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Cheap Chinese Electronics May Not Be So Cheap Anymore

In part three of our impromptu exploration into the world of Chinese manufacturing and disassembly of our everyday electronics, we’ve got Slate’s look into the current economic situation and why the era of super cheap goods from China could be over. Here’s why: Chinese inflation. https://gizmodo.com/a-closer-look-into-the-chinese-cities-that-make-our-bra-376863 We don’t want to get into heavy economics, but…

Gadgets Jason Chen Apr 8 '08

iPhone SDK Beta 3 Now Available

iPhone Devs should go grab the newest SDK release, which comes with a new tutorial and extends the beta 2.0 firmware. It also has various bug fixes and “support for the latest iPhone OS.” [Apple]

Tech News Jason Chen Apr 8 '08

Which Scifi Franchises Should Go Head-To-Head Next?

It’s sad but true: we’ll probably never see another Aliens vs. Predator movie, now that AVP2 failed to set last Christmas on fire. But that doesn’t mean Hollywood can’t revive some other moribund franchises by forcing them to fight each other. Which classic but struggling universes would you like to see mashed together into an…

Movies Charlie Jane Anders Apr 8 '08

Question of the Day: Is the Recession Killing Your Gadget Budget?

The economy sucks. Even if the government is still afraid of the “r word,” real people know we’re living in recession land. That means cutting back: Wal-Mart is even launching quasi-permanent recession sales. Usually, the first stuff to go is whatever doesn’t go in our mouth or keep us dry—like gadgets. So here’s the Q:…

Gadgets Matt Buchanan Apr 8 '08

Why Dyslexics Are Good Computer Programmers

People suffering from dyslexia may find that their problems evaporate when they learn a new language, especially one that works with symbols very different from their native one. A study released yesterday reveals that brain abnormalities in English-speakers with dyslexia are quite different from those in people who speak Chinese. So it’s very possible that…

io9 Annalee Newitz Apr 8 '08

Fully Automated Robo-Restaurant Tested (Verdict: Delicious, Fun, No Bloody Tips)

A BBC News crew went to Germany to try ‘s Baggers, the robotized, fully automated restaurant in which there’s not a single waiter in sight and plates float over your head on steel rails to reach your seat, Futurama-style. And apparently, they loved it. https://gizmodo.com/robot-staffed-restaurant-launches-in-germany-295454 As we already knew, everything in this restaurant in Nuremberg…

Tech News Jesus Diaz Apr 8 '08

Scifi Clothing You Can Wear on the Street Without Fear of Reprisals

Sometimes it’s not enough to wear your science fiction pride silently on the inside. Every now and then you want to let everyone know you’ve got an inner geek who loves particle physics, laser beams, clanking robots, and otherworldly exploration. So we’ve put together a geek ensemble, full of nice bits you can wear outside…

io9 Kevin Kelly Apr 8 '08

Commenter Hall of Fame: 92BuickLeSabre

We’re all gathered here today to award the Commenter Hall of Fame trophy to 92BuickLeSabre, who joins the ranks of homerjay, Pope John Peeps II and Strider as one of the best Giz commenters of all time. Although many of his posts are excellent, which is why we’re giving him one of these things, he…

Tech News Jason Chen Apr 8 '08

Xbox 360 HD DVD Update is Probably the Last Ever

Hahaha, “Compatibility improvements with certain titles” and “Additional support for network features.” Hahaha. [Major Nelson]

Tech News Jason Chen Apr 8 '08

3DConnexion’s 3D SpaceNavigator Mouse For Laptops

Big week for 3DConnexion, a Logitech company, as they update their twisting/rotating desktop SpaceNavigator mouse for laptops. We’re not sure what differentiates this laptop version from the desktop version (which also works with Second Life), but it’s got a “new cap design” and is smaller than the desktop version. It also looks quite nice in…

Tech News Jason Chen Apr 8 '08

Trapped In An Endlessly Repeating SF TV Episode? You’re Not Alone

K. Tempest Bradford runs down some of the most common stock plots in science fiction TV, and it’s a wonder to behold. A new castmember joins the show, but everybody acts as if he/she has always been there? Check. You’re stuck reliving the same day/hour over and over again? Check. You’re in a mental institution…

