Gadget News
BitTorrent teases decentralized chat client in the wake of security breaches
Engadget - 1 Oct 2013 03:52
Today, BitTorrent announced it's building a private instant messaging client for our post-PRISM world. The firm told CNET that BitTorrent Chat should function like the company's other peer-to-peer services, using a form ...
This Tower Exists Solely for Dropping Things
Gizmodo - 1 Oct 2013 23:20
The 475-foot "drop tower" in Bremen, Germany, is not a rocket disguised as a building, but a giant hollow tube used for experimentally dropping things--letting go of objects, watching them plummet toward the ground, and ...
A computerized beer machine takes the legwork out of home-brewing
Ars Technica - 1 Oct 2013 23:08
A Kickstarter campaign seeks to automate the small-scale beer creation process.
FTC will not challenge Google's $1 billion Waze acquisition
Engadget - 1 Oct 2013 23:41
When Google acquired Waze back in June, the Federal Trade Commission decided to investigate the deal to see if it violated antitrust regulations, and today, it looks like Mountain View is in the clear. According to Bloom...
Any Animal That Touches This Lethal Lake Turns to Stone
Gizmodo - 1 Oct 2013 23:33
There's a deceptively still body of water in Tanzania with a deadly secret--it turns any animal it touches to stone. The rare phenomenon is caused by the chemical makeup of the lake, but the petrified creatures it leaves...
Jawbone's Mini Jambox now available for purchase with regular-sized dollars
Engadget - 1 Oct 2013 23:17
If you like your Bluetooth speakers nearly pocketable and can live without wall-shaking volume, the Jambox's diminutive offspring is now available for $180 at Jawbone.com. The aptly named Mini is available in nine colors...
The Best and Worst Things 4Chan Gave the World
Gizmodo - 1 Oct 2013 23:07
Incredible as it may seem, today 4chan turns a full 10 years old--hello tween years! But 4chan is, let's say, advanced for its age. And the precursor to pretty much the entire internet as you know it has given us a whole...
This Harmonica-Housed USB Drive Contains All of Bob Dylan's Albums
Gizmodo - 1 Oct 2013 23:00
Not that any of us needed proof that the times are a-changin', but grown-up hippies looking to grab this impressive omnipedia of Bob Dylan's music might be dismayed to discover that instead of vinyl, it comes packaged on...
PlayStation 3 update brings automatic downloads to all PSN users, more Vita sharing options
Engadget - 1 Oct 2013 22:44
Sony's next-generation console may be nearing its launch date in some parts of the world, but the Japanese company isn't forgetting about its aging PlayStation 3 just yet. With an update that's due to roll out in the nex...
A Crazy 3D-Printed Mouthpiece That Brushes Your Teeth For You
Gizmodo - 1 Oct 2013 22:40
We can always get behind a 3D-printed object that does something practical. So we're intrigued by the Blizzident 3D-printed toothbrush, because this insane thing basically does all the brushing for you.
6-Year-Old Twins Manage to Spend $1600 Playing iPad Game
Gizmodo - 1 Oct 2013 22:30
I don't know about you, but when I was a kid and I wanted a toy or a game, I had to get them the old fashioned way -- by pressing my nose against the window of F.A.O. Schwartz and breathing heavily onto the cold glass un...
Bungie to offer Destiny beta access as early pre-order perk
Engadget - 1 Oct 2013 22:21
We've all seen the demo, but none of us have actually played Destiny, Bungie and publisher Activision's forthcoming first-person-shooter / MMO-like effort. But starting today, Destiny's persistent open world will begin o...
This Lightning Dock Lets You Dial in a Perfect Fit For iPads in Cases
Gizmodo - 1 Oct 2013 22:20
Dropping an iPad onto a dock is not only an easy way to keep its battery charged, it also props it up so it's not laying sprawled across your desk wasting valuable real estate. And where as most docks can only accommodat...
Hip-Hop From the Future: Inside Deltron's First New Record Since 2000
Gizmodo - 1 Oct 2013 22:04
In May of 2000 three legends of hip-hop formed a supergroup and created something nobody saw coming: A futuristic, sci-fi rap album. Over the years, Deltron 3030 has developed an almost fanatical cult following. The long...
Scribd launches subscription e-book service for Android, iOS and web
Engadget - 1 Oct 2013 21:57
Many of us associate Scribd with embedded documents on websites, but the company has been quietly building an e-book platform -- first by selling content and later by soft-launching a subscription service. The company is...
KFC Spent Two Years Making a Take-Out Container That Fits Cupholders
Gizmodo - 1 Oct 2013 21:42
In an effort to bolster its standing amongst the fast food giants, KFC is introducing what is the easily one of the greatest innovations in take-out containers since the pizza box. The fried chicken chain's new snack-siz...
Libratone's $500 Loop speaker wraps AirPlay, PlayDirect and DLNA in wool
Engadget - 1 Oct 2013 21:36
Don't quite have the funds -- or room -- for the circular B&O Play A9 speaker ($2,700)? Libratone's new AirPlay and DLNA-equipped Loop might catch your eye. The $500 satellite dish-like rig packs two ribbon tweeters and ...
Why We Get Jet Lag (And How to Avoid It)
Gizmodo - 1 Oct 2013 21:30
It's four in the morning and you're stuck in your hotel room, bored out of your skull but wide awake. Thanks jet lag! That's the price you pay for changing so many time zones in a single airplane ride. Here's why it happ...
Paper now making Books in most obvious business move ever
Engadget - 1 Oct 2013 21:18
Paper making a Book? That would follow logic. But the Paper we're referring to here is actually an iPad sketchbook app and the book? Why, that'd be a product of Moleskine. An update released today to Paper's popular app ...
The UN Is Building an Emergency Back-Up Tower Next to Its Headquarters
Gizmodo - 1 Oct 2013 21:14
As the United Nations wrapped up its 68th General Assembly last week, a major piece of news nearly slipped under the radar: Designs for the UN Consolidation Tower, a 36-story building that will flank the headquarters lik...
TEPCO Just Spilled Tons of Radioactive Water into Fukushima's Soil
Gizmodo - 1 Oct 2013 20:59
The operator of Japan's infamously crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant recently attempted to move some radioactive water from one tank to another. In the process, it spilled four tons of deadly sludge.
Samsung reportedly boosting Galaxy Note 3 benchmark performance by 20 percent
Engadget - 1 Oct 2013 20:58
Samsung drew criticism for inflating the benchmark scores of Exynos devices earlier in the year, but the company appears undaunted; it's reportedly boosting test numbers for other hardware as well. Ars Technica has disco...