Latest

Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s Unaired Pilot Was Surprisingly Dark

Avatar: The Last Airbender is known for exploring complex morals and emotional situations. However, Nickelodeon has released an unaired pilot that shows a few key differences from the animated series we know and love, and they are pretty dark! The network held an Avatar: The Last Airbender live stream session on Sunday (as reported by…

io9 Beth Elderkin Aug 19 '20

Zoom Is a Dirty Bandaid On Remote Learning’s Gaping Wound

Zoom is one of those programs that none of us are particularly fond of, but that we’re all kind of stuck with—especially if you’re one of the students or teachers that’s going to be stuck in remote-learning hell this coming semester. Now it looks like the platform’s about to become even more inescapable: earlier today,…

Tech News Shoshana Wodinsky Aug 19 '20

Giancarlo Esposito on What It’s Like to Play a Person of Color Among Star Wars‘ Fascist Villains

When we first met the Empire in Star Wars’ original trilogy, their fascist roots in the real world iconography of forces like the Nazis were immediately apparent: not just in their stark uniforms and the dehumanizing armor of the Stormtroopers, but in the whiteness of their officers. But when we see Star Wars’ villainous Empires…

io9 James Whitbrook Aug 19 '20

House Releases Bill to Keep the USPS Alive Until After the Election

On Wednesday, the Democrat-controlled U.S. House of Representatives released the legislation in response to controversial administrative changes at the U.S. Postal Service. As more Americans have become concerned that the changes at the USPS pose a threat to the presidential election in November, the House has outlined a number of protections for the constitutionally mandated…

Tech News Rhett Jones Aug 19 '20

Nichelle Nichols’ Family Turns to GoFundMe in an Ongoing Legal Battle With Her Manager

Star Trek star Nichelle Nichols is one of the most influential sci-fi actors of the 20th century, but the actress who played Uhura remains the focus of a legal battle over her finances, career, and well-being—one which continues to escalate, as more members of her family have stepped in to help. “It’s positively devastating. I…

io9 Beth Elderkin Aug 19 '20

iMac 2020 Review: The Last of the Best Intel iMacs

The new 27-inch iMac is a very good computer. That’s not surprising: Apple upgraded its newest machine to Intel’s 10th-gen CPUs, making it adept at handling processor-intensive creative tasks. It also has a truly beautiful screen, better than any I’ve ever used (more on that on a minute). But this iMac is also likely the…

Desktops Caitlin McGarry Aug 19 '20

Facebook Has a Superspreader Problem

You could make the case that stemming misinformation on social media is about as feasible as beheading a hydra, even the people running said platforms were inclined towards monster-slaying (which many decidedly aren’t). A convincing conspiracy video can become national news within a matter of hours in the midst of a health crisis which scientists…

Social Media Whitney Kimball Aug 19 '20

Rhode Island Is the ‘Calamari Comeback State’ Because All the Other Fish Are Dead

Tuesday night, former Vice President Joe Biden officially clinched the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. Big news, to be sure. But let’s be real, the biggest moment of Tuesday night’s Democratic National Convention was the delightful roll call vote that took us on a tour of 57 states and territories, including the “calamari comeback state of…

Climate Change Brian Kahn Aug 19 '20

How Lovecraft Country Went Hard on That Gloriously Gory Final Scene

The first episode of HBO’s Lovecraft Country is now available to watch for free on YouTube, telling the story of survival and family amid the horrors of Jim Crow-era segregation. But the monsters in this story aren’t always human. In a new interview, the VFX designer behind the premiere’s creatures shares how creator Misha Green…

io9 Beth Elderkin Aug 19 '20

X-Men Apocalypse: The Retro FAQ

As you are no doubt aware, Movies Have (Basically) Stopped. Almost all the movies that used to be being made are no longer being made and those of us who depend on making fun of the summer’s crappy nerdy blockbusters for their livelihoods are in a pickle. How can I, as someone who has professionally…

Movies Rob Bricken Aug 19 '20

Renewable Energy Isn’t to Blame for California’s Blackouts

On Friday and Saturday, hundreds of thousands of Californians had their power cut for a spurt in the evening. And more of this could be in store in the coming days as record breaking heat beats down on the state and wildfires burn out of control. State officials have said the need for the shutoffs…

Earther Dharna Noor Aug 19 '20

Ewan McGregor, Tilda Swinton, and Cate Blanchett Join Guillermo del Toro’s Dream Pinocchio Project at Netflix

There are two Pinocchio projects in play right now—the live-action Disney film directed by Robert Zemeckis and probably starring Tom Hanks, and the stop-motion animated version that Guillermo del Toro’s been making for Netflix. The latter just added a ton of star power with its full cast announcement today. Del Toro’s Pinocchio, which is also…

Movies Cheryl Eddy Aug 19 '20

How Wonder Woman 1984 Will Use Our Past to Talk About the Present

It’s faced a few delays, and, well, a global pandemic that could perhaps lay even an Amazon low. But at long last, Wonder Woman 1984 is ready to return Diana Prince to the DC Cinematic Universe spotlight. Her new adventure will not take her into the present but keep her in a somewhat recent past:…

Movies James Whitbrook Aug 19 '20

BlackBerry Phones Aren’t Dead Yet

When TCL chose not to renew the license allowing it to make BlackBerry phones earlier this year, it seemed like a once-great smartphone brand might finally be put to rest. But now, a new company has pledged to take up the BlackBerry mantle with promises of releasing a new phone featuring a good ‘ol physical…

