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Bordertown has never looked so lovely: Your first look at the Welcome to Bordertown paperback

We loved the anthology Welcome to Bordertown, featuring authors ranging from Neil Gaiman to Catherynne M. Valente revisiting the ground-breaking urban fantasy setting of the 1990s. And now we’re stoked to bring you the first official look at the cover for the paperback edition, featuring a sultry elf and a brick wall that looks somehow…

Books & Comics Charlie Jane Anders Mar 27 '12

The Samsung Galaxy Note Is Only Appropriate for an Elephant to Use

The Galaxy note, a 5.3-inch plastic and electric goiter of a hybrid crap phablet, hasn’t really taken off with the human population. Samsung, in an attempt at cute advertising, paired the “phone” with an elephant. Maybe it’s on to something! If you try to ignore the grinning actress pretending to be playing with this jungle…

Gadgets Sam Biddle Mar 27 '12

Japanese handshaking robot will inevitably be used for evil. Sexy evil.

Meet Osaka University’s remote handshaking telepresence device. Combine it with the Telenoid R1 sperm monster and the remote kissing machine for an erotic fiesta of disembodied horror. https://gizmodo.com/meet-the-telenoid-r1-a-casper-like-robot-that-will-hau-5601761 https://gizmodo.com/long-distance-relationships-of-the-future-will-be-more-5798457 [Via Diginfo]

io9 Cyriaque Lamar Mar 27 '12

Optical Illusion Turns Simple Pendant Into an Elaborate Chandelier

When design shop Troika was called upon to create a series of unique chandeliers for the Royal Society of Arts‘ headquarters in London, instead of engineering some hanging crystal monstrosity, they created a subtle fixture that barely exists when the lights are off. A small brass pendant filled with eight high-power LEDs hangs from the…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Mar 27 '12

Everything a Serious Stargazer Needs To Enjoy the Celestial Show

We’ve already brought you a beginner’s guide to astronomy, and the heavens recently lined up for an impressive celestial peepshow. Now, it’s time to take a look at the stargazing gear that will guarantee a fantastic front row seat to the heavens. https://gizmodo.com/six-tools-to-get-up-and-running-as-an-amateur-astronome-5840392 Meade MAX 20″ ACF Observatory Class Telescope Meade’s drool-worthy 20-inch Advanced Coma…

Space & Spaceflight Andrew Liszewski Mar 27 '12

Watching Sad Movies Actually Makes You Happier

From bawling your eyes out over Bambi as a kid, to the slow, painful tug of the heart strings that was Beginners, most of us are suckers for a sad film. But a new study suggests that the reason for that might be incredibly simple: It turns out that sad films make us happy. The…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe Mar 27 '12

Bask in the metallic magnificence of Stego-beetle

Stegosauria are some of the most widely recognized dinosaurs in history. And the Volkswagen beetle is one of the most iconic vehicles ever made. Combine the two, throw in some extra scrap metal, and you’ve got yourself some of the most badass dinosaur art this side of the Cretaceous. This sculpture featured up top hails…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Mar 27 '12

Major Highlights in the History of Space Opera

Space opera was born at the beginning of the Twentieth Century — and arguably, did more to define the last century than any other genre. For most of the previous century, our most thrilling dreams of adventure were inspired by the stories of starships, aliens and interstellar empires. A complete history of space opera would…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders and Gordon Jackson Mar 27 '12

AKG K495 NC Lightning Review: Hot-Sounding, Road-Ready, Noise-Canceling Headphones

Toting headphones back and forth across the country (or the city) is one of the best ways to expose their design flaws. Can the new AKG K495 NC noise-canceling headphones, with their burly build and audiophile pedigree, stand up that kind of punishment while delivering dulcet tones? Is this finally the ideal traveler’s kit? What…

Reviews Mario Aguilar Mar 27 '12

Gizmodo Video Intern Wanted

Hello there. We’re looking for a video intern who loves TV and tech, and can cut up video like a swordfish swimming in an ocean of Red Bull. (You must also be able to figure out what that means.) You will be assisting in the gathering and creation of video content, as well as learning…

Tech News Michael Hession Mar 27 '12

And the Winner of the True Tales of Dead Phone Battery Drama Contest Is…

The poll has been closed, the votes have been tallied, and the winner of the uncharged phone horror stories contest, with nearly 46% of the vote, is Phil W.’s tale of missing the opportunity to gather photographic evidence that his friend’s girl was, in fact, cheating on him. Phil, wingman of wingmen, has won a…

Tech News Sponsored post Mar 27 '12

Did Harry Potter Demand Just Take Down the Amazon Kindle Store? (Updated)

Just hours after all of the Harry Potter books were finally made available on the Kinde, the Amazon Kindle Store is experiencing some difficulties. Did fanatical Harry Potter fans rushing to download ebooks cause the outage? It seems plausible. Though you can navigate the Kindle Store, most titles are unavailable for purchase. Interestingly, several of…

Commerce Mario Aguilar Mar 27 '12

Strange Busty Russian Lady, Why in the Hell Are You Cooking Your Galaxy Nexus?

