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The internet, according to Playboy magazine, in 1996

Back in the mid-1990s, everyone was exceedingly jazzed about the internet. In fact, people were so darn excited that it was impossible to leave the house without being smacked upside the head by such jargon as “electronic mail,” “mouse,” or “CD-ROM drive!” And nobody was more enamored of the promise of the cyber-frontier than Playboy…

The Pellet Stove That Actually Looks Like It Was Made in the 21st Century

We previously extolled the virtues of the space heater for warmth when the deep chill of winter arrives. But gazing at this pellet stove—a very modern-looking pellet stove—we’re rethinking what we want in our homes come December. https://gizmodo.com/the-space-heater-that-will-keep-your-house-warm-and-sty-5945937 Vescovi’s Ambra pellet stove is less than a 12-inches deep, meaning it won’t eat up space in…

Ikea Will Only Sell LED Lights Soon

By now, energy- and cash-conscious people probably know it’s a good idea to use compact fluorescent or halogen bulbs instead of incandescents. But Ikea wants to help move the needle further and faster towards energy-efficient lighting: The company says that by 2016 it will only sell LED lights. Ikea is the first US furniture retailer…

Astronomers Discover Huge Comet Hurtling Towards Us

The Mayan Apocalypse nutcases will pass out when they learn that two Russian astronomers have discovered a new and gigantic comet coming in our direction—a huge two-mile wide ball of ice and rock that “may [become] one of the brightest in history.” The comet is now passing by Saturn, gaining speed and becoming brighter by…

Meet the hexaflexagon. It’s about to blow your mind.

Remember the first time you saw a Möbius strip (the ring-shaped surface with only one side) and it felt like your world had been turned upside down? The hexaflexagon tends to have a similar effect. Only more so. In this, her latest video, fast-thinking, faster-talking YouTube-maths-wizard Vi Hart presents us with the topologically fascinating hexaflexagon.…

North Korea blows up the Pacific Northwest in the first clip from Red Dawn

The first clip from the Red Dawn remake is out, and it’s filling the American sky with computer-generated North Koreans. Well, the paratroopers were Chinese first, until moviemakers decided they didn’t want to lose the Chinese market. Oof. But here it is, with Chris Hemsworth nobly running after his father at the first signs of…

Iran Walks Back Internet Censorship, Restores Gmail

After seriously flipping out, cutting of Iranian access to Google and basically herding all its citizens into a tiny little government-approved intra-net pen, the Iranian government has softened its Internet ban just a little bit and restored access to Gmail. https://gizmodo.com/iran-shuts-down-google-will-completely-cut-citizens-of-5945862 Though the outcry against censoring the Internet at large was loud, the backlash against…

How to Stop Your Verizon iPhone 5 from Using Waaaaaay Too Much Data

Verizon iPhones have had a killer problem since the iPhone 5 launched: The new Apple handset has been sucking down a TON of data, even when it’s connected to Wi-Fi. Apple has pushed a patch live—here’s how to get it super quickly and easily. All you need to do is go into Settings > General…

See-Through Soil Reveals the Secret Lives of Roots

To help them better understand root growth in plants, researchers at James Hutton Institute and the University of Abertay Dundee have developed a transparent soil that makes studying what happens underground as easy as staring through a window. It took the researchers over two years to find and develop a material that could perfectly replicate…

New Flying Lotus video features a Katamari-like robot that devours everything

Electronic musician Flying Lotus has teamed up with surrealist British animator Cyriak to produce a short film for the song, “Putty Boy Strut” — and it’s super cute. The video is clearly inspired by the popular Japanese game, Katamari Damacy, which features hungry robots who get increasingly larger as they collect everything around them in…

Happy 30th Birthday to the CD, Digital Music’s Patient Zero

30 years ago today, a game-changing pair of products were announced: Billy Joel’s 52nd Street on Compact Disc, and the Sony CDP-101, the first device to be able to play it. And the age of the CD was born. A joint effort of Phillips and Sony, which had both been working independently on different versions…

What would happen if every creature in the animal kingdom had a human skeleton?

Who needs a fascinatingly creep-ball cartoon to kick off October? We’re going to veto the lone dissenter in the peanut gallery because Hominid — this short animation by director Brian Andrews — is icky in all the right ways. In addition to this short, Andrews creates composite photography (which can be seen here) that tosses…

Transforming Cap Guarantees You’ve Always Got a Lens Hood Handy

Perfect for photographers who don’t dig the lens flare look but want to keep their kit as minimal as possible, the awkwardly-named Hoocap combines a lens cap and hood into a clever transforming accessory. It keeps fingerprints and scratches off your lens, and glare and flares off your photos. At the moment the Hoocap’s only…

Like the GOP primary debates before them, the upcoming presidential debates will be streamed live on YouTube. Civics!

The power of armadillo penises: why more scientists should tell stories

For many scientists, narrative does not come naturally — but it can be a remarkably useful tool. Case in point: armadillo penises. Armadillo penises have the power to change the way people think about scientists and the animals they experiment with; they just need someone to tell their story. Over at Last Word on Nothing,…

New 1080p Slingbox Makes Unexpected Debut at Best Buy

Zats Not Funny spotted what appear to be two new models of the Slingbox at Best Buy. The Slingbox 350 and Slingbox 500 would be the first refresh of the Internet streaming box in ages. It’s about time! Whereas the old Slingboxes streamed TV from your living room to wherever you are at standard definition…

Should we send a robotic boat to explore Titan’s methane lakes?

A group of European scientists and engineers are working on a plan to send a boat to Titan. Called the Titan Lake In-situ Sampling Propelled Explorer (TALISE), the group is proposing that we send an instrument-laden boat-probe to Saturn’s largest moon — one that would be propelled by paddles, inflatable wheels, or screws. The probe…

No, You’re Not Getting 25GB Free iCloud Storage Until 2050

Were you notified over the weekend that Apple had upgraded your iCloud plan to 25GB, good through… 2050? Don’t get too excited; it’s almost certainly just a glitch. Some users noticed that their plans had been bumped for no reason. While Apple had been offering up an additional 20GB for people switching over from MobileMe,…

Find out where Steve Rogers is headed in Captain America: The Winter Soldier!

The star of The Hobbit will be around for World’s End. Find out what’s next for Doctor Who, direct from the producers. Plus in-depth previews for what’s ahead this season on ABC’s Once Upon a Time and 666 Park Avenue! Spoilers from here on out! Top image from Skyfall. Captain America: The Winter Soldier Specific…

3D Domino Mayhem Makes Dinosaur Extinction Way More Adorable

If you’ve ever wondered what exactly wiped out the dinosaurs and how quickly over 38 hours of painstaking domino stacking can be undone, check out FlippyCat’s latest tumbling creation. It’s particularly noteworthy this time not just because it’s educational, but also because most of the dinosaurs and the giant earth were actually created in 3D.…