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Scientists Can Levitate Nanodiamonds in a Vacuum Using Laser Light

A team of researchers from the University of Rochester has managed to levitate nanodiamonds in a vacuum using laser light for the first time—which could provide a new breed of microscopic sensors. It’s not the first time scientists have used laser light to levitate nanoparticles. But what’s different this time is that the nanodiamonds are…

Physics & Chemistry Jamie Condliffe Sep 8 '15

An Android Porn App Takes Your Photo and Holds It to Ransom

Users of the “Adult Player” Android app are in for a shock: it’s emerged that the Android app has been secretly taking photos of users – and wants their cash in exchange for deletion. The Register reports that security firm Zscaler was first to spot the app, which presents itself as a normal video playing…

Tech News James O Malley - Gizmodo UK Sep 8 '15

This Magellanic Cloud Is a Tiny Galaxy Sat Close to Our Milky Way

It may look like a contorted Van Gogh painting that’s been run through Google’s dreaming neural networks, but you’re actually looking at an image of one of the Magellanic Clouds—which is among the nearest companions of our Milky Way galaxy. The Magellanic clouds—first discovered by European astronomers in the 16th Century—are known as Dwarf Galaxies.…

Space & Spaceflight Jamie Condliffe Sep 8 '15

This Glass Will Let You Enjoy Whiskey in Microgravity

Now that whiskey is being aged in space, it seems only fitting that there should be a way to enjoy the results in low gravity. Fortunately, this glass provides a way to sip the stuff en route to the stars. Developed by Open Space Agency’s James Parr for distillery Ballantine, the glass is designed to…

Space & Spaceflight Jamie Condliffe Sep 8 '15

Packed Like Sardines in a Can

From this point of view it seems that one cannot fit a knife between two planes in the crammed hangar bay of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, where sailors perform maintenance on F/A-18 Super Hornets. Let’s play! How many aircraft can you count in this photo? [Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ryan McFarlane/U.S.…

Tech News Attila Nagy Sep 7 '15

CERN’s “Cosmic Piano” Makes Music Out of Raw Particle Data

At Switzerland’s Montreux Jazz Festival in July, jazz pianist Al Blatter found himself jamming with an unusual collaborator: the so-called “cosmic piano,” an instrument developed by physicists at CERN that relies on data generated by cosmic rays to make beautiful music. Whenever a particle passes through a detector pad on the instrument, the result is…

Physics & Chemistry Jennifer Ouellette Sep 7 '15

Report: Apple Rejected Justice Department Demands for iMessages

The fight between law enforcement and tech companies about encryption and privacy is getting nastier than ever. According to a report from the New York Times, the Justice Department obtained a court order for real-time messages between suspects using iPhones to communicate, but Apple didn’t comply. The Times reported on the “standoff” between Apple and…

Tech News Kate Knibbs Sep 7 '15

The De Brazza’s Monkey: The Monkey With the Wizard Beard

We’re not saying that this monkey is magic. We’re just saying that it doesn’t like people, and the guy for whom it is named promptly died of dysentery. Be advised. The De Brazza’s monkey is common, but not easy to find. It spends as little time on the ground and in the open as it…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Sep 7 '15

Would You Buy an Android Tablet If It Only Cost $50?

According to a rumor from the Wall Street Journal, Amazon is readying a $50, 6-inch Android tablet for a launch before Christmas this year. The company hasn’t had runaway success with its existing line of Android tablets, so it’s clearly hoping that cutting the price can get a few more people on board. The company’s…

Tech News Chris Mills Sep 7 '15

From Space, a Remote Salt Lake In the Middle of a Desert Looks Like an Alien World

This is Lake Amadeus, the largest salt lake in Australia’s Northern Territory. Taken by Sentinel-2A (mean orbital altitude of 786 km/488 miles), this image of Lake Amadeus shows the salt crust, rock, and sand that are part of this lake’s unique look. Also visible in the full image below are the Australian landmark Uluru/Ayers Rock…

io9 Katharine Trendacosta Sep 7 '15

How Filmmakers Use Aspect Ratio Tricks in Movies

Often, it’s the things you don’t notice that make or break a movie, and there’s no more subtle mindfuckery than playing tricks with aspect ratios. In this wonderfully educational short video, Now You See Itexplains how different aspect ratios — and switching between them — can be used as thematic devices in movies. I’m ashamed…

Movies Chris Mills Sep 7 '15

How Is This Hot Air Being Photographed?

