Rhett Jones, Author at Gizmodo

How to Stop Pirate Bay and Other Sites From Hijacking Your CPU to Mine Cryptocoins

This past weekend, the popular torrenting site The Pirate Bay caught some flack for testing out a new system that used visitors’ CPU power to generate cryptocurrency profits for itself. This tactic has been around for years, but the high profile implementation signals that it’s probably time to start blocking this crap. Here’s how it’s…

Privacy & Security Rhett Jones Sep 19

Hackers Lock Down Entire School District With Threats: ‘We Are Savage Creatures’

In a highly unusual hacking case, an entire school district in Montana shut down for three days following a data breach of student and faculty records. Investigators say that parents received “extremely graphic threats via text messages” and that hackers sent the school board a ransom note demanding bitcoin payments in exchange for the destruction…

Tech News Rhett Jones Sep 19

Why Is Someone Clogging Swiss Toilets With Tens of Thousands of Euros in Cash?

Swiss authorities are trying to crack a strange case involving the disposal of more than $100,000 worth of 500-euro notes that were flushed down the toilets of public establishments in Geneva. The perfectly good cash caused thousands of dollars worth of plumbing damage and officials are stumped by the seemingly pointless destruction. https://gizmodo.com/a-colossal-fatberg-clogging-londons-sewer-is-ten-time-1803784372 Swiss outlet…

Privacy & Security Rhett Jones Sep 18

Your Copy of Avast’s ‘PC Cleaner’ CCleaner Could Be Full of Malware, Update Now

According to its parent company Avast, more than 130 million people use the performance optimization software CCleaner. And today all of those people need to be sure they’ve installed the latest update because some nasty malware has managed to make it into one of the builds. https://gizmodo.com/5-things-to-check-before-you-get-rid-of-your-old-gadget-1690247324 Piriform’s CCleaner was purchased by the popular anti-virus…

Tech News Rhett Jones Sep 18

Chrome Will Soon Mute Autoplay Videos With Sound—Here’s Why You Should Be Worried

Google has surveyed the advertising landscape that it dominates and determined that it’s time for a change. Beginning in January, its Chrome web browser will mute autoplay video ads with sound by default. The effort is being framed as a drive to clean up the web, but it could just as easily be interpreted as…

Tech News Rhett Jones Sep 15

The Case of a Brain-Damaging ‘Sonic Weapon’ in Cuba Is Only Getting Stranger and Scarier

The baffling story of US diplomats in Cuba suffering hearing loss and brain damage in some sort of covert “health attack” just gets stranger and more terrifying with every new report. The Associated Press has learned that victims’ recollections and symptoms are even more varied and serious than we previously knew. https://gizmodo.com/diplomats-plagued-by-sonic-weapon-in-cuba-reported-to-s-1798359405 The AP spoke…

Tech News Rhett Jones Sep 14

Elon Musk Releases an Explosive Mega-Collection of His Greatest Rocket Failures

Elon Musk has been sitting on a trove of spectacular fail videos from the SpaceX archives, and on August 31st he promised to release a blooper reel with “some epic explosion footage.” This morning, he made good on that promise. Now you can watch many millions of dollars go kaboom in just over two minutes.…

Space & Spaceflight Rhett Jones Sep 14

Ford Funded That Weirdo in a Car Seat Costume Who Pretended to Be a Self-Driving Car

At first, it seemed to be a quirky prank—a man was driving around town dressed up like a car seat and convincing people his car had no one at the wheel. Then we learned that it was all a shadowy research project by Virginia Tech. And now we know that Ford was behind the whole…

Tech News Rhett Jones Sep 13

Is AppleCare Still Worth It for the iPhone?

