Tech news, analysis, culture, business, security, and more
Twenty-five years ago today, the sky fell on a corner of Ukraine. The Chernobyl nuclear plant, a symbol of man’s triumph over the atom and the pride of a nation, experienced a system failure so complete, so devastating, that it left an irreparable wasteland in its wake. Explosions rang out. Radioactive smoke stained the early…
With everything that’s happened in Japan in past months, it’s no surprise that world—and Web—is keenly aware of today’s ominous anniversary. From incredible galleries to deep analysis, here’s the most impressive Chernobyl coverage we’ve seen: https://jezebel.com/the-complete-japan-crisis-timeline-live-updates-5780998 GALLERY Boston.com has a great photo gallery of Chernobyl and Pripyat, 25 years later. TOURISM The Atlantic visited Ukraine,…
The thrice-obsolete social networking service Friendster is deleting all user content next month. Woe is us! Er… woe is us who still have a Friendster account. So, woe is twelve-to-fifteen people? This day was foretold by mad .gif-prophets in the dark Geocities past. On May 31st, “Friendster will move to wipe out all photos, blogs,…
What’s a chemistry set without the chemicals? Seemingly, $21.88 worth of plastic tools and test tubes. The set has “60 fun activities with no chemicals,” based on stuff you can grab from kitchen cabinets, though if they’re suggesting kids should try mixing water with milk and a teabag, there are going to be a lot…
Sony announced their dual-screened S2 tablet today. It’s not the only twin-screen tablet, but considering recent ill-conceived efforts from the likes of Acer, Toshiba and Kyocera, we’re a little skeptical. With the S2, Sony’s basically cut a 10-inch screen in half and stuck a hinge in between. How much of a benefit can two screens…
Google’s said to be working on video-calling for the Gmail app, says a tweeter who claims to “work with Samsung.” His tweet read “Just had a video call using gmail on Nexus S. Impressive quality @googlenexus Gingerbread 2.3.4 #io2011,” and as he used the I/O hashtag it’s believed Google will announce the addition at their…
Forever rumored, Google’s GDrive storage service never quite materialized. Why? It was killed right before launch. Google VP Sundar Pichai managed to convince people that “Files are so 1990.” [All Things D] https://gizmodo.com/google-gdrive-online-storage-getting-closer-5142791
The intrepid crew at iFixit tackled something a little tougher than the iPad 2 Smart Cover, masterfully dissecting Nikon’s new D5100 DSLR. And it proved to be just the challenge they were looking for—screws, screws, and more screws. Perhaps their estimate of “billions” is off by a decimal point or two, but the thing is…
Oh, you think rumormongering about the iPhone 5 is hot? Just you wait until you hear what’s said to be in next year’s iPhones—some bad-ass ultra-thin Sharp LCD screens, that’s what. Sharp hasn’t even made them yet, but the Japanese newspaper Nikkan has reported the low-temperature poly-silicon displays will be starting production next spring. So…
Ye olde scientific method isn’t going anywhere, but the tools that advance our understanding of the crazily complicated around (and inside) us have rapidly changed. The NYT takes a look at the easier, better, faster, stronger scientific community. A prime example of the new frontier is what’s been dubbed the “Macroscope” at the Morrison Planetarium…
While this is one of those ads that leaves you scratching your head and wondering what exactly it is they’re advertising (I think handwash? On Virgin flights?), it’s forgiven because the entire ad was actually made in Photoshop. That’s right—no Illustrator to animate those…germs?, just good ol’ fashioned Photoshop. Design studio Three Legged Legs said…
The Droid Incredible 2 is here, and while the specs aren’t as awe-inspiring as its predecessor when it launched, it’s 4-inch Super LCD screen, 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, 8 megapixel camera and 768 megs of RAM are nothing to scoff at. https://gizmodo.com/leaked-pics-and-specs-suggest-htcs-droid-incredible-2-w-5782043 The HTC Sense-powered phone still runs Android 2.2 which is kind of a…
Perhaps the Googliest Google phone, thanks to Sprint’s hardcore Google Voice integration, the Nexus S 4G is hitting Sprint on May 8 for $200. [Sprint] https://gizmodo.com/sprint-is-basically-the-official-google-carrier-with-fu-5783865
This week, a sperm bike makes donor deliveries, the first EV built by Porsche 100 years ago, an iPhone infographic, find out if you’re in a nuclear hot zone, a couple cool gadget-y videos and more! The ‘Sperm Bike’ Carries Donor Samples to Fertility Clinics Around Copenhagen This one is the ‘Sperm Bullitt’ and it…
The mini Canon 5D DSLR flash drive of the other year has a couple of similarly-statured friends joining him at the flash-storage convention: an IXUS 200IS compact camera and Legra HD camcorder version. Both have the same retractable USB arms and 4GB of storage, but my heart will always belong to the 5D. [Behance via…
While the typical narrative of how unmanned drones have affected warfare typically runs somewhere along the lines of “they’re soulless robots” or “they turn war into a videogame” (promoting human detachment), William Saletan makes the opposite argument, based on a handful of reports: “A drone pilot can think more clearly and at greater length before…
News of the tracking bug in Apple’s iPhone and iPads broke only six days ago, but already Apple’s been hit with a lawsuit by two customers, with the possibility of it being elevated to class action status. https://gizmodo.com/why-your-iphone-is-secretly-tracking-you-a-very-probab-5794457 An iPhone user from Florida and an iPad owner from New York both filed a lawsuit on…
Thanks to Takayuki Hori’s X-ray origami paper, we’ve had the first look at origami animals’ skeletons since the first crane was folded neatly in the 17th century. Hori uses eight endangered animals’ skeletons as the basis for his origami work, to highlight the fragile standing of the sea turtle, waterfowl and other threatened species. [Spoon…
Provided you have a million or two in your pocket, you could be flying off into the the sunset with your very own Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car. Starring in the 1968 film, based on Ian Fleming’s novel, the car not only runs perfectly, but it’s fully road-worthy too. It’s going up for auction in…
Focusing on the things that matter most to Sony—style, and media—their first two tablets are running Android 3.0 (yes, Honeycomb) and come in two very different form factors. You’ll recognize the familiar shape of the S1, which measures 9.4 inches, whereas the S2 is a sort-of DS-type clamshell that we saw sketches of back in…
