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Cheap electronics can be counted as one of the few perks of a recession, but because of China’s stimulus plan, tobacco farmers in Qinhai and simple economics, LCD screens are actually getting more expensive. Last month China announced a wide-reaching stimulus plan mostly centered around infrastructure development, many parts of which wouldn’t sound totally unfamiliar…
A British scientist is working on a device to represent dolphin communication as a sort of hieroglyph, but we can save him the suspense: They’re just thanking us for all the fish. The Cymascope, which is the creation of acoustics engineer John Stuart Reid and American dolphin researcher Jack Kassewitz, allows dolphin vocalizations to vibrate…
Sometimes, what you read on the internet is true. Like now! Nikon’s D5000 is a 12.3MP DSLR that shoots 720p HD video using the D90’s sensor for $850. Yep, the display is all swivel-y. https://gizmodo.com/nikon-d5000-cheap-dslr-with-hd-video-and-swivel-display-5160063 It’s got the same sensor that’s in Nikon’s previous HD-video-shooting D90, so you can expect the same image and video…
Google has announced that the Android 1.5 “Early Look” SDK is now available to developers, and man, does it bring the features. Check out the list below. There are a lot of new toys for developers, including some kind of emulator configuration thing called Android Virtual Devices, or AVDs, that apparently will make developers’ lives…
I have ignored computer ergonomic professionals my entire computing life, but this winter, a pain in my lower back would not go away. Instead of listening to “experts” I followed the advice of ancient swordsmen. Samurai guards used to sit in a kneeling position, with one knee up and one knee on the ground. The…
Despite their high prices and high return rates, we’ve always had a soft spot for OQO. But the recent resignation of a CEO, retailer problems, and messageboard rumblings don’t bode well for their future. The next OQO, the Model 2+, had us drooling when it was announced… four months ago. It’s still yet to see…
It’s hard to notice anything special about this Kentucky home, but if you pick up a phone or walk up to any computer mic in the house, you can control music, thermostat, security and lighting. The company behind the main software, Home Automated Living, named their product HAL (yawn yawn yawn). And with this software,…
Sometimes, one size doesn’t fit all, which is why Radiopaq has come out with custom-tuned earbuds that specifically bring out the best quality in either Jazz, Pop, Classical or Rock. For those wondering why you would play £59 ($86) for a pair of these earphones when you could customize the equalizer on your own for…
Some people do really weird things in their basements, including this crazy Italian man who converted his entire basement into one giant horn subwoofer back in the year 2000. https://gizmodo.com/horn-subwoofer-takes-up-crazy-mans-entire-basement-5025867 The subwoofer, which consists of two 3-feet deep and 31-feet long cavities, releases more than 110dB. Boy would I hate to be his neighbor—maybe that’s…
I once read that music has more impact the louder you play it. On that note, I’ll tell you the story of the summer I got addicted to very loud car audio equipment. I worked 30 hours a week during college and more during the summer. I worked at some computer help desk in Boston,…
What was inside the the Huge Mystery Box? Some people got it with Trekkie Betty’s stockings, others with the second hint, and some with Uhura’s bra. Here is the seeeecret—revealed: The Hot Rod Enterprise. https://gizmodo.com/what-is-inside-this-huge-mystery-box-5162911 A couple of months ago Brian asked me: “Do you want to do something cool?” This is something that Brian…
If I told you I was going to buy you a Juice Camera, what would you expect to see under the tree at Christmas? A camera shaped like a juice box? How did you know? The 35 mm cameras come in five bright flavors, including Strawberry, Sunny, and Supermarket Mania. If getting the latter juice…
Not since the Star Trek light dimmer have we seen a branded device with such shameless nerditude as this Enterprise webcam. https://gizmodo.com/star-trek-voice-activated-light-dimmer-pretend-youre-t-238715 The webcam is 720p and features adjustable focus—but the Trek fans will be interested to know that it also has light-up nacelles to heighten the experience. No word yet on a price or…
Slovenian craftsman Franc Grom drills anywhere from 2500-3500 holes into eggshells by hand to create the ultimate Easter accessory. Couple the surgically precise artistry with the proper amount of blue lighting and suddenly those pastel plastic eggs feel pretty lacking, even if they’re filled with Hershey’s kisses and spare pennies. [TheBigPicture and REUTERS/Srdjan Zivulovic]
A Japanese erotic game developer just put two and two together to make what could be the first instance of head tracking combined with upskirts in human history. The game Tech48 uses a webcam to detect where, in relative space, your head is. Move left and right and the polygonal maiden tracks her head left…
Buy.com seems to be buying iPhones from foreign countries where it hasn’t been locked down to a specific carrier, then selling them in the US for $800. The sales description says that these phones work fine with software updates—something software unlocks don’t—but your instructions may come in a language that’s not English. That’s a small…
Sometimes the best hiding spot for something is right out in the open—at least that’s the philosophy of the bedside lamp, a furnishing that hides an easy to deduce marital aid inside. Part of the Milan Furniture Fair, the “Love Design” collection explores the idea of incorporating sex toys into everyday home furnishings. Let’s just…
Following hot on the heels of the Mythbusters’ epic rocket sled meets car obliteration, OObject has put together a list of 9 sleds that also involve fire, speed and making things go boom. [OObject] https://gizmodo.com/rocket-sled-attempts-to-pancake-a-car-fails-gloriously-5209769
It’s certainly not a confirmation by any means, but a recent job posting from Netflix seeks an experienced engineer for “developing and testing media rich applications on current generation gaming consoles.” If you read the entire job posting, it is pretty clear that Netflix is talking about consoles in the plural sense. If the plural…
I absolutely cannot get enough of the exploded phenomenon. And this WiiXploded t-shirt is absolutely no exception…even though it seems to be missing Nintendo’s patented money printing components. $17 [WiiXploded] https://gizmodo.com/exploded-iphone-shirt-most-heinous-way-to-say-i-3-app-5122621
