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​What Animal Tracks Mean For You

Big ones, small ones, cute ones and dangerous ones. The outdoors is full of animals, but often, the only way you’ll know they’re there is if you see the tracks they leave. Here’s how to identify them and use them to your advantage, even if you’re just a casual day hiker. How To Identify Tracks:…

The FTC Shuts Down Bitcoin Mining Company for Operating Like a Scam

The FTC just had a court shut down Butterfly Labs, the specialized manufacturer of Bitcoin mining equipment. It turns out the company has repeatedly failed to deliver on the massively powerful—and massively expensive—computers it sold consumers. Updated below. The FTC alleges that Butterfly Labs basically operates like a scam. In fairness, you would probably feel…

Republic Of Thieves Proves That A Fantasy Novel Can Be Epic AND Fun

Scott Lynch’s Gentleman Bastards books have received the type of acclaim you expect for some of the best known fantasy authors — for good reason. Lynch has a strong, fun voice that keeps the pages breezing past. His latest, the long-overdue Republic of Thieves, is a more complicated, but no less fun book than its…

Disabling the iOS 8 Features You Might Not Actually Want

By now you’ve no doubt downloaded and installed the shiny new iOS 8 on every device you own that can take it, but what if Apple doesn’t know best? What if some of the new features are a hindrance rather than a help? You can’t turn back the clock completely, but you can disable some…

These animated music album covers are really cool

JB started animating music album covers for fun and, when he had a bunch, he decided to share it with the world on his blog. They are so cool I tried to use them on my iTunes but, sadly, it doesn’t work. Some of these are from music I listen or used to listen and…

Where Will the Climate Refugees Go in 50 Years?

As sea levels and temperatures rise over the next fifty years, coastal cities in the U.S. may become a lot less inviting to their millions of inhabitants. But where will all those sopping wet, overheated urbanites go? Some scientists say the answer is simple and predictable. They’ll go to the Pacific Northwest. Jennifer Kingston writes…

On Gotham, Criminals Are A Super-Silly And Cowardly Lot

Long before Batman existed, Gotham City was a weird, creepy place where the criminal element liked to get kind of silly. At least, that seems to be the main point of Gotham, the show set 10 years before Batman. Last night’s premiere was ridiculously entertaining and impossible to take seriously. Spoilers ahead… Exhibit A for…

The Joy and Misery of Life With a Grotesquely Large “Smartwatch”

Brought to life by a Kickstarter campaign that raised nearly $1 million last year, the Neptune Pine is the most literal interpretation of the word “smartwatch.” It’s a huge phone-like Android device that you strap to your wrist in order to feel smart. The $350 Neptune Pine does almost everything you would expect your phone…

You Can Buy This Window From the Manhattan Project for a Small Fortune

Bonhams auction house is gearing up for a big “History of Science” sale on October 22. Among the many intriguing lots is a slab of unique glass used during one of the darkest scientific pursuits we’ve ever embarked upon: The Manhattan Project. But don’t worry. It’s not radioactive. In fact, the Manhattan Project viewing window…

China’s National Gallery Will Be One of the Largest Museums on Earth

The sprawling Hermitage Museum has long reigned as the world’s largest museum—but China has plans to come close to it with a huge new building for the National Art Museum of China, the design plans for which were recently released by French architect Jean Nouvel. The 1,399,308-square-foot building is destined for a site on the…

​8 Things That Prove Star Wars Actually Takes Place In Our Galaxy

It starts “A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…” but is it? Do we really know for sure the events of the Star Wars movies didn’t or won’t happen in the Milky Way? Because here are eight connections that only seem possible if Star Wars is part of our history… or…

​Sleepy Hollow Returns, Immediately Starts War

Welcome back to season two of Sleepy Hollow, the show that makes any attempt at describing it to a non-watcher sound like you’re the drunk guy who went to a historical-conspiracy website one time and Cannot Stop Thinking About It! When we left off, the show had spent thirteen breakneck hours hurling every possible trope…

Storming The Power Castle, Dancing Groot, Cheap 3D Printers [Deals]

Here’s a nice little bundle to satisfy your gadget charging needs. Just add the two items below to your cart, use promo code NWW94ZB4 at checkout, and you’ll get them both for $33. That’s the price of the Intocircuit by itself (which is also the Wirecutter’s pick for best external charger), so you’re basically getting…

The Groot You Want, Framed Ink, NES to USB, 3D Printing [Deals]

This Funko POP! Dancing Groot is the Best Groot Toy You Can Buy. Down to $10. [Groot] https://gizmodo.com/the-5-best-groot-toys-on-sale-and-5-fan-made-ones-that-1630095915 75 years. 700 pages. 2000 images. Hardcover. $85 or more off MSRP. [ 75 Years of Marvel: From the Golden Age to the Silver Screen] Need to plug an NES Controller into a PC or Mac. Now…

Old SARS Iso-Tubes Are Keeping Ebola Patients Alive On Planes

When doctors are stricken by the infectious disease they are fighting—the recent and ongoing West African Ebola outbreak, for example—you can’t very well stick them on a commercial flight back to the states for treatment. Instead, highly infectious disease (HID) patients must instead be transported under complete biological isolation inside one of these portable, personal…

Tuesday Game Room: Infinite Heroes Edition

There’s so many games this week – including Disney’s behemoth update to the already monstrously successful Infinity Toy/Game franchise, which adds Marvel heroes to the Disney gang. Planning to pick it up, or anything else this week? Come tell us in Tuesday Game Room! What have you been playing this week? My week in video…

Some iPhone 6 Plus Owners Report Bending Phones Just From Sitting Down

Uh oh: Some unconfirmed iPhone 6 Plus owners are reporting that their new handsets are getting bent when they leave them in their front pockets. You know, as you sometimes do with a phone. Per one enterprising new iPhone 6 Plus owner on the MacRumors forums: Yesterday, I left at 10am with the iPhone in…

Discovery Of 4,000-Year-Old Shipwreck Could Be World’s Oldest

A recent underwater excavation at Turkey’s Urla Port has uncovered a ship estimated to date back 4,000 years, which experts say would make it the oldest sunken ship to have ever been discovered in the Mediterranean — and possibly anywhere. The exact age of the ship still needs to be confirmed, but that would put…

Marvel has canceled two Milo Manara variant covers that were in works following the great Spider-Woman’s Ass Controversy of 2014. EiC Axel Alonso says they do plan to have Manara draw more variant covers in the future, but promises they’ll be more “aware of the growing sensitivity to covers like this.” [Update: Marvel says they’re…

This Tiny Transforming Travel Iron Should Be the First Thing You Pack

The internet’s full of tips on how to pack your clothing before a trip so it doesn’t get wrinkled while you travel. But none of them are foolproof, and like it or not, there’s probably going to be some ironing in your future. But that’s a chore made slightly more bearable with this rather ingenious…