Sam Biddle, Author at Gizmodo

How to Use iMessage So Everyone Will Love You

The sole remaining reason to use a BlackBerry is BBM—and now, the iPhone’s got its own version. It’s better than texting, but it comes with some potentially terrifying social vortexes to navigate. Here’s how to own iMessage, stress-free. Let people know when you’ve read their messages (most of the time) Anyone still BBMing will tell…

Tech News Sam Biddle

The iPhone 4S’ Siri Voice Command Is Just as Amazing as We Hoped

We were pretty sure the next iPhone was going to pack some awesome new voice command tech, but it’s being demoed live, and living up to expectations: talk to it like a human, get results from a smart person. The things the Siri can tell you are diverse and will be incredibly helpful. And because…

Tech News Sam Biddle

The Official iPhone Website Is Completely Broken to Hell

What happens when the entire internet wants to know about a single thing? That thing’s official site gets trashed like a high school house party. Poor iPhone 4. Not only have you been replaced today, but your site’s obliterated. Not even offline—just wrecked. Are you doing this out of spite? It won’t help you win…

Tech News Sam Biddle

The iPod Touch Is Back in White (And $100 Cheaper!)

For those of you with a fetish for Apple’s white meat, good news! The rumored white iPod Touch is now very real. And hey—now it runs iOS 5 and iCloud. The iOS 5-ified iPod Touch, in either Black or White, will run $400 for 64 GB, $300 for 32 GB, and $200 for 8 GB.…

Tech News Sam Biddle

The New Fitness-Centric iPod Nano Doubles As a Watch

Apple’s boosted its petite iPod offering, with a new scrolling touch UI (no more grid!), built-in sensors for cardio stats tracking, and—wait for it—an assortment of virtual watch faces. Oh, and it plays music. Available today. The new Nano will come with 16 swappable watch faces, and will sell in seven colors (silver, graphite, blue,…

Tech News Sam Biddle

Underwater Cloaking Device Is Insane Looking

Cloaking device prototypes are usually either pipe dreams or poorly executed, but this experiment out of UT Dallas is incredible. Utilizing the same principle behind a mirage, Danger Room reports, the carbon nanotube plate completely vanishes at a button-press. By heating up the water immediately around the nano plate, rays of light are bent away…

Tech News Sam Biddle

Rumor: iPhone 4S Will Start at $100?

9to5Mac’s shadowy anonymous (and uncorroborated) sources say they’ve got pricing on the new iPhone models, if you can stomach one last rumor. But we’re doubtful on this one. The rumor millers claim a (carrier subsidized) 64 GB iPhone 4S (not iPhone 5) will land at $300, the 32 GB at $200, and the 16 GB…

Tech News Sam Biddle

Modder Recreates First PC from Scratch

The Kenbak-1 is 40 years old, runs at 1 MHz, and can’t do very much besides blink. But computers had a humble start in this little guy, and modder Mark Wilson replicated the antique with 21st century parts. This 2011 Kenbak-1 is based on Arduino, modder’s delight, and can do a few things. Mostly blinking.…

Gadgets Sam Biddle

The Zune Is Gone (Updated: It’s Back!)

Something’s conspicuously missing from the Zune’s website: The Zune. Zune Music Pass and software for Windows and phones remains, but the oft (and unfairly) maligned MP3 player itself has vanished. Is the Zune officially dead? Update: No. We’re waiting on a confirmation from Microsoft, but it’s hard to find any mention at all of the…

Tech News Sam Biddle

Pathetic Timelines.com Lawsuit Is Blocking You from Getting the New Facebook

Facebook’s new Timeline profile is really, really cool, and you were supposed to be using it by now. Unfortunately, the site’s 750 million users are going to wait, Mashable reports. Why? That stupid, pissant trademark infringement lawsuit. Here’s how it’s going to play out: Facebook is a massive, massively rich company which can afford the…

Social Media Sam Biddle

The Internet Bank of the Future Is Stupid and Useless

Most banks are pretty awful, right? So how about switching to Movenbank, an online, third generation banking experience? A few small caveats: there are no branches, you don’t have a card, you can’t get cash, and it’s a terrible idea. Do you wish your bank had none of the financial security of a real bank,…

Tech News Sam Biddle

Pottermore Won’t Sell Harry Potter Until Next Year

Pottermore was supposed to be huge. Instead, it’s a million crazed Potter fans, most of them kids, playing Harry Potter minigames. Great! Kids love minigames. But why the hell isn’t Pottermore selling Harry Potter ebooks? They’re blowing this, big time. Instead of a “Beatles on iTunes moment,” for ebooks—a hyped step into the future—Pottermore is…

Books & Comics Sam Biddle

Sony Ericsson CEO Regrets Having His Ass Kicked by iPhone

Sony Ericsson used to be a hugely popular phone maker with some interesting handset designs—sort of like Motorola. But unlike Motorola, it sat and did nothing while Apple created the smartphone frenzy. Perhaps that was a mistake! SE’s CEO, Bert Nordberg, admits to the WSJ that sticking to candy bar dumbphones while the iPhone made…

