Joanna Stern, Author at Gizmodo

Netwalker Suggests that Sharp Sleepwalked Through the Last Few Years

No matter what kind of consumer electronics you make it seems you’ve got to add some sort of internet device to the portfolio. Sharp’s addition (at least in Japan) is its 5-inch Netwalker that has a touchscreen and runs Ubuntu. The Netwalker, also called the PC-Z1 in the official literature, seems to be somewhat pocketable…

Tech News Joanna Stern Aug 27

Grasshopper Robot Granted Wings, Learning to Fly

It wasn’t enough to have a jumping grasshopper robot, it must fly! And the guys at EPFL’s Laboratory of Intelligent Systems are on it by giving grasshopper-bot wings and figuring out how to make it glide. Made of carbon and mylar, the wings will be controllable and the ‘hopper will be able to fly towards…

Tech News Joanna Stern Aug 27

GScreen’s Dual-Screen Spacebook Coming Soon(ish)

This is one of the first photos of an actual gScreen’s dual 15.4-inch screen Spacebook—two full screens (not just an extra 10-inch one like Lenovo’s W700). Really. There were renders before, but here are the photos. https://gizmodo.com/crazy-ibm-thinkpad-w700ds-has-integrated-secondary-disp-5113768 The Alaska based company, started by Gordon Stewart (yep, that is where the G in gScreen comes from),…

Tech News Joanna Stern Aug 27

Cereal Dust Invention is Just a Regular Sifter

I happen to think the crushed flakes of cereal at the bottom of the bag are worse than someone stepping on my toe. I’d love for them to go away, but this cereal dust sifter just isn’t the solution. We appreciate Stupid Inventions (of Instructables) making this ghetto gadget, but using a normal sifter and…

Tech News Joanna Stern Aug 27

ASUS Puts Voice Recognition in 20-Inch Touchscreen EeeTop ET2002, Now Car Ready

ASUS likes to throw crap against the wall to see what sticks and in this case they put voice recognition into its newest EeeTop. The software is accurate, but I’m not seeing the need for it in a 20-inch PC. I do have to say the voice recognition seems to be on the ball from…

Tech News Joanna Stern Aug 26

Always Innovating Touch Book Now Has Working Accelerometer and Sticks to Fridge, But Not Totally Baked

We liked Always Innovating’s half tablet, half netbook when we saw it, but now the Touch Book has a working accelerometer and a finger-friendly Linux user interface. Oh and it sticks to a fridge door even when you open it. https://gizmodo.com/first-hands-on-touch-book-is-part-netbook-part-tablet-5162584 The start-up started shipping its $300 Touch Book—which has a a fully detachable keyboard…

Tech News Joanna Stern Aug 26

Qualcomm’s Personal Television Device Will Have Mobile Live TV, Multitouch Goods

The era of the PDA is gone, but what about a PTV (Personal Television Device)? Qualcomm is said to be working on an unconfirmed iPhone size-device without the streaming video restrictions; it will broadcast the company’s mobile FLO TV. FLO TV, which broadcasts live terrestrial digital TV, has become a staple on a bunch of…

Television Joanna Stern Aug 26

Archos A5S and A5H Tablets Look Blah, Unless the “A” Stands for Android

Looks like that Archos Android internet tablet that is set to be released on September 15 got outed by the FCC. Looking a lot like the Archos 5, the A5S and A5H have 4.8 inch screens and you know, internet. https://gizmodo.com/archos-android-tablet-with-720p-playback-and-mobile-int-5341242 The hardware on the new mobile internet devices looks to have been redesigned from…

Tech News Joanna Stern Aug 26

Apple Genius Finds Child Porn on G5 In Need of Repair

Forget Megan’s Law, those Apple Geniuses are pretty darn good at catching pedophiles. A Connecticut man was arrested after an Apple Genius found pictures of naked 10- to 13-year-old girls in “explicit” poses on his G5 desktop’s hard drive. Ah, the irony that Raymond Miller went into his local Stamford Town Center Apple Store because…

Tech News Joanna Stern Aug 26

Turn Your Food Into Poop With a Cloaca Machine

Why bother digesting, when the Cloaca machine can do it for you? What goes in must come out, or at least that is the case for the Cloaca (which we originally posted about last February), a machine that literally produces a good old Number Two. Designed by Belgium artist Wim Delvoye and first exhibited in…

Tech News Joanna Stern Aug 26

Intel Next-Gen Mobile Platforms Make Windows 7 Launch an Awesome Time to Buy a Laptop

Windows 7’s launch is going to be a hell of a busy time for laptops. Expect a slew of higher-end Intel Core i7 mobile rigs and thin notebooks powered by new dual-core ULV processors when the OS ships. Intel’s next generation Centrino platform, codenamed Calpella, will be launched at the end of September, says MSI.…

Tech News Joanna Stern Aug 25

MSI Confirms Wind U150 Netbook with Touchscreen and Intel’s Next Atom

We heard that MSI may release a touchscreen netbook with Intel’s next generation Pine Trail Atom platform, and it will. According to MSI, the new Intel Atom chipset is planned to be officially launched at CES. https://gizmodo.com/touch-screen-netbooks-with-windows-7-on-the-way-from-ac-5340626 However, Intel tells us that it has not nailed down the launch of Pine Trail yet and maintains…

