Tech news, analysis, culture, business, security, and more
This image appeared on the back cover of the December, 1939 issue of Amazing Stories. The accompanying text for this “Future War Tank” is below. Future War Tank This Land Battleship Can Form The Spearhead of Attack in Future Wars It will be used to penetrate and smash strategic enemy positions and hold them until…
We have heard about the potential health benefits of inhaling pure oxygen since the 90’s—but in Japan this fad is still going strong. In fact, they are getting their dogs involved with products like this new O2 Doghouse. Marketed as a “dog hospital” of sorts, the O2 Doghouse will deliver 100% pure oxygen to your…
The scene in Office Space where they take revenge on their printer really hit home for me because I used to have a paper jam piece of crap at an old job that I would have loved to smash. Chances are, you have a similar piece of equipment at your office that never works properly…
You know those QR codes that Japan has? The ones that look like fancy bar codes that you take a picture of with your cellphone that brings up some bit of info or trivia on the display. Those are being tested in SF right now on 500+ restaurants/shops/businesses reviewed by Citysearch. Once you snap a…
According to the design page, this brass knuckle umbrella or “Umbuster” was categorized as a class 5 weapon by the Victorian Police—the primary law enforcement agency in Victoria Australia. That would make it illegal to own there without a license. I don’t know about all of that considering that it appears to be a concept,…
It may not be as challenging as climbing some of the great peaks of the Himalayas, but the AquaClimb is a hell of a lot warmer and safer than a mountain—plus it offers up a great upper body / core workout. The fiberglass panels include hand-sculpted rock features and the ability to be rotated 90…
When your computer is on the fritz, go to someone you trust. Someone like Doctor Computer. [UCB Comedy]
The Penmawashi was designed by Hideki, the reigning pen twirling champion of the world. If you are thinking “there’s a pen twirling champion?”—I’m with you. Yes there is, and apparently he is so cool that he doesn’t even need a last name. Still, Hideki knows his stuff, and he has put his years of experience…
Those tofu-loving nutjobs over at the WWF (no, not that one) are planning another Earth Hour on Saturday night, where the world shuts off all their lights and electronics from 8-9 pm. We’re supposed to think about ways to live more sustainably and fight global warming. Sounds great, right? WRONG. We here at Giz think…
We know a bunch of you would never use a Bluetooth headset even if your hands were broken and it was the only way you could make a call. Problem is, a bunch of states are enacting handset-only call laws, meaning that you’re going to have to get one whether you want to or not.…
Close to 99% of all the iPod Docks we’ve ever seen look about the same. This iTam Tam looks nothing like those. Imagine making a dock that’s shaped like a stool or a gong, and this is what you’d get. A concave cylindrical thing that’s got a slot for an iPod/iPhone at the top. How…
This Runtriz touchscreen is something we’d want in the kitchen area of our home. Not because it’s totally necessary, because it isn’t, but because it display stocks, weather, news, recipes, wine organization, and even send emails and text messages to people on the outside. Why would we use this? One example is to make up…
There’s not much we can say about these viral marketing videos from Microsoft that the videos themselves don’t already say, so take a look at the one above and the one below. We’ve picked out the best ones. Just what target is Microsoft hoping to hit with these "parental street cred" viral videos? Parents of…
Apple’s just released a OS X Leopard 10.5.3 update beta to developers, meaning that the patch is at least stable enough for widespread testing. Among the things being fixed are several memory leaks in CoreAnimation and iCal, but the final release won’t be available until an estimated April or May. [Apple Insider]
This is what tools are for, my friends. Ronald Long of Deepwater, MO, was trying to install a satellite dish in his bedroom. He was having trouble putting the necessary hole in the wall and, thinking himself quite clever, decided to use his gun to get the job done quickly. Unfortunately, his wife was outside…
In a new spot for Kodak EasyShare printers, Vincent “Big Pussy” Pastore takes a cheap HP out to the docks and yells at it for conning him into buying high-priced ink, before giving it a beating-and-a-half, Office Space style. After sending the printer off to sleep with the fishes, he welcomes the new EasyShare to…
Anyone into heart-shaped boxes need look no further than the Just Kittyng Kit. In it is all the gear you need to turn your girlfriend’s lady-garden into something more, shall we say, ornamental. It’s got a bunch of stencils so that when you choose to transform her bush into a heart, star or arrow, it…
Gas is $4 a gallon now. Quite pricey! Which is why we work at home and never leave the house. Good thing we have sponsors to live vicariously through. Thanks Absolut, American Apparel, Apple Computers, Avenue Q, SciFi Channel’s Battlestar Galactica, CTIA, Dash Express, Lufthansa, Mini, MS Office Live, Netgear, New York Times Travel, OQO,…
That ezSpace UFO Surge Protector we reviewed and loved last month got a $10 price drop down to $29, making it even more of a good buy. [Review] https://gizmodo.com/lightning-review-ezspace-ufo-surge-protector-358333
The HD DVD Promo group was dissolved today, its ashes scattered on the Island of Dead Formats. After a moment of silence, make your way to Best Buy to claim your $50 and trade in your obsolete plastic—or soak up the cheap HD goodness—if you haven’t already. [HD DVD Promo Group, Thanks Mack!] https://gizmodo.com/best-buy-pledges-50-for-each-hd-dvd-buyer-trade-ins-369594