Kaila Hale-Stern, Author at Gizmodo

Watch John Oliver Explain How Three Young Women Catfished ISIS

Three ladies from Chechnya scammed ISIS fighters online and got ‘em good. Let John Oliver tell the tale: The three young women persuaded ISIS fighters to send them money, promising they’d journey to Syria for marriage—only to block the accounts once payment was received. Stone cold—and a better smackdown of ISIS’ social media recruitment than…

Tech News Kaila Hale-Stern Aug 4

Let’s Talk About Whatever You Want Right Now

It’s Friday, Planeteers. Let’s kick the weekend off right. What’s up, Gizmodo denizens? This was a big week in Techlandia, with the Windows 10 roll-out and shiny new mobile toys from Motorola. Cecil the lion’s hunter was hounded online, although he and his ilk actually help lion conservation. Dirty snow piles refuse to melt, kids…

Tech News Kaila Hale-Stern Jul 31

Buy Your Hard-Working Coworker A Beer, It’s #SysAdminDay

It’s Sysadmin appreciation day! What exactly are you appreciating? The primary duty of a system administrator is the upkeep and ongoing operation of computer systems, especially servers—and that job description means they are responsible for elements like uptime and security that are essential to the health and functionality of computers, networks and the ability of…

Tech News Kaila Hale-Stern Jul 31

What Technology of Yours Is About To Break?

My iPhone 5s is livin’ on a prayer. Technology, by its nature, can become obsolete as formats change and new inventions take the place of old. Some tech-oriented people love nothing more than being first in line for the shiniest new product, while others, out of cost, familiarity or skill in keeping parts chugging along,…

Tech News Kaila Hale-Stern Jul 30

A Religious Mystery Is Found Buried At Jamestown

A team of Smithsonian researchers has been studying the remains of four men discovered in Jamestown, Virginia, the site of England’s first successful colony. Two years of forensic detective work revealed their probable identities—but the biggest mystery is a sealed silver box found in one of the graves. The bodies’ burial at the Jamestown church…

Tech News Kaila Hale-Stern Jul 29

What Was The First Piece of Tech You Saved Up To Buy?

When I was a kid in the early ‘90s, laptops were insanely expensive and out of reach. Instead, I knew I had to have a Brother word processor. It was everything that I wanted. My lust for a portable writing machine bordered on obsession. I wrote away for catalogs, then would cut out pictures and…

Tech News Kaila Hale-Stern Jul 28

The Entire Internet Is Outraged Over the Hunting of Cecil the Lion

Every so often your faith in humanity is restored when the social world unites to excoriate an event deserving of its wrath. So it goes with Walter Palmer, the American dentist who killed a beloved, world-famous lion, Cecil, in Zimbabwe under cover of darkness and questionable legality. Palmer is not having a good day. Good.…

Tech News Kaila Hale-Stern Jul 28

Besides Cilantro, What Foods Do You Find Absolutely Disgusting?

Gizmodo staff got into a spirited debate about the most divisive of herbs, cilantro, sparked by the news that the U.S. imposed an import ban after human feces were found in cilantro fields outside Puebla, Mexico. Some of us despise cilantro; others would happily sprinkle it on most meals. Is there any other flavor that’s…

Tech News Kaila Hale-Stern Jul 27

Let’s Talk About Whatever You Want Right Now

Would you look at that, it’s the weekend again! Okay so most of us have a few more hours before we’re out of work, but depending on your timezone you may already be in the pub. If you have to work this weekend, Sad Dawson cries with you. Today on Gizmodo we looked at selfie…

Tech News Kaila Hale-Stern Jul 24

Game of Thrones Characters, Autocorrected

Artist James Chapman depicted Game of Thrones characters as the autocorrected versions of their fantastical names, and the results are funny and delightful. Chapman, a physics Phd student and the author of Soundimals: An Illustrated Guide to Animal Sounds in Other Languages, found that his phone’s autocorrect kept interfering when he messaged friends about GoT.…

Tech News Kaila Hale-Stern Jul 24

Have You Ever Had a Disastrous Butt-Dial?

A U.S. Appeals court just ruled that butt-dials (your phone calling a random contact due to, generally, contact with your butt) are not protected under federal wire-tapping law—which means that your inadvertent communications can be used against you. The case centered around a former Northern Kentucky airport board chairman who accidentally dialed the assistant of…

Tech News Kaila Hale-Stern Jul 23

Do You Buy Books Anymore?

We’re talking the old-fashioned kind. A “new” Dr. Seuss book, What Pet Should I Get? is cause for rejoicing, and likely the purchase of a paper copy, if you’re into Dr. Seuss. But do you really buy books these days? When digital books first came out, I was among the purists who turned my nose…

Commerce Kaila Hale-Stern Jul 22

Behold, The Most #UnexcitingVideoGames You Can Think Of

This hashtag is more magical than a mushroom. Currently trending on Twitter is the hashtag #UnexcitingVideoGames, which has fast become a goldmine of gaming whimsy. There are 20k Tweets and rising with tongue-in-cheek boring video games, and of course, brands are getting in on the fun—but the best Tweets are from users wielding mighty snarkhammers.…

Tech News Kaila Hale-Stern Jul 22

What’s Your Favorite Movie About Technology?

