Tech News

Fugazi: First Demo

Fugazi is my favorite band, so it’s deeply saddening to me that the DC post-hardcore legends have been on hiatus for nearly a decade. They’ll probably never make music again. But in the absence of new tunes to sink my teeth into, I’ll settle for their demo, which was recorded 26 years ago. Next week,…

Decorate your tree with these awesome Lego ornaments

The holidays are approaching fast and soon many will be dragging out boxes of shiny bits to decorate their tree with. I suggest building some of your own ornaments this year. These wonderful designs from Chris McVeigh can be purchased as kits in his store and contain everything you need to make some really amazing…

First comet drilling ever confirmed: 100% successful mission, says ESA

Against all odds, Philae has confirmed that the first ever drilling of a comet has happened! ESA has received telemetry data indicating that the drill worked. They also managed to send ALL data before going into sleep mode. What is Philae going to find? Perhaps the building blocks of life? UPDATE 5. This is to…

365 days of Beijing pollution in one megamosaic

Beijing is a great city, especially if you want to develop lung cancer thanks to the overwhelming pollution that shrouds the city most days of the year. This mosaic made by resident Zou Yi during a year of photos from the same window is even more powerful than the usual pictures we are used to.…

A fake gas-powered alarm clock once got Energy Star certification

When an appliance gets Energy Star certification that’s supposed to mean that it’s environmentally friendly. But what happens when you submit fake products like a gasoline-powered alarm clock or the “air purifier” pictured above? A government audit in 2010 found that both of these ridiculous products were certified as energy efficient. And yes, that “air…

Even the 19th Century Had Needy Nigerian Prince Scams

We’ve all received that email at least once before. A kind prince/princess/spambot in Nigeria has millions of dollars, and better yet, they want to split it with you. Just hand over your social security code and wait for them to arrive on American soil. As the above newspaper clipping shows, these types of scams were…

I Need This Genius Spring Smasher To Crack My Nuts

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. That means turkey, mashed potatoes, and also probably a bowl of nuts that still have the stupid shell on them for some stupid reason. WTF, is this the Middle Ages? Instead of reaching for some lame two-pronged cracker, or worse, some kitchen implement that looks like a smallish man…

Impressive 1980s photo of old jet fighters flying over Giza’s pyramids

I’m completely nerdgasming out over this image of old jet fighters flying over the pyramids of Giza during operation Bright Star in 1983. If I’m not mistaken, I see from left to right, top to bottom: F-4 Phantom, Mirage (III?), MiG-19, F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-14 Tomcat, A-6 Intruder, MiG-21, and A-7 Corsair. SPLOID is delicious…

Scaramouche in brick reminds me why sword fights are so awesome

Letranger Absurde (vitreolum) was inspired by the six minute long, totally ridiculous but absolutely amazing sword fight scene in Scaramouche and constructed the above build. Scaramouche is a 1952 movie based on a 1921 novel of the same name by Rafael Sabatini. This scene from Scaramouche also inspired Cary Elwes and Mandy Patinkin to make…

An unnamed man gets a shave at a nuclear research facility in Britain with the help of some robot arms “as delicate as human hands” demonstrating “perfect comfort and safety.” Image via Getty/Tropical Press Agency

Oh Good: AT&T Will Stop Putting Undeletable Tracking IDs on Your Phone

AT&T has phased out a controversial tracking program it used that inserted identification tags without an opt-out into users’ internet traffic. ProPublica reports that the telecom company got rid of its tracking IDs following media criticism. AT&T maintained that it never had an official program that used this type of tracking, but it did admit…

Facebook’s Wind-Powered Data Center Is Now Processing Your Posts

Facebook’s first data center powered solely by renewable energy is now in operation in Altoona, Iowa. The center was expected to open in 2015, so it’s ahead of schedule. Facebook’s enormous data centers are the humming, remote engines that make the company’s services possible. They don’t take up much space in the public eye, but…

You Can Put That Apple Watch-Inspired UI On Your Jailbroken iPhone Now

The Apple Watch’s interface has intrigued many of us since it was presented earlier this fall—and since then, we’ve seen several developers apply the same logic to smartphones. Now there’s a fully functional version available on Cydia’s app store for the more adventurous among us. The tweak is called Aeternum (the Latin for “eternity”) because…

How to Store Nuclear Waste for 10,000 Years (and How Not To)

America has currently no plan for its nuclear waste. It did, however, at one point, have a supremely ambitious plan to bury it in a mountain for 10,000 years. From color-changing radioactive cats to rotting kitty litter, this essay from Method Quarterly explores the mythical and the mundane problems of nuclear waste. To tell the…

1950s Homes of the Future Were Going to Push-Button All The Things

After World War II, Americans were promised that pretty soon everything would be operated by push-button. Push-button cars, push-button schools — and a push-button for nearly every moving thing in your futuristic home. https://gizmodo.com/all-work-and-no-play-makes-self-driving-cars-a-dull-plo-1524354458 In a 1950 article for the Associated Press, editor David G. Bareuther wrote about the future of American homes. Skyscrapers might…

Your New Home Theater, Buffalo Storage, Power Deals, and More

Several great options for powering up today: Poweradd Pilot E2 12000mAh Dual USB Portable Charger External Battery ($20) | Amazon Inateck 4-Port 30W Compact USB Wall Charger ($10) | Amazon | Use code M7BM5EKO Intocircuit 2nd Gen Power Mini 3000mAh ($16) with your choice of: Free Dual Port USB Car Charger using code T8DJMOUY or…

Critical Hit Dreidel Lights Up and Flashes When You Win

Make the Festival of Lights just a little brighter this year by swapping your family’s antique Dreidel for ThinkGeek’s electronic alternative that automatically lights up and flashes whenever it lands on Gimel. For amateur Dreidel players whose Hebrew is a little rusty (or non-existent) the upgraded version is an easy way to tell when they’ve…

5 Camera Features You Think You Want, But Are Actually Bad Ideas

Camera geeks are a needy bunch. They all have their opinions and won’t hesitate to shout at manufacturers to include their pet requests. But that doesn’t mean all those requests are good ideas. Here are five commonly desired camera features that are better left to the trash heap of design. EVFs on tiny cameras If…

If you’re a Google Play Music All Access subscriber, you’ll get access to the new YouTube Music Key service next week. If you’re not, you can sign up for the beta here.

The Bedpan Whisperer

How many bedpans is too many? 10? 50? Try 250. That’s about how many bedpans and items of bedpan memorabiliaEric Eakin has collected thus far. “I have bedpan greeting cards, bedpan poems, bedpan jewelry, and bedpan salt-and-pepper shakers,” he says. Eakin’s also got plenty of vintage and antique bedpans, each one clean enough to eat…