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If Furbies have taught us anything, it’s that felt-covered animatronics are not to be trusted—they are to be feared. Especially when two of your childhood icons are revived as hip-pop-spouting zombies, as they are in this nightmare-inducing cover of the Macklemore and Ryan Lewis hit. Built and programmed by YT contributor and veritable Dr. Frankenstein…
Maybe it’s no surprise that when Fujifilm’s first advanced pocket camera fell flat, they turned to proven designs for the basis of it’s second try. I just played with Fuji’s new XQ1, and I could believe It wasn’t a Canon S120. But just because it’s familiar on the outside, doesn’t mean it’s got the same…
Sometimes throwing money at problems works. As the Pentagon continues to struggle with cybersecurity, their sci-fi-like R&D department, DARPA, is ready to start writing checks. The agency just announced a competition to build a “fully automated cyber defense system.” The grand prize? $2 million. https://gizmodo.com/how-america-is-fighting-back-against-chinese-hackers-754599685 The so-called “Cyber Grand Challenge” will take place over the…
What would you do if your boss handed you a mysterious box and said that if anything weird started happening with it, to just ditch the thing and run as fast as you can? Well that’s exactly what happened to a poor courier working for the Manhattan Project back in the 1940s — a courier…
Instant film cameras in the digital age are nothing new, but no new product has yet captured our hearts like the good ol’ Polaroid did back in the day. Can Fujifilm’s revamped Instax camera lure people in with the Mini 90 Neo Classic? We clamored for a chance to take this thing for a spin.…
Here are some quick links for a midweek fix of good reads from the world of cities and architecture. This week: archaeology, glowing sidewalks, Russian spacesuits, London sewers, and more. Will cities install “walkable solar panel pathways” instead of sidewalks? [Gizmag] London’s aging sewers desperately need an upgrade—but are the problems too expensive to fix?…
Last week, we asked you to clue us in on any Indiana Jones/Star Wars links we may have missed. You had free range to go nuts—and you succeeded with flying colors. Believe me when I say that you have completely outdone yourselves this week. The majority of your submissions were phenomenal, and a few merely…
What the hell are these huge city lights about 200 to 300 miles of the coast of Argentina? Nothing should be there except the dark Atlantic Ocean and a couple of tiny dim lights in the Falkland Islands—Las Malvinas. What are those light formations then? In the words of NASA: “There are no human settlements…
We hope you didn’t spend the last six months designing and building an elaborate over-the-top Halloween costume with which you hope to win over the internet next week. Because nothing is ever going to top this adorable toddler’s wonderful LED stick figure costume. Even better, hopefully it will put a pre-emptive stop to the millions…
Yesterday, Apple not only released its OS X Mavericks operating system, it also announced that it would be free. That’s great! For you, for Apple, and for the future of computing. https://gizmodo.com/os-x-mavericks-arrives-with-understated-elegance-plus-1449518276 Releasing Mavericks for free seems like a simple idea. And in theory, it is. But in practice, the logistics are a bit more…
Make Martha Boowart proud—while giving your Monster Mash an added seasonal flair—by converting that pre-op Jack-o-Lantern into something far more useful than a carriage: a Keg. The Pumpkin Tap will turn any pumpkin or squash—even watermelon—into an impromptu beverage server. Simply open the top of the gourd, scoop out the seeds, and shove the shank…
What do you get when you cross Star Trek jargon, a decent knowledge of Photoshop, and Florida? Well, judging by Howard Leventhal’s attempt to secure around $3 million in funding for a fake tricorder, the answer is one impressively delusional case of fraud. Last year, Laventhal decided to tell executives at Fort Lauderdale, Florida’s Paragon…
When you’re too old to go collect candy, and don’t have any kids to go on your behalf, Halloween stops being as fun as it was when you were young. But don’t worry—there are still plenty of ways to bring a little grownup fun back to October 31. For example, carving a pumpkin is considerably…
Part of the whole draw of gardening is watching your botanical efforts slowly bloom. But let’s face it—most of us barely have time to water the houseplants regularly, much less manage a garden. Luckily, with these internet-enabled plant sensing systems, you’ll be able to watch your garden grow from the couch. Kuobachi Wi-Fi Plant Sensor…
Happy birthday, you old crumpled wave of steel, you! L.A.’s signature building opened to the public 10 years ago today, giving the city’s downtown a much-needed civic boost and cementing architect Frank Gehry’s status as a metal god. I wrote a story for this month’s Los Angeles Magazine about the building’s anniversary, and, in the…
If there’s something I love about designing—not play, design—and creating things with Lego is the possibility of coming up with complex, realistic space exploration machines and ships, like this wonderful Space Exo Suit created by Peter Reid. It is so damn good that Lego is turning it into an official set. https://gizmodo.com/its-official-lego-is-creating-an-army-of-exo-suit-min-1450747132
Everybody knows that this year’s NSA revelations are a big deal. The whole debacle’s already prompted the president to order reforms and internet companies to fight back. Activists want to push the outrage further. They want us to believe that this scandal is as bad as Watergate. https://gizmodo.com/obama-will-reform-spy-programs-but-wont-admit-snowden-1082491924 At least the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)…
Halloween is upon us, which means all of us must face two truths: 1.) Yes, you are too old to dress up in a sheet to score free candy. 2.) Luckily, you’ll never, ever age out of carving Jack-O-Lanterns. The Challenge Take a photo of a Jack-O-Lantern. The Method In my Google-based quest for the…
Do you have an exit strategy for you and yours in place, should a major earthquake, terrorist attack, or similar large scale disaster occur? You should. And with the help of San Francisco’s new social emergency preparation website, you will. Much like New York City’s “hurricane-proof” civic website, SF72.org is a localized information hub leveraging…
Faster than a speeding dirigible! More powerful than a horseless carriage! Able to leap short cottages in a single bound! It’s a bird! It’s an aeroplane! It’s a… jumper balloon? In the go-go 1920s, everything was looking up. People imagined that the skies of the future would soon be dotted with airships and flying cars.…
