Mat Honan, Author at Gizmodo

Wondrously Childlike Gifts For The New Dad

Babies are so adorable! And so very much trouble. They’re always hungry, often crying and never sleeping. But here’s a little secret: fatherhood can be a great excuse to gear up. Oh man. I’m totally lactating. 1. Evoz Baby Monitor the most basic thing you need to do with a new kid is make sure…

Tech News Mat Honan Nov 29

Another Strong Quake Hits Close To Fukushima Plant

A 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck about 60 miles away from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant this morning. The quake hit at 4:24 am at a depth of 23 miles. It’s one of several large earthquakes to strike since the giant 9.0 that hit March 11. So far, there are no reports of injuries or further…

Tech News Mat Honan Nov 23

Kohl’s Rebecca Black Parody Commercial Makes Me Want to Buy Nothing Ever Again Forever

Kohl’s, a store that sells disgusting accouterments for people who hate things that are nice, has a new commercial that parodies Rebecca Black’s Friday. Get it? Rebecca Black’s Friday? Black Friday? BLACK FRIDAY! Kill. Kill. Kill. This commercial makes me never, ever want to shop at Kohl’s. It makes me never, ever want to shop…

Tech News Mat Honan Nov 21

The Perfect Computer for People Who Fear Computers

The holidays are breathing down our necks like a creepy subway pervert, lumbering by with a yuletide erection. iPads will be massive hits. But for the tech-challenged person in your life? Save some dough and buy a Chromebook. Google announced a price drop and feature bump on Chromebooks today. They start at $300 now, which…

Tech News Mat Honan Nov 21

How to Keep Thanksgiving From Being a Family Tech Trainwreck

Thanksgiving is almost here! Pass the turkey. Cut the pie. Oh, ugh, and somebody bring me a USB cable! Being the family gearhead often means you take on a new role as unpaid tech support. When you arrive home for the holidays, suddenly you’re everyone’s Bill Nye. You may find yourself fielding questions about everything…

Tech News Mat Honan Nov 18

Android Ice Cream Sandwich Review: It’s Man Versus Machine

Google puts a lot of effort into talking about what’s fun in Ice Cream Sandwich. It’s certainly advanced, and powerful, and more human-focused than past Androids. But I’m not sure I’d call it fun. And that’s a problem. Fun is something you do because you want to. Fun is more than just diversion, it’s pleasure.…

Reviews Mat Honan Nov 17

Keeping Up With Runkeeper

Runkeeper was one of the original iOS apps. It started off simply: turn it on and it would monitor how far and fast you ran. But the really interesting stuff began once Runkeeper opened up beyond the phone. As Runkeeper began to support more devices it released a public API, and suddenly it was sitting…

Tech News Mat Honan Nov 17

Today Is Your Last Chance to Get Apple Care If You Preordered Your iPhone

Did you pre-order your new iPhone 4S? Did you skip AppleCare+? Well, today is your last chance to buy coverage. And because Apple has a new no-freebies replacement policy now, it might come in really handy. Your chance to buy coverage ends today, November 14. It’s not available online. You have to call in or…

Tech News Mat Honan Nov 14

Pogoplug Cloud Floats Free Online Storage

The storage wars are on. Pogoplug launched a new online storage service today, Pogoplug Cloud, with 5GB of free storage and (surprise!) the option to buy more. Pogoplug Cloud lets you upload files directly form your mobile devices, share through email, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ and stream HD video, photos and audio to your phone.…

Tech News Mat Honan Nov 14

The Muppets Are Real (And Miss Piggy Got a Boob Job)

It would be easy to ruin the Muppets: Just make them modern. Why do the Muppets have so much staying power? They’re real. They actually exist. Felt and batting in the era of CGI. Kermit the Frog made his first TV appearance in 1955 on Afternoon Footlight Theater. Rowlf the Dog followed up in 1962…

Movies Mat Honan Nov 11

Ashton’s Biggest Defender? His Assistant

The cool thing about Twitter is that it gives everyone a voice. Nobody knows you’re a dog on Twitter. But then again, nobody knows you’re Ashton Kutcher’s personal assistant, either. I wrote a piece arguing that Kutcher was a coward for turning over his Twitter to his media handlers. Ashton, who in fairness is busy…

Tech News Mat Honan Nov 10

Ashton Kutcher Is A Cowardly Quitter

Ashton Kutcher has profited immensely from Twitter. His Twitter presence in large part, drove his rise as a celebrity venture capitalist. But now things have gotten tough, so he’s quitting. It’s a pathetic, cowardly move. Last night, as idiots in Pennsylvania rioted in support of a man who protected a child rapist, Kutcher weighed into…

Tech News Mat Honan Nov 10

Striiv Pedometer Lightning Review: Step It Up

It’s been a hectic week. I had to travel, and work has been pressing. Consequently I’m missing workouts. But at least I’m staying active. Seriously: It’s due in large part to the fitness tracker in my pocket. Striiv is a keyfob pedometer with a touchscreen display that tracks your steps and sends you encourageing messages…

Reviews Mat Honan Nov 9

Why Does Amazon Need Its Own Voice Recognition Company?

