Tech news, analysis, culture, business, security, and more
Congratulations to all Gmail users for winning a class action settlement. You should be proud of yourselves for making Google pay for putting your privacy at risk with its crazy Google Buzz settings. Your reward? A pat on the back. You can read the full terms of the settlement agreement here, but here’s an overview…
Today California’s Prop 19 could possibly (but probably won’t) make smoking pot in the state legal. It seems like everyone smokes these days, but what can we learn about a person’s character based on how they choose to smoke? http://gawker.com/5670231/pot-legalization-is-getting-stoned-to-death There aren’t tons of different ways to consume cannabis, but the method you choose to…
The woman’s husband later filed a similar report, claiming gypsies had broken into their home and replaced his fun-loving wife with a malevolent, paranoid harpy. Police advise citizens to remain on the lookout for the inevitable malaise of time.
This isn’t anything we experienced in our reviews of the new 13-inch and 11-inch MacBook Airs, but Cult of Mac notes that some users are reporting video distortion and crashing issues—that sound logic board-related—in larger-than-normal numbers. https://gizmodo.com/13-inch-macbook-air-review-so-long-fatty-5676186 As you can see in the case of the video above, some users are experiencing display issues (in…
If you’re looking for some great utility and gaming app deals, you’ve come to the right place. Check them out inside. Free Apps: iOS: • Yacht 2D (iPhone) for $0 (normally $0.99) • Orbattle (iPhone) for $0 (normally $0.99) • Finger Scale (iPhone) for $0 (normally $0.99) • Orbattle (iPhone) for $0 (normally $0.99) •…
Foiled terrorist plots often end with stricter security procedures at airports, but the most recent bomb scares could lead to the loss of something far more precious than our nail clippers: We could lose our in-flight Wi-Fi. https://gizmodo.com/a-look-at-the-tech-inside-printer-cartridge-bombs-5678925 We’ve seen reports that the ink cartridge bombs discovered on several flights in recent days contained SIM…
If you are a pervert who wants to film video of people using public bathrooms, look no further. This useful guide will serve you well: 1. First, disregard any tiny device actually made for spying and use an iPod with a camera, preferably an iPod nano, red. 2. Make sure that the bathroom is in…
There are so many great deals today that it was a struggle to choose the best ones. You’ve just got to see them for yourself. Top Deals: • 11.6″ Lenovo IdeaPad U160 Core i5 ULV 08945LU for $599 plus free shipping (normally $849 – use coupon code USPU5L1102) • 42″ Panasonic VIERA TC-P42U1 1080p Plasma…
It’s as inevitable as the tides: Politicians will say stupid things—especially in an election year. And if you thought Twitter was any less of an ideal platform for putting your foot squarely your in mouth, think again. This one didn’t come from an actual politician. But still, its awesomeness is undeniable. What was supposed to…
Like cicadas or Fleetwood Mac reunion tours, the McRib only comes around once or twice in a generation. Starting today, and for the next six weeks, every McDonald’s location in the US will carry the mythical manwich. Hallelujah. The last time we had a McRibbing of this scale was all the way back in 1994.…
I visited a corn maze this past weekend and was taking pictures of all sorts of things and experimenting with freelensing, but these small pumpkins caught my eye and ended up being my best shot. Shot with a Canon T1i, 50mm f/1.8, ISO 100. -Aaron Lovell Nikon D60, f/3.5, +2.3 step, ISO -200, 1/13 sec.…
Take your DSLR in one hand. Unscrew the lens with the other. Tilt the lens away from the camera body-maybe even flip the optics backwards. And take photosthat you never imagined you could without expensive upgrades. https://gizmodo.com/shooting-challenge-freelensing-5674647 Lead Shot With the deadline for this challenge just a few hours away I decided to test out…
Canon EOS Rebel T2i Digital SLR EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens Shot with 1/30 shutter speed ISO 800 I just enrolled for a photography class at my University and a friend of mine showed me this site. I found the contests for photography and decided I’d take a shot at freelensing. This was my first…
Even slowed down to 6,200 frames per second, popcorn popping happens so fast, if you blink at a moderate speed, you’ll miss it. The video’s by Ryan Matthew Smith, the photo editor responsible for making sure techno-wizard Nathan Myrhvold’s Modernist Cuisine isn’t just the definitive tome for modern cooking, but one of the most elaborately…
Gibson’s Dusk Tiger has a name like cheap cologne and guts like no guitar before it. And with only 1,000 being manufactured, they’re something of an endangered species. You’re forgiven for thinking Dusk Tiger looks like your average Les Paul. It’s certainly similar enough, but as Wired points out: The top is flat, not contoured,…
Manhattan is a kinda interesting place, I guess. What would really liven it up would be the opportunity to defend it from the Imperial Fleet. A new augmented reality iOS game will let you—or protect your own hometown. Star Wars Arcade: Falcon Gunner, developed by Vertigore Games and published by THQ Wireless, takes your surroundings…
Need motivation to get out of work or bed or wherever you’ve holed up to go vote? Google Maps’ election ratings mashup shows where the election’s going to be the bloodiest—i.e., where your vote matters the mostest. [Google]
Today, a few of you will vote. Sadly, there is no Geek Party candidate reppin’ in Congress. So we’ve picked out 5 geek-friendly politicians to consider leaving a hanging chad for. We’re not examining whatever else they stand for, or asking you to change your politics—we’re just looking at a few candidates based on their…
If you’re a space nerd like me, you probably knew that the iconic countdown clock at the Kennedy Space Center was big. Yesterday—on my first day covering Discovery’s Wednesday launch—I learnt it wasn’t big. This thing is humongous. The digital countdown clock—which uses large, old school incandescent light bulbs to shape its numbers—actually looks quite…
While the Mac Mini‘s price hasn’t budged from $699, Europeans and Brits have seen price cuts today, with Europeans getting €100 off so it’s now €699 (still too much, really), and £50 has been lopped from the UK’s price, so it’s now £599. [HardMac via SlashGear]
