Matt Novak, Author at Gizmodo

Trump Hotel Turns Into Disgusting Cesspool After Workers Go on Strike

If you book a hotel through an online travel site, do they have an obligation to tell you if the workers at that hotel are on strike? You’d think so. But apparently Expedia doesn’t. The Trump Taj Mahal hotel and casino in Atlantic City will be closing after Labor Day. But that might be for…

Tech News Matt Novak Aug 26 '16

National Park Visitors Who Complain About Wi-Fi Should Be Thrown Into Old Faithful

The US National Park Service was founded 100 years ago today, at a time when less than 35 percent of Americans had electricity at home. But as the years go by, more and more visitors to the parks are demanding access to technology, including ubiquitous cellphone and wi-fi access. And we’ve got the complaints to…

Tech News Matt Novak Aug 25 '16

Sarah Jessica Parker Cuts Ties with EpiPen Makers After Price Gouging Controversy

Sarah Jessica Parker has cut ties with Mylan, the company that makes EpiPen, after it was criticized for raising the price of the life-saving allergy product by 400 percent. Parker announced her decision this morning on Instagram. “I’m left disappointed, saddened and deeply concerned by Mylan’s actions,” Parker wrote on Instagram. “I do not condone…

Tech News Matt Novak Aug 25 '16

The 21st Century Didn’t Start Until 2001, You Dunderheads

Did you see the BBC’s new list of the 100 best movies of the 21st century, chosen by film critics from around the world? Like any movie list, scores of film geeks are tripping over themselves to declare it all wrong. David Lynch’s 2001 Hollywood fever dream Mulholland Drive took the number one spot. But…

Tech News Matt Novak Aug 24 '16

How Congress, the FDA, and Sarah Jessica Parker Helped EpiPen Become a $1 Billion Business

EpiPen, the life-saving allergy product, is now a $1 billion a year business for Mylan, a drug company that’s currently enduring a wave of bad publicity over the extraordinary surge in EpiPen pricing. In 2007, an EpiPen cost about $57. Today that price has skyrocketed to over $600—all for about $1 worth of injectable medicine.…

Tech News Matt Novak Aug 23 '16

Idiocracy Director Says It’s ‘Scary’ How Accurate His Movie Has Become

These days Mike Judge is busy with his HBO show Silicon Valley, but back in 2006 he made a movie that would become an instant cult classic. Set in a dystopian future, Idiocracy is now a cultural touchstone for people who think the world just keeps getting dumber. And now Judge says it’s “scary” how…

Tech News Matt Novak Aug 19 '16

Photoshop Contest?

I’m not entirely sure what’s going on with Mr. Trump’s hand here. All I know is that this is the least comfortable fist I’ve ever seen. Dare I say…………………………….. Photoshop contest?

Tech News Matt Novak Aug 19 '16

25 Complaints to the US Military Broadcasting Network About Political Bias, Sexual Assault PSAs, and ‘Faggot Movies’

The American Forces Network (AFN) is the US military’s radio and TV network for American servicemen and women serving overseas. The programming that’s broadcast by AFN is in some ways the American military’s portal to news and entertainment at home, as the network broadcasts everything from the shows of Fox News and CNN to soap…

Tech News Matt Novak Aug 18 '16

Milwaukee Police Deny Cutting Off Internet Access During Protests

Milwaukee is currently struggling with unrest following the fatal shooting of an armed black man by a Milwaukee police officer on Saturday night. There have been protests every night since, some of which have turned violent. Amidst all the unrest, internet streams have been one of the few unfiltered sources of news. But some activists…

Tech News Matt Novak Aug 16 '16

LA Library Cards Get You Free Digital Access to the New York Times From Anywhere

Do you live in Los Angeles and pay for online access to the New York Times? Have I got a cheapskate lifehack for you. If you live in LA, you have access to one of the greatest public library systems in the world. But the library isn’t just books and magazines and amazing VHS tapes.…

Tech News Matt Novak Aug 16 '16

The US Considered Hiding Nuclear Weapons In Iceland (And Not Telling Iceland)

New documents obtained by the National Security Archive reveal that the US government considered establishing a nuclear weapons storage site in Iceland during the 1950s. The really interesting part? The United States wasn’t going to tell Iceland. To be clear, there’s no evidence that the US has ever housed nuclear weapons in Iceland, with or…

Tech News Matt Novak Aug 15 '16

What the Hell Is Going on in This Complaint About DraftKings to the FTC?

