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What is the Federal Research Public Access Act and why should you care about it?

Every year, the government funnels tens of billions of dollars toward scientific research — research that you help pay for with your taxes. These government-funded investigations give rise to an average of 65,000 peer-reviewed papers a year. Many of these papers, however, remain inaccessible to you unless you happen to subscribe to the journal in…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Feb 13 '12

A Dogfight Between a Klingon Battlecruiser and a Federation Starship in the Clouds

I can’t stop staring at this gorgeous image of a Klingon battlecruiser coming down on the USS Sagittarius (NCC-1894) in a low-atmosphere battle. This is the cover of this year’s Star Trek: Ships of the Line calendar, and it’s really splendid — even though I can’t tell where that yellow burst of energy hitting the…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders Feb 13 '12

Google’s Acquisition of Motorola Is Really Real

As far as the Department of Justice is concerned, Google’s swallowing of Motorola Mobility isn’t going to violate any antitrust laws, so they gave it the OK. Long story short, we won’t be seeing a repeat of the whole AT&T-Mobile ordeal. [Reuters] https://gizmodo.com/google-is-buying-motorola-5830842

Tech News Adrian Covert Feb 13 '12

Your Heartbeat Could Be Your Password

A technology in the works might soon allow you to unlock your hard drive by simply touching your keyboard. Your unique heartbeat, emitted through your fingertip, would be your password. Chun-Liang Lin and his team at the National Chung Hsing University in Taichung, Taiwan translated a human heartbeat into an encryption key using an electrocardiograph…

Tech News Kristen Philipkoski Feb 13 '12

Could Hollywood do justice to Richard K. Morgan’s scary, intense Altered Carbon?

Hollywood has a mixed history with cyberpunk, to say the least — so the news of a movie version of Richard K. Morgan’s ultra-noir Altered Carbon getting fast-tracked makes us a bit nervous. So much of what’s great about that book is the intense violence and weird sex work… and then there’s the long torture…

Movies Charlie Jane Anders Feb 13 '12

When Progress Leaves Us in the Dark

The Obama administration has prosecuted more government officials for media leaks than any other before it. Combined. The New York Times notes the government’s ability to perpetually keep tabs on anyone with security clearance. This more vigorous approach can mostly be attributed to rapid advances in technology. But to what extent will this cripple the…

Privacy & Security Adrian Covert Feb 13 '12

DIY Rapid-Fire Pellet Gun Shoots Your Eye Out For Just $15

YouTuber Nighthawkinlight shows you how to turn $15 worth of air hose parts, and a plastic soda bottle, into a remarkably devastating airsoft-like pellet gun that will riddle a foam target into dust. Except, they fail to mention that the whole thing is powered by a tank of gas or air compressor that will most…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Feb 13 '12

Some of the Most Gorgeous Macrophotography We’ve Seen in Ages

Whether he’s photographing snowflakes, or the coiled shell of a snail, German photographer Matthias Lenke has a way of bringing out the details in his subjects — but he does an especially breathtaking job with insects. We think you’ll agree. The images you see here were photographed by Lenke over the course of 2011 and…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Feb 13 '12

Ghostbusters III can actually get worse: Bill Murray role could be recast

As Dan Aykroyd continues his insane quest to make a third Ghostbusters movie, he’s hit on the crackpottiest idea yet — recasting the role of Peter Venkman, played by Bill Murray in the first two movies. At least, that’s what Aykroyd told Empire Magazine when he visited with them over the weekend. On the plus…

io9 Charlie Jane Anders Feb 13 '12

Bacteria Battling Water Bottle Uses a UV Blasting Cap

Camelbak’s best known for its water-filled backpacks, but instead of focusing on just hydration, the company’s new All Clear bottle incorporates a bacteria eliminating ultraviolet cap for those times when you have to fill up from a non-filtered source. Instead of replaceable filters or chemical additives, to purify 25 ounces of water all you have…

Health Andrew Liszewski Feb 13 '12

Game of Thrones Valentines: So Full of Win, You’ll Die

Celebrate Valentine’s Day, Westeros-style — with these incredible Game of Thrones V-day cards by illustrator Chris Bishop. When he’s not doing children’s illustrations or working for PBS Kids, Bishop is apparently trying to think of ways to celebrate incest, murder and horrific mutilations in greeting card form. There’s a whole printable version over at Bishop’s…

Television Charlie Jane Anders Feb 13 '12

If Battlestar Galactica was a nature film, it would look like this

For his time-lapse movie of the South Dakotan night sky, photographer Randy Halverson recruited Battlestar Galactica composer Bear McCreary (who we recently chatted with here) to supply an original soundtrack. The result is Temporal Distortion, a short film that will make you feel like a Cylon sleeper agent staring at the stars. Explains Halverson: https://gizmodo.com/bear-mccreary-reveals-the-physics-behind-your-favorite-5883406…

io9 Cyriaque Lamar Feb 13 '12

Windows 8 on ARM: Everything You Need To Know

Up until late last week Windows 8 on ARM was a complete mystery. We know the product existed, that it would launch at some point in the future, and it would sport the Metro interface Microsoft has been showing off for almost a year now. The silence on just about everything else had led many…

