Tech news, analysis, culture, business, security, and more
In what may be the most impractical discovery I’ve ever made, it came to my attention last week that sea caves make serviceable cell phone amplifiers. Last weekend I was on an 88-foot liveaboard dive boat that was cruising California’s Channel Islands. One of the best parts of the trip is that cell phones work…
It looks complex, but put Inon’s X-2 housing in perspective and you will appreciate its grace. Meant for Panasonic’s micro four thirds GF1, the X-2 adds bulk, but only enough to make your camera around the size of an SLR. This approach spares divers from adding thick casing to an SLR, and winding up something,…
Twelve years ago, Professor Kevin Warwick became the world’s first cyborg. Today, at Motherboard he’s holding court on cybernetics, and how if we don’t embrace our cyber upgrade potential, the robots will someday win. Warwick knows what he’s talking about, not just as the first man to have an RFID implant—letting him turn on lights…
New York’s American Museum of Natural History is widely known as that huge building with great old stuffed animals inside. And the giant whale! But behind the scenes are facilities doing some of the most amazing science, ever. Let’s peek. We took a trip inside the museum’s labyrinthine back corridors—hallways stuffed with ancient artifacts and…
Apple’s yearly fall event is “definitely happening,” according to AllThingsD, and mid-September is looking like an increasingly likely time for that event to happen. Reading the tea leaves, it seems like iPod Touches and AppleTVs will be the focus. The FaceTime-enabled (and possibly Retina Display’d?) iPod Touch seems like a lock, and updates for the…
There was a time, before GTA, when parents let their children play video games—as long as those games were Windows freebies like Hover! and SkiFree. Or Win95 screensaver “game” 3D Maze, which has reappeared as a Layar add-on. https://gizmodo.com/legendary-microsoft-game-skifree-now-free-for-the-iphon-5496352 If you never sat in front of a PC for hours on end watching the magical…
According to an Engadget source—the same one that said the next AppleTV would be a $99 unit with iPhone guts—Apple’s next TV device will be rebranded iTV. And it will have apps, but it won’t play 1080p video. https://gizmodo.com/the-next-apple-tv-to-be-a-100-screenless-iphone-5550180 That last bit has supposedly been a point of contention for Apple, but apparently the new…
Some brilliant NYC biker hacked together an iPhone mount using the tray from the phone’s packaging, zip-ties, electrical tape, and what appears to be the vinyl sleeve from an old ID badge or something. Who are you, hidden genius?
ESET NOD32 antivirus software gives you fast, effective and easy-to-use protection without annoying system slowdowns. Smart, proactive detection blocks most known and emerging threats hours or days faster than other antivirus technologies. Key benefits of ESET NOD32 antvirus software include: * Keeps you safe from viruses, spyware, trojans, password stealers and other malware threats *…
If you’re a new BlackBerry Torch owner who’s frustrated with fact that the Torch doesn’t have a low battery indicator, you can now download the free Plug It In app. The app lets you set an alert with a pop up, colored LED, and sound at a user-specified threshold. The app then monitors and displays…
This evening, more than 1,000 gadget lovers around the world meet to talk tech. With so many Meetups, how to stand out? We tell you what we’re looking for to help you and your Meetup earn fame and glory! We Want Pictures! Send us pictures of your Meetups — on Facebook (make sure you’re a…
In my opinion, unboxing videos died in 2007, when Brian Lam unboxed (and tossed out the window*) his Halo 3 swag bag. Nonetheless, camcorder-owners have persisted in filming every product launch since…and I mean every product. TechRadar has the list. https://gizmodo.com/halo-3-xbox-360-swag-bag-is-incredible-unbagging-shots-302483 Why did “motherboardsorg” feel it was necessary to unbox his copy of Windows 7?…
Apple’s pushing out iOS 4.0.2 for iPhones and iPod Touches and iOS 3.2.2 for iPads, an update that patches the previous versions’ PDF exploit and wipes out your iPhone’s unlock and nice new jailbreak. https://gizmodo.com/apple-security-breach-gives-complete-access-to-your-iph-5603319 The update, which is showing up in iTunes now, doesn’t bring any new features, just a patch for the recently-exposed…
Today’s deals have a little bit for everybody. A beautiful 3D HD Alienware Monitor for the gamers, AT&T’s most popular Android phone for the more mobile, and Saline Nose Wipes for the sneezers. Top Deals: • 23″ Alienware OptX AW2310 3D 1080p, 120Hz LCD Monitor for $399.99 with free shipping (normally $499.99) • Samsung Captivate…
The developers of iPhone photography app Camera+ were hoping to offer one particularly enticing option: a hardware shutter via volume buttons. But Apple put the kibosh on their plan, saying it would confuse users. The dev’s solution? Hide the feature. The need to tap the iPhone’s screen to snap a shot is for many an…
For this week’s Photoshop Contest, I asked you to come up with some really crazy patents. I’m not sure how crazy they are, but I do know that none of them would be accepted by the patent office.
Freecom’s CLS external hard drive series take an aesthetic page from cassettes and floppies of our already distant memory. Each 2.5″ drive is minimal, durable, and can be hand-labeled for quick reference to its contents. The German-made, Belgian-designed drives can also be docked three at a time, via a single USB connection, allowing you to…
Remember Clear’s WiMax hotspot—the one allegedly “optimized” for Apple devices? And by optimized for, they meant restricted to? There’s a fix for that! The iSpot is surprisingly easy to root, opening up a variety of tweaks. https://gizmodo.com/clears-ispot-is-a-wimax-hotspot-for-iphones-and-ipads-5604201 Wojo details the relatively simple process (for those not scared of poking around a command line), allowing you…
Dear officials from the City of Beacon, NY: You are stupid. (Update: OK, you are not that stupid). Yes, stupid. Otherwise, how could anyone explain the reason behind the closure of the Retro Arcade Museum, a place whose only sin is to have some old pinball machines in it? Actually, that’s exactly the reason: The…
For 90 bucks, you’d at least expect Otterbox’s iPad defender case to be waterproof. Or gold-plated. Instead, it’s made from “three layers of protection,” and is bump, shock, drop and dust-proof according to those in-the-know. The inbuilt stand is a nice touch, I’ll give them that, and the fact that it can be taken off…