Avery Ellis, Author at Gizmodo

This DIY Robot Is Better Than You at iPad Games

Piano Tiles 2 is a touch-based mobile game that’s lots of fun, and also maddeningly difficult. A normal person probably plays for a few weeks, gets frustrated, and uninstalls it. Thankfully, YouTuber DenverFinn is not normal. For him, the obvious solution was to build a robot that slips over an iPad and acts like human…

Sploid Avery Ellis Apr 27

Competitive Hackysack Routines Are Goddamn Bonkers

Hackysack is basically designed for stoned people. It requires coordination but not a lot of actual effort. It’s the perfect activity for ripping bowls in an abandoned soccer field. Or at least that seemed to me the case until I found out about “competitive footbag.” Footbag tricking (“Hackysack” is technically a brand name, and thus…

Sploid Avery Ellis Apr 27

How Men and Women React to Their Own Reflections in Movies

Mirrors are a well worn device in movies. They provide an extremely literal moment of self-reflection that often during a film’s emotional peak. So why do we see characters repeatedly reacting in the exact same way? Fandor explored 46 films from the last 60 years and discovered a bizarre trend: women cry and men freak…

Sploid Avery Ellis Apr 27

We Finally Have a Trailer for Bruce Timm’s The Killing Joke Movie

The definitive Batman voice actors have returned for an animated adaptation of one of the most famous stories in comics history, and everything about it looks fantastic. We’ve already learned that there will be some places where The Killing Joke strays away from the source material: namely that there will be a new prologue, and…

io9 Avery Ellis Apr 27

This Guy’s Middle Fingers Are Deadly Weapons

If you’re like me, pull-ups are an impossible dream. That is the not the case for Jamshid Turaev. Last month, the Uzbek fitness enthusiast set a world record for pull-ups using just two index fingers. Turaev is no stranger to Guinness records, but these two-finger pull-ups are visibly grueling, even for someone at his level…

Sploid Avery Ellis Apr 26

Counter-Strike on Android Wear Just Barely Works

Sixteen years ago, you needed a reasonably powerful computer to run Counter-Strike. Now you can play it on a damn smartwatch, although you’ll need to bring a pretty lose definition of “play” along for the ride. While it’s miraculous that Android Wear is able to run CS at all, the game is far from perfect.…

Sploid Avery Ellis Apr 26

Call Them Impractical, But the Original X-Men Costumes Are About Individuality

“Gritty realism” has been the name of the game for superhero movies for some time now. And although some of the X-Men films have been decent, the costumes have a glaring problem: mutant heroes clad in black leather are completely antithetical to everything the characters stand for. For starters, flashy costumes tell us a lot…

Sploid Avery Ellis Apr 25

You Know Actress Linda Hunt But You Probably Don’t Know Why

As a kid you probably watched Pocahontas. In your adolescence you might have played one of the God of War games. And in your darkest moments you sat down with a bowl of dollar instant ramen to watch NCIS: Los Angeles. What through-line could possible exist between these things? Linda Hunt—a character actress who’s been…

Sploid Avery Ellis Apr 25

How to End a Movie the Right Way

A movie’s ending is dessert—it’s the last impression a film makes on you before you leave the theater, and that’s what makes it so important. If it doesn’t appropriately encapsulate and comment on the events of the last two hours, everyone goes home with a bad taste in their mouths. To show just how critical…

Sploid Avery Ellis Apr 25

Microsoft’s New One-Handed iOS Keyboard Is Here to Save Your Thumbs

As someone who solely uses his iPhone one-handed (it’s a holdover from my T9 flip-phone days), I’m excited about Microsoft’s new Word Flow keyboard, which offers offers a solution to the sometimes annoying thumb-travel distance of the standard iOS keyboard. It comes with a curved, one-handed mode that looks futuristic and supports both tapping and…

Tech News Avery Ellis Apr 25

The Evolution of Iron Man in TV and Film

In the popular imagination Iron Man is a lot of things: smart, smarmy, a little bit of a lecher, and a raging alcoholic. A lot of that is owed to Robert Downey Jr. But everyone’s favorite armored scientist has come a long way since 1966. Burger Fiction just posted an exhaustive retrospective collecting the many…

Sploid Avery Ellis Apr 22

10 Hidden Easter Eggs in Superhero Movies

How is a superhero movie supposed to appease die-hard fans while appealing to a new audience? Easter eggs, and lots of them. Sometimes its as simple as a name-drop or allusion to other heroes. Dr Strange, for instance, got his shoutout in Spider-Man 2 way back in 2004. Directors also love to give a nod…

Sploid Avery Ellis Apr 22

This Kid Knows His Way Around a Deck of Cards

Cardistry wizard Zach Mueller is back to show us his floating card routine, which may or may not be the product of ghosts. Whether it’s eye-catching shuffles or immaculate two-card moves that look more like levitation than card tricks, Mueller knows his way around a deck. The only problem is that this new routine is…

Sploid Avery Ellis Apr 21

So How Does Analog Film Work Anyway?