Television Charlie Jane Anders Apr 8 '08

Mixed Marriage for Robot Bride and Groom

This robot couple would make a perfect wedding cake topper or table decoration. As you can see, the robots getting married are two completely different races—perhaps even different species—symbolizing the fact that robots, too, can attain love that transcends differences. The robots are made mostly of wood glazed with silver and bronze. The flowers and…

io9 LISA KATAYAMA Apr 8 '08

More Opera, More Repo Men, and More Guts

The website for Repo The Genetic Opera has gone live, which means we must be closer than ever to seeing this film in theaters instead of in dribs and drabs on the interwebs. I’ve been excited about this movie for a while, partly because it stars Buffy’s Anthony Stewart Head as a freakish organ repo-man…

Movies Annalee Newitz Apr 8 '08

OLPC Planning and Praying for $50 Laptop

In a chat with Laptop Mag about the booming ultra-cheap, ultra-portable laptop market, blustery and beleaguered OLPC founder Nick Negroponte actually manages to keep his cool while dissing his rivals—a laudable feat—and drops a couple of interesting bits: OLPC is still on a trajectory toward a $50 laptop, and they’re planning on launching dual-boot Windows…

Gadgets Matt Buchanan Apr 8 '08

A Machine That Types What Is Spoken To It, 1913

From time immemorial (or at least since the commercial production of the typewriter in 1873), office procedure went like this: the boss dictated, the steno took it down, and a typist translated the squiggles into type. In 1913, Mr. John B. Flowers, “a young electrical engineer of Brooklyn” did his best to eliminate the middlemen…

io9 Lynn Peril Apr 8 '08

Segway RMP Is Badass, War Machine-Worthy

I actually want this Segway, it’s like a mini-tank version for cyber-gladiators to parade out to the arena on, with knobby knuckle wheels that look like they’re ripped off the Iron Monger. The RMP’s guts are basically the original Segway’s on steroids, jacked up to haul 400 lbs of fat cop. The bizarre wheels allow…

Gadgets Matt Buchanan Apr 8 '08

Punch Cards to Laserdisc: History of Computer Storage in Pics

Over at Royal Pingdom there’s a fascinating little picture history of computer storage from the year dot nearly up to the present day. Who knew that hard disks were once the size of a small car? Not me, though I remember being surprised when finding an 8-inch floppy disk in an old science workstation once.…

Gadgets Kit Eaton Apr 8 '08

Bourgeois Survivalism Hits Wall Street

Ever since the subprime mortgage crisis hit, Gordon Gekko types have been understandably jittery. But this? On Sunday the New York Times ran a story about a new wave of survivalism sweeping the upper classes as they hunker down in their penthouse apartments and beach houses in the Hamptons, waiting for the big one —…

io9 Michael Reilly Apr 8 '08

Torchwood Ends With (Severely Flawed) Greatness

I realized something while watching the Torchwood second season finale: I’m a Torchwood fan. Not just a Doctor Who fan who watches Torchwood, but an actual fan of the BBC’s spin-off series. I can’t actually think of any other reason why I would have enjoyed the last episode as much as I did. Click through…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders Apr 8 '08

Picture Frame Shows Which of Your IM and Skype Friends Are Online

We absolutely love it when cyberspace and meatspace intersect, which is why we’re enthused over this Online Notification Picture Frame. It’s a DIY project that connects via some interface (the guy doesn’t say) to a computer, which feeds online status information back to the display. If a person’s online, the LED next to his photo…

Gadgets Jason Chen Apr 8 '08

Cheap Chinese Electronics May Not Be So Cheap Anymore

iPhone SDK Beta 3 Now Available

Which Scifi Franchises Should Go Head-To-Head Next?

Question of the Day: Is the Recession Killing Your Gadget Budget?

Why Dyslexics Are Good Computer Programmers

Fully Automated Robo-Restaurant Tested (Verdict: Delicious, Fun, No Bloody Tips)

Scifi Clothing You Can Wear on the Street Without Fear of Reprisals

Commenter Hall of Fame: 92BuickLeSabre

Xbox 360 HD DVD Update is Probably the Last Ever

3DConnexion’s 3D SpaceNavigator Mouse For Laptops

Trapped In An Endlessly Repeating SF TV Episode? You’re Not Alone

Mixed Marriage for Robot Bride and Groom

More Opera, More Repo Men, and More Guts

OLPC Planning and Praying for $50 Laptop

A Machine That Types What Is Spoken To It, 1913

Segway RMP Is Badass, War Machine-Worthy

Punch Cards to Laserdisc: History of Computer Storage in Pics

Bourgeois Survivalism Hits Wall Street

Torchwood Ends With (Severely Flawed) Greatness

Picture Frame Shows Which of Your IM and Skype Friends Are Online

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