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At a congress of Catholic media last week, Pope Benedict XVI warned that new technologies could cause people to confuse virtual worlds with our real one. Unfortunately, it looks like there’s no salvation for avatars. At the event, which was organized by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, the Pope said: New technologies and the…
At any moment, your computer could crash, and you will need to hand it over, unedited, to a repair person. If weird filenames freak out that person and the police, they can open your files, a court has ruled. Ugh. An Alabama man got 10 years in jail after taking his computer in for repair…
Apple is continuing its war on sexxy content on your iPhone! The next victim: Text messages. A patent (filed in 2008) was just approved for “systems, devices, and methods” of filtering “text-based messages” based on “objectionable content.” You know: Sexting. Like all parents these days, you most likely have this problem, where your tweens are…
We have a weakness for The Oatmeal’s comics around here, but we just discovered that he makes insanely adorable, rather geeky, and slightly creepy shirts. At least that’s the only way I can sum up these fluffy-tailed spies. [The Oatmeal]
One day I’ll give up traveling and painstakingly turn all my suitcases into classy rechargeable speakers. Either that or I’ll pay some guy over $250 to do the hard work for me. Dubbed the BoomCase and designed by SiMo, this somewhat vintage suitcase has a strange appeal: The Self Powered, Portable Suitcase Stereo system works…
We’re watching the live stream of the operation to rescue trapped Chilean miners and we’re happy to share this moment with you: The first seconds Florencio Avalos, the first miner to be rescued, has spent above ground in 68 days. https://gizmodo.com/live-video-rescuing-the-chilean-miners-5662434
This is Darren Suchon. And even at 42 years old, he doesn’t understand that it’s wrong to drive your live-in girlfriend off the road just because she took your PlayStation away. Especially when you’re using her Porsche to do it. Suchon is, as one might guess, unemployed, and apparently spends most of his day playing…
The first Star Wars sequel turns 30 this year, and fans are being treated with J.W. Rinzler’s The Making of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back to celebrate the occasion. These incredible photos alone are worth the $50 price tag. Vanity Fair has been running excerpts from the book all week, and today’s photographs are…
If you really wanted to make your kid’s birthday special, these balloon animals that are more than twice the height of a person are a good starting place. Now you just need to find a clown with big enough lungs. It’s a simple enough trick; these balloon behemoths are just large fabric tubes that have…
Since the Zune’s launch in 2006, we’ve been waiting and waiting for the Redmond gods to grant Mac users access to the Zune. Now, Microsoft exec Oded Ran has tweeted that the holy day may soon be upon us. Updated: https://gizmodo.com/hey-microsoft-we-still-want-zune-for-the-mac-5340947 According to Ran’s tweet, which has been removed, the real impetus behind this news…
Geoff Mackley’s team descended into the Marum volcano on Ambrym Island because they could. Questions remain regarding the status of the ring, which may or may not have been thrown in.
Click to viewThe final preparations are underway to rescue the Chilean miners trapped about half a mile underground. Thanks to CBS News and Ustream, we can watch the hopefully smooth and trouble-free rescue operation live. [Ustream] https://gizmodo.com/this-is-the-coffin-that-will-save-the-miners-5662423
While Dr. Leary was fairly entranced by computers and cyberculture in the ’90s—what stoner wasn’t?—I hardly think he meant “turn on, tune in, drop out” to be used to sell consumer market research services. Shameful. [via press release]
Everything is ready to rescue the Chilean miners trapped 2,296 feet underground in San José. This is the capsule that will take the diggers out. Or like one of them phrased it, “the sarcophagus that’ll take the mummies out.” https://gizmodo.com/drill-reaches-chilean-miners-dangerous-phase-of-rescue-5659850 In fact, the rescue operation has technically started already. The rescue team is now trying…
Say hello to architect Matthew Fromboluti. If he lived in a comic book, he would be designing lairs for super-villains. In the real world, he just wants to build this formidable subterranean skyscraper in the desert outside Bisbee, Arizona. His project, called Above below, is a building that drills 900 feet into the ground, in…
Sure it’s a commercial for Orbit gum. That doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy smiles being fruvigorously faceblasted—periodontry by pericarp.
Indian newspaper The Economic Times is reporting that Nokia’s market share is in free fall in India. According to research firm IDC, they have lost almost 20%. This is very bad news for Nokia, who is disputing IDC’s data. The news confirm the worldwide decadence of the Finnish manufacturer, who is losing the smartphone race…
Rockstars are notoriously hard to control. Think of Axl Rose or Kanye West. Legendary artists play by their own rules: showing up late to gigs, mouthing off to fans, or fighting record label execs for getting in the way of music. Which makes it especially odd that Apple, for its new music social network Ping,…
While looking for new features and hidden secrets within iOS 4.2 Beta 3, we found a gem: New SMS ringtones! Have a listen. https://gizmodo.com/ios-4-2-beta-3-now-available-to-iphone-and-ipad-develop-5662241 Of course the sad part is that despite all these lovely new SMS ringtones, Apple still doesn’t appear to be offering us the option of using custom or downloaded ringtones for…
Sony’s Internet TVs are here, and we are live at their debut with hands on. So how does it feel to use the world’s first Google TV-powered HDTV? The Keypad Is Comfortable and Difficult Okay, I’ll admit it, I thought this was a monstrosity. So allow me to put my foot at least partially in…