Tech News

A Real Keyboard for Your iPad, Chomecast, Fire-Proof Safe

The Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard is widely considered the best iPad keyboard on the market, and Best Buy has the iPad Air model today for $50, or $20 under the typical asking price. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/logitech-ultrathin-portfolio-keyboard-case-for-apple-ipad-air-veil-gray/1817149.p Logitech Ultrathin Portfolio Keyboard Case for iPad Air | $50 Samsung makes some of the best Smart TVs out there, and Woot…

The Bizarre Failed Weapons That Led to the Stun Gun

Stun guns themselves certainly aren’t perfect solutions to the problem crowd control. But compared to what came before it, the modern stun gun seems downright civil. One of the first uses of electroshock weapons to (non-lethally) control crowds took place during the 1930s as a substitute for the billy club. But this first iteration of…

Remember that “Mute” feature that was popping up on Twitter for mobile? Today, it’s officially rolling out across the board. You may may now tweet in peace.

Terrifying video captures Syrian jet bombing rebel cameraman’s position

Remember Syria? Of course not! But here’s yet another startling reminder that things have have not changed one bit there: Watch a Syrian MiG-21 maneuvering to bomb a rebel position and blowing it up. It’s amazing that the rebels are still resisting with all this firepower being thrown at them every day. Now, go to…

Can a Smart Lighter Help You Quit Smoking?

If you’ve ever chastised a friend for their gnarly smoking habit, you know that scolding does absolutely nothing. Making people feel bad about smoking just makes them want to smoke in secret. Well, here’s an idea: What if it was your lighter making you feel bad about smoking. You can’t run away from your lighter…

Are Nest Thermostats Killing Air Conditioners?

Everybody loves the Nest thermostat. Or at least, they love the idea of it. Who wouldn’t want a futuristic thermostat with a brain that automatically adjusts to your habits and optimizes your energy usage? Well, a growing number of people say they’re encountering unexpected problems with their devices. Kinja user AFSpecialSauce recently posted a well…

The New King of High-Sea Helicopters Can Hoist 13 Tons

The Sikorsky CH-53 line of heavy-lift helicopters have been dutifully serving the US Marine Corps since the mid-1960s and even the most recent iteration of the venerable Stallion line is about ready to be put out to pasture. But Sikorsky has a new powerhouse waiting in the wings. Sikorsky began the Stallion line back in…

An $8 Million Robot Sub Just Sank 6 Miles to the Bottom of the Sea

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute has announced that its hybrid ROV, the Nereus, was lost over the weekend and is unrecoverable, having sunk to the bottom of the 10,000 meter Kermadec Trench. The 14 foot-long, 3-ton Nereus, which was capable of diving both with and without an optical tether, only recently joined the WHOI’s robotic fleet…

Apparently, Godzilla Is A Fan Of Breaking Bad

Have you ever wondered what Godzilla would say if he could talk? Well, if Fox’s Animation Domination High-Def has anything to say about it, Godzilla would sound like an eccentric teenager who has never seen the city before. All his stomping about is excitement, and he just likes explosions. Hurting people isn’t his intent (but…

Scientists Have Induced Lucid Dreaming with Electric Shocks

We’re one step closer to on-demand dreaming you can control, after a recent study showed that applying a mild electrical current to the scalp can induce lucid dreaming. It sounds a little bit like Inception, only with more science and less espionage. It also sounds pretty fun. The study itself was pretty simple. Based on…

Live-action Akira trailer made by fans is surprisingly cool

Akira may be the greatest anime movie of all time, and thanks to the hard work of some very devoted fans, it’s been brought to life in this seriously impressive live-action trailer. The trailer has all the whiz-bang effects, drama, and fast editing you’d expect from a big-budget hollywood movie. It’s so gripping, in fact,…

A Board Game That Has You Guess Ridiculous Internet Search Predictions

How often have you found yourself scratching your head in bewilderment over the ridiculous autocomplete suggestions that Google makes for you? They can often be as hilarious as they are absurd, which is what inspired sisters Phoebe Stephens and Nikki Flowerday to turn those search engine predictions into a board game called Query. To create…

A Rainbow River in Madagascar

When freshwater rivers drain into the sea, the waters mix to form a backish estuary. The slowing river also starts to drop its load as its energy drops, depositing gravel and sediment into bars. This particular estuary is Bombetoka Bay, where Betsiboka River flows into the Mozambique Channel. The Betsiboka River is cloudy with sediments,…

How To Make Self-Igniting Fire Arrows For Your Next Medieval Siege

When you’re tasked with invading a fortified castle, the easiest way to defeat your foes is to burn their home from the inside out. And while we’ve lost some of the medieval skills mastered by our ancestors, it turns out that creating your own self-igniting fire arrows isn’t that difficult thanks to modern technology. Specifically,…

A Design Flaw Is Turning the London Shard Hotel Into a Voyeur’s Dream

You’d think staying in the tallest skyscraper in London would afford you some privacy. But visitors at the newly-opened hotel inside of the Shard are being creeped out by the bizarre effects of a simple design flaw—which reflects the view inside of certain rooms directly onto the windows of nearby guests at night. According to…

3D-Printed Electric Water Kettle Inspired by Nautilus Shells

The nested chambers seen inside this prototype electric water kettle by designer Guillian Graves are 3D-printed, their geometry inspired by nautilus shells—giving the project its name, Nautile. The designer’s intent was to create an appliance that would not only be beautiful in any room you find it in, but that would be energy efficient in…

Why Our Bodies Actually Age

Gray hair, memory loss, wrinkles and brittle bones, sooner or later, each of us gets old (if we’re lucky). Yet scientists tell us that there is no evolutionary reason for us to age. So why do we? The Aging Process Researchers do not agree as to the causes of aging. Some claim our genes are…

Square has given up on its payment app Square Wallet and removed it from the App Store. In its stead, Square just introduced Square Order, an app that lets you pay ahead at places like coffee shops and cafes. When god closes a door he opens a… payment app.

This Floating Speaker Shows You Soundwaves As It Plays

It might look a little bit like someone caged HAL in a wooden frame, but this is in fact an elegant speaker, where a spherical sound source sits suspended from its own cubic frame, so you can see how sound forces it to move. Designed by Giorgio Bonaguro and Juan Soriano Blanco, the Vitruvio speaker…

A Giant Elastic Band Could Let You Hide From Your Seatmates in Coach

Besides the leg room, free booze, and endless snacks, flying first-class also provides some much needed privacy that can make a cross-country voyage more enjoyable. It’s a big part of the reason why flying economy sucks, but a couple designers may have found a way to make your cramped coach seat feel like first class.…