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Election Is the Funniest Horror Movie About Ambitious Women Ever Made

Of all the teen comedies made in the 90s/early 00s, Election is often overshadowed by bigger hits like Clueless and Mean Girls. But the Alexander Payne-helmed high school election movie has clawed out a pop culture legacy through its maniacally driven female lead, Tracy Flick, the type-A striver epitomized. Flick (Reese Witherspoon) is a new…

A Smart 9-Volt Battery Adds Phone Notifications to Any Smoke Detector

There are plenty of smart smoke detectors on the market that connect to your home’s Wi-Fi network to provide smartphone notifications when there’s trouble, but they’re an expensive upgrade to the dumb smoke detector you’ve (hopefully) already got watching over your home. The $40 Roost promises pretty much the same functionality as those smart alternatives,…

Dr. Dre and Eminem: Forgot About Dre

Today I fell down a Vine rabbithole that led me to this goodness: A guy who forgot about Dre. Don’t be that guy! Go listen to Chronic 2001. Happy Wednesday, and don’t forget about Apple VP Andre Young. [Spotify, iTunes, Amazon] Welcome to Soundtrack, what Gizmodo’s staff is listening to every night.

A microbe found in a grassy field appears to contain a remarkably powerful antibiotic. Called teixobactin, it kills dangerous pathogens without any observable resistance (at least not yet). Moreover, it destroys many types of drug-resistant bacteria and it’s safe in mammals. Its use may be limited, but it could represent a new class of antibiotics.…

With War Dogs, Greg Bear Takes Military SF To Some Very Strange Places

Military science fiction has a long tradition of speculating about the nature of warfare. Greg Bear, fresh off of a tour in Microsoft’s Halo universe, seemed like the next Big Thing when it came to combat SF with his latest, War Dogs. And, he delivers an interesting story, but it’s not quite the one you…

NYC taxi medallion prices have fallen almost 25% since last year

The New York Times’ Upshot blog reports that regular New York City taxi medallion prices have fallen about 23 percent since last year’s peak. A medallion now sets taxi drivers back about $805,000. Why are prices plunging? Uber. Well, probably. New York City, like other major cities, regulates the number of taxis allowed on the…

The Clip-On Clockety Turns Your iPhone Into a Projection Alarm Clock

When you wake up exhausted in the morning wondering if it’s time to get up and go to work, the last thing you really want is your smartphone’s bright display blinding you while you check the time. So the snap-on Clockety turns your iPhone into a projection alarm clock, displaying the time on your bedroom…

Ethan Hawke Is A Tortured Drone Pilot In The Dystopian Good Kill

Director Andrew Niccol is best known for creating futuristic dystopias, like Gattaca or In Time. But he’s often at his best when he creates a dystopia that’s set in a darker version of the “now,” like Lord of War. Check out the trailer for Good Kill, where Niccol is holding up a dark mirror to…

Carl Sagan Saying ‘Billion.’ Once. In Slow Motion. For One Hour.

By rights, this is what space should sound like. Reader John Kannenberg sent us a really weird recording of Carl Sagan saying the word “billion” during the first episode of Cosmos. Actually, what’s weird about the audio isn’t Sagan saying “billion” (he did that kind of a lot), but that it’s been stretched out to…

This “Oculus Killer” Looks Like a Gigantic Tron Nightmare Shoebox

There’s a hot new virtual reality headset in town. At least that’s what the booth decorations would have you believe. It’s got head tracking! It’s fully immersive! It’s an Oculus Killer! Okay so maybe not quite. It’s pretty obvious this thing is silly as hell just from the outside looking in. I mean, it looks…

There is always money in the banana stand

Inspired by the minifigure from the new set, Gorilla Grodd Goes Bananas (76026), Bruce Lowell has recreated the frozen banana stand from Arrested Development. This super clever build is the first that Bruce has shared for the year. I’m going to assume that there are 1×2 money tiles hidden in the walls. You’re reading Leg…

The LEGO Movie Directors Reveal What The Sequel Will Be About

We’re thrilled that LEGO Movie writers and directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller will be back to script the sequel, and it sounds like they’ve already got a basic plot for the second movie in mind. So how are they going to handle that big revelation at the end of the first movie? Spoilers ahead.…

Shooting Challenge: Snowy Scenes

The holidays are over, and we’re left with nothing to look forward to but a few more months of bitter cold weather. Oh, and snow! Lots of snow! So let’s take photos of snow! The Challenge Take a photo with snow as its subject—that can be a snowy scene, where everything is dusted, or a…

We Now Know Why Disco Clams Are So Freaking Flashy

The memorably-named Disco Clam is back in the news, and biologists may have figured out why this unique (and until-now mysterious) coral reef dweller emits flashes of light. As National Geographic reports, UC Berkeley grad student Lindsey Dougherty — who previously deduced that the flashes are caused not by bioluminescene, but by “reflecting light through…

Vivo Air Hands On: A Crazy Thin, Crazy Light, Crazy Cheap Smartphone

Apple likes to “Air” things. Macbook Air, iPad Air, and so on. But if Cupertino were going to Air the iPhone, it might look something like this. One key difference? This phone is only $200. Off contract. BLU, the budget-friendly, Miami-based smartphone maker, has crowed that it brought the thinnest and lightest phone to CES…

Denmark Just Set a Major World Record For Wind Energy 

There’s been plenty of criticism of wind power over the past few years, as adoption grows and potential side effects emerge. That hasn’t stopped energy progressive Denmark, which set a world record by generating a huge 39 percent of its electricity via wind in 2014. According to a new report from Think Progress, the country…

Lego Batman’s New Sidekick: A Literal Lego Robin

Holy Erithacus rubecula, Batman! This is just too damn cute. Flickr User CakeInMilk has given Lego Batman – complete with 60’s style Lego Batmobile – a new partner in crime: An adorable Robin that looks like… err, Robin! CakeInMilk used design of the Robin featured in the the recently released Lego Ideas set ‘Birds‘, designed…

Yunnan, China’s Vanishing Paddy Fields

Photographer Samuel Peck recently visited Yunnan, China to capture images of its paddy fields. The region’s vast swaths of flooded, arable land are among the largest and most scenic on Earth. When he arrived, however, Peck learned of their rapid disappearance – a vanishing act spurred by aggressive urbanization and a burgeoning tourism industry. “To…

Flying Car Prototype From 1990 Going Up For Auction

Want to own your very own flying car? Will you settle for a prototype that never left the ground? Well then you’re in luck! Because the Barrett-Jackson auction in Arizona has a 1990 prototype with your name on it. The car is called the Sky Commuter and was produced in 1990 by a company in…

Daredevil Has An Official Premiere Date

Marvel’s new Netflix series Daredevil finally has a release date. The entire series will premiere on April 10th. And if you’re wondering if this series was built to be binge watched, you’re right. Actor Charlie Cox confirmed out binge hopes letting the public know at NYCC,“Ending an episode with a cliffhanger is kind of pointless.…