Tech News Justin Kerr - MaximumPC Feb 13 '12

A super-sized Sun could explain why Earth didn’t freeze to death long ago

Sun-like stars become brighter over the course of their long lives, which means that the Sun once provided Earth with far less heat than it does now – so much less, in fact, that life should have been impossible. This is known as the faint young Sun paradox, and it was first identified by astronomers…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins Feb 13 '12

The Bulldog Security Deluxe 500 2-Way Vehicle Starter System Is Your I-No-Longer-Fear-The-Cold Deal of the Day

For some reason the wheel is often identified as mankind’s greatest invention. But let me tell you, it’s not. Do you know what is? The remote control. I don’t care if it’s for your TV, your radio, your toy helicopter, or even your folding mattress, being able to do things remotely is mankind’s greatest gift…

Tech News Gizmodo Deals Feb 13 '12

The Most Complicated Way to Ruin Your MacBook

If you’ve got some time on your hands and never really liked your MacBook anyway, then you should think about dying it. Not only will it ruin your laptop’s iconic design, it also takes hours to do. Over at Brain Deadlock, there’s a comprehensive step-by-step guide which shows you exactly how to dye your MacBook…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe Feb 13 '12

Remember when Nikola Tesla teamed up with Optimus Prime to battle Lovecraftian Decepticons?

Remember those curious Cthulhu Transformers? Courtesy of IDW Publishing, here’s a sneak peek at the second issue of the Infestation 2: Transformers miniseries, which features more tentacled robots and Optimus Prime meeting Tesla. Edison was hanging out with the Gobots, presumably. This issue hits stores Wednesday, February 15. Here’s the plot synopsis: https://gizmodo.com/cthulhu-transformers-something-wed-never-thought-wed-5879730 Infestation 2:…

Books & Comics Cyriaque Lamar Feb 13 '12

Here Are the Crazy Things the TSA Found Last Week: Cannonballs, Grenades, Ninja Stars and More

We poke fun of the TSA for being dumb but sometimes we forget that normal people do even dumber things. Like pack a grenade launcher in their carry on. Or try to bring a cannonball on board. Here’s a list of the crazy things the TSA found just last week. In the picture above, from…

Privacy & Security Casey Chan Feb 13 '12

Watch the original footage of the “live woolly mammoth” video

Last week, the internet exploded when The Sun claimed to be in possession of footage that shows a live (albeit suspiciously blurry) woolly mammoth crossing a river in Russia. Now, the original video used to create the dubious clip has surfaced. https://gizmodo.com/woolly-mammoth-alive-and-caught-on-tape-maybe-5883483 In their original coverage, The Sun reported that the video had been shot…

io9 Robbie Gonzalez Feb 13 '12

Why I’ll Never Trust a Human With My Data Again (Updated)

On Valentine’s Day, I may have an unexpected present: My websites might all go dark, and a decade’s worth of data may vanish. My host’s domain registration is set to expire tomorrow, and the man behind it has disappeared. (Update: He’s back! See below.) Like a lot of other people, I came across Cornerhost when…

Tech News Mat Honan Feb 13 '12

What is the Federal Research Public Access Act and why should you care about it?

A Dogfight Between a Klingon Battlecruiser and a Federation Starship in the Clouds

Google’s Acquisition of Motorola Is Really Real

Your Heartbeat Could Be Your Password

Could Hollywood do justice to Richard K. Morgan’s scary, intense Altered Carbon?

When Progress Leaves Us in the Dark

DIY Rapid-Fire Pellet Gun Shoots Your Eye Out For Just $15

Some of the Most Gorgeous Macrophotography We’ve Seen in Ages

Ghostbusters III can actually get worse: Bill Murray role could be recast

Bacteria Battling Water Bottle Uses a UV Blasting Cap

Game of Thrones Valentines: So Full of Win, You’ll Die

If Battlestar Galactica was a nature film, it would look like this

Windows 8 on ARM: Everything You Need To Know

A super-sized Sun could explain why Earth didn’t freeze to death long ago

The Bulldog Security Deluxe 500 2-Way Vehicle Starter System Is Your I-No-Longer-Fear-The-Cold Deal of the Day

The Most Complicated Way to Ruin Your MacBook

Remember when Nikola Tesla teamed up with Optimus Prime to battle Lovecraftian Decepticons?

Here Are the Crazy Things the TSA Found Last Week: Cannonballs, Grenades, Ninja Stars and More

Watch the original footage of the “live woolly mammoth” video

Why I’ll Never Trust a Human With My Data Again (Updated)

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