Tech news, analysis, culture, business, security, and more
Photo Booth, the application for snapping distorted and stylized shots using your Mac’s web cam, was improbably but undeniably a lot of fun. Camera Sutra brings that same real-time zaniness to your iPhone 4’s front facing camera. The app takes advantage of one of iOS4’s multitudinous new APIs for live image previewing, giving you a…
At first glance, the self-contained Burglar Blaster security system seems neat. It’s quick to set up, covers up to 2,000 square feet, and will stop intruders with a shower of pepper spray. Nothing could go wrong with that, right? Except, what if you stumble into your home one evening and struggle to disable the system…
The Leaf, Nissan’s all-electric vehicle priced at $32,780, will be released in Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, and Tennesee as early as this December. https://gizmodo.com/nissans-leaf-gets-its-tailpipe-chopped-off-in-the-name-5329008 These states belong to the EV project, the largest global electric vehicle and infrastructure organization which collects EV performance data for varying terrain and climate conditions. Texas and Hawaii will be…
Transfer a song to your phone. Seems pretty fast, right? Now imagine transferring the entire printed catalog of the Library of Congress in a minute and a half. Intel says they’ve got the technology to make it happen (eventually). Intel detailed their breakthrough to the press at an event today, marking the milestone of impressive…
The standard cheapo dorm room media center is a few cinderblocks and a few two-by-fours. But that is a pretty ugly and cliched solution. This Freefold shelving system is instead made of cardboard, and it actually looks pretty slick. The system allows you to combine various modules of foldable cardboard to create custom sizes and…
Family Tracker‘s not a new app, but this iOS4 update rescues it from near-uselessness. Thanks to the addition of multitasking, you can now track the GPS locations of family members all day, every day. Privacy invasion? Nah. That’s just love. It’s a good bargain, though, compared to AT&T’s similar service that can cost $15/month. Family…
I feel like a castaway in a sea of glossy black plastic, chrome, and glowing blue buttons. Do we really need every piece of electronics to look the same, sandwiched in this shiny ebony that is the 21st Century beige? I go to buy a TV and my head spins out of boredom, making me…
For 99 notes, wannabe DJs can get a pair of point and looping controllers designed for use with laptops, CDJs, turntables and mixers. They glow bright red/green, look like dice (kind of) and roll dem phat beatz out. Or something. Connecting via USB, they come bundled with Serato Scratch Live software and removable putty for…
HotHardware has a thorough review of the HP ZR30w, a 30″ LCD monitor with exceptional color resolution. Their verdict? The S-IPS panel and huge color gamut make for an excellent display that’s affordable among its peers. https://gizmodo.com/hps-new-30-zr30w-display-can-show-over-a-billion-color-5552558 HotHardware lauded the $1,300, 2560×1600, ZR30w for its S-IPS panel, which afforded great quality and color reproduction. They…
Today you can get your sugar-free and money-free fix in one can. But don’t run off to get your free Pepsi right away. Peruse our smorgasbord of gadget deals first. Top Deals: • 55″ Toshiba REGZA 55ZV650U 1080p 240Hz LCD TV for $1,159.00 plus free shipping (normally $1570 – use coupon code 55G300U). • 11.6″…
The remaining details of Dell Streak’s release continue to trickle out. This morning we learned it would eventually run Froyo. Now we know the price: $299 with a 2 year AT&T contract or $549 unlocked. Updated https://gizmodo.com/your-dell-streak-questions-mostly-answered-5597561 Update: Dell pulled the page with this pricing info, and Twitter account MattatDell, presumably someone at Dell whose…
If you are considering upgrading your iPhone to a newer model, Mike Hellers and Chris Pinnock made a video that will help you decide: A no-prisoners speed race between the original Jesusphone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, and iPhone 4. If you are going to buy the obvious winner, you should also consider our review and…
Refraction is a mind-bending idea. Light passes through a clear object, and it comes out the other side, inverted. The Shooting Challenge results that follow are must-sees, the winner is astounding and…well…we busted a cheater, too. https://gizmodo.com/shooting-challenge-spherical-refraction-5592763 Lead Shot – Horizon Evening sunset across Puget Sound. Shot was taken with a Nikon D90 and 50mm…
Equipment: Old Canon SLR -Kristina Swanson I wasn’t really sure where to start with this, so I decided to head down to the local garden shop. When I saw this glass sphere, I thought it was perfect. It seemed flawless under normal light. But when I put a candle behind it, every little flaw and…
Camera: Cannon Rebel XTI Lens: 18 – 55 mm Settings: F5.6 ISO 800 (approximate, I had to keep changing the settings while trying to get this particular shot.. bubbles aren’t very good still models. 😉 ) I took my kids out and had them blow a bunch of bubbles so I could get the shot.…
Rick Norsigian found a couple of boxes full of glass negatives at a yard sale and bought them for $45, negotiated down from $70, 10 years ago. Now, he’s discovered that they’re early photographs of Ansel Adams worth $200 million. The 65 glass negatives are early photos by the famed photographer that were thought to…
Mere weeks after America banished sexy Russian spy Anna Chapman, another may have surfaced: 24-year-old Anna Fermanova is accused of smuggling military technology to Moscow. She has a bellybutton ring and wears bikinis on Facebook. Meet America’s new sexy outlaw. The Smoking Gun reports that Fermanova is under house arrest in Texas awaiting trial for…
Stieg Larsson, the deceased Swedish author who wrote the all-of-a-sudden-very-popular books The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest, has become the first author to sell a million Kindle books, granting him induction into Amazon’s “Kindle Million Club.” Any guesses who the next…
Microsoft Hohm, the energy usage-tracking web app, just got a whole lot easier to use. Microsoft and Blue Line Innovation have created a power meter reader so anyone can use Microsoft Hohm to see exactly how much money they’re wasting. https://gizmodo.com/microsoft-hohm-tracks-home-energy-usage-via-webapp-5302074 Previously in order get real-time home energy data on your Hohm profile, you had…
Unlike the previous replica—which was more dragster than an actual road bike—it seems like this Bat Pod can actually be handled like any other motorcycle. Quite an impressive work: https://gizmodo.com/own-a-batpod-from-the-dark-knight-for-a-mere-100-000-5542965 If you are around Mountain View, California, you may actually spot it on the street. [Reddit]