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Tech News
Human-Powered Helicopter Soars to New Heights, Literally
This past June, a determined pilot managed to keep the human-powered Gamera II in the air for a whopping 50 seconds. Impressive, but it only hovered a little. This flight, while much shorter, nabbed a record of its own by soaring to the great height of 8 feet. The ultimate goal here is the Sikorsky … Continued
By Eric Limer -
Tech News
Do You Use a Bluetooth Headset With Your Cell Phone?
The hands-free aspect of using a bluetooth headset with your phone is definitely a plus, but actually wearing one can be kind of a drag. Personally, I always feel like an idiot/jerk wearing one, especially in public. I’ll wear mine from time to time if I know I’m going to have to be on an … Continued
By Eric Limer -
Tech NewsGoogle
Google’s Having Some Trouble Filling Up Its Kansas City Fiberhoods
Google Fiber’s whopping 1000Mbps Internet connections sure sound sweet, but despite the awesome deals which include free option (after a $300 construction fee), fiber doesn’t seem to be having quite the draw you’d expect. That being the case, Google has lowered some of the pre-registration goals. Google’s dropping the goal in 73 affected fiberhoods, meaning … Continued
By Eric Limer -
Tech News
The Tacocopters Are Coming, For Real
The Tacocopters are coming. Sure, the original pitch was a clever troll aimed at credulous and impatient fast-food junkies. But the numbers don’t lie – a typical taco weighs less than a pound, and aircraft that can autonomously fly a few dozen ounces of payload to your doorstep are already available for around a thousand … Continued
Dan Shapiro -
Tech News
Forget Coach, Boeing’s Business Jet With Aeroloft Can Sleep Eight
The days of obnoxious, crowded air-travel are still here for most of us, but the elite just got an upgrade. Boeing just started putting out a version of its Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) 747-8 that sports the Aeroloft, an eight-person sleeping area. Located between the plane’s upper deck and tail, the Aeroloft features eight separate … Continued
By Eric Limer -
Tech NewsApple
This Stealthly Analog Smartwatch Can Be Your Little Secret
Smartwatches can have some pretty useful functionality, but maybe you don’t want to broadcast to the world that you’re wearing one, or maybe you just prefer good old-fashioned analog. The Citizen Eco-Drive Proximity was made with you in mind. The Proximity, while appearing to be a somewhat regular watch, actually has some small words written … Continued
By Eric Limer -
Tech NewsApple
Will Apple Intro New (Less Terrible) Headphones With Its New iPhone?
We’re a week and a half away from Apple’s iPhone gala, which means we’re in the absolute thick of Apple rumor season. And while you may have tired by now of hearing about—and seeing—that stretched-out unibody handset, this latest curveball from Vietnam should have your full attention. That’s right. It looks like Apple might finally … Continued
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Tech News
The Thing: The Real One, Not That Stupid Prequel
On a whim, I decided to watch John Carpenter’s The Thing last night and it proved to be an absolutely fantastic decision. At 30 years old, the film is no spring chicken, but it’s amazing how little that matters. That’s mostly thanks to the fantastic direction, and the person-to-person tension that doesn’t rely so much … Continued
By Eric Limer -
Tech News
Swans: Lunacy
Lunacy is the lead song off Swans’ new 2-hour Goliath of an album, The Seer, which dropped a few days ago. The whole album is a staggeringly complex—I want to say “thick”—piece of work, and Lunacy provides a nice introduction. The unsettling, malevolent-sounding hymn-like vocal intro sets this dark, brooding but intense mood, and things … Continued
By Eric Limer -
Tech News
Walmart Is Testing an iPhone Checkout System That Could Help You Escape Its Clutches a Little Bit Faster
The Apple Store and Walmart might seem like they’re on completely opposite ends of the retail spectrum. They often share one similarity though, like hellish interiors teaming with to many, sweating, breathing, sneezing, coughing, occasionally corpulent customers. Walmart’s trying out a new Apple-y, iPhone-based payment system that could make escape a little easier. The “Scan … Continued
By Eric Limer -
Tech NewsGadgets