Following Apple’s big product announcement yesterday, the smaller, not-so-fun details are gradually coming out. Apple’s Upgrade Program is changing its prices and in a rare move, AppleCare+ will be getting more expensive when applied to the already pricey iPhone X. So, now we must ask ourselves: Is that extra coverage worth the increased cost? https://gizmodo.com/how-much-will-the-expensive-ass-iphone-x-cost-on-apples-1804641200…

Gadgets Rhett Jones Sep 13

How Much Will the Expensive Ass iPhone X Cost on Apple’s Upgrade Plan?

Three new iPhones were debuted by Apple on Tuesday, and despite how you swore yesterday that you’d be skipping this generation, you’re now considering spending a buttload of money on a fancy new device. This is what the expensive new iPhones will cost you with the Apple Upgrade Program. https://gizmodo.com/everything-apple-announced-today-1803822055 If you’re unfamiliar with Apple’s…

Tech News Rhett Jones Sep 12

Apple’s AirPower Wireless Charging Mat Coming Next Year for What Will Surely Not Be a Lot of Money

Apple announced wireless charging for the iPhone 8, the iPhone 8 Plus, and the iPhone X today, but it wouldn’t be an Apple product without an expensive new accessory. Unfortunately, we don’t know how expensive the AirPower charging mat will be, but it’s coming next year. https://gizmodo.com/our-apple-iphone-x-event-liveblog-is-right-here-1803757549 Wireless charging a struggled to become a standard…

Tech News Rhett Jones Sep 12

Apple TV 4K Is a 4K Apple TV, Finally

Apple has some catching up to do in the streaming wars, and today’s announcement of the latest Apple TV firmly positions it as… a way to watch 4K videos through iTunes. That’s the big news, but there were a few additional bits of info that might convince you to give it a chance. https://gizmodo.com/our-apple-iphone-x-event-liveblog-is-right-here-1803757549 Design…

Tech News Rhett Jones Sep 12

Data Analysis Exonerates Rotten Tomatoes for Hollywood’s Failures

Last week, the New York Times published an article about Hollywood studio executives blaming the influence of Rotten Tomatoes for its failures at the box office. This seemed silly, and it was practically an admission that the movies these execs are making suck. Well, now we have data that shows the critical consensus on movies is…

Tech News Rhett Jones Sep 12

Nintendo Urges Public: Don’t Pay More Than $80 for SNES Classic

At this point, last year’s NES Classic is best remembered as the cute, retro gadget no one could buy because Nintendo didn’t produce enough of them. In a new interview, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aimé swears this won’t be the case with the SNES Classic—and that pre-order screw-ups were not Nintendo’s fault. https://gizmodo.com/a-guide-to-nintendos-confusing-ass-line-up-1797336695 Fils-Aimé…

Tech News Rhett Jones Sep 11

Surging Bitcoin Markets Brace for Chinese Government Onslaught

Bitcoin markets are nervously sitting in a holding pattern on Monday morning as multiple outlets have received confirmation that the Chinese government plans to shut down official exchanges. Investors have settled into a wait-and-see moment that could determine the cryptocurrency’s immediate future. https://gizmodo.com/what-are-icos-and-why-are-they-getting-banned-in-china-1800922340 Beginning with a $500 price drop on Friday, rumors of the aggressive…

Tech News Rhett Jones Sep 11

Hollywood’s Movies Suck, and It Doesn’t Want You to Know

Hollywood is struggling through a particularly rough financial patch at the moment, and it’s throwing blame in every direction. Its favorite target over the last ten years has been technological disruption. Netflix, home theaters, and MoviePass have all been cited as box office grim reapers. The latest target, Rotten Tomatoes, is the dumbest excuse yet.…

Tech News Rhett Jones Sep 8

What’s Really Going On With Google Drive

On Thursday, Google made a confusing announcement that could easily scare the crap out of 800 million people: Google Drive’s going away—but actually, no, it’s not. However, there are a few things you should know about the changes that are coming. First and foremost, the Google cloud service known as Drive is going to be…

Tech News Rhett Jones Sep 8

Here Are the Horrible Ways You’d Die if You Brought a Piece of the Sun Back to Earth

