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A quarter-century ago, after the Exxon Valdez’s captain downed one too many drinks and left a third mate in charge, the oil tanker struck a reef and bled 11 million gallons of oil across 1,300 miles of Alaska’s coastline. But the catastrophic oil spills have continued in the US—and we’re still not prepared to handle…
The Z-2 suit is the newest prototype in the Z-series, NASA’s next-generation spacesuit platform. After creating the Z-1 prototype, the U.S. space agency wants you to get involved to the development process, because they have three quite different design concepts—and, some times, professionals need a little help from laypeople, too. They say: After the positive…
E-cigarettes are controversial these days, following public vaping bans in the country’s three biggest cities. The issue? We don’t know yet if they’re bad for you or not. But one thing that’s definitely, indisputably bad for you: Drinking e-cigarette juice. https://gizmodo.com/the-governments-war-on-e-cigarettes-1487441428 The New York Times has a nice story about an unintended consequence of the…
When you flush the toilet, you’re sending a lot of bad stuff into the sewer. But what you might not realize is that you’re flushing away a lot of good stuff, too. That’s why a team of German scientists have developed a method for recovering those valuable particles. Specifically, researchers found a way to remove…
Panasonic and Leica just love holding hands in the release of cameras and lenses. Their latest collaboration is a new 15mm f/1.7 for micro four-thirds bodies, and it might just be perfect as a walk-around prime. The Leica DG Summilux 15mm f/1.7 was announced back in the Fall of 2013 when the Lumix GM1 wade…
Of course, of course, Kanye West would use his iPad to take a photo of Kim taking a photo. His tablet pic faux pas is 100 percent believable. But this picture—from the couple’s Vogue spread—is also a horrible photoshop job. Using image annotation*, help us point out everything that’s wrong. http://gawker.com/here-are-kim-kanye-and-a-really-long-hashtag-on-the-c-1548920912 Let’s just take all…
The popular group chat system Campfire is currently being nailed with a DDoS attack. Turns out some blackmailing hackers are trying to extort money from the provider. They’re refusing to negotiate. 37Signals, the company behind Campfire, Basecamp and other products posted the following to its blog: Criminals have laid siege to our networks using what’s…
The Crabster CR200 autonomous underwater vehicle has finally skittered off the drawing board and into development. Here it is, sans protective exterior panels, clambering around the KIOST labs with its inventor, Bong-huan Jun, at the helm. https://gizmodo.com/this-robotic-crab-will-scuttle-the-sea-for-historic-sun-827248991
I read Days of Future Past—the X-Men two-book-saga by writer Chris Claremont, penciler John Byrne and inker Terry Austin—back when it first came out in the 1980s. Based on the new trailer, it seems that is has some key moments from it. Like when Storm gets killed? At least, that looks awfully similar to her…
HTC made One of the most beautiful (and best) Android phones ever last year. Now it’s about time for the follow-up, and this could be it. https://gizmodo.com/htc-one-review-the-beauty-is-a-beast-updated-5990716 This 15 minute video from VidxHD shows the new HTC One (AKA the M8, but apparently not the HTC Two) in all its glory, featuring a more curved…
When half of a binary system goes supernova, usually that means a very bad day for the remaining star. But DEM L241 is tougher than that, surviving the astronomical blast to shine another day. The optical image is a mess of gas and dust (yellow and cyan) captured by Magellanic Cloud Emission Line Survey (MCELS)…
Advantageous hunters in Alaska have one less advantage after the state’s Board of Game approved a measure that prohibits the use of drones to spot animals. Now they’ll just have to rely on their special camouflage clothing, high-powered rifles, and high-powered handheld cameras to kill unsuspecting beasts. For the record, drone-assisted hunting isn’t quite yet…
iFixit, the folks responsible for tearing down all of our favorite gear, also sell kits that include all the tools they use. But none will ever be as useful as this tiny $6 ‘Action Hero Toolkit’ inspired by TV’s most resourceful hero: MacGyver. https://gizmodo.com/mac-pro-teardown-an-apple-rig-you-can-actually-tinker-1492168534 It turns out that yesterday, March 23, was actually MacGyver’s birthday.…
If there’s one tool that’s a necessary evil in your kitchen it’s the whisk. Its ability to blend and whip is matched only by its resistance to being cleaned. But if you have access to a 3D printer and a bag of bamboo skewers, this simple adapter could mean you’ll never have to clean out…
Panasonic has officially announced the HX-A500 wearable action camera, the real-world version of the prototype we saw back at CES. It’s dustproof, waterproof down to 9.8 feet, and it straps to your head like some weird kind of Universal Soldier head piece. https://gizmodo.com/this-is-panasonics-future-4k-video-micro-four-thirds-c-1496612281 The HX-A500 is the first wearable camera that shoot 4K footage at…
If you need more space on your phone, camera, or anything in between, Amazon’s got you covered today with a ton of storage options from Samsung. Each form factor comes in 2-3 different capacities and two different speeds, but the prices are uniformly great. Popular models tend to sell out quickly during Gold Box sales,…
Nowadays, shopping malls are seldom considered masterpieces. But that was completely different at the turn of the 19th century—a time when the department store was a pinnacle of high style and technology. The following images will show you the dawn of consumer society, when malls were more like palaces and temples than mere stores. The…
NASA plays along with each new Cosmos episode, posting photos, stories, and projects relevant to the episode. This week is an exploration of how scientific theory is used to predict events on the cosmic scale. Venus transited the sun in 1882, then again 2012. Each time it was met with enthusiasm and curiosity, making headlines…
At just before 3 am CT this morning, a Blue Line train at Chicago’s O’Hare airport jumped the rails. And kept going. There were 32 reported injuries—everyone’s currently listed in “good” or “fair” condition, according to the Chicago Tribune—in the wake of the derailment, the cause of which is still not known. The effect, though,…
For the short, or those with tall apartments, some steps are an essential household item. But why buy a stepladder when you can hide one in plain sight, as this wonderful looking chair? Obviously It’s not the first chair to function as a stepladder—designed or impromptu—but Usit, designed by Maarten Olden, might just be the…