Last week we looked at some of the consumer complaints filed with the FTC about daily fantasy sports sites DraftKings and FanDuel. We noticed a pattern of complaints about weak cybersecurity and reported on it. But there were other complaints that we didn’t publish. Many are run-of-the-mill complaints that you’d expect about any online business.…

Tech News Matt Novak Aug 15 '16

There’s a Harambe Market at Disney World

I haven’t been to Walt Disney World in many years, but the next time I go my first stop is going to be the Animal Kingdom park. Disney opened a delightful market in 2015 that serves ribs, curry sausages, and an assortment of other grilled foods. The name? The Harambe Market. Lunch sounds especially delicious…

Tech News Matt Novak Aug 12 '16

How Fish Sticks Became the Food of the Future That Nobody Asked For

As a society, our relationship with food is in constant flux. Sometimes we value efficiency in the name of feeding as many people as possible. Other times we value quality ingredients in the name of nurturing the body or soul. When the modern fish stick was invented in the 1950s, it was definitely for efficiency.…

Tech News Matt Novak Aug 12 '16

Why Do People Want Thousands of Dollars For Disney VHS Tapes on eBay?

If you do a search for “Disney VHS” on eBay, you’ll find plenty of 1990s Disney movies to choose from. You’ll also notice something strange: a lot of people are asking for a ton of money. Literally hundreds of people are asking for more than $1,000 per tape for everything from Beauty and the Beast…

Tech News Matt Novak Aug 11 '16

Hillary Clinton Says Every American Should Have High Speed Internet by 2020

Hillary Clinton just announced at a rally in Warren, Michigan that she wants to connect every American household to broadband internet by the year 2020. It’s a nice thought. But with 2020 just a little over three years away, how realistic is the idea? Not very. According to the FCC’s 2016 Broadband Progress Report, one…

Tech News Matt Novak Aug 11 '16

Donald Trump Now Just Holds Up Signs He Printed From the Internet

Donald Trump has said before that all he knows is what he sees on the internet. And that became crystal clear at a rally in Florida yesterday when he held up a sign that had clearly been printed from the web. The sign Trump is holding purports to show how much money the Clinton Foundation…

Tech News Matt Novak Aug 11 '16

Consumers Say DraftKings and FanDuel Aren’t Keeping Their Data Secure

States are still scrambling to figure out how to regulate fantasy sports websites like DraftKings and FanDuel. And while much of the attention has been focused on whether fantasy sports should be classified as gambling and whether these websites are being upfront about the risks, some consumers are more worried about data security. Documents obtained…

Privacy & Security Matt Novak Aug 10 '16

This Keebler Elf Twitter Account Is Terrifying When You Finally Realize He’s Talking to Someone Tied to a Chair and That Someone Is You

Ernie Keebler just likes to make elf cookies in his elf tree with his elf friends. But a look at old Ernie’s Twitter account seems to reveal something much darker. Why is he looking directly at me? Honestly, just scroll through Ernie’s Twitter and tell me you don’t notice something strange. For one thing, I…

Tech News Matt Novak Aug 10 '16

Church Plans to Drop Electronic Bibles on ISIS With Drones

A Christian church in Sweden plans to deploy drones in parts of Iraq that are currently controlled by the Islamic terrorist group ISIS. But unlike the American military, they won’t be dropping bombs. The church plans to drop electronic Bibles. “The Bibles are the size of pill boxes and have a display. They require no…

Tech News Matt Novak Aug 9 '16

Matt Novak

Trump Hotel Turns Into Disgusting Cesspool After Workers Go on Strike

National Park Visitors Who Complain About Wi-Fi Should Be Thrown Into Old Faithful

Sarah Jessica Parker Cuts Ties with EpiPen Makers After Price Gouging Controversy

The 21st Century Didn’t Start Until 2001, You Dunderheads

How Congress, the FDA, and Sarah Jessica Parker Helped EpiPen Become a $1 Billion Business

Idiocracy Director Says It’s ‘Scary’ How Accurate His Movie Has Become

Photoshop Contest?

25 Complaints to the US Military Broadcasting Network About Political Bias, Sexual Assault PSAs, and ‘Faggot Movies’

Milwaukee Police Deny Cutting Off Internet Access During Protests

LA Library Cards Get You Free Digital Access to the New York Times From Anywhere

The US Considered Hiding Nuclear Weapons In Iceland (And Not Telling Iceland)

What the Hell Is Going on in This Complaint About DraftKings to the FTC?

There’s a Harambe Market at Disney World

How Fish Sticks Became the Food of the Future That Nobody Asked For

Why Do People Want Thousands of Dollars For Disney VHS Tapes on eBay?

Hillary Clinton Says Every American Should Have High Speed Internet by 2020

Donald Trump Now Just Holds Up Signs He Printed From the Internet

Consumers Say DraftKings and FanDuel Aren’t Keeping Their Data Secure

This Keebler Elf Twitter Account Is Terrifying When You Finally Realize He’s Talking to Someone Tied to a Chair and That Someone Is You

Church Plans to Drop Electronic Bibles on ISIS With Drones

Anime Expo’s World Premiere of ‘Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2’ Absolutely Ruled

The Disturbing Truth About How Extreme Heat Affects the Body

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

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