Andrew Tarantola, Author at Gizmodo

This Russian Rifle Fires 800 Rounds Per Minute–Underwater

Russia’s naval special forces, like our Navy SEALs, spend about as much time underwater as they do above it. As such, these aqueous commandos typically are required to carry at least two firearms, one for land assaults and a second outfitted for underwater combat. But this amphibious rifle is equally effective in both environments. The…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Oct 24 '13

This Teenage Mutant Ninja Backpack Holds All of the Pizzas

Who among us hasn’t secretly wished to find themselves suddenly mutated into a crime-fighting chimera, despite the risk of becoming another Dr. Baxter Stockman? Now you can live out your Ninja Turtle fantasies—without having to skinny dip in Ooze—thanks to this radical TMNT backpack. The TMNT backpack holds everything a ninja could need. In addition…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Oct 24 '13

These Gargantuan Gates Keep Europe’s Largest Port from Drowning

Spanning more than 25 miles of shoreline and covering 41 square miles, the Port of Rotterdam is largest shipping berth in all of Europe, the fifth-busiest in the world, and a major interchange for the region’s energy supplies. But keeping the North Sea’s fury in check is no easy feat. So to keep the port…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Oct 24 '13

TWTIT: Happy Meal Horror (with a Side of Chainsaw)

And you thought pink slime was horrifying? Just wait until you see this young steer’s harrowing escape from certain death at the clamps of a chainsaw-wielding robot named Earl. https://gizmodo.com/pink-slime-makers-are-feeding-diane-sawyer-a-big-fat-l-5988477 Also, why do robots need bathrooms?

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Oct 24 '13

Undead Teddy Ruxpin and Elmo: Thrift Shop

If Furbies have taught us anything, it’s that felt-covered animatronics are not to be trusted—they are to be feared. Especially when two of your childhood icons are revived as hip-pop-spouting zombies, as they are in this nightmare-inducing cover of the Macklemore and Ryan Lewis hit. Built and programmed by YT contributor and veritable Dr. Frankenstein…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Oct 23 '13

This Pumpkin Tap Turns Your Halloween Gourd Into an Edible Keg

Make Martha Boowart proud—while giving your Monster Mash an added seasonal flair—by converting that pre-op Jack-o-Lantern into something far more useful than a carriage: a Keg. The Pumpkin Tap will turn any pumpkin or squash—even watermelon—into an impromptu beverage server. Simply open the top of the gourd, scoop out the seeds, and shove the shank…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Oct 23 '13

These Systems Let You Monitor Your Garden Without Setting Foot Outside

Part of the whole draw of gardening is watching your botanical efforts slowly bloom. But let’s face it—most of us barely have time to water the houseplants regularly, much less manage a garden. Luckily, with these internet-enabled plant sensing systems, you’ll be able to watch your garden grow from the couch. Kuobachi Wi-Fi Plant Sensor…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Oct 23 '13

San Francisco Launches a Website To Prep For the Big One

Do you have an exit strategy for you and yours in place, should a major earthquake, terrorist attack, or similar large scale disaster occur? You should. And with the help of San Francisco’s new social emergency preparation website, you will. Much like New York City’s “hurricane-proof” civic website, SF72.org is a localized information hub leveraging…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Oct 23 '13

The UK Is Building Its First Nuclear Plant in a Quarter Century

The UK has set some very ambitious carbon reduction goals for itself—including the overall reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by a whopping 80 percent by 2050, but this goal is proving more challenging than anticipated. At this rate, the UK will have to go fully-carbon free by 2030. So to meet its environmental deadline, they’re…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Oct 23 '13

The Weirdest Thing on the Internet Tonight: Pitch Videos

Take your favorite TV spot. Cut out all of the post-production effects, professional actors, props, CGI, and anything even resembling a budget. What do you have? This collection of unintentionally hilarious clips from director Tony Benna.

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Oct 23 '13

Apple’s New Mac Pro Could Be Your Ultimate Workstation

Apple’s pulling out all the stops on its venerable Mac Pro line. This years edition offers more computing power than the entirety of some developing countries. Here’s what’s in store for Apple’s power users in 2013. The new Mac Pro is a beast of a machine. Sporting Intel Xeon E5 processors with between 4 and…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Oct 22 '13

The New 2013 MacBook Pro Gets a Significant Spec Bump

Apple has announced today that its flagship MacBook Pro models will be receiving a slew of modest improvements. Here’s what’s the new 13 and 15 inch machines will have under their hoods. On the hardware side, the new 13-inch version is more svelt than its predecessor, just .71 thick and weighing over 3 pounds, thinner…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Oct 22 '13

How the Silver Screen Turned Into a Technicolor Dream

Today’s moviegoers are a jaded bunch—it seems to require 3D visuals and advanced audio systems just to get a rise out of them. But it wasn’t always this tough in Tinseltown; there was once a time when something as basic as color film was sufficient to blow an audience’s collective mind. The Early Days of…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Oct 22 '13

