Tech news, analysis, culture, business, security, and more
In an interview with the SF Chronicle, Microsoft Attorney Horacio Gutiérrez argues against Google’s claims that the software giant is extorting money from companies such as HTC in the form of licensing agreements. He says it’s just a good solution. https://gizmodo.com/like-htc-samsung-now-pays-microsoft-to-put-android-on-5844906 According to Gutiérrez, the influx of smartphone-related patent lawsuits shouldn’t be seen as unusual…
What’s better than sped-up pumpkin carving to a jaunty tune? Well, some things. Regardless, this is great. It seems like they really had fun with this one, and that definitely comes across in the video. I freakin’ love Halloween! [Google] You can keep up with Brent Rose, the author of this post, on Google+ or…
I’m not really sure how he could get bitten through all that armor, but it appears Tony Stark is the newest member of the gory undead. Zombie costume: boring. Iron Man costume: boring. Zombie Iron Man costume: sure! This bloody superhero (former superhero?) was spotted at this year’s Paris Zombie Walk. The attention to detail…
Halloween’s as good a time as any to solidify your zombie protocol. And there’s no more time-honored zombie trope than thinning a crush of zombies around a building from a rooftop. But a regular slingshot doesn’t have quite the stopping power required. The answer? A giant zombie-obliterating rooftop slingshot. Your average slingshot, even one made…
Netflix has been through a bit of a rough patch lately, but there’s actually been a steady flow of pretty good news for streaming TV, like getting The Walking Dead. Now it’s re-upped with ABC/Disney, and is bringing some new content in too. https://gizmodo.com/the-walking-dead-is-coming-to-netflix-5847827 The new deal will keep popular shows like Lost, Brothers and…
After successfully taking out a child porn ring, Anonymous is threatening war on November 5th with Mexico’s Zetas drug cartel, after the kidnapping of an Anonymous member from Veracruz. The video states that if the Mexican drug cartel doesn’t free the kidnapped Anonymous member unharmed, the hacking group will release the names, addresses and photos…
It doesn’t seem fair that the MacBook Air line has several features over the MacBook Pro (sleek profile; USB ports on both sides; higher-res screen…). A major design refresh to the Pro line, the first in three years, has been bandied about for months now, but according to Japanese site Macotakara, Apple’s definitely working on…
This Sunday’s Giz soundtrack is a real classic: Thin Lizzy’s performance of Cowboy Song merging into The Boys Are Back In Town at the Sydney Opera House. Filmed in 1978, this concert has Phil Lynott at the top of his game, with Gary Moore kicking some serious guitar ass. I wish I could have seen…
The Microbial Home by Philips Design is all about input and output. Waste (output), powers your herb garden (input). Like life, it’s a cyclical thing. Ya dig? See that pipe? Everything’s connected. Waste into the table, delicious foods out. Urban beehive? What could go wrong? An evaporative cooler is part of the table, and stores…
Also, own a 3D printer and some 3D digital modeling software and have some sick design skills. Besides that, not a very difficult costume to pull off. On a more serious note, these are some serious replicas. Halo Spartans, soldiers…is that a Colonial Marine mixed in there? Really impressive stuff. I imagine anyone friendly with…
A hacker group has successfully ported Siri over to jailbroken iPhone 4’s and 4th-gen iPod touches, marking the beginning of what could be a “whack a mole” response from Apple as it attempts to block the 4S’s “killer feature.” The crack comes courtesy Steve Troughton-Smith and Grant Paul, who published their achievement via the Twitters,…
A very smart dude by the name of Mark Rober figured out that if you strap two iPad 2’s to yourself, you can create this incredible, freaky hole effect. This guy should work for NASA. Oh wait, he does. It’s really pretty simple. You strap one iPad 2 to your front, one to your back,…
This is not my first attempt at making a blown glass sculpture, although I’m pretty sure the results of that hypothetical endeavor would look pretty much the same. It’s actually a bubble within a bubble, captured by high speed photography. The scene was created and captured by Heinz Meier. There are more. Many more. And…
Have you ever heard of an endocycle? Endocycles are happening all around you! They’re one way that biological cells grow, and they generate more than half the earth’s biomass. But how exactly endocycles work has been elusive to scientists until now. You might also be interested to know that it’s the first time scientists have…
This post isn’t so much a DIY one as it is inspiration for all you tinkerer’s in the audience to really deck out those front porches with insane scratch-built projects for the Trick-or-Treaters on Monday. Today’s inspiration is Halloween Forums member Havoc 1919 (yes! a forum for the night of fright! They exist). Using th…
This is it. Batteries were the last shackle. Now that the robots can potentially produce their own power by devouring insects, all those cliches and overused Internet memes about robot overlords are finally going to come true. The enabler’s name is Mohsen Shahinpoor (roughly translates to “the Creator” in robo-tongue), who said in an article…
Gentlemen, are you shooting blanks or are you ready to continue your family line another generation? Before, answering that question required a trip to the doctors. Today, a Dutch researcher says the test could eventually be, ahem, in your hands. The researcher is Loes Segerink, of the University of Twente in the Netherlands, and what…
At its best it’s gimmicky, and at its worst it can be downright painful, but in the right context 3D can elevate, and literally bring a new dimension, to certain experiences. And that’s certainly the case with Yuki Matsueda’s artwork. https://gizmodo.com/htc-evo-3d-oh-my-god-make-it-stop-hurting-5812185 Although Matsueda makes no mention of the materials used, or his methods, we’re going…
You wouldn’t think an online game that has players painstakingly adjusting bezier handles to reshape letters from various fonts would be remotely interesting. But even if you’re not a font designer or graphically inclined, I guarantee your years of sub-consciously staring at well crafted magazines, newspapers and ads will help you play, and even enjoy,…
Every year laser pointers get brighter and cheaper, and every year the number of incidents involving some bozo shining one at an aircraft increases. In 2005 there were just 283 reports, but that number has increased every year, hitting an astonishing 2,836 in 2010. So the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has set up a website…