Chris Jacob, Author at Gizmodo

America Finally Has a Mobile DTV Standard

After plenty of half-hearted attempts at mobile video from wireless carriers and Qualcomm, the ATSC has defined a standard that should, at long last, bring live streaming video to our phones. About time we got a DMB equivalent. https://gizmodo.com/qualcomm-flo-tv-personal-television-hands-on-250-to-s-5375872 Keep in mind we’re not talking about VCast, Sprint TV or whatever other service your carrier…

Tech News Chris Jacob Oct 16

The Barbot Uses Blood Pumps to Pour Your Drink

Sure, we’ve seen bartending robots before, but isn’t anything that makes a drink for you worth a mention? The guys at NYC Resistor built the Barbot out of old recycled Barbot parts, Arduino controllers, and blood pumps. https://gizmodo.com/asahi-bartending-robot-will-give-you-a-drink-take-your-5021501 Check out the video for a run-through of the machine, and a demonstration of the robot making…

Tech News Chris Jacob Oct 16

iREV, the Bumper Boat With a Built-In Grill

There’s no rational reason why I should want an iREV. A real boat would be way faster and much more versatile. But the iREV is a floating picnic table with a grill. Now that’s cool. On top of the low-fire charcoal grill and Kumbaya-friendly seating arrangement, there’s an optional 500 watt speaker system complete with…

Tech News Chris Jacob Oct 16

Poison Gas Can Induce Suspended Animation, and Could Save Your Life

A small dose of hydrogen sulfide gas put this little guy into a state of suspended animation for six hours. If the technique can scale up to humans, it could buy doctors valuable time in emergency situations. The idea is that if someone suffers a critical injury and time is of the essence, a small…

Tech News Chris Jacob Oct 15

The Dark Sword UAV – Chinese Knockoffs Can Be Better Than the Real Thing

The Chinese military has apparently been copying American UAV designs for a while now. After they got bored simply rebuilding Uncle Sam’s models, they decided to design a few of their own. And they blow ours out of the water. Above is the Dark Sword, the Chinese military’s newest drone. Not only does it look…

Tech News Chris Jacob Oct 15

250 GB PS3 Coming November 3 for $349

After the European release, we knew a higher capacity PS3 Slim was coming. Well, here it is. You’ll be able to pick the slightly beefed-up console just in time for the holidays. [Kotaku] https://gizmodo.com/250gb-ps3-slim-now-official-uk-bundles-include-blu-ray-5367639

Tech News Chris Jacob Oct 15

The Cause of the Great Sidekick Fiasco? “All Signs Point to Sabotage”

This past week’s Sidekick data disaster was so extraordinary, you would think that either T-mobile or Microsoft would issue an explanation. There’s one insider who might have the reason why one hasn’t come yet: it was an inside job. An anonymous tipster with seemingly extensive knowledge about the Danger/Pink team has this to say to…

Tech News Chris Jacob Oct 14

Next Nintendo DS Might Get a Huge Speed Boost from Tegra

The Nintendo DS is great, but seriously underpowered. That could change in the next version, though, thanks to a little help from the same processor that drives the Zune HD. https://gizmodo.com/zune-hd-review-the-pmp-evolved-5360126 It’s rumored that Nvidia has won a contract to supply Nintendo with Tegra chips for the next generation DS. The specific chip Nintendo plans…

Tech News Chris Jacob Oct 13

Nikon D3s Details Emerge: Really, No 1080p Video?

The British Journal of Photography has posted impressions of the Nikon D3s a few hours before the camera’s expected debut, and the initial report suggests that Nikon is still lagging behind when it comes to video. The author only mentions video recording at 720p/24 fps, no talk of 1080p at all. What’s worse is that…

Tech News Chris Jacob Oct 13

You Can Start Bothering Your Friends for Google Voice Invites Now

Just like Gmail’s early days, anyone looking for a Google Voice account can start bugging their friends for invites—starting today, current users will gradually start getting invites over the next few weeks to hand out to people. [Google]

Tech News Chris Jacob Oct 13

Studio Raises Price of iPhone App to $40 to Shut Whiners Up

Schiau Studios got annoyed at users complaining about paying $3 for a game. To teach all the whiners a lesson, they raised the price of their game. To $40. The increase was only temporary, and the game (Alchemize) has since returned to $2.99. But it demonstrated a good point: the App Store is super cheap.…

Tech News Chris Jacob Oct 13

Now This is How the iPhone Should Handle Multitasking

I really hope someone at Apple sees these concept interfaces from Ocean Observations. They’ve taken the best elements of the Pre’s card system, combined them with Cover Flow, and created an awesome vision of multitasking on the iPhone. The designers also have an idea for managing the mess of home screens that comes along with…

Tech News Chris Jacob Oct 12

Now Available

Western Digital‘s update to the TV Live adds support for some essential streaming standards. • Western Digital’s TV HD Live got a slight update today. Besides the revamped casing, the biggest news here is the addition of DLNA and Bonjour support. Just like the previous generation, there’s no onboard storage to speak of, but the…

