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The Cancer-Spotting Smartphone Camera Inspired By Shrimps

The lengthy wait for a cancer diagnosis can be one of the most stressful periods of the illness. But what if you could diagnose yourself, without the need for a doctor, in an instant, with a smartphone camera? That’s what researchers at the University of Queensland in Australia are hoping to make possible, with the…

What iOS 8’s QuickType Does to Famous Movie Quotes

Apple’s QuickType means that iOS 8 can now create entire sentences for you based on what you’ve already typed. But what happens when you challenge it to complete famous movie quotes? https://gizmodo.com/quicktype-could-be-the-most-fun-you-have-with-ios-8-1636100368 All kinds of madness is what, as Randall Munroe demonstrates on XKCD. “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not GOING TO THE GYM TODAY.”…

This is how medieval knights fought inside their clunky armors

My uncle used to own an old medieval Spanish armor. I remember looking at it and thinking how the hell knights could fight stuffed inside those heavy and clunky metal suits. This video shows how: Reconstructing medieval fight techniques using combat treatises of that time as a reference. SPLOID is a new blog about awesome…

Every Backyard Was Sorely Lacking in the Fires of Mount Doom. Until Now.

There was only one and now it’s gone. One firepit to rule them all, now in the hands of some lucky etsy customer. I really hope it was Sauron, decorating Mordor with things found on Pinterest. A) This is awesome. B) So many joke possibilities, but I think I’m going with “Hold out your hand,…

Facebook Is Going to Use Its Data to Sell Ads on Third Party Sites

Facebook has been taking advertising more seriously than ever recently. Now it’s taking things to the next level though—by using its data to sell targeted ads on third party sites. http://gizmodo.com/facebook-is-now-sharing-your-browsing-history-with-adve-1589809318/all Re/code reports that Facebook is rolling out a new advertising scheme that “lets advertisers buy ads, via Facebook, on properties Facebook doesn’t own.” In…

Microsoft Is Opening a Flagship New York Store on Fifth Avenue

Microsoft has announced that it’s opening its first Manhattan flagship store, and it will be on Fifth Avenue—just a few blocks from Apple’s iconic glass cube. Rumors have swirled for the past couple of months about Microsoft wanting to open a fancy store in NYC. Now, it’s announced that it will be setting up shop…

Ten dancing drones join the Cirque du Soleil in one spectacular film

I can’t believe no CGI was used in the making of this beautiful short film: An electrician dances with ten flying lamp shades—drones in disguise—in a mesmerizing choreography. A computer controls the drones so they move in synch and interact with the actor. To make this happen Cirque du Soleil teamed up with one of…

Outlander Delivers a Giant Cliffhanger Before Leaving Us for 6 Months

Well, that was a cliffhanger. Outlander’s been all about the slow-burn all season, and the midseason finale followed in that tradition handily. Spoilers… First off, we return to 1945 to see Frank’s fruitless search for his missing wife. It’s been a long time since we’ve spent any significant time with Tobias Menzies as Frank and…

Neil Gaiman’s Account of Terry Pratchett’s Quiet Rage Is a Must-Read

A while back, Neil Gaiman heard someone said of Terry Pratchett, “What a jolly old elf Sir Terry is.” And that struck his long-time friend and sometime collaborator as absolutely wrong. So Gaiman took pen to paper to explain why. In The Guardian is an sxcerpt from Neil Gaiman’s introduction to A Slip of the…

The Orion Spacecraft Is Almost Ready For Testing!

Today the prototype Orion spacecraft made its final move before heading to the launch pad for testing in December. The monster machine was carefully shuffled around the Kennedy Space Center, leaving its fuelling station and heading to the installation of the Launch Abort System. Top image: Orion making a quick turn on the apron during…

James Franco’s Saturday Night Shows Why SNL Is a Weekly TV Miracle

Last night, Saturday Night Live kicked off its 40th season (did you watch it!). It’s a major milestone to be sure, but how exactly is it made? Countless books have been written on the subject but established actor and fledgling documentarian James Franco tries to capture the tortuous late nights and constant rehearsals required to…

It’s hard to believe, but this spectacular shot was not grabbed from some brand new Hollywood movie. This Army Air Corps Apache took part in this dramatic display at the Royal International Air Tattoo at Royal Air Force air base, Fairford, UK. [Uncropped photo: Cpl Neil Bryden RAF/MoD/Crown]

Alleged iOS 8 Passcode Bypass Appears to Be Bogus (Updated)

YouTube user EverythingApplesPro claims to have found a security vulnerability involving Apple’s iOS 8 Touch ID and Passcode. Update: After further testing, we’ve determined that this is almost definitely just Touch ID registering the thumbprint on a hair trigger. This post originally indicated that the bypass was legitimate, based on incomplete testing on our part.…

This Woman Made A Death Star Dress. All Other Dresses Are Inferior.

I mean. Her purse, you guys. Her purse is a Star Destroyer. Above: Death Star Girl in her Death Star Gown. The outfit reportedly weighs over 20 pounds, nearly ten of which can be attributed to the steel hoops that lend the garment its structure. Add around 900 foam tiles, a couple handfuls of D…

After 20 Years, Ween’s Chocolate and Cheese Remains Delightfully Odd

When Ween released their fourth studio album Chocolate and Cheese in September 1994, I was six years old. At the time, I was most likely rocking out to Raffi’s Greatest Hits or something. Fast forward a decade later, featuring a more mature albeit acne-ridden adolescent, and I’m listening to the weirdest song I’ve ever heard.…

Instagram Blackout Continues During Protests in Hong Kong

China continues its disturbing trend of social media crackdowns as pro-democracy protests flare in Hong Kong. Web services, such as Blocked In China, who monitor the government’s abusive censorship, confirms that the blackout spreads across the country. Up until this point, Facebook’s image sharing application had pretty much avoided government censors. Instead, China has often…

Our Favorite Android, iOS, and Windows Phone Apps of the Week

Nothing like a lazy Sunday afternoon to play around with your smartphone. Reward that glowing pocket rectangle for its selfless dedication with some fresh new apps! Multi-Platform Updates Circa News Wire Billing itself as the kind of distilled news feed the President might use, Circa’s newest update introduces Wire: A personalized daily news brief with…

Back of the Box – 09/28/2014

September’s wrapping up – it’s one month down, two to go for Toybox’s time with the Recruit program. Let’s catch up with this week’s look back at all things pop culture. It was a quieter week for the sub-site, but still an overwhelmingly good one – we hit 415k US People! I still can’t believe…

Ello Experiences Its First DDoS Attack (Update)

Ello, the upstart social network that’s grown in massive popularity of the past week, is currently down. Whether for maintenance or more nefarious purposes, it isn’t outwardly explicit. According to its current status page, the site is investigating the cause but is leaning toward a possible denial of service (DDoS) attack. The company started investigating…

Baristas Don’t Write Names on Cups At the CIA Headquarters Starbucks

Welcome to Reading List, Gizmodo’s Sunday afternoon roundup of the best writing from around the web. This week, we’ve got great stuff from Wired, The Washington Post, and more. Let’s dig in! One of Starbucks’ busiest locations is the on-campus coffee shop at CIA headquarters. Inside, it looks like any other franchise cafe, but things…