Jack Loftus, Author at Gizmodo

Chrome USB Joypad Is Fingerprint Magnet (Might Be A Real Magnet Too)

PC gamers with a slight sense of style might find this chrome joypad from Dream Cheeky worth a look. It’s got all the necessary buttons for some gaming streamlined console-esque gaming on PCs, plus a rubberized grip in the back to fight slippage during intense NES emulator sessions (sorry, no update: definitive Mac support WAS…

Tech News Jack Loftus

Touch Screen RC Star Trek Enterprise Boldly Goes Where No RC Vehicle Has Gone Before

Interstellar space flight may have been poo-poo’d on by astrophysicists this week, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little pseudo space-faring fun with this first-of-its-kind RC Star Trek Enterprise. Due to arrive in May 2009, the $80 foam flyer is controlled via a vintage Star Trek touchscreen communicator (Captain James T. Kirk womanizing…

Tech News Jack Loftus

Sassy DIY Talking Robot Tells You How to Assemble Sassy DIY Talking Robot

This sassy little thing is the brainchild of L. Scott Hudson, who recently participated in MAKE’s Dorkbot Austin robot building event. This gal is kind of like the Twitter box bot we wrote about this week (also a MAKE find), but it’s got the added bonus of moxie. It also gives you step-by-step self-assembly instructions…

Tech News Jack Loftus

Earth’s Most Distant Web Cam Pics Went Live This Week

Usually the venerable web cam is used for modest, local tasks, like taking deep-in-thought Facebook profile pics, making me-too webcasts, or undercover girl’s locker room documentaries. But did you know there’s also a web cam circling the Red Planet right now? Called the Visual Monitoring Camera (VMC), the cam is attached to the European Space…

Tech News Jack Loftus

What You Missed Last Weekend

When you’re done riding the coattails of Olympian Michael Phelps take a look at what you missed this weekend here at Gizmodo: • Leprechauns were drag racing with a 100% functioning miniature V8 Corvette engine. • How did you watch Micheal Phelps win his record breaking 8th Olympic gold medal? • Bono loves the sound…

Tech News Jack Loftus

New Zealand Site Leaks Latest Sony E-Series Model Line

Sony’s latest range of NW-E MP3 players appeared on the company’s New Zealand site today in a range of colors. The line features the NWZ-E435, NWZ-E436 and NWZ-E438, which will come in 2GB, 4GB and 8GB, respectively. All models include a 2″ QVGA TFT LCD display, FM tuner, and support MP3 (obviously), WMA, AAC, and…

Tech News Jack Loftus

Utah Researchers Throw Cold Water On Rosy OLED Efficiency Rates

The promise of an organic light emitting diode (OLED) is that it will eventually become a super-efficient, low-cost light source to replace our archaic dependency on incandescent bulbs and those oh-so-yesterday LCD TVs, among other things. Ultimately, OLEDs were expected to possibly supplant the already efficient LEDs, too. That is, until a couple of Utah…

Tech News Jack Loftus

Lexus Nuaero Concept is Straight Out of Starship Troopers

Does one reach for a camera or a can of RAID when the Lexus Nuaero concept pulls into the driveway? Sure Jon Rådbrink’s design looks incredibly cool, fast and futuristic; but then again I’ve also spent the last few minutes looking over my shoulder to see if Sigourney Weaver was about to burst from the…

Tech News Jack Loftus

Older Asus Eee PC Batteries Are Incompatible With 900A

There’s a slight issue for Asus Eee PC owners who want to use their older batteries with the Atom-based Eee PC 900A revealed earlier this month-they won’t work. That’s because the tiny laptop uses a different connector (4400mAh, cheap) than its predecessors the 701 and 900. There’s some good news, however, as jkkmobile notes the…

Tech News Jack Loftus

Moisture Vaporators Spotted In Buenos Aires

The Buenos Aires government would have done the late Owen Lars proud with their newly installed $5 million Intelligent Monitoring Towers. Designed to collect information about the city’s air and noise quality, we can easily see these 42 towers being at home collecting moisture on a dusty planet in a certain binary star system far,…

Tech News Jack Loftus

Casio G-Shock G8100A-5 Wristwatch is Barely Steampunk

Seriously, this steampunk thing is getting out of hand. Like with this Casio G-Shock G8100A-5 wristwatch. They took a Casio watch, slapped on some bronze paint, and now everyone and their steam-powered mechanical dog is calling it steampunk. Enough! If you’re going to charge $100 for a bronze-colored watch and have people start calling it…

Tech News Jack Loftus

Samsung T919 Touchscreen Handset Confirmed For U.S. T-Mobile Customers

There’s no price or release date announcement attached to these images of the Samsung T919 just yet, but we do know it’s coming to U.S. T-Mobile customers. Some day. We also know it sports the 1700 MHz WCDMA band, a five megapixel camera and a front-facing secondary camera. Wi-fi support is speculated, but not confirmed.…

Gadgets Jack Loftus

Automated Japanese Mausoleum Delivers Loved Ones While You Wait

The aging Japanese population presents a troubling problem when it comes burying loved ones. There’s simply not enough room, and the room that is available costs about $20,000, according to Trends in Japan. So leave it to the Japanese to figure out a way to address the problem with a technological twist. Like a data…

Tech News Jack Loftus

Fujitsu Siemens Could Debut Amilo Mini Notebook on August 28

Fujitsu Siemens looks like it’s about ready to launch the svelte Amilo Mini. According to IDG News, the company has announced a press event for August 28 at the IFA show in Berlin, and the signs and portents indicate a big reveal could happen at that time. The specs don’t really differentiate the Amilo Mini…

