Matt Buchanan, Author at Gizmodo

Sony’s Eco-Friendly odo Line: No Plugs Required

Eco-chic is well, chic these days, so Sony’s stepped up with a conceptual line of environmentally conscious consumer electronics that are powered by a combination of kinetic and solar energy. That’s right, no more AC adapters or chargers. Comprising the lineup are the Spin N’ Snap camera, Push POWER Play viewer, Crank N’ Capture video…

Gadgets Matt Buchanan

Microsoft Discovers Synergy, Launches “Ignition” Promotional Platform Across Zune, Xbox and MSN

With its mind increasingly turned to advertising, Microsoft has decided to put its multi-platform positioning to use as a promotional powerhouse. Lamely dubbed Ignition (good Offspring album, bad mid-90s connotation), the program pimps artists (currently, but don’t be surprised to see movies, TV shows, etc.) across Zune, Xbox Live and MSN. https://gizmodo.com/quick-news-yahoo-cto-heads-out-and-more-264869 The first artist…

Tech News Matt Buchanan

Because “Contents Are Hot” Warning Labels Aren’t Enough: Temperature Sensitive Coffee Lid

The Smart Lid system was developed to save your precious vagina face from being burned by hot coffee (and retailers from lawsuits) by turning red when it’s “too hot” to drink. It also tells you whether the lid is properly sealed by showing a broken rim line where the lid isn’t attached. Personally, I think…

Gadgets Matt Buchanan

Just What We Needed: Another Memory Card Standard

The MultiMedia Card Association (who?) has approved a new “global memory card standard” developed by a Taiwanese research institute—dubbed the miCard (Multiple Interface Card)—which will work with both USB and MMC slots. Skepticism over new formats aside, the specs seem fairly impressive: initial transfer rate and storage will be around 480Mbit/sec and 8GB, respectively, with…

Gadgets Matt Buchanan

Arrrrgh: Pirate Ship Mast World’s Tallest LEGO Tower

Built at Legoland in California with over 465,000 bricks, this 94.3-foot pirate ship mast is the new tallest LEGO tower in the world, besting the Danes’ meager 93.43-foot tower constructed last year by almost a foot. And I mean, pirate ship = awesome. It just needs some ninjas crawling all over it killing pirates, since…

Gadgets Matt Buchanan

Lock Pick Business Card: Sweet Form, Solid Function

We collect a LOT of business cards throughout the year, and while most of them are far from memorable, every now and then one stands out. But even of the few cool ones I’ve been handed, none of them are quite as awesome as this lock pick card, which is loaded up with fully functional…

Gadgets Matt Buchanan

Break Out the Fire Hoses: Only 4 Million iPhones Shipping This Year

Remember all the fun you had standing in line to get a Wii because Nintendo couldn’t put them out fast enough? Sweet, because if you want an iPhone, you’re going to get to do it all over again. On top of no pre-orders, Merrill Lynch (respectable analysts, but analysts nonetheless) is estimating that Apple will…

Tech News Matt Buchanan

Color Coordinated DS Lite AC Adapters for H&G Nintendo Fanboys

If you’re anything like me, all of your video game accessories must match up perfectly—all my Dreamcast controllers have matching color memory cards, and I gave away a gray Wavebird to complete my set of four platinum ones to go with my platinum ‘Cube. So I’m (sadly) extremely tempted by these color-coordinated DS Lite AC…

Gadgets Matt Buchanan

Hello Kitty Health System Cutely Calls You a Fatty Boombatty

Really, this is just a standard body fat meter with a Hello Kitty sticker slapped on the front of it. But it also comes with a numeric health meter and a cooking scale, so you know what’ll expand your waistline before you shove it in your face. At $50, it’s not as cheap as the…

