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Want a virtual reality headset, but can’t afford the hefty pricetag on most existing models (or to hold out for the future)? Google dropped an inexpensive solution today following its I/O keynote: Google Cardboard, an app that lets Android users transform their phones into VR headsets with the help of a DIY cardboard viewer. It’s…
With excellent battery life, and the performance offered by a legitimate Intel chip, the Acer C720 is one of the best Chromebooks you can buy. If you’ve been on the fence, Acer is selling refurbs through Amazon today for just $150. Just today, Google announced that it’s bringing Android apps to Chromebooks, so this just…
Graffiti may be ephemeral, but then there’s Google Street View with its all-seeing camera. Inspired by Google’s recent to move to let users go back in time in Street View, Brian Foo at the New York Public Library Labs thought he could make us look at street graffiti from a new perspective—through time. Here’s the…
Migaloo—the only known albino humpback whale—has just resurfaced off the coast of Sydney, Australia. He was first spotted in 1991. It’s an amazing animal, says Oskar Peterson, of the White Whale Research Centre: He’s been around for quite a while and he cruises up and down the east coast of Australia every year, but some…
It’s the longest day of the year and the start of vacations, lemonade, and bee stings. It’s the summer solstice. Here are 10 stunning shots of our sun, by you. Winner: Long Engagement I liked the idea of using this public art piece and the sun to make it look like the diamond was glowing.…
Going head-to-head with Apple’s newly announced HealthKit, Google has just revealed Google Fit, a fitness tracking service service to call its very own. Google Fit’s open APIs allow any connected apps and devices to seamlessly share data, all of which gets sucked up by Google Fit. Fit is supposed to make it easier for you…
An old MUNI bus in San Francisco is getting a second life with a noble cause. Outfitted with toilets and showers, Lava Mae‘s refurbished bus will bring mobile bathrooms to homeless people around the city. The long-awaited bus will make its first rounds this weekend. Homelessness in San Francisco is famously (and infamously) a growing…
With the upcoming L release of Android, Chromebooks are going to gain the superpower of being able to run (some) Android apps! Google is trying to be cautious about not just slapping Android apps onto a device with a mouse and keyboard with no modification, so it’s not like every Android app is immediately there,…
Google has just revealed that its popular Chromecast dongle will soon receive a sizable feature boost. What’s more, the streaming device will also receive a personalized user home screen. Here’s what’s in store for your living room. Chromecast has grown rapidly since its debut last year. Its content partners have grown from just five initially…
Forget the Ouya, there’s another Android game console in town, and it’s coming from two of the biggest players in computing. Razer, the folks behind the awesome Razer Blade and Junglecat controller, have teamed up with Google to create a “micro-console” that will run the new AndroidTV. It’ll work as a set-top box for TV…
Meet AndroidTV: a new TV platform, like the failed Google TV. It’s a brand new UI but it’s the same SDK as regular Android. Here’s what’s up: Android TV is a UI that gives you a unified view of your channels. It’s a “lean-back” approach to watching TV, says Google. Part of what that means…
Diego González’s Birostis is a clipper that uses a hydrofoil hull and can be propelled by sails but also by two front kites (which are out the shot.) According to Diego, “the idea of this design come from the novel Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi.” Diego González Cortes is an Spanish concept designer based in…
As the rumors foretold, today at Google I/O we got a first look at Android Auto. The system uses your Android smartphone as the brain for an in-dash system controlling navigation, music, and messaging. In other words, your next new car might double as an Android accessory. Basically, Android Auto is a casting setup, where…
We’ve known about Android Wear for a few months now, but Google just announced that the LG G Watch and Samsung’s just-announced Gear Live will be available to pre-order from the Google Play Store today. The sleeker-looking Moto 360 however, won’t be coming out until later this summer. https://gizmodo.com/lg-is-working-on-a-smartwatch-with-android-wear-1546420726 The Samsung Gear Live In addition…
The most effective way to clean found water is to boil it. But, how do you do that if you don’t have a metal container? Or any container at all? With a rock of course. Tools: You’re going to need a fire and obviously the ability to start one. Bonus points if you carry a…
Today the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that police can no longer search your cell phone without a search warrant or an immediate threat of danger. There are plenty of caveats, but overall this is a victory for privacy advocates. Below are some of the highlights from the decision. https://gizmodo.com/supreme-court-cops-cant-search-your-phone-without-a-wa-1595858318 SCOTUS points out that we’ve…
At Google I/O today, the search-and-everything-else giant unveiled a new mobile tool to help your smartphone survive to the end of the day. Say hello to Project Volta. Volta is a data-heavy way to help boost your battery life and give you insight into what’s draining your mobile device’s juice. Take a look and see…
Google’s moving toward more of an Apple-like release schedule for its operating systems, so the new L release of Android isn’t coming out for real for a while. But there will early versions for the Nexus 5 and the Nexus 7 that developers—or endeavoring nerds—can download starting tomorrow.
Google just showed off the new look that the next big release of Android—the “L” release—will have. But the new card-based look isn’t just for your the operating system on your phone or tablet. It’s going to leak out onto the web as well. https://gizmodo.com/android-l-release-everything-you-need-to-know-1595912430 With a developer tool called “Polymer,” Google is making the…
Google just announced a pretty impressive-looking retail experience powered by its Project Tango 3D mapping service. With help from aisle411 and Walgreens, the new augmented reality shopping technology will help you find products more efficiently. It sort of turns shopping into a video game. Google and aisle411 unveiled the new technology at the I/O developer…