With all the fascinating planets in our solar system, it sometimes feels like the Sun gets overlooked. The Sun is amazing! People still worship the Sun, and that actually makes a certain amount of sense. So, what would happen if you took a small piece of the Sun and brought it back to Earth? Well,…

Sploid Rhett Jones Sep 7

Drug Maker Faked Cancer Patients to Sell Addictive Opioids, Congressional Report Finds

On Wednesday, Senator Claire McCaskill released a report on the findings of a congressional investigation into the practices of pharmaceutical company Insys Therapeutics. The jaw-dropping allegations detail the process in which agents systematically convinced insurers to pay for a highly-addictive opioid cancer pain drug for patients who didn’t have cancer. https://gizmodo.com/why-the-fda-cant-fix-the-opioid-crisis-1797950053 The case of Insys’s…

Health Rhett Jones Sep 7

What Are ICOs and Why Are They Getting Banned in China?

Over the weekend, China banned initial coin offerings (ICO) and briefly paused the seemingly unstoppable price increase of bitcoin. But the cryptocurrency has already bounced back. With the likes of Paris Hilton, Kim Dotcom, and John McAfee all jumping into the ICO world in one way or another, it seems worth asking what the hell…

Tech News Rhett Jones Sep 7

Rhett Jones

How to Stop Pirate Bay and Other Sites From Hijacking Your CPU to Mine Cryptocoins

Hackers Lock Down Entire School District With Threats: ‘We Are Savage Creatures’

Why Is Someone Clogging Swiss Toilets With Tens of Thousands of Euros in Cash?

Your Copy of Avast’s ‘PC Cleaner’ CCleaner Could Be Full of Malware, Update Now

Chrome Will Soon Mute Autoplay Videos With Sound—Here’s Why You Should Be Worried

The Case of a Brain-Damaging ‘Sonic Weapon’ in Cuba Is Only Getting Stranger and Scarier

Elon Musk Releases an Explosive Mega-Collection of His Greatest Rocket Failures

Ford Funded That Weirdo in a Car Seat Costume Who Pretended to Be a Self-Driving Car

Is AppleCare Still Worth It for the iPhone?

How Much Will the Expensive Ass iPhone X Cost on Apple’s Upgrade Plan?

Apple’s AirPower Wireless Charging Mat Coming Next Year for What Will Surely Not Be a Lot of Money

Apple TV 4K Is a 4K Apple TV, Finally

Data Analysis Exonerates Rotten Tomatoes for Hollywood’s Failures

Nintendo Urges Public: Don’t Pay More Than $80 for SNES Classic

Surging Bitcoin Markets Brace for Chinese Government Onslaught

Hollywood’s Movies Suck, and It Doesn’t Want You to Know

What’s Really Going On With Google Drive

Here Are the Horrible Ways You’d Die if You Brought a Piece of the Sun Back to Earth

Drug Maker Faked Cancer Patients to Sell Addictive Opioids, Congressional Report Finds

What Are ICOs and Why Are They Getting Banned in China?

I Can’t Decide Which ‘Resident Evil Requiem’ Perspective I Liked More

Artemis 2 Day 10: Follow the Mission With Our Live Updates 🔴

I Rewatched the Live-Action ‘Speed Racer’ to Feel Something Again

Microsoft Says You Should Take Copilot Seriously but Not Literally

The Trump Administration Wants Gamers to Step Up and Fill the Air Traffic Controller Shortage

Watch a Comet Get Torn Apart by the Sun and Become a Headless Ghost

Sam Altman’s Home Hit With Molotov Cocktail, 20-Year-Old Man Arrested

‘Tales From the Crypt’ Is Creeping Onto Streaming for the Very First Time

Scientists Used Medieval Poems and Trees to Uncover a 13th-Century Solar Surge

INIU 20,000mAh Power Bank Gets Another Price Cut, Making Fast Charging for iPhone and Galaxy Even More Affordable

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

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