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New Star Wars New Character Names Revealed!

J.J. Abrams has revealed the names of his brand new Star Wars characters from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. And they are the most Star Wars names we have ever heard. Entertainment Weekly has revealed the new crop of names via Photoshopped vintage Topps Star Wars trading cards, made up with stills from the recently…

Lord Of The Rings, As Told From The Orcs’ Perspective

We know the story of Lord of the Rings as it occurred from the Hobbits’ perspective (guy receives some disappointing heirloom jewelry, decides to melt it down). But what would the story look like from the Orcs’ point-of-view? Gather ’round, friends, and hear the tale of Gandalf the Betrayer. In response to this post, looking…

The Oldest Horned Dinosaur Ever Discovered In North America Is Tiny

Say hello to Aquilops americanus, the newest addition to the neoceratopsian family of horned dinosaurs. The diminutive creature, which was found in Montana, was no larger than a crow, sporting a beak-like nose and sharply pointed cavities on its cheeks. Paleontologists working in southern Montana recently discovered a 3-inch beaked skull, which they believe is…

How Greenpeace Wrecked One of the Most Sacred Places in the Americas

Greenpeace can get a little aggressive with its tactics. That doesn’t mean that it’s not fighting for a good cause! But after the organization marched through the sacred Nazca Lines etched into the Peruvian desert for a climate protest, capturing it all on camera with a drone, you have to wonder what the hell they…

Can Santa Claus exist according to the laws of physics?

I love this cool visualization of Santa Claus’ Christmas Eve trip as seen from space but, with the current laws of physics, we know he wouldn’t be able do it. Or would he? Can Santa be real and deliver on his promises? The question is tricky, as this scientific debate shows. Let the classic scientific…

Rip Curl’s GPS Surf Watch: The Most Advanced Waveproof Wearable Yet

It seems like there are GPS watches to track practically any sports activity, from running and hiking to cycling and swimming. So why have surfers been left out in the cold? Rip Curl aims to fix that with the first watch to track just how much gnar you’re shredding. What Is It? The Search GPS…

I Want To Play All My X-Wing Games On This Amazing Light Up Board

Fantasy Flight Games’ X-Wing miniatures game is very cool – so cool that it’s still part of my gift guide suggestions 2 years after it came out. But now one fan has made a board fit for playing it on, and it looks awesome. Ruark Dreher made the board for his X-Wing sessions so he…

NYC’s Skyline Could Get a Lot Darker, And That’s Great

Big city bright lights, the city that never sleeps, blah blah blah. New York has a big-time problem with light pollution, and now a plan is in the works to significantly dim its skyline to cut carbon costs. It’s about damn time! A Queens city council member named Donovan Richards introduced a bill called Lights…

Could the Sun Be Extinguished By a Bucket of Water Just As Big?

The simple answer is probably not. That’s because the sun involves a special type of fire that is able to “burn” water, and so it will just get hotter and six times brighter. Here’s why. Sun’s overall density is 1.4 times that of water. So if you have a bucket of water equal to the…

Well, The New Doctor Who Christmas Special Looks Bleak As Hell

The first, extremely brief look at this year’s Doctor Who Christmas special has arrived, and I think showrunner Steven Moffat may be trying to put a bit of coal in Who fans’ stockings, metaphorically speaking. Even with Nick Frost as Santa, this looks like the darkest holiday special yet. And seeing as previous specials included…

80th Anniversary Monopoly Set Includes Game Tokens From Across the Ages

There have been so many versions of Monopoly released that your eyes probably glaze over when you’re trying to choose one. But if you’re looking for as pure a Monopoly experience as possible, this$25 80th Anniversary Edition features a game board that’s as close to the original version as possible, and a collection of game…

Field Notes: Grappling With the Sigma DP1 Quattro’s Bizarre Shape 

Sigma is known primarily for lenses, but it also makes cameras. The most recent creation is the Quattro series. Like previous models, it uses Sigma’s unique high resolution Foveon sensor. But this time around, some serious shape-shifting has been applied to the body for a truly oddball camera that is hard to come to grips…

Google’s iOS App Just Got a Material Design Makeover And Much More

Google Search now has a completely new look for iOS, though it’s one many Android users will be familiar with. The Search team is bringing Android Lollipop’s Material Design language to the Search app along with lots of other features and optimization for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The app gets three major upgrades:…

Why Ducati’s Slowest Bike Is Also Its Best

Ducati’s latest superbike, the 1299, makes 205bhp. This new Scrambler makes 75. But, it’s also the better bike for most people, most of the time. We spent yesterday riding it through the mountains so we can tell you why. I rode the Scrambler alongside Jalopnik’s Damon Lavrinc, who wrote an in-depth review. Consider this here…

We’ve Been Incorrectly Predicting Peak Oil For Over a Century

When the residents of Tulsa, Oklahoma buried a car in 1957 as part of an enormous time capsule, they included containers of gasoline. The good people of Tulsa reasoned that the folks of 2007 might not have any gas left to fill up the Plymouth Belvedere that they were interring for a fifty year journey…

The Nexus 5 Isn’t Dead, It’s Just On Hiatus

Despite rumors suggesting that Google’s wonderful $350 Nexus 5 had met its untimely demise, we’ve confirmed with Google that the Nexus 5 isn’t gone for good. At least not yet. According to a Google spokesperson, the “Nexus 5 will continue to be available for sale on Google Play and through select retailers in Q1 2015.”…

Watch physics in motion with this cool Lego build

How about some applied physics and engineering being added to the Lego line of products? This kit featuring a dynamic marble run and a bunch of dominoes by Christian Bechinie would be fun to build, looks amazing in motion and has hundreds of elements that could be reused in other machines. With Lego Ideas, the…

The Saucepan You Want, the Coolest USB Charger, and More Deals

Chances are, your most-used kitchen instrument is a small saucepan, and The Sweethome’s new favorite is on sale today for an all-time low price. [Cuisinart MCP19-18N MultiClad Pro Stainless Steel 2-Quart Saucepan with Cover, $37] Audio-Technica’s ATH-M50 headphones need no introduction; they’re your overwhelming favorites, and a common sight around the Gawker office. $119 is…

In case you missed it, we’re having a New York meetup with our sister site Lifehacker tonight at the Magician on the Lower East Side, starting at 7 PM. Come have a drink with us!

Shooting Challenge: Christmas Cookies

It’s that time of year. Sugar, flour, butter, and a festive dose of red and green food colorings combine to create bite-sized Christmas magic. For this week’s Shooting Challenge, show us your baking and photography skills. Show us the cookies! The Challenge Take a photo of your holiday baked goods—cookies, gingerbread men, gingerbread houses, whatever!…