Rosa Golijan, Author at Gizmodo

Original “Balloon Boy” Balloon Returned to Hoax-Creating Family

Remember Balloon Boy and his fame-seeking, hoax-creating family? Turns out that despite the criminal charges, fines, and humiliation, their story has a happy ending: They’re getting their balloon back. https://gizmodo.com/boy-flies-away-uncontrollably-in-homemade-flying-saucer-5382627 Apparently the proud patriarch, Richard Heene, really wanted the balloon returned for the sake of some sort of reality show. He even “requested to measure…

Tech News Rosa Golijan

iPhone OS 4.0 Beta 4 Now Available For Download

If you’ve been eagerly refreshing the iPhone Developer Center today, the wait is over! iPhone OS 4.0 Beta 4 is now available for download. We’ll follow up with the usual list of changes soon. [Apple via BGR]

Tech News Rosa Golijan

Overly Litigious Company Claims Microsoft Xbox Infringes On Its Patents

A Las Vegas based company called Synchrome Technology has filed a lawsuit against Microsoft and DVD burner maker NEC Corporation for infringing on its patents: The lawsuit says two individuals, Faan-Hoan Liu and Jorge Gustavson, in 1998 and in 2001 obtained U.S. patents for “Method and Apparatus for Allowing Communication Between a Host Computer and…

Tech News Rosa Golijan

Let’s Tell Each Other Jokes In #Whitenoise And Reward The Best With Stars

You know the drill by now: Once a week or so, I tell you that if you need a place to gossip about shiny gadgets or have some off-topic talk with fellow Gizmodo readers you should head to #whitenoise and join the conversation. https://gizmodo.com/almost-everything-you-could-want-to-know-about-commen-5465437 But let’s do something different this week. Let’s go to #whitenoise…

Tech News Rosa Golijan

Microsoft’s Hotmail Gets A Makeover: Here’s What’s New

Hotmail, that filthy webmail service we’d secretly use for our throwaway accounts is about to turn into something we might want to use regularly. The service is getting a thorough overhaul and plenty of new features: A “Sweep” feature that appears to be a “hybrid of bulk actions and rules” by allowing you to apply…

Tech News Rosa Golijan

Paintings So Ugly That They’ll Scare Away Cellphone Reception

These are among the ugliest pieces of art you could possibly waste $150 on, but they’re hiding a devious little secret: Under those terrible layers of paint, there are remote-controlled cellphone jammers. Alright, alright. Just because they don’t suit my taste doesn’t mean that the paintings are ugly. I’m only annoyed because no one’s made…

Tech News Rosa Golijan

Augmented Reality App Lets You Try On Watches While Still In Pajamas

We’ve seen concept videos for apps that let us try on watches, but now we’ve finally got something we can actually play with. Now we can try on watches without ever having to put on pants and leave the house. https://gizmodo.com/try-on-watches-at-home-thanks-to-augmented-reality-a-5474763 Just download this hefty 82MB app, print a goofy paper watch, and wave your…

Tech News Rosa Golijan

Japan Will Soon Fly A Kite…In Space

Japan is launching its first Venus probe and along with it they’re sending Ikaros, a “space yacht” also known as the Interplanetary Kite-craft Accelerated by Radiation of the Sun. Yes, Japan is sending a gigantic kite into space: Ikaros will initially be a short cylindrical shape when it is released into space, when it will…

Space & Spaceflight Rosa Golijan

Third of Devices Accessing the Android Market Are Running Android 2.1

Occasionally Google produces charts showing “the relative number of active devices running a given version of the Android platform.” The latest of these charts is special though: It apparently marks the first time Android 2.1 was the most used version. Click on the image for a closer look. It’s worth noting that this data was…

Tech News Rosa Golijan

If Only Everything In Life Could Be Coded

If only the trick worked, I’d actually learn to code this properly: while (thisgirl.verySleepy()) { coffee++; } Error? Ah well, not like it would fill my coffee cup anyway. [Abstruse Goose]

Tech News Rosa Golijan

Free Kindle App Coming To Android Devices This Summer

This summer, Android users will finally have their very own Kindle app. The app will allow you to access the Kindle Store, synchronize bookmarks across all your devices, and do just about everything Kindle apps on other platforms can. https://gizmodo.com/the-ipad-amazons-secret-weapon-5510620 Introducing Kindle for Android Free Android app for reading allows customers to enjoy over 540,000…

Tech News Rosa Golijan

Verizon Forgives Family’s $18K Phone Bill After Four Year Fight

Bryan St. Germain’s dad, Bob, must look a lot happier right now than he did in this picture. After all, Verizon has just dismissed a $18,000 phone bill racked up by the young man after a tedious four-year fight. https://gizmodo.com/family-still-fighting-verizons-18-000-phone-bill-four-5528879 The painful 2006 phone bill was a result of Bryan not realizing that his family’s…

Tech News Rosa Golijan

Beautiful Air Purifier Doubles As A Smell-O-Vision Display

The Twilight air purifier concept design has a slender, sheet-like OLED display which allows you to view videos or images while your air is cleaned of impurities, cooled down, and filled with a pleasant fragrance to match what you’re watching. Sure, the unit looks beautiful and like it could blend with most decors, but how…

