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Facebook was down. And now it’s apparently back up. But wait, it might still be down?! AGH!!! Thank god for Twitter.
Not only do fax machines still exist, but HP sells them, and the government is forcing a recall of nearly one million of the obsolete things. Why? They might burn down your house—ancient and deadly, like a velociraptor. The official U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall cites the HP fax 1040 and 1050 models, which,…
Good news: A team of scientists has discovered that we can predict super volcano eruptions “decades in advance.” Bad news: Another team of scientists has discovered that a volcano in Death Valley, California, “may explode at any time.” The volcano is the Ubehebe, a large volcanic crater to the north of Death Valley. The team,…
As the harsh winter washes over us, it’s amazing images like this that remind us to go outside and enjoy the majesty of snow and ice. Actually, let someone else go outside and take photos. It’s cold. Call it a long shot, but I’m guessing this photo was taken in French-Canadian province of Quebec. The…
The ongoing issues that Apple faces regarding workplace conditions in its suppliers’ Chinese factories has left an ugly streak on the company’s bright and sparkly facade. Why not use all that power of innovation and design to tackle the core issue? Last night’s Conan featured an Apple commercial that ‘revolutionizes the safety net.’ Zing! [Team…
The Cold War ended a long time ago, so you can maybe forgive the government’s internal spook-hunters for becoming a little lax compared to the old days. But letting a 67-year-old man ferry top secret documents to his home in a ’91 Toyota Corolla? Gonna need a good explanation on this one, guys. An analyst…
Since his passing there have been countless wonderful tributes to Steve Jobs’ life and legacy—but this is not one of them. This $15 hair dryer printed with his name is a cash grab, and a terrible one at that. The iFeng 4S is no different than the cheap hair dryers you’ll find behind the counter…
No matter if you work at the IT department or not, you probably have unlocked or help unlock some of this achievements, whether it’s the “Have you tried to restart?” or “The Network is down.” We all have been there. You can get the complete list at [Evil Routers]
I’m not sure there was massive demand for multiple video editing apps on the iPad, given its terrible camera and relatively limited amount of storage space. But hey, AVID apparently thought there was a need waiting to be filled, so they up and made Avid Studio for iPad. While not fully intended to be a…
I just came across this clip from Werner Herzog’s Encounters at the End of the World (2007). What you can hear in it is fascinating: the sound of seals in the Antarctic are like nothing you could have imagined. Personally, I learnt two things: a) that seals under Antarctica’s ice sound like alien spaceships or…
Today, millions of Americans aited with bated breath for a stupid rodent to see its shadow, all in hopes of figuring out how long winter will last. Silly? Sure. But not the weirdest winter predictor, not by a long shot. The following predictive methods are—or have been—practiced all around the world. If it seems like…
It was just yesterday that leaked shots of the Pentax K-01 turned up, and now here’s the full monty. It’s not what you might call a head turner, but it’s a pretty impressive addition to mirrorless cameras. https://gizmodo.com/is-this-the-mirrorless-pentax-k-01-in-these-leaked-phot-5881503 The biggest deal with the K-01 is that the K-lens mount is compatible with any Pentax lens…
It might not be able to monitor an entire city, but Steve Hoefer’s brilliant sonar glove will at least let you get to the bathroom at night without stubbing your toe, thanks to an ultrasonic emitter and haptic feedback. If you’re looking for an awesome do-it-yourself project this weekend—besides creating an epic Superbowl feast—Make has…
Ah February, the month of romance and nightmarish sex injuries. But if you want to skip the chocolate mousse and hospital bills this year, you might think about giving your Valentine a gadget. Here’s the best of the past month (or so): https://gizmodo.com/uncle-joels-guide-to-giving-gadgets-on-valentines-day-5467813 For the full list of Gizmodo favorites, head over to the complete…
These are four perfectly round, concentric circles. Wait no, they aren’t. Oh yes, they are. No, they are not. Are they? No. Yes. Would you please stop moving right now? Stupid circles made of stupid squares. [Thanks Karl!]
HTC has acknowledged that a software flaw on some of its Android phones means that they openly offer security credentials across the Wi-Fi networks they connect to. According to The Next Web, there would be nothing to stop someone harvesting the details to use in the future. Apparently the flaw affects the following devices: Desire…
Stop! Thief! That man has my glacier! Well, five tons of it, anyway. Police have arrested a man in Patagonia who was stealing a massive chunk of ice to sell as designer cubes for cocktails. How the hell do you steal a glacier, anyway? According to the Guardian, the guy was stealing a 5,200kg chunk…
A French court has ruled that Google is guilty of abusing the dominance of Google Maps, and so has ordered it to pay a fine and damages to a French mapping company. Apparently Bottin Cartographes argued that Google was planning to offer Maps for free only until all the competitors had been driven out of…
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to climb to the top of the Brooklyn Bridge at night, explore the sewers of Las Vegas, infiltrate a privately owned 80-story building in Chicago, or sprint through New York’s subway, this video gives you a pretty comprehensive taster. Made by SilentUK, this film, called Crack The Surface,…
If you don’t know of Alan Lomax, you should. He single-handedly traveled the world to record traditional music across America, Europe and the Caribbean. He amassed over 5,000 hours of sound recordings, and now a team of archivists are posting it online for anyone to listen to. Long before the Internet was a twinkle in…
