Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan

Do The Olympics Ever Break Even?

All the medals have been won, all the puppies taken home. The Winter Games are over. But the end of the Olympics is just the beginning of the story for Sochi, which now has the unenviable task of putting itself back on track after three years of rushed development. Russia spent $51 billion on these…

Will This Watch-Controlled Smart Pistol Really Make Owning a Gun Safer?

Last week, a gun shop in California introduced a new addition to its stock: A .22-caliber pistol that only works when the user is wearing the accompanying RFID-enabled watch. It’s being heralded as the “iPhone of guns.” The gun is called the Smart System iP1, a pistol made by the German company Armatix that retails…

The $16 Billion WhatsApp Sale Was Planned Around a Reward Miles Flight

You’d think that a $16 billion business deal would be a good reason to change your travel plans—after all, what’s it to a billionaire? But according to WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum, finalizing the Facebook sale was organized around a plane ticket he couldn’t change because it was booked with rewards points. https://gizmodo.com/facebook-is-buying-messaging-app-whatsapp-for-16-billi-1526314666 In an amazing…

Mozilla Is Planning a $25 Firefox OS Smartphone

In developing countries, the high-end smartphone market is cornered by the big guys. But today at Mobile World Congress, the nonprofit Mozilla announced a plan to get a different slice of the smartphone pie—with a low-end Firefox OS phone that costs just $25. Since Mozilla is a nonprofit, its role in the deal will be…

Netflix Agrees to Pay Comcast For Access to Its Broadband Network

In a landmark deal, Netflix has agreed to pay Comcast for direct access to the company’s broadband system. The announcement comes after months of dispute between Netflix and broadband providers about who should pay for increasing bandwidth loads. If you haven’t been following the streaming wars, here’s the basic gist: As Netflix has grown, an…

How the World’s Next Tallest Building Will Be Built

A crucial step towards building the next tallest building on Earth is underway: Engineers on the Kingdom Tower, a proposed 3,280 foot tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, are beginning tests to figure out how to pump wet concrete more than half a mile into the sky. There are plenty of technical challenges involved with building…

This Reflective Umbrella Surrounds You In a Super-Safe Halo of Light

To me, whimsical umbrellas—you know, the kind printed with Starry Night or cats—have always seemed like a mockery of the rain-drenched commuter’s misery. But this reflective version actually makes practical sense, since it turns its owner into a glowing beacon of safety. The umbrella was designed by British-born, Hong Kong-based designer Yee-Ling Wan, and it’s…

Fitbit Is Recalling All Force Wristbands

Fitbit announced today that it will recall its new Force model, after users complained of rashes and burns while wearing it. Fitbit CEO James Park says the recall is motivated by “an abundance of caution.” https://gizmodo.com/fitbit-force-review-a-health-tracker-youd-actually-ke-1454962288 The Wall Street Journal first reported the recall this afternoon, but Fitbit has confirmed the move, publishing an apology…

A Light Installation That Feels Like the Sky, Designed By a Pilot

When a stranger demands that you take off your shoes in public, it usually means you’re about to get on a plane. But at David Zwirner Gallery—known for its blockbuster installations and huge lines of fans who come to Instagram them—you’re about to experience an otherworldly installation. https://gizmodo.com/inside-nycs-new-mirrored-infinity-rooms-1468350893 The airport comparison is actually pretty apt.…

The Great Lakes Are Even More Beautiful When They’re Nearly Frozen Over

For the first time since 1994 the Great Lakes are almost completely covered in ice, with only 12 percent remaining unfrozen. And now, thanks to NASA satellites, we can look upon this icy plain and despair—except that it’s actually quite beautiful. The average amount of ice cover for the Great Lakes is roughly 50 percent,…

This Robot Arm Can 3D-Print Molten Metal in Midair

The only thing cooler than using a huge robot arm to sculpt? Using a huge robot arm to sculpt with liquid hot metal. Joris Laarman Studio‘s prototype software instructs a robotic arm to recreate 3D models in midair, using molten metals of all kinds. It looks as cool as it sounds. Laarman’s studio, you might…

Here’s Why Ikea Is Discontinuing Everyone’s Favorite Shelf

Expedit, we hardly knew ye. Ikea recently announced that the popular shelving system is not long for this world, and the internet responded with rage. But there’s a really good reason for Ikea to get rid of Expedit. And in fact, it’s not really going away at all. Ikea says it’s replacing Expedit with a…

This Model Tuna Makes Gutting Fish a Much Less Messy Game

It turns out that “fish wholesaler” and “toy designer” are not mutually exclusive professions: Kazuyoshi Watanabe, a Tokyo fish wholesaler, created this wooden tuna to teach people how to properly gut the fish. The model comes with just about everything you need to get the job done—including a cutting board a long knife to do…

An Amazing Village Designed Just For People With Dementia

Centuries after Shakespeare wrote about King Lear’s symptoms, there’s still no perfect way to care for sufferers of dementia and Alzheimer’s. In the Netherlands, however, a radical idea is being tested: Self-contained “villages” where people with dementia shop, cook, and live together—safely. We, as a population, are aging rapidly. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, one…

Entire Wild Trees Grow On The Walls of These Hong Kong High Rises

https://gizmodo.com/these-photos-of-hong-kong-are-not-post-apocalptical-ren-1525905645

Stray Voltage Is Electrifying Doorknobs In NYC Today

Not only has winter turned our cities into frozen hellscapes—it’s also turning them into electrified death traps. According to Gothamist, a section of Sixth Avenue is currently closed off due to dangerously electrified doorknobs and grates—and melting rock salt might be to blame. The phenomenon of “stray voltage” isn’t all that uncommon, but it’s more…

An Alien Cocoon? No, It’s an Alpine Shelter For Mountain Bikers

For a mountain biker, the place where you start your run shouldn’t really matter. But this transparent, fabric-enmeshed cycling pavilion is the kind of place you might find yourself wanting to hang around in. The 300-square-foot platform is perched above Chile’s Central Valley, a broad piece of verdant green that’s sandwiched on either side by…

19 More Beautiful Structures That Are Now Lost Forever

All good things end—architecture included. Yesterday, we showed you nine buildings lost to the sands of time. You—hundreds of you—responded with your own contributions to the list. Who knew there were so many mourned buildings? https://gizmodo.com/9-of-the-most-beautiful-buildings-we-ever-tore-down-1524596913 We’ve rounded up some of the most intriguing comments you guys left on the original post. It turns out…

One of four shortlisted designs shortlisted for a new arts center in Arnhem, the Netherlands, this twisted cube by Bjarke Ingels Group curved upward at each midpoint to create public park space underneath its eves. Let’s just hope those mirrored louvres don’t light any fires. [Rijnboog]

Graphene Could Save One of the World’s Coolest Buildings

Architect Santiago Calatrava has had a tough year. He’s being sued by many, many clients—including his hometown, where an opera house he built is now in shambles. Now, a company selling graphene paint wants to save it. Graphenano, an Alicante-based manufacturer of graphene products, has sent a proposal to city administrators in Valencia arguing that…