John Biggs, Author at Gizmodo

Q’s Last Haven Briefly Shut by Internet Providers

The last haven for “real” Qdrops, 8kun (previously called 8chan), briefly went down Sunday night after a security researcher called the head of CNServers, the anti-denial-of-service provider that controversial site uses to stay online. CNServers quickly pulled their support for the message board, resulting in a vanishingly brief outage. The site currently runs on a…

Tech News John Biggs Oct 19

The Raspberry Pi 4 Compute Module Is a Mini Brain for Your DIY Projects

The Raspberry Pi—a single-board computer that lets you run Linux systems on devices the size of a deck of cards—is popular with DIYers thanks to its small size and extreme power. But when you need something even smaller, you turn to the Raspberry Pi Compute Module, essentially a stripped-down RaspPi without many of the built-in…

Gadgets John Biggs Oct 19

This Satyrlike Robot Brings Boxes to You Like a Metal Mr. Tumnus

Agility Robotics has announced a $20 million funding round for a robot that looks like a Greek myth crossed with a cyberpunk fever dream. The robot, called Digit, is designed to work alongside meat humans in environments where people congregate but that might be difficult for robots to manage. “Digit, Agility Robotics’ humanoid robot with…

Tech News John Biggs Oct 16

Hackers Allegedly Stole Over 3 Million Customer Credit Cards From Dickey’s Barbecue Pit

Hackers are currently selling a trove of 3 million credit card numbers and customer records apparently stolen from Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, one of the biggest barbecue chains in the United States. The company made a statement today about the hack, suggesting that charges made to the stolen cards will be reversed. “We received a report…

Privacy & Security John Biggs Oct 16

This In-Browser Game Gives the Chrome Dino a Run for Its Money

A game hidden in Vivaldi version 3.4 is adding “pixel-perfect” 8-bit cyberpunk action to your browsing sessions. The game, which appears when you type “vivaldi://game” in the browser’s URL field, is a side-scrolling shooter that pits a speedy, wheeled hero against flying snail monsters in a dystopian future. It runs on both desktop and mobile…

Games John Biggs Oct 15

Zoom Is Adding End-To-End Encryption to Your Endless Meetings

Zoom is adding end-to-end encryption (E2EE) to its popular videoconferencing platform, according to a post on the company’s website. The rollout will begin during the week of Oct. 19 and will add features created by a company it acquired in May, Keybase. “We’re excited to announce that starting next week, Zoom’s end-to-end encryption (E2EE) offering…

Privacy & Security John Biggs Oct 14

A New App Lets You Catalog Your Thoughts Like an Engineer

Bytebase, a new app by two Columbia University software engineers, promises to let you store your snippets, thoughts, and notes in a way that is instantly searchable and automatically organized. Created by ex-Twilio engineer Cara Borenstein and ex-Nextdoor engineer Theo Marin, the barebones web app is sort of like Evernote amped up on the drug…

Tech News John Biggs Oct 13

OnePlus Co-Founder Reportedly Quits to Build a Startup

OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei has left the company to work on a new venture, according to a report by TechCrunch. Pei has not announced the move officially, but persons familiar with the decision said he will not be joining Samsung, a company seen as a model for his own. He is also said to be…

Tech News John Biggs Oct 13

The Future of Male Sextech Sounds Like a Bike Pump

The Arcwave Ion, a new sex toy from a company called Wow Tech, promises a different kind of male orgasm. They deliver… kind of. BTW, friends, this review is NSFW. Wow Tech makes the disgustingly-named Womanizer, a popular ladies toy that uses vibration and suction to directly stimulate the clitoris. The product, which took the…

Other Gadgets John Biggs Oct 8

Learn to Type by Copying Literary Masters

A new project by a Canadian techie named Adam Doquiatan aims to teach you to type by asking you to copy great literature. The site, called TypeLit.io, lets you pick from a library of public domain classics—Alice in Wonderland, 1984, and many more—and then shows you the text of each chapter. To complete the exercise…

Tech News John Biggs Oct 7

The Best Home Printer in 2022

Not everyone needs a printer for their house, but for those who do, here is what to look for

Reviews John Biggs Oct 7

Silicon Valley Is Fighting a Losing War Against Politics

You’d be excused for not following the recent brouhaha associated with Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong’s announcement that the company would no longer play politics. The statement, posted to Medium on Sunday, is a doozy. “In short, I want Coinbase to be laser focused on achieving its mission, because I believe that this is the way…

Politics John Biggs Oct 1

Preteens Rejoice! Federal Judge Delays TikTok Ban

A U.S federal judge has said that a ban on TikTok—scheduled for Monday, Sept. 28—will not go ahead as planned. The delay will allow users to access the app on various app stores while the court explores the legality of banning a consumer application on security grounds. TikTok, by Chinese software house ByteDance, has filed…

Tech News John Biggs Sep 27

Atari’s Vaporware Console Is Getting Blockchain-Based Games

In what is certain to be one of the least promising moves in console gaming in 2020, Atari has partnered with a company called Ultra Gaming to offer blockchain-based game streaming to its forthcoming VCS console. The fabled Atari VCS has long been a bit of fun vaporware that is currently suffering from shipping issues…

