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Every Point of a Tennis Match, Visualized in 3D

Here’s something cool. A studio called JWT Spain made a 3D app that tracks the trajectories of every ball hit in a tennis match in real time, and then spits out fancy visualizations. There’s a heatmap that shows where the most balls land; trajectories of the ball for every set, game and point; a particle…

These Are the Original Pilots Amazon Is Going to Make Into Series

Amazon has decided on the five pilots it will turn into full series—Alpha House, Betas, Annebots, Creative Galaxy, and Tumbleleaf—have all officially gotten the green light. These five—two comedies and three children’s shows—were selected based on customer feedback out of 14 pilots Amazon put online in April. Bear with us here, because Betas is another…

What will happen when our Galaxy collides with Andromeda?

One day, our own galaxy will collide with Andromeda — and when that happens, poor defenseless Earth will be smashed to bits. Right? Wrong. In this week’s “Ask a Physicist,” we’ll find out why. Like most io9 readers, I’ve been thinking a lot about the apocalypse since Annalee’s new book hit the stands. In tribute,…

This Replacement Cap That Turns Any Water Bottle Into a Humidifier

When you name your product the ‘Amazing Humidifier’ it better be bringing something great to the table. After all, it’s pretty hard to get excited over something as mundane as a humidifier. But the fact that this compact version transforms any water bottle into a secret weapon to battle dry skin is, admittedly, pretty amazing.…

Like logging into accounts with other accounts? “Login with Amazon” is coming soon to a browser near you. Can’t have too many options, right?

Get ready for the cicada invasion with this incredible time-lapse

After a 17-year dormancy period, the U.S. East Coast is about to be overrun by over 30 billion cicadas. This preview for a documentary-in-the-making will show you what to expect — including a remarkable time-lapse of cicadas breaking through their exoskeletons. https://gizmodo.com/you-wont-believe-how-many-cicadas-are-about-to-envelop-493923163 It’s called Return of the Cicadas, a film that’s being put together by…

22 Elegant Chairs That Illustrate the Essence of Danish Modernism

Northern Europe is a powerhouse for great design. Some attribute it to the excellent public education system. Others credit their tradition of craftsmanship. Still others claim it’s that unique type of Nordic light. In all likelihood, it’s probably a little bit of each. Denmark, in particular, has produced some of the most interesting names in…

You Can Get 1Password For 50 Percent Off Right Now

If you’re usually too cheap for security, maybe this will be enough to tempt you: 1password is offering 50 percent of its apps for iOS and OS X. 1password’s pretty much the gold standard in terms of rock-solid digital security. The app act as a vault for your digital credentials—site log-ins, bank details, all that…

Analog Camera for iPhone: When Is Simple Actually Too Simple?

A little over a year ago, Realmac Software released Clear, an iOS to-do list app that made the task of keeping track of tasks easy with a beautifully simple design. Starting right now, you can check out the developer’s crack at replicating that success-by-simplicity formula with a $1 camera app. https://gizmodo.com/clear-app-cross-chores-off-your-to-do-list-with-a-swip-5885307 For the most part,…

Why Wolverine is a Movie for People Who Are Bored With Superhero Films

Director James Mangold explains why The Wolverine will make you give a shit about superheroes again. Henry Cavill explains just who Kal-El is in Man of Steel. Check out the latest clips of apocalyptic comedies This Is The End and Rapture-palooza. Plus hints for what True Blood has in store. Gear up for spoilers! Top…

Clever Mug Catches Coffee Drips Before They Become Stains

Harnessing the complex hydrodynamic properties of surface tension, this brilliantly re-engineered mug features a strategically engineered reservoir running around the circumference of the vessel’s outer wall. Or, in other words, designer Kim Keun Ae added a groove that cleverly catches drips before they hit the table. Cleaning the mug takes a little extra effort to…

You’ll Never Break This Awesome Rubber Lamp

If you’re a complete klutz, you could do with Cologne designer Thomas Schnur‘s Rubber Lamp. Not only does it look awesome—you’ll never break it, either. An articulated steel rod running up the stem of the lamp gives the silicone casing some structure, allowing the entirely flexible shell to actually function as a lamp. Schnur explains:…

The FBI Ran a Child Porn Site for Two Whole Weeks

Last November, the FBI raided a bulletin board-style site that was known to be a home of child pornography. But rather than shutting it down, they decided to keep it running—and see just how many users they could identify. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Bureau agents posed as child porn dealers, actively distributing pornography…

How to Enable Two-Factor Authentication on All Your Accounts

Twitter rolled out two-factor authentication last week, joining a growing group of tech companies to support the important security feature. Two-factor authentication can help mitigate the damage of a password breach or phishing attack. The principle comes from the idea that any authentication system—whether it’s the deadbolt on your front door, the lockscreen on your…

When Verizon updates its LTE network to use the AWS frequency in the coming months, the Galaxy S4 will be the first—and, for a while, only—phone to take advantage of the doubled internet speeds it offers.

With a Full-On News Feed, Spotify’s Serious About Suggesting New Music

While Spotify’s a powerhouse for streaming music, its social elements for sharing what you find have always been rather underpowered. Now, though, it’s launched a new Discover news feed, which promises to give you a constant supply of new music. Leveraging data from its 24 million monthly users, the new Discover service—currently available on the…

Over 153,000 iPhone users who were denied warranty coverage for water damage are in for a payout: Apple was just forced to officially settle a case which will see them pay out $53 million to those whose iPhone, iPhone 3G, or iPhone 3GS was affected.

Google Glass Is Getting a Porn App

If you’re already creeped out at people wearing Google Glass, this bit of news won’t help you get comfortable. Adult Android app maker MiKandi is going to develop a porn app for Google Glass. Porn everywhere you look! MiKandi told ZDNet: Obviously, Glass is perfect for shooting POV video, so we’re experimenting with that first.…

The Visual Effects Behind Iron Man’s HUD in Iron Man 3

Iron Man’s HUD has always been one of the cooler details in any sci-fi movie. The way it pops up, the way it shields the face, the way it works—it’s fantastically unreal and yet completely believable. And the beauty is in its impressive details. John Likens posted this video breaking down the visual effects of…

The Weirdest Thing on the Internet Tonight: “LOAD”

As famed artist René Magritte once quipped, “Ceci n’est pas une Commodore 64.” This incredible animated short produced by Brian Sørensen is so stunningly realistic, you’ll have to remind yourself that it really is CGI.