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The US military is undergoing a radical change in its communications capabilities. Not only is DARPA’s Persistent Close Air Support cutting response times by nearly 90 percent, but a new satellite-based comm system will soon deliver a 3G smartphone experience to soldiers anywhere on the planet. Currently, US forces use an 11-satellite Ultra High Frequency…
Having a PIN code or pattern to protect your device makes a lot of sense, but it’s also annoying. Thankfully, the new version of Android lets you automatically turn off this security layer when you’re at home or the office or anywhere else you regularly go. Here’s how to set it up. First of all,…
Netflix just announced that the third season of House of Cards will be available for your binging pleasure on February 27, 2015. The news was posted via Twitter @HouseofCards. For those who are not caught up on House of Cards, you should probably just stop reading right now. I mean it, stop. Ok, now take…
Sadly, the wonderful Legend of Korra doesn’t have long for this world – but hey Nickelodeon, any chance you could spin it off into a Power Rangers style series about Benders? As this mashup proves, it could be pretty damn amazing. The fine work comes from Youtuber The Unusual Suspect – who you might remember…
If you’re enamored with the Qlocktwo’s clever word-based approach to displaying the time but not to the point where you’re willing to drop $1,500 on one, here’s a much simpler and cheaper alternative you can build yourself. Designed and engineered by Daniel Rojas, this take on the wordy clock requires just an Arduino, an 8×8…
Sidewalks throughout New York City turn into temporary little Christmas forests every year around the holidays as tree vendors set up shop. It’s pure seasonal magic. But thanks to an obscure 1938 law, the sale of Christmas trees on NYC streets is only legal in December. https://gizmodo.com/photo-essay-nycs-incredible-christmas-tree-seller-subc-1477360202 The law has roots in 1938, when Mayor…
Building a robot is… pretty tough. Even one of the most advanced robots around, Atlas, is still just “a baby trying to learn,” prone to accidents and mistakes despite its brilliant and qualified creators. So what happens when you ask a bunch of unpracticed randos to build robots that can fight? You get a series…
Before you go out and spend hundreds of dollars on a fancy Lionel train set to circle your Christmas tree, here’s a simple but remarkable science experiment that will save you a few bucks and blow Santa’s mind when he stops by on the 24th. The ‘train’ is actually just a AAA battery with a…
Over the holiday weekend, I watched the Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser trailer at least a dozen times. Then I watched edited versions, read discussions, critiques and participated in lens flare hunts. Fortunately, I can now also share the trailer redone in wonderful Lego brick by FinalFeature. And another take by Snooperking. You’re reading…
Smartphones will never be forever phones. They might last a bit longer than just a few years, though, if we could just replace the parts constantly break or fail. That’s the thinking behind the PuzzlePhone, whose designers say it could last up to 10 years. Following in the footsteps of Google’s Project Ara modular smartphone…
A team of sophisticated hackers with insider trading ambitions has been targeting executives at over 100 organizations for over a year. While their hacking techniques aren’t all that sophisticated, they appear to have a deep understanding of the investment banking industry. The hacks themselves are surprisingly simple. FireEye, the security research company that uncovered the…
From now until December 6th, 2014 Target is offering a free minifigures gift set with purchase of $50 or more in select Chima, City, Ninjago or Super Heroes themes. The set contains Superboy, Swamp Cop, Lavertus from Chima and Green Ninja from Ninjago. You can also purchase the set by itself for $15.00. You can…
If your kids have been jonesing to get their Vine on, but you’d rather not put a $500 mobile device in their hands just so they can create bite-size six-second videos, Takara Tomy has a cheaper solution. Its new Magical 6 camera does basically the same thing as the Vine app, but with a little…
The internet has given Groot a lot of love since Guardians of the Galaxy hit theatres in August, especially in his little sapling form – but this creation by Lego builders Sean and Steph Mayo might be one of the coolest fan versions yet. Who knew that so many 1-stud cylinders could create something so…
Apple recently debuted one of its first in-house fonts in nearly 20 years. The tech company’s most frequently-used typefaces now are Myriad, Lucida Grande, Avenir, and Helvetica Neu, all brought in from third parties. But in its early days, graphic designers like Susan Kare helped Apple stand apart from competitors by designing original fonts. Many…
Managing your space on a 16GB iPhone is a nightmare, especially when you’re trying to upgrade to the next version of iOS. So avoid it all together; T-Mobile is offering $100 off the 64GB iPhone when you start a new plan this Cyber Monday. That means 64GB for for the price of 16GB. The Uncarrier…
If you mix Tarantino’s final shooting scene in Reservoir Dogs with Mike Myer’s Fat Bastard you’ll end up with something like this: An orgy of latex prosthetics, greasy food, guns, and, of course, blood. Bonus: John C. Reilly is the protagonist. This is an excerpt from Rubberhead, directed by Eric Wareheim: A Vimeo on demand…
Artist David Cerny’s moving statue of Franz Kafka would make sense to anyone who has read the stories from the great Czech writer—it’s a literal representation of what Kafka does to his readers: It twists their minds in the most unexpected and fascinating ways. David Cerny’s is one of today’s most influential Czech artists. Here’s…
The periodic table is perhaps the most iconic scientific visualization in the world—but that doesn’t mean it can’t show more. Now, Google has amped up every scientist’s favorite to show how elements really get used in the real world. That means that the interactive visualization allows you to see where the elements crop up: in…
One of America’s finest food traditions is about to get more convenient than ever: Girl Scouts have been given the go ahead to sell their cookies online. The tradition, which is now almost 100 years old, churns out over 200 million boxes of deliciousness per year—but until now it’s been a solely offline affair. Now,…