Tech News John Biggs Sep 24

Amazon’s Echo Is Now a Ball

Amazon has upgraded its Echo lineup, giving the Echo, Echo Dot, and Echo Dot with Clock a spherical design that looks less awkward in your house than a cylinder or puck. The Kids’ Edition Dots got similar treatment but instead of a bright candy cane design, these little guys now have Panda and Tiger faces…

Commerce John Biggs Sep 24

This Solar-Powered Weather Station Is Stealthy, Accurate, and Works With Alexa

Weather stations are sort of like a pocket protector for your lawn. They tell the world that the person inside the house is kind of techy, kind of fascinated by the weather, and kind of a dork. Thanks to the Tempest from WeatherFlow, you can now hide your dorkiness with a device that looks more…

Home Entertainment & Smart Home John Biggs Sep 23

Industrial Designers Create New ‘Human-God Interfaces’

A joint project between students in the Industrial Design course at the University of Wuppertal, Germany, and the Catholic Educational Institution in Bonn is bringing (sort of) high tech to the Catholic Mass. The Catholic faith hasn’t really upgraded since the Second Vatican Council, at which time they swapped development environments and communication protocols from…

Gadgets John Biggs Sep 23

The TikTok Saga Would Be a Comedy if It Weren’t So Tragic

The United States is ceding its position as a world technological power. For decades, the world’s brightest landed here to build. They chose the U.S. for a few simple reasons, among them access to world-class equipment and education, the ability to take high-paying tech jobs, and a business climate that rewarded the hard-working and lucky…

Tech News John Biggs Sep 20

Parents Agree: Don’t Give Your Kids an Apple Watch

The easiest way to sell something is to tell people it will help them not die or get hurt. This is definitely true when it comes to the Apple Watch, a product whose—arguably excellent—marketing message is, “Wear this and you might survive a heart attack.” So when Apple announced Family Setup, a service that lets…

Tech News John Biggs Sep 17

Facebook’s AR Ray-Bans Are a Stylish but Horrible Idea

We learned two things about Facebook today. First, it’s working on Project Aria, an experimental platform that will eventually lead to a pair of AR glasses that will stream data to your face. Next, we learned that it’s in partnership with sunglasses manufacturer Ray-Ban to make, we assume, a fancy pair of the company’s signature…

Gadgets John Biggs Sep 16

John Biggs

Q’s Last Haven Briefly Shut by Internet Providers

The Raspberry Pi 4 Compute Module Is a Mini Brain for Your DIY Projects

This Satyrlike Robot Brings Boxes to You Like a Metal Mr. Tumnus

Hackers Allegedly Stole Over 3 Million Customer Credit Cards From Dickey’s Barbecue Pit

This In-Browser Game Gives the Chrome Dino a Run for Its Money

Zoom Is Adding End-To-End Encryption to Your Endless Meetings

A New App Lets You Catalog Your Thoughts Like an Engineer

OnePlus Co-Founder Reportedly Quits to Build a Startup

The Future of Male Sextech Sounds Like a Bike Pump

Learn to Type by Copying Literary Masters

The Best Home Printer in 2022

Silicon Valley Is Fighting a Losing War Against Politics

Preteens Rejoice! Federal Judge Delays TikTok Ban

Atari’s Vaporware Console Is Getting Blockchain-Based Games

Amazon’s Echo Is Now a Ball

This Solar-Powered Weather Station Is Stealthy, Accurate, and Works With Alexa

Industrial Designers Create New ‘Human-God Interfaces’

The TikTok Saga Would Be a Comedy if It Weren’t So Tragic

Parents Agree: Don’t Give Your Kids an Apple Watch

Facebook’s AR Ray-Bans Are a Stylish but Horrible Idea

On ‘Maul: Shadow Lord’, Not Everyone’s Willing to Learn a Lesson

PhD Student Uses Turntable to Create the Most Impractical Drum Machine Ever

A Diarrhea-Causing Superbug Is on the Rise, Health Officials Warn

Mark Zuckerberg Is Officially a Bot

Hollywood’s Stars Are Beginning to Turn Against the Paramount-Warner Deal

AI Jesus Might Be the Thing That Finally Breaks MAGA’s Faith

‘Rise of the TMNT’ Could’ve Introduced Even More Turtles

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar With Dolby Audio Finds a Prime Day–Level Price Point Outside the Sale Window

Bitdefender Total Security Now Costs Less than Your Coffee Order — Covers Up to 5 Devices With One Subscription

10 Cursed Islands to Visit Ahead of ‘Widow’s Bay’

Anker’s EufyMake E1 Finally Brings Printers Out of the Dark Ages

This Loud-Ass Party Speaker Almost Got Me High AF

Asus Zenbook A16 Review: Start Considering Snapdragon on PC, for Real

Aqara Thermostat Hub W200 Review: Almost Better than My Ecobee

HP Omen Max 45L Review: 4K60 Gaming Has Never Been So Easy

Ecovacs Winbot W3 Omni Review: Window Cleaning Robots Have a Long Way to Go

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