Matt Novak, Author at Gizmodo

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 '16

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 '16

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 '16

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 '16

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 '16

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 '16

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 '16

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 '16

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 '16

7 More Viral Photos That Are Totally Fake

Everything is fake. Or at least it’s starting to feel that way. With the American campaign season still going strong, and the internet still, well… existing, we’ve been seeing a lot of suspicious photos in our social media streams. But don’t fall for any of these. They’re all fake. 1) Is this a Trump supporter…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 8 '16

One Tweet From Elon Musk Made $580 Million Disappear

Tweets are mysterious things. They’re sometimes witty, usually banal, and often garbage. But if you’re Elon Musk, your tweets can have a very real impact on how companies are valued. For instance, one tweet from Musk last night wiped out $580 million from Samsung SDI’s market capitalization. No joke. Rumors had been swirling that Samsung…

Gadgets Matt Novak Jun 8 '16

Idiot Who Says Zika Is a Conspiracy Still Wants You to Buy His Bug Spray

Websites like Natural News accuse the Centers for Disease Control of orchestrating a global conspiracy around the Zika virus. Specifically, they claim that the illnesses and birth defects that people are seeing have nothing to do with the virus, but instead have something to do with “chemicals” and vaccines. But Natural News still wants you…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 7 '16

FAA Warns of GPS Outages This Month During Mysterious Tests on the West Coast

Starting today, it appears the US military will be testing a device or devices that will potentially jam GPS signals for six hours each day. We say “appears” because officially the tests were announced by the FAA but are centered near the US Navy’s largest installation in the Mojave Desert. And the Navy won’t tell…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 7 '16

Author of Brokeback Mountain Is Leaving Seattle Because She Hates Techies, High-Fives

Author Annie Proulx moved to Seattle just two years ago, but she’s already pulling up stakes. Why? Two reasons: She recently discovered that she’s allergic to the trees surrounding her house. But she’s also sick of all the techies “high-fiving each other” in Seattle. Proulx is an author who you might know best from the…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 6 '16

Neil DeGrasse Tyson Tells Bill Maher That Anti-Science Liberals Are Full of Shit Too

Every Friday night comedian Bill Maher puts on a show with an interesting mix of guests. But this past Friday, Maher repeated a claim he often makes that was finally smacked down by Neil DeGrasse Tyson. Namely, Maher said that conservatives are consistently more anti-science than liberals. That’s bullshit. “Let’s not pretend that Democrats and…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 5 '16

A Complete List of Things the FCC Doesn’t Want You To See

The neat thing about the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is that you can submit FOIA requests for FOIA requests. Why is this useful? It means that you can learn about documents that government agencies don’t want you to see—even if all you learn about them is the name of the document. Stick with me…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 2 '16

Ban Los Angeles, Ban Whole Foods, Ban Air Guitars

I need to get out of this fucking city. Los Angeles is just too damn expensive. I don’t know what I’m doing here anymore. The only thing worth doing that’s free is the library. Oh, that and playing air guitar at Whole Foods. Sorry, it’s 365-Foods or whatever it’s fucking called. You didn’t hear? That…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 2 '16

UCLA Students on Active Shooter Lockdown Are Engineering the Hell Out of Doors Without Locks

UCLA’s campus is on lockdown, with two people dead in what looks like a murder-suicide according to CBS. The shooting reportedly occurred in the Engineering IV building, and people are being told to shelter in place. The biggest problem? Many of the doors in that building don’t have locks. So the engineering students are reinforcing…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 1 '16

7 Viral Photos of Marilyn Monroe That Are Totally Fake (NSFW)

Marilyn Monroe died more than 50 years ago, but Americans are still as obsessed with her as ever. And it’s Monroe’s birthday today, so there’s a good chance you’ll see even more photos of her on Facebook and Pinterest than usual. But be careful, because many of them are completely fake. Below we have just…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 1 '16

Why Are So Many TSA Agents Working Political Rallies?

When the Secret Service needs help running security for a political event they turn to the TSA. But with TSA staff shortages and absurdly long lines at American airports, why is the Secret Service leaning on the TSA for help? New figures obtained by Gizmodo lead us to believe that American flyers are in for…

Tech News Matt Novak May 31 '16

Matt Novak

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

7 More Viral Photos That Are Totally Fake

One Tweet From Elon Musk Made $580 Million Disappear

Idiot Who Says Zika Is a Conspiracy Still Wants You to Buy His Bug Spray

FAA Warns of GPS Outages This Month During Mysterious Tests on the West Coast

Author of Brokeback Mountain Is Leaving Seattle Because She Hates Techies, High-Fives

Neil DeGrasse Tyson Tells Bill Maher That Anti-Science Liberals Are Full of Shit Too

A Complete List of Things the FCC Doesn’t Want You To See

Ban Los Angeles, Ban Whole Foods, Ban Air Guitars

UCLA Students on Active Shooter Lockdown Are Engineering the Hell Out of Doors Without Locks

7 Viral Photos of Marilyn Monroe That Are Totally Fake (NSFW)

Why Are So Many TSA Agents Working Political Rallies?

You Should Race to Your Local Theater to See ‘Adolescence of Utena’

Jared Leto and Sam Altman Say They Can Thwart Ticket Scalper Bots by Scanning Your Eyeballs

Google Engineer Charged With Using Insider Info for $1 Million Haul on Polymarket

This Plug-and-Play Switch 2 Portable Dock Adapter Is for Around $10 After Sudden Price Drops on Amazon

We Dive Deep Into ‘The Lost Boys’ Musical With the Star of the Show

Anker’s 300W Portable Power Station Drops Again to an All-Time Low, Charge 7 Devices at Once for Less

Scientists Identify Potential New Source of Antibiotic-Resistant Superbugs—and It’s Not What You Think

A Widely Used Mosquito Repellent Might Be Training Them to Seek Your Blood

Sony WH-1000XM5 Headphones No Longer Carry a Premium Price Tag, Now Over 2x Cheaper Than AirPods Max

Why Noninvasive Blood Glucose Monitoring Is Still the Holy Grail of Wearables

Alienware Fixed the One Problem With the Area-51, and Now I’m Afraid I Love It

Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max Review: Wireless Earbuds With Enough Features to Make Your Head Spin

Anker Solix E10 Review: No Power? No Problem

Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker Review: Sonos Can Start Sweating Now

Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar Review: A Boisterous Stab at Dominating Home Theater

Dell’s XPS 16 (2026) Is Almost Everything I Could Have Asked for… Almost

Smart Glasses With Subscriptions Are As Bad as They Sound

iBuyPower’s Trace X Gaming PC Is the Fishbowl You Want to Swim In

Govee Ceiling Light Ultra Review: AI Art Ain’t It

JBL Live 780NC Review: Solid Wireless Headphones You Can Live Without