Latest

Damman, Saudi Arabia as seen from the International Space Station. This photoof a glittering, opalescent city was taken by ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, who couldn’t remember where she took it. You can help identify all the photos taken from space at the Cities at Night project. Image credit: ESA/NASA

AirAsia Rescue Chief: The Plane Is Likely at the Bottom of the Sea

The Indonesian official in charge of the rescue of AirAsia flight QZ8501 says that aircraft is likely “at the bottom of the sea.” That’s a bleak outlook as rescue attempts start afresh this morning in an attempt to find survivors. https://gizmodo.com/airasia-plane-goes-missing-over-indonesia-with-162-peop-1675724248 Speaking to the media on Monday morning, Bambang Soelistyo, Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue…

The Interview Chalked Up $15 Million in Online Sales Over Christmas

The Interview may be over-hyped and not really worth the drama. It may have been torrented by the world and his hacker. But it also managed to take in an impressive $15 million over the Christmas period just in online sales. That beats by a significant margin the estimated $2.8 million the film earned in…

The Surprise Hero of The Librarians Is John Larroquette

This episode cemented more than anything that this show’s true hero is John Larroquette. Both the actor and his character. Seriously, no one is funnier on this show than Larroquette and this week we learned that he’s the Big Good to Matt Frewer’s Big Bad. There are worse people to rest your show on, I…

In The First SHIELD Comic, Coulson and Crew Meet All the Marvel Heroes

The characters of Agents of SHIELD will join the Marvel comic book universe on December 31st, in the first issue of S.H.I.E.L.D. And the variant covers have the team meeting everyone. Yes, including Deadpool. The comic book isn’t a tie-in, it’s the comic versions of the Agents of SHIELD characters showing up as canon immigrants…

The Mighty Ducks Is the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Andy Williams was one to something when he was talking with all that “it’s the most wonderful time of the year” business. Except I don’t really follow when he veers off into “holiday greetings” and “gay happy meetings.” I only think winter is wonderful because of hockey. Every year, at least once during the hockey…

Thom Yorke: “You Wouldn’t Like Me When I’m Angry”

The last week of the year is an annoying dry spell for new music. All the “Best of” lists have been polished off and published at most major music publications but the new year has yet to roll around to make new albums official entrants in 2015. That’s why Thom Yorke’s new single, “You Wouldn’t…

These Are The Rocky Mountains As Seen From Space

Our planet is absolutely, incredibly, breathtakingly beautiful, and tells us all of its secrets if we just know how to look. This is the story of the famous Rocky Mountains, and the substantially less-famous Rocky Mountain Trench. Rocky Mountain Trench and western Canada as seen from the International Space Station on 6 September 2014. Image…

Somebody Remade Raiders Of The Lost Ark With A Dog And It Is Perfection

Produced and Directed by Zach King and Jadon Gauthier, the five-minute remake is called Raiders of the Lost Bark (naturally), stars a Boxer puppy named Indiana Bones (of course), and the villains are kittens (OBVIOUSLY). Via the film’s website, here’s the official poster by designer Josh Kenfield: [Indiana Bones]

The History and Possible Future of Toy Guns

Welcome to Reading List, a round up of online awesomeness of the past week. We’ve got stuff that takes place in space, other stuff that takes place in the past, and even more stuff that may be a trip back to your childhood. It’s time to get back into the internet swing of things and…

Watch The First Teaser Trailer For Thunderbirds Are Go!

Here’s your first good look at Thunderbirds Are Go!, the forthcoming reboot of the 1960s British scifi series Thunderbirds. While it won’t use marionettes like the original series (a la Team America), Thunderbirds Are Go! will use live action sets overlaid with CGI by the folks at Weta Workshop, the special effects studio behind The…

Hackers Say They Can Copy Your Fingerprint From Just a Photograph

Right now in Hamburg, Germany, the largest European hacker association, the Chaos Computer Club (CCC), is holding its 31st annual congress that’s a four-day fest of all things hacking. Other than having a pretty rad name, CCC is well-known for detailing all the crazy (and sometimes scary) shit they can do. They’ve just added another…

Back Of The Box – 12/28/2014

It’s the last Back of the Box of 2014! Let’s see how December – and the year – is wrapping up with a look back at the holiday week that was on Toybox. Despite everyone being far too merry to browse the interwebs over Christmas, it’s actually been a remarkable week for the site –…

This Math Equation Is Also A Limerick

This week’s Sunday Puzzle looks like a mathematical equation. Well, it is a mathematical equation. But hidden in that equation is a poem. Can you recite it back to us? We’re traveling again this week, so we’re going with something a little more straightforward than usual. I say “straightforward,” but I’ve seen this equation stump…

What’s the Dumbest Name for a Gadget You’ve Ever Heard?

During the bustle of the holiday season, one particular smartphone commercial gave me pause. It was an ad for “the world’s thinnest smartphone,” a handset I had never heard before, called the Kazam Tornado 348. Of course the one-minute commercial itself was bizarre and stupid. Ignoring the ridiculous and gratuitous 40-second ass shot you have…

Our Favorite Android, iOS, and Windows Phone Apps of the Week

Whether you’re brandishing a brand new smartphone from a lucrative holiday haul or just looking to add some apps to your tired years-old handset, app developers have been busy through this gift-giving season to pump out some software you’re going to want to try. Let’s unwrap some apps. Multi-Platform Stichy Stichy brings another way to…

Watch Anthony Hopkins Try On Creepy Bite Masks For Silence of the Lambs

Anthony Hopkins’ portrayal of The Silence of the Lambs’ Hannibal Lecter is among the most consummate in cinematic history. So complete was his personation, about the only thing that could elevate his chilling performance was the addition of a sinister-looking bite mask. The question filmmakers grappled with: Which bite mask is best? Earlier this year,…

Take In the Views Atop Britain’s Tallest Spire

While repairing a weather meter on top of the Salisbury Cathedral in Wiltshire, conservators strapped on GoPros and captured the views at a stunning 404 feet up. According to BBC News, this wasn’t just a quaint jaunt up a bunch of steps. The workers actually had to scale the last 49 feet using steel rings…

Making A Trip To Mars Cheaper & Easier: The Case For Ballistic Capture

When sending spacecraft to Mars, the current, preferred method involves shooting spacecraft towards Mars at full-speed, then performing a braking maneuver once the ship is close enough to slow it down and bring it into orbit. Above: Artist’s depiction of the Mars Curiosity Rover starting its line of entry, descent, and landing on Mars. A…

iTunes Is Also Streaming The Interview Starting Today

According to Re/code, Apple just released The Interview on iTunes in the U.S. and Canada today at 1pm EST. Like other services which started streaming the controversial film on Christmas Eve, iTunes will also let you rent ($5.99) or buy ($14.99) the film. During Sony’s early talks to get would-be streaming services on board, the…