Tech News

Watch the Spectacular Fiery Death of the Albert Einstein Spacecraft

This amazing reentry fireworks was observed from the International Space Station on 2 November at 12:04 GMT. We can see European Space Agency’s fourth Automated Transfer Vehicle, Albert Einstein, disintegrating and burning up in the atmosphere over an uninhabited area of the Pacific Ocean, in the most spectacular way, after it left the International Space…

Australian Authorities Seize Katy Perry’s New Album, Deemed Biohazard

Katy Perry’s new album Prism is very bad. We’re not just talking about the music, though. (“Roar” is rather catchy!) It’s bad for the environment. At least, that’s what officials say in Australia where the record’s been deemed a “biosecurity concern.” Well, to be more specific, the album artwork is made of seedpaper, and comes…

The Evil Galactic Empire invades Kinkade’s famous cheesy paintings

Self-described “alien artisan” Roland Deschane recently brought the world a brilliant juxtaposition: the cozy cabins of Thomas Kinkade and the raw brutality of the imperial forces. We’re talking Stormtroopers, Star Destroyers and AT-AT Walkers. We’re talking Dark Side. The idea alone deserves a slow clap, but the execution is almost flawless. You can almost hear…

The Colossal Railway That’s Quietly Taking Shape 160 Feet Below NYC

Maybe we can’t build the world’s deepest undersea tunnel in seven years like some cities, but New York still has some serious mega-construction chops. Behold: The latest photos from 120 to 160 feet below Grand Central Station, where workers are building the largest public transportation project in the US. https://gizmodo.com/worlds-deepest-undersea-tunnel-weaves-together-two-con-1454513090 The East Side Access Project—which…

Mexican Coke Is Ditching Cane Sugar For High-Fructose Corn Syrup (Update: In Mexico)

Well, this is some real bullshit. Mexican Coke is ditching its key ingredient, cane sugar, for high-fructose corn syrup. This is objectively awful. Mexican Coke—which is also widely available in the United States—has cane sugar to thank for its distinctive taste. By switching to high fructose corn syrup, it will be indistinguishable from boring old…

This Sleek Monolithic Microwave Keeps Buttons To a Minimum

Microwaves are rarely seen as the focal point of your kitchen, but maybe they should be? German appliance maker Caso sure thinks so. The company’s new HCMG25 microwave features a giant black mirror glass front panel with a cleverly integrated red LED display that pushes all the buttons to the side to help preserve its…

NASA’s Rock Climbing Robot Could Tackle Everest With Ease

Last year NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory revealed a Spiderman-inspired grippy claw that would let spacecraft easily grab onto passing asteroids and comets. Since then the technology has been further refined and now integrated into a rock-climbing robot called the LEMUR IIB that could put Sir Edmund Hillary to shame. https://gizmodo.com/nasa-wants-to-snatch-asteroids-with-a-spiderman-inspire-5911092 Each of the robot’s four…

Climbing Frozen Waterfalls at Night by the Light of a Drone

The work of photographer Thomas Senf is the focus of a short video hosted by The Guardian, documenting the stunning lengths he’s gone through to shoot climbers scaling frozen waterfalls at night in the mountains of Norway. The landscape is a like a chandelier lit from within—a reef of glowing ice. These include colored lights…

Watch Jar-Jar getting killed in this deleted Star Wars scene

This is one of the most satisfying things I’ve seen in a long time: watch Jar-Jar Binks—the biggest assclown in the galaxy far far away—getting killed in a deleted Star Wars scene that has been perfectly edited by fans.* Again. And again. So satisfying. So, why did they take this scene out? Or did they?…

The World’s Most Obscene iPhone Dock Is Bigger Than a Pony

With 28 speakers blasting around 125 watts, the original Wall of Sound made for an obnoxious home stereo system—let alone an iPod dock. But its creators have returned with a bigger and better solution: the Wall of Sound 2.0 that adds an extra 16 speakers, bringing the total to 44 (in addition to a pair…

Things are looking up in 2056 indeed. 2055, however… that year was pretty fucking bad. A cartoon by Poorly Drawn Lines.

Watch Every Single Nexus Phone Speed Tested at the Same Time

The Nexus 5 is here, and it’s the best Android can offer. But the Nexus line has come a long long way from its beginnings back in 2010, both in design and performance. How far? See for yourself. https://gizmodo.com/nexus-5-review-the-best-is-still-the-best-especially-1458003288 The folks over at PhoneBuff put together this nice little clip showing every Nexus phone (dating…

Amazon’s Throwing Independent Booksellers a Kindle Lifeline

Amazon’s Kindle Fire and other e-readers are usually considered nails in the traditional independent bookstore’s coffin. Amazon’s flipping all that around, with a program that lets bookstores sell Kindle e-readers and make money off the e-books their owners buy. https://gizmodo.com/kindle-fire-hdx-review-third-times-a-charmer-1427201835 Announced today, Amazon Source gives independent bookstores a discount when buying Kindles and related accessories…

27 Unearthly Objects Made Of Stars

A few days ago, we admired the cosmic beauty hidden inside of dull-looking meteorites. Scientists crack open these space rocks in the name of research, plenty of other meteorite enthusiasts do it for another reason—to make things out of what’s inside. What sort of things? You name it. http://gizmodo.com/preview/dull-rocks-from-space-hide-wonders-inside-1452025409 From guitar picks to necklaces, the…

The Smartest Fitness Tracker Just Got Smarter

​The Basis B1 band was already the brainiest fitness tracker out there. It would track your pulse, temperature, how much you sweat, and it was even smart enough to tell when you’ve gone to sleep and when you’ve woken up without you having to manually set anything. That’s a feature we loved when we tested…

The World’s Thinnest 2TB Hard Drive Is a Mere 9.5mm Thick

Just a few months ago we were impressed with Western Digital for cramming an entire terabyte of storage into a mobile hard drive that was just seven millimeters thick. But now Seagate’s come along to steal WD’s thunder with the ultra-slim 2.5-inch Spinpoint M9T that manages to double that capacity to two-terabytes inside a drive…

Dear Samsung: A ‘Fonblet’ Is Not a Thing

During its Analyst Day today in Seoul, Samsung has been trying to coin a new term. Brace yourselves, because if you thought ‘phablet’ was bad, then the ‘fonblet’ is something else entirely. Tech in Asia reports that the Korean manufacturer wants to establish the term to refer to “a large-display phone with a stylus and…

Can Technology Ever Make Us Truly Happy?

Humans are clever: what sets us apart from the rest of the creatures on the planet is our ability to think about the world around us—and shape it. But in making all the technological advances that seems so smart, are we making the world better, or just different? This video takes a pretty lofty view…

Rdio’s new iOS app recommends music based on your listening habits. Hardly innovative, but useful.

Why Your Palms Get Sweaty When You’re Excited, Scared or Nervous

Today I found out why your palms get sweaty when you’re nervous. Ever been on the edge of a cliff or looking out the window at the top of a skyscraper and your hands start to sweat? Or maybe it’s when you’re about to speak in front of an audience? The individual who introduced you…