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German Avengers trailer reveals all new scenes. Plus a Farscape star joins Doctor Who!

John Carter’s Andrew Stanton and Michael Chabon explain the legacy of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Susan Sarandon reveals the insane process behind adapting Cloud Atlas. We may not have heard the last of Chronicle — and, for some reason, Terra Nova. Spoilers from here on out! Top image from Prometheus. The Avengers Here’s a German trailer,…

Television Alasdair Wilkins Mar 8 '12

The First-Ever Images of Atoms Moving Inside a Molecule

Ohio State University researchers have captured the first-ever images of atoms moving within a molecule using a novel technique that turns one of the molecules own electrons into a kind of flash bulb. The technique has yielded a new way of imaging molecules, but could one day help scientists to intimately control chemical reactions at…

Physics & Chemistry Clay Dillow-popular science Mar 8 '12

How to Turn Your Hoover Into a Hover Craft

Cleaning is dull. But don’t worry, there’s a solution: turn your Hoover into a hover craft. Not only is it a great displacement activity, it’ll also make cleaning your place easier. Double win. Over at Make there’s a detailed guide that leads you through the process of turning your Hoover into a machine that floats…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe Mar 8 '12

IBM’s Holey Optochip Pumps 1 Trillion Bits per Second

IBM Researchers have built an optical chip that can transfer more data per second than pretty much anything else on the planet. They call this transceiver the Holey Optochip – holey because they’ve taken a chip wafer and fired 48 holes in it so that laser light can be blasted in and out of the…

Tech News Robert McMillan-wired Mar 8 '12

Justice Department Threatens Apple With Lawsuit Over Ebook Price Fixing

The Justice Department has warned Apple, along with five major publishing houses, that it plans to sue them for joining forces to raise the price of ebooks, according to the Wall Street Journal. If successful, this could signal a future of affordable digital reading. The case is centered on the way Apple tried to change…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe Mar 8 '12

Chrome Finally Breached in Google’s $1 Million Hackathon

Google recently offered up prizes totaling $1 million for those capable of exploiting its browser Chrome. Now, at Google’s own competition called Pwnium, a student has walked away with one of the top prizes, earning $60,000 by hacking a PC running Chrome. Chrome has featured in Pwn2Own—a security competition run by HP—for the last four…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe Mar 8 '12

Wireless Data Could Move 1,000 Times Faster Thanks to Frequency Combs

That 4G connection pumping through your New iPad may seem lighting-quick compared to the 3G molasses you were used to, but LTE flows about as fast as old glass in the face of the Terahertz bandwidth that the University of Pittsburgh is studying. Current radio frequency technologies are limited to operating on the Gigahertz range.…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Mar 8 '12

Chimp Cops Were the First Cops

Chimp Cop may be a loose cannon, he may play hard and fast with his feces, but he’s the best damn detective this troupe has ever seen! And if there’s anyone that can defuse that banana bomb, you can bet your sweet, red ass it’s him. While that may be the Michael Bay interpretation of…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Mar 8 '12

Reefer vs. Reefaux, Fjord-Pining Parrots, and Things Not to Do on a Motorbike

Roll that spliff phatly, pack some fresh ice into the binger, and set the Volcano to “toastify.” It’s time for tonight’s Stoner Channel. We’ve collected our best high-times material for the discerning pothead so sit back, relax, and pass that shit on the left, yo. Tonight’s shot of Lemon Haze comes to us from reader…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Mar 8 '12

How Researchers Measure a Mouse’s Mood

You know what they say: give a mouse a Zoloft and he’ll ask for a Prozac. Give a mouse a Prozac and he’ll ask for a Lexapro. But how do researchers determine if the anti-depressent they’re developing is actually effective before giving it to people? It’s difficult determining how sad a mouse is because, “a…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Mar 7 '12

White House Will Simulate NYC Power Grid Attack to Teach the Senate a Lesson

The weather in New York City today was a pleasant 64 degrees but Gothamites had better hope it stays mild. The White House has announced that it will simulate an attack on the NYC power grid during the next heatwave. Oh, that’s just mean. The Executive branch—in cooperation with FBI, NSA, Homeland Security and Justice…

Privacy & Security Andrew Tarantola Mar 7 '12

The River is all about guilt and frustratingly impossible reality TV

I am really starting to wish that The River had just stopped after the first, incredibly riveting episode. Though there have continued to be scary moments in this show, and watching the actors perform is generally a pleasure, the writing and plotting have gone from bad to worse. Several episodes back, the “monster of the…

