Tech news, analysis, culture, business, security, and more
How far does $171 million go in Silicon Valley? A group of more than 160 companies, schools, and government agencies are going to find out—thanks to a grant from the Department of Defense that will fund a San Jose institute devoted to developing flexible tech. The new effort comes from a Federal initiative launched few…
In 2011, a remarkable and distinctly erotic 17th century portrait of Nell Gwyn was put up for sale by her descendants. It shows Gwyn, an actress who was one of Charles II’s mistresses for more than a decade, washing a string of sausages with her breasts exposed. The painting is smaller than a sheet of…
Jim McDonough is truly a master at his craft. He likes Lego, boats and naval history. And when these passions combine, magic is made. McDonough’s epically huge, ridiculously well-detailed Lego navy boats are the stuff of legend. For the past three years, the Scottish fisherman has been building the 1:40 scale replica of the iconic…
The only thing better than getting rich by finding treasure is not having to put much effort into your windfall. So why waste an afternoon walking along a beach with a metal detector in hand when you could instead lounge on a blanket and drive this one around with a remote control? The deep tread…
We know that next week at IFA we’ll get at least one new smartwatch in the Samsung Galaxy Gear S2, but if this Amazon pre-order page is legit (why wouldn’t be) Huawei is about to drop brashest Android Wear concept we’ve seen yet. There are a number of notable facts on this pre-order page linked…
Boeing announced this week that it has successfully developed a new compact laser weapon system. And watch your back drones–because this one has been made with you in mind. This summer has seen an explosion in the number of incidents where drones have interfered with emergency crews doing their jobs. Most notably, drone hobbyists have…
New Zealand-based Lego builder Grantmasters recently completed this microscale build of the Cheyenne, the marine dropship from Aliens. With minimal bricks, he was able to create a very detailed diorama that includes the power plant. Microscale builds are so cool because it’s fun to see what you can make with not very many bricks. As…
An epidemic. A vaccine-induced scourge. A curse. Or: The reason Steve Jobs was so focused. The thing Bill Gates had that helped him get rich. Autism is a misunderstood condition. Steve Silberman makes it understood in his new book NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity. I’m a fan of Silberman’s work…
Ballet shoes are dainty and thin and totally unique. Jack Flynn and Nick David filmed this short documentary of the Freed of London ballet shoe factory in Hackney, London to give us a look at how they’re made and the history behind the shoe factory and the people that have worked there for years. It’s…
It’s kind of cute that Avid Life Media still thinks they have a company in light of current events. Regardless, Noel Biderman will not be running it. Here are nine reasons why—although it’s really just one reason. (It’s the hack.) Ashley Madison’s parent company just announced the news on its blog. “Steadfast” and “adjusting” are…
The death of Flash has been slow and agonizing, but the Chrome team taking another shot at the woozy fighter. Following up on a promise made in June to phase out Flash ads in Chrome, the world’s favorite browser will be pulling the plug on all Flash elements “not central to the webpage.” What does…
You’re used to uploading six-second Vine clips of your dog on the treadmill. Well, starting today, you can also add a seamless six-second clip from your favorite song, giving you more control of how your Vines sound. With a new feature called Snap to Beat, it’ll be easier for you to loop music clips seamlessly—meaning,…
If you’re familiar with the frequently ridiculous batshit insanity that is the Metal Gear Solid franchise, you’ll look at the above picture of a dog, in a sneaking suit, with an eye patch, and holding a knife it its mouth, and treat it as perfectly normal. The rest of us, meanwhile, will go “buh-whaaaaa???” Yes,…
For years the only way to get your hands on authentic Girl Scouts Cookies was to find a troop perched outside a mall, or hope they came knocking at your door. But that’s all about to change now that the Scouts have licensed their brand, and addictive cookies, to a tiny oven that lets you…
What will it take for robots to become as common in our homes and daily lives as smartphones, TVs, and computers? Ask roboticist Tomotaka Takahashi. The famous Tokyo professor aims to be “the Steve Jobs of robotics,” by moving away from technical specs and emphasizing design, as well as pure bot charisma. How? In a…
This YouTube channel proves the art of the parlor trick is alive and well. Brusspup has reeled in almost two million subscribers with optical illusion how-to’s and science experiments. Here are a few you can try this weekend. Tonic water contains an alkaloid called quinine that glows under a black light. But your friends will…
The lock screen on your phone and tablet is all that stands in the way of an unwanted visitor and everything in your digital life, so best be sure there are as few chinks in the armor as possible. Here are the settings on the latest versions of Android and iOS to be aware of…
The level of detail and realism in action figures has improved by leaps and bounds over the past decade, but it’s still hard not to be flabbergasted by this sixth-scale Hermione Granger. Has anyone seen Emma Watson lately? Because there’s a good chance there’s a curse trapping her inside this figure. Based on the character…
We caught our first glimpse of BOOMco’s new Halo line back at Toy Fair 2015, followed by a couple of smaller blasters later in the year at Comic-Con. But now we’ve finally got a pair of Halo BOOMco blasters that even Master Chief would be proud to carry into battle. The Halo Covenant Carbine Blaster…
The Discovery Channel, home of sharks and professional pyromaniacs, has a lot of cool stuff to show off. So it makes complete sense to cherry-pick some of the best moments, and package them into bite-size VR experiences. At the moment, there’s nine videos on the Discovery VR site you can view: a couple Mythbusters clips…