Gadgets Matt Buchanan

MLB Calls Foul on Slingbox Placeshifting, Pitches the “L” Word

For being “America’s favorite pastime,” the MLB is apparently populated by a bunch of whiners. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Esq., the league’s legal vultures have begun circling around Slingbox because of its ability to placeshift games. Yeah, that’s right. When you’re on the road and just want to catch your home team’s game via…

Gadgets Matt Buchanan

QiGO Internet Content Keys Unlock Content

QiGO Internet Content Keys may only be a gimmick for packaging digital content into a more purchasable form, but they might just be a damn good one. Basically they’re branded “keys” which you plug into devices with USB ports that unlock or automatically launch digital content—each one is unique, eliminating the need for usernames or…

Gadgets Matt Buchanan

The Aesthetic Case for Arson: Sweet-Looking Melted Keyboard

This HP keyboard was in the wrong place at the wrong time—specifically at a Canadian lumber mill that was torched in a suspected arson case—so now it looks like an awesome pebble sculpture. Those crazy Canadians seem like they’re always setting fire to something, be they lumber mills or puppies. Anyway, be sure to check…

Gadgets Matt Buchanan

USB-RGB Dongle Adds More Screens to Your Laptop, No Video Output Required

If you’re somehow stuck with a notebook that doesn’t sport a video or a D-Sub output but are feeling that multiple-monitor itch (for “productivity,” right?) as long as you’ve got a USB port, you’re in luck. The USB-RGB is a dongle that lets you add an extra monitor to your system via USB. The $87…

Gadgets Matt Buchanan

Microsoft Surface Confirmed: Touch-Sensitive, $10k, Minority Report Table

Click to viewProject Milan is in fact a touch-sensitive table as you guys speculated and we reported earlier. Dubbed “Surface” and five years in the making, it’s set to establish a paradigm of what Microsoft calls “surface computers” which use touch as the sole method of input. https://gizmodo.com/top-secret-microsoft-product-to-launch-at-midnight-264082 Painting with surface sounds particularly intuitive (and…

Tech News Matt Buchanan & Jason Chen

theANEMIX 3-D Lighting System: Reminds Me of Lava Lamps, But Much Cooler

theANEMIX is a modular, customizable lighting system inspired by the bioluminescence of deep-sea creatures that produces 3D effects in space. It uses an easily modifiable panel composed of a reflective and a luminescent layer, which is LED-powered, to produce its effects. However they do it, it looks pretty damn sweet, as you can see in…

Gadgets Matt Buchanan

New Audiobooks From iTunes Store Won’t Play on iPods; Lazy People Weep

Too-busy-to-read (or slackass) bibliophiles are in for a surprise if they grab Al Gore’s latest account of his hunt for Manbearpig from the iTunes Store. Apple has confirmed that The Assault on Reason, as well as a number of other new books released on the iTunes Store will not play on iPods, though they will…

Tech News Matt Buchanan

U.S. Army Future Combat System: Like Battlefield 2142, But in Real Life

It’s Memorial Day, so CNET got into the act by putting together a rundown of some of the Army’s Future Combat System, which “envisions a family of high-tech gear including sensors, aerial drones, and manned and unmanned ground vehicles, all fully networked and linked to individual soldiers” that will ultimately help save lives. The system’s…

Tech News Matt Buchanan

NYT Strays Into Sony Style, Runs Back to Apple Store’s Loving Arms

We already knew that The New York Times is warm and fuzzy on the Apple Store. But the lovin’ gets hot and sloppy in yesterday’s article “Apple’s Lesson for Sony’s Stores: Just Connect.” How unconditionally does the Times’ Randall Stross love the Apple Store? https://gizmodo.com/nyt-trendspotting-everyones-copying-the-apple-store-243706 He’s unabashed in his affection from the get-go: “The best…

Tech News Matt Buchanan

RAZR 2 V8 Prototype Reviewed (Verdict: Breathes New Life Into Motorola)

