie

China’s New Hypersonic Missile Can Scream Past US Air Defenses

Albert Hoffman’s First LSD-Laced Bike Ride

Cooking with Cannabis: How to Make Weed Butter

This Winery’s Sorting Robot Only Has Eyes for the Tastiest Grapes

A Process of How It Seeks Itself, It Eats Itself

Feds Arrest Defense Contractor for Shipping Military Secrets to Iran

China Is Building a Titanic Replica That Simulates the Disaster

6 Tips to Make Yourself a Chromebook Master

The Weirdest Thing on the Internet Tonight: Mom Is a Knife Thrower

Freiheit: George Lucas’ Very First, Very Worst Film

How Vanderbilt’s Secret Software Lab Is Saving America

These Doomsday Planes Protect Heads of State When Disaster Strikes

The Weirdest Thing on the Internet Tonight: Into the Fire

Israel’s National Missile Shield Could Shoot Satellites Out of Orbit

The Weirdest Thing on the Internet Tonight: The Dangers of Flossing

Happy Birthday David Bowie, Let’s Watch Some Labyrinth

Deadpool Will Deface ‘Magic: The Gathering’ Classics for a New Secret Lair

Apple’s Siri Isn’t Just Going to Use One Chatbot. It’s Going to Use All of Them

Why ‘For All Mankind’ Season 5 Is the Key to the Rest of the Series

ASUS ZenScreen 15.6-Inch Portable Monitor Is Now Cheaper Than Black Friday in Amazon’s Big Spring Sale

Early Wildfires Are Surging Across the US—and Trump’s New Fire Agency Isn’t Ready

INIU Brings Another Power Bank to the Spring Sale as SnapGo Keychain Portable Charger Drops to Its Lowest Price

Attorney Hit With Historic Fine for Citing AI-Generated Cases

Travelers Experiencing the Longest Security Lines in TSA History

Could There Be a ‘Project Hail Mary’ Sequel?

Meta Has More Smart Glasses Coming Whether You Want Them or Not

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