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How WWI Bombs Shattered Bedrock and Changed the Geology of France

Every once in a while, we’re reminded of World War I’s awful legacy: Trenches that run like gashes through the French countryside, craters in farmland, the iron harvest. These scars are even deeper than we might imagine. Bombs actually shattered bedrock and created the bizarre, dimpled landscape of modern day Verdun. World War I has…

Tech News Sarah Zhang Jun 13 '14

Two-Factor Authentication Is Ruining My Life and It’s All My Fault

Sorry if I missed any emails from you this past week. I’ve been doing all my work email from my phone. It’s the only way I can see it, and it’s all two-factor authentication’s fault. Well, and also mine. Because I am an idiot. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Two-factor authentication is supposed…

Tech News Eric Limer Jun 13 '14

Where Are All The Stories About The Mid-Point Of Space Colonization?

The first tentative trips outwards or life under the heel of an entire sweeping galactic empire are both popular starting points in epic space exploration fiction, but what about the middle stories that fill in the tales between those two? Top image: Artist’s concept of astronauts setting up on Mars / NASA Today, James S.A.…

io9 Ria Misra Jun 13 '14

Why Setting a Crumbling Mansion On Fire Was The Best Way to Demolish It

The limestone cliff holding up a luxury home overlooking Lake Whitney began to crumble earlier this week. There was no saving the house, which had already started its descent to a watery grave. Demolition was the only option, and officials decided the best method was to kill it with fire. It’s not as crazy as…

Tech News Jordan Kushins Jun 13 '14

This Is a Movie You Have to Watch Twice to Catch the Important Stuff

Some movies are gloriously obvious and perfect for one viewing. But other movies must be watched a second time to be appreciated, because you pick up on all the little snatches of dialogue and narrative hints that make the story feel complete. What’s your favorite watch-it-twice scifi movie? Tell us what movie you’d pick as…

Movies Annalee Newitz Jun 13 '14

Being In A Group Can Make People Lose Touch With Their Moral Beliefs

Behavioral psychologists have known for quite some time that people are more likely to harm others when they’re part of a group. A new study suggests that “mob mentality'” happens when we stop reflecting on our own personal moral standards. People become more hostile when there’s an ‘us and them’ scenario. Individuals in groups often…

io9 George Dvorsky Jun 13 '14

Here’s How All 50 State Flags Would Look As App Icons

Flat design is everywhere these days, almost to the point of parody. Now, even state flags have been given a flat makeover, courtesy of a creative agency based in Washington D.C. The result is a set of pretty flags that basically look like the state flags turned into app icons. NJI Media, a D.C.-based creative…

Tech News Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan Jun 13 '14

An Elephant Researcher Mourns An Elephant Lost to Poachers

Jake Wall is a research scientist with Save the Elephants. As part of his work, he followed the travels of one particular male elephant called “Mountain Bull.” But that research ended abruptly last month when Mountain Bull was slaughtered by poachers. Wall has written a moving tribute to Mountain Bull, which he’s allowed me to…

Biology Jason G. Goldman Jun 13 '14

P.F. Chang’s Is Using Stone-Age Credit Card Tech So It Can’t Be Hacked

Restaurant chain P.F. Chang’s China Bistro got hacked recently, compromising thousands of credit cards. Oopsies. But business doesn’t stop just because you got hacked, so in the short term the company is resorting to some old-school tech so that it can keep taking plastic. Earlier this week, Brian Krebs reported that thousands of credit cards…

Privacy & Security Mario Aguilar Jun 13 '14

Here’s How Humanity Falls In Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes

Been confused as to how the apes seen at the end of Rise of the Planet of Apes have managed to decimate the human race before the beginning of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes? Wonder no longer, as this short featurette focuses on the real killer — the Simian Flu. I wonder is…

Movies Rob Bricken Jun 13 '14

Samurai Darth Vader Leads A Slew Of Crazy Japanese Star Wars Toys

The Dark Samurai of the Sith! Figures that turn into eggs for some reason! Collectible severed heads! These are just a few of the awesome and/or insane Star Wars toys revealed by Bandai at the Tokyo Toy Show this week that you need to check out. First and foremost, is the “Star Wars Movie Realization…

io9 Rob Bricken Jun 13 '14

Sony SmartBand SW10 Review: Swings For the Fences, Misses By a Mile

In the great pantheon of activity trackers (and it’s quite a crowded pantheon at this point), there are those that focus on style, those that focus on metrics, and those that focus on bells and whistles. And then there’s Sony’s new SmartBand SW10, whose modest ambition is simply to track every little thing you do…

