Tech news, analysis, culture, business, security, and more
Yikes. The Canadian province of Alberta called in 400 of its police tasers for a study on their effectiveness, and what did they find? Over 10% unleash more voltage than they should. The good news is that most of those found to be defective were older models—42, specifically, out of 50 found duds. But the…
We never understood why the Gremlins wanted to kill the cute and cuddly Gizmo. Now we’ve figured it out. This $23 plush Gizmo from ThinkGeek dances while singing his bittersweet little mogwai ballad—a synthetically reproduced tune that we’ve come to realize would be the most grating sound known to man should it enter one’s ears…
We’ve already talked about the Samsung N110 and N120, but like most netbooks, the systems start overseas and take a 3 to 6-month journey on a sail-driven cargo ship to the US. Now they’ve arrived to US retailers, cold, hungry and weakened from scurvy. Please be understanding as they build shelter and learn to grow…
I wasted too many days in a dank arcade that frankly sucked in every respect except the single reason I went: Virtual On. With its dual joysticks, it stood above all other giant robot games. The home experience always felt half-baked and watered down—but that was also in the days before everybody had a 46-inch…
Turntables, keyboards, cassettes and boomboxes? Yes please. This designer wallpaper by Aimée Wilder costs $140 for a diminutive 27″ x 15′ roll. Then again, that’s enough probably paper to make your point. [aimeewilder via Unplggd]
If you are in LA and like opera, Star Wars and Tron, check this performance of Richard Wagner‘s Die Walküre. Looks amazing, but Wagner always makes me want to invade Poland.* I prefer Chuck Jones: (Please, allow me to ramble for five minutes.) While I’m sure this space age version is amazing, Chuck Jones’ parody—which…
Here’s something gross: I was given the world’s largest Cheeto. So of course I had to eat it over the Optimus Maximus keyboard. Don’t try this at home. Because I am the token shameless jackass of the Gizmodo crew, I was the first person that came to mind when Rothman was offered a chance at…
The display technology Pixel Qi has been promising is revolutionary: A high-res color LCD and low-power, reflective reader mode better than E-ink. For dirt cheap. And it’s coming next month. https://gizmodo.com/giz-explains-why-there-isnt-a-perfect-ebook-reader-5152092 If you recall, PixelQi’s founder, Mary Lou Jepsen, is the brains behind the OLPC’s breakthrough reflective screen, and an evangelist for the idea that…
The final version of Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope is here, meaning you can: Install it on your PS3 to play ROMs or say “Jaunty Jackalope” a lot or get blown (away). [Ubuntu via /.] https://gizmodo.com/how-to-install-ubuntu-on-your-ps3-for-vintage-gaming-e-5143547
The Windows 7 Build 7100—aka Release Candidate 1—torrents you see floating around out there are fake, at least for now says Microsoft Report’s Ed Bott. But since it’s in the hands of partners, it won’t be long if you really can’t contain yourself until May 5. [Twitter] https://gizmodo.com/windows-7-release-candidate-for-consumers-arrives-may-5-5217943
Pentax’s “K7D”—the supposed name of an upcoming DSLR that hopefully includes HD video capture—is on the way, and it looks like on May 21 we’ll know more. Because right now, we know very little. If you’re interested in the rumored K7D specs floating around dank Pentax forums, here they are: * Same sensor as the…
A recent voluntary survey of 28 US companies found a single lost laptop to cost an average of $49,246. (And no, these laptops did not cost $50k in hardware alone.) The largest cost to companies is the data breach, which accounts for 80% of this ludicrously large figure because to consulting, law and tech firms,…
Sky-Terra were designed with the intent of creating a green space in the sky. But am I the only one who sees a flaw with this logic? Sprouting between buildings, the Sky-Terra (another entrant in the 2009 eVolo Skyscraper Competition) hopes to create a neuron-like network of parks, pools, amphitheaters and bathhouses in the sky.…
Spider Mouse, Spider Mouse/Does whatever Spider Mouse does/Can he swing/from a web?/no he can’t/he’s a mouse/look out!/he’s a Spider Mouse! Sing this song in your head all morning. You are welcome. [Japan Probe]
Some may frown on this crocodile dying for his art, but mounted on that pink motorbike with the stagnant air in his face, I’d argue he’s living more than most of us. Priced at a reasonable $122, this (one of a kind? two of a kind? 300 of a kind?) baby croc on a pink…
Floating shoes, nautical lights, and jet-powered watercraft — rediscover the planet with this week’s best from Uncrate. This week at Uncrate: We rest our rears on the recycled goodness of Deck Stools, enjoy the sunshine in Mosely Tribes Enforcer Sunglasses, and stay hydrated on the trail with a Nalgene Flask. We also hit the water…
These are the first images of the stealthy Predator C Avenger in flight. With a 66-foot wingspan, the latest and deadliest Unmanned Aerial Vehicle yet can fly for 20 hours powered by its jet engine. Made by General Atomics (Taking Over The World Really Soon Now™), the Avenger uses a Pratt & Whitney Canada PW545B…
Joining the distinguished ranks of Opera Mini and Bolt, Skyfire looks like it’ll be coming to BlackBerrys fairly soon. That means they’ll get Skyfire’s desktop-grade rendering, server-side compression, and optimized Flash—including support for the likes of Hulu and Vimeo. BGR’s leakster has already breathlessly reported that it’s the “best BlackBerry browser ever”, which frankly isn’t…
Despite widespread speculation about the company’s health, OQO has been fairly coy about their financial situation. Now, they’ve canceled all pre-orders for their upcoming Model 2+ UMPC. Sort of like a dying company might do! https://gizmodo.com/rumor-handheld-pc-maker-oqo-not-long-for-this-world-5210804 The OQO drama began to unfold a few weeks back, when a combination of leadership changes, message board rumors…
Google Maps is many things: It’s a rabble-rouser; a penis repository; a rare physics phenomenon; not to mention a library of deer carnage and terrifying Americana. Now, with this guy‘s help, it’s also a type foundry. https://gizmodo.com/buckinghamshire-uk-says-gtfo-to-google-street-view-via-5196359 Mr Dashwood spent months gathering all the letters of the alphabet, accumulating a collection that ranges from passable…
