Tech news, analysis, culture, business, security, and more
Although it technically went live a few days ago, today is the day that iTunes 8.1.1 gets pushed to the masses. HD movie rentals are the only notable new feature, but bugfixes abound. —Thanks, Ponies!
Nintendo’s saying that Wii Sports Resort, a title with the sole purpose of supporting the MotionPlus release, is coming in July. Or, as they could and should have just said, the MotionPlus is coming in July. https://kotaku.com/wii-sports-resort-motionplus-out-in-july-5204773 But the important thing isn’t that Nintendo’s PR strategy seems to consist of forcing their fans to infer…
A jury has ordered Microsoft to pay $388M to security software firm Uniloc, who alleged back in 2003 that Microsoft infringed on the firm’s patents for Windows Activation, one of the most horrible features ever. One way to look at this—the hasty, vindictive, techno-populist way—is to see this whole thing as some kind of cosmic…
When we first saw Tesla’s Model S electric sedan, we noticed a big, flashy touchscreen taking the place of the dashboard’s console. TechCrunch took a test drive and learned a little more about it. https://gizmodo.com/tesla-model-s-electric-sedan-prototype-has-a-giant-touc-5185498 The Model S’s touchscreen wasn’t fully functional during the demo (the car’s first with press), so internet browsing and presumably…
DigiTimes is reporting that Apple has placed a massive order for 100 million 8GB flash storage chips, mostly from Samsung, that will then be combined into larger capacities. What could this purchase indicate? The quantity, twice the size of last year’s order, is likely to make such chips scarce in the market, which could hurt…
Obama is apparently considering using a machine that would suck up smog and shoot it into the upper atmosphere—reflecting the sun’s rays—as a way to fight global warming. I’m not joking. As you can see in my highly detailed diagram, Obama wants to use a climate degenerating replic—I don’t have any idea what im talking…
Ho-lee crap. This is one serious case mod. The incredibly precise and detailed project took one dedicated Russian modder 18 days to complete, which is an accomplishment by itself. Jaw = dropped. The whole process has been thoroughly documented, and each piece of the mod was cut out with the utmost care. Check it out,…
Scarpar doesn’t say much about their Powerboard; it’s been in development since the 90s and EDAG’s helping with manufacturing. Great. But the video speaks volumes, showing the Powerboard on sand, snow…even off-road. Awesome. In case you didn’t notice, the motorboard glides over a GOD DAMN LOG. A LOG! And you can sit and carve on…
This video of Lenovo’s Android-powered OPhone makes me hungry for Android’s Cupcake and what it could possibly do. If this is the future of Android, I’m upgrading. https://gizmodo.com/video-of-next-android-os-shows-on-screen-keyboard-5115453 It has apps that you would (hopefully) expect from an Android smartphone, such as weather, calendar and it even has push notification. Changing panels seems to be…
Filmmaker Rob Spence has made headway on his new “eye-to-eye” documentary—literally. They’ve managed to attach a LED to his prosthetic eye, making him look very Governator-esque. Hey, it could double as a flashlight too. It’s the first time Spence and his team have managed to fit an electronic device (complete with power source) into the…
First, let me say that despite the name…NO, NOT THOSE KINDS OF PLANTS. LightPot is a minimalist table lamp, with a bed of soil for tending to small, green lifeforms. Lovely, no? LightPot uses LED lights, and can collapse down on itself when not in use. Created by designers Studio Shulab, LightPot still a prototype,…
Beginning this morning with a one-hour meeting, the FCC embarked on a mission to roll out a national broadband plan within a year’s time. Where are they starting? With you. https://gizmodo.com/obama-picks-a-net-neutrality-lovin-techie-for-fcc-chair-5130203 Wired’s Ryan Singel says the FCC is taking input from average Joes (but probably not plumbers), public interest groups and telecommunication corporations. So far,…
Remember the dual-lense Novo Minoru webcam that lets you record in 3D? Remember how we said you can use it for 3D videosex? Someone did. Fleshbot (NSFW) discovered that Jess of UndressJess just started recording her Camgirl videos in 3D, allowing her viewers to get the sense that she’s actually sticking out of their monitors…
Have some numeric passwords to hide? Top secret numerical strings to enter while out in the wild? Well, don’t let those shifty-eyed data thieves get the best of you. Privacy, privacy, privacy. First there was the Blackberry visor for those who tried to hide the fact that they were looking at porn. Now enters the…
The Samsung OmniaHD is losing its name and will now be known as its old, boring model number. It’s just like when Mother is mad and calls you by your real name instead of “sweetpea.” https://gizmodo.com/samsung-omnia-hd-makes-calls-shoots-720p-video-5154136 Actually, Samsung says the reason for the name change is for practical purposes: To avoid confusion between the original…
After we posted our card skimmer in the wild and attack of the card skimmers stories, many people responded by saying that they’ve seen these illegal gadgets everywhere. Well, can you prove it? https://gizmodo.com/a-man-finds-an-actual-card-skimmer-in-the-wild-in-the-5201176 We want you to take photos of card skimmers you stumble across while getting cash. To spot these crime-ridden machines, here…
Acer’s Revo, a tiny desktop that’ll be “well under” $500, is the first computer with Nvidia’s Ion netbook platform. Why care? Because it’s got a crappy Intel Atom processor and plays HD Blu-ray movies flawlessly. https://gizmodo.com/nvidia-ion-supercharges-netbooks-with-5x-faster-graphic-5111999 Acer barely mentioned the Revo amidst its armada of cheap machines last night but after seeing what it could…
What’s worse than your teen sending 10,000 text messages, mostly during school? Her sending 10,000 text messages when you have no text message plan. Not only did all those sent and received messages (another 10,000 were received) cost the dad $4,756.25, it caused the girl’s grades to drop down from A’s and B’s to F’s.…
Chalkboard paint has been out for years but, let’s face it, chalkboards are inferior to dry erase any way you look at it. That’s why IdeaPaint kicks all kinds of ass. That’s right, you make any surface doodle-ready with a few coats of paint. It’s perfect for offices, kids rooms, the fridge or backsplash in…
U.S. Marshals could’ve been made tolerable if they just tossed Tommy Lee Jones one of these Atomic Disrupter Rayguns. Actually, think of how much better every crappy shoot ’em up movie would be. This pretty piece is was fashioned from old radio and camera parts, and submitted to the Make Magazine Flickr Pool. [Make on…
