Airbags

3,400,000 Times That Tesla Had to Recall a Car Since 2018

Tesla's recall this week is the latest in a long string of overhauls. Let's recall Elon Musk's many other massive recalls.

Tech News Lucas Ropek Feb 19

These Airbag Jeans Could Fashionably Protect Motorcyclists

Strapping on a leather suit can protect you from a nasty case of road rash should you wipe out on a motorcycle, but that’s about it. For more robust protection during a crash, several companies have been developing airbag technology for motorcycles, including a pair of inflatable jeans designed to protect a rider’s legs. Surrounding…

Gadgets Andrew Liszewski Dec 18

Disney’s Extremely Weird Force Jacket Simulates the Feeling of Turning Into the Hulk

Are you cool with hugs? What about the most all-encompassing hug you’ve ever had? That just about sums up how Disney Research’s new force feedback jacket works. Using inflatable airbags, it can simulate physical experiences when you’re lost in VR, like getting hit by a snowball, or turning into a muscular beefcake in just a…

io9 Andrew Liszewski Apr 25

CES 2018’s Hottest Tech Trend Might Be Gadgets for Old People

Before the show floor opens to throngs of tech enthusiasts, and before big companies like Sony, Samsung, and LG reveal their latest and greatest to the world, we get a sneak peek at the trends shaping CES 2018 at an event called CES: Unveiled. And millennials be damned, because this year, the best gadgets could…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Jan 8

The Explosive Charge Inside an Airbag Is Terrifying

I realize that airbags have saved countless lives since they were introduced in the early ‘70s, but that doesn’t make the idea of having a giant pillow explode in your face any less terrifying. Especially after watching the explosive mechanism that fills an airbag in just 0.03 seconds detonate in super slow motion. It’s really…

Sploid Andrew Liszewski Dec 21

Cooking an Airbag Turns a Microwave Door Into a Missile

Despite an endless list of fascinating and destructive experiments you can try, microwaves should really only be used to heat food. Not lightbulbs, not highlighters, and definitely not an airbag from a car. Unless you’ve got a high-speed camera to record the microwave’s door turning into a high-speed missile. Thankfully, The Slo-Mo Guys did, and…

Sploid Andrew Liszewski Jul 18

General Motors Recalls 4.3 Million Vehicles Over a Software Bug

If you own a GM vehicle from 2014-2017, listen up: General Motors is recalling nearly 4.3 million vehicles worldwide after discovering a software defect that prevents air bags from deploying during a crash. The software bug may also prevent the seat belts from locking properly. The flaw has already been linked to one death and…

Tech News Michael Nunez Sep 9

The First Self-Contained Airbag Jacket Detects Crashes All On Its Own

Motorcycle jackets with built-in airbags are far from being a new life-saving innovation, but Dainese’s new Misano 1000 works completely independent of the bike being ridden, increasing the odds of it inflating when it’s needed most. Typically these types of jackets rely on sensors that have been installed on the motorcycle to know exactly when…

Gadgets Andrew Liszewski Sep 14

Mass Recall of Avalanche-Rescuing Airbags, Thanks to Static Electricity

Avalanches make backcountry skiing one of the most dangerous ways to get your selfies, something that Black Diamond’s Jetforce airbags promised to change cheaply and simply with an innovative design that got rave reviews. But unfortunately, the designers forgot one tiny detail, leading Black Diamond to issue a recall. Airbag backpacks save skiers from avalanches…

Tech News Chris Mills Jul 9

Dash cam reveals the human bouncing that happens inside a car crash

Thankfully, it’s okay to laugh a little at this scary footage of a man bouncing around inside his car while a SUV rear ends him into an oncoming semi truck. That’s because Daryl Peterson, the driver in the car, managed to walk away from the crash without a scratch or any injury at all. Thank…

Sploid Casey Chan Apr 14

Sodium Azide Is The Nastiest Chemical That Ever Saved Lives

Sodium azide is a white powder that explodes when it hits metal. When it hits water, it turns into an acid that can eat through your skin. When it’s inhaled, it shreds your lungs. But for a long time, it was in your car. A simple compound that’s distributed as a white salt, sodium azide…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Apr 1

This is what happens when an airbag deploys a hundredth of a second late

Here’s a terrifying video that shows the importance of having an airbag that works as it’s supposed to versus having an airbag that works… but is a hundredth of a second late. You see one watermelon drop in slow motion and get cradled by the deployment of an airbag versus another watermelon that explodes. All…

Sploid Casey Chan Mar 10

An Airbag Belt Could Help Protect Seniors’ Hips From Nasty Falls

It doesn’t matter how much milk you drink, at a certain age your bones start to lose their strength, eventually putting you at risk for broken limbs and even worse: a broken hip that hinders your mobility. So similar to the airbags in your car, this safety belt instantly inflates when it detects the wearer…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Aug 15

The Weird Pattern On this Girl’s Eyeball Is From an Airbag

Airbags certainly do save lives, but getting hit in the face at 200 mph—even by a bag of air—is not without its consequences. A teenage girl in Michigan got a real eyeful when an inflating airbag actually left its mesh pattern on the surface of her eye. In this case, the airbag inflated so fast…

Health Sarah Zhang Jun 30

Is An Airbag For Your Head Really Safer Than A Bike Helmet?