Tech News Sam Biddle

Fake Girlfriend Texting Service Is Actually Pretty Brilliant

The notion of signing up for automated calls and texts from a machine pretending to be your girlfriend sounds pathetic—and I don’t blame you for assuming it is. But here’s why it’s genius. https://gizmodo.com/sad-website-will-create-sad-virtual-girlfriend-for-your-5785898 Life is filled with horrible social obligations: forced conversations, stilted smalltalk, uncomfortable appearances. A girlfriend is the ultimate excuse. “I’m sorry,…

Tech News Sam Biddle

Kodak Is on the Verge of Being Worth Zero Dollars

Have you taken a look at Kodak’s stock today? Get a good look while you can, because it’s shitting the bed worse than a disemboweled E. coli patient-already down 60%, to less than a dollar. This is how it ends. We’ve known the company’s in dire financial shape, but this looks like the beginning of…

Tech News Sam Biddle

How I Was Nearly Seduced by Grouper, the Biggest Sham in Online Dating (Updated)

A month ago, I was approached by Jerry Guo, ostensible Silicon Alley wunderkind who’d turned $400 in transit money into Grouper, a profitable dating startup. He guaranteed me a great time with “3 real girls.” Update: Guo apologizes (sorta) http://gawker.com/5844406/let-an-infamous-media-liar-set-you-up-on-a-group-blind-date The whole site’s a lie. I was interested in the idea of a group date,…

Tech News Sam Biddle

Why Wait? The World’s First iPhone 5* Review

What’s the point of waiting for the same few people to write the same single glowing review of Apple’s new phone? There is none. So we didn’t. We had our intern make a mock-up of the new phone using specs from the leaked cases; we found other devices that made use of some of the…

Reviews Sam Biddle

I’d Rather Buy Dwight Schrute’s Fake Pyramid Tablet than Most Real Ones

Is there anything worse than your typical Android tablet right now? I mean, yes, death, famine, nuclear proliferation, Dane Cook, sure. But most Android tablets are abysmally boring. Grotesquely generic. So if it’s going to be stupid, make it triangular. Would Dunder Mifflin-Sabre’s Pyramid even be that bad? Sure, viewing photos, videos, and the interent…

Tech News Sam Biddle

Take a Leak in a Replica Wall Street Power Toilet (in a Greek Diner)

So what do Wall Street’s captains of industry do when they’re not repeatedly punching the global economy in the neck for their own thrill and gain? Taking dumps in lovely bathrooms like this one—recreated in a greasy diner. The NYT’s Kevin Roose brings us “Power Toilet,” an art installation by the Danish collective SuperFlex. What…

Tech News Sam Biddle

Chrome’s About to Knock Firefox to Third Place

Internet Explorer, the old, fat, mad king of the online kingdom still reigns uncontested. But beneath him, a power struggle between Chrome and Firefox, the latter of which has clung to the number two spot. But that’s about to change. According to internet stats firm StatCounter, Chrome’s grown in use by 50%—and is on track…

Tech News Sam Biddle

Sam Biddle

How to Use iMessage So Everyone Will Love You

The iPhone 4S’ Siri Voice Command Is Just as Amazing as We Hoped

The Official iPhone Website Is Completely Broken to Hell

The iPod Touch Is Back in White (And $100 Cheaper!)

The New Fitness-Centric iPod Nano Doubles As a Watch

Underwater Cloaking Device Is Insane Looking

Rumor: iPhone 4S Will Start at $100?

Modder Recreates First PC from Scratch

The Zune Is Gone (Updated: It’s Back!)

Pathetic Timelines.com Lawsuit Is Blocking You from Getting the New Facebook

The Internet Bank of the Future Is Stupid and Useless

Pottermore Won’t Sell Harry Potter Until Next Year

Sony Ericsson CEO Regrets Having His Ass Kicked by iPhone

Fake Girlfriend Texting Service Is Actually Pretty Brilliant

Kodak Is on the Verge of Being Worth Zero Dollars

How I Was Nearly Seduced by Grouper, the Biggest Sham in Online Dating (Updated)

Why Wait? The World’s First iPhone 5* Review

I’d Rather Buy Dwight Schrute’s Fake Pyramid Tablet than Most Real Ones

Take a Leak in a Replica Wall Street Power Toilet (in a Greek Diner)

Chrome’s About to Knock Firefox to Third Place

This NordVPN Deal Caught Us By Surprise: 76% Off + 3 Months Free for Easter

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

This California Billionaire Wants to Tax AI Tokens to Create a Sovereign Wealth Fund

Artemis 2 Crew Become First Humans to Travel Beyond Earth Orbit Since the 1970s

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

Labubus Might Be Labu-Bust After Pop Mart Posts Record Share Loss

Cursor’s New Tool Lets Users Delegate to a Team of Coding Agents

Nvidia Needs to Remind Itself What PC Gamers Actually Want

Iran Says It Hit Oracle Facilities in the UAE

‘Invincible’ Season 4 Is Doing Right By Debbie

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?