This Vacuum Detonator Blows Deadly Chemical Weapons to Smithereens

Disposing of the world’s chemical weapon stockpiles is far easier said than done. It’s not like the good old days prior to WWII when we could just dump extraneous supplies of mustard gas and other chemical weapons into the open ocean or under Delaware roadways or just big pits at the Redstone Arsenal in Alabama—no,…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Oct 22 '13

The Weirdest Thing on the Internet Tonight: 8,336,615 (New York)

“We are lonely but never alone” makes an equally appropriate slogan for both big city and digital living. With infinite possible connections at both our physical and virtual fingertips, why do so many people feel so isolated from the rest of the Earth’s seven billion human inhabitants? Filmmaker Paul Riccio explores this phenomenon in the…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Oct 22 '13

America’s 21st Century Destroyer Set Sail For the First Time Saturday (UPDATED)

The U.S. possesses the most formidable naval fleet in the world. However, the face of oceanic warfare is rapidly evolving and bears little resemblance to 20th century sea battles. Naval dominance is no longer decided in the middle of the Pacific or Atlantic, but rather in shallow territorial waters. To meet these new offshore challenges,…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Oct 21 '13

HP Chromebook 11 Review: Cheap and Cheerful

Google’s Chromebook line is often maligned as inexpensive but underpowered or, in the case of the Pixel, a really nice screen in front of limited functionality and an exorbitant price tag. But by pairing a solid build with a $280 price tag, HP seems to have finally found the right balance of affordability and performance…

Reviews Andrew Tarantola Oct 19 '13

The Weirdest Thing on the Internet Tonight: The End

Until we get a better handle on this whole time travel matter—and stop letting Jean-Claude Van Damme and Bruce Willis near the machines—we can only speculate as to what really caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. Animator Chris Meyer explores five of the more exotic theories/wild guesses in this delightfully deadly short.

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Oct 19 '13

Evolve Pintail Bamboo Lightning Review: Go Go Gadget Skateboard

Seriously, how big is this parking lot? You’ve been walking for a good five minutes and your company’s office building is still just a speck on the horizon. But with this self-propelled pintail, that hike through the car park will sail right by. What Is It? A belt-driven electric skateboard that goes uphill as easily…

Reviews Andrew Tarantola Oct 18 '13

The Weirdest Thing on the Internet Tonight: The Baron

Sometimes, even the most earnest attempts at positive self realization don’t work out quite the way we hope. Like when you are trying to impress your co-workers but end up crab walking in a leather uni-suit and fright wig while screaming, “I waltz through the valley of death, swatting wankers as I go!”

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Oct 18 '13

Andrew Tarantola

This Russian Rifle Fires 800 Rounds Per Minute–Underwater

This Teenage Mutant Ninja Backpack Holds All of the Pizzas

These Gargantuan Gates Keep Europe’s Largest Port from Drowning

TWTIT: Happy Meal Horror (with a Side of Chainsaw)

Undead Teddy Ruxpin and Elmo: Thrift Shop

This Pumpkin Tap Turns Your Halloween Gourd Into an Edible Keg

These Systems Let You Monitor Your Garden Without Setting Foot Outside

San Francisco Launches a Website To Prep For the Big One

The UK Is Building Its First Nuclear Plant in a Quarter Century

The Weirdest Thing on the Internet Tonight: Pitch Videos

Apple’s New Mac Pro Could Be Your Ultimate Workstation

The New 2013 MacBook Pro Gets a Significant Spec Bump

How the Silver Screen Turned Into a Technicolor Dream

This Vacuum Detonator Blows Deadly Chemical Weapons to Smithereens

The Weirdest Thing on the Internet Tonight: 8,336,615 (New York)

America’s 21st Century Destroyer Set Sail For the First Time Saturday (UPDATED)

HP Chromebook 11 Review: Cheap and Cheerful

The Weirdest Thing on the Internet Tonight: The End

Evolve Pintail Bamboo Lightning Review: Go Go Gadget Skateboard

The Weirdest Thing on the Internet Tonight: The Baron

‘Macross Plus’ Is an Ultra-Romantic Classic That Refuses to Age

Stick It to Jeff Bezos by Turning Your Defunct Kindle Into the World’s Worst Typewriter

‘De-extinction’ Startup Wants to Revive Antelope Killed Off by South African Colonists

The Best Toys of April 2026

Dreame L60 Ultra Robot Vacuum and Mop With 35,000Pa Suction Is Now Over $400 Off as a Launch Exclusive Deal

Under-Oath Elon Musk Seems to Run a Different Company Than Public-Figure Elon Musk

Ambitious Experiment Aims to Test Tiny Nuclear Reactors for AI Data Centers

Here’s the Very Normal Reason the ‘Lanterns’ Trailer Disappeared

California Cops Can Finally Give Robotaxis Tickets

Andy Serkis Says Viggo Mortensen Was ‘Thrilled’ by Jamie Dornan Being Cast as Aragorn

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

Sony Inzone H6 Air Review: A Perfect Case for Open-Back Gaming Headsets

Anker’s EufyMake E1 Finally Brings Printers Out of the Dark Ages