There’s some great TV on at the moment that revolves around tech as a central principle, like Mr. Robot, Halt and Catch Fire, and Silicon Valley. But what big-screen production utilizes tech as its theme and stands the test of time? A movie very of its moment, like 1995’s Hackers, seems painfully out-of-date watched today.…

Movies Kaila Hale-Stern Jul 21

Let’s Talk About Whatever You Want Right Now

Oh, hello there! It’s the weekend, just in the nick of time. I’m not gonna lie, guys — it’s been a weird week here. I went from highs (Breakfast at Pluto at the Natural History Museum with livestreaming Mission Control and Neil deGrasse Tyson) to…whatever’s happening around these parts today. So I’m gonna go chainsmoke…

Tech News Kaila Hale-Stern Jul 17

Ellen Pao Says the Trolls Are Winning

Reddit’s former CEO Ellen Pao wrote a melancholy op-ed about the harassment she faced and the overall state of Internet communities. Her outlook is pretty bleak. In the piece, Pao connects the treatment she received by Reddit mobs with overall statistics on internet bullying: Fully 40 percent of online users have experienced bullying, harassment and…

Tech News Kaila Hale-Stern Jul 17

What Is Your Favorite Fictional Spaceship?

Our pals at Sploid posted an incredible infographic about the speed of science fiction ships. While the speeds are fun to compare and speculate about, let’s get to the Heart of Gold of the matter: What is your fictional craft of choice? The ship I adore most didn’t make Fat Wallet’s cut. On the TV…

Tech News Kaila Hale-Stern Jul 16

#PrimeDayFail Is a Billion Times Better Than Amazon’s Prime Day

Disgruntled shoppers took to Twitter to lodge complaints under the hashtag #primedayfail while staring down sales of granny panties, shoe horns, and 55-gallon drums of lube. Amazon’s much-hyped Prime Day turned out to be just that—a lot of hype. Shoppers expecting sweet deals were disappointed by offers on a motley array of merchandise likened to…

Commerce Kaila Hale-Stern Jul 16

What’s the First Big Science Story You Remember?

NASA’s Pluto flyby is a truly international event, not limited by borders: the excitement and commentary span the planet. But this phenomenon isn’t new. What’s the first giant, global science story you remember? The internet has amplified the reach of scientific discoveries, letting us react in real time. As we’ve seen, this can be a…

Tech News Kaila Hale-Stern Jul 15

Pluto Memes Are Taking Over the Internet

When the New Horizons spacecraft sent back its first clear image of everyone’s favorite dwarf planet, Pluto became a perfect storm of a meme. Historians in the future will wonder what we were smoking. An endless assortment of related memes can be found under #pluto hashtags across the social web. Pluto’s image was destined to…

Tech News Kaila Hale-Stern Jul 15

Kaila Hale-Stern

Watch John Oliver Explain How Three Young Women Catfished ISIS

Let’s Talk About Whatever You Want Right Now

Buy Your Hard-Working Coworker A Beer, It’s #SysAdminDay

What Technology of Yours Is About To Break?

A Religious Mystery Is Found Buried At Jamestown

What Was The First Piece of Tech You Saved Up To Buy?

The Entire Internet Is Outraged Over the Hunting of Cecil the Lion

Besides Cilantro, What Foods Do You Find Absolutely Disgusting?

Let’s Talk About Whatever You Want Right Now

Game of Thrones Characters, Autocorrected

Have You Ever Had a Disastrous Butt-Dial?

Do You Buy Books Anymore?

Behold, The Most #UnexcitingVideoGames You Can Think Of

What’s Your Favorite Movie About Technology?

Let’s Talk About Whatever You Want Right Now

Ellen Pao Says the Trolls Are Winning

What Is Your Favorite Fictional Spaceship?

#PrimeDayFail Is a Billion Times Better Than Amazon’s Prime Day

What’s the First Big Science Story You Remember?

Pluto Memes Are Taking Over the Internet

Blueair Smart Air Purifier Returns at Record Low Just in Time for Spring Allergy Season (1,800 Sq Ft HEPASilent Air Cleaner)

How to Watch Artemis 2 Reach the Moon and Make Spaceflight History Today

Samsung’s 2026 The Frame Smart TV Launch Pushes 2025 Models to Their Lowest Prices on Amazon as Clearance Begins

Elijah Wood May Have Revealed the New Aragorn for ‘Hunt for Gollum’

Acemagic’s Windows 11 Pro Mini PC Drops to All-Time Low, With a Stackable Coupon for Even More Savings on Amazon

‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ Jumps to Big Opening Weekend

Artemis 2 Day 6: Follow the Mission With Our Live Updates 🔴

Bose SoundLink Micro Speaker (2nd Gen) Reopens Below Black Friday Pricing, Big Sound in a Tiny Package at a Tinier Price

Skip the Samsung Galaxy Tab, Apple’s Entry-Level iPad (A16) Hits Its Lowest Price on Amazon

‘Maul: Shadow Lord’ Is a Fine Prequel to a Great TV Show

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

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