Tech News Brent Rose Jun 13 '14

Stop Ruining Your Camera With These Tips From Canon

Camera maintenance is a mysterious thing. Everyone tells you something different, and you are always seemingly at risk of causing damage to your equipment. Canon is here to help with a video detailing all the ways to detail your precious gear. Why trust Canon? Well, of anyone giving you advice, they probably stand to lose…

Tech News Michael Hession Jun 13 '14

Holy Crap, These Hydropropulsion Hoverboards Fly Over Water

Add this to the list of things you never knew existed but now desperately need. The folks at Zapata Racing have been in the business of hydropropulsion products for years. Early versions of the company’s “Flyboard” looked like a cross between a fire hose, a skateboard, and Iron Man’s hand blasters. Later, “Pro Rider” iterations…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Jun 13 '14

We Met on an App Meant for Random Sex: How Do I Explain It to My Mom?

Welcome to User Manual, Gizmodo’s weekly internet advice column. This week we’re answering questions on how to tell your parents you met someone on Tinder, how to deal with an ex on Facebook, and more internet relationships follies. Buckle up, sex in the internet age is complicated. Reader David asks: How do I explain to…

Tech News Leslie Horn Jun 13 '14

This Sleek TV of the Future Predates The Jetsons

Visitors to the National Radio Show at Earls Court in 1961 got a peek at the future of TV. Far from the enormous boxes that might sit on your living room floor, this TV was sleek and stylish — a preview of the TV modernist ideal that was slow to actually arrive. If the TV…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 13 '14

Game of Thrones Scribe To Write Magic: The Gathering Movie

First they came for World of Warcraft, and now Hollywood wants our Magic cards. The next nerdy game movie is getting made, but at least it’s by someone with fantasy cred. Deadline is reporting that Fox has picked Bryan Cogman from Game of Thrones to write the first of what they’re hoping will be a…

Movies Meredith Woerner Jun 13 '14

Hit This Magnetic Bullseye and You’ll Never Misplace Your Keys Again

Are you prone to losing your keys more often than you’d like to admit? You just need to settle on a specific place to put them every time you get home. And to make this routine enjoyable enough so that it becomes a habit, trying to hit this magnetic bullseye when you get home every…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Jun 13 '14

Loved True Detective‘s Six-Minute Tracking Shot? Watch This Horror Film

Long tracking shots can do a lot to impact the tone and pacing of a story, and in the one-shot short film Cólera, it amps up the horror. In a remote town, an angry mob confronts a man infected with a deforming illness, but their anger may be more dangerous than his presence. Icíar Bollaín…

io9 Lauren Davis Jun 13 '14

New “Bionic” Dildo Allows You to Feel Things You Never Felt Before

After the arrival of bionic arms and mind-controlled exoskeletons, it was only a matter of time before we began translating these new technologies into sex toys. The Ambrosia Vibe isn’t as sophisticated as other bionic technologies, but it is one step on the path to having that detachable penis you always wanted. The idea is…

io9 Annalee Newitz Jun 13 '14

How WWI Bombs Shattered Bedrock and Changed the Geology of France

Two-Factor Authentication Is Ruining My Life and It’s All My Fault

Where Are All The Stories About The Mid-Point Of Space Colonization?

Why Setting a Crumbling Mansion On Fire Was The Best Way to Demolish It

This Is a Movie You Have to Watch Twice to Catch the Important Stuff

Being In A Group Can Make People Lose Touch With Their Moral Beliefs

Here’s How All 50 State Flags Would Look As App Icons

An Elephant Researcher Mourns An Elephant Lost to Poachers

P.F. Chang’s Is Using Stone-Age Credit Card Tech So It Can’t Be Hacked

Here’s How Humanity Falls In Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes

Samurai Darth Vader Leads A Slew Of Crazy Japanese Star Wars Toys

Sony SmartBand SW10 Review: Swings For the Fences, Misses By a Mile

Stop Ruining Your Camera With These Tips From Canon

Holy Crap, These Hydropropulsion Hoverboards Fly Over Water

We Met on an App Meant for Random Sex: How Do I Explain It to My Mom?

This Sleek TV of the Future Predates The Jetsons

Game of Thrones Scribe To Write Magic: The Gathering Movie

Hit This Magnetic Bullseye and You’ll Never Misplace Your Keys Again

Loved True Detective‘s Six-Minute Tracking Shot? Watch This Horror Film

New “Bionic” Dildo Allows You to Feel Things You Never Felt Before

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