Michael Zhao, Author at Gizmodo

This Wooden Excavator Won’t Demolish a House but Its Details Will Blow Your Mind

This wooden 1/16 scale model of a Caterpillar 5230B front shovel took Rob Fisher’s Woodchuck & Co art studio 3000 man hours to complete. It has 4000 individual parts that come together to make a semi-functioning excavator. To clarify, semi-functioning doesn’t mean it can sort of take down a building. The original is 24.6 feet…

Tech News Michael Zhao Jul 6

Obama’s Twitter Town Hall Has Started

Obama’s Twitter Town Hall is going on right now. You can ask him whatever you want using the hashtag “#askobama” [Ask Obama]

Tech News Michael Zhao Jul 6

It’s Official: There Are More iPhones Than BlackBerrys (But Android Still Dominates)

Smartphones are finally outselling dumbphones, but not everyone’s a winner. ComScore’s latest numbers show that still aren’t looking good for RIM. https://gizmodo.com/smartphone-sales-beating-dumbphone-sales-for-the-first-5817082 After losing 4.2 percent of their market share in the US, they’re down to 24.7 percent vs Apple’s 26.6 percent. Looks like their “superphone” can’t come soon enough. https://gizmodo.com/10-inch-blackberry-playbook-not-coming-after-all-5816438 On the other hand,…

Tech News Michael Zhao Jul 5

Finally iPad and MacBook Sleeves to Match Your Designer Jeans

Denim! It’s comfy, rugged, and versatile. What’s not to love? Some people love it so much that they’re willing to pay hundreds of dollars for a single pair. But why stop at pants? Incase sure doesn’t. The ubiquitous maker of neoprene sleeves has joined forces with Parisian purveyor of raw denim, A.P.C., to bring us…

Tech News Michael Zhao Jul 4

Google+ Gives the Gift of Unlimited Picasa Storage

Picasa is limited to 1GB of storage (unless you pay up for more Google bytes) but now there’s a free workaround. You can upload unlimited photos (smaller than 2048×2048) and videos (under 15 minutes) Google+ and it doesn’t touch your storage limit. [ReadWriteWeb]

Tech News Michael Zhao Jul 1

Mac OS X Lion Is Basically Done

Mac OS X Lion, perhaps the last in a pride of big cats has gone gold and is now being seeded to developers. That means it’s basically finished. Roar. [9 to 5 Mac] https://gizmodo.com/what-we-know-about-lion-and-why-it-may-be-the-last-mac-5808238

Tech News Michael Zhao Jul 1

Google’s Secret Answer to Instagram is a Pool Party… App

It looks like Facebook isn’t the only one planning a secret Instagram rival. Pool Party is Google’s Android-based answer to Instagram and it’s already in beta testing (accessible by invite only). https://gizmodo.com/facebook-has-a-secret-photo-sharing-iphone-app-5812077 Pool Party was designed by Slide, a subsidiary of the big G, and is similar to Instagram in that they’re both social photo-sharing…

Tech News Michael Zhao Jun 30

New Starbucks iPhone App Combines Two Older Apps and Adds Gift Giving

The new Starbucks for iPhone app is a replacement for both myStarbucks and Starbucks Card Mobile. In addition to combining mobile ordering, online payment, and access to Starbucks Card features in one app, fans of the coffee franchise can now use the app to gift the chain’s mediocre coffee to friends. Free from [iTunes]

Tech News Michael Zhao Jun 30

All Adult Swim Apps Are 99¢ Through this Weekend

Adult Swim is having an app sale in celebration of the 4th of July, America, and freedom. This includes Amateur Surgeon, Meowcenaries, Robot Unicorn Attack, and more. Because nothing says patriotic like Robot Unicorns that poop rainbows. 99¢ from [iTunes]

Tech News Michael Zhao Jun 30

The World’s Fastest SDXC Card Still Can’t Compete With Compact Flash… Yet

Delkin’s new 64GB SD card may well be the “fastest SDXC card in the world” and with respective read/write speeds of 95 MBps and 45 MBps, it’s not hard to believe. But at $540, who’s it for? $540 is definitely a pro-level price point but as it stands, SD cards are relegated mostly to consumer-level…

Tech News Michael Zhao Jun 29

Samsung Wants to Block all iPods, iPhones, and iPads from the US

Last we heard, Apple brought the you-copied-our-shit fight to Samsung’s home turf. Now Samsung’s firing back, asking the International Trade Commission to ban US imports of every iPod, iPhone and iPad. http://gizmodo.com/5815230/apple-brings-the-legal-fight-to-samsungs-home-turf If the ITC hears the case, it’ll be 16-18 months before a decision is reached. [FOSSPatents]

Tech News Michael Zhao Jun 29

10-Inch Blackberry Playbook Not Coming After All

To answer our previous question (“Is there a 10-inch BlackBerry PlayBook?”), um, no. https://gizmodo.com/is-blackberry-planning-a-10-inch-playbook-tablet-5798834 RIM has reportedly axed production for a more vital project: It’s dedicating all of its resources to developing a “QNX BlackBerry superphone” (read: last ditch hail-mary to save the failing company). Not an unwise choice. [Crunchgear] https://gizmodo.com/ten-reasons-why-blackberry-is-screwed-5812832

