Sam Biddle, Author at Gizmodo

Nuke Plant’s Coal Smokestacks Demolished

What better way to celebrate this sacred American holiday than by watching the an old coal plant get the shit blown out of it? This complex helped create the nuclear bomb that leveled Nagasaki. Now, it’s debris. Karma? The installation seen imploded here wasn’t itself a nuclear reactor, but a coal-burning facility that sent juice…

Tech News Sam Biddle

Nikon’s Limited Edition Lens Box Another Reason to Wish You Were Swedish

Universal health care! A multitude of tall, beautiful blonde people! IKEA! Does it get any better? Apparently, it does—Nikon is now selling its chic limited edition set of three lenses in Sweden—the only country besides Belgium. The kit contains Nikkor AF-S 24mm, 35mm and 85mm lenses, all for around $6700—which, oddly, is less than they…

Tech News Sam Biddle

Libya Blocks Facebook and Internet Access Amid Revolts

Popular uprisings throughout Libya have pushed the bizarre, iron hand of Muammar al-Qaddafi to block access to Facebook in the capital of Tripoli, and sporadically shut Libyan access to the internet entirely. Clearly, the country’s autocracy fears Egypt redux. [Yahoo]

Social Media Sam Biddle

Is Texting While Giving Birth the Way Nature Intended?

As someone sans womb, I’m not terribly qualified to opine, but my guess would be that a text message is the last thing you want to deal with while giving birth. Not so! At least, according to some doctors. After a Boston anesthesiologist noticed a patient texting while popping out her newborn, Tina Cassidy, author…

Tech News Sam Biddle

Gizmodo Loves Axes

This morning, we decided we think axes are awesome. Beautiful, functionally perfected, and, yes, great for elegantly chopping the crap out of things. Below, a roundup of our favorite old school cutting contraptions. Best Made Axemaker’s Kit Best Made are the original badasses of the mega quality, immaculately designed American axe. But, at the moment,…

Tech News Sam Biddle

Nikon Considering Cooling Fans Inside Cameras

Well, this could certainly be annoying! To combat overheating sensors, Nikon may place a tiny cooling fan inside upcoming mirrorless cameras, according to a recent patent filing. Small fans mean high RPMs, which mean high pitched squealing. Not good. [PetaPixel]

Tech News Sam Biddle

See the Egyptian Revolution Explode on Twitter

Whether you’re calling it a TWITTER REVOLUTION or just a revolution revolution, there’s no doubt social media had helped boot Mubarak out of power in Egypt. This visualization shows how #jan25 tweets (and retweets) boomed as the movement accelerated. [CoDesign]

Tech News Sam Biddle

Facebook Friend this Woman to Force Her To Visit You

Someone wants a book deal! Illinois author ArLynn Presser has set off across the world to visit every single one of her 330 Facebook friends. First of all, 330? PATHETIC. Second, let’s all friend her right now so she has to visit us. [Winnetka-Glencoe Patch]

Social Media Sam Biddle

Ken Jennings Was the Bad Guy on Watson’s Home Turf

You’d expect the trembling masses of humanity, terrified by the superior digital intellect of Watson, to have some solidarity. Not so, says formerly-impressive Jeopardy player Ken Jennings. At IBM’s Watson research lab, where the robo-tourney taped, man was the enemy. [Slate]

Artificial Intelligence Sam Biddle

Redbox Cooking Up a Netflix Streaming Clone

Not content to be left out of the booming streaming movie game, kiosk king Redbox is heading online, the LA Times reports. An upcoming service will offer monthly discs plus streaming. So, pretty much like Netflix. [Slashgear via LA Times]

Movies Sam Biddle

Outed Russian Spy Anna Chapman Inexplicably Wants to Design Spacesuits

So what do you do when your career as a sleeper agent has come to a shameful end, but you’re still extremely attractive? Do things to grab a lot of attention! Like work IT in a bank for no reason! And now, try to design cosmonaut outfits! Whatever you say, Anna! [Danger Room] https://gizmodo.com/anna-chapman-the-tech-inept-russian-spy-is-now-workin-5670118

Tech News Sam Biddle

Ecuadorian Genetic Mutants Are Immune to Cancer

A tiny, remote Ecuadorian village has had a rough lot, you might think. They’re dwarves, descended from a lineage of Portuguese and Spaniards, coerced into Christian conversion and then persecuted by the Inquisition. The upshot? They don’t get cancer. They’re afflicted with what’s known as Laron syndrome—the genetic mutation responsible for their diminutive size (below…

Tech News Sam Biddle

Feds Accidentally Shut Down 84,000 Websites over Wrongful Kiddie Porn Accusation

“Operation Protect Our Children” sounded great! The Department of Justice and Homeland Security‘s tag-team beatdown was supposed to seize ten criminal sites this past weekend. Instead, it shuttered 84,000 innocent domains. And replaced them with a banner labeling them as child porn traffickers. Whoops! The 83,990 sites that weren’t hosting underage porn were stuck with…