Tech News Joanna Stern Aug 25

WSJ: Steve Jobs Killed Apple Tablet Twice Already

While we knew that Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ had been working on the company’s tablet project, the WSJ says that Steve has already “killed the project twice in recent years.” That’s right. The Apple tablet. Dead. Twice. Why? https://gizmodo.com/wsj-steve-jobs-still-pulling-apples-strings-working-o-5207788 The first time, apparently, he killed it for crummy battery life, and then the second time…

Tech News Joanna Stern Aug 24

Apple MacBook Knockoff For a Netbook Price

At first glance this MacBook knockoff doesn’t look all that bad, but by picture three it looks like week old garbage. According to the not very official picture caption, the “Macbook Mini” has the specs of a netbook. It is powered by a good old 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard…

Tech News Joanna Stern Aug 24

iPhone Call Recorder: There is an Fugly Piece of Hardware for That

If there isn’t an app you deem decent, make an unattractive, bulky hardware solution. At least that was this guys idea. Apparently making a switch box was the only way to inconspicuously record iPhone calls. Dissatisfied with apps It is actually impressive to see how much planning went into this iPhone call recorder. Since time…

Tech News Joanna Stern Aug 24

Wii Sports Resort 8-in-1 Pack Preserves Every Ounce of Summer Fun

Summer may be on its way out, but the Wii Sports Resort kit makes sure the fun never ends. A ping pong paddle, wakeboard and row boat paddle attachment for the Motionplus?! Sign me up. https://gizmodo.com/wii-motionplus-review-5326510 CTA Digital has just released an 8-in-1 pack for the Wii Sports Resort game for an MSRP of $40.…

Tech News Joanna Stern Aug 21

Back to School Tech: 10 Things You Need, 5 Things You Definitely Don’t

Don't get tricked into buying garbage you don't need.

Reviews Joanna Stern Aug 21

Need a Job? Microsoft Hiring for Retail Stores

Good news for the unemployed: Microsoft has posted job listings for its retail stores. Those living near or around Scottsdale, AZ or Mission Viejo, CA can now apply to work in one of the wall sized screen equipped stores. https://gizmodo.com/leak-inside-the-microsoft-store-with-wall-sized-screen-5322328/ Looks like a total of 16 positions are open right now and positions range from…

Tech News Joanna Stern Aug 21

David Pogue Says Sony DSC-WX1 Is the Best Low Light Point-and-Shoot

Low light camera functionality is the most important advancement in point-and-shoots “since image stabilization came along,” says Sir David Pogue. In his latest, he takes a look the Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR and the Sony DSC-WX1‘s handling of no-flash allowed situations. https://gizmodo.com/fujifilm-busts-out-five-new-cameras-including-a-prosum-5319974 While both handle low light pretty darn well (you can check that out for…

Tech News Joanna Stern Aug 20

Nvidia Ion Lenovo IdeaPad S12 Pushed Off Until Windows 7 Launch

It has been months since Lenovo announced that its IdeaPad S12 would be the first netbook (or borderline notebook) with Nvidia’s Ion, but it has since been MIA. Lenovo says, the system will now ship during the Windows 7 timeframe. https://gizmodo.com/lenovo-s12-is-the-first-netbook-with-nvidia-ion-costs-5268833 On track to ship at the end of October, the IdeaPad S12 with Intel’s…

Gadgets Joanna Stern Aug 20

Joanna Stern

Netwalker Suggests that Sharp Sleepwalked Through the Last Few Years

Grasshopper Robot Granted Wings, Learning to Fly

GScreen’s Dual-Screen Spacebook Coming Soon(ish)

Cereal Dust Invention is Just a Regular Sifter

ASUS Puts Voice Recognition in 20-Inch Touchscreen EeeTop ET2002, Now Car Ready

Always Innovating Touch Book Now Has Working Accelerometer and Sticks to Fridge, But Not Totally Baked

Qualcomm’s Personal Television Device Will Have Mobile Live TV, Multitouch Goods

Archos A5S and A5H Tablets Look Blah, Unless the “A” Stands for Android

Apple Genius Finds Child Porn on G5 In Need of Repair

Turn Your Food Into Poop With a Cloaca Machine

Intel Next-Gen Mobile Platforms Make Windows 7 Launch an Awesome Time to Buy a Laptop

MSI Confirms Wind U150 Netbook with Touchscreen and Intel’s Next Atom

WSJ: Steve Jobs Killed Apple Tablet Twice Already

Apple MacBook Knockoff For a Netbook Price

iPhone Call Recorder: There is an Fugly Piece of Hardware for That

Wii Sports Resort 8-in-1 Pack Preserves Every Ounce of Summer Fun

Back to School Tech: 10 Things You Need, 5 Things You Definitely Don’t

Need a Job? Microsoft Hiring for Retail Stores

David Pogue Says Sony DSC-WX1 Is the Best Low Light Point-and-Shoot

Nvidia Ion Lenovo IdeaPad S12 Pushed Off Until Windows 7 Launch

I’m Worried About the Helpless AI Disruptors of the Future

Russia Allegedly Swung at VPNs but Accidentally Hit Its Own Banking Sector Instead

Ryan Coogler Is Shifting ‘Animorphs’ Into a Disney+ Show

No Fooling, ‘Spaceballs 2’ Will Hit Theaters April 2027

I Regret to Inform You That the Artemis II Astronauts Are Having Lots of Screen Time

The First ‘Maul: Shadow Lord’ Reactions Are Most Solid

‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 3 Is Doing What You Hoped

Wearables Are Getting Very Messy

Trump Wants to Start Privatizing TSA in Latest Budget Proposal

Lost Warship From Battle of Copenhagen Found After 225 Years

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