Amazon has, apparently, ponied up for a speech recognition company called Yap, the Atlantic reports. Yap was an iPhone and Android app voicemail transcription service that would turn your audio voicemails into text, somewhat similar to Google Voice. It had generally positive reviews. It was purchased by a mysterious suitor in September, which CLT Blog…

Commerce Mat Honan Nov 9

Sony HMZ-T1 3DTV Headset Review: An Amazing Toy

I’m already living the Philip K. Dick life. I’ve got the communicator, the tablet computer, the everywhere Internet. All I need now is a deadly government conspiracy and an immersive 3D environment that lets me jack in and walk around. Oh, that’s here now too! At least the immersive 3D environment part. Sort of. Sony’s…

Reviews Mat Honan Nov 8

So Lou Reed Walks Into A Starbucks

No, really he does. Or at least I want to believe he did. Whether or not that was actually the case, this hilarious account from radio host and television producer Tom Scharpling isn’t to be missed. You can read it in its original form on Scharpling’s Twitter feed or by searching the hashtag #LouAtStarbucks.

Tech News Mat Honan Nov 5

Parents Just Don’t Understand (How to Use Email)

I love my parents. But damn, they send some annoying emails. Urban legends. Chain letters. Petitions. Peculiar font choices. Long rambling messages with no clear meaning or point… GAAAAAH! Mom! Dad! Cut it out! Yes, that animated gif of a sneezing panda bear is adorable! But it has no place in your email signature. And…

Tech News Mat Honan Nov 4

The Best Fitness Watch

You need to get in shape. Or maybe you are in shape, and want to be… inshaper. These fitness watches will run you ragged, or at least track your heart beats, distance traveled, and speed until you win this thing. Off to the races! 4th Place: Timex Ironman Global Trainer GPS with Heart Rate At…

Gadgets Mat Honan Nov 2

Is Amazon Letting Publishers Ruin The Kindle (Updated)

Update 2: Last week, and throughout yesterday, I was unable to download 1Q84 on multiple devices, or share public notes and highlights. I can now, but largely thanks to this article. Amazon customer service initially identified this as an issue specific to the title. In fact, it now appears to have been an Amazon problem.…

Commerce Mat Honan Nov 1

Google Wallet Will Give You $10 Just For Trying It

Google Wallet, the company’s NFC solution that lets people use phones to make payments, is going on tour and offering people $10 just to try it out. It’s cool, but don’t get too crazy, the selection is pretty limited. The Google Wallet team is travelling to New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, San Francisco and…

Tech News Mat Honan Oct 31

Mat Honan

Wondrously Childlike Gifts For The New Dad

Another Strong Quake Hits Close To Fukushima Plant

Kohl’s Rebecca Black Parody Commercial Makes Me Want to Buy Nothing Ever Again Forever

The Perfect Computer for People Who Fear Computers

How to Keep Thanksgiving From Being a Family Tech Trainwreck

Android Ice Cream Sandwich Review: It’s Man Versus Machine

Keeping Up With Runkeeper

Today Is Your Last Chance to Get Apple Care If You Preordered Your iPhone

Pogoplug Cloud Floats Free Online Storage

The Muppets Are Real (And Miss Piggy Got a Boob Job)

Ashton’s Biggest Defender? His Assistant

Ashton Kutcher Is A Cowardly Quitter

Striiv Pedometer Lightning Review: Step It Up

Why Does Amazon Need Its Own Voice Recognition Company?

Sony HMZ-T1 3DTV Headset Review: An Amazing Toy

So Lou Reed Walks Into A Starbucks

Parents Just Don’t Understand (How to Use Email)

The Best Fitness Watch

Is Amazon Letting Publishers Ruin The Kindle (Updated)

Google Wallet Will Give You $10 Just For Trying It

Southwest Is About to Limit Power Banks on Flights

Damn, the ‘Power Rangers’ Reboot Could’ve Had Four Movies

The Live-Action ‘One Piece’ Team Wants to Go the Distance

‘Lee Cronin’s The Mummy’ Will Please Gross Horror Fans

Somehow Paramount’s ‘Avatar’ Movie Has Leaked, Too

The World Is Basically Begging for Another iPod

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

OpenAI Says Elon Musk Is ‘Injecting Chaos’ with Recent Legal Maneuver

Google Displayed Polymarket Bets as News ‘In Error,’ Google Says

‘Marvel Rivals’ Wants to Start Being More Than Just a Hero Shooter

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

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best