Matt Novak, Author at Gizmodo

Secretive Group of Elite Scientists Saved From Pentagon Budget Cuts at the Last Minute

The Jason Group, an advisory panel of scientists and academics that have conducted studies for the Pentagon since 1960, might not be dissolving after all. The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has stepped in to keep the group alive until January 2020. First reported by Defense News, the NNSA posted a contract…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 26

Pentagon’s Independent Science Research Group, the Jasons, Is Set to Disband After 59 Years

The Jason Group, an independent panel of academics who have advised the Pentagon for the past 59 years, will likely disband on April 30. The group had hoped to get a one-year extension to continue its work. The Jasons was founded in 1960 as a scientific advisory panel that helped the Pentagon solve some of…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 25

Cop in Viral Video Acquitted of Assault Charge That Attorney Calls a ‘Facebook Misdemeanor’

Former Miami police officer Mario Figueroa was acquitted of assault yesterday despite a viral video that appeared to show the officer kicking a handcuffed suspect in the head. Figueroa’s attorney argued that the attention around the case made this a “Facebook misdemeanor.” The incident happened in May 2018 after 31-year-old David Suazo stole a Jeep,…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 25

If You Care About Privacy, Throw Your Amazon Alexa Devices Into the Sea

Remember a couple of weeks ago when we learned that humans were monitoring Amazon Alexa commands, essentially spying on users in the name of product improvement? Well, we’ve got some more bad news about the always-on microphone that we’ve all invited into our homes. Employees at Amazon can “easily” discover any user’s home address. The…

Commerce Matt Novak Apr 24

Lime Scooters Hacked to Say Sexual Things to Riders in Australia

At least eight Lime e-scooters have been pulled from the streets of Brisbane, Australia this week after they were hacked to say sexual and otherwise offensive things. Lime calls the hack “disappointing.” “Okay, if you’re going to ride my ass then please pull my hair, okay?” one of the scooters said after being unlocked, according…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 24

FAA Clears Alphabet’s Wing for Home Drone Deliveries in Virginia

Alphabet’s Project Wing has gained approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct commercial drone flights in Virginia. The company, sometimes simply called Wing, has been conducting trials in the state since 2016, but the new FAA authorization will allow it to finally sell things like food or medicine ordered by consumers through the…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 23

You Can Now Bother Underpaid Kohl’s Workers With Your Amazon Regrets

Kohl’s announced this morning that it will start accepting Amazon returns at all 1,150 of its stores starting in July. There’s no extra charge for the service. Kohl’s and Amazon started experimenting with a collaboration on brick-and-mortar returns back in 2017, allowing customers to take back items purchased on Amazon even if those items were…

Commerce Matt Novak Apr 23

United Airlines CEO Promises They’re Working on the Shitty Wifi

Airline seats are getting smaller, the wifi sucks, and you’re pissed to even get on a plane. But the airlines hear you. At least that’s what they’re saying. The CEO of United Airlines, Oscar Munoz, sat down with ABC News for an interview that aired this morning. It was at times more honest than usual…

Transportation Matt Novak Apr 23

Skyscraper’s Rooftop Pool Spills Everywhere as Earthquake Rocks Manila

The Philippines was rocked with a 6.3 earthquake this morning that sent buildings swaying and people running for safety. But one of the most bizarre videos of the earthquake so far has to be this footage of water pouring out of a residential skyscraper in Manila’s Binondo district. According to local reports, that water is…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 22

Court Rules Chelsea Manning Must Stay in Jail for Refusing to Provide Testimony in WikiLeaks Case

Chelsea Manning will stay in jail for refusing to testify to a federal grand jury about WikiLeaks, according to a new ruling from a panel of three judges at the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. Manning has been in an Alexandria, Virginia jail since March 8 and has at times been subjected to prolonged solitary…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 22

Scribd’s Copyright Robocops Are Automatically Taking Down the Mueller Report

Scribd has become a popular place for people to upload PDF documents to share with the world. But the hosting site’s algorithms aren’t handling the release of the Mueller Report very well, according to a new report from Quartz. Scribd’s robots are flagging the document as a copyrighted work, despite the fact that, as a…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 19

Foxconn’s Wisconsin Facility is a Ghost Town Where Workers Are Just ‘Moving Dirt Around’

The people of Wisconsin are at their wit’s end, trying to figure out what to do about a Foxconn facility that has so far failed to create thousands of jobs. And the Democratic governor, Tony Evers, signaled this week that the deal signed by his predecessor, which provided $4 billion worth of subsidies and infrastructure…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 19

China Bans the Word ‘Leica’ on Social Media

When a promotional video for German camera maker Leica hit the web this week, it looked like a bold statement about the hard work done by photojournalists around the world. But the company is now distancing itself from the 5-minute video after Chinese social media users cried foul and the word “Leica” was banned on…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 19

How to Completely Ignore the Mueller Report Through the Magic of Technology

The Mueller Report, detailing the investigation into Russia’s efforts to help President Donald Trump win the 2016 election, will be released sometime after 11 am ET today. But if you’re sick and tired of hearing about it, which is only natural at this point, there are tools you can use to limit your exposure. Set…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 18

