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Every generation has its shiny new technology that’s supposed to change education forever. In the 1920s it was radio books. In the 1930s it was television lectures. Here in the second decade of the 21st century, it seems the Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) is the education tech of tomorrow. Let’s hope it pans out…
First Google Play Books made its way to iOS. Then Google Play Music undertook the pilgrimage. So, it should be little surprise that today Google Play Movies and TV has finally made the jump. This is significant not just because it brings Google’s formidable library of content to iOS, but because of the capabilities it…
The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer is the most famous drum machine ever made. It remains a staple of modern production despite being more than 30 years old. Roland just posted a video teasing for a new product called the Aira TR-08, which it’s positioning as a modern version of the 808. I have no idea…
According to Colossal, aquascaping is an incredibly competitive art. I didn’t even know aquascaping existed, but I have to admit that some of these winners from the Planted Aquarium Design Contest 2013 are beautiful and—when you see fish flying over mountains, deserts, and forests—they feel quite surreal. They are made with organic plants manicured into…
The Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Waddington in the UK maintains two Ground Control Stations for managing unmanned aircraft systems flying halfway around the world in Afghanistan. The “drones” based here include current and future equipment, such as the Hermes 450, Black Hornet Nano, Tarantula Hawk, Watchkeeper, and ScanEagle, shown below, as well as…
Generally speaking, domestic drone surveillance is a big no-no. Nevertheless local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies are finding a way to do it by borrowing drones from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. And, according to a recent FOIA request, it’s happening more and more. Between 2010 and 2012, Customs and Border Protection flew 687…
For decades, German audio company Sennheiser has made some of the best headphones you can buy, regardless of whether you’re trying to keep it thrifty or splurge. In recent years, though, the legacy brand has had to adapt its technology to an era when how consumers listen to music has radically changed. https://gizmodo.com/sennheiser-hd-700-headphones-when-1000-cans-sound-wor-5873817 At CES,…
Here’s a simple but rather clever design improvement for clear plastic rulers that most of us would have probably welcomed back in grade school. Nendo’s new Contrast Ruler features metric markings that fade from black to white, so no matter what color of surface you’re working on and shows through, you can always easily discern…
Looks like Valve’s wacky Steam Controller isn’t ever going to get the touchscreen it was originally supposed to. Instead it’ll have buttons like the beta does, forever. But maybe that’s a better choice anyways.
Just what we need, another arms race. China’s stepping up its bid for ballistic missile superiority, having just successfully test-fired the country’s first hypersonic missile delivery vehicle, one capable of penetrating American air defenses to potentially deliver nuclear warheads. The Pentagon is not amused. The WU-14 hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) is part of China’s extremely…
We all know that proper hydration is important. Every cell in your body depends on water to function properly and, when you run low on H2O, systems start crashing. Most of us drink enough fluid to stave the bad stuff off, but when you exercise and start sweating, the equation gets a little more complicated.…
You thought you’d heard the last of Scott Forstall when he was ousted from his Cupertino corner office a little more than a year ago over the Apple Maps fiasco. But friend of Gizmodo Don Lehman just spotted Mr. Forstall’s rebirth, as unsuspecting model for a student charge card at City College in New York.…
We just had a great deal on the NEX-3NL, but if you’re looking for something with a little more kick (and a sweet OLED viewfinder), then the NEX-7 is for you. For many, that viewfinder alone will be worth the price bump. The NEX-7 is currently $1000 on Amazon with one lens. B&H has it…
Last year Vorson managed to squeeze a 2,500 mAh battery into its Bookmark power pack that measured in at just 4.7 millimeters at its thinnest point. Impressive! But it’s a wimp next to EnerPlex’s new Jumpr Slate, which packs a heft new 10,000 mAh battery into a binder-friendly, blade-thin package. https://gizmodo.com/a-crazy-thin-backup-battery-you-can-probably-also-use-a-1482751110 At 6.7 millimeters the…
Each year since 1945, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists sends a letter to the UN Security Council in which they tell them how close we are from nuclear holocaust using a Doomsday Clock. In 1960 we were two minutes from midnight. Their new 2014 report says we’re still five minutes from the Apocalypse. “Five…
You won’t find it in stores just yet, but if you look closely at the jackets and other gear worn by US, Canadian, and Russian athletes at the upcoming 2014 Olympics, you might catch a glimpse of Columbia Sportswear’s new waterproof zipper technology. Or you might not, since it’s been engineered to be almost invisible…
Alcohol may not solve all our problems, but it can solve at least one: A researcher in Scotland has found a way to purify arsenic-tainted water with the barley husks leftover from making whiskey. Leigh Cassidy was working on her PhD when she first turned to alcohol. Then at Aberdeen University, she was researching how…
If your digital photos seem a bit dull lately, try this simple technique to introduce some wild light effects into your routine. All you need is a $4 piece of glass you can order online. The technique comes from photographer Sam Hurd, who dazzled us with his use of prisms not long ago. This time,…
As it’s done in the past with Android, Box is offering 50GB of free storage for new iPhone and iPad users following its latest iOS redesign. That’s an ample increase over its already generous 10GB free space, and could be enough to lure you away from that Dropbox account you’ve been clinging to. The deal…
Apple has settled its suit with the FTC over disclosures that it was too easy for kids to make in-app purchases. As Tim Cook’s letter to Apple employees. notes the company had previously agreed to refund 37,000 claims. The settlement will additionally require Apple to disclose the 15 minute window after entering your password during…
