Tech News

Google Removes New Android Privacy Feature, Says It Was an Accident

Yesterday, we published a blog post lauding an extremely important app privacy feature that was added in Android 4.3. That feature allows users to install apps while preventing the app from collecting sensitive data like the user’s location or address book. https://gizmodo.com/the-awesome-privacy-tools-in-android-4-3-1481775527 After we published the post, several people contacted us to say that the…

This Mortar-Hunting War Truck Just Got a Powerful New Laser Cannon

The Army’s High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL MD) has been under development for some years now, however until this point, it’s been little more than a proof of concept. But thanks to a new upgrade to its firing system, the HEL MD can now burn most any incoming threat clean out of the sky.…

This Week in Time Capsules: Nikola Tesla Statue Rises in Silicon Valley

Our weekly round-up of time capsule news includes a group of kids in Ohio who sealed an Xbox into a capsule, the tragic story of a recently unearthed time capsule from 2003 that didn’t fare too well, and a new Tesla monument in Silicon Valley that includes some predictions for the world of 2043. Time…

The Best Coffemaker, Fitbit Force, All the SodaStreams [Deals]

The Bodum Bistro is our favorite electric coffeemaker, both for its futuristic good looks and its unique water distribution solution. We’ve never seen it cheaper than $166, but Bodum is selling it directly today for just $99. If you like coffee, you’d be crazy not to get this. https://theinventory.com/our-favorite-coffee-gear-1457145702 Bodum Bistro Automatic Pour-Over Electric Coffeemaker…

Surreal Exhibition Explores Half-Finished and Incomplete Products

Ever wonder what a French Horn looks like before it gets completely twisted? Or a soda can before it gets a top and a tab? In the Making, an upcoming exhibition at London’s Design Museum curated by British design golden boys Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, will present a range of familiar products in various…

Do You Buy a Real Christmas Tree Or a Fake One?

It’s that special time of year filled with wonder and whimsy when we put trees in our homes and transform our apartments into magical forests decorated with plastic tinsel and colored glass orbs. But your tree. Your tree! Is it real or fake? There are bigger issues in the world. But if you ask me,…

You’ll Make Room For This Stunning Vintage Skeeball Game

If you’re as enamored with this gorgeous vintage skeeball game as we are, finding space for it in your home won’t be a problem. Because you’ll happily ditch your dining room table, your living room sofa, even your bed to make room for this piece. It basically turns your home into your own private Chuck…

Make your own at Woofmaker. Thanks @annfriedman!

This Is Not a Speaker

How the first iPhone copied everything—and the last one did too

The first iPhone was a true breakthrough that shaped the multitouch-dominated world we live in. It took its clues from everyday objects to create a familiar experience that was instantly understood (and copied.) Years later it got stuck in those successful metaphors but, instead of working in another breakthrough, Apple just copied some bits from…

17 Years at 1 URL

Seventeen years ago today I purchased the URL Disquiet.com. Each passing year, when I have the time, I write a bit about that process, that time period. I think I’ll give myself the additional Oulipo constraint of utilizing only as many sentences as there are years to the anniversary, though of course parentheticals, em-dashes, semi-colons,…

The Crazy Huge Aperture on This New Lens Chews Up Darkness

It’s been a good year for really huge aperture sizes on camera lenses, with products like the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8, and the Metabones Speed Boosters. But next year you’ll be able to get your hands on a 40mm lens with an aperture size of f/0.85. That is one gaping piehole. https://gizmodo.com/sigma-18-35mm-f-1-8-review-the-best-low-light-zoom-len-950860947 The Ibelux 40mm f/0.85…

7 Reasons Never to Give 4Chan a 3D Printer

Over at 3D printing marketplace Shapeways.com, inspired individuals are free to post their 3D-printable creations for all the world to buy. And sure, there’s some more benign items like art and iPhone cases littered among the clutter, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find what Shapeways’ masses really want: Goatse, twerking, fresco Jesus, doge—the…

This Multi-Launcher Spits Out Missiles Like a 12-Barrel Revolver

While the Phalanx has proven an immensely effective self-defense system for the US Navy, it’s far from a watertight solution. To intercept incoming threats that the Phalanx can’t handle, the US Navy is investing in a rotating missile-launcher that lobs a baker’s dozen of self-propelled missiles at anyone dumb enough to engage. Developed through a…

This looks like the Russians threw a dead astronaut out of the airlock…

…but the reality is not as macabre as that. Is is, however, quite wacky. Sam Wilkinson—a former intern at NASA and Sploid reader—explains this spooky picture in this article about awesome stuff in space that he sent for publication. There are a couple of man-made objects in space that almost everyone will know about: the…

There’s an Apple Bitcoin Prank That’s Hilarious and Devastating

General piece of advice: don’t go around typing stuff into your computer’s terminal window based on some pictures you found randomly floating on the internet. You’re not very likely to unlock a hidden bitcoin miner in your Mac, and far more likely to brick the thing instead. There’s apparently a rumor going around that Apple’s…

This Year’s Top Instagram Trends Are Exactly What You’d Expect

Instagram and its many filters may be responsible for the wave of faux nostalgia, but now that the year’s winding down, it’s time for some actual nostalgia. Today, Instagram released their year-end review, and, well, it’s pretty much exactly what you’d expect. But it’s also a great excuse to post some gorgeous shots. The most…

Amazon’s Best-Selling Music of All Time: So That’s Who’s Buying CDs

In an apparent effort to win back some headlines after Beyoncé’s new album broke iTunes last night, Amazon has compiled its best-selling music of all time in the categories of songs, MP3 albums, and physical CDs. It’s not exactly what you’d expect. https://gizmodo.com/beyonces-surprise-new-album-crashed-itunes-overnight-1482524545 Adele sits at the top of the physical compact disc list, joined…

Looks like ARM is trying to beef up its graphics offering; it just bought Geometrics, a long time partner that specializes in dynamic illumination tech, stuff that makes graphics look real, and real good. [GigaOM]

This Wonderful Cardboard Robot Proves the Box Is Always More Fun

There’s a long running joke that kids would rather play with the cardboard box than the toy inside. And that’s especially true if that cardboard can then be transformed into an articulated 20-inch tall robot like our friend here. Thanks to pre-cut holes and panels, as well as folding cardboard joints and hinges, this creation…