Tech news, analysis, culture, business, security, and more
For the past couple of months, the iPhone game that Giz editors have been constantly playing against each other has been Words with Friends. I am now trying to switch everyone over to Carcassonne. Sure, it’s based on a German board game, and there’s never been a non-nerdy board game out of that country. But…
Out of all the shots I tried, this one was my son’s idea and came out pretty good. Using one of their LED swards that changes colors. Using a Canon 7D with the 18-135 lens. ISO 400, f16 with 15 second shutter. No Photoshop processing other than sizing. -Brandon Flowers Shot specs: Canon 20d, ISO…
A Microsoft patent shows off a new dual-mode Xbox 360 controller that can be used both wired and wirelessly. Unlike the current play and charge kit, this controller would give you the accuracy of a true wired mode when plugged in. Right now when you use the play and charge kit, the controller is still…
In the future, when humans are extinct and watermelons evolve into sentient beings capable of mastering fusion energy and interstellar travel, someone will find the Marugoto Tamachan—a portable watermelon cooler—and they will be as puzzled as we are. Please, someone tell the Japanese that there are things that are better left untouched by technology. [Joybond…
If you used Google to search for the word “Vatican” this weekend, you probably were surprised that the first result was not “vatican.va” but a pedophile site called “pedofilo.com.” Well, maybe you weren’t that surprised, unlike Google. Google Italy spokeswoman Simona Panseri says that they don’t really know what happened: I cannot confirm if it…
Hey, you with the PC! Instead of sitting there sulking because iPad-as-second-monitor app Air Display is Mac-only, you might want to give MaxiVista a shot. It’s the PC equivalent, it works wirelessly, and for now it’s your best/only option. https://gizmodo.com/air-display-use-your-ipad-as-a-second-monitor-without-5547546 MaxiVista’s only been out for about a week now, and at $10 costs the same…
BGR is reporting that the Verizon HTC Droid Incredible is going to receive a software update to Android 2.2 Froyo by the end of July or early August. Originally, there was going to be a minor update that would’ve brought 720p video recording to the Incredible but it looks like that update will be rolled…
On one side, you have a flush-less urinal design that could save immense resources. On the other, you have a few unsuccessful case studies and an army of angry plumbers. It’s an interesting read over at: [Wired]
Whatever you do with 32GB of system memory in a workstation notebook is strictly your business—but man, am I curious. Still, impressive of Dell to make the M6500 the undisputed champ of laptop memory. https://gizmodo.com/dell-precision-m6500-hops-on-usb-3-0-and-core-i5-i7-tra-5465254 That much of an upgrade won’t come cheap; the 32GB configuration will set you back $9,300 when it hits later…
The folks at Zagg—they make the very popular invisibleSHIELD clear sticker-screens for smartphones—just tested to see if their iPhone 4 model works to alleviate antenna issues. Spoiler: It does! The test is clear in the video. “Packets go all over the place” when they don’t cover up the antenna spot, then stop entirely when they…
With more Twitter followers than any governmental employee besides Barack Obama and John McCain, Jared Cohen and Alec Ross are the U.S. government’s internet gurus. And their boss, Hillary Clinton, has charged them to teach digital diplomacy to the world. Cohen, 28, and Ross, a decade his elder, were profiled this weekend in the NYT…
Last night, many Shooting Challenge participants were rejected when submitting their light painting photos to [email protected]. We’ve now fixed the issue, but to make sure we have everyone’s entry, please resubmit your photo. (And for anyone who didn’t have time to participate, here’s the challenge one more time…you still have a shot to get something…
The Livescribe Pulse smartpen showed that there was demand out there for a ballpoint pen with a computer inside. Now the Echo has arrived, bringing with it additional capabilities like password protection, increased storage, even more apps. https://gizmodo.com/livescribe-crams-more-storage-new-color-into-pulse-sma-5384527 Echo lets you put pen to pad to draw on your computer (Mac or PC) via USB…
The Good: Now, your parents will know how you feel when they stalk and embarrass you in front of their friends. The Bad: Your grandparents and your parents will be able to stalk and embarrass you. God help us all. Add this to the ten reasons you should quit Facebook. https://gizmodo.com/top-ten-reasons-you-should-quit-facebook-5530178
Using Apple’s free Bumper is like applying a full-body cast where an ankle brace might do. Pick up a pack of these adorable Antenn-aids for $5 and remember, kisses help it heal faster. [etsy via iPhone Savior via technabob] https://gizmodo.com/apple-will-give-free-bumpers-to-iphone-4-owners-5589004
The looks we’ve gotten so far at BlackBerry OS 6 have been impressive enough, but it looks like the real crown jewel might be that WebKit browser. Here’s how it stacked up recently against iOS4 and Android 2.1. https://gizmodo.com/blackberry-os-6-teaser-shows-the-social-side-of-bb-5584926 Above, a video by Salomondrin that demonstrates the new browser in action on a BlackBerry 9800.…
“What’s this?” a girl at a party asked, as I handed her my phone. She touched a square, and everything flipped away. “It’s Microsoft’s brand new phone. Kind of like a fresh start,” I explained. “Oh. It’s… neat.” That’s the most apt way to describe Windows Phone 7, really. It’s a fresh start, and it’s…
Imagine a Utopian future, one where not only could you score an affordable foot’s length of sub from a dispensary on every street corner, but one where every said sub-dispensary actually grew their own raw ingredients. One subway in Japan is performing such personal gardening, growing their own hydroponic lettuce right inside the store. It’s…
Continuing its staggered international expansion, the iPad will come to nine more countries this Friday. Moving into international markets has so far (logically) been a key to bolstering sales numbers, and Apple’s entering some pretty big markets this week. https://gizmodo.com/apple-3-million-magical-ipads-sold-5569779 Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore are the lucky…
While Verizon’s been pretty open about their 4G plans—up to 30 cities and a third of Americans covered this year—there’s now some leaked internal documentation showing systems are primed for LTE. They’ve even got the SIM cards ready: https://gizmodo.com/verizons-lte-4g-expansion-plans-one-third-of-americans-5501342 That’s right, a Verizon SIM. As I live and breathe! The documents over at Engadget show…