Remember Hövding, the Swedish bike helmet released a few years back that looks like a stylish, poofy collar and supposedly inflates like an airbag upon impact? In a new video, the company explains more about how it works—claiming it’s actually much safer than a traditional helmet. The video goes over the basic Hövding tech: 200…

Tech News Alissa Walker Apr 3

High-Speed Proof of an Airbag’s Violently Life-Saving Power

It’s been described as getting hit with a basketball thrown point blank at your face, but if you ever experience an airbag deployment you’re probably not going to complain since it most likely saved your life. Unless you’re a glass of water, as this wonderful high-speed footage reveals. In yet another mesmerizing clip, The Slow…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Mar 11

There’s an Airbag Hidden Inside This Lightweight Ski Jersey

Dainese has been developing a wearable airbag system the company hopes will help save skiers from broken bones and injuries after a wipeout on the slopes. And somehow, it’s managed to fit all of the hardware into a jersey that doesn’t look like it adds much bulk or weight to a skier’s outfit. Because after…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Mar 6

Reusable Airbag Backpack Helps Keep You Alive In an Avalanche (Or Two)

A car’s airbags are designed to absorb impact and protect passengers during a crash—and need to inflate immediately on impact. But the airbags that skiers wear to avoid being buried in an avalanche don’t necessarily need to inflate as fast. So Black Diamond’s new JetForce backpack uses a fan instead of compressed air which means…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Jan 22

Honda Made the World’s First Smartphone Case With an Emergency Airbag

As long as you’re cool with a little extra bulk on your device, it looks like Honda has created a smartphone case like the one Jeff Bezoz was dreaming of. It virtually guarantees your device will survive any fall—and possibly even a head-on collision with a truck. Overkill? Not when you have to wait two…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Dec 4

This Brilliant, Punchable Car Ad Comes With a Tiny Working Airbag

As printed media becomes more and more irrelevant, advertisers have had to devise clever ways to grab a magazine reader’s attention. And to promote the safety features of its vehicles, Peugeot ran this brilliant ad that simulates what would happen in a head-on collision. To simulate the crash the reader is encouraged to punch an…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Nov 16

Airbags

3,400,000 Times That Tesla Had to Recall a Car Since 2018

These Airbag Jeans Could Fashionably Protect Motorcyclists

Disney’s Extremely Weird Force Jacket Simulates the Feeling of Turning Into the Hulk

CES 2018’s Hottest Tech Trend Might Be Gadgets for Old People

The Explosive Charge Inside an Airbag Is Terrifying

Cooking an Airbag Turns a Microwave Door Into a Missile

General Motors Recalls 4.3 Million Vehicles Over a Software Bug

The First Self-Contained Airbag Jacket Detects Crashes All On Its Own

Mass Recall of Avalanche-Rescuing Airbags, Thanks to Static Electricity

Dash cam reveals the human bouncing that happens inside a car crash

Sodium Azide Is The Nastiest Chemical That Ever Saved Lives

This is what happens when an airbag deploys a hundredth of a second late

An Airbag Belt Could Help Protect Seniors’ Hips From Nasty Falls

The Weird Pattern On this Girl’s Eyeball Is From an Airbag

Is An Airbag For Your Head Really Safer Than A Bike Helmet?

High-Speed Proof of an Airbag’s Violently Life-Saving Power

There’s an Airbag Hidden Inside This Lightweight Ski Jersey

Reusable Airbag Backpack Helps Keep You Alive In an Avalanche (Or Two)

Honda Made the World’s First Smartphone Case With an Emergency Airbag

This Brilliant, Punchable Car Ad Comes With a Tiny Working Airbag

Ozempic Shreds Bones? How a Small Study Turned Into a Big Health Myth

Anker’s Soundcore Translation Earbuds Are Now Nearly 7x Cheaper Than AirPods Pro 3 After a Sudden Price Drop on Amazon

Volkswagen Shuts Down Tennessee Plant’s EV Production at the Worst Possible Time

Using Emojis at Work? You’re Not Going to Like This Study 😮

A Terrifying Invasion Feels Eerily Familiar in This Short Horror Story

Shark AI Ultra Robot Vacuum at 51% Off Quietly Undercuts Dyson’s Stick Cleaner Prices

Tubi Manages to Turn People Against Recommendations With Bad AI Branding

Gizmodo’s Favorite Photos From NASA’s Artemis 2 Mission

Asus Zenbook A16 Review: Start Considering Snapdragon on PC, for Real

Aqara Thermostat Hub W200 Review: Almost Better than My Ecobee

HP Omen Max 45L Review: 4K60 Gaming Has Never Been So Easy

Ecovacs Winbot W3 Omni Review: Window Cleaning Robots Have a Long Way to Go

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

The Best Gadgets of March 2026

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

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