johnb, Author at Gizmodo | Page 43 of 118

Audiophile Snake Oil

I’ve always loved high-end audio and I’ve never really known anyone who owns any. I’ve seen the $100,000 CD player and $30,000 turntable needles, but I thought they were designed for mad potentates waiting who drink the blood of young boys to stay supple. However, these things exist and are available and it literally boggles…

Tech News Johnb

Fatboy and the Lovesac

I suppose, in a way, our prayers have been answered. Astute readers Ravi and Lee sent us links to Fatboy and the Lovesac, which kind of sounds like a drive-time DJ team. “Hey, Fatboy, who do we have on today?” “Lydia Spanker, a real live ‘squirter!'” “Squirter, what’s that?” “Well, Lovesac, I don’t know. I…

Gadgets Johnb

Famicom Micro Makes Me Nostalgic

Ahh, the good old days—grandma cookin up frozen chicken cutlets, me sitting in my pajamas leafing through Nintendo Power where the mere mention of the Famicom was like spotting a unicorn. What was this famous precursor to the NES? Would I ever own one? Did Mario look different in far-off Japan? Now Nintendo is bringing…

Tech News Johnb

Shotgun Beer Opener

To paraphrase the immortal words of Sir Brian Wilson, Esq, God only knows what I’d be without the Shotgun Beer Opener. When I used to shotgun my Natty Bo, it was a race with time and pain—can I crack the six pack, down the fizzy gold, and hit my job at the drug store within…

Gadgets Johnb

People Give Up on Mobile Data

The telecom industry consultants at Olista have found that 64% of mobile phone users give up on sexy services like picture messaging, web browsing, and ringtone downloads almost immediately after experiencing any form of difficulty. While obviously these boys are trying to sell something, namely their “innovative solutions that enable mobile operators to differentiate themselves…

Tech News Johnb

Portable AIDS Test – Boon for Africa

One of the biggest issues in AIDS testing in the field is the collection, transport, and processing of blood samples. A team of scientists at Harvard Medical School and the University of Texas are trying to meld a mini-processor and a digital camera to create an entirely new form of test, one that fits in…

Gadgets Johnb

Sidekick III Launch Rumor – April 2006

Interesting rumor: I was at a conference at [some place] on [doing something for people]. During lunch, I sat next to [Some very important guy who knows this stuff] and we got to discussing the sidekick. He indicated that the sidekick III would be released in April of 2006. I asked him a few times…

Tech News Johnb

Gotcha Sprayer – Kills Things Dead

Might be a little late in the season for this thing, but it’s a pretty cool little device. You hook up a bottle of pest DESTROYER and attach a 10 foot pole. You can then pull a string and shoot those little buggers to HELL! It looks good for wasps and other flying Insectacons and…

Gadgets Johnb

NatureMill Indoor Composter – Controlled Decay

I love compost. I love hats. I love belts. I love fashion. NatureMill almost succeeds in pleasing me on all of those fronts. It’s an in-home composter that takes trash in one end and produces a delicious organic humus out the other—that’s humus not hummus. One is is a tasty chickpea dish, the other is…

Gadgets Johnb

Pretty Boy Floyd the Sponsor

Come and listen to me children/a story I will tell/’bout Gizmodo’s numerous sponsors/Oklahoma knew them well. It was in the town of Shawnee/on a Thursday afternoon/their wives beside them on their wagon/as into town they rode. Gizmodo offers ad space/sponsors offer cash/and in the the fight that followed/the Sponsors laid Gizmodo down. Thanks to: Shure,…

Tech News Johnb

N-Gage Sales Slacken Slightly

In a surprising twist, the Nokia N-Gage’s reported sales have fallen slightly off the mark this quarter. Projected sales number were in the 6 million in three years but the company only sold 2 million units, even after constant rejigging of their console and their sales model. The company attributes this failure to sun spots,…

Tech News Johnb

From Around the World – Cheap PCs

You’d think we’d be at the point, by now, that a PC comes in a box of Cracker Jack, but that is not to be. Instead, the majority of the developing world has to depend on cellphones, or rural cyber cafes, to maintain a connection to the increasingly important data and tools that we take…

