Tech news, analysis, culture, business, security, and more
Do you have a revolutionary idea for an app? Do you need help taking it to reality? Do you need an expert to finish some key code? If you’re creating a fantastic new experience in your game or application, Intel invites you to apply to Accelerator 2010. Accelerator 2010 is an initiative from Intel’s AppUp…
In an interview with Star Wars historian J.W. Rinzler on the occasion of Empire’s 30th anniversary, Vanity Fair has a short interview talking unfilmed Wampa battles, Harrison Ford’s backseat directing, and how Mark Hamill is actually pretty amazing. [Vanity Fair]
You could already root the Droid X with a single click, but now? Now hardly any Android device is immune. Even Froyo-powered phones are falling victim to SuperOneClick. Liberty! https://gizmodo.com/droid-x-gets-one-click-rooting-5598894 There’s still not a comprehensive list of exactly what phones SuperOneClick is compatible with, but the initial word is that it’ll root the Nexus One,…
You think your workday is stressful? The IT crew charged with securing the extremely sensitive internal networks of the US military have to follow this unbelievably convoluted, 193 part regulatory chart. To do anything. I feel safer already! Believe it or not, the chart was actually drawn up to help the Pentagon’s cyber security team…
The Windows Phone 7 section of the Zune Marketplace looks a bit like a barren wasteland at the moment, but there’ll be worthy apps aplenty ready for next month’s launch. Here are your first priority downloads. https://gizmodo.com/how-many-windows-phone-7-apps-will-be-there-at-launch-5660983 There are still more apps to be announced before launch, and obviously the huge ramp-up will continue as…
Back in the 19th Century, Thomas Stark, Tony’s great great grandfather, donned this steam-powered Iron Man suit to fight various scoundrels, scalawags, and that bad guy with the gigantic mechanical spider from Wild Wild West. [Daily What; Image: Judy Stephens]
Running through some of Windows Phone 7’s first games and apps, it’s hard not to be impressed. Twitter looks and feels fantastic, and you have to check out this ridiculous 3D tower defense game, Bye Bye Brain. Update: More apps! So far, games are the real standout, particularly the titles developed by Microsoft Game Studios—they’re…
It amazes me that companies still have the bollocks to trademark plain English phrases. The worst thing is that they do it all the time. The latest case: Apple has been awarded a trademark for “There’s an app for that”. According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, a trademark is a “word, phrase, symbol…
According to a new study by Visible Measures, 44% of viewers click away from web video after just a minute. What’s even crazier is that 20% give up after just 10 seconds. But that’s probably a good thing. Visible Measures’ study was conducted across 40 million clips, all shorter than 5 minutes in length. On…
The Pogoplug, a handy device for putting your USB disks in the cloud, was formerly hardwired (or wireless via adapter) and formerly pink. The new $99 Pogoplug Pro is black and has wireless built in. https://gizmodo.com/second-generation-pogoplug-lets-you-share-multiple-usb-5409127 The new Pogoplug Pro is mostly like the old Pogoplugs—jam in your USB hard drives (up to four), access…
Microsoft really, really doesn’t want to talk about numbers when it comes to apps. No one say how many will be available at launch. All I got one Microsoftie to admit is, “It’ll be more than iPad at launch.” “It’ll be more than iPad at launch. More than the iPhone.” The iPad had around 350,…
New research says your ears are like snowflakes—completely unique in the world. Which is neat! But also means you have two giant finger prints on the side of your face, and airport security wants a look. A team at the University of Southampton hopes that ear scanning, unlike facial biometrics, will allow security teams to…
The iPad doesn’t have multitasking yet, but if you have an iPhone or any other smartphone, this non-destructive HUD adapter is for you. It’s easy to make: You just need a U-shaped plastic extrusion, scissors, a Dremel tool, and superglue. Cut the extrusion in half, shape the halves in the way you want with the…
Dell’s WP7 phone may have gotten a name downgrade—Dell Venue Pro just doesn’t have quite the cachet of Lightning—but after some hands on time, the slider at least looks and feels every bit as promising as we’d hoped. https://gizmodo.com/dell-lightning-is-a-beauty-who-runs-windows-phone-7-5521439 The Venue Pro has a bit more heft than some of the other WP7 devices launching…
You know that feeling when you lift your foot and realize that something not good is going on down there? This high heel captures that moment in perpetuity, but it’s not quite as sticky a situation as it seems. Blurring the line between shoes that belong on feet and shoes that belong in some weird…
Witchcraft! That’s what you’ll scream after watching how this program makes objects disappear from a live video—in real time. It’s the opposite of augmented reality: Instead of adding digital things, this technology eliminates objects from the real world. The research team led by Professor Dr. Wolfgang Broll—Head of the Department of Virtual Worlds and Digital…
Eager for a piece of WP7? Here are the top phones you should consider, broken down by US carrier. You’re welcome. T-Mobile HTC 7 Mozart Like many of HTC’s WP7 phones announced today, the 3.7-inch Mozart has a 8MP camera and Xenon flash, and also has Dolby Mobile and SRS Wow HD for “virtual surround…
Today’s the big coming out party for Windows Phone 7, with a gigantic Microsoft event starring Steve Ballmer. We’re here live, and you can watch it live too. Update: It’s official, Windows Phone 7 launches on November 8. Steve Ballmer keeps talking about how the point of Windows Phone 7 is that it’s “always delightful”…
Just ahead of today’s Windows Phone 7 Launch, HTC has unwrapped the details of five new WP7 phones. Check out the HTC 7 Mozart, Trophy, Pro, Surround, and previously covered HD7. https://gizmodo.com/htc-hd7-hello-all-4-3-inches-of-windows-phone-7-5660613 HTC 7 Mozart At 3.7-inches, the Mozart is the smallest of the WP7 phones HTC is announcing today. Made from unibody aluminum (and…
The HD7 is the quintessential HTC phone—a 4.3-inch slab with a 1GHz processor, 16GB internal storage, 5-megapixel, 720p video-shooting camera, and naturally, a kickstand. Despite being oh-so-familiar, it could very still be the Windows Phone to get. https://gizmodo.com/htc-evo-4g-review-a-war-machine-5554198 Since it’s on T-Mobile, you’ll get a few things pre-loaded alongside the standard Windows Phone 7 kit,…