Michael Hession, Author at Gizmodo

Photos of Post-Soviet High Rises Are Grandiose and Surreal

Photographer Frank Herfort’s recent book Imperial Pomp is a beautiful collection of images depicting a very strange breed of architecture in Russia. Herfort traveled extensively—over 15,000 miles—to various cities and remote areas of Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Belarus with camera in tow. His purpose was to document the huge buildings, some monolithic, some opulent, erected…

Tech News Michael Hession Jan 23

AP Takes Hard Line Stance In Firing Pulitzer Winner for Doctored Photo

We all know the ethical haze around digital photo editing. Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Narciso Contreras ran face first into it when he was being fired by the Associated Press for photoshopping an image of he took during the Syrian conflict in 2012. The AP has strict rules about altering photographs, specifying that “No element…

Tech News Michael Hession Jan 23

Rumored Olympus Kit Lens Looks to Solve Lens Cap Agony

A new Olympus OMD mirrorless camera is (supposedly) just around the corner. Along with it is a new 14-42mm pancake zoom lens. I know, another kit lens—boring. But that lens may include a new type of lens cap that could save you the endless annoyances of fumbling and losing those round plastic sheaths. https://gizmodo.com/leaked-images-of-new-olympus-om-d-show-smaller-but-simi-1503355150 The…

Tech News Michael Hession Jan 23

Here Are Three Full Images of the Leaked Fujifilm X-T1

Yesterday Fujifilm dangled a shadowed image of their new mirrorless camera, the X-T1, in front of us. Today, the entire thing can be seen thanks to a few leaked images on Digicameinfo. https://gizmodo.com/fujifilm-x-t1-image-shows-another-retro-body-with-slr-s-1505074098 Looking at the camera body, everything looks quite nice with a ton of physical dials and buttons. The one thing I don’t…

Tech News Michael Hession Jan 22

Hasselblad is Switching to CMOS With New 50 Megapixel Sensor

Hasselblad just announced that they are re-vamping the sensor tech for their 50 megapixel medium format digital back. A new CMOS sensor will replace the older CCD technology previously used. The differences are what has led to many camera maker abandoning CCD sensors over the past few years or so. Leica was the most recent…

Tech News Michael Hession Jan 21

The flight paths of birds create elegant drawings in the sky

Wouldn’t it be cool if birds left visible trails behind them, like jets tracing the sky with smoke? That’s exactly the effect of Rhode Island School of Design professor Dennis Hlynsky achieves in his mesmerizing videos posted today at This Is Colossal. The concept is simple: set up a stationary camera and shoot some birds…

Sploid Michael Hession Jan 20

Casey Neistat Fixes His Favorite Canon Camera’s Fatal Flaw

Our friend and movie-maker Casey Neistat isn’t one to just accept when something doesn’t work. When he encountered an utterly frustrating feature on one of his cameras, he took matters into his own hands with this ingenious solution. https://gizmodo.com/the-wildly-functional-studio-of-video-wizard-casey-neis-513828366 The camera is the Canon S120, a solid compact point-and-shoot that Neistat relies on for its…

Tech News Michael Hession Jan 20

New Fujifilm Image Shows a New Retro Body With SLR-Style Hump

Fujfilm launched a teaser page on their website hinting toward what looks to be the next model in their line of retro-styled X series camera bodies, the X-T1, which will be announced on January 28th. The biggest design change from previous Fuji mirrorless bodies like the X-Pro1 and the X-E2 is the hump in the…

Tech News Michael Hession Jan 20

2014 Oscar Nominees Chose Arri Over RED, But Don’t Read Into It

It’s always fun seeing how huge-budget Hollywood films were shot, and what equipment they use. SetLife magazine created a list of just what cameras and lenses were used on each film nominated for 2014 Best Picture and Best Cinematography nominees. It’s not without some surprises. The most glaring revelation is that every single film listed…

Movies Michael Hession Jan 20

These Clamps Turn Any Old Slab of Wood Into a Table, No Drill Required

Buying furniture is expensive. And making furniture is hard. But with this set of table legs, you can fashion a beautiful custom table without so much as a toolbox at your disposal. The concept of clamp-able table legs is not new, but the Detroit designers behind the Floyd Leg are presenting a stylish and simple…

Tech News Michael Hession Jan 19

Leaked Images of New Olympus OM-D Show Smaller But Similar Body

Last year saw the release of the Olympus OM-D EM-1, a body built for pros with a huge grip and tons of bells and whistles. It looks like Olympus is starting out 2014 with another OM-D body, this time built for a slightly less advanced tier of buyers. These leaked images show the goods. https://gizmodo.com/olympus-om-d-e-m1-review-robust-utilitarian-and-wond-1379465592…

Tech News Michael Hession Jan 17

It’s Amazing How Much Retouching Goes Into Even a Rolex Photo

We know how extreme photo retouching can get when human bodies are the focus. But what about when the subject is an inanimate object? This time-lapse shows the insane levels of doting that go into make a Rolex watch look its absolute best. https://gizmodo.com/watch-a-woman-turn-into-a-flawless-magazine-model-with-1455371843 The man behind the scenes is photographer Andreas Jörg, who shot…

Tech News Michael Hession Jan 16

It looks like an accident, but this is how they unload timber in Canada

Reddit user JM2845 recently shared this amazing GIF of a barge in British Columbia emptying a load of timber into the water in a most unusual way, by tilting at 3o-degrees and having its cargo tumble right off the side. Amazing. Maybe this is commonplace amongst these kinds of barges, but it is certainly gasp-inducing…

