Tech News

Robot Sub Surveys Radioactive Ponds So You Don’t Have To

Superfund cleanup sites are not places you really want to hang around. So how does one survey a radioactive fuel storage pond without taking a dip? Send in a radiation-resistant ROV, of course. The First Generation Magnox Storage and De-canning Facility (MSDF) is one such radioactive location. It was constructed in the 1950s at Sellafield…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

BP Oil Spill Aftermath: Eyeless Shrimp, Clawless Crabs and Fish with Oozing Sores

Al Jazeera just published an astonishing report on the after-effects of the BP oil disaster, and it’s not pretty. There are an alarming number of deformities in sea creatures: mutated shrimp, fish with sores and lesions, eyeless crabs and more. It’s unlike anything local fisherman have ever seen. How bad is it? The effect that…

Tech News Casey Chan

Doctors Can Practice Brain Surgery Without Actual Brains Now

Learning to do brain surgery isn’t easy, as the procedures are often difficult even for experienced surgeons. So researchers in Japan have developed the Cybram 001—or Cybernetic Brain Artery Model—which simulates the functions of blood vessels in the brain, letting surgeons hone their skills without risking a patient’s life. The simulator doesn’t actually have them…

Gadgets Andrew Liszewski

Mutant Seafood Gallery

Image Credit Erika Blumenfeld/Al Jazeera Image Credit Keath Ladner

Tech News Casey Chan

R2-D2 Has a Very Important Message from Hologram Tupac

It was only a matter of time, I suppose. But here it is, the two most revered moments in hologram history, combined to form one glorious internet video. Luke and Obi-Wan seem awfully confused by Tupac’s message. I guess rap doesn’t translate intergalactically? [YouTube via Reddit]

Tech News Michael Hession

How a Photo of a Random Ensign Hung in the Pentagon Alongside Famous Generals For Almost a Year

In the hallowed halls of the Pentagon, next to photos of military greats like Patton, Eisenhower, and Nimitz, once hung a portrait of a Ensign Chuck Hord, a man who, as the plaque on the gilded frame reads, was sadly lost at sea in 1908. Ensign Chuck Hord is no legendary seaman. In fact, Ensign…

Tech News Leslie Horn

This Air Traffic Controller Built a Fully Functional 737 Simulator in His Garage

As an air traffic controller and a licensed pilot, James Price’s life revolves around flying. So it’s not that surprising that he’s spent the last 12 years converting an old Boeing 737 nosecone into a full-on flight simulator in his garage. While the entire rig doesn’t pitch and roll like an actual aircraft, it still…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski

A Keyboard Case That Won’t Turn Your iPad into a Hideous Hunchback

A physical keyboard is a must if you intend to do any serious work with the iPad. And Logitech’s new Ultrathin Keyboard Cover makes it easy to bring one along without adding serious bulk to your tablet. Because why else would you use it over a laptop? The $100 Bluetooth keyboard—available sometime this month—promises up…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski

Why Google Shouldn’t Make Its Own Phone

According to Business Insider, Google has bigger plans for Motorola than just hoarding Moto’s patents. BI is saying Google now wants to use Motorola’s team to create its own Google smartphones and tablets. Meaning Google doesn’t just want to develop another Nexus One, it wants to make its own iPhone. And that would be a…

Tech News Casey Chan

Intel’s Ultrabook Future Is a PC-Tablet Mashup for Under a Grand

While it may look like a tablet, this is in fact the first of a new series of prototype devices from Intel—hardware that it believes is the future of its self-styled ultrabook initiative. Demoed in Beijing last week, this is Intel’s Cove Point. It’s reminiscent of two-in-one tablets like the Asus Transformer—with its hinged, folding…

Gadgets Jamie Condliffe

Mac Flashback Trojan: Find Out If You’re One of the 140,000 Still Infected

There have been fixes, both unofficial and from Apple itself, for the Flashback trojan that’s been plaguing Macs these past few weeks. But of the 600,000 systems initially infected, nearly a third are still compromised. So, hopefully once and for all, here’s how to make sure you’re not one of them. The first thing you…

Tech News Brian Barrett

North Korea Spent a Whole $15 Making Its Website

Rocket technology isn’t the only thing the Stalinist hermit kingdom of North Korea sucks at. It’s not exactly investing in web design, either. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has a Flash-heavy official webpage in English, to instruct the curious about the peculiar ways of its homebrewed “Juche” ideology (“…the masters of the revolution and…

Tech News Spencer Ackerman - Wired

Yahoo Is Axing 50 Services in a Continued Recovery Attempt

It’s all change at Yahoo. Out with Jerry Yang, ditching 2,000 of its staff, and now an announcement that it plans to axe 50 of its online services. It really has got the bit between its teeth. https://gizmodo.com/jerry-yang-out-at-yahoo-5876960 The announcement is the latest in a series of radical moves that the company hopes will turn…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe

New Facebook “Listen” Button Instantly Plays Musicians’ Songs in Streaming Apps

Facebook has taken a leaf out of MySpace’s book. Now, on every musician’s Facebook page there’s a “Listen” button, that immediately takes you to their music in your streaming app of choice—Spotify, Mog, Rdio, or one of a few others. Neat. [TechCrunch]

Social Media Jamie Condliffe

Which Carriers Have The Fastest 3G and 4G Connections Right Now?

