Tech News

Libra: The 21st Century (Libertarian) Space Colony

There’s nothing hotter right now than starting your own libertarian-minded community from scratch. Or at least threatening to do so. Glenn Beck imagines building a community/theme park somewhere in the United States called Independence Park which would celebrate entrepreneurship and sustainable living. Others envision Idaho as the perfect spot to build a fortress-like libertarian utopia…

A mysterious, budget-looking new Nokia handset has turned up in a Dutch TV commercial. What could it be?

If HTC’s New Phone Really Looks Like This, Will You Buy One?

New, high-res images are emerging which purport to be the new HTC One. They look kind of nice, featuring a bit of old school HTC grille action—but would they be enough to tempt you into buying one? The supposed HTC One looks radically different for an HTC model, thanks to the completely reworked HTC Sense…

Scientists Claim They’ve Built a Computer That Never Crashes

A crashing computer is at best annoying and at worst catastrophic. But now a team of scientists has developed a new type of computer that never crashes—and it relies on chaos and randomness to achieve the feat. New Scientist reports that the new “systemic” computer, designed and built at University College London, is fundamentally different…

Nokia’s Music+ subscription service just rolled out in the UK—so it should soon be available in the US for $4/month.

How State Boundaries Would Look Based on Equal Population

While it’s not for us to suggest that state boundaries are in any way arbitrary, artist Neil Freeman has re-imagined what a map of the US would look like if each and every state had an identical population count. As Freeman explains, there’s some evidence to suggest this is a good idea: The fundamental problem…

Staples executives have announced that the company will start selling Apple products in the US.

No, I Don’t Want to Download the Terrible App Version of Your Website

Every single time I visit some low-rent website which gives the option of downloading an ill-considered, poorly-designed, incomplete, app-based version of itself, a small part of me dies. Maybe that means one day I’ll crumble. Like Randall Munroe explains in the alt text of today’s XKCD: If I click ‘no’, I’ve probably given up on…

Meteorite Explodes Over Russia, Panic Spreads

A meteorite has just exploded over Russia. This doesn’t feel good when you know that a 150-foot asteroid is about to fly by Earth—and you read about the actual effects of an impact if astronomers’ calculations are wrong. The Guardian is reporting that 474 people have been injured. https://gizmodo.com/what-would-happen-if-the-asteroid-actually-hit-earth-to-5984469 The videos we are collecting are…

What Would Happen If the Asteroid Actually Hit Earth Today?

Astronomers are completely confident that the 150-foot-wide asteroid 2012 DA14 is not going to hit us, passing “only” at 17,200 miles from Earth—the closest encounter with an asteroid ever predicted. It’s a close call, but we will be safe. But then again, a meteorite just exploded in Russia. So what would really happen if their…

The Weirdest Thing on the Internet Tonight: Condensed Night (NSFW)

Barricade the fireplace and bar the windows, these bumps in the night are more than “just the wind.” Just don’t bother trying to sleep after watching this ghoulish short from Laurie J Proud.

Airbus Isn’t Taking Any Chances as It Drops Li-Ion Option from the Unreleased A350

Turns out, Boeing’s latest lithium troubles are shaking down to the rest of the airline industry. Airbus, just announced that it is scrapping plans to outfit its A350 jets with the same secondary batteries that have caused its rival so much trouble. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, Airbus has already dropped…

If This Isn’t the Most Horrible Movie Tie-In You’ve Ever Seen, What Is?

This. What the hell is this? Apparently the Mos Eisley cantina serves espresso in addition to laser-based nut-shots—it’s enough for anybody to claim Han shot first. But between the coffee makers and DIY TIE Fighters , even the newbiest of Jedis can brew a cup of brown force apparently. https://gizmodo.com/if-youre-going-to-make-a-crappy-star-wars-tie-in-at-le-5964554 Surprisingly, coffee-based delicacies are the…

Wahoo’s “Reflect” Bike Computer Remotely Measures Splits Without Breaking Stride

Bike-based odometers make tracking your fitness levels relatively simple. Relatively. You still have to pry the little bastards off your handle bars and sync them with a PC after every ride—not that that’s a hassle or anything. With the RFLKT monitor from Wahoo, syncing is no longer necessary. Instead of drawing upon an exterior CPU…

Sonos Playbar Ears-On: Powerful Sound In a Petite, Pricey Package

Sonos is aiming to revolutionize home theater audio by taking all the high quality sound you need and want, and cramming it all into one big ol’ soundbar you can drop at the bottom of your TV. Sure, it’ll work with other Sonos units you have hanging around, the Sonos Playbar is also a starter…

Clarence Carter: Strokin’ (NSFW)

She loved the flowers and chocolates, your romantic home-cooked meal went off without a hitch, and now you’re looking for the proper soundtrack for after-dinner “coffee.” But what single melody could possibly encapsulate the full scope of your feelings and noblest desires to get freaky? With the single sexiest song of 1989, of course.

This Foldable Boat Is Great for Saving Space, Probably Less Great for Staying Alive

For the casual seafarer with space constraints, Better Outdoors has come up with a creative, if perhaps terrifying, solution to a problem most of us never knew we had in the first place. Say hello to the Transporter: a box-like boat that conveniently folds into a box-like box for your space-saving, travel needs. Assuming you…

Scientists Think They Have Captured the Birth of a Black Hole

This stunningly trippy object is W49B, a supernova remnant 26,000 light years away from Earth. It’s just a thousand years old, which in cosmological terms is not even a heartbeat in the life of a human. It may also be the birth place of a newborn black hole, the youngest ever detected in the galaxy.…

NSFW: 7 High-Tech Sex Toys to Liven Up Your Valentine’s Night

Valentine’s Day may just be a consumerist Hallmark holiday—but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun this evening. So instead of jewelry or flowers, why not get your loved one something a little more… animated? NSFW, because obviously. Duet Vibrator This is the Crave Duet, a dual-headed vibrator that charges via USB, and…

Lego iPhone Cases Re-Define Brick Phone

We’re not always pro-iPhone clothing, but we’re generally very pro-Lego around here. And Belkin’s new Lego case definitely sits in the latter camp. The best part is they’re buildable. That definitely gives a new meaning to the concept of a brick phone. Lego iPhones are way cooler than a Zack Morris monstrosity. You’ll start to…