Tech News Jack Loftus

Seattle Flushes $5 Million Automated Public Restrooms for Major Loss

I thought automated public pay toilets were a sure thing. I mean, auto-cleaning, high-tech robo toilets that allow the occupant to remain inside for as long as they want, and then clean up all the evidence after the fact… what could go wrong?! Oh right, hookers and drugs, that’s what. Which is exactly why the…

Tech News Jack Loftus

Hit Coworkers From Afar and Burn the Evidence With DIY Paper Rocket Kit

USB rocket launchers are expensive and overrated, in my opinion. I say give me Luddite papercraft rocket launchers or give me death. So you’ll excuse me when I say I downloaded the template for this DIY paper rocket launcher [PDF] from German design site Paper Puzzle Parade and made a small army this morning. The…

Tech News Jack Loftus

DIY XR3 225 MPG Hybrid Car Kit Finally Finished, Hits the Road Soon for $25,000

When we last left gearhead Robert Q. Riley and his three-wheeled DIY 225 MPG XR3 car kit in March 2007, rumor had it drivers would be zipping around roadways in it by May. Turns out the DIY hybrid market is tougher than expected, because just this week word was the XR3 was finally finished and…

Tech News Jack Loftus

Solar Powered Neck Tie Holds, Powers Your Gadgets

A team of researchers at North Carolina State University have devised an ingenious way to charge your gadgets on the move: With solar powered clothing. The designs use a process called digital textile printing to leverage the blocky solar panels into neck ties and jackets. In the case of the tie there’s even a hidden…

Tech News Jack Loftus

Speedo Now Selling LZR Racer Swim Suit to the Public, U.S. Whale Sightings Way Up

Even though Speedo is now selling its controversial LZR Racer swim suit to the general public for $550, we doubt the beer bellies at the local community swimming pool are going to spontaneously turn into a congregation of eight gold medal-winning Olympians any time soon. In fact, here at the Gizmodo weekend desk Jesus and…

Tech News Jack Loftus

Tattoo? Symbiote? What the Hell is That Thing On Olympian Kerri Walsh’s Shoulder?

For the longest time I thought the black sinewy thing on Olympic beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh’s shoulder was either a confused Alien face sucker, a horny spider, a bad tattoo decision (a la Mike Tyson), or all of the above. Turns out I was way off, and it’s actually Kinesio athletic tape from a…

Tech News Jack Loftus

Jack Loftus

Chrome USB Joypad Is Fingerprint Magnet (Might Be A Real Magnet Too)

Touch Screen RC Star Trek Enterprise Boldly Goes Where No RC Vehicle Has Gone Before

Sassy DIY Talking Robot Tells You How to Assemble Sassy DIY Talking Robot

Earth’s Most Distant Web Cam Pics Went Live This Week

What You Missed Last Weekend

New Zealand Site Leaks Latest Sony E-Series Model Line

Utah Researchers Throw Cold Water On Rosy OLED Efficiency Rates

Lexus Nuaero Concept is Straight Out of Starship Troopers

Older Asus Eee PC Batteries Are Incompatible With 900A

Moisture Vaporators Spotted In Buenos Aires

Casio G-Shock G8100A-5 Wristwatch is Barely Steampunk

Samsung T919 Touchscreen Handset Confirmed For U.S. T-Mobile Customers

Automated Japanese Mausoleum Delivers Loved Ones While You Wait

Fujitsu Siemens Could Debut Amilo Mini Notebook on August 28

Seattle Flushes $5 Million Automated Public Restrooms for Major Loss

Hit Coworkers From Afar and Burn the Evidence With DIY Paper Rocket Kit

DIY XR3 225 MPG Hybrid Car Kit Finally Finished, Hits the Road Soon for $25,000

Solar Powered Neck Tie Holds, Powers Your Gadgets

Speedo Now Selling LZR Racer Swim Suit to the Public, U.S. Whale Sightings Way Up

Tattoo? Symbiote? What the Hell is That Thing On Olympian Kerri Walsh’s Shoulder?

Do ‘Disclosure Day’ Prep With a Spielberg Sci-Fi Marathon

How to Watch the F1 Japanese GP 2026 on a Free Channel

Ranking 2016’s Superhero Debuts, 10 Years Later

Fourth Most Populous Country in the World Bans Most Social Media for Kids

How to watch UFC Fight Night Adesanya vs Pyfer live this Saturday

‘Steel Ball Run’ Will Return This Year…Eventually

‘The Mummy 4’ Is Getting the Family Back Together

JD Vance Says UFOs Are Actually Demons

Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine Hits Its Lowest Price of the Year for Amazon’s Big Spring Sale, Cut Your Daily Coffee Costs at Home

Amazon Clears Out Govee LED Smart Light Bulbs (2-Pack) at a Record Low, Each Bulb Costs Just a Few Dollars

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

Nothing Headphone A vs. Headphone 1: Which Pair of ANC Wireless Headphones Wins?

Asus ROG’s Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds Might Be Better Than Wearing a Headset

Nintendo’s Talking Flower Is Annoying as Hell. I Love It

Level Lock Pro Review: As Good as a Secret Smart Lock Gets

Apple Studio Display XDR Review: It Looks So Good, I Wish It Were an iMac

RayNeo Air 4 Pro Review: My Eyes Love These Video Glasses, but My Nose Disagrees