Jamie Condliffe, Author at Gizmodo

House of Representatives Shoots Down Facebook Snooping Amendment

This week, Facebook user protection legislation passed through the US House of Representatives. It was planned to prevent employers demanding Facebook sign-in details from their workers—but it got shot down in flames. https://gizmodo.com/prospective-employees-are-now-being-asked-for-facebook-5894785 In the end, the final vote was 236 to 184, with just one House Republican voting in support of the changes. If…

Social Media Jamie Condliffe Mar 29 '12

This Flexible E-Ink Display Will Be in Real Devices This Summer

The future of digital reading is flexible. And by flexible, I mean bendable, not multipurpose. Now, LG has announced the first malleable, plastic e-ink display, and while it’s hardly Retina, it will be appearing in devices as early as this summer. https://gizmodo.com/what-would-it-take-for-apple-to-make-a-new-ipad-truly-e-5896631 The six-inch display is made of plastic, which allows it to bend at…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe Mar 29 '12

Our Oceans’ Coral Is Dying of… Herpes??

Coral around the world is in decline, destroying the natural habitat of thousands of different species. But scientists might have revealed a dirty truth behind the problem: coral could have a bad case of herpes. In fact, it’s not just herpes. Coral seems to be harboring a bunch of viral diseases, that could be slowly…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe Mar 28 '12

Forget the Pharmacy: Thyme Might Be Your Best Pimple Cure

Growing up, you always assume you’ll reach an age where you’re pimple-free. Never happens. Don’t fret! New research suggests that you can hit up your herb garden instead of shelling out bucks at the pharmacy. A little bit of thyme could clear your skin up better than any cream. Researchers from Leeds Metropolitan University in…

Health Jamie Condliffe Mar 28 '12

Apple Claims the iPad’s Charging “Bug” Is Actually a Feature

Since it was launched, people have been complaining that the new iPad doesn’t charge properly, reporting that the device isn’t fully charged even when it claims to be. Apple has now responded, stating that this is actually on purpose. https://gizmodo.com/people-are-having-trouble-charging-their-new-ipads-5894988 All Things D reports that Apple broke it down for them: The iPad displays that…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe Mar 28 '12

Simian Mobile Disco: Cerulean

Music videos inspired by 1970s computer games are some of the best, and Simian Mobile Disco’s new offering Cerulean certainly doesn’t disappoint. Also, the track’s incredibly catchy, upbeat dose of UK tech-house is just the way to get your morning off to a flying start. Designed, directed and animated by Jack Featherstone and Will Samuel,…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe Mar 28 '12

Classical Music Improves Surgery

Many people like to listen to music while they work, including surgeons. But a new study shows that, when classical music is played during minor surgery, patients recover sooner. In a study conducted at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, UK, 96 patients undergoing minor surgery were randomly assigned either music—either Mozart, Beethoven, Vivaldi or…

Health Jamie Condliffe Mar 28 '12

Scientists Suggest That Eating Placenta Is Good For You

The entire animal kingdom does it, but most humans become squeamish and pull their faces at the very notion. But now, scientists are suggesting that mothers—and perhaps even fathers—would benefit from eating parts of the placenta following child birth. Yum. A team of researchers from the University at Buffalo has been studying afterbirth ingestion in…

Health Jamie Condliffe Mar 28 '12

Is Learning to Code More Popular Than Learning a Foreign Language?

There was a time when people used to go to night classes or buy DIY guides to learn foreign languages in their spare time. But the New York Times is to have us believe that French and Spanish are out of the window, to be replaced by Python and Java. It’s an interesting concept. There’s…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe Mar 28 '12

The Court Transcript For the Hasbro vs. Asus Transformer Prime Case Is Hilarious

Last year it was announced that Hasbro was going to sue Asus over the branding of the Transformer Prime; apparently, people all over the planet were confusing a tablet with shape-shifting robots. Now the case has been settled—Hasbro lost a preliminary hearing—but the court ruling is quite hilarious. https://gizmodo.com/hasbro-sues-asus-over-the-name-transformer-prime-5870344 Hilarious by the standards of most…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe Mar 28 '12

Watching Sad Movies Actually Makes You Happier

From bawling your eyes out over Bambi as a kid, to the slow, painful tug of the heart strings that was Beginners, most of us are suckers for a sad film. But a new study suggests that the reason for that might be incredibly simple: It turns out that sad films make us happy. The…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe Mar 27 '12

Runners’ Highs Evolved to Make Us Better Hunter Gatherers

You’ve all been there: tired and exhausted, you drag your ass out for a run, but a few miles in—BOOM—your pain fades and you’re suddenly euphoric. You’ve got a runner’s high—and new research reveals that it’s an evolutionary trait that fine-tuned us to be the ultimate hunter-gatherers. The research, conducted by the University of Arizona…

Health Jamie Condliffe Mar 27 '12

Harry Potter eBooks Are Finally Available Today

Since its launch, Pottermore has failed to do the obvious and sell Harry Potter ebooks. For crazed Hogwarts fans everywhere, though, the wait is finally over; now you can read about wizards on your Kindle. https://gizmodo.com/pottermore-is-the-ebooks-beatles-on-itunes-moment-5814906 Pottermore’s ebook store launched today, offering up English-language version of all the novels. Editions in French, Italian, German and…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe Mar 27 '12

HTC Is Deleting All Its Users’ Backups

HTC has announced that it is going to shut down its half-assed backup service, HTCsense.com, to replace it with “new and improved services”. But if you have any data stored there, download it real quick—after April 30th, it’ll be deleted for good. Until now, HTCsense.com has allowed HTC users to backup contacts, messages, call history…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe Mar 27 '12