Television Chris Jacob Oct 12

Now Available

Archos 5 tablet models starts trickling out, Garmin’s latest GPS is shipping, and best Buy rewards Zone members can get an HTC Hero on Sprint two days early. • The 160GB Archos 5 tablet is leaving Amazon’s warehouses now, but you’ll have to wait if you want to pick up other capacities. The guys at…

Tech News Chris Jacob Oct 9

Gadget Deals of the Day

Get that weekend redecorating project started with a quart of Glidden paint. Hopefully the job is small enough that a quart is all you’ll need. Thanks Don for helping out with the list. Have a great weekend everyone! Top Deals: • 12.1″ Dell Vostro 1220 Core2Duo Laptop for $698 plus shipping (normally $1040 – use…

Tech News Chris Jacob Oct 9

Flash Memory Sensors: 100x Smaller Than CCDs, Better at Low Light

CCD and CMOS sensors take great images, but that doesn’t mean they’re perfect. They’re bulky and bad in low light. It turns out that flash memory can actually double as a light sensor, and could solve both these problems. Apparently, flash memory cells are highly receptive to light and capable of creating a completely digital…

Tech News Chris Jacob Oct 8

Gadget Deals of the Day

As the cold winds of fall begin to blow across the plains, I seek out comfort food to ease my way into icy winter months. Lo and behold, free Little Debbie cupcakes appear. Perfect! Top Deals: • 14″ Lenovo IdeaPad Y450 Dual Core Laptop for $549 plus free shipping (normally $719 – use coupon code…

Tech News Chris Jacob Oct 8

Gadget Deals of the Day

If Sean inspired you to drop your cable or satellite subscription yesterday, the Lenovo HTPC might be just what you need to free yourself from paid TV. https://gizmodo.com/life-without-cable-or-satellite-tv-is-easier-than-you-t-5366161 Top Deals: • 13.3″ Aluminum MacBook (Previous Generation) for $899.99 plus free shipping (normally $970 – use this form). • Lenovo IdeaCentre Dual Core Home Theater PC…

Tech News Chris Jacob Oct 7

Gadget Deals of the Day

Xbox Live Gold memberships hit the $30 sweet spot once again today, why not grab two? You’ll save on shipping. Update: Sorry, folks. It was too good to last. Still plenty of great deals to be had, though! Top Deals: • 40″ Toshiba 40RV525R 1080p LCD HDTV for $577 plus free shipping (normally $649). •…

Tech News Chris Jacob Oct 6

Now Available

D-Link’s Jack of all trades router is out today, along with a Pioneer professional Blu-ray player. It’s less pricey than some other high end players, but still way too expensive. https://gizmodo.com/goldmunds-eidos-20-bd-the-worlds-most-overpriced-blu-r-360669 • The D-Link DIR-685 router/media server/digital photo frame is out today. You can check out Jason’s review for his full impressions. In essence he…

Tech News Chris Jacob Oct 5

Chris Jacob

America Finally Has a Mobile DTV Standard

The Barbot Uses Blood Pumps to Pour Your Drink

iREV, the Bumper Boat With a Built-In Grill

Poison Gas Can Induce Suspended Animation, and Could Save Your Life

The Dark Sword UAV – Chinese Knockoffs Can Be Better Than the Real Thing

250 GB PS3 Coming November 3 for $349

The Cause of the Great Sidekick Fiasco? “All Signs Point to Sabotage”

Next Nintendo DS Might Get a Huge Speed Boost from Tegra

Nikon D3s Details Emerge: Really, No 1080p Video?

You Can Start Bothering Your Friends for Google Voice Invites Now

Studio Raises Price of iPhone App to $40 to Shut Whiners Up

Now This is How the iPhone Should Handle Multitasking

Now Available

Now Available

Gadget Deals of the Day

Flash Memory Sensors: 100x Smaller Than CCDs, Better at Low Light

Gadget Deals of the Day

Gadget Deals of the Day

Gadget Deals of the Day

Now Available

The Wicked Stepmother of ‘The Testaments’ Is So Much Fun to Hate

Apple’s Smart Glasses Are Stepping Into a Privacy Minefield

Allbirds Is Getting Out of the Shoe Business and Pivoting to AI Infrastructure

Anker Nebula P1i Portable Projector Debuted at CES 2026 and Now Hits Record Low Just Weeks After Launch

There’s No Saving Windows 11. It’s Time for Windows 12

Axiom Space Is Ready to Test Its Next-Generation Spacesuit in 2027

Astronomers Just Dropped the Largest High-Res 3D Map of the Universe

Samsung 27″ Monitor Now Cheaper Than 24″ After Quiet Price Drop, Basically a Free Upgrade to a Bigger Screen

The ‘Good Omens’ Finale Trailer Wants You to Think About the End and Nothing Else

How to Watch Bayern vs Real Madrid Online for Free

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

The Soundboks Mix Is Going to Make You the Most Popular Guy at the Park

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