Tech News

Did this mad Russian really shoot his friend’s head to test a helmet?

This insane video shows a Russian guy shooting a pistol at his friend’s head to test the quality of the K6-3—a titanium helmet with bullet-proof glass used by Russian special forces. Some commenters think this may be fake. Many think it’s real. What do you think? If it is not real, it is an extremely…

This Arduino-Style Board Uses Intel’s 37-year Old 8086 Chip

Card-based computers keep getting more powerful, unless you’re Matt Millman. Because this chap has decided to build an Arduino-style board that’s powered by a giant of computing history – Intel’s 8086 processor, which is now 37 years old. https://gizmodo.com/the-new-raspberry-pi-a-turbocharged-quad-core-real-pc-1683199114 He explains that he “always thought it’d be cool to build a single board computer in…

How Many Sailors Does It Take to Change 111 Light Bulbs?

Three! In this picture, a small team of sailors replace 111 light bulbs on the super structure of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). Reagan is currently homeported in San Diego, undergoing a Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) maintenance period at Naval Base Coronado. And serving as a punchline for our awful jokes.[Mass Communication…

Only Time Travel Can Make this Perfect BTTF DeLorean Arrive Any Sooner

For toy car collectors who prefer their miniature rides a bit larger than just a few inches long, the Hot Wheels Elite line has been churning out some incredibly detailed models. And at Toy Fair this weekend Mattel gave everyone a sneak peek at its upcoming take on the time-travelling DeLorean from the Back to…

Facial Recognition Code Could’ve Discovered Rare Anne Boleyn Portrait

When Anne Boleyn was executed in 1536, images of the queen were destroyed—leaving only one certain depiction of her in existence. Now, facial recognition software may have discovered another contemporary portrait of Boleyn. The only uncontested portrait of her is atop a battered lead disc, known as the Moost Happi medal, sitting in the British…

Machine turns solid metal into an impeller

I could spend hours watching this milling machine—SolidCAM’s iMachining and simultaneous 5-Axis Milling—transform a solid metal cylinder into an impeller. SPLOID is delicious brain candy. Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

This Vader-Faced Sled Is the Best Way To Get Around Hoth, Not an AT-AT

They don’t pick up quite as much speed racing down a snow-covered hill as a properly waxed wooden toboggan does, but when it comes to avoiding that tree you’re about to hit, nothing maneuvers quite like a steerable snow racer. And when it comes to intimidating other riders on the hill, nothing will be quite…

Transparency Is Great, But It’s No Substitute For Free Speech

Twitter has released a new transparency report. The company—which scored five stars in our latest “Who Has Your Back?” report—blogged about the release, wrote that “[p]roviding this insight is simply the right thing to do, especially in an age of increasing concerns about government surveillance.” More than thirty Internet companies now publish transparency reports. Transparency…

Watching 1000 marbles run at the same time is oddly relaxing 

Jelle Bakker’s hobby is making huge marble runs and rolling ball sculptures. One of his creations is the “Marblelanche”: An epic marble machine with obstacle tracks that fits 1000 marbles. SPLOID is delicious brain candy. Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Spectacular scenes like this, viewed from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, on February 8th, always make me want to join the Navy. The carrier is supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, the military intervention against ISIL, and now transits the Persian Gulf. [Petty Officer 2nd Class John Philip Wagner, Jr./U.S. Navy/DoD]

This Stamp-Sized Sensor Can Sniff Out Explosives Using RFID Tags

Detecting explosives is, obviously, an important task—but many of the sensors are large and require manual operation. So GE’s tiny and affordable new RFID sensor could help automate the process, to help keep us safe without much in the way of man power. Developed in collaboration with the Technical Support Working Group (TSWG)—a task force…

How Digital Images Really Work

We take digital images for granted these days—hell, you’re looking at dozens right now. But when you stop and think about how the 3D world can be represented so neatly by 1D data stored on a hard drive, it’s really utterly amazing. In this video, Mike Pound explains how digital images really work. They’re perhaps…

Two New VAIO Hybrid Laptops That Rise From Sony’s Ashes

Remember Sony decided to sell off its entire PC business? Well, VAIO prototypes first shown off last year are now a reality; say hello to the VAIO Z and VAIO Z Canvas, two hybrid laptops that resurrect the flagship range in the post-Sony world. https://gizmodo.com/sony-is-selling-off-its-vaio-pc-business-1517260383 The first is the 13.3-inch VAIO Z convertible ultrabook (above…

The Best Valentine’s Day Gift I Ever Got Was This Flash Drive

I hate Valentine’s Day. Don’t get me wrong — I enjoy romance, and being in love, and all that crap. I just despise all the bullshit ads about buying flowers and candy and state-sanctioned representations of erotic attachment. That’s why I got a warm glow inside when my sweetie gave me this awesome flash drive…

How Pan Am Became King of International Travel, and How It Lost It All

Welcome to Reading List, your weekly collection of most-read work from around the web. Valentine’s Day is behind us and the gruesome work week hangs over all our heads, but for now we can take solace in a story detailing the rise of fall of great American airline, how one single tweet can ruin a…

This 25-Year-Old Computer Just Sold for $23,000 on eBay

The Apple 1 is the most sought after collector piece of computing hardware. It is the Action Comics No. 1 of retro computing. The first appearance of Superman. The one that started it all. But if there was to be a No. 2, it would be this guy—the Commodore 65. Although it doesn’t have the…

The Top 6 Fictional Robot Fights We’d Definitely Want to Watch

For near a decade, humanity’s thirst for gladiatorial robot fighting went unsatiated when BattleBots went off the air. But with this month’s joyous announcement that BattleBots would be returning to television, those memories of robot-on-robot violence came flooding back. So, I asked a simple question — what awesome robot fight would you wish you could…

This Is Our Entire Solar System And Its Tiny, Scattered Planets

A quarter of a century ago this weekend, the Voyager spacecraft took one last, long look back before shutting down its camera for its interstellar mission. The 60 photographs from 6 billion kilometers away comprise our first solar system portrait. This is our solar system from 6 billion kilometers away. Voyager 1 snapped this first-ever…

New FAA Drone Rules Are Thankfully Lenient But a Headache for Amazon

The Federal Aviation Administration just published its proposed rulemaking on commercial drone regulations. These regulations come after a leak, reported by Forbes over the weekend, that outlined some of the FAA’s thinking on what the future of American skies was going to look like. In short, it’s great for commercial hobbyists and photographers and bad…

There’s a Working Metal Detector On This Treasure-Hunting Toy Truck

Your return-on-investment for a given toy is easily calculated: it’s basically just how long it can keep a child distracted and quiet before they get tired of it. But with Matchbox’s new Treasure Truck, there’s actually the potential to turn a profit on the toy because hanging off the front is a real working metal…