Brian Barrett, Author at Gizmodo

NY Times Anoints Ebooks With Their Own Best-Seller List

Starting early next year, the venerable NY Times is going to include ebooks in its weekly literary sales ratings. Taking their place alongside paperbacks and hardcovers, ebooks will be ranked based on a system that it took the Grey Lady two years to perfect: “We’ve had our eye on e-book sales since e-books began,” Ms.…

Commerce Brian Barrett Nov 11

This iPad Protester Can’t Have It That Bad

I don’t want to minimize this Lithuanian pensioner’s pain, or belittle his cause in any way. But if you’re in a place where you can use an iPad as a protest sign, surely things could be worse, right? [9to5Mac]

Tech News Brian Barrett Nov 11

Logging Into Twitter With Your Face

Passwords can be forgotten, but you’ll never misplace your face. And this handy bit of tech, that uses voice and facial recognition on your phone to access protected apps, shows off why we really need front-facing phone cameras. This demo app from the European MoBio Project can log you into Twitter, Gmail, and Facebook based…

Social Media Brian Barrett Nov 11

I Want To Sling My Face at This Incredible Angry Birds Cake

Whoever thought Angry Birds could be as delicious as it is addictive? I’m mostly just happy to find a level know I can clear in no time. This amazing cake homage by Anya Richardson may also be the only one of its kind, according to its creator’s tweet: “Had someone ask how much $ to…

Tech News Brian Barrett Nov 10

Hold Me Closer, Tiny Boom Box iPod Dock

Carrying a boom box down the street on your shoulder? Old and busted. Docking your iPod on a teeny tiny boombox and carrying it around the house between your thumb and forefinger? New and… uh… tiny. Just to be clear, the Boom Dock from Homade doesn’t involve any batteries, which means it’s not exactly going…

Tech News Brian Barrett Nov 10

Watch Obama Spit Hot Fire In This Unhinged CGI G20 Preview

Okay, I think we’ve gotten to the point where those Taiwanese news CGI recreations have officially gotten out of control. Don’t believe me? Maybe this Barack Obama-Hu Jintao rap battle will convince you. https://gizmodo.com/this-is-how-the-evening-news-should-be-done-from-now-on-5421180/ The throwdown between the US and Chinese presidents is actually not a terrible in what’s being discussed in the G20 this…

Tech News Brian Barrett Nov 10

Finally, Bacon You Can Cuddle

Parents of the world, you search for the perfect plush toy ends now. Because My First Bacon is the only lovable, huggable, talking pork byproduct your precious little cherub will ever need. Like the Monolith action figure before it, My First Bacon started out as a ThinkGeek April Fool’s product complete with its own amazing…

Tech News Brian Barrett Nov 10

The Galaxy Tab Meets Its Air Pistol Executioner

One of the strengths—literally—of the Samsung Galaxy Tab is its Gorilla Glass display. It’s tough stuff, no doubt, but can it stand up to a close-range air pistol firing squad? And would you even want it to? https://gizmodo.com/gorilla-glass-hands-on-unbreakable-5443146 As you can see, the Tab’s performance against three steel bullets is exemplary. And just in case…

Gadgets Brian Barrett Nov 10

This Fearsome Russian Prison Is Installing Sunbeds For Inmates

Moscow’s notorious Butyrka prison has housed everyone from Alexander Solzhenitsyn to Hitler’s nephew. And before the end of the year, its inmates will be able to go tanning. That’s great, actually. The move comes in the wake of one high-profile inmate death—prominent lawyer Sergei Magnitsky—and who knows how many unheralded ones. Russia’s prisons are overcrowded,…

Tech News Brian Barrett Nov 10

OK Go’s Amazing New Video Is 2,430 Pieces of Toast Long

Click to viewI can’t imagine the pressure of being in OK Go, having to constantly churn out jaw-dropping videos. Fortunately, I don’t have to. I get to just sit back and enjoy the stunning results, like this stop-motion story told with toast. The look of this video for “Last Leaf” is so pared down, so…

Tech News Brian Barrett Nov 9

We’re Running Out of Chocolate

At the rate we’re going, chocolate is going to be a rare—and extremely pricey—commodity within the next twenty years. Somebody needs to light a fire under those Oompa-Loompas, stat. The problem’s easy to explain, and much harder to fix. According to the Cocoa Research Association, we’re consuming more chocolate than we’re producing cocoa. Which means,…

Tech News Brian Barrett Nov 9

This Is How a Dollar Bill Lives and Dies

That single that’s been wadded up in your front pocket for the last two weeks? You’re just a way station, my friend. Because it’s seen and done more than you could ever imagine. Here’s its secret history. The biggest surprise? Trace amounts of cocaine has been found on nearly every dollar bill in circulation. And…

Tech News Brian Barrett Nov 9

Pee On Your Phone to Test For STDs

Soon, all you’ll need to test yourself for STDs is a computer chip, some urine, and a smartphone. For serious! You can finally the ignominy of a gonorrhea diagnosis in the privacy of your own bathroom. The self-testing pee-readers are currently in the research phase, with millions of dollars going towards the portable devices. Once…

