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It is a truth universally acknowledged that black snakes are among the lamest of fireworks, second only to snappers. But when you get everyone’s favorite red hot nickel ball involved, things get a lot more fun. https://gizmodo.com/what-happens-when-you-drop-a-hot-ball-of-nickel-into-a-1007593662 In addition to the dark towers of ash that rise ominously from the hellish inferno below, this clip…
In a perfect world, all faucets have three knobs: hot, cold, and liquid nitrogen. We’re not there (yet!) but these ten little party tricks from The King of Random are the perfect reason to wish we were. To be fair, some of the applications are better than others. Self-inflating balloons can’t hold a candle to…
After a bartender incorrectly poured him a Half and Half, Louisville-based glassblower Matthew Cummings was inspired to make this custom creation. The handmade Dual Beer Glass features two side-by-side chambers that keeps ales separated until the drinker takes a sip. Think of it as the alcoholic equivalent of those Nerds candies, but not quite as…
Good news for patriotic Luddites everywhere: MuckRock has confirmed that the DOD somehow managed to find themselves a working fax machine. And with this, our Department of Defense boldly steps into the twentieth century. The DOD confirmed their exciting new addition to MuckRock over the phone, and further fax tests proved successful. What’s to happen…
Once again, Apple has left a security backdoor wide open in a new version of their mobile operating system. iOS 7 allows anyone with physical access to your iPhone to see your private photos and then share them online. https://gizmodo.com/anyone-can-bypass-your-ios-7-lockscreen-to-see-and-sha-1350617707
As you may remember, yesterday the internet happened upon this befuddled newscaster who spent an entire live broadcast clutching a stack of paper instead of his usual iPad. Naturally, hilarity ensued, and oh, how everyone laughed and laughed. But let’s be honest, it could have been much worse! Why, take any of these potential scenarios…
Inspired by the fleet of aircraft featured in his film Hell’s Angels, Howard Hughes did what any business magnate/aviation engineer/super rich guy would—he designed and built a plane fast enough to break the transcontinental landplane speed record. And in doing so, he catapulted aviation technology leagues beyond the bi-plane of the day. Hughes began drafting…
The screens are full of men oozing testosterone in their pajamas, but no female superheroes have had a movie yet. It’s not about gender equality. It’s just that female heroes rock, as demonstrated by many action—and non-action—movies in the past. Here are a few ideas about how to make one. https://gizmodo.com/8-ways-to-make-a-movie-about-a-female-superhero-happen-1347777095
So it’s come to this. We knew iOS 7 had some dumb and frustrating imperfections, but hadn’t scoured every bit of it for flaws in the small details that Apple used to nail. Well, some industrious design head has given Apple’s new OS a proper fisking, and put all the screwups on a Tumblr. This…
Got fancy new iOS 7 on that iPhone of yours? Beware. There’s a super simple bug that can let anyone blow right by your lockscreen and look through your pictures, and even share them. The process was discovered by Jose Rodriguez, and even though it has quite a few steps, it’s super easy to master.…
We’re a little late to this party, but it’s too fun not to share. Last week, a group of Brazilian hackers decided to get the NSA back for all its spying with a big huge cyberattack. And hack they did! The only problem is that they mixed up their acronyms, and hit NASA instead. All…
We’ve made huge advances toward conquering HIV, the immune-system-crippling virus that causes AIDS. But this disease still exists, causing nearly two million deaths annually, in large part because the virus develops drug-resistant mutations so quickly. Researchers at Drexel University have a different approach—a molecule that tricks the virus into self-destructing before it infects cells. https://gizmodo.com/were-closer-than-you-think-to-beating-hiv-700359471…
What you’re looking at is not a real fighter plane. It’s a scale model that photographer Dan Ledesma shot to look like a real, full-sized jet. Badass. Prepare to be even more amazed—Ledesma meticulously builds the miniatures himself, before he takes on the tedious task of actually photographing them, as he explains to PetaPixel: The…
There’s no such thing as too many SD cards, especially when they’re high-speed, cheap, and very well-reviewed, so grab this Sony 16GB for just 11 bucks. [Amazon] Introducing the new Dealhacker That’s right, Lifehacker has a daily deals roundup now, and we’re really excited about it. Dealhacker will be written by former Lifehacker weekend editor…
Transporters aside, the replicators featured in Star Trek: The Next Generation were one of the most tantalizing pieces of future technology one could imagine—whatever you asked the computer for magically appeared before your eyes. And it looks like Yahoo has created a similar machine for students at a school for the visually impaired in Japan.…
iOS 7 is here! It’s different! It’s beautiful! It’s…terrifying! Not brave enough for this brave new world? It might not be too late to go back. Past a certain point it’s going to become virtually impossible to put iOS 6 back on your phone, but for now you may be able to postpone the inevitable.…
Soaring through the clouds in 1925, passengers on an Imperial Airways flight traveling over Germany were treated to a brand new novelty—one of the first in-flight movies. Even more astounding? The film had live orchestral accompaniment. But not in the way you’re probably thinking. No, Imperial didn’t cram the Berlin Philharmonic into stowage, with cellos…
Scientists have already reversed aging in some experiments. Google’s newest company wants to defeat death building on these discoveries. Can it be done? Nobody can really tell at this point, but it may be within reach. In fact, some life extension scientists think it may happen in about 20 years. For now, however, it’s all…
Remember NeverWet, that incredibly amazing spray-on substance that keeps things from getting wet? Turns out it’s great for making street art that stays invisible until it rains. https://gizmodo.com/neverwet-review-the-magical-water-repelling-spray-is-812797429 Atlanta-based artist Nathan Sharratt created a couple of NeverWet “drawings” earlier this summer, using nothing but a couple cans of the magical substance and some stencils. Basically,…
Philanthropist Eli Broad seems to have his hands or his money in nearly every art museum in Los Angeles. Now his very own museum, The Broad, is nearing completion in downtown Los Angeles, right next door to Disney Concert Hall (which he also helped build, of course). Architect Liz Diller of Diller Scofidio + Renfro…
