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My uncle used to own an old medieval Spanish armor. I remember looking at it and thinking how the hell knights could fight stuffed inside those heavy and clunky metal suits. This video shows how: Reconstructing medieval fight techniques using combat treatises of that time as a reference. SPLOID is a new blog about awesome…
Facebook has been taking advertising more seriously than ever recently. Now it’s taking things to the next level though—by using its data to sell targeted ads on third party sites. http://gizmodo.com/facebook-is-now-sharing-your-browsing-history-with-adve-1589809318/all Re/code reports that Facebook is rolling out a new advertising scheme that “lets advertisers buy ads, via Facebook, on properties Facebook doesn’t own.” In…
Microsoft has announced that it’s opening its first Manhattan flagship store, and it will be on Fifth Avenue—just a few blocks from Apple’s iconic glass cube. Rumors have swirled for the past couple of months about Microsoft wanting to open a fancy store in NYC. Now, it’s announced that it will be setting up shop…
I can’t believe no CGI was used in the making of this beautiful short film: An electrician dances with ten flying lamp shades—drones in disguise—in a mesmerizing choreography. A computer controls the drones so they move in synch and interact with the actor. To make this happen Cirque du Soleil teamed up with one of…
Today the prototype Orion spacecraft made its final move before heading to the launch pad for testing in December. The monster machine was carefully shuffled around the Kennedy Space Center, leaving its fuelling station and heading to the installation of the Launch Abort System. Top image: Orion making a quick turn on the apron during…
Last night, Saturday Night Live kicked off its 40th season (did you watch it!). It’s a major milestone to be sure, but how exactly is it made? Countless books have been written on the subject but established actor and fledgling documentarian James Franco tries to capture the tortuous late nights and constant rehearsals required to…
It’s hard to believe, but this spectacular shot was not grabbed from some brand new Hollywood movie. This Army Air Corps Apache took part in this dramatic display at the Royal International Air Tattoo at Royal Air Force air base, Fairford, UK. [Uncropped photo: Cpl Neil Bryden RAF/MoD/Crown]
YouTube user EverythingApplesPro claims to have found a security vulnerability involving Apple’s iOS 8 Touch ID and Passcode. Update: After further testing, we’ve determined that this is almost definitely just Touch ID registering the thumbprint on a hair trigger. This post originally indicated that the bypass was legitimate, based on incomplete testing on our part.…
When Ween released their fourth studio album Chocolate and Cheese in September 1994, I was six years old. At the time, I was most likely rocking out to Raffi’s Greatest Hits or something. Fast forward a decade later, featuring a more mature albeit acne-ridden adolescent, and I’m listening to the weirdest song I’ve ever heard.…
China continues its disturbing trend of social media crackdowns as pro-democracy protests flare in Hong Kong. Web services, such as Blocked In China, who monitor the government’s abusive censorship, confirms that the blackout spreads across the country. Up until this point, Facebook’s image sharing application had pretty much avoided government censors. Instead, China has often…
Nothing like a lazy Sunday afternoon to play around with your smartphone. Reward that glowing pocket rectangle for its selfless dedication with some fresh new apps! Multi-Platform Updates Circa News Wire Billing itself as the kind of distilled news feed the President might use, Circa’s newest update introduces Wire: A personalized daily news brief with…
September’s wrapping up – it’s one month down, two to go for Toybox’s time with the Recruit program. Let’s catch up with this week’s look back at all things pop culture. It was a quieter week for the sub-site, but still an overwhelmingly good one – we hit 415k US People! I still can’t believe…
Ello, the upstart social network that’s grown in massive popularity of the past week, is currently down. Whether for maintenance or more nefarious purposes, it isn’t outwardly explicit. According to its current status page, the site is investigating the cause but is leaning toward a possible denial of service (DDoS) attack. The company started investigating…
Welcome to Reading List, Gizmodo’s Sunday afternoon roundup of the best writing from around the web. This week, we’ve got great stuff from Wired, The Washington Post, and more. Let’s dig in! One of Starbucks’ busiest locations is the on-campus coffee shop at CIA headquarters. Inside, it looks like any other franchise cafe, but things…
We spend a lot of time talking about all the great films that are always a quick click away on our particular streaming platform of choice—and rightfully so. Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime do an admirable job of curating a rotating cast of blockbusters, art house sweethearts and critic-praising cinema. But to be honest, I…
The Power Glove was the quirkiest little peripheral ever devised for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Although if found only limited use on that platform, modern day tinkers with access to cheap and simple microcontrollers can now turn these 25-year-old video game artifacts into futuristic wearables. YouTuber Greg Sowell posted a video detailing his rave-friendly creation…
What is it about bugs in space that is just so adorable? First, it was the indestructible-yet-cuddly tardigrade. Now it’s an illustrated Czech children’s novel about beetles touring the solar system. https://gizmodo.com/just-another-reason-why-tardigrades-are-the-best-micro-1531126448 Na měsíc a ještě dál is an illustrated children’s novel about a group of beetles touring our solar system. The Czech book is…
Bootleg websites, usually tucked away in some shady digital corner filled with pornographic pop up ads and potentially malignant viruses, are a permanent fixture on the internet. Offering up tons of illegally free content, these sites’ creators are the reason why publishing execs toss and turn in their sleep. Some become internet celebrities and millionaires,…
It’s been a weird week for Asian hamburgers that have been dyed black – but now Batman’s joining in on the fun in Hong Kong. But wait, what!? His burger’s not black! I feel disappointed, Batman. https://kotaku.com/in-japan-burger-king-has-a-black-cheese-burger-1632883542 https://kotaku.com/this-is-mcdonalds-japans-take-on-the-black-burger-1639439091 The burger is part of an new promotion in Hong Kong McDonalds that features Justice League-inspired meals,…
All smartphone apps fall into two categories: paid and unpaid. For many, free apps satisfy all our needs, even if they fill our lives with a bunch of ads. But are there pricey apps—either with a big up-front expensive or in-app purchases—that are worth their price? Last week, we asked you what was the “most…