Gadgets Sam Rutherford Aug 19 '20

Hasbro Recalls a Pair of Super Soakers Because of Their Dangerous Stickers

When the Super Soaker was first released back in 1990, it sparked a huge controversy when miscreants reportedly started filling the large tanks with chemical irritants and shooting unsuspecting victims. Thirty years later, the Super Soaker is back in the news again for being dangerous, but this time it’s a result of decorative labels featuring…

Toys & Collectibles Andrew Liszewski Aug 19 '20

Researchers Find a Way to Copy Keys Using the Sounds They Make Inside a Lock

Keyed locks are relatively easy to pick if you’ve spent enough time mastering the skill. But researchers at the National University of Singapore have just made it even easier. If you can use a smartphone to record a sound, you can capture all the information you need to create a working duplicate of a key.…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Aug 19 '20

Wildfires Explode Across California Amid Record Heat Wave

If you haven’t already heard, California is on fire. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Tuesday for the disaster unfurling. The state is in the middle of a dramatic heat wave, which is fueling more than 30 wildfires burning across the state. The situation appears to be going from bad to worse.…

Earther Yessenia Funes Aug 19 '20

Netflix Is Testing a Shuffle Mode for Our Chaos Future

With film and TV production struggling to limp along amid the covid-19 pandemic, people looking for new entertainment at home are having to do some deeper crate-digging. Now, Netflix is testing a feature that could help you out when things get really dire. Users on Twitter first noticed the addition of a shuffle button on…

Internet Rhett Jones Aug 19 '20

Leaks Hint Fitbit Might Launch an ECG Smartwatch Soon… and Yet Another Versa

Since the Apple Watch Series 4, wearable makers have been scrambling to add electrocardiogram functions to their smartwatches. Now, leaked renders from WinFuture suggest that Fitbit is ready to introduce its own ECG-capable smartwatch, along with an updated Inspire 2 tracker and… unsurprisingly, a Versa 3. The actual details from WinFuture, a German tech site…

Gadgets Victoria Song Aug 19 '20

Surprise! In the New Walking Dead Spinoff, Humans Are Still the Real Assholes

Have we…considered the possibility…that there’s a chance…that…we are the real monsters? As we shuffle ever closer to our second Walking Dead spinoff, AMC has dropped a new trailer that introduces us to the world of, well, World Beyond, and its young protagonists who’ve known little more than a life of zombie apocalypse shenanigans, having come…

Trailers James Whitbrook Aug 19 '20

Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s Unaired Pilot Was Surprisingly Dark

Zoom Is a Dirty Bandaid On Remote Learning’s Gaping Wound

Giancarlo Esposito on What It’s Like to Play a Person of Color Among Star Wars‘ Fascist Villains

House Releases Bill to Keep the USPS Alive Until After the Election

Nichelle Nichols’ Family Turns to GoFundMe in an Ongoing Legal Battle With Her Manager

iMac 2020 Review: The Last of the Best Intel iMacs

Facebook Has a Superspreader Problem

Rhode Island Is the ‘Calamari Comeback State’ Because All the Other Fish Are Dead

How Lovecraft Country Went Hard on That Gloriously Gory Final Scene

X-Men Apocalypse: The Retro FAQ

Renewable Energy Isn’t to Blame for California’s Blackouts

Ewan McGregor, Tilda Swinton, and Cate Blanchett Join Guillermo del Toro’s Dream Pinocchio Project at Netflix

How Wonder Woman 1984 Will Use Our Past to Talk About the Present

BlackBerry Phones Aren’t Dead Yet

Hasbro Recalls a Pair of Super Soakers Because of Their Dangerous Stickers

Researchers Find a Way to Copy Keys Using the Sounds They Make Inside a Lock

Wildfires Explode Across California Amid Record Heat Wave

Netflix Is Testing a Shuffle Mode for Our Chaos Future

Leaks Hint Fitbit Might Launch an ECG Smartwatch Soon… and Yet Another Versa

Surprise! In the New Walking Dead Spinoff, Humans Are Still the Real Assholes

Latest news

Forget GoPro, DJI Offloads Osmo Action 4 Essential Combo at Its Lowest Price on Amazon

Dyson V8 Cyclone Cordless Vacuum Quietly Holds Onto Its Prime Day Record Low, a Hidden Amazon Deal Worth Catching

Georgia Man Says Deputies Used Flock Cameras to Track Him After He Sued Sheriff

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy Claims Strikes on Russian Data Centers Silenced Social Media Bots

Mark Zuckerberg: Meta Is on the Frontier Now

Hackers Overheat Fridges at Supermarkets Across France, Wasting Food and Starting Fires

Solar Orbiter Traces the Origin of a Mysterious S-Shaped Kink on the Sun

Astronomers Spot Possible Signs of Antimatter Disappearing Beyond Our Galaxy

Latest Reviews

Eufy Omni E35 Review: Finally, a Luxury Robovac That Doesn’t Piss Me Off

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) Review: The King of Clip-Ons Is Re-Crowned

Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 3) Review: Technically an Upgrade

Lenovo Legion 5i (2026) Review: A Gaming Laptop That Epitomizes the PC Pricing Paradox

TP-Link Tapo Doorbell Pro D260 Review: Everything You Need at No Extra Cost

Sonos Beam Ultra Review: The Soundbar You Really Want

Nothing Headphone 1 Pro Review: Honest-to-God S-Tier Headphones

The Best Gadgets of September 2026

Let us help you find what you’re looking for...