Tech news, analysis, culture, business, security, and more
An unusually well-shot and clear video has appeared online, showing off the as yet-unannounced HTD Desire HD. Looking more like an EVO 4G than the original Desire, it has a 4.3″ display and half-matte, half-glossy back. https://gizmodo.com/htc-evo-4g-review-a-war-machine-5554198 Do clamp your eyes on the HD YouTube video fondle of the Desire HD below, and tell us…
Now that we know Polaroid’s reissued film is pricier than a three-course meal, it’s time to look at alternatives. FujiFilm’s been doing a fine line in instant cameras, and their upcoming Instax mini50S Cheki looks suitably teensy for pockets. It uses Fujifilm’s Instax Color Film, which is about $16 for 20 photos’ worth. A small…
They’ve tried putting up safety nets, scrapping the suicide compensation, and bringing in an external dorm management company, but nothing’s stopped the trickle of suicides at their factories. Now, Foxconn thinks hiring more mature workers will solve their problems. https://gizmodo.com/foxconn-is-installing-safety-nets-on-buildings-5574993 After two types of anti-psychotic drugs were found in the 22-year-old worker’s dorm last week…
$5,000 burning a hole in your pocket? Apple’s 12-core Mac Pros have been added to the store just now. Minimum spec includes two 2.66GHz 6-core Xeon Westmere processors and 1TB of storage. https://gizmodo.com/mac-pros-now-have-up-to-12-cores-5597358 Minimum specs start at 6GB of memory, an 18x double-layer SuperDrive, and ATI Radeon HD 5770 with 1GB GDDR5. The overall design…
This must be one of the most leaked phones in the history of tech blogs. Found in a newspaper yesterday, this Verizon advert shows the Droid 2, keyboard splayed and all, with the words “coming soon.” Yes, but when? Just like the Droid X, and the Droid before it, it’s said that the Droid 2…
You know the drill—but do you know why it’s down? You can bet your bottom dollar it won’t be a Verizon iPhone, anyway. [Apple] https://gizmodo.com/those-verizon-iphone-4-rumors-could-finally-be-true-5607508
According to Gruber’s sources, Apple filed a bug on the iPhone 4 antenna issues two whole years ago. We already know that Apple employee Ruben Caballero, focused on antenna design at the company, raised the issue of signal loss last year. But according to Gruber’s recent blog post, they might have known even before that,…
Want Flash on your iPhone 4 something fierce? Great news, flash lover, for it is now possible thanks to these simple steps: It’s true! Flash has been ported to the iPhone 4, and it’s up and running today. Says Redmond Pie, it goes even further than iPhone 4 too: According to the source, this version…
Like a massive stone puzzle, the Great Pyramid has refused to give up all of its secrets. One of the last are two shafts out of the “Queen’s Chamber.” Purpose? Unknown, even to this day. Robots to the rescue. In 1992, a robot named Upuaut 2 climbed one shaft and discovered limestone doors with corroded…
Jodie Fisher, the former HP contractor who sued former HP CEO Mark Hurd for sexual harassment, stated this evening that she is “surprised and saddened” he is without a job. And she was a softcore porn and reality TV actress. https://gizmodo.com/hp-ceo-mark-hurd-resigns-amidst-sexual-harassment-inves-5606682 The statement was made by her attorney, Gloria Allred, and read in part, “I…
The Ostoure concept is a “super naked” motorcycle concept sprung from the mind of designer Mohammad Reza Shojaie and possibly Skynet. The Ostoure (“Legend” in Persian) boasts two-wheel drive, Bluetooth helmet support, HUD indicators, multiple radiators, and an AC system (?), although that’s all hypothetical given the fact this puppy is a prototype design. Throw…
A new dating site called YouAndMeArePure.com pairs up virgins so that they may meet up, date, marry and then shed their V-cards in good faith. All good stuff, though I have to ask: Isn’t this the same thing as Cupidtino.com? https://gizmodo.com/cupidtino-a-dating-site-for-apple-fanboys-and-girls-5531275 I kid the Cupidtino users, really I do. I’m sure that when they aren’t…
Not much has changed in the amphibious aircraft space since the 1950s, apparently, which is why John A. Meekins and engineer Bill Husa have teamed up to create Privateer—the first major amphibious aircraft redesign in the last 60 years. The prototype sports carbon fiber and a 724hp Walter 601 engine, which combine to give the…
Hey-O! A Sony marketing countdown clock begins counting down…and the speculation ends before it begins: The site’s “x10”-laden source code has revealed this to be, most likely, the upcoming Xperia x10, running Android. If the name sounds familiar, this might be why: We received one back in March, but the interface was buggy and unfinished,…
My wish that future wars be fought adorably with tiny cannons came a bit closer to reality today thanks to a resurgence of the mini-cannon, now in version 2.0. It is still as deadly as ever. https://gizmodo.com/tiny-cannon-packs-glass-busting-punch-5534471 Nothing glass or plastic is safe from the tiny cannon. Even the rough and tough CRT monitor succumbs…
Microsoft’s Menlo prototype, previously believed to be a Windows tablet in the wake of Courier’s untimely demise, is actually a prototype mobile device and OS, complete with 3-axis accelerometer and a digital pressure barometer. Yes, a barometer. https://gizmodo.com/is-menlo-the-windows-core-for-microsofts-next-secret-ta-5530639 The detective work on this device has been all Mary Jo Folye over at ZDNet, an what’s…
In the moments before “Barefoot Bandit” Colton Harris-Moore—the 19 year old accused of dozens of burglaries, car, boat and plane theft—was apprehended, he tossed a MacBook and an iPod into the sea. Now FBI sleuths are racing against time to recover data from the devices that could further damn this elusive burglar. In addition to…
Verizon iPhone rumors are legion these days, but finally, for once, the evidence appears to be nigh indisputable—you just need to know where to look. In this case, the place to look is the supply chain, specifically semiconductors and CDMA contracts. As Steve Cheney over at TechCrunch points out, this constrained space is heavily affected…
How does one breathe new life into a retro-licious toy like Rock ’em Sock ’em Robots? In this day and age, it’s a motion control setup from Zachery Shivers and Anne Flinchbaugh that they created for the TI Design Challenge. The motion controls arrive thanks to a pair of accelerometer-sporting Chronos watches, one per wrist,…
Unlike Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Kuwait does not yet have a ban or looming ban in place for BlackBerry smartphones and associated services. But it could, as Kuwaiti officials have today expressed “moral and security” concerns about the devices. https://gizmodo.com/blackberry-service-restored-in-saudi-arabia-5607030 This again? Yes, this again, although slightly different in Kuwait’s case. This time it’s…