North Korea Says It Tested a New ‘Tactical Guided’ Mystery Weapon, Further Freaking Everyone Out

North Korea has developed a brand new weapon according to dictator Kim Jong Un, who made the announcement overnight through state-controlled media channel KCNA. But Kim didn’t stop there. Just hours after the news, the country dropped another bombshell, explaining that North Korea wants U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo removed from nuclear negotiations. The…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 18

FCC Plans to Ban World’s Largest Mobile Phone Operator From U.S. Citing National Security Concerns

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced that it will move to block China Mobile, the largest telecom company in mainland China, from offering services in the United States. The effort comes at the direction of the White House and still needs to be approved at the FCC’s May 9 meeting. “Safeguarding our communications networks…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 17

Kaspersky Lab Saga Grows Weirder as Critics of the Security Firm Say Bumbling Spy Tried to Discredit Them

A man who goes by the name Lucas Lambert reportedly spent months setting up meetings with three cybersecurity experts under false pretenses last year, hoping to get them to say that they were paid to criticize Kaspersky Lab. Lambert was unsuccessful, but the attempt sheds new light on alleged covert activity potentially carried out on…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 17

DHS Might Classify Fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction Because Everything Is Unbelievably Stupid Now

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security might classify fentanyl, a highly addictive pain reliever that’s at the center of American’s opioid epidemic, as a weapon of mass destruction, according to a leaked document obtained by military-focused news site Task & Purpose. Task & Purpose obtained an internal DHS memo titled “Use of counter-WMD authorities to…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 16

No Software Updates Will Fix Apple’s Worst Bug

New York’s Apple store on 5th Avenue is infested with bed bugs, according to a new report from the New York Post. And employees at the store are being told to wrap all their belongings in plastic bags to protect against the bed bug scourge. Anonymous private messages published on Twitter appear to confirm the…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 16

Google Fiber Will Pay $3.8 Million to Fix Roads Marred by Failed Louisville Project

Google Fiber has announced that it will pay $3.84 million to the local government in Louisville, Kentucky to fix infrastructure in the city after the tech giant decided to pull out of that market. Alphabet, Google’s parent company, decided to abandon its gigabit broadband plans in Louisville back in February after its plans for “nanotrenching,”…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 16

Matt Novak

Secretive Group of Elite Scientists Saved From Pentagon Budget Cuts at the Last Minute

Pentagon’s Independent Science Research Group, the Jasons, Is Set to Disband After 59 Years

Cop in Viral Video Acquitted of Assault Charge That Attorney Calls a ‘Facebook Misdemeanor’

If You Care About Privacy, Throw Your Amazon Alexa Devices Into the Sea

Lime Scooters Hacked to Say Sexual Things to Riders in Australia

FAA Clears Alphabet’s Wing for Home Drone Deliveries in Virginia

You Can Now Bother Underpaid Kohl’s Workers With Your Amazon Regrets

United Airlines CEO Promises They’re Working on the Shitty Wifi

Skyscraper’s Rooftop Pool Spills Everywhere as Earthquake Rocks Manila

Court Rules Chelsea Manning Must Stay in Jail for Refusing to Provide Testimony in WikiLeaks Case

Scribd’s Copyright Robocops Are Automatically Taking Down the Mueller Report

Foxconn’s Wisconsin Facility is a Ghost Town Where Workers Are Just ‘Moving Dirt Around’

China Bans the Word ‘Leica’ on Social Media

How to Completely Ignore the Mueller Report Through the Magic of Technology

North Korea Says It Tested a New ‘Tactical Guided’ Mystery Weapon, Further Freaking Everyone Out

FCC Plans to Ban World’s Largest Mobile Phone Operator From U.S. Citing National Security Concerns

Kaspersky Lab Saga Grows Weirder as Critics of the Security Firm Say Bumbling Spy Tried to Discredit Them

DHS Might Classify Fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction Because Everything Is Unbelievably Stupid Now

No Software Updates Will Fix Apple’s Worst Bug

Google Fiber Will Pay $3.8 Million to Fix Roads Marred by Failed Louisville Project

The West Finally Got Some Snow, but It’s Too Little, Too Late

Elon Musk Scores a Victory Against Free Speech

Alienware’s $350 QD-OLED Gaming Monitor Nixes Everything for a Pretty Screen

The Canceled ‘Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Filming Likely Won’t Stop It Coming Out Next Year

Berklee College of Music Offers AI Course, Students Are Pissed

US Renewable Power Generation Beats Natural Gas for the First Time, Defying Trump

Dan Stevens Cracks Open the Mouth of Madness in ‘The Terror: Devil in Silver’

Disney’s Massive Layoffs Have Seemingly Hit Marvel Hard

Anthropic Is Jacking Up the Price for Power Users Amid Complaints Its Model Is Getting Worse

Bose SoundLink Max Bluetooth Speaker Quietly Drops to Its Lowest Price, Now Cheaper Than Last Week’s Low

Sony Inzone H6 Air Review: A Perfect Case for Open-Back Gaming Headsets

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

The Soundboks Mix Is Going to Make You the Most Popular Guy at the Park

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