Tech News Sam Biddle

Hot Wheels Go Vertical for the First Time

Hot wheel sets are a staple of many a childhood, but they’re also a staple of creating a huge sprawling mess that someone will inevitably trip over and start cursing. So! Take that racetrack off the floor and put it on the wall. Hot Wheels Wall Tracks are (gasp!) tracks for your wall, stickable using…

Tech News Sam Biddle

Little Mommy Is a Terrifying Vision of Android Baby Dystopia

One weird thing about Toy Fair is all of the stringent gender norms that are pushed in marketing-speak. Trucks are for boys. Transformers are for boys. Nerf is for boys. So what do girls get? This exceedingly creepy robo-baby, designed to train them to be mothers. Seriously. “Little Mommy™ introduces new innovations in nurturing play…

Tech News Sam Biddle

Crush Your Friends with Your Mental Powers Using Mindflex Duel

Playing with toys alone is pretty fun I guess, but any kind of amusement is at its most amusing when you’re subordinating your friends to the might of your will. Mattel’s Radica Mindflex Duel does that. With your brain waves. The last Mindflex was neat, but more of a proof of concept—you moved a little…

Tech News Sam Biddle

Double-Barreled Marshmallow Rifle Is Delicious and Painful

Marshmallow shooters are nothing new—but the Marshmallow Fun Company‘s Classic Twin Stryker (the Y in Stryker means it’s awesome!) will pelt your foe into sugary submission. I tested their newest $32 pillowy murder device at Toy Fair 2011. My victim? Gizmodo’s own Kyle VanHemert. As you can see, the Stryker hits a great balance between…

Tech News Sam Biddle

iPhone Telephoto Lens Makes You the Cutest Little Paparazzo

Need to grab an 8x zoomed shot of your attractive neighbor or Lindsay Lohan stealing something, but don’t have your camera handy? Photojojo’s mini-telephoto lens will let you hone your phone on whomever or whatever you want in the distance. We love seeing extra superpowers squeezed out of the iPhone 4‘s already awesome camera. Only…

Tech News Sam Biddle

Transformers Roleplaying 3D Masks Are Awesomely Dorky

Part of our problem with 3D anything is that the glasses make you look kind of silly. Even in the dark. Which is why I almost love these Transformer 3D glasses—if you’re gonna look dorky, own it. The masks—fitted with the same RealD lenses you pick up at the theater—are available in either Bumblebee or…

Tech News Sam Biddle

Nerf’s Newest Dart Tag Guns Are the Best Way to Shoot Your Friends

Nerf guns battles—yes, shut up, you’re not too mature for one—are really sort of a pain in the ass. The darts go everywhere, inevitably lost. Bummer! But Nerf’s newest let you stick a barrage of velcro bullets. The velcro tips mean you can play a sort of watered down version of paintball—not exactly the face-pounding,…

Tech News Sam Biddle

Sam Biddle

Nuke Plant’s Coal Smokestacks Demolished

Nikon’s Limited Edition Lens Box Another Reason to Wish You Were Swedish

Libya Blocks Facebook and Internet Access Amid Revolts

Is Texting While Giving Birth the Way Nature Intended?

Gizmodo Loves Axes

Nikon Considering Cooling Fans Inside Cameras

See the Egyptian Revolution Explode on Twitter

Facebook Friend this Woman to Force Her To Visit You

Ken Jennings Was the Bad Guy on Watson’s Home Turf

Redbox Cooking Up a Netflix Streaming Clone

Outed Russian Spy Anna Chapman Inexplicably Wants to Design Spacesuits

Ecuadorian Genetic Mutants Are Immune to Cancer

Feds Accidentally Shut Down 84,000 Websites over Wrongful Kiddie Porn Accusation

Hot Wheels Go Vertical for the First Time

Little Mommy Is a Terrifying Vision of Android Baby Dystopia

Crush Your Friends with Your Mental Powers Using Mindflex Duel

Double-Barreled Marshmallow Rifle Is Delicious and Painful

iPhone Telephoto Lens Makes You the Cutest Little Paparazzo

Transformers Roleplaying 3D Masks Are Awesomely Dorky

Nerf’s Newest Dart Tag Guns Are the Best Way to Shoot Your Friends

Marshall Emberton III Bluetooth Speaker Isn’t Supposed to Be This Cheap, Even the New Midnight Blue at an All-Time Low

2026 MacBook Pro (M5 Pro) Breaks Into Its First Sale on Amazon, While Apple Store Still Has None on the New Laptop

Don’t Hold Your Breath for a ‘Super Smash Bros.’ Movie

What’s Actually the Best Way to Get a Good Night’s Sleep? We Asked Scientists

Game to Lose Online Mode After Its Server Partner Pivots to You’ll Never Guess What

This $400 (Not) AI Keychain Is Pointless, Extravagant, and Weirdly Lovable

New Getaway Means Subaru Has an Electric SUV in Every Size

pCloud Easter Special: One Payment, Lifetime Storage for Entire Family (68% Off)

Getting Stuck Inside a Glitching Robotaxi Is a Whole New Thing to Be Scared of

Artemis 2 Live Updates: Humanity’s Epic Return to the Moon 🔴

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

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