Tech News Brian Barrett Nov 9

Where Pinball Dreams Are Kept Alive

Like any craft, pinball rightly has its unwavering devotees. The Pacific Pinball Museum is where they congregate to connect, restore, and most all: play. Watching these pinball wizards work their magic, you can’t help but check for spare quarters. Pinheads was filmed in 2009, and does a tremendous job showing the passion of the people…

Tech News Brian Barrett Nov 9

Watch This App Transform Kitteh Into iPod Killer

Meesha looks like an adorable kitty, and I’m sure she’s a joy to be around. But something about the Cat Toy app unleashes the jungle beast within. Hardware lovers beware: you’re about to witness savage iPod abuse. As if this brutality weren’t enough, Meesha’s owner confirms that destruction’s not limited to the Cat Toy app’s…

Tech News Brian Barrett Nov 8

That iPhone Is Burning a Hole In Your Pocket

What can we make of this credit card spending by smartphone platform data from Pageonce? That iPhone owners spend like crazy, and WinMo holdouts are probably saving up for a new phone, for starters. https://gizmodo.com/iphone-apps-we-love-pageonce-is-our-cheap-personal-ass-5028422 The data was taken from a random sampling of 275,000 Pageonce users, and includes at least 5,000 users per platform.…

Tech News Brian Barrett Nov 8

All Hail the Awkward World Order

Attention, citizens! This is how we live now: constantly playing with our phones to avoid human contact, forsaking all else in the name of our smartphone gods. Which, honestly, how else am I gonna up my Doodle Jump score? The sign comes from Burning Books, an “artist-run, weirdness-driven organization” that produces/publishes the kind of art/books…

Tech News Brian Barrett Nov 8

Kim Kardashian Will Teach Your Kids the Value of Plastic

If Kim Kardashian is so hard to keep up with, why does she keep popping up in my news feed? And why on earth does she want to shove a credit card into the hands of my (hypothetical) babies? The Kardashian Prepaid MasterCards are real, and are being marketed to teens and parents who don’t…

Tech News Brian Barrett Nov 8

Geordi La Forge Has Some Advice For NASA

With all of NASA’s troubles getting Discovery’s STS-133 mission off the ground, maybe it’s time they looked for an expert opinion. Especially when Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge has officially offered his services. But did NASA accept? https://gizmodo.com/dammit-im-supposed-to-be-in-space-5683444 Hallelujah! LeVar Burton and NASA, together at last. Looks like we’ll have that hydrogen gas leak fixed…

Space & Spaceflight Brian Barrett Nov 8

Snow White Just Rocked My Face Off

You’ve never heard Disney like this: the sampled sounds of Snow White remixed, reshuffled, and refitted into a soaring trip-hop beat. And wait until you hear Harry Potter. The tunes are compliments of Pogo, who’s also responsible for that Dexter music video from a few weeks back. The artist known as Pogo composed many of…

Movies Brian Barrett Nov 5

Brian Barrett

NY Times Anoints Ebooks With Their Own Best-Seller List

This iPad Protester Can’t Have It That Bad

Logging Into Twitter With Your Face

I Want To Sling My Face at This Incredible Angry Birds Cake

Hold Me Closer, Tiny Boom Box iPod Dock

Watch Obama Spit Hot Fire In This Unhinged CGI G20 Preview

Finally, Bacon You Can Cuddle

The Galaxy Tab Meets Its Air Pistol Executioner

This Fearsome Russian Prison Is Installing Sunbeds For Inmates

OK Go’s Amazing New Video Is 2,430 Pieces of Toast Long

We’re Running Out of Chocolate

This Is How a Dollar Bill Lives and Dies

Pee On Your Phone to Test For STDs

Where Pinball Dreams Are Kept Alive

Watch This App Transform Kitteh Into iPod Killer

That iPhone Is Burning a Hole In Your Pocket

All Hail the Awkward World Order

Kim Kardashian Will Teach Your Kids the Value of Plastic

Geordi La Forge Has Some Advice For NASA

Snow White Just Rocked My Face Off

Southwest Is About to Limit Power Banks on Flights

Damn, the ‘Power Rangers’ Reboot Could’ve Had Four Movies

The Live-Action ‘One Piece’ Team Wants to Go the Distance

‘Lee Cronin’s The Mummy’ Will Please Gross Horror Fans

Somehow Paramount’s ‘Avatar’ Movie Has Leaked, Too

The World Is Basically Begging for Another iPod

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

OpenAI Says Elon Musk Is ‘Injecting Chaos’ with Recent Legal Maneuver

Google Displayed Polymarket Bets as News ‘In Error,’ Google Says

‘Marvel Rivals’ Wants to Start Being More Than Just a Hero Shooter

This Loud-Ass Party Speaker Almost Got Me High AF

Asus Zenbook A16 Review: Start Considering Snapdragon on PC, for Real

Aqara Thermostat Hub W200 Review: Almost Better than My Ecobee

HP Omen Max 45L Review: 4K60 Gaming Has Never Been So Easy

Ecovacs Winbot W3 Omni Review: Window Cleaning Robots Have a Long Way to Go

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

The Best Gadgets of March 2026

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best