Chocolate Keeps You Slim

It sounds whack, but a new scientific study suggests that people who eat chocolate regularly tend to be thinner. Sadly, that doesn’t quite mean that you can run out and stuff your face full of candy all day to keep your weight down—but it does mean you probably should be eating some chocolate regularly. The…

Health Jamie Condliffe Mar 27 '12

Microsoft Is Blocking Pirate Bay Links in Instant Messages

The Pirate Bay goes to great lengths to keep itself widely available , but here’s something it can’t stop: Microsoft is now blocking links to the site in instant messages across all its systems. https://gizmodo.com/the-pirate-bay-wants-to-use-drones-to-put-its-servers-i-5894598 “We block instant messages if they contain malicious or spam URLs based on intelligence algorithms, third-party sources, and/or user complaints.…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe Mar 27 '12

The Miracle Drug That Could Kill All Cancers

It sounds like science fiction, but researchers have discovered a single drug that they think can shrink, or even completely cure, all human tumors. But how does a drug like that work, and when will it be available? An article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science explains that a new treatment—based on…

Health Jamie Condliffe Mar 27 '12

Rupert Murdoch Employed Hackers to Destroy a Pay-TV Rival

Everybody’s favorite octogenarian media tycoon is at it again. This time, Rupert Murdoch is accused of hiring hackers to crack a pay-TV rival’s encryption system and then post the hack on the internet in order to financially cripple them. It worked: they’re now bust. https://gizmodo.com/rupert-murdoch-is-now-on-twitter-5872381 The BBC reports that Murdoch enlisted Lee Gibling to hack…

Television Jamie Condliffe Mar 27 '12

How Do Cats Survive Massive Falls?

Everyone knows that cats can somehow survive falling out of a tree, but last week a cat survived a 19-story fall in Boston. So just how the hell did it manage it? Science, as usual, can help explain: it’s mostly anatomy. But sadly, there is a lack of empirical evidence—scientists seem reluctant to throw cats…

Biology Jamie Condliffe Mar 26 '12

Five Ways James Cameron Could Have Died on His Mission to the Bottom of the Ocean

Over the weekend, James Cameron successfully made it to the the bottom of the Mariana Trench—the deepest point on Earth. Bad. Ass. https://gizmodo.com/james-cameron-successfully-reaches-the-deepest-spot-on-5896326 But also: lucky, brave, well-prepared, and maybe a little bit daft: Any number of factors could have turned the the veteran explorer-slash-director’s epic adventure into his last act. The Mariana Trench is…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe Mar 26 '12

Jamie Condliffe

House of Representatives Shoots Down Facebook Snooping Amendment

This Flexible E-Ink Display Will Be in Real Devices This Summer

Our Oceans’ Coral Is Dying of… Herpes??

Forget the Pharmacy: Thyme Might Be Your Best Pimple Cure

Apple Claims the iPad’s Charging “Bug” Is Actually a Feature

Simian Mobile Disco: Cerulean

Classical Music Improves Surgery

Scientists Suggest That Eating Placenta Is Good For You

Is Learning to Code More Popular Than Learning a Foreign Language?

The Court Transcript For the Hasbro vs. Asus Transformer Prime Case Is Hilarious

Watching Sad Movies Actually Makes You Happier

Runners’ Highs Evolved to Make Us Better Hunter Gatherers

Harry Potter eBooks Are Finally Available Today

HTC Is Deleting All Its Users’ Backups

Chocolate Keeps You Slim

Microsoft Is Blocking Pirate Bay Links in Instant Messages

The Miracle Drug That Could Kill All Cancers

Rupert Murdoch Employed Hackers to Destroy a Pay-TV Rival

How Do Cats Survive Massive Falls?

Five Ways James Cameron Could Have Died on His Mission to the Bottom of the Ocean

Lego’s New ‘Mandalorian & Grogu’ Set Confirms a Very Silly Name Change

Ask.com Is Dead, and I’m Begging Its Owners Not to Bring AskJeeves Back as a Chatbot

Meet the New Mutant Heroes of ‘X-Men ’97’

Under Ternus, Apple Is Reportedly Entering a Spendy New Era

Open Channel: What Are (Still) Your Favorite Infinity Saga Movies?

April Was the Worst Ever Month on Record for Crypto Hacks

F1 Miami GP Live Stream: How to Watch F1 Miami GP 2026 Live Stream for FREE

Wizards of the Coast Apologizes After New ‘Hobbit’ One Ring Card Accused of Plagiarism

Logitech G G512 X Review: The Tasting Menu of a Pro Gaming Keyboard

Ecovacs Deebot X12 OmniCyclone Review: AI Can’t Save This Robot Vacuum

The Best Tech Gifts for Mother’s Day 2026

Asus’ Dual-Display Gaming Laptop Will Ruin Your Single-Screen Lifestyle

Steam Controller Review: Trackpads Change Everything for PC Gaming

Soundcore Space 2 Review: A Shockingly Stellar Value for Budget ANC Wireless Headphones

Anker’s UV Printer Can Handle Almost Anything… If You Know What You’re Doing

HP’s EliteBoard Keyboard-Computer Proves We Can Stick a PC in Anything

Sleep-Tracking Earbuds Didn’t Fix Me, but They Did Open My Eyes

I’ve Tested a Lot of Bad Smart Glasses and These Are the Worst Yet

Roborock’s Qrevo Curv 2 Flow Is the Ultimate Robot Mop—If You Don’t Have Corners or Walls

Alienware’s $350 QD-OLED Gaming Monitor Nixes Everything for a Pretty Screen