Even though it contains some of the most memorable images in human history, how many of us really know how film actually works? Let’s break it down to the components. First, those little holes along the side of film strips are called perforations (perfs for short). The sprockets inside cameras and projectors latch onto those…

Sploid Avery Ellis Apr 20

Why Are We Turning Our Favorite Foods Into Rainbow-Colored Nightmares?

Recently, it seems like food dye is making a comeback in a big way, and not just one dye—all of them. Rainbow colored bagels, grilled cheeses, pizzas, and even lattes have circulated the internet as the latest food trend. Is it just harmless novelty, or is there more to these culinary monstrosities? Studies show that…

Tech News Avery Ellis Apr 20

Chill Out and Enjoy These Hypnotic Ring Illusions

There’s only one explanation for how this is possible: Manipulation performer Ouka must have somehow turned off gravity. These incredible illusions are performed on a number of objects including the 8 ring, triple hoop, and the gnarly s-shaped buugeng. The skill and control necessary to make them seem like they’re floating is just mind-boggling. And…

Sploid Avery Ellis Apr 20

Pumping Electricity Through a Drill Bit Makes It Melt into a Fiery Mess

Electricity is powerful and astonishingly noisy. But why does electricity make this steel drill bit go up in flames? As YouTuber Lets Melt This explains, there are about 800 amperes running through the copper wires on either side of the bit. Copper conducts electricity very well. Steel, less so. That excess energy that can’t easily…

Sploid Avery Ellis Apr 19

YouTube Star Makes Money Bullying People With Learning Disabilities [Updated]

YouTuber LeafyIsHere mocked a man with a learning disability, describing him as “looking like he went through five different strokes” among other things, in an almost 11-minute rant that begins with Hitler jokes. Sadly, this is far from the first time he’s punched down at small-time creators. Leafy, who has amassed a following of over…

Tech News Avery Ellis Apr 19

Team Fortress 2 Recreated With Nerf Guns Looks Like Too Much Fun

“Your friends are all dead” isn’t something anyone wants to hear. In this video, the cartoony world of Valve’s free-to-play team-based shooter is brought into the real world with the help of Nerf guns, slick choreography, and a little computer magic. VFX company CorridorDigital pits a hopelessly outmatched Red team against a hoard of Blues.…

Sploid Avery Ellis Apr 18

Guy Breaks the 5×5 Rubik’s Cube Record Without Breaking a Sweat

Feliks Zemdegs solved his 5×5 cube at Melbourne Cube Day in 44.837 seconds. And the crowd went not at all wild. The 5×5 Rubik’s cube—or Professor’s cube—has over 282 trevigintillion (10^72) permutations, and requires intimate knowledge of the solving algorithms for both the 3×3 and 4×4. Even the tutorial for solving one of these complicated…

Sploid Avery Ellis Apr 18

Avery Ellis

This DIY Robot Is Better Than You at iPad Games

Competitive Hackysack Routines Are Goddamn Bonkers

How Men and Women React to Their Own Reflections in Movies

We Finally Have a Trailer for Bruce Timm’s The Killing Joke Movie

This Guy’s Middle Fingers Are Deadly Weapons

Counter-Strike on Android Wear Just Barely Works

Call Them Impractical, But the Original X-Men Costumes Are About Individuality

You Know Actress Linda Hunt But You Probably Don’t Know Why

How to End a Movie the Right Way

Microsoft’s New One-Handed iOS Keyboard Is Here to Save Your Thumbs

The Evolution of Iron Man in TV and Film

10 Hidden Easter Eggs in Superhero Movies

This Kid Knows His Way Around a Deck of Cards

So How Does Analog Film Work Anyway?

Why Are We Turning Our Favorite Foods Into Rainbow-Colored Nightmares?

Chill Out and Enjoy These Hypnotic Ring Illusions

Pumping Electricity Through a Drill Bit Makes It Melt into a Fiery Mess

YouTube Star Makes Money Bullying People With Learning Disabilities [Updated]

Team Fortress 2 Recreated With Nerf Guns Looks Like Too Much Fun

Guy Breaks the 5×5 Rubik’s Cube Record Without Breaking a Sweat

Two Songs We Really Wish Were the Anime Outros for ‘Steel Ball Run’

AI Training Data Giant Mercor Is Reportedly Looking to Buy the Work You Did at Your Old Job

Utah Is Giving Dr. AI the Power to Renew Drug Prescriptions

Here’s the Perfect Excuse to See ‘Project Hail Mary’ Again

US Airlines Are Hiking Bag Fees Amid Iran War Oil Crisis

This Ridiculously Simple Trick Might Stop Gulls From Nabbing Your Lunch

‘Starfleet Academy’ Season 3 Could Have Done the ‘Voyager’ Sequel Episode of Robert Picardo’s Dreams

Judge Kills Lawsuit Against Infamous Study That Might Have Increased Teen Suicides

Artemis 2: Follow the Mission With Our Live Updates 🔴

Researchers Discover How to Add Psilocybin, DMT, and Other Psychedelics to Tobacco

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

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

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