There are plenty of reasons why people might want to photograph air, but not too many methods to do it. This is an image of hot air rising off a soldering iron, and you can see it because of Schlieren photography. Air can move things around for some dramatic photos, but on its own it’s…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Sep 7 '15

Please Stop Naming Your Children After Guns

The debate over gun control in America has popped up a lot in the past few years, but I never thought it would eventually have this impact. Parents are naming their children after guns. And they’re doing it so frequently that the name Gunner (with the help of Gunnar) even made the Top 200 list…

Tech News Leah Becerra Sep 7 '15

Which Character’s Vacation Ended Up Being the Biggest Disaster?

With Labor Day traditionally comes the end of summer vacation and the start of the school year. And in order to stave off any sadness about that, we say, “Remember how vacations suck?” It’s never fun to end up working when you’re supposed to be relaxing. But it’s even worse to find yourself forced to…

Movies Katharine Trendacosta Sep 7 '15

Android Pay Can Be Tricked Into Running On Some Phones Right Now

Android Pay should be rolling soon, but if you can’t wait for soon to get here, there are ways to get the app working on your phone now. Well, kind of… Google Play Services 8.1 has already started to appear on some handsets, which makes sense because that update is necessary to run Android Pay…

Tech News Leah Becerra Sep 7 '15

Watch What Happens to This Drop of Water When It Hits Hot Oil

Oil and water truly don’t mix, and this is especially true if you try to throw water on an oil fire to quench the flames. Instead, it just goes BOOM! That explosive reaction makes this a favorite demo for science lectures. The Royal Institution in London did it in 2012 to promote its annual Christmas…

Tech News Jennifer Ouellette Sep 7 '15

Dragon Con Day 3: the Cosplay Keeps Getting Better and Better

Every day our photo galleries of the astonishing cosplay at Dragon Con in Atlanta just keeps getting longer with near-overwhelming creativity. Today we’re featuring the dystopian future of Mad Max, a swarm of superheroes, and the champions of League of Legends. Wonder Woman. Image credit: Boon Vong Image credit: Boon Vong Supergirls flanking a Na’vi.…

io9 Mika McKinnon Sep 7 '15

Replacing Subway Lines With High-Speed Moving Sidewalks Sounds Terrifying

London has the oldest subway system in the world: great for tourism, but sometimes not-so-great for commuters. There’s all sorts ofsensible plans to upgrade the city’s public transport, but here’s one particularly outside-the-box solution: a 15mph moving sidewalk, looping 17 miles under London. What could go wrong! Architecture firm NBBJ has come up with the…

Tech News Chris Mills Sep 7 '15

Game of Thrones Casts Richard E. Grant, Officially Denudes the UK of All Its Actors

Whenever a familiar name pops up as being new to the Game of Thrones cast, it’s a shock. Mostly because we’d thought they’d run out of British actors we could easily identify a long time ago. This week: Richard E. Grant. If you don’t recognize Grant … you’ve never watched anything, ever. I congratulate you…

Television Katharine Trendacosta Sep 7 '15

A Meteor Exploded Over Bangkok on Monday Morning

Citizens of the Thai capital Bangkok witnessed a huge fireball descending on the horizon this morning, and thanks to the dashcams in their cars, we can admire the celestial visitor from several different angles. The meteor entered Earth’s atmosphere around 8.45am local time, and burnt up in a huge fireball after striking down from the…

Space & Spaceflight Attila Nagy Sep 7 '15

Scientists Can Levitate Nanodiamonds in a Vacuum Using Laser Light

An Android Porn App Takes Your Photo and Holds It to Ransom

This Magellanic Cloud Is a Tiny Galaxy Sat Close to Our Milky Way

This Glass Will Let You Enjoy Whiskey in Microgravity

Packed Like Sardines in a Can

CERN’s “Cosmic Piano” Makes Music Out of Raw Particle Data

Report: Apple Rejected Justice Department Demands for iMessages

The De Brazza’s Monkey: The Monkey With the Wizard Beard

Would You Buy an Android Tablet If It Only Cost $50?

From Space, a Remote Salt Lake In the Middle of a Desert Looks Like an Alien World

How Filmmakers Use Aspect Ratio Tricks in Movies

How Is This Hot Air Being Photographed?

Please Stop Naming Your Children After Guns

Which Character’s Vacation Ended Up Being the Biggest Disaster?

Android Pay Can Be Tricked Into Running On Some Phones Right Now

Watch What Happens to This Drop of Water When It Hits Hot Oil

Dragon Con Day 3: the Cosplay Keeps Getting Better and Better

Replacing Subway Lines With High-Speed Moving Sidewalks Sounds Terrifying

Game of Thrones Casts Richard E. Grant, Officially Denudes the UK of All Its Actors

A Meteor Exploded Over Bangkok on Monday Morning

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