If you need the fastest mobile data connection you can get, or are agonising over which carrier to plump for, here’s something that might help: PC World has tested 3G and 4G connection speeds at multiple locations across 13 cities. Here are the results. Things change rapidly in the world of mobile providers, so it’s…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe

Zuckerberg Haggled Instagram Down From $2 Billion to $1 Billion

If you’ve been thinking that Facebook ponied up too much cash in its takeover of Instagram, here’s an interesting fact: Mark Zuckerberg had to to barter hard to get the price down from an insane $2 billion to a comparatively bargainous $1 billion. https://gizmodo.com/facebooks-buying-instagram-for-a-billion-dollars-5900352 The Wall Street Journal reports that the price was whittled down…

Social Media Jamie Condliffe

Gestural Interface Training for Dummies

It’s so frustrating, watching some poor neophyte try to expand an image on their iPhone, isn’t it? Maybe they’re new to Apple’s touch-screen technology. Or maybe their hand/eye coordination/intuition is just meh. No matter! Something really genius has been created for this exact situation. Designer Juan Sanchez has come up with an origami training-set of…

Tech News Molly Oswaks

Balloon and Kite Cameras Give Gorgeous Google Earth

Trying something a bit different for a change, the folks at Google Earth sent camera-tethered balloons and kites into the sky to see what kind of images could be captured sans satellite. The results are beautiful, in superhigh resolution. The best part is, Public Laboratory (who partnered with Google on this project) has developed an…

Tech News Molly Oswaks

New Jersey Couple Sues Landlord…Over a Ghost

It’s time to have a little fun. I’m opening this one up to the court of public opinion. Leave your verdict in the comments, please! The Case: During their first week in the rented house, the couple came home to find clothes and towels strewn about, woke to doors slamming and lights flickering, and would…

Tech News Molly Oswaks

Jersey Weed, Antarctic Cheese Doodles, and Tracy Morgan on Shorties (NSFW)

Roll that spliff phatly, pack some fresh ice into the binger, and set the Volcano to “toastify.” It’s time for tonight’s Stoner Channel. We’ve collected our best high-times material for the discerning pothead so sit back, relax, and pass that shit on the left, yo. Click here for more hits from the bong. This stunning…

Tech News Andrew Tarantola

Robot Sub Surveys Radioactive Ponds So You Don’t Have To

BP Oil Spill Aftermath: Eyeless Shrimp, Clawless Crabs and Fish with Oozing Sores

Doctors Can Practice Brain Surgery Without Actual Brains Now

Mutant Seafood Gallery

R2-D2 Has a Very Important Message from Hologram Tupac

How a Photo of a Random Ensign Hung in the Pentagon Alongside Famous Generals For Almost a Year

This Air Traffic Controller Built a Fully Functional 737 Simulator in His Garage

A Keyboard Case That Won’t Turn Your iPad into a Hideous Hunchback

Why Google Shouldn’t Make Its Own Phone

Intel’s Ultrabook Future Is a PC-Tablet Mashup for Under a Grand

Mac Flashback Trojan: Find Out If You’re One of the 140,000 Still Infected

North Korea Spent a Whole $15 Making Its Website

Yahoo Is Axing 50 Services in a Continued Recovery Attempt

New Facebook “Listen” Button Instantly Plays Musicians’ Songs in Streaming Apps

Which Carriers Have The Fastest 3G and 4G Connections Right Now?

Zuckerberg Haggled Instagram Down From $2 Billion to $1 Billion

Gestural Interface Training for Dummies

Balloon and Kite Cameras Give Gorgeous Google Earth

New Jersey Couple Sues Landlord…Over a Ghost

Jersey Weed, Antarctic Cheese Doodles, and Tracy Morgan on Shorties (NSFW)

YouTuber Resolves Fraternal Disagreement With Excavator and Hilariously Large Sword

Should We Be Hyped—or Freaked Out—About Nuclear Microreactors?

Roku’s 2025 Streaming Stick HD Is 40% Off to Compete With Amazon Fire TV Stick During Spring Sale

Epstein Victims Sue Google, Claim AI Mode Exposed Personal Information

‘Wicked Spot’ Is a Fun, Sapphic Rom-Com That Yeets a Witch Into the Magical World of Influencer Culture

Anthropic and OpenAI Just Gave Us a Glimpse Into the Future of Model Pricing

Amazon Slashes 63% Off Acer Aspire Desktop for a Limited-Time Spring Sale, With Keyboard and Mouse Included

Smart Glasses Now Have One of the Vision Pro’s Best Features

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

Asus ROG’s Massive Swift OLED Gaming Monitor Epitomizes Excess in the Best Way

The Ikea Varmblixt Smart Lamp Fills a Donut Hole in My Life

Nothing Headphone A vs. Headphone 1: Which Pair of ANC Wireless Headphones Wins?

Asus ROG’s Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds Might Be Better Than Wearing a Headset

Nintendo’s Talking Flower Is Annoying as Hell. I Love It

Level Lock Pro Review: As Good as a Secret Smart Lock Gets

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