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We already have autonomous robots that can drive, fly, swim—even operate in space. And now, thanks to researchers at the Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute, we’ll soon be dealing with bots that can tackle the final frontier here on earth—or should we say inside earth—with a self-burrowing robot that works underground. It’s hard to see…
Mad Men may have rekindled our love affair with the technology of yesteryear, but we’re still not quite ready to give up the modern conveniences we’ve come to rely on. And that’s why this retro-styled digital alarm clock is so wonderful. Available in three 60s-inspired color schemes, the scrolling motion of the alarm clock’s LCD…
Entomologist Jonathan Simkins had to remove the largest wasp nest he has ever seen, a “prehistoric nest from the dinosaur ages.” The horrific massive structure—located in a private hunting ground in Central Florida—was inhabited by over one million wasps. He says they could have killed any passerby in an instant. [quicktime http://gawker.com/florida-entomo…] http://gawker.com/florida-entomologist-finds-jurassic-nest-with-over-a-570957249
Watch the right engine of this Airbus A330 exploding as it was about to take off from Manchester Airport, UK, en route to Dominican Republic. Fortunately, the pilot was able to stop the plane and nobody was injured. https://gizmodo.com/holy-crap-its-good-this-airplane-wasnt-flying-when-it-570062797 It’s worth noting that any commercial jetliner is designed and tested to take off and fly…
Barnes & Noble has announced that it’s going to leave manufacturing of its Color tablet line up to third party manufacturers. In a press release, B&N explained that it will create a “partnership model for manufacturing in the competitive color tablet market.” The move is clearly driven by poor financial performance, and the company explains…
The way we bury our dead hasn’t changed much over the past two thousand years. But it needs to change soon, according to a group of designers, philanthropic foundations, and funeral directors who sponsored a recent design competition to rethink burial traditions in the face of emerging problems with the status quo. It’s a less…
Yesterday this Airbus A330 was zipping down the runway of Manchester Airport, UK, ready to take off and head to the Dominican Republic. And then, holy crap, its engine exploded. Sat on that plane, the passengers must have been very, very, very relieved that it was still on the ground rather than in the air.…
It’s difficult to believe it, but it took just three days marinating in a sugar-water solution to turn the opaque tissue pictured on the left into the clear example on the right. Called See Deep Brain (SeeDB), the new technique uses a combination of fructose, water and small amounts of other chemicals to reduce the…
There’s a natural charm to cycling that allows you to feel at one with the environment that surrounds you—but if that’s not enough, maybe you need this bike that’s made from the environment that surrounds you. There’s no way around the fact that a wooden bicycle isn’t as practical as its metallic brethren. Wood just…
We really wanted to love Sony’s SmartWatch last year, but we couldn’t. Which is to say, it made us want to bite our own arms off. Sony is back at it again, though, and thankfully the sequel looks like a real improvement over the previous generation. https://gizmodo.com/sony-smartwatch-review-maybe-the-worst-thing-sony-has-5926728 For starters, the SmartWatch 2 has a bigger…
And here we face a conundrum. On the one hand, Sony’s Xperia Z Ultra has salivation-worthy guts. On the other hand, the screen on this thing is 6.4 freaking inches! That’s not a phone, that’s a tablet you talk into. Ignoring that for a moment, this thing sounds awesome. It’ll come running Android 4.2 (Jelly…
Apple is apparently gathering up new MacBook Airs which appear to be displaying Wi-Fi issues—so it might be worth dropping into the store if yours is struggling with the internets.
Accused of specifically targeting Tea Party and other right-wing anti-tax groups, the IRS has now been caught admitting that liberal-progressive and “Occupy” non-profits seeking tax exempt status would also be unfairly hassled. http://gawker.com/irs-head-says-close-scrutiny-wasnt-restricted-to-tea-p-565764457 [Photo by David Shankbone via Flickr.]
When you close your eyes and think of California, what famous brand comes to mind? Is it Apple? Facebook? Google? Or some movie studio? What about Texas? New York? Florida? These are the most famous brands of each state. The Corporate States of America, if you will. It’s very embarrassing to admit that I have…
If Kang and Kodos are really serious about enslaving the Earth, they’re going to need a bigger invasion fleet than three clones of Portugues elecetronica artist Paulo Zé Pimenta and a couple of orbiting potatoes. Just sayin’ Check out the rest of PZ Pimenta’s work over at Meifumado.
Fellow sexters or those who like self-destructing pictures and videos, ya better listen up. Snapchat and iOS 7 might have a wee bit of a problem because in iOS 7 you can screenshot Snapchat photos without ever alerting the original person. Basically, you can screenshot without ever getting caught. Currently, when you screenshot a photo…
In iOS 7, Siri’s voice is becoming less robotic and more human (we’ll have to wait and see if she’s more useful). One of those improvements will be how she pronounces names. Instead of butchering your name or choppily spelling out letters of your friends’ names, she’ll be able to be ‘taught’ what the correct…
A million of anything is pretty much always an insanely impossible number. Winning a million dollars, having a million Twitter followers, selling a million products—anything done a million times is something to be proud of. But maybe not getting your song streamed on Pandora a million times. All you get sometimes is 16 measly dollars.…
The rumored “entry-level” X-series interchangeable-lens camera from Fujifilm is real. The X-M1, features the same 16.3-megapixel APS-C sensor from the more-expensive X-Pro1 and X-E1 models. https://gizmodo.com/leaked-fujifilm-x-m1-a-cheaper-mirrorless-camera-with-529802966 The X-M1 introduces a three-inch tilting display and built-in Wi-Fi for easy image file transfers. The new, simplified camera body doesn’t have a viewfinder to stick your eye in…
Early television sets wanted to be from the future. Designers did the best they could with small, rounded screens behind a long tapering picture tube. This 1957 beauty was designed by Phillippe Charbonneaux and would look great in any modern home today.
