Tech News

Why Is the US Army Investing In 4D Printing?

A new grant from the U.S. Army Research Office will split $855,000 between three research teams working on so-called “4D printing.” By military budget standards, that’s chump change—but it hints at a huge future for a technology that’s been lingering on the horizon for years. After all, this is the same tech that McSweeney’s writer…

Today’s Deals: Anker Astro Slim2, Nexus 7, Slingbox, Nikon D600

If ever there was a great impulse buy, this Lifehacker-approved, compact USB battery for only $20 is it. Get it today using code SLIM2AST. [Amazon] Update: Promo code expired, still a good deal at $28. Slingbox 350 | $148 We only push products through our deal channels that we would invest in ourselves, or can…

This Dongle Lets You Use Your Laptop’s Keyboard With Your Phone

There are almost as many wireless Bluetooth keyboards on the market as there are Bluetooth speakers. But why spend money on yet another keyboard for your mobile devices when there’s probably already a perfectly good one on your laptop? With this Bluetooth USB transmitter dongle from Buffalo, the keyboards you already have can also work…

China Accidentally Built a Housing Complex in the Middle of a Highway

There’s no denying that China doesn’t have the best record when it comes to urban planning and development, particularly in regards to real estate—and their most recent blunder is a doozy. Thanks to some poor planning and (presumably poor) communication, China accidentally built a brand new set of modern apartments right in the middle of…

Mountain View Is Installing Wi-Fi Because Google’s Free Service Stinks

The frustrated residents of Mountain View are fed up with the poor performance of the free Wi-Fi network that Google set up a few years ago that they’re spending taxpayer dollars to build their own. New routers will soon go up at City Hall and the library, where service has been particularly bad. It’s tough…

YouTube’s offline viewing option, coming to the mobile app next month, will hang on to videos for 48 hours — any longer, you’ll have to reconnect to watch. [YouTube FAQ via iMore]

E-Hell on Earth: Where the West’s Electronics Go to Die

While American consumers clamor for the latest and greatest in consumer electronics, our older digital devices are inundating and poisoning a generation of children in Ghana. Colorado Springs Gazette photographer Michael Ciaglo recently visited the largest e-waste processing site in the African nation and returned with some very damning images. That new iPhone of yours…

Oops! Unannounced Sonos Play:1 Speaker Shows Up in Target

Last month, we learned via FCC filing that Sonos was brewing up the Play:1, a new, smaller wireless speaker. Sonos still hasn’t said anything official about it, but that hasn’t stopped it from showing up on Target shelves. As a tipster told The Verge, the speakers appeared at Target with a $200 price tag, but…

With Video Walls This Huge, You’ll Forget You’re on a Cruise Ship

Luxury liners are getting bigger and more grandiose every year. Royal Caribbean’s newest cruise ships, for example, are the size of a small town. And, rather than simply stare out at the ocean, revelers aboard these boats will be treated to a visual experience like none before thanks to an array of cutting-edge robotic displays.…

Comcast Is Going To Let You Watch Shows Directly From a Tweet

Later this fall, Comcast customers will be able to watch and record their favorite NBC shows directly from Twitter, thanks to a smart new partnership. Tweets about Comcast-owned NBCUniversal shows will start carrying a “see it” button. So when you select a tweet about The Voice, you’ll also see this button at the bottom of…

You Can Control This Blinding Green Laser Pointer With Your Smartphone

There’s really no practical reason anyone needs to own a high-powered green laser pointer (sorry stargazers, not buying it) but that doesn’t make them any less desirable. Especially now that Wicked Lasers has just revealed the Evo which can be customized and controlled via an app on your Android or iOS smartphone. Boasting around 100mW…

Windows Phone 8.1 Might Be Getting Ready to Take on Tablets

We’ve seen our fair share of Windows Phone leaks, in large part thanks to a random Craigslist phone. But there are some under the hood updates coming to WP8.1, and according to Paul Thurrott, they include 10 inch screens. WP8 GDR3 (Windows Phone 8 General Distribution Release 3), a still unreleased update, is expected to…

What Does a Quadrillion Sour Patch Kids Look Like?

There are depressing moments. There are dark places. And then there’s being a 31-year-old man carefully stacking Sour Patch Kids on the kitchen counter in a silent apartment at 2:00am. Think you have any idea what a quadrillion looks like? Well, you’re probably wrong! Thankfully, Tim Urban from WaitButWhy.com (along with a little help from…

11 of the Weirdest Sites on the Internet

The internet is a wondrous place, but for every fantastic website out there, it seems like there are two weird ones. We asked you, dear readers, what some of the strangest sites you’ve ever seen were, and here’s what you dug up, you freaks. 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111.com Spotted by Jule Cannot be described… no seriously. Ling’s Cars…

Next Generation Antibiotics Could Be Turned On and Off Using Light

As we continue fighting the most dastardly pathogens with new and improved antibiotics, the list of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains only grows longer—leaving us somewhat helpless against the threat of superbugs. We’re lucky to have some CDC staffers back to help weather the current salmonella outbreak, but it’s about time we find a more permanent solution—so…

What’s Better? A $1,200 Motorcycle Helmet or Cheap Earbuds?

The Schuberth C3 Pro is the best motorcycle helmet you can buy. Sure, there are caveats. I haven’t worn that many helmets. There’s really no such thing as a “best” helmet, considering individual needs and applications—an open-faced off-road helmet isn’t going to be great on the track—but for the average rider looking for the best…

Every Airline Should Offer This Adorable Flying Cutlery

Designer Eugeni Quitllet was hired by Air France to redesign the airline’s in-flight cutlery and tableware. And as part of the new line, he went above and beyond the call of duty with a set of cutlery designed just for kids that transforms into a small airline of their own. The wonderful flying cutlery comes…

This Encyclopedic Site Contains 41 Years of Video Game Console Design

Commercially successful video game consoles—your Game Boys and your Playstations—are iconic pieces of product design. But they’re only part of the story. There are dozens of other machines that either didn’t catch on or failed miserably—and Evan Amos has devoted himself to cataloging them all. As Kotaku writer Luke Plunkett explains, Amos is a longtime…

Put a Porsche on Your Keychain Without Taking Out a Loan

Flash drives are given away at trade shows like breath mints. But unless you like waiting hours to slowly back up your files, you’re going to want to spend some money on a drive with a little more speed and capacity. Looks don’t hurt either, which is why you’ll want to consider LaCie and Porsche…

Playable Captchas are the Future of Logins

A new way of verifying you’re a real person and not a spam machine might eliminate the chore of typing phrases like “beetle sausage” and so on, with a start-up looking to gamify the art of verifying you’re a human. The PlayCaptcha system, developed by the UK’s Future Ad Labs, replaces the tired old text…