Tech news, analysis, culture, business, security, and more
The pre-ordering madness was a good indication that iPhone 4 sales were going to be through the roof, but this may have even surpassed those expectations: Apple’s latest handset has sold nearly two million copies through Saturday. https://gizmodo.com/apple-iphone-4-pre-ordering-is-a-total-disaster-5563909 There were 600,000 pre-sales, meaning that an extra 1.1 million went out the doors before Sunday for…
See? You are holding it wrong! There’s no reception problem if you do it this way.
Electrolux may be known for its outlandish concepts, but when their CEO promises to look into reclaiming the plastic waste from the ocean and turning it into vacuum cleaners, I can’t help but believe him. It’ll be fascinating to see how the Swedish company plans on doing so, though. I mean, they’ve certainly got the…
Nokia would be doing much better if they’d announced last week that along with ditching Symbian for high-end devices, they were adopting Android too. Sadly, they’re sticking with MeeGo—but as this video demonstrates, you can Androidize it yourself. https://gizmodo.com/nokia-ditching-symbian-for-n-series-phones-5571633 Froyo is rolling out gently across some of the Android phones already in people’s hands, but…
There’s no point pretending you use your BlackBerry for anything other than emailing and checking share prices, suits. Remove that Twilight cover, and put on the retractable-antenna case instead. It’s like you’re in Wall Street. Oh wait—you are. The B100 has been designed by Peter Hermans, and is part of FOC Talents’ design competition. Out…
Judging by a patent filed in March, Google looks set to be changing the UI of Maps and Street View, making the images larger and bringing the navigational controls on top of the image (and to the right.) Google’s patent describes the change in UI as so— “Conventional navigation controls are often located on a…
Fake Steve on the iPhone 4 and reception: Probably the biggest thing I’ve taught the team at Apple is that people never know what they’re supposed to think about anything. This is true in Hollywood, in the book business, in the art world, in politics. And especially in technology. So we put out a new…
This is a funny one. You’d think the President of Nintendo America, Reggie Fils-Aime, would know the date of release for his revolutionary new 3DS, but telling Jimmy Fallon on Friday that it’d launch “next year” was incorrect, apparently. His mistake hasn’t been cleared up officially by a Nintendo spokesperson, but according to our brother-site…
The humble to-do list hasn’t changed much over the years, but the methods we use to manage it have. Here’s a look at five of the most popular tools for helping you manage your to-do list. [Lifehacker] https://lifehacker.com/five-best-to-do-list-managers-5573782
The problem which has plagued Gawker Media sites the past couple of days is still present, meaning images and avatar pictures aren’t showing up. We’ve tried turning it off and back on, rubbing the batteries between our warm palms—heck, even holding the server differently as commenters here suggested. Stay tuned for the magical moment when…
Last we heard about Foxconn, they were considering closing down their Shenzhen factories, which have had bulk-attention festooned on them the past six months due to the spate of suicides. Now, we learn they’re handing over control of dorms. https://gizmodo.com/foxconn-closing-china-factories-5560620 The company, whose factories make products for Apple, Dell, Sony and more, has enlisted the…
Another reason the iPad is the best Kindle device out there: Kindle books on the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch can now have embedded audio and video, which puts Amazon’s Kindle app on the same level as Apple’s iBooks for the first time. https://gizmodo.com/the-ipad-amazons-secret-weapon-5510620 The irony is that Amazon’s own e-book reader won’t be able…
The Samsung Epic 4G joins the HTC EVO as Sprint’s 4G handsets, but diverges with the fact that it has a slide-out keyboard. It looks like the Galaxy S Pro, which we’ve been seeings leaks of for a few weeks. https://gizmodo.com/samsung-galaxy-s-pro-specs-leak-5568479 The quick specs: 1GHz Samsung Cortex A8 processor, 4-inch Super AMOLED capacitive display, Android…
Seeing a lightning bolt flash before your eyes can be both awe-inspiring and terrifying. Watching this 1/16th-speed clip of it simultaneously striking three of Chicago’s tallest buildings fills me with so much terror there’s no room left for awe. [LikeCool]
An iPhone 3GS, standing proudly in portrait mode or kicking-back in landscape. Unlike its boxy-successor, its edges are rounded, so something must be holding it up. But what? The iPlunge, a kickstand ingeniously designed to look like a miniaturized plunger. It’s a shame that Gizmodo’s image servers are all out of whack, because otherwise you’d…
We’ve all seen futuristic movies with awesome Hal and Jarvis computers that are smart enough to recognize what we want them to do. They’re like people. Today’s computers are learning to be like that and they’re already replacing us. Take this example of a mother walking into a doctor’s office and asking an assistant about…
Sure, Microsoft may have given away its lead and legacy in mobile and probably jumped into too many hyper-competitive sectors, but they still have the widest reach in technology. And they’re still pretty damn successful. In recent years, Microsoft may be a step or two behind, but they’re relevant in nearly every sector. And with…
A recent spate of suicides at Foxconn factories brought scrutiny to the working conditions in the factories where big-brand gadgets are manufactured. But tracing gadget guts to their mineral sources reveals that Foxconn overtime is far from the ugliest link of the supply chain. https://gizmodo.com/foxconn-jumps-reach-15-potential-16-spotted-on-the-ro-5549222 In a Times op-ed piece titled “Death By Gadget,” Nicholas…
The TED conference brings together some of the greatest minds of our time, all offering their own unique world-changing ideas. In between those people, Hillel Cooperman gave this breathless, highly entertaining rundown of the weird world of adult LEGO. [Geekosystem]
That was quick: Just a few days after Apple’s iPhone 4 went on sale— featuring video chat capabilities — the “FaceTime” sex chat services are already starting up. Here’s a Craigslist ad offering a free iPhone 4 and a “very competitive salary” to girls who want to participate (via Clint Ecker). iPhone 4 FaceTime Video…