Tech news, analysis, culture, business, security, and more
Do you have an old satellite dish kicking around somewhere? Do you want to cos play in the most patriotic fashion imaginable? Follow this instructable and build yourself a fantastic Captain America shield. Then find your personal Red Skull. [Intructables]
If you’re into cooking Asian fare, you might have a traditional hot pot—but we guarantee it doesn’t look anything like this. Not only does this one look like an alien probe—it flips over to convert into a lamp. Designer Tan Lun Cheak calls his hybrid creature the “Glowbelly”—a fitting name for sure. Inside the pyro-ceramics…
While we probably won’t travel through time anytime soon, we might just be able to have sonic screwdrivers just like Doctor Who sometime in the near future thanks to some very determined researchers and the magic of ultrasonic sound waves. Apparently ultrasonic engineers at Bristol University and The Big Bang: UK Young Scientists and Engineers…
On one side, we have typical prosthetic arms with five fingers, a complicated motor system and human resemblance. On the other side, we have this prosthetic tentacle with a one curl grip, simple motor and creeptastic design. Which is better? I’m going with the tentacle. Not only because it can very easily do a variety…
…Provided you’re willing to sign a two year contract and are also eligible for a new phone, that is. According to Boy Genius report, the deal is basically an instant rebate, so you don’t even have to bother ponying up cash up and mailing in an annoying form. But it’s ONLY happening on December 10…
The Manifold Clock, which is a real thing you can buy for $45, tells time just like a regular clock. It just does it more cleverly, more colorfully, and occupying a bit more space in the third dimension. The clock, designed by Shay Carmon and Ben Klinger AKA Studio Ve, has a short hand that…
The most elusive of all santas, the Desaturated Santa, has finally been captured on video! The holiday season’s greatest walking illusion has been confirmed! She may seem jolly, but she only gives out coal. [Lifehacker – Thanks Netscott]
That smiling white-haired guy with the wine glass is Bob, a Navy doctor who put his watch for sale on eBay for $9.95. He got it cheap at a Navy Exchange fifty-two years ago. The final auction price: $66,100. The reason isn’t that Bob and his watch got to party with Superman (yes, that’s Christoper…
Digital clocks are about as dull as it gets—unless you’re going for old school Casio hipster appeal. But for those who want something a little more vintage, this analog meter timepiece is a thing of beauty. And homemade! The unit borrows its aesthetic approach from VU meters, letting needles gradually shift from minute to hour,…
The Sun seems to be having digestive problems, and just burped this 700,000-kilometer-long magnetic filament. That’s half the diameter of the Sun or about two times the distance from the Earth to the Moon. Fortunately, it’s not headed our way. According to NASA, the massive fire tongue “has hovered quietly above the stellar surface, but…
LOIC (“Low Orbit Ion Cannon”) is an application developed by 4Chan-affiliated hackers designed to—when used en masse by thousands of anonymous users—launch Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks on websites. Like Visa.com and Mastercard.com, for instance. It’s a pushbutton application… The idea behind LOIC is that it can allow you to participate in attacks even…
This electronic butterfly will flutter around its jar forever to add some cheer to your desk as long as you feed it some AAA batteries occasionally. Basically, unlike a real captive butterfly, it’ll never let you down or desert you. I can’t guarantee that it’ll never make you cry though. [ThinkGeek]
BGR has a video of the BlackBerry PlayBook in action and it looks pretty smooth. The video shows off the Playbook’s app multitasking, the general user interface and answers questions on how it’ll work with current BlackBerrys. I have to say, I’m pretty impressed with the PlayBook. It’s definitely more impressive than RIM’s CEO, at…
You know what I want? I want Larry Ellison to spend eight million dollars in this British aircraft carrier, turn it into a luxury playground, load it with Harriers and an artificial beach and invite me for a few spins. It’s the HSM Invincible, a Royal Navy light aircraft carrier that displaces 17,000 tonnes. It…
A musical duet can be killer—but it rarely looks (or sounds) so strange. Matt West’s experimental “Collaborative Instruments” require a duo—but it instead of alternating, they’re required to control the same spacey, digital sound at the same time. For each of the various prototype instruments, you and a friend both have a specific role: one…
Apple is selling refurbished iPads (Wi-Fi only) for the “special limited time price” of $429 for the 16GB, $499 for the 32GB and $599 for the 64GB. That’s up to $100 bucks off the retail price [Apple via MacRumors] Comparatively, refurbished iPad 3G+Wi-Fi models are only discounted by $50.
Do you know why this holiday season is a special one? Because it’s the first year we get the gift of Christmas carols played entirely on tablets! Northpoint Community Church’s all-iPad band is already rocking out quite festively. Here are the carols Northpoint’s band played, and the apps they used to play them: “Carol of…
Todays deals include some great prices on a 3D-HDTV bundle, an Asus 23″ HD Monitor, and the Ocarina iPhone app for free. Top Deals: • 58″ Samsung PN58C680 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV + Samsung 3D Glasses (2) + 3D Blu-ray Player + HDMI Cable for $1,697 with free shipping (normally $2009 – use coupon code…
Thanks to all who entered our Powermat Holiday Horror Contest. Now it’s time to vote for the winning story. Prepare yourself for tales of snowmageddon, the Gas Man, and microwavable EZ-mac—all harbingers of holiday festivity! https://gizmodo.com/it-was-a-dark-and-stormy-christmas-5692608 Entry 1: Calin O.: This was last Christmas, and it was also the last Christmas break I was ever…
After Wicked Lasers wowed the internet with their Spyder III super laser, many customers who actually ordered ’em found themselves high, dry, and laserless. Now, another bummer: the FDA has officially decreed that Wicked Lasers’ manufacturing process is no good. https://gizmodo.com/the-spyder-iii-the-worlds-most-powerful-portable-laser-5560206 In a letter issued at the beginning of last month, the FDA, which is…
