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Fly Like an Underwater Superman…Aquaman?

Getting dragged behind a boat is no fun. Getting dragged behind a boat but underwater is freakin’ awesome. At least that’s the idea behind the new Subwing system. Invented in 2010 by Simon Sivertsen, the Subwing works like a fish’s fin—or the Rocketeer’s helmet. Pressing the leading edge of the device down will cause the…

Gadgets Andrew Tarantola

The Internet Finally Kills off Printed Encyclopaedia Britannicas

Encyclopaedia Britannica was the last word in in-home facts for nearly a quarter of a millennium, from 1766 to 2010. Now, it’s just one more casualty of the Digital Age along with classifieds and the Yellow Pages. Brittanica was the oldest continuously published, English-language encyclopedia in the world. It became widely popular during the 1950’s…

Books & Comics Andrew Tarantola

Nearly All Lost Smart Phone Finders Will Snoop Through It, Only Half Might Return It

Well, so much for relying on the kindness of strangers. Symantec studied the reactions of average people who found a lost cell phone in public and the results are less than what you’d call “upstanding.” Symantec’s Smartphone Honey Stick Project dropped 50 smart phones in various public areas—shopping centers, bus stations, elevators—throughout New York, Washington…

Privacy & Security Andrew Tarantola

Better Know a Bud, Exploding Icebergs, and Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquisition

Roll that spliff phatly, pack some fresh ice into the binger, and set the Volcano to “toastify.” It’s time for tonight’s Stoner Channel. We’ve collected our best high-times material for the discerning pothead so sit back, relax, and pass that shit on the left, yo. Tonght’s shot of Buddha Seed Syrup comes from reader Alex…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Let’s Watch Siri Murder My Most Favorite Song for a Minute

Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin is one of the greatest songs ever recorded. Don’t try to argue it, you can’t. It’s so good, you can play it at your wedding and your funeral. But it’s not quite as good as when Apple’s robosistant tries to take the lead. Apple-spoofing site Scoopertino produced the video…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Rdio Overhauls Social Music Subscription to Combat ‘Boring,’ ‘Spreadsheet’ Approach

Rdio, the music subscription service from Skype and Kazaa co-founders Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom, announced major changes to its music subscription service designed to “put music and people front and center,” in an effort to evolve past what it calls the “boring” “spreadsheet” approach of some other music services. The company unveiled new apps…

Tech News Eliot Van Buskirk - Evolver.fm

Are Florida’s “Brooklyn-Style Bagels” a Sham?

The Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Company claims it devised a revolutionary water filtration system that turns ordinary Florida tap into the secret ingredient that flavors delicious New York bagels. But now an investor is suing the company saying it’s all a lie. Oy vey. Is it possible to get a “New York-style bagel” outside New…

Tech News Mario Aguilar

BBC News: We’ve Been Hacked by the Iranians

BBC News’ outlet BBC Persia was reportedly hacked by Iranian authorities this evening. The news group claims that the cyber-attack is part of an expanding effort by the regime to stifle coverage within the country. BBC’s director-general, Mark Thompson, reported that BBC’s London office was inundated with robo-calls and also that a group had attempted…

Privacy & Security Andrew Tarantola

Gruesome shadow art transforms garbage and mummified rats into severed heads

Sculptors Tim Noble and Sue Webster use metal scraps, taxidermied animals, and other detritus to create immensely foreboding scenes hidden within unassuming silhouettes. For example, that sculpture at top — British Wildlife (2000) — consists of “88 taxidermy animals; 46 birds (35 varieties), 40 mammals (18 varieties), [and] 2 fish.” Another silhouette piece transforms synthetic…

io9 Cyriaque Lamar

In the Future, Maglev Cannons Will Shoot Us Into Space

Today in grandiose space ambitions that would make even Newt Gingrich balk: a $60 billion, 1,000-mile long, 12-mile high, 20,000-miles-per-hour maglev train that starts on the ground and arrives in low Earth orbit. The minds behind the Startram project think it could reduce the cost per kilo (that’s like 2.2 pounds American) for cargo from…

Space & Spaceflight Clay Dillow - Popular Science

Picture of the Day: March 13, 2012

SMILE TIME IS OVER | Newly released concept art from The Happytime Murders, a noir movie from Henson Studios, set in a world where puppets are second class citizens. And this scene apparently happens in a puppet sex shop. Via Bleeding Cool. Want to read today’s io9 stories a different way? Check out our blog…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders

