Tech News

Resilient Gifts For the Accident-Prone

Everybody knows someone who’s a walking disaster. Hand over a tablet and, oh hey, here’s a new port in the middle of the screen. Let ’em near the TV and, congrats, now you’ve got a piece of modern art. You might not be able to save all gadgets from the klutzes in your lives—or even…

What Computer Accessories Do You Really Need?

Gawker’s Better State of Living Conversation series is brought to you with the support of State FarmTM. Today, tech expert Vanessa Rae is live in the comments to answer your questions about choosing the perfect accessories for your computer. Hi, everyone! I’ve been scouring the market for the perfect holiday tech-themed gifts, and am back…

The Web We Lost

The tech industry and its press have treated the rise of billion-scale social networks and ubiquitous smartphone apps as an unadulterated win for regular people, a triumph of usability and empowerment. They seldom talk about what we’ve lost along the way in this transition, and I find that younger folks may not even know how…

Oh God a Snapchat for Video Is Coming

When Snapchat emerged as the optimal way to send other people sexy photographs of yourself, it was only a matter of time until someone made an identical app for video. Vidburn is that app. It’s coming soon. Get your penis ready. https://gizmodo.com/snapchat-automatically-sets-your-sexts-to-self-destruct-5908200 Here’s how Vidburn works: You take a video that’s up to five seconds…

How To Photoshop Yourself Holding… Yourself

Over on PetaPixel photographer David Talley has put together a fantastic—and fairly simple—tutorial on how to create an awesome image of you holding yourself. If you’re new to Photoshop it’s a great way to improve your skills. And if you’re not, with the addition of a Santa hat this is the perfect way to awesome-up…

Someone Stole an Entire Driveway (In Florida, Obviously)

A grave crime has been committed and of course, it happened in Florida. A woman named Michelle Wright returned home Tuesday night and found her driveway missing. Apparently she pulled into her house and noticed the whole thing was gone when she felt a huge bump where a driveway should have been. Witnesses saw two…

This Is a Crazy Deal on a Full-Frame DSLR

On Tuesday, we featured the Canon T4i as Dealzmodo’s deal of the day, and we noted two things: first, you might want to consider upgrading for a full-frame sensor, and second, we had yet to see any deals on full frame sensor cameras. If you were holding out for a more professional-grade camera, you’re in…

Google+ Update Adds GIFs on Android and a Crap-Ton More

Google just added a load of new features to Google+ that should make it more fun to look at on your phone and more useful for your life. If you use Android, you’ll start reaping the benefits immediately. First of all, images. If you use Google’s instant upload feature on Android, Google will now let…

Aereo, NY’s cloud-based Internet TV/DVR service, now includes Bloomberg TV and a handful of updated DVR features.

Today’s Awful Apple Rumor: Retina iPad Mini

There’s something in the air this week. Maybe it’s that the holidays are coming, or that it’s getting colder, or that there’s not much actual news to be had three weeks before the Consumer Electronics Show. But for some reason, the dumb Apple rumors are piling up like so many discarded MobileMe accounts. https://gizmodo.com/the-dumbest-apple-rumor-of-the-year-5967646 The…

Fun Places on the Internet (in 1995)

“Who hasn’t heard about the Internet? It’s mentioned on television, in the magazines, and on the radio. Everyone’s talking about it, and everyone wants to get connected to it.” So began the 1995 book, simply titled The Internet by Kerry Cochrane. Do you remember your first time on the Internet? Mine was pretty typical for…

Water-Saving Showerhead Pumps Every Drop Full Of Air

Your typical water saving showerhead manages to reduce the flow by simply using smaller holes. But the downside is that those eco alternatives don’t provide quite the same showering experience. So a Japanese company has developed a brilliant alternative that aerates the water so a reduced flow still feels like an indulgent deluge. Toto, the…

John McAfee Tells CNBC That If He’s Going To Do Drugs, They’re Going To Be Good

Following his deportation from Guatemala, anti-virus mogul turned public train wreck John McAfee is back on U.S. soil. It doesn’t seem that he’s back on solid ground though, so to speak. Earlier this morning McAfee gave a characteristically far-out interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box. https://gizmodo.com/john-mcafee-is-back-on-us-soil-5968084 In addition to talking about his adventures, including torture, drug…

What Turn-by-Turn Navigation Should Look Like

The new Google Maps app was finally released, and I’m loving it so far, but it’s missing a feature I’ve been hoping to see map apps implement for some time. I have this problem where as soon as I pull up directions on my phone, whether right after entering my destination or getting out of…

South Korea Rules That a Samsung Chip Plant Gave Its Employee Cancer

Just when it thought allegations of poor working conditions were grounded, Samsung has been accused by the South Korean government of running a chip plant that causes cancer. https://gizmodo.com/samsung-audit-finds-no-underage-workers-but-some-serio-5940185 The Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service claims that it was working at a Samsung Electronics factory that caused the breast cancer of a worker who…

Police Caught an Anonymous Hacker by Googling his IRC Name

Christopher Weatherhead, who called himself “Nerdo” on the internet, was convicted of conspiracy to impair the operation of computers last week. But the DDoS attacks he instigated weren’t pinned on him after weeks of covert surveillance—instead, all it took was some judicious Googling. According to The Register, police caught him after analysing IRC logs, with…

Police Can Timestamp Any Audio Recording From Background Interference Alone

A team of forensic researchers from the Metropolitan Police in London, UK, claim to be able to accurately timestamp any audio recording—using just the background electrical hum present in any digital recording. The grid supplies power across the country in the form of AC electricity. The signal that’s pumped across the country and into our…

Sriracha Lip Balm: A Christmas Gift for Masochists in Your Life

Sriracha makes most things better, including popcorn and lollipops. But the latest addition to the Sriracha camp—lip balm—might just be a step too far for most people. https://gizmodo.com/if-you-like-hot-sauce-this-might-change-your-life-5914876 The lovechild of the Oatmeal and J&D’s, the lip balm is said to simultaneously protect your lips from the harmful rays of the sun whilst feeling like…

Ads in Internet Explorer Could Be Tracking Your Mouse

If you still use Internet Explorer, there’s more to worry about than a crappy browsing experience. Microsoft has confirmed that it’s looking in to a “mouse tracking” flaw which affects IE 6 through 10. The security problem was identified by a group called Spider.io earlier this week. It claims that versions 6 through 10 of…

Predictably, the US Refused to Sign That UN Internet Treaty

Over the past fortnight, the internet has been awash with debate over the future of the internet: the UN, so the stories went, was planning to change the governance of the internet for good. Predictably, the US has point-blank refused to play ball—along with Canada and the UK—and that stops proceeding dead. We took the…