Mobileburn has been playing with a prototype, the much ballyhooed RAZR 2 for the past couple of days, and there’s not much of a surprise here: They like it quite a bit. https://gizmodo.com/ultimate-motorola-razr-2-launch-guide-260718 The haptic-feedback external touchscreen steals the show button-wise, leaving no doubt that the phone has registered your commands. Generally speaking, the buttons…

Reviews Matt Buchanan

MAKE Weekend Project: How to Hack Your Brain

I realize I could go to hell for making a Virtual Boy reference, but the idea of strapping some flashing red LEDs to your eyes while sound pulses through your headphones calls up all kinds of red/green-tinged memories. Supposedly the Brain Machine makes your brain waves sync up so that you feel “totally wonderful,” but…

Gadgets Matt Buchanan

Matt Buchanan

Sony’s Eco-Friendly odo Line: No Plugs Required

Microsoft Discovers Synergy, Launches “Ignition” Promotional Platform Across Zune, Xbox and MSN

Because “Contents Are Hot” Warning Labels Aren’t Enough: Temperature Sensitive Coffee Lid

Just What We Needed: Another Memory Card Standard

Arrrrgh: Pirate Ship Mast World’s Tallest LEGO Tower

Lock Pick Business Card: Sweet Form, Solid Function

Break Out the Fire Hoses: Only 4 Million iPhones Shipping This Year

Color Coordinated DS Lite AC Adapters for H&G Nintendo Fanboys

Hello Kitty Health System Cutely Calls You a Fatty Boombatty

MLB Calls Foul on Slingbox Placeshifting, Pitches the “L” Word

QiGO Internet Content Keys Unlock Content

The Aesthetic Case for Arson: Sweet-Looking Melted Keyboard

USB-RGB Dongle Adds More Screens to Your Laptop, No Video Output Required

Microsoft Surface Confirmed: Touch-Sensitive, $10k, Minority Report Table

theANEMIX 3-D Lighting System: Reminds Me of Lava Lamps, But Much Cooler

New Audiobooks From iTunes Store Won’t Play on iPods; Lazy People Weep

U.S. Army Future Combat System: Like Battlefield 2142, But in Real Life

NYT Strays Into Sony Style, Runs Back to Apple Store’s Loving Arms

RAZR 2 V8 Prototype Reviewed (Verdict: Breathes New Life Into Motorola)

MAKE Weekend Project: How to Hack Your Brain

Roborock F25 GT Cordless Vacuum and Mop Hits Its Lowest Price in Spring Sale, 20,000Pa Cleaning Power Without the Premium Price Tag

New Details Add a Bizarre Twist to NASA’s First ISS Medical Evacuation

ASUS TUF 27” HDR Gaming Monitor Briefly Returns to Black Friday Pricing for a Limited Run in Amazon’s Big Spring Sale

‘Speed Racer’ Is Getting a Glorious New Remaster

Dreame Pocket Pro Hair Dryer Is Now Over 3x Cheaper Than Dyson’s Deal in Amazon’s Prime-Exclusive Spring Sale

Pompeii Study Confirms Roman ‘Wine’ Ritual Previously Known Only From Texts

JBL Clears Out a 5.0-Channel Compact All-in-One Soundbar at a Record Low Beyond Its Portable Speaker Deals

Andy Weir Says Paramount Rejected His ‘Star Trek’ Pitch, Proceeds to Blast Modern ‘Trek’

Anker Solix C2000 Gen 2 Portable Power Station Is 50% Off as Amazon’s Spring Sale Pushes Into Its Final Clear-Out

Anker’s USB-C Docking Station With Detachable Hub Hits an All-Time Low in Amazon’s Spring Sale, Likely the Last Chance Before Prime Day

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

Nothing Headphone A vs. Headphone 1: Which Pair of ANC Wireless Headphones Wins?

Asus ROG’s Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds Might Be Better Than Wearing a Headset

Nintendo’s Talking Flower Is Annoying as Hell. I Love It

Level Lock Pro Review: As Good as a Secret Smart Lock Gets