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Wireless internet is ubiquitous just about anywhere you can send radio waves, from airplanes to ski lifts. One place left conspicuously untouched by open wireless, though, is the ocean. Now, a team of scientists is developing a system of sensors that would connect one of the few remaining unconnected places on Earth. Today, a team…
One of the best parts of chemistry—for a math-deficient person like myself—were the wood-and-wire molecular models that appeared in class from time to time. Those days clearly made an impression on Berlin designer Daniel Becker, too: His new collection of lamps double as molecular models. LEM, as the series is called, is just as simple…
Solar power is fantastic, sure. But while the tech behind solar panels is zooming forward, there are other problems holding it back. Problems like installation and cleaning. Fortunately robots are here to help. https://gizmodo.com/half-price-solar-panels-thanks-to-an-ion-cannon-5892801 A pair of robo-workers named Rover and Spot, both from Alion Energy, are working their metal asses off to make installing…
The BBC has managed to get a rare, fascinating look at a day in the life of a US drone pilot. And while some of you might be quick to brush the task off as glorified gaming, Lt Col Bruce Black’s insights should take care of that for you. https://gizmodo.com/nobody-wants-to-fly-air-force-drones-because-its-a-dea-1179733596 The BBC notes: There was…
With only about one in 11 people actually being left-handed, it’s no wonder why the world is built for righties. Still, this design discrepancy can make mundane household tasks far more dismemberful than need be. Here are five kitchen tools every southpaw should own. Left-Handed Chef’s Knife Unless you’ve unlocked your dual-wield ability, waving around…
Perverted nerds and insufferable indie movie lovers everywhere are really excited right now, for someone has discovered a way to watch Ellen Page’s totally naked, even changing the camera angle to focus on all her naughty bits. It’s not the real Ellen, though, but her virtual body in the new video game Beyond: Two Souls.…
This summer’s NSA revelations opened a lot of people’s eyes. The government can (and does) surveil the American people, sometimes scooping data right off the servers of Google and Facebook. But surely Snapchat, the service that deletes all messages after they’ve been read, is safe? Not so much. Snapchat just admitted in a blog post…
io9’s Charlie Jane Anders says that Toy Story of Terror—Pixar’s first ever TV special—is so good that she watched it two times in a row. It “lives up to the Toy Story legacy.” It’s airing on Wednesday at 8pm on ABC. https://gizmodo.com/this-week-pixar-comes-to-tv-plus-the-cws-answer-to-g-1444731722
At the end of World War I, tens of millions of people died in just a few short years. But these deaths had nothing to do with the bullets and bayonets that had taken so many lives in battle. It was, instead, the Spanish Flu, which killed off about 5% of the world’s population from…
You know the drill. Facebook’s changing its privacy settings; it’s time to make sure all your shit is locked down tight. We’ve all been through it like a million times. But the folks over at Us Vs Th3m turned it into a game. It’s glorious. https://gizmodo.com/facebook-is-finally-letting-you-search-for-old-posts-1429093100 The premise behind the Realistic Facebook Security Simulator is…
It’s the question you likely ask yourself every weekend around 1:42 on Saturday morning: How long will it take for a pizza to reach my mouth? And, more importantly, who’s delivering it? Now you know. This excellent map shows the closest pizza chain within a 10-mile radius for every American. Now you’ll not only know…
The upcoming Space Exploration Signature Auction by Heritage Auctions (November 1, Dallas) offers tons of fascinating space stuff for sale (as space auctions organised by HA always does). Browsing through the 473 lots I have found these official NASA photographs especially interesting. These photos depict various scenes taken in the operations and recovery rooms during…
In my ripe old age of 27 I’ve become a strong advocate for a simple home theater, “downsizing” my projector, 7.1 speaker system, and A/V receiver to a wireless soundbar and quality plasma screen. This Panasonic 2.1 system is a great option for those who want to save a lot of money, a lot of…
Most of us assume our supermarkets are clean and hygenic because of how quickly disease would spread if mice were pooping on our food or if festering meat were left on a grinder. We assume employees are careful and that regulations keep us all safe. Well, hold on to your insides, because this handy map…
Last week, Spotify turned five years old, and to celebrate, the company released a batch of impressive data. But buried within the fun facts is a tidbit that’s just as depressing as it is surprising: 20-percent of Spotify tracks have never been streamed. Of course, Spotify cast a positive light on the information: 80-percent of…
It may be hard to believe, but it’s already been a full two years since the Space Shuttle Program completed its final mission and put its magnificent fleet of ships into retirement. The last of these to settle into its final resting place was Endeavor, and professional launch photographer Scott Andrews caught it all in…
Scientists recently discovered a new type of botulinum toxin (a.k.a. botox) that they believe is the deadliest substance known to man. Because they’ve yet to discover an antitoxin, researchers won’t publish the details of gene sequence due to security concerns—a first for the scientific community. Thank God. When scientists say this stuff is deadly, they…
Video cameras have traditionally been used to document the world in a pretty straightforward manner. But they’ve become so small, and so versatile, that you can do some incredible things with them. Like the crazy world The production is a result of a workshop at ECAL, an art and design school in Switzerland. The students…
I’ve always daydreamed about what working at IKEA must be like: Creating whimsical reindeer-shaped furniture, testing new meatball recipes, and dreaming up adorable product names. But as the Wall Street Journal reveals today, the process of developing products at the world’s largest furniture retailer is an epic, efficiency-driven numbers game. The WSJ got an in-depth…
If an agreement between the White House and Republicans doesn’t happen soon, the Congressional Budget Office says that the country would have to stop paying its debts sometime after October 22. That will make the United States of America the first major power to default after Nazi Germany, says Bloomberg: Reneging on its debt obligations…