Television Annalee Newitz Mar 7 '12

New Microbial Fuel Cells Could Turn Sewage Plants Into Power Plants

Microbial fuel cells are notoriously inefficient. Electrodialysis systems are notoriously expensive. However if you combine the two and add some poo, they can turn waste water into a viable power source. The future of green energy is brown. A research team at Penn State announced a proof of concept device that can generate 0.9 kilowatt-hours…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Mar 7 '12

A Ghostly Snake on Mars

There’s only two ways to look at this: it’s a ghastly looking serpent snaking its way on the red planet, swallowing everything in its path and burrowing itself inside the planet’s core. OR it’s a gigantic floating sperm looking to impregnate the red egg with hopes of a Martian baby. Okay, I guess it could…

Space & Spaceflight Casey Chan Mar 7 '12

Meet the Clueless People Who Just Bought the iPad 2

Despite all the hype leading up to Apple’s new iPad, some people had no idea it was coming. FWD rounded up the best sad, pissed-off tweets from the unlucky souls who recently bought an iPad 2. [FWD]

Tech News Mario Aguilar Mar 7 '12

How the Animated Gif Grew from Meme to Medium

In the 25 years since the invention of the Gif file, it’s undergone an incredible metamorphosis developing from little more than a static image to become stunning cinemagraphs. PBS’s Off Book explores the history of the Gif. As Off Book summarizes, GIFs are one of the oldest image formats used on the web. Throughout their…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Mar 7 '12

You Can Now Download iOS Apps Up to 50MB Over 3G (or 4G)

Previously capped at 20MB over 3G, iOS app downloads up to 50MB can now be downloaded over 3G (or 4G in the new iPad LTE) in iOS 5.1. It’s a welcome increase as devs aren’t no longer handcuffed to a minuscule megabyte limit and have more freedom to do more stuff (if they want to…

Tech News Casey Chan Mar 7 '12

Today’s iPad Keynote in Just 99 Seconds

Were you at Apple’s “Resolutionary” (barf) event today? It’s OK, neither were we—but if you watch this video and put your face close to the screen, you’ll feel like you’re there. All in a minute and some change. Tim Cook! Retina Display! Prices! iPhoto! Tim Cook’s navy (?) shirt! It’s all here, and at warp…

Tech News Sam Biddle Mar 7 '12

Picture of the Day: March 7, 2012

READ AND WEEP | “Book Monster” by Chris Buzelli — see the whole thing at Drawger. Want to read today’s io9 stories a different way? Check out our blog view. Or visit Observation Deck, our general discussion forum.

io9 Charlie Jane Anders Mar 7 '12

How Much More the iPad’s Superfast 4G LTE Data Will Cost You (Updated)

The new iPad, with its retina display and 4G LTE connectivity, is about to do wonders for your personal entertainment needs. But that much pretty at those speeds could also decimate your data cap. Why? Because nicer visuals means bigger file sizes. Here’s how to limit the damage to your wallet. So yes, the iPad…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola Mar 7 '12

German Avengers trailer reveals all new scenes. Plus a Farscape star joins Doctor Who!

The First-Ever Images of Atoms Moving Inside a Molecule

How to Turn Your Hoover Into a Hover Craft

IBM’s Holey Optochip Pumps 1 Trillion Bits per Second

Justice Department Threatens Apple With Lawsuit Over Ebook Price Fixing

Chrome Finally Breached in Google’s $1 Million Hackathon

Wireless Data Could Move 1,000 Times Faster Thanks to Frequency Combs

Chimp Cops Were the First Cops

Reefer vs. Reefaux, Fjord-Pining Parrots, and Things Not to Do on a Motorbike

How Researchers Measure a Mouse’s Mood

White House Will Simulate NYC Power Grid Attack to Teach the Senate a Lesson

The River is all about guilt and frustratingly impossible reality TV

New Microbial Fuel Cells Could Turn Sewage Plants Into Power Plants

A Ghostly Snake on Mars

Meet the Clueless People Who Just Bought the iPad 2

How the Animated Gif Grew from Meme to Medium

You Can Now Download iOS Apps Up to 50MB Over 3G (or 4G)

Today’s iPad Keynote in Just 99 Seconds

Picture of the Day: March 7, 2012

How Much More the iPad’s Superfast 4G LTE Data Will Cost You (Updated)

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