Matt Novak, Author at Gizmodo

These One-Liners From the 1960s Are a Corny Time Capsule

Do you like jokes? I like jokes. Jokes are silly. But jokes aren’t just all yuck-em-ups and goof-a-lots. They can be great tools for history-lookers. History studiers? Historians. Jokes can give us a peek at how a particular group of people look at the world. Take, for instance, the people of the 1960s. Their jokes…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 23

The $6M Rebate This Infomercial Hack Doesn’t Want You to Know About

Kevin Trudeau spent the past decade publishing books that promise to tell you the health secrets that mainstream science won’t. But he peddles bullshit. And the courts have repeatedly said as much, ordering him to pay over $37 million for misrepresenting what’s in his books. Now some consumers who got ripped off by his “weight…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 22

This Simple Door Alarm From 1906 Is Actually Pretty Genius

I was flipping through my deadtree archive of magazines recently when I came across an ad for an ingenious little door alarm in 1906. Granted, it’s not fancy. But it probably did the trick. As you can see from the full ad below, which appeared in the February 17, 1906 issue of the Literary Digest,…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 22

Iconic Architect Eero Saarinen Designed Weapons and ‘Devices’ For the CIA

Eero Saarinen designed some of the most iconic American buildings of the 20th century. The arch in St. Louis? That was him. The TWA terminal at JFK airport? That was him too. And it wasn’t just buildings. Saarinen also designed the furniture that would define futurism of the 1960s, like the tables in Stanley Kubrick’s…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 21

Who Drew This Futuristic Space Picture From the 1960s?

I need your help. Yes, you. I can’t figure out who drew this futuristic picture of two astronauts sometime in the 1960s. And it’s driving me nuts. Here’s what I know: I found it on the back page of the first issue of Space Horizons magazine from 1965. There’s no signature or copyright notice of…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 20

The HBO Now App Is Down Everywhere and People Are Panicking [Update: It’s Back]

It’s not just you. HBO Now, the app that lets people watch HBO shows as soon as they’re live on broadcast TV, isn’t working. HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO WATCH GAME OF THRONES? About 10 minutes ago my wife and I sat down to watch Game of Thrones on our Apple TV via the HBO…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 19

Time Capsule Mystery From 1938 Solved With the Help of 93-Year-Old Man

Time capsules are usually pretty boring. And most people would probably call the latest time capsule that was unearthed in Ohio pretty dull. It contained just a single photo of a middle school class in 1938 and some lists of students. But for one 93-year-old man, that capsule is a reminder that life can be…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 19

Remote-Controlled Tanks of the 1930s Were Supposed to Save Lives on Both Sides

This Japanese-made, remote-controlled tank got tech nerds all excited in 1931. But it wasn’t just because they saw a new toy. Tech-minded folk of the early 1930s also saw a utopian solution to war. A solution where, ideally, fewer humans would have to die. Ideas about remote-controlled warfare have been around for over a century.…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 17

That Photo of a Baby Moose With a Pride Flag Is Fake

Have you seen that photo of a baby moose holding a gay pride flag? It’s adorable. But unfortunately, it’s also fake. Why is the internet so mean? The photo below has been doing the rounds lately with an astonishing number of retweets on Twitter. And probably an untold number of whatever the Canadian equivalent of…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 16

7 Bullshit Cures For Zika That Are Spreading Online

The Zika virus has officially spread to over 50 countries, including the United States. And like public health threats of the past, there are plenty of hucksters trying to sell “natural” remedies for Zika online. But they’re all bullshit. “There are no FDA-approved medical products for the Zika virus,” FDA Press Officer Tara Goodwin told…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 16

This Magazine Predicted the Electric Haircut of Tomorrow

Tech-enthusiasts of the 1920s were obsessed with turning everything electric. They wanted electric mixing bowls, electric dishwashers, and even electric haircuts. It may seem like an obvious idea today, but back in the 1920s, an electric haircut was straight out of science fiction. The cover of the August 1923 issue of Practical Electrics magazine included…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 15

The FBI’s Facial Recognition Software Has Never Been Properly Tested For Accuracy

Since 2011 the FBI has used facial recognition software to identify people during criminal investigations. The agency combs through a database of over 411 million photos, including everything from mugshots to driver’s licenses. Today, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report that’s critical of the technology. The GAO is concerned about not only the…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 15

Mark Zuckerberg Denies Being a Secret Lizard Person

Mark Zuckerberg hosted his first ever Facebook Live Q&A today. And it went about as well as you’d expect. One of the key things we learned? Mark Zuckerberg is not a lizard person. Or so he says. The hour-long Q&A has been viewed by nearly 6 million people, and it even had a celebrity cameo…

