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Last week I joked that Microsoft paying big sites to de-list from Google would never fly—but it just might happen. We know Rupert Murdoch is thinking about de-listing News Corp content, and now Microsoft may provide an incentive. https://gizmodo.com/mark-cubans-plan-to-choke-googles-super-powers-5406446 The Financial Times reports that both companies have discussed the idea, though talks are still at…
I remember how everyone slammed the PSP because it was huge. Let’s see how that brick called Nintendo DSi LL—how much stupider can this product name get?—compares to the Sony PSP-3000. Did I say brick? I meant surf board. [GameWatch—in Japanese]
If I had a mailbox like this, I would have a huge dog and call him Spamkiller. [Thanks Eduardo Lozano]
Unlike that rickrolling bit of fun, this new worm maliciously targets Dutch ING customers who login via their Jailbroken iPhone. And while it’s isolated to the Netherlands right now, it’s yet another warning for Jailbreakers to take simple preventative measures. https://gizmodo.com/first-iphone-worm-discovered-rickrolls-jailbroken-ipho-5400153 It only affects those who have installed SSH and not changed the default password.…
I’ve definitely wanted to Force Quit some conversations in my time, so a real life spinning beach ball of death would be the perfect excuse. Watch: Microsoft may have backed out of the show’s live special, but Family Guy definitely has the geek cred thing down. [Nick McGlynn] https://gizmodo.com/microsoft-pusses-out-on-family-guy-special-5390439 Click to view
Not only can this 2007 model UX490 quad-boot into OS X, Windows 7, XP Pro, and Vista Business, but its specs have been overhauled. A voice-capable HSPA modem has been added, plus a faster CPU and larger solid-state hard disk. https://gizmodo.com/sony-vaio-ux-micro-pc-goes-premium-226823 The original 1.2GHz Core 2 Solo U2200 processor (which was soldered in place) has…
Seriously, 911 operators sure deal with some crap. A 15 year old boy from Buffalo Grove (outside Chicago) asked police on Sunday if his parents had the right to take away his Xbox. They stopped by to set things straight. The kid hung up mid-call, but officers went to his house and told him to…
While perusing the shelves of a great Portland bookstore (Portland, OR really has the best used book stores in the country) I stumbled across the book Doomsday 1999 A.D. by Charles Berlitz and immediately flipped to the last chapter. In the “apocalypse porn” genre you’ll find that the final chapter is where the author either…
When Roku released their new HD-XR box, they mentioned that big new features would be launched in the coming weeks via software update. Now the Roku Channel Store is finally here, but it’s awfully short on excitement. https://gizmodo.com/roku-hd-xr-hands-on-wheres-roku-going-with-this-5390586 The Roku Channel Store is an open platform for delivering content to Roku boxes beyond the already-integrated…
The designers say the mustache on this Robot Wine Rack is optional, but let’s be honest with ourselves, shall we? We all know one does not in good taste forgo the donning of a mustache when one is readily available. And one is available for this peculiar little four bottle $40 wine rack. If nothing…
Meet the Texminator. It’s an arcade cabinet that tests your texting speed. It was also inevitable. Seriously now, my youngest sister has a phone she never uses—save for texting. LOLs and ttyl’s have long replaced spoken word, and the clickity clack of her slider phone keyboard easily drowns out the family small talk at the…
You back up your computers, or at least know that you should. But what about your smartphones? They carry massive amounts of personal data, and are subjected to life-or-death situations on a daily basis. Here’s how to back them up: You don’t have to use a smartphone for more than a few weeks to amass…
The capable Atlona HDAiR Wireless USB-to-VGA/HDMI Adapter was missing one key ingredient when it launched earlier this year: Audio. That’s been fixed, thanks to this latest refresh. And a refresh this certainly is, as this is the same product, but with audio output. Specifically, audio output in 3.5mm analog and embedded HDMI. The $219 piece…
When I think escalating mega cellphone carrier ad war, I think actor Luke Wilson. Oh wait, no I don’t, and yet here he is, again, striking back on behalf of AT&T against Verizon Wireless. https://gizmodo.com/at-t-goes-on-the-offensive-with-new-side-by-side-comm-5408029 Now, good on AT&T for fighting back with more ads and not more silly lawsuits and all, but the Verizon…
The Muji hole punch, with its strategically placed punchers, takes Lego blocks, combines them with paper, and makes a whole mess of adorableness. Import from Japan for literally minutes of fun. [Muji via Highs Nobiety via MAKE via Boing Boing]
eBay, the auction site that’s been no stranger to rare gadgets in the past, could have an interesting new denizen under its roof if this Motorola Droid prototype turns out to be the real deal. The seller bills the phone as “limited edition,” which means this is, purportedly, one of only five such prototypes produced.…
After teasing BlackBerry lovers with a limited “premier” customer release earlier in the week, AT&T has let loose with the BlackBerry Bold 9700. It’s now available for anyone and everyone who loves all things BlackBerry. T-Mobile users, who;ve had access to this phone for a while, can yawn at this post at their leisure. [BGR]
Old PC, new PC—doesn’t matter. This DisplayLink chip-equipped display adapter from Sewell will take any ol’ PC and provide support for resolutions up to 2,048 x 1,152, all powered via USB. So yeah, if you’ve been chomping at the bit to get HD quality resolutions delivered to your monitor via a USB connection, this may…
Hudson River water landings? Those are so yesterday, man. Somewhere in the Congo today there’s a pilot who, after a slight, um, miscalculation, crash landed his plane into a lava field. Now, we can make light of this incident because all 117 passengers and crew walked away from the crash largely unharmed. The only real…
There’s a great read over at Cheap Talk about how digital pinball machines changed the industry, back when there still was an industry. They were big tables where you flick a ball around, but they were smarter than you think. In the olden days of pinball, there wasn’t much to adjust. Free game scores were…