Tech News Michael Zhao Jun 28

Shooting Challenge: Above 1

Canon 50D 16-35mm ISO 400 f/2.8 1/1000 This was a harder shooting challenge, being out in the suburbs of Chicago there’s not much height. Luckily, I managed come across this perfect scenario. This is a shot of a stairwell under construction at Oak Brook Mall, in Oak Brook, IL. -Michael Durr I set off for…

Tech News Michael Zhao Jun 28

Shooting Challenge: Above 2

I didn’t really have any ideas for this contest, so I began to look around my room for inspiration. From where I live, there aren’t really anything that is too high above the ground so my initial idea of getting a high vantage point was out. When I saw my old dusty guitar on it’s…

Tech News Michael Zhao Jun 28

Windows 8’s Coming Out Sooner Than You Expected

A “trusted” source tells Mary Jo Foley that Windows 8’s gonna RTM (read: be finished) by April 2012. Furthermore, it said that the only beta version will be a full build, released this September (remember the Windows 7 beta?). So yeah. [ZDnet] https://gizmodo.com/the-shape-of-windows-to-come-5807146

Tech News Michael Zhao Jun 27

Inside the Making of an Old Timey Neon Sign

Nowadays, a public display ad is just an image on a giant screen, but this certainly wasn’t the case 60 years ago. Unlike their famous soda, Coke’s recipe for neon signs is no secret: hard work and lots of it. Creative Review talked to Coca Cola archivist Ted Ryan about his company’s new show at…

Tech News Michael Zhao Jun 24

Because You Wanted Android on a Landline, Right?

Android OS is so commonly found in cellphones and tablets that it’s easy to forget its other uses. Like on a home phone? The $160 Smart Home Phone is like a smartphone but, um, minus the cellular connectivity. Instead, it connects to a landline and acts like a normal DECT wireless phone. Just, with apps.…

Tech News Michael Zhao Jun 23

Manly Bike Basket Holds Heavy, Manly Things

When you think “bike baskets,” you probably see a flimsy decoration on the front of a beach-cruiser. The Takeout would feel more at home on an F-150 Superduty. It’s designed to carry the heavy things that matter. Like beer. When designing this basket, Portland Design Works never lost sight of what’s important. For example, its…

Tech News Michael Zhao Jun 23

OS X 10.6.8 Girds Your Mac’s Loins for Lion

The headline for this update: It “enhances” the Mac App Store to prep it for Lion. But there’s also another fix for MacDefender, improved IPv6 support, improved VPN stability, and a fix for a Preview glitch. [TUAW]

Tech News Michael Zhao Jun 23

There’s a Million Unlocked iPhones on T-Mobile

Apple just started selling unlocked iPhones, but people have been unlocking their own phones since day one. T-Mobile says they already have over 1 million iPhone users on their network—micro SIM and 3G support be damned. [9to5 Mac] https://gizmodo.com/apple-is-now-selling-unlocked-iphone-4-handsets-from-6-5811673

Tech News Michael Zhao Jun 23

Michael Zhao

This Wooden Excavator Won’t Demolish a House but Its Details Will Blow Your Mind

Obama’s Twitter Town Hall Has Started

It’s Official: There Are More iPhones Than BlackBerrys (But Android Still Dominates)

Finally iPad and MacBook Sleeves to Match Your Designer Jeans

Google+ Gives the Gift of Unlimited Picasa Storage

Mac OS X Lion Is Basically Done

Google’s Secret Answer to Instagram is a Pool Party… App

New Starbucks iPhone App Combines Two Older Apps and Adds Gift Giving

All Adult Swim Apps Are 99¢ Through this Weekend

The World’s Fastest SDXC Card Still Can’t Compete With Compact Flash… Yet

Samsung Wants to Block all iPods, iPhones, and iPads from the US

10-Inch Blackberry Playbook Not Coming After All

Shooting Challenge: Above 1

Shooting Challenge: Above 2

Windows 8’s Coming Out Sooner Than You Expected

Inside the Making of an Old Timey Neon Sign

Because You Wanted Android on a Landline, Right?

Manly Bike Basket Holds Heavy, Manly Things

OS X 10.6.8 Girds Your Mac’s Loins for Lion

There’s a Million Unlocked iPhones on T-Mobile

The ‘Mass Effect’ Show is Getting Rewritten to Get Greenlit

See the Early Stages of How ‘Project Hail Mary’ Brought Rocky to Life

‘Cognitive Surrender’ Is a New and Useful Term for How AI Melts Brains

HP Omen Max 45L Review: 4K60 Gaming Has Never Been So Easy

Marshall Acton III Home Speaker Drops to a Record Low, the Deal Countdown Has Already Started

Ecovacs Winbot W3 Omni Review: Window Cleaning Robots Have a Long Way to Go

I’m Worried About the Helpless AI Disruptors of the Future

Russia Allegedly Swung at VPNs but Accidentally Hit Its Own Banking Sector Instead

Ryan Coogler Is Shifting ‘Animorphs’ Into a Disney+ Show

No Fooling, ‘Spaceballs 2’ Will Hit Theaters April 2027

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

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

Asus ROG’s Massive Swift OLED Gaming Monitor Epitomizes Excess in the Best Way

The Ikea Varmblixt Smart Lamp Fills a Donut Hole in My Life