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17 Years at 1 URL

Seventeen years ago today I purchased the URL Disquiet.com. Each passing year, when I have the time, I write a bit about that process, that time period. I think I’ll give myself the additional Oulipo constraint of utilizing only as many sentences as there are years to the anniversary, though of course parentheticals, em-dashes, semi-colons,…

The Crazy Huge Aperture on This New Lens Chews Up Darkness

It’s been a good year for really huge aperture sizes on camera lenses, with products like the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8, and the Metabones Speed Boosters. But next year you’ll be able to get your hands on a 40mm lens with an aperture size of f/0.85. That is one gaping piehole. https://gizmodo.com/sigma-18-35mm-f-1-8-review-the-best-low-light-zoom-len-950860947 The Ibelux 40mm f/0.85…

Will Don Cheadle’s War Machine join the Avengers in Age of Ultron?

There’s a rumor going around that James Rhodes, played by Don Cheadle, will be part of the cast list for the Avengers sequel — which could make sense, given that Tony Stark apparently destroyed all his armors at the end of Iron Man 3. Could Rhodey be the armored Avenger this time around? HitFix says…

7 Reasons Never to Give 4Chan a 3D Printer

Over at 3D printing marketplace Shapeways.com, inspired individuals are free to post their 3D-printable creations for all the world to buy. And sure, there’s some more benign items like art and iPhone cases littered among the clutter, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find what Shapeways’ masses really want: Goatse, twerking, fresco Jesus, doge—the…

Take a trip over Titan’s massive methane-filled lakes

NASA has compiled the most detailed map ever made of Titan’s methane-drenched surface, including this unprecedented 3D fly-over video. One of these lakes, Ligeia Mare, contains about 40 times the amount of oil and gas reserves on Earth, prompting some to wonder if we should bring it back to Earth. Ligeia Mare is about twice…

This Multi-Launcher Spits Out Missiles Like a 12-Barrel Revolver

While the Phalanx has proven an immensely effective self-defense system for the US Navy, it’s far from a watertight solution. To intercept incoming threats that the Phalanx can’t handle, the US Navy is investing in a rotating missile-launcher that lobs a baker’s dozen of self-propelled missiles at anyone dumb enough to engage. Developed through a…

And now Kathy Bates’ severed head will watch Roots and sing

Hang on to your witch tits, the midseason finale (which is totally a thing now) of American Horror Story was insane. So insane. Really really insane. Coven could be the campiest/bloodiest AHS series yet, and it’s so good. Spoilers ahead. First up, apologies this didn’t go up last night. Sometimes people fall asleep mainlining Hulu’s…

Fantastic new Community trailer is truly from the darkest timeline

Apparently Community is releasing a collection of movie-like trailers to hype up the new season. The last video was a little Winger Gets His Groove Back and this one is a lot of Hunger Games. But it’s also a VERY good look at the new footage with a whole lotta Chang. This new season looks…

Inside the Incredible, Complex Factories Where Satellites Are Born

Greg White has shot some of the most remote and unusual places in the world. The UK photographer has published photo essays on Chernobyl, Svalbard, and even CERN. But for his latest project, he discovered an alien world within the ordinary confines of his home country: The labs where satellites are built. Working under commission…

This looks like the Russians threw a dead astronaut out of the airlock…

…but the reality is not as macabre as that. Is is, however, quite wacky. Sam Wilkinson—a former intern at NASA and Sploid reader—explains this spooky picture in this article about awesome stuff in space that he sent for publication. There are a couple of man-made objects in space that almost everyone will know about: the…

There’s an Apple Bitcoin Prank That’s Hilarious and Devastating

General piece of advice: don’t go around typing stuff into your computer’s terminal window based on some pictures you found randomly floating on the internet. You’re not very likely to unlock a hidden bitcoin miner in your Mac, and far more likely to brick the thing instead. There’s apparently a rumor going around that Apple’s…

Yellowstone’s Megavolcano is more than twice the beast we feared

Beneath Yellowstone National Park lurks a vast caldera – a high-pressure volcanic cauldron brimming with enough gas and magma to make Mount St. Helens’ 1980-eruption look like a middle school science project by comparison. Now, newly reported findings suggest this megavolcanic reservoir is even bigger than previously believed. Much, much bigger. https://gizmodo.com/further-evidence-that-the-yellowstone-megavolcano-could-5940099 https://gizmodo.com/what-will-really-happen-when-yellowstone-volcano-has-a-508274690 Above: Grand…

This Year’s Top Instagram Trends Are Exactly What You’d Expect

Instagram and its many filters may be responsible for the wave of faux nostalgia, but now that the year’s winding down, it’s time for some actual nostalgia. Today, Instagram released their year-end review, and, well, it’s pretty much exactly what you’d expect. But it’s also a great excuse to post some gorgeous shots. The most…

The Legend of Hercules is a punishment straight from Hades

A new trailer for The Legend of Hercules has arrived and — bresaking news! — it continues to suck. We’ve already detailed everything that’s wrong with it — mainly that it’s like 300 and the shitty Clash of the Titans remake had a baby together and then peed on it — but somehow it continues…

The World’s Awesomest Scientists Invent Cavity-Free Candy

With a breakthrough that will finally help Halloween top Christmas as the best holiday ever, scientists at the Berlin-based biotech lab Organo Balance claim to have developed a candy that doesn’t cause cavities. You’ll still get sick and pack on the pounds from gorging on sweets, but if you forget to brush your teeth, your…

Sony expands the Spider-Man films with Venom and Sinister Six movies

Not to be left out of the massive spanning world of comic book continuity Marvel Studios has mastered, Sony is expanding the Spider-Man brand with two new major VILLAIN movies. Yes, Venom is finally getting his own movie, and so is the anti-Spidey gang the Sinister Six. And wait until you hear who’s making it!…

Gorgeous New Posters From an Abandoned Printing Press in London

How neat is this? The folks at Faber & Faber, an independent publishing house in London since 1929, recently found a forgotten hand press in their archives. As it turns out, the half-century-old machine was used by the firm’s most famous designer, Berthold Wolpe: they’ve since refurbished the relic, which is going to be back…

You get a gif! And you get a gif! It’s a Gif Party!

Come on in, people! It’s Gif Party Friday! We’re looking for the all best gifs of the week, whether it’s an old favorite, an amazing science gif to astonish us all with the wonder of science, or even something you made yourself. So grab a few of your favorite gifs — costumed in their very…

Amazon’s Best-Selling Music of All Time: So That’s Who’s Buying CDs

In an apparent effort to win back some headlines after Beyoncé’s new album broke iTunes last night, Amazon has compiled its best-selling music of all time in the categories of songs, MP3 albums, and physical CDs. It’s not exactly what you’d expect. https://gizmodo.com/beyonces-surprise-new-album-crashed-itunes-overnight-1482524545 Adele sits at the top of the physical compact disc list, joined…

Looks like ARM is trying to beef up its graphics offering; it just bought Geometrics, a long time partner that specializes in dynamic illumination tech, stuff that makes graphics look real, and real good. [GigaOM]