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The Family Behind The Balloon Boy

While authorities still search for Colorado’s Falcon Heene, and we dearly hope he turns up unharmed, we wondered why the Heenes constructed this contraption in the first place — and uncovered Mr. Heene’s attempt to prove there’s life on Mars. https://gizmodo.com/6-year-old-stuck-in-giant-ufo-balloon-2-500-feet-over-c-5382649 According to the Denver Post, the father, Richard Heene, is an amateur scientist, and…

Lite iPhone Apps Are Dead: In-App Purchases Come to Free Apps

Until now, the in-app purchases intro’d with iPhone 3.0 were restricted to pay applications—presumably, over concerns of bait-and-switch tactics. Well, now developers can ask you to buy stuff in free apps, too, effectively allowing upgrades for free apps. What that means, as Apple says, is that it eliminates the need to create “Lite” versions of…

Clamp-On Table Legs Turn Trash Into Fancy Trash

Sometimes it takes money to look like you pulled all of your furniture out of the dump. These brilliant but expensive clamp-on table legs are no exception. Available in black, orange or untreated steel, these 29-inch Re-vive legs from Cohda Design can accommodate tabletops up to 66 lbs without the need for drills or screws.…

You Too Can Fly Away In a Your Very Own Blimp

You don’t need crazy parents to fly away in the atmosphere and spark a massive police search. In fact, there’s a whole subculture of backyard blimp crazies. https://gizmodo.com/boy-flies-away-uncontrollably-in-homemade-flying-saucer-5382627 The big trick with these homemade blimps is using hot air (read:fire) for lift power, like a hot air balloon, instead of helium or hydrogen. Dan Nachbar’s…

250 GB PS3 Coming November 3 for $349

After the European release, we knew a higher capacity PS3 Slim was coming. Well, here it is. You’ll be able to pick the slightly beefed-up console just in time for the holidays. [Kotaku] https://gizmodo.com/250gb-ps3-slim-now-official-uk-bundles-include-blu-ray-5367639

Former Microsoft Technology Chief Wants To Block Out the Sun With Liquid Sulfur

Former Microsoft Tech chief Nathan Myhrvold wants to dim the sun’s rays with liquid sulfur pumped from helium-filled balloons. But it’s not like he is sitting behind a desk, tapping his fingers together muttering "excellent" or anything. In fact, the idea is intended to save the planet from the scourge of global warming. The “Stratoshield”,…

I Would Love For Dyson To Make a Spoon That Propelled Food Into My Mouth

This cartoon by Lunchbreath illustrates additional opportunities for Dyson to profit mightily off the the technology that went into his new Air Multiplier fan. https://gizmodo.com/10-of-your-funniest-nerdiest-comic-strips-5375407/ I mean yeah, the prices are a joke, but how many of you would actually consider spending $400 on a spoon that eliminated one step in the eating process while…

The Spine-Tingling Glamour of Hammer Pinup Girls

Just in time for Halloween, Titan Books has released Hammer Glamour, a luscious coffee table book that collects pinup images of beauties featured in iconic Hammer Studios movies of the 1960s and 70s. These ladies helped redefine the horror genre. Hammer was a UK studio whose mid-twentieth century reimaginings of popular monsters like Dracula reinvigorated…

Cool events in the world of science and science fiction.

You Haven’t Tasted Spice Until You’ve Tasted It in Zero G

The following is an unpaid, untrue advertisement for the Zero G spice rack, which, incidentally, is real $44 product at Yanko Design selling under a slightly different name. ZERO G!!!!!! SPICE RACK!!!!! YOU HAVEN’T TASTED SPICE UNTIL YOU’VE TASTED IT IN ZERO G!! ZERO G!!!!! THE CANISTERS STICK UPSIDE DOWN!!! ZERO G!!! THE TASTE IS…

6-Year-Old Stuck In Giant UFO Balloon 2,500 Feet Over Colorado UPDATE

Police in Fort Collins, Colorado are desperately attempting to save a 6-year-old boy who floated away in a 20-foot homemade balloon. Officials are figuring out how to remove the boy, stranded in the sky, without “ripping the balloon to shreds.” The child reportedly crawled into his parent’s experimental balloon, untied it, and took off earlier…

What’s The Difference Between Denouement And Picking At A Scab?

So your space-wizard novel has resolved its epic storyline: Your hero has defeated your villain, or your central mystery’s been solved. But unlike your hero, your work isn’t done: there’s still the denouement, where we find out what happens afterwards. It’s another outing of Free Advice for Struggling Writers, our semi-regular writing advice column, in…

Even the Dollhouse Has Been Hit by the Recession

You would think that there would always be a market for pretty, programmable people, but it appears that even the ultra-rich need to curb their spending in tough times. A pair of leaked memos suggest Dollhouse LA needs new clients. A “leaked” memo from Adelle DeWitt appeared the other day, telling the Dollhouse sales staff…

Sweden’s New Green Tech: Heating Homes With Bunny Corpses

“It sure is warm and toasty in here! Is that a wood stove?,” I asked. “Why no,” she replied. “I’m burning the corpses of thousands of bunnies.” Then there was an awkward silence. Why rabbits? The fuzzy critters have actually become a bit of a pest in Sweden; wild and stray pet rabbits alike have…

Boy Flies Away Uncontrollably in Homemade Flying Saucer

6-yo boy Falcon Heene—who allegedly was flying uncontrollably inside a homemade spaceship-shaped helium balloon, now landed—has not been found yet. Colorado police are searching for him now. [Update: Boy was safe, hiding at home. ] Authorities are trying to rescue the balloon but there’s no much they can do about it, as the UFO is…

Gadget Deals of the Day

Winter days are perfect for cozying up on a warm couch with a good film. We have great Blu-Ray player deals today that will help make those cold blustery days enjoyable, check out Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. and Up too. Top Deals: • Dell Vostro 220s Desktop with 20″ LCD for $399 plus free shipping (normally…

Make a New Suzuki Boulevard Officially Yours

There’s just something about a cruiser motorcycle—loud, low-slung, loads of attitude. Unfortunately, owning one can be like a crappy relationship: all your time and cash is spent keeping it running, with no time left for the love. Well, not any more. With the Suzuki Boulevard C50 and M50, you get a cruiser that will turn…

Dollhouse Memos

Dollhouse Memos

Apple’s Jailbreak-Proof iPhone 3GS Units Totally Aren’t

iPhone 3GSes now ship with a chained-down boot ROM, intended to thwart jailbreakers at a fundamental level. It’s already been cracked. But for what it’s worth (seriously, what?), it has made life outside the App Store a little less convenient. https://gizmodo.com/apples-shipping-jailbreak-resistant-iphone-3gs-units-5381095 It turns out the new boot ROM doesn’t totally prevent the 24kpwn exploit employed…

Good News, You’re Not Infringing Copyrights When Your Ringtone Goes Off

Funny thing about ringtones: A royalty’s paid every time one’s downloaded, but the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers wanted royalties paid every time one is played, claiming that it’s a public performance. A federal judge says nope. Interestingly, some ringtone services actually did pay performance royalties at one point. US District Court Judge…