Health Rosa Golijan

How Much Tech Companies Are Spending On Lobbying

Yikes. While the amounts are only tiny fractions of their revenues, major tech companies are spending quite a bit of money on lobbying. Hell, apparently “Google’s lobbying is half what it spends on advertising.” [BI]

Tech News Rosa Golijan

Ninja Assassins Are After Your Toothbrush

Yes, there are ninja assassins after that disgusting, germ-ridden toothbrush of yours. They want to brutally annihilate 99% of the mess with their germicidal ultraviolet lights and you should probably just step back and let them do it. Alright, maybe these ninja assassins aren’t after your toothbrush just yet, but you could and should buy…

Health Rosa Golijan

Hopefully A Victoria’s Secret Model Will Help GQ Sell More Than 365 iPad Apps

GQ’s app looks good, but it’s not exactly flying off the iTunes App Store shelves: The December 2009 issue only sold 365 iPad copies. Solution? Slap Victoria’s Secret model Miranda Kerr on the next cover and hope for the best. https://gizmodo.com/gq-looks-great-on-the-ipad-even-if-you-just-read-it-fo-5508599 Of course while we lament about the iPad app’s poor sales, the iPhone version…

Tech News Rosa Golijan

The Prettiest Cow Skin You Could Ever Wrap Around Your iPad

I know a lot of people aren’t fond of leather products, but there’s something absolutely gorgeous about this leather iPad case from the Beautiful Skin series of accessories. Almost worth the $90 price tag. [Etsy via Unplggd]

Tech News Rosa Golijan

A Lego Keyboard That Won’t Make Your Fingers Ache

It’d be pretty painful to type on a Lego keyboard— just imagine all those nubs digging into your fingertips. The solution? $15 worth of decals. Your keyboard will look like Lego heaven and your fingers will remain happy. [Etsy]

Tech News Rosa Golijan

How to Make a DIY Micro SIM to SIM Adapter

We’ve shown you how to turn a regular SIM into a Micro SIM, but what if you want to do things the other way around? Here’s how to turn a Micro SIM into a regular-sized SIM card. https://gizmodo.com/make-your-own-microsim-5532572 You’ll simply take a regular SIM card and trace it onto an old gift card, credit card,…

Tech News Rosa Golijan

Follow Us On Twitter And Get Freshly Baked Cookies*

Since we can’t force you to follow us on Twitter anymore, we’re stuck nicely suggesting that you do it and telling you that there’s something in it for you. Like great links and cookies.* https://gizmodo.com/how-to-force-anyone-to-follow-you-on-twitter-5535298 We realize that you may be hesitant about becoming a Twitter follower because you fear a flood of spam, but…

Tech News Rosa Golijan

Rosa Golijan

Original “Balloon Boy” Balloon Returned to Hoax-Creating Family

iPhone OS 4.0 Beta 4 Now Available For Download

Overly Litigious Company Claims Microsoft Xbox Infringes On Its Patents

Let’s Tell Each Other Jokes In #Whitenoise And Reward The Best With Stars

Microsoft’s Hotmail Gets A Makeover: Here’s What’s New

Paintings So Ugly That They’ll Scare Away Cellphone Reception

Augmented Reality App Lets You Try On Watches While Still In Pajamas

Japan Will Soon Fly A Kite…In Space

Third of Devices Accessing the Android Market Are Running Android 2.1

If Only Everything In Life Could Be Coded

Free Kindle App Coming To Android Devices This Summer

Verizon Forgives Family’s $18K Phone Bill After Four Year Fight

Beautiful Air Purifier Doubles As A Smell-O-Vision Display

How Much Tech Companies Are Spending On Lobbying

Ninja Assassins Are After Your Toothbrush

Hopefully A Victoria’s Secret Model Will Help GQ Sell More Than 365 iPad Apps

The Prettiest Cow Skin You Could Ever Wrap Around Your iPad

A Lego Keyboard That Won’t Make Your Fingers Ache

How to Make a DIY Micro SIM to SIM Adapter

Follow Us On Twitter And Get Freshly Baked Cookies*

National Film and Sound Archive of Australia Adds ‘Succulent Chinese Meal’ Guy

Feds Sniffing Around Polymarket After Suspicious Bets

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

Don’t Get Too Attached to Any AI App

‘Paradise’ Writer Teases What’s Coming in Season 3 After That Huge Twist

Trump’s New White House App Is Mildly Concerning and Weird for a Lot of Reasons

Bloodsucking Ticks Can Survive Inside Your Home Longer Than You Might Think

The Best New Toys of March 2026

Judge Denies Liking LinkedIn Post Critical of Elon Musk But Reassigns His Cases Anyway

Amazon Slashes 50% Off Keurig K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker, Now a Budget Alternative to Breville and Nespresso Espresso Machines

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

Nothing Headphone A vs. Headphone 1: Which Pair of ANC Wireless Headphones Wins?

Asus ROG’s Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds Might Be Better Than Wearing a Headset

Nintendo’s Talking Flower Is Annoying as Hell. I Love It

Level Lock Pro Review: As Good as a Secret Smart Lock Gets