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The leaders controlling the US surveillance apparatus can’t agree on encryption. FBI Director Comey has hysterically characterized it as a safe haven for evil-doers. A high-ranking Department of Justice official insisted that encryption could cause a child to die. Meanwhile, the National Security Agency’s leaders are extremely chill about encryption—which is terrifying. “Encryption is foundational…
Last week, President Obama announced plans to earmark a whopping $4 billion for autonomous vehicle research. These funds will be dispersed to pilot programs all over the country during the next decade—but where and how the money is spent will determine just how big a step forward Obama’s plan really is. Autonomous cars have driven…
EXTRA—EXTRA! Gizmodo has obtained exclusive footage of Marissa Mayer riding a Zamboni. Mayer was criticized for throwing an absurdly extravagant holiday party in 2015 as Yahoo! struggled, especially since she spent part of the night literally sitting alone on a roped-off throne and making her peons come to her. However, Mayer wasn’t always such a…
The Venus flytrap is perhaps the best known of carnivorous plants — those that get essential nutrients from trapping and consuming insects, particularly when they can’t get enough from the soil. Now a team of German scientists has discovered that the flytrap can actually count, and this ability is the key to knowing the difference…
We have yet to discover a single trace of alien life, despite the extremely high probability that it exists somewhere. This contradiction is popularly known as the Fermi Paradox. A new theory attempts to solve this conundrum by suggesting that habitable planets are quite common in our galaxy, but nascent life gets snuffed out very…
There are countless electronic sequencer apps available for your mobile device, but based on the popularity of Teenage Engineering’s tiny Pocket Operator synths, people still like pushing real made-of-matter buttons. That’s why the company is now introducing three new models with its PO-20 series. All three new models will still sell for $59, and include…
Winter comes every year. And somehow, every year some of us are caught unawares and unprepared. A few gadgets bought now will last you through at least two—maybe more!—sudden snowfalls. For getting rid of ice and snow Not all of us had the foresight to build a roboplow to take care of the snow for…
I swear I had to check three times to make sure this wasn’t from a parody site. But apparently Samsung thinks the future of dining is wearing a virtual reality headset while you’re eating. And to top it all off, the VR makes it look like you’re dining underwater. With dolphins. Again, I swear I…
Are you traveling anytime soon? Well, rather than sneering at the mere sight of a TSA agent, maybe you should be stopping to give them a hug—because there’s a good chance that they’ve seen some crazy shit. In its annual report, the TSA announced that it found 2,653 guns stowed in carry-on bags last year.…
Because of the city’s history and because of its unique geography and because of the towering buildings and because of the cramped quarters and because of all the greenery nearby and because of the water pushed up against the city, Hong Kong is a pretty magnificent place to photograph. Taking pictures of what’s above and…
Valentine’s Day is less than a month away, but there’s no reason to get all stressed out about it because ThinkGeek has the perfect way to say “I love you.” Instead of the cliched chocolates or roses, why not give your significant other a stunning bouquet of tiny plush dinosaurs? Flowers inevitably die, chocolates mysteriously…
Winter Storm Jonas, the incredibly powerful snowstorm surging towards the East Coast right now, is gaining in size and strength. We’re also right in the middle of the most powerful El Niño we’ve seen yet. Is El Niño the reason this storm is so savage? https://gizmodo.com/most-powerful-blizzard-in-years-may-dump-two-feet-of-sn-1754108583 “It really does set the background for this storm…
I’m not one to talk to my phone. I don’t use voice messaging, or ask Google Now “is the voice of Gollum also the voice of Supreme Leader Snoke?” (It is, btw.) Hell, I barely even use the phone as a phone. But the one thing I do ask every single day is “What is…
This ain’t no regular car model car because this speed model car can hit speeds of up to 204mph on the track. Watch it build up to that speed and just zip around and around until it starts smoking and becomes a total whir. SPLOID is delicious brain candy. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and…
The potential sources for green biofuels never cease to amaze: Now, the US Navy is fueling one fleet with a bizarre cocktail of petroleum and cow fat. The group of ships has been dubbed the PR-friendly “Great Green Fleet,” a nod to Teddy Roosevelt’s Great White Fleet. The vessel group is made up of an…
Announced just before the New York Toy Fair last year, Nerf’s Rival blasters, which launched tiny foam balls at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour, were the biggest innovation in foam warfare in years. And this year Nerf is expanding the Rival line in the best way possible. Ahead of the the 2016…
Do you own a hobby drone in the US? The FAA requires that you register it with them by February 19, 2016. It only costs $5, but today is the last day to register it for free. Back in December, the FAA announced that all drones weighing more than half a pound and less than…
New research shows the brain’s memory capacity is ten times greater than previous estimates. That means it’s in the petabyte range—which puts it close to World Wide Web territory. The human brain is often compared to a computer. One aspect in particular that lends itself well to these sorts of comparisons is memory. When computer…
Beautifully. It works beautifully. If you’re a film nerd or movie buff or just appreciate film in any sort of way, you’ll love this footage of a 70MM film projector showing The Hateful Eight. Andrew Walker, a projectionist, captured this footage of what happens behind the scenes inside the projection room of a movie and…
Microsoft’s just officially announced a recall for Surface Pro chargers sold up to March 15, 2015, in the US and July 15, 2015, elsewhere. This excludes Microsoft’s latest crop of Surface devices but would include every other Surface Pro since. Microsoft has details on the entire recall process here.