Behold the bizarre, picture-driven tale of the Russian lady who, after dropping her phone in her soon-to-be meal, decides to cook (and eat) the phone itself. But why? It doesn’t make sense. No words. None. What is her story? Where does she come from? Why is she doing this? Is this a viral marketing campaign…

Tech News Adrian Covert Mar 27 '12

Some flame retardants make fires more deadly

You’d think adding flame retardants to material would generally make it safer — but it seems that flame retardants can actually make fires more deadly. This alarming finding comes from new research presented by Dr Anna Stec from the University of Central Lancashire, at the American Chemical Society’s Spring meeting. Top image: Old Onliner on…

io9 Tim Barribeau Mar 27 '12

Mary Robinette Kowal explains why working within constraints makes you more creative

Mary Robinette Kowal is not only a Hugo and Campbell award-winning and Nebula-nominated author, she’s also a professional puppeteer, a costumer, a podcaster, an editor, outgoing SFWA vice president, and more. Her second novel Glamour in Glass, the sequel to Shades of Milk and Honey, comes out on April 10. Kowal talks to io9 about…

Books & Comics Sally Smith Mar 27 '12

Retired Wind Turbines Make For Fantastic Playground Equipment

Like any piece of machinery, wind turbines eventually wear out and need to be replaced. And in Europe, instead of just salvaging them for scrap when dismantled, they often find better uses like turning them into playground equipment. How often have you seen a turbine blade being delivered on a truck and thought it would…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Mar 27 '12

Your very first look at Hellboy’s trip to Hell

Hellboy’s been in a rough patch lately. It was only in last year’s miniseries The Fury that one of Big Red’s supernatural nemeses tore out his heart and killed him. Now that Hellboy’s dead, his final destination should be pretty obvious. Indeed, courtesy of Mike Mignola and Dark Horse Comics, here’s an exclusive first look…

io9 Cyriaque Lamar Mar 27 '12

This Yoda Backpack Is Your A-Jedi-Craves-Not-These-Things Deal of the Day

Although I try to live every day as if I were in a montage, I don’t know how long I would’ve lasted had I crashed on Dagobah. l’m not really Jedi material. I crave adventure and excitement. Plus, I hate it when teachers play tricks on me, which was basically what Yoda did to Luke.…

Tech News Kif Leswing Mar 27 '12

NYC Dept of Education wants to ban the word “dinosaur” from standardized tests

Their justification? The word “dinosaur” calls to mind other no-no words, like “evolution” (also on the proposed list of forbidden words), which could offend test-takers who might not necessarily believe in evolution. Or… dinosaurs? The fear, according to this report from CBS New York, is that certain words and topics could make students “feel unpleasant”…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Mar 27 '12

Choose the 4 Worst Science Fiction Movies Ever: The Last Airbender Vs. Highlander II!

We’re down to the Elite Eight in our quest to find the worst science fiction movie ever made. Who will it be? Mac & Me or Catwoman? Battlefield Earth or Batman & Robin? The time to vote is now! You can find all the polls down below. As far as criteria for voting goes, we…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins and Meredith Woerner Mar 27 '12

Bordertown has never looked so lovely: Your first look at the Welcome to Bordertown paperback

The Samsung Galaxy Note Is Only Appropriate for an Elephant to Use

Japanese handshaking robot will inevitably be used for evil. Sexy evil.

Optical Illusion Turns Simple Pendant Into an Elaborate Chandelier

Everything a Serious Stargazer Needs To Enjoy the Celestial Show

Watching Sad Movies Actually Makes You Happier

Bask in the metallic magnificence of Stego-beetle

Major Highlights in the History of Space Opera

AKG K495 NC Lightning Review: Hot-Sounding, Road-Ready, Noise-Canceling Headphones

Gizmodo Video Intern Wanted

And the Winner of the True Tales of Dead Phone Battery Drama Contest Is…

Did Harry Potter Demand Just Take Down the Amazon Kindle Store? (Updated)

Strange Busty Russian Lady, Why in the Hell Are You Cooking Your Galaxy Nexus?

Some flame retardants make fires more deadly

Mary Robinette Kowal explains why working within constraints makes you more creative

Retired Wind Turbines Make For Fantastic Playground Equipment

Your very first look at Hellboy’s trip to Hell

This Yoda Backpack Is Your A-Jedi-Craves-Not-These-Things Deal of the Day

NYC Dept of Education wants to ban the word “dinosaur” from standardized tests

Choose the 4 Worst Science Fiction Movies Ever: The Last Airbender Vs. Highlander II!

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