Insanely Designed Level 10 M Mouse Finally Comes to Market
If you’re looking for something new in a mouse, something simultaneously awesome and over-designed, something different, your dream mouse may have arrived. The Level 10 M Mouse, a joint project by BMW Designworks and Thermaltake, is finally hitting shelves. The Level 10 M’s empty space-loving design isn’t just a visual thing. You can actually adjust … Continued
By Eric Limer -
Tech NewsGadgets
DUPE: This Is a Quadrotor You Can Control With Your Mind
Physical remote controls might be nice when it comes to precision, but they’ve got nothing on mind-control when it comes to awesome. Using an EEG headset, a computer, and some serious thought-power, researchers have developed a quadrotor you can steer with your brain. Developed at Zhejiang University, the Flying Buddy 2 is controlled with a … Continued
By Eric Limer -
Tech NewsDesign
Barrel Lamp, Ladder Coat Rack, and More
You might be taking a vacation this weekend, but beauty doesn’t go on holiday. Thus, here are the most gorgeous things we found over the last few days. 3D-Printed Table Lamps Bloom Like Flowers Filled with Light https://gizmodo.com/3d-printed-table-lamps-bloom-like-flowers-filled-with-l-5938338 Designer Patrick Jouin uses 3D-printing digital technology-rapid prototyping and 3D printing-to create his Bloom Table Lamp. More … Continued
By Leslie Horn -
Tech News
Newly Discovered “Hulk” Protein Could Make You a Beefcake Without the Weights
So you want to be muscular, buff, ripped, but you don’t want to have to work for it. Who does? Well here’s some good news, researchers have identified a “Hulk” protein that could give you crazy muscle mass with no effort on your part. Grb10 is the protein in question, and researchers at the Garvan … Continued
By Eric Limer -
Tech News
Apple’s Secret Training Manual, The Nexus 7’s Big Advantage, The Funniest Google Street View Pictures, and More
Following the big Apple vs. Samsung blow-out, there’s been a lot of fallout: it’s a win for innovation, it may not hold up, Google’s not freaking out, and Samsung is still nabbing Appley things. Catch up on all that chaos, see some funny Street View pictures, check out the Apple Genius training manual, and even … Continued
By Eric Limer -
Tech NewsApple
New Backlit Keyboard Case Brings a Rainbow Rave to Your iPad
If you wish your iPad had a keyboard and frequent dark rooms, ZAGG has a case that might be up your alley. Its new iPad keyboard is not only backlit, but also changes colors. Take that, Surface. The new ZAGGkeys come in two flavors, PRO and PRO plus. Both attach magnetically to your iPad, use … Continued
By Eric Limer -
Tech NewsApple
Apple Taking Aim at Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note in Updated Galaxy Nexus Complaint
Apparently not content with a $1 billion verdict in its favor, Apple is trudging ever forward in its patent war against Samsung, and this time it’s taking aim at a slew of more current phones including the Galaxy Note and Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S III. The move comes as an addendum to the injunction against … Continued
By Eric Limer -
Tech News
7 Deadly Weapons You Should Never Ever Make Out of Harmless Household Items
I write a lot about edgy, semi-dangerous scientific projects. So, I get a lot of suggestions from people who want to share their own ideas for risky home projects. I like the reader engagement, but four times out of five, the ideas are dumb, and borderline deadly. Listen to me: if it involves a pipe, … Continued
William Gurstelle -
Tech News
These Researchers Know Where You Live, Pirates
Watch out pirates, you may not be as anonymous as you think, especially if you upload to the Pirate Bay. Researchers have recently published a tool that lets you get all kinds of data, including location, about some of the most prolific accounts. Finding out the IPs of people who have downloaded is nothing particularly … Continued
By Eric Limer -
Tech News
New Villa Savoye Set Is a Beautiful Addition to the LEGO Architecture Line
LEGO has been pumping out a lot of wonderful architecture sets this year, and today they’re launching the brand new one, Villa Savoye. At 660 pieces and standing about 3.5 inches tall, it’s a lovely little recreation of the French villa designed by Le Corbusier which become one of the most influential buildings in France. … Continued
By Eric Limer