Tech News

Evernote 5 for Android is out, finally bringing you a fancy new camera interface to match its iOS counterpart.

This Is a Hot Deal on a Cool Nest Thermostat

The humble thermostat isn’t the hottest gadget category, but the Nest thermostat has the right combination of attractive interface and smartphone integration to actually be lust-worthy. Instead of pokey up and down buttons, the Nest shows you the current temperature on an aluminum dial and glows either blue or red if it’s currently heating or…

The Skyward House Lives Up to Its Name

The aptly named Skyward House is relatively secluded from some angles. But it actually faces a pretty well-trafficked road, so the architect had to design it with features that make it feel private. For example, it’s lifted up high on the hill to avoid view from the road. It has windows that can be opened…

Sad Jetsons: Depression, Buttonitis and Nostalgia in the World of Tomorrow

This is the 23rd in a 24-part series looking at every episode of “The Jetsons” TV show from the original 1962-63 season. The 23rd episode of “The Jetsons” originally aired on March 3, 1963 and was titled “Dude Planet.” In the year 2063, the people in the Jetsons’ universe work just a few hours a…

This Coin-Firing Cardboard Pistol Turns Pocket Change into Ammo

Tweaking the design of his bizarre pump-action Oreo gun, Joerg Sprave has built a smaller version designed to take office warfare to the next level (if the next level is a long two-hour talk with human resources). Made only using stuff you’d find around the office—like cardboard, glue, staples, and rubber bands—the pump-gun is able…

Google Shut Down Reader Because It Was Scared of More Screw-Ups

According to a report from AllThingsD, lack of customers wasn’t the only reason Google Reader will meet its untimely end on July 1st. It was also, for Google, a potential source of bungling that it wasn’t worth shoring up. Google has run into so many privacy issues of late—Wi-Fi snooping chief among them, but there…

30 Quadrotors Form a Star Trek Constellation In the London Skyline

It’s supposed to be an hour when everyone conserves energy by turning off the lights and other superfluous power drains. But apparently Paramount is still not up-to-speed on what Earth Hour is all about since over the weekend it celebrated the event by sending 30 quadrotor drones into the air, forming the Starfleet insignia to…

The Aurora Borealis Continues To Be Totally Awe Inspiring Video After Video

Sometimes you just want to rest your eyeballs. So you look out your window and are reminded that you live in a city or a depressing suburb or something. So then you watch nature videos. Solar storms are just so amazing that it’s hard to imagine that they’re real, even if you’ve seen one for…

Technotronic: Pump Up The Jam

You know what, tonight we’re gonna rock this. Do you need the Billboard Hot 100 from 1990 to tell you about good music? No. Because you already know that visualizing sound waves in neon colors on a zebra-print backdrop is the only real way to make a music video. Also lyrics can absolutely make cool…

T-Mobile’s Contract-Free Plans Are a Real Thing Now

T-Mobile’s Uncarrier, no-contract pricing is live. You can start at $50/month for talk/text and 500MB of data, or add $20 for unlimited. Now all it needs is some LTE—which is coming soon—and you’ve got yourself a wicked good deal. [T-Mobile]

7 Pieces of Space History That You Can Own This Week

Bonhams auction house is hosting a space history sale tomorrow. They’ve done similar things in the past, but this one is more fun because it’s now and Buzz Aldrin is opposed to it. Controversy and memorabilia! https://gizmodo.com/this-manual-saved-the-power-to-keep-apollo-13-alive-5507848 He told collectSPACE.com: I am not offering any items for sale from my current collection of Apollo 11…

Unstick Whatever Trash Gets Stuck In Your Head, Even Call Me Maybe

Whenever I pass a Wells Fargo bank “The Wells Fargo Wagon” from the Music Man plays in my head for the rest of the day and wrecks everything. But research shows that solving anagrams may be a way to stop the broken record. Seriously, this better work. The idea is to occupy your working or…

A Nice Rare Hi-Res Photo Of Gordo Going Orbital

Here is another interesting photo from the Bonhams’ Space History Sale, a wide-angle camera view of the Mercury-Atlas 9 launch. (Inscribed and signed: “The start of the longest and best Mercury flight, Gordon Cooper, Faith 7 / MA – 9, 15 May 1963.”) Hunting for rare photos from the beginning of the US space program…

Growler/Keg Combo Keeps Beer Cold and Carbonated, Thinks Of Everything

Look, the majesty of nature is great and all, but camping would be a lot better if you had cold, carbonated beer at the end of a trek. And DrinkTanks has a growler on the way to help. The double-walled stainless steel growler keeps 64 ounces of beer cold all day. It has two cap…

RetroN 5 Console: Play All the Best Games From Your Wasted Youth

The coming of the Hyperkin RetroN 3 marked the end of doing a rain dance while blowing into your childhood SNES. And now Hyperkin is so excited about expanding compatibility that they’re skipping ahead and calling their next console RetroN 5. https://gizmodo.com/retron-3-can-play-nes-snes-or-genesis-carts-with-all-t-5580566 Five because the RetroN 5 will support NES, SNES, Sega Genesis, Famicom and…

What Do You Think Of Standing Desks?

I’m really of two minds about standing desks. On the one hand ugh. I don’t wanna. Too perky, too enthusiastic and soooo much, you know, standing. On the other hand we Americans are not a healthy bunch. We need to pull it together. And all this driving, cubicle-sitting and blogging is not helping us get…

Why You’ll End Up Wearing a Smart Watch

People don’t wear watches anymore. You’ll look ridiculous. Why wouldn’t you just use your smartphone instead? These are just some of the negative sentiments skeptics are spewing about smart watches, which are still very much in their nascent stage. Guess what? They’re wrong. Smart watches may seem like a dorky throwback now, but with so…

Finally Someone Stepped Up and Designed A Way To Not Lose MagSafe Adapters

The $10 MagSafe to MagSafe 2 Converter is annoyingly expensive, but it’s better than buying new gear. And now for $15 you can adopt an annoyingly expensive, but ingenious way to keep track of the tiny dongle. It’s the Apple way. https://gizmodo.com/apple-magsafe-2-adapter-pay-10-to-stick-one-magnet-to-5917504 The MagSafe Adapter Key Ring, created by Jonathan Bobrow, is 3D printed from…

Windows Blue Leak Reveals Snap View Side-by-Side Apps, Different Live Tile Sizes, IE 11

A leaked copy of Microsoft’s latest Blue OS—its rumored incremental Windows upgrade—is spreading, and shows an increased focus on personalization including new Live Tile arrangements on the Start Screen, a Snap View for side-by-side apps, and new color choices. https://gizmodo.com/report-microsoft-blue-is-coming-this-summer-with-inter-5986499 What’s referred to as Build 9364 leaked onto file sharing sites earlier today, possibly from…

Illegal Laser Pointers Are Everywhere, Including Your Drawer

You have to be suspicious when anything as cool as a laser is readily available to the PowerPoint-loving public. And a new study shows that more than 75 percent of lasers violate the Code of Federal Regulations. That’s a lot. https://gizmodo.com/watch-a-laser-light-glass-bottles-on-fire-5991604 The FBI has been trying to crack down on illegal laser use/pointing for awhile…