Sploid Michael Hession Jan 16

Rumor: New Olympus Micro 4/3 Lenses On the Way

Rumors are swirling in early 2014, and the first ones you should be taking seriously are regarding three new Olympus micro 4/3 lenses. Images have leaked, so it’s almost a sure thing that they will be announced in the coming weeks. The first new lens is a 25mm f/1.8 lens to add to the already…

Tech News Michael Hession Jan 16

Use a Bare Convex Lens Element to Give Your Photos Some Flare

If your digital photos seem a bit dull lately, try this simple technique to introduce some wild light effects into your routine. All you need is a $4 piece of glass you can order online. The technique comes from photographer Sam Hurd, who dazzled us with his use of prisms not long ago. This time,…

Tech News Michael Hession Jan 15

Here’s Why Sony Ditched the NEX Moniker

Imaging Resource has posted parts of an interview they conducted with Sony Digital Imaging’s senior technology manager Mark Weir, explaining the reasoning behind abandoning the NEX brand, which has comprised their familiar line of mirrorless cameras since 2010. Weir explains that Sony originally meant for NEX cameras to be referred to by the Alpha name,…

Tech News Michael Hession Jan 13

Tour the CES Show Floor in 90 Frenetic Seconds

Until you’ve been to CES, it’s hard to appreciate how immense the exhibition space is. To convey the experience, we fired up a GoPro as we toured the show floor. Here is a a minute and a half of the chaos. CES is comprised of three separate halls laid out in a row. They are…

Tech News Michael Hession Jan 10

Eyes On: Sony’s Ultra Short-Throw 4K Projector Sure Lights Up a Room

Earlier today Sony announced anew short-throw digital projector that lies within a sleek credenza-like rectangle, and shines glorious 4K video against the wall it’s up against. We got to feast our eyes on a demo at the Sony booth today. It’s lovely. The premise of Sony’s Life Space UX concept is that you have various…

Tech News Michael Hession Jan 7

Sony AX100: The 4K Camcorder Race Heats Up

There are only a few consumer-level options for shooting 4K video, but Sony clearly has a plan for stepping forward and bring the goods in this department. The new AX100 camcorder not only shoots 4K, but has a host of other awesome-sounding specs to attract video shooters. Not many people are buying camcorders anymore, most…

Tech News Michael Hession Jan 6

These obviously irregular rings are actually perfectly round circles

Look at these grey circles. They look bent, right? Like somebody put a ring in a vice and squeezed it? Actually, it’s just an incredible optical illusion courtesy of @SciencePorn. Both circles are perfectly round. Really. No really. If you squint hard at the image, you can see the rings come their true, circular selves.…

Sploid Michael Hession Jan 3

Michael Hession

Photos of Post-Soviet High Rises Are Grandiose and Surreal

AP Takes Hard Line Stance In Firing Pulitzer Winner for Doctored Photo

Rumored Olympus Kit Lens Looks to Solve Lens Cap Agony

Here Are Three Full Images of the Leaked Fujifilm X-T1

Hasselblad is Switching to CMOS With New 50 Megapixel Sensor

The flight paths of birds create elegant drawings in the sky

Casey Neistat Fixes His Favorite Canon Camera’s Fatal Flaw

New Fujifilm Image Shows a New Retro Body With SLR-Style Hump

2014 Oscar Nominees Chose Arri Over RED, But Don’t Read Into It

These Clamps Turn Any Old Slab of Wood Into a Table, No Drill Required

Leaked Images of New Olympus OM-D Show Smaller But Similar Body

It’s Amazing How Much Retouching Goes Into Even a Rolex Photo

It looks like an accident, but this is how they unload timber in Canada

Rumor: New Olympus Micro 4/3 Lenses On the Way

Use a Bare Convex Lens Element to Give Your Photos Some Flare

Here’s Why Sony Ditched the NEX Moniker

Tour the CES Show Floor in 90 Frenetic Seconds

Eyes On: Sony’s Ultra Short-Throw 4K Projector Sure Lights Up a Room

Sony AX100: The 4K Camcorder Race Heats Up

These obviously irregular rings are actually perfectly round circles

This 4-in-1 Ergonomic Laptop Sleeve Hits a Record Low With $53 Worth of Free Extras Included

Samsung Clears Out Galaxy SmartTag2 at 42% Off, Now Nearly Half the Price of Apple’s AirTag

‘Daemons of the Shadow Realm’ Has Four Banger Songs For the Price of Two

JBL Boombox 3 Portable Speaker Drops to 40% Off, Though This All-Time Low Price May Not Stick Around for Long

Apple’s M5 13-inch MacBook Air Hits Record Low With Its Biggest Discount Yet Since Launch, Cheaper Than 2025 Model on Amazon

‘Chucky’ Is Finally Returning to the Big Screen

Used Electric Vehicles Are Having A Resurgence

Claude Mythos Preview Has Officially Frightened the British

Apple’s New Wearables Push Will Start with Glasses In 2027, Report Says

Crypto Investor at Center of Trump Corruption Allegations Now Sees Himself as ‘Victim’

Anker’s EufyMake E1 Finally Brings Printers Out of the Dark Ages

This Loud-Ass Party Speaker Almost Got Me High AF

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?

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