Tech News Johnb

Spyware Stopped, Sony Sez Sorry, Suck It

So Sony… sorry, no more alliteration… says—damn—that their BMG induced spyware wasn’t so bad after all and that only malicious music companies would be able to ruin your PC, not malicious h/>

Tech News Johnb

PSP Mod Chip – Solderless? Too Good to Be True? Probably

So there’s a $29.99 PSP mod chip out there that lets you play any UMD movie, hook up a USB hard drive, and it makes girls like you. All it requires is for an intrepid modder to crack the case and put the chip in without even soldering anything. Anyone who has tried to chip…

Tech News Johnb

Nokia N92 Video In the Wild

Nice work by i4u in bringing us video of the N92 AKA the TV one. Looks like a cute little bugger. Live Video of Nokia N92 DVB-H TV Mobile Phone [i4u]

Tech News Johnb

ChipPC JackPC Wall Client – It’s Wafer Thin

Stuff like this JackPC is a little high concept for the average hAX0r but it seems like an interesting little tool. It’s basically a thin client PC with USB and VGA-out as well as some audio jacks. Plug it into an Ethernet port and it basically can be used as a virtual computer in a…

Tech News Johnb

Sony Rootkit – Worst.DRM.Ever

I was on the fence about talking about Sony’s DRM mess but things are cropping up that make it sound a little creepier than it originally sounded, which means it’s really, really creepy. Basically, this is a “media player” that ensures that you’re only using Sony’s system to view content on their DRM protected CDs.…

Tech News Johnb

iMac G5 Reviewed (Verdict: Thin)

iMac G5 is Apple’s first real foray into modern multimedia goodness and definitely a harbinger of things to come. Geek.com reviews this new standalone PC and finds that its the little differences that stand out in this new incarnation of the iMac. This, I think, is the most important part of the review: For $19…

Reviews Johnb

Robots + Bombs = Safety and Fun – A Missive from Iraq

Friend of Gizmodo, Noah “Sand Bag” Shachtman, just rolled out a massive piece on robotics in the war zone. He talks about all the goodies: robotic arms that place incindieary charges, Warlock radio jamming systems, and the men and women who risk live and limb to keep convoys and patrols safe on the ground. Excellent…

Gadgets Johnb

Shure E3G Giveaway Winner – David K

Thanks everyone for entering the Shure E3G Giveway Contest. We got almost 10,000 entries, an impressive number by any standard. Stay tuned for future giveaways including a free pony rides, tummy rubs, and balloon animals made by our own Multi-Talented Intern, Travis. Be sure to visit Shure to check out their super-sexy audio ear buds.…

Tech News Johnb

johnb

Audiophile Snake Oil

Fatboy and the Lovesac

Famicom Micro Makes Me Nostalgic

Shotgun Beer Opener

People Give Up on Mobile Data

Portable AIDS Test – Boon for Africa

Sidekick III Launch Rumor – April 2006

Gotcha Sprayer – Kills Things Dead

NatureMill Indoor Composter – Controlled Decay

Pretty Boy Floyd the Sponsor

N-Gage Sales Slacken Slightly

From Around the World – Cheap PCs

Spyware Stopped, Sony Sez Sorry, Suck It

PSP Mod Chip – Solderless? Too Good to Be True? Probably

Nokia N92 Video In the Wild

ChipPC JackPC Wall Client – It’s Wafer Thin

Sony Rootkit – Worst.DRM.Ever

iMac G5 Reviewed (Verdict: Thin)

Robots + Bombs = Safety and Fun – A Missive from Iraq

Shure E3G Giveaway Winner – David K

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 Day 3: Follow the Mission With Our Live Updates 🔴

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

Fake Videos Are Already Spreading After Two US Air Force Planes Go Down Near Iran

We’re Obsessed With the Meta Fits on These New Star Wars Toys

Behold These Breathtaking Views of Earth Captured by the Artemis 2 Astronauts

‘Chainsaw Man’ Briefly Returns in ‘Dandadan’

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