Gadgets

A Crazy Thin Backup Battery You Can Probably Also Use as a Bookmark

You know the drill. Your smartphone’s battery rarely lasts a full day, but carrying around a clunky external backup sounds like a hassle coupled with a burden. Unless you’ve opted for Vorson’s Bookmark which packs a 2,500 mAh battery into a remarkably thin housing that’s just 4.7 millimeters thick. There are magazines thicker than that,…

A Cinematographer’s Watch That Counts Down To “Action!”

Watchmakers cater to all kind of professions that live and die by the clock. But Arnold & Richter is the first to include filmmakers alongside pilots, law enforcement, and engineers with its limited edition Arri-branded DoP*1 watch designed with the help of German cinematographer Tom Fährmann. A black rubber strap, ultra-hard sapphire glass, and water-proofing…

World’s Thinnest Mechanical Watch Is as Thick as Two Stacked Quarters

You don’t think it’s only laptop, tablet, and smartphone designers that go the extra mile to make their devices thinner and thinner do you? Watch makers are constantly battling each other for the same notoriety, and now Piaget has reclaimed the title of ‘world’s thinnest mechanical watch’ with its new Altiplano 38mm 900P that measures…

​Moto G Review: The Best Cheap Phone, But Still a Cheap Phone

Cheap smartphones—we mean really cheap, off-contract smartphones—are terrible. They’re tormented by horrid, pixilated screens, they’re slower than your grandma, and they feel like they’re held together by Scotch tape. The $180 (off-contract!) Moto G is none of those things. It definitely has significant shortcomings, but put simply, you can’t get a better cheap phone. What…

A Full-Size Hybrid Vacuum You Can Use To Charge Your Phone

When you hear the words ‘vacuum’ and ‘USB’ used in the same sentence, you probably picture a tiny keyboard cleaning tool with barely enough power to suck up crumbs. But Panasonic’s hybrid MC-HS700G—now available in Japan—is a full-sized vacuum cleaner strong enough to lift a bowling ball that can also be recharged and used wirelessly,…

Four Different Connectors Let This Flash Drive Connect To Any Device

It turns out that trusty USB flash drive you’ve been using to sneakernet files between your computers has been slacking off. At least compared to the new i-FlashDrive from PhotoFast that features four connectors so it can be used with mobile devices like your Android phone as well as old and new iOS devices. Available…

BACtrack Mobile Breathalyzer Review: Drunk Tracking With Your Phone

Person A: “Man, I was so wasted last night…” Person B: “Oh really? Well, exactly how wasted were you? What hard data do you have to back up this outrageous statement, sir? I demand satisfaction!” With BACtrack’s new Mobile Breathalyzer, you can finally gain the upper-hand in this unlikely, imaginary argument. It’s Friday afternoon, you’ve…

This Robotic Sea Turtle Is Built to Find Hidden Treasure in Shipwrecks

Thanks to millions and millions of years of evolution, sea turtles work. They work well. They can swim stealthily around the ocean, sliding between chunks of coral if necessary. That in mind, it’s no wonder the sea creatures are the inspiration for the latest underwater robots. The U-CAT hails from Estonia, but it’s bound for…

Charge Your Phone From Your Power Tools With This Handy Adapter

Smartphones have become an essential tool in every line of work, from corporate accounting to carpentry. But often times those working on construction sites don’t have easy access to a power outlet for a quick top-off when needed. They do, however, have access to power tools. And with this clever adapter they can harness a…

Whoa, This Handheld Router Only Cuts Where Needed To Reveal 3D Models

Researchers at MIT have developed a handheld milling machine that turns anyone into a skilled sculptor. Like with a 3D printer, users start with a 3D model on a computer, but instead of a machine laying down layers of plastic, the handheld mill removes only what’s needed from a solid block of material to eventually…

LaCie has doubled the storage capacity of its extra-resilient Rugged USB 3.0 Thunderbolt Series external hard drives. They now offer two terabytes of storage that you can drop or carelessly toss about for $300.

HipShotDot Gives You Laser Sight Precision in Every FPS Situation

For some gamers, online achievements are even more important than real-world reputation. And the HipShotDot—a small red LED you stick in the middle of your screen—could be the first accessory marketed to FPS players that promises to improve their in-game performance without the use of dangerous levels of caffeine. How does it work? Well, most…

Disney’s Zoetrope Toys Brings Inanimate Action Figures To Life

Available exclusively at Disneyland and presumably other Disney theme parks around the world, this wonderful new zoetrope toy called the Disneyvision uses strobing lights and a vibrating support to bring one of six included rubber action figures to life—or at least create the illusion they’ve been brought to life. Designed to look like an old…

Qualcomm’s Toq Smartwatch: $350, Available December 2nd

Qualcomm’s rather lovely looking Toq Smartwatch—which seems miles better than Samsung’s Galaxy Gear—will be available from December 2nd, and it’ll cost a princely $35o. https://gizmodo.com/qualcomm-has-a-smartwatch-too-and-its-the-anti-galaxy-1248201854 The watch—which packs a Mirasol display, wireless charging and stereo Bluetooth audio—was originally a proof-of-concept to be shown off to OEMs. But now Qualcomm has decided that it’s time to…

A Sensor-Packed Teddy Bear That Keeps an Eye On Your Baby

A stuffed animal can give a child some much needed comfort, but the Tedi promises to do the same for new parents. On the outside it looks like your run-of-the-mill plush toy, but on the inside it’s packed full of sensors that report various aspects of a child’s status and progress to a smartphone, allowing…

A Sleek Wireless Thermostat You Might Actually Want To Frame

Better known for the company’s hardware that reports the weather outside, Netatmo has teamed up with Philippe Starck to create a new device that gives you complete control over the climate inside your home from your smartphone. And unlike similar wireless thermostats from Honeywell and Nest, Starck has ensured that Netatmo’s offering doesn’t overcomplicate things.…

Harness Thor’s Mighty Mjölnir Hammer To Charge Your Gadgets

With seemingly unlimited celestial power, it only makes sense that Thor should share a little bit of the Mjölnir Hammer’s capabilities with humanity when he’s not battling Loki or alien invaders. After all, a dead smartphone can be just as catastrophic to some people as the world ending. And while it might not be Thor’s…

A Rechargeable Sous Chef Whose Only Job Is To Stir

When you’re racing to get dinner on the table, the last thing you need is to get stuck at the stove stirring the gravy. And while few of us can afford our own dedicated sous chef, the $80 Stirio makes for a far more affordable kitchen assistant. With adjustable arms that clamp on to the…

A Glowing Book That Illuminates More Than Just Your Brain

Max Gunawan’s wonderful Lumio accordion book lamp has been popping up on design sites for the past year or so. But after a successful Kickstarter campaign earlier this year, it’s finally available for purchase, bringing its soft glow to home libraries around the world. Featuring a laser-cut wooden cover made from maple, cherry, or walnut,…

Sony SmartWatch 2 Review: Better Still Isn’t Good

Once upon a time Sony made a smartwatch that was really pretty bad. But Sony promised the next one would be much less bad. And so it is! In fact, the SmartWatch 2 may be the least-bad smartwatch to date. Unfortunately less bad than very bad doesn’t make something good. https://gizmodo.com/sony-smartwatch-review-maybe-the-worst-thing-sony-has-5926728 What Is It? It’s…