These Jeans Are Made with Denim So Heavy They Can Stand on Their Own

Our favorite jeans company, Naked and Famous, has made a pair of jeans out of the heaviest denim in the world. Two to three times the weight of your average high quality denim, these Naked and Famous jeans are made from 32oz selvedge denim and are so heavy and rigid, the jeans can stand on…

Tech News Casey Chan

Legos and Gameboys and Transformers Collide in This Toy of Our Childhood Dreams

If I had to sum up my favorite things from my childhood, this would be it EXACTLY. Lego: the best kid’s toy—bar none. Soundwave: the awesomest and most imitated Decepticon. And Game Boy: the first handheld gaming system that didn’t suck. (I’m looking at you Tiger Electronics.) And Lego builder Julius von Brunk has managed…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski

Only Fools Fall In Love With a Beautiful DAC They Can’t Afford

Some people fall in love with fast cars or expensive women, but it’d be hard to blame an audiophile for swooning over this gorgeous DAC and doing something irrational to get it. Lock up your family heirlooms around the M2Tech Young DAC. No, this isn’t a fancy $1600 alarm clock. The LED lights that read…

Tech News Mario Aguilar

Here’s what the weather on Mars would really look like

One would think that with barely 100th the atmosphere Earth has Mars would have pretty lame weather…if any. But it doesn’t take much to whip up a good storm. Just look at the monster sand dunes that the winds on Mars manage to create. If they can do that, it’s maybe less surprising that Mars’…

io9 Ron Miller

The best new scientific idea in years

Crowdfunding site Kickstarter has now successfully helped more than one project earn over $1 million, turning the traditional model of media production on its ear. What if we could do the same thing for science? With government spending for the sciences on the decline, entrepreneur Matt Salzberg saw an opportunity. He’d create a crowdfunding site…

io9 Annalee Newitz

Did this blogger just invent a new subgenre of science fiction?

Over at Livejournal, New Zealand blogger Stella Matutina writes about how much she’s been enjoying the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction lately. And then she comes up with an intriguing description of some of her favorite stories that she’s read in there: As I read the November/December 2011 issue, I began to think specifically…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders

Can The Hunger Games really capture all of Katniss Everdeen?

A lot of the writing on the Internet about The Hunger Games is snark about its derivativeness (It’s Series 7 with kids! It’s the Minotaur with television! It’s Marathon Man meets The Long Walk plus a girl protagonist, minus Stephen King! It’s Battle Royale for people who hate subtitles!). But if The Hunger Games seems…

Movies Mikethegirl

When rats are as smart as humans

In a battle of wits, humans and rats are way more evenly matched than you’d think. While we obviously have an advantage in overall intelligence, our ability to read situations and make decisions is actually no better than a rat’s. In what has got to be great news for anyone who has ever tried and…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins

Hand-Cranked Vending Machines Will Not Save You During an Emergency

After the disasters that befell the country last year, Japan has been focusing its efforts on designing self-powered products that will still function during an emergency. Including water-dispensing vending machines that can be charged via a vigorous amount of cranking. The vending machine being demoed was developed by a company called Sanden, and it requires…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski

Fly Like an Underwater Superman…Aquaman?

The Internet Finally Kills off Printed Encyclopaedia Britannicas

Nearly All Lost Smart Phone Finders Will Snoop Through It, Only Half Might Return It

Better Know a Bud, Exploding Icebergs, and Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquisition

Let’s Watch Siri Murder My Most Favorite Song for a Minute

Rdio Overhauls Social Music Subscription to Combat ‘Boring,’ ‘Spreadsheet’ Approach

Are Florida’s “Brooklyn-Style Bagels” a Sham?

BBC News: We’ve Been Hacked by the Iranians

Gruesome shadow art transforms garbage and mummified rats into severed heads

In the Future, Maglev Cannons Will Shoot Us Into Space

Picture of the Day: March 13, 2012

These Jeans Are Made with Denim So Heavy They Can Stand on Their Own

Legos and Gameboys and Transformers Collide in This Toy of Our Childhood Dreams

Only Fools Fall In Love With a Beautiful DAC They Can’t Afford

Here’s what the weather on Mars would really look like

The best new scientific idea in years

Did this blogger just invent a new subgenre of science fiction?

Can The Hunger Games really capture all of Katniss Everdeen?

When rats are as smart as humans

Hand-Cranked Vending Machines Will Not Save You During an Emergency

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