Matt Novak, Author at Gizmodo

Julian Assange Declines Voluntary Extradition to the U.S. in Latest Court Appearance

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange had his second court date of the week this morning where he formally declined extradition to the U.S. to face charges brought by the Justice Department. The WikiLeaks founder was sentenced in a British court to nearly a year in prison yesterday for jumping bail in 2012. Assange appeared before the…

Tech News Matt Novak May 2 '19

The 13 Most Notorious Deleted Tweets in History

Everyone makes a bad tweet now and then. And sometimes a tweet is so bad, that the user has to delete it forever. But the internet never forgets. On Monday, Chase deleted a tweet that blamed the average person’s financial troubles on buying coffee rather than, say, the inherent inequality of a system where Chase…

Tech News Matt Novak May 1 '19

Homeland Security to Start DNA Testing Asylum Seekers as It Tries to Back Up ‘Fake Families’ Scare Tactic

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will start using Rapid DNA tests on some asylum seekers at the U.S.–Mexico border next week, according to a new report from CNN. The tests are intended to determine whether adults and children who are traveling together are actually family members. The Rapid DNA tests involve a cheek swab…

Privacy & Security Matt Novak May 1 '19

Julian Assange Sentenced to 1 Year in Prison For Jumping Bail in London

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been sentenced to 50 weeks in prison, just shy of a year, for jumping bail in London back in the summer of 2012. Assange appeared before a UK court this morning and received close to the maximum sentence, but may only serve half of his 50-week sentence after other factors…

Tech News Matt Novak May 1 '19

Backdoors in Huawei Equipment Discovered by Vodafone Italy in 2009

Vodafone Italy discovered backdoors in its Huawei home internet routers and software between 2009 and 2011 according to a new report from Bloomberg News. The backdoors have reportedly been fixed, but the revelations are still bad news for Huawei as the Chinese tech giant tries to secure contracts to build 5G infrastructure around the world.…

Privacy & Security Matt Novak Apr 30 '19

Failed Airlines That Were Too Weird for This World

Today, we’re taking a look at five of those airlines that were simply too odd for this world.

Gadgets Matt Novak Apr 29 '19

Norwegian Fishermen Discover Beluga Whale That Might Be Working with the Russian Navy

Norwegian fishermen discovered a beluga whale wearing a harness off the country’s northern coast last week. The fishermen were fascinated with how tame it was, but there might be a good reason that it was comfortable around humans. Scientists from Norway’s Institute of Marine Research suspect the whale and its harness may be part of…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 29 '19

Some Asshole Tried to Burn Down the National Archives

An unidentified asshole set fire to the U.S. National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. last night around 8:00 pm ET. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the building suffered some damage on an outside wall and the perpetrator hasn’t been captured. The suspect placed a gas container on the Pennsylvania Avenue side of the building…

Tech News Matt Novak Apr 26 '19

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 '19

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 '19

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 '19

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 '19

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 '19

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 '19

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 '19

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 '19

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 '19

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 '19

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 '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 '19

Matt Novak

Julian Assange Declines Voluntary Extradition to the U.S. in Latest Court Appearance

The 13 Most Notorious Deleted Tweets in History

Homeland Security to Start DNA Testing Asylum Seekers as It Tries to Back Up ‘Fake Families’ Scare Tactic

Julian Assange Sentenced to 1 Year in Prison For Jumping Bail in London

Backdoors in Huawei Equipment Discovered by Vodafone Italy in 2009

Failed Airlines That Were Too Weird for This World

Norwegian Fishermen Discover Beluga Whale That Might Be Working with the Russian Navy

Some Asshole Tried to Burn Down the National Archives

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’

How to Watch Canada vs Morocco Livestream Free from Anywhere

Ah, That’s Why ‘Supergirl’ Turned Out How It Did

Samsung 32-Inch Monitor Gets One Last Shot at Its Lowest Price for the Fourth of July on Amazon

Unlimited Frozen Drinks Start With This 40% Off Chefman Slushy Machine, Just in Time to Beat the Summer Heat

GoDaddy Sounds Alarm Over How India Law Would Upend Internet Privacy Everywhere

AirPods 4 Make a Fourth of July Comeback at Their Lowest Price of the Year on Amazon, Not at the Apple Store

The Norton Antivirus That Pays You Back If It Fails Is Now 60% Off

TP-Link Deco BE77 Review: Great Mesh Wi-Fi for the Eero-Weary

‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle I’ Slashes Its Way to Crunchyroll This Month

Things Aren’t Looking Good for Coco in the ‘Witch Hat Atelier’ Season 2 Trailer

Shokz OpenDots 2 Review: A Clip Worth Considering

Lenovo Legion Pro 27UD-10 Review: Slim, Pretty, and Just a Little Boring

The Best Gadgets of June 2026

Meta Fury AI Glasses Review: The Worst Company Still Makes the Best Smart Glasses

Google Home Speaker Review: A Faster Way of Being Frustrated

The Best Tech to Level Up Summer 2026

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Review: A Private Screen Only Goes So Far

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ Review: The Best Handheld PC, but You’ll Have to Pay for It

HP OmniBook Ultra Review: Perfect, if Not for the Little Things

Fender Elie 6 Review: So Close to Being Great