Eric Limer

The Cheapest Unlimited Plan Finally Got a Truly Great Phone

The Republic Wireless $20-a-month unlimited plan has always been an insane deal, but the catch was that the phones were awful. No more! Now Republic Wireless is offering the awesome Moto X, a huge step up from its previous best offering, the janky-ass Motorola Defy XT. With a phone like Moto X, the whole thing…

The Exact Age of Almost Every Building in NYC, in One Map

It’s hard to tell how old a city really is without knowing the age of each and every part of it. And with this stunningly neon map that indexes the ages of some 1,053,713 New York City buildings, you can do exactly that. We’ve seen similar maps of Brooklyn before, but this rendition of the…

Here’s the First Laptop with Leap Motion Built Right In

Ever since the initial teasers for the Leap Motion controller, there have been plenty of manufacturers getting ready to build it right into their laptops. Well that day has finally arrived. It’s just too bad the first is kinda big. https://gizmodo.com/asus-is-putting-sick-3d-gesture-controls-in-its-pcs-thi-5972767 HP is the first to have the honor, building the controller into its $1050…

Watch the Whole History of iOS Homescreens in One GIF

Today’s the big day. iOS 7 is here to change your phone, homescreen, apps and beyond. It’s a big transition, but the iOS homescreen has come a long way in its six years. Here’s exactly how far, in one glorious GIF. https://gizmodo.com/go-download-ios-7-right-now-1340946172 The clever animation was put together by the Czech Apple blog LetemSvetemApplem, and…

Facebook Likes Are Officially Free Speech, Says US Appeals Court

Good news for you indiscriminate Facebookers. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that Facebook likes are protected speech under the First Amendment. Like away. This particular ordeal started back in 2009, when Sheriff BJ Roberts was running for reelection in Hampton, Virginia and was more than a little miffed to find that six…

Calico: Google’s Ambitious New Project to Stop Illness and Aging

Google just announced its most recent plan in a long list of crazy moonshots. This one isn’t self-driving cars or internet in the sky, instead it’s a company called Calico that’s going to try and put an end to aging and disease. There aren’t too many details about exactly how Calico will go about its…

The Prettiest Way to Find Out What iOS 7 Features Your iPhone Won’t Get

iOS 7 looks lovely, but it’s not all about appearances; the new operating system is bringing some nice new features as well. But even if you get the upgrade, you might not get all the fun stuff that comes with it. We laid down some of iOS 7’s limitations on various devices right after WWDC,…

This Slo-Mo Car Explosion Is Even Better Than Your Fiery Fantasies

So the Slo-Mo Guys have kicked pans of gasoline, blown up paint, and played with Molotov cocktails, all in gloriously indulgent slow motion. Now, they’ve upped the ante considerably and blown up a freakin’ car. Just because. https://gizmodo.com/kicking-a-pan-of-flaming-gasoline-is-the-best-and-worst-5968751 There’s really not much more to say about it than that. Just pop it to full screen…

Google’s making Google Voice more secure by requiring you to call from a phone number registered to your account in order to check your voicemails by phone. But maybe more noteworthy is that Google is still making minor tweaks to Voice instead of killing it and focusing on Hangouts already. What’s up with that?

This 100-Year-Old Infographic Maps the Entire American Civil War

Back in the 1930s the infographic scene was already humming with crazy products like the Histomap and its 4,000 years of visualized history. But the roots of infographics go back even further. This intense visual recollection of the Civil War dates back to the 1800s. https://gizmodo.com/all-hail-histomap-4-000-years-of-history-in-a-single-p-1109857517 The “History of the Civil War in the United…

Google Just Bought the Coolest Way To Transfer Data From Phone to Phone

Remember Bump, that nifty little app that let you transfer data from phone to phone—or phone to computer—with a handy little NFC-free bump? Well now it belongs to Google. https://gizmodo.com/bump-is-the-newest-easiest-way-to-send-your-digital-go-5984313 Bump/touch-to-share has always been a little bit of a novelty, mainly because most variations—like those built-in to Samsung’s Galaxy phones—rely on NFC to get the…

These Floating Globes of Ink and Oil Look Completely Unreal

Oil and water don’t mix. It’s an idiom that feels as old as time. But photographer Alberto Seveso found a way to get oil and ink to play nice, and the results are stunning. Seveso is no stranger to shooting awesome pictures of liquids, but his newest project Dropping brings an awesome flair to the…

Requiem for a Dream: Drugs Are Bad, Mmmkay?

When I saw Black Swan, I thought to myself “welp, I guess I’m a Darren Aronofsky fan now.” And when I saw The Wrestler, I was sure. So when Requiem for a Dream finally came to Netflix Instant earlier this month, I completely was out of excuses to not watch it. Man this movie is…

Pavement: 5-4=Unity

I’m something of an uncultured swine when it comes to jazz, so weird little Pavement songs are about as close as I get to the real stuff. That being said, “5-4=Unity” is just tops for a swine like me, and maybe you’ll dig it too. https://gizmodo.com/pavement-gold-soundz-5968786 Off Pavements god damn masterpiece Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain,…

The First 3D-Printed Gun Is Already in a Museum

It was only a few months ago that the first fully 3D-printed gun was successfully fired. And it’s already made its way to a museum’s permanent collection. Not bad for a youngun’. https://gizmodo.com/the-worlds-first-entirely-3d-printed-gun-489975583 Not just one, but two of the guns were purchased by London’s V&A Museum for an unknown price. It could have just…

Oh snap! Looks like Siri is technically (and quietly) leaving beta with the rollout of iOS 7.

What It’s Like to Spend a Year in the Beautiful Wastes of Antarctica

Antarctica is an isolated, frigid desert of ice and snow. It’s practically another planet. And it can be staggeringly beautiful. Ian Hey did something most of us would never dream of and spent a year there. This is what it was like. https://gizmodo.com/antarctica-is-fake-mars-5784797 The footage, stills, and timelapses cover a variety of events in and…

Every Original Star Trek Episode as a Vintage Movie Poster

So Into Darkness was fun, but there’s nothing quite like the classics that started the whole thing off. If you’re into them, Juan Ortiz has a treat for you: each of the original 80 episodes as a righteous vintage poster. https://gizmodo.com/star-trek-into-darkness-review-the-fun-of-war-507643153 Inspired by legendary graphic designers like Saul Bass, the vibe of the 60s and…

Boeing Designed and Built This Slick VTOL Drone In Just 27 Days

DARPA’s always working on a bunch of crazy projects, whether it’s to find the next insane robot hero, or just Star Wars robot arms. On their long list of wants is an unmanned “X-Plane” that can do vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) like the dope-ass F-35B. Boeing whipped up this slick contest entry in 27…

What’s the Most Massive File on Your Hard Drive Right Now?

Cloud storage is great and all, but sometimes you’ve just gotta download. Sometimes, you’ve just gotta download something huge. Back in the days of dial-up, a couple hundred MB would take eons to bring down, but now we can play with way bigger files. What’s the most massive one you have sitting on your hard…