Social Media Matt Novak Jun 14

You Can Now Retweet Yourself But You Shouldn’t

Today, Twitter is rolling out a new feature that allows users to retweet themselves. But as everyone knows, you should be very, very careful with this capability. Because retweeting yourself can have a serious impact on your health and relationships. I first started retweeting myself when I was maybe 12 or so. I don’t remember…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 14

Janet Waldo, Original Voice of Judy Jetson, Dies at 96

Janet Waldo, the voice actress who gave life to the original Judy Jetson in 1962, has died. Waldo was 96 years old. Waldo appeared in shows like I Love Lucy and was the starring voice actor in Hanna-Barbera’s late-60s animated show The Perils of Penelope Pitsop. But her legacy will be forever linked to The…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 13

The FCC Won’t Release Internal Memos About the Time Warner-Charter Merger

In April, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that the agency would approve the merger of Time Warner Cable and Charter, paving the way for the creation of the second largest cable and internet provider in the country. The company’s products are now marketed under the brand Spectrum. Today the FCC denied Gizmodo’s request for…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 13

Citigroup Is Suing AT&T For Using the Word ‘Thanks’ Because Citi Trademarked It

Back in 2010, the US Patent and Trademark Office granted Citigroup a trademark for “thankyou,” which the company uses for credit card services. Today the company is suing AT&T over its own use of the terms “thanks” and “thanks AT&T.” Check the date, because this isn’t April Fool’s. Earlier this month AT&T announced a new…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 10

Living In The Future Is Shit

I honestly don’t know if I can take five more months of this.

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 9

People Used to Blame Earthquakes and Droughts on New Radio Technology

New technology is scary. Just ask the people who think that their illnesses are caused by wifi. But blaming unfortunate things on newfangled technology has been happening for decades, if not centuries. Like when farmers of the 1920s used to blame too much rain, earthquakes, and droughts on the new technology of radio. The October…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 9

Elon Musk Just Had a Hush-Hush Meeting at the Pentagon

Elon Musk, the billionaire businessman who wants to literally die on Mars after he puts an electric car in every American’s garage, just had a meeting at the Pentagon with the US Secretary of Defense. But neither Musk nor Secretary Ash Carter will disclose what they talked about. “Elon Musk is one of the most…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 8

Matt Novak

These One-Liners From the 1960s Are a Corny Time Capsule

The $6M Rebate This Infomercial Hack Doesn’t Want You to Know About

This Simple Door Alarm From 1906 Is Actually Pretty Genius

Iconic Architect Eero Saarinen Designed Weapons and ‘Devices’ For the CIA

Who Drew This Futuristic Space Picture From the 1960s?

The HBO Now App Is Down Everywhere and People Are Panicking [Update: It’s Back]

Time Capsule Mystery From 1938 Solved With the Help of 93-Year-Old Man

Remote-Controlled Tanks of the 1930s Were Supposed to Save Lives on Both Sides

That Photo of a Baby Moose With a Pride Flag Is Fake

7 Bullshit Cures For Zika That Are Spreading Online

This Magazine Predicted the Electric Haircut of Tomorrow

The FBI’s Facial Recognition Software Has Never Been Properly Tested For Accuracy

Mark Zuckerberg Denies Being a Secret Lizard Person

You Can Now Retweet Yourself But You Shouldn’t

Janet Waldo, Original Voice of Judy Jetson, Dies at 96

The FCC Won’t Release Internal Memos About the Time Warner-Charter Merger

Citigroup Is Suing AT&T For Using the Word ‘Thanks’ Because Citi Trademarked It

Living In The Future Is Shit

People Used to Blame Earthquakes and Droughts on New Radio Technology

Elon Musk Just Had a Hush-Hush Meeting at the Pentagon

The First ‘Clayface’ Footage Was Wonderfully Disgusting

Scientists Found Literal Ink From Ballpoint Pens in Martian Meteorites

The ‘Galaxy’s Edge’ Han Solo Proves You Really Can’t Replace Harrison Ford

BYD Is Rolling Out 5-Minute Charging on Several Popular EVs

Jury Does What Trump’s DOJ Wouldn’t, Deems Ticketmaster a Monopoly

Govee RGBIC TV Smart Light Bars Go on Clearance, Bringing Each Down to Under $25 on Amazon

EU Is Rolling Out an Online Age Verification App That Could Become the Global Blueprint

16 Underrated Anime That Deserve Your Love

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

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?

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