Gizmodo

This article was originally published on The Markup and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.Read more...

An official with U.S. Border Patrol sent out a tweet on Tuesday, claiming the agency had arrested ten “illegal aliens” in El Centro, California after some were allegedly caught with fake Social Security numbers. Strangely, the Border Patrol official said the suspects had claimed to be firefighters who were certified…Read more...

EarFun True Wireless Earbuds | $34 | Amazon | Use Code EFREE32OFF

Hadouken! Seiko and Capcom have teamed up to bring us an entire line-up of watches inspired by the beefy players in the Street Fighter saga. The watches, now available for pre-order in the U.S., feature color schemes and clever nods to the original video game characters. Not content to just show you these timepieces…Read more...

Facebook on Wednesday announced a crackdown on a range of extremist communities on its social networks, including the increasingly mainstream QAnon and not a moment too soon.

Zoom is one of those programs that none of us are particularly fond of, but that we’re all kind of stuck with—especially if you’re one of the students or teachers that’s going to be stuck in remote-learning hell this coming semester. Now it looks like the platform’s about to become even more inescapable: earlier…Read more...

On Wednesday, the Democrat-controlled U.S. House of Representatives released the legislation in response to controversial administrative changes at the U.S. Postal Service. As more Americans have become concerned that the changes at the USPS pose a threat to the presidential election in November, the House has…Read more...

Star Trek star Nichelle Nichols is one of the most influential sci-fi actors of the 20th century, but the actress who played Uhura remains the focus of a legal battle over her finances, career, and well-being—one which continues to escalate, as more members of her family have stepped in to help.

The new 27-inch iMac is a very good computer. That’s not surprising: Apple upgraded its newest machine to Intel’s 10th-gen CPUs, making it adept at handling processor-intensive creative tasks. It also has a truly beautiful screen, better than any I’ve ever used (more on that on a minute).Read more...

You could make the case that stemming misinformation on social media is about as feasible as beheading a hydra, even the people running said platforms were inclined towards monster-slaying (which many decidedly aren’t). A convincing conspiracy video can become national news within a matter of hours in the midst of a…Read more...

Tuesday night, former Vice President Joe Biden officially clinched the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. Big news, to be sure. But let’s be real, the biggest moment of Tuesday night’s Democratic National Convention was the delightful roll call vote that took us on a tour of 57 states and territories, including…Read more...

As you are no doubt aware, Movies Have (Basically) Stopped. Almost all the movies that used to be being made are no longer being made and those of us who depend on making fun of the summer’s crappy nerdy blockbusters for their livelihoods are in a pickle. How can I, as someone who has professionally hated things for …Read more...

On Friday and Saturday, hundreds of thousands of Californians had their power cut for a spurt in the evening. And more of this could be in store in the coming days as record breaking heat beats down on the state and wildfires burn out of control.Read more...

Carlie had just returned to Louisiana when she went to the movies with her girlfriend and had trouble sitting down comfortably. It was the spring of 2017 and about two weeks prior Carlie, a 34-year-old trans woman, had undergone a vaginoplasty: a surgery sometimes performed after injuries or post-cancer but most…Read more...

It’s faced a few delays, and, well, a global pandemic that could perhaps lay even an Amazon low. But at long last, Wonder Woman 1984 is ready to return Diana Prince to the DC Cinematic Universe spotlight. Her new adventure will not take her into the present but keep her in a somewhat recent past: one that will allow…Read more...

When TCL chose not to renew the license allowing it to make BlackBerry phones earlier this year, it seemed like a once-great smartphone brand might finally be put to rest. But now, a new company has pledged to take up the BlackBerry mantle with promises of releasing a new phone featuring a good ‘ol physical keyboard…Read more...

W-King Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker | $53 | Amazon | Promo Code WKINGD8BRead more...

When the Super Soaker was first released back in 1990, it sparked a huge controversy when miscreants reportedly started filling the large tanks with chemical irritants and shooting unsuspecting victims. Thirty years later, the Super Soaker is back in the news again for being dangerous, but this time it’s a result of…Read more...

Keyed locks are relatively easy to pick if you’ve spent enough time mastering the skill. But researchers at the National University of Singapore have just made it even easier. If you can use a smartphone to record a sound, you can capture all the information you need to create a working duplicate of a key.Read more...

If you haven’t already heard, California is on fire. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Tuesday for the disaster unfurling. The state is in the middle of a dramatic heat wave, which is fueling more than 30 wildfires burning across the state. The situation appears to be going from bad to worse.Read more...

With film and TV production struggling to limp along amid the covid-19 pandemic, people looking for new entertainment at home are having to do some deeper crate-digging. Now, Netflix is testing a feature that could help you out when things get really dire.

Since the Apple Watch Series 4, wearable makers have been scrambling to add electrocardiogram functions to their smartwatches. Now, leaked renders from WinFuture suggest that Fitbit is ready to introduce its own ECG-capable smartwatch, along with an updated Inspire 2 tracker and... unsurprisingly, a Versa 3.Read more...

Have we...considered the possibility...that there’s a chance...that...we are the real monsters?

On August 16, a car-sized asteroid came to within 1,830 miles (2,950 kilometers) of our planet, making it the closest known non-impacting asteroid on record.

For a company that started out making add-on lenses for smartphones, Moment has quickly grown into a purveyor of a wide range of camera and home office gear. But with Moment’s new line of Travelwear, Moment is taking a big step by going up against some of the biggest names in luggage.Read more...

If you recently bought Google’s flagship Pixel 4 or opted for the more value-oriented Pixel 4a, you should know that both handsets have a few tricks to show off. These are the features, tools, settings, and tips you need to know about if you want to get the most out of your Pixel 4 or Pixel 4a smartphone.

Keanu Reeves discusses what’s being done to keep cast and crew safe on the set of The Matrix 4. Patty Jenkins teases the long, tough road to designing Wonder Woman 1984's Cheetah. Jon Favreau doesn’t think Covid-19 will impact the production of The Mandalorian’s third season all that much. Plus, what’s to come on The…Read more...

Anker Soundcore Liberty Neo Headphones | $33 | Amazon

I’ve been searching for years for an Android smartwatch that I could confidently recommend as being as good as, if not better than, the Apple Watch. Well, the search is over. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 is that smartwatch.Read more...

President Donald Trump congratulated anti-Muslim hatemonger Laura Loomer over Twitter last night for winning the Republican primary in Florida’s 21st congressional district. Ironically, Loomer is banned from Twitter, but she likely heard about the tweet anyway, thanks to Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Republican who’s endorsed…Read more...

The murder-hornet-hunting heroes at the Washington State Department of Agriculture have successfully trapped a male specimen—the first of its kind found stateside.Read more...

Google Maps is getting a colorful new update in the coming weeks, adding terrain and street-level granularity to its UI that, after 15 years, was in desperate need of a makeover.Read more...

Baldur’s Gate 3 is coming to PC and Stadia via early access on September 30, 2020, Larian Studios revealed today during a live stream. This isn’t the first time a major game will be released on Stadia at the same time as another major platform, but Larian Studios’ enthusiasm for Stadia as a game development platform…Read more...

Democratic presidential ticket Joe Biden and Kamala Harris both came out against fossil fuel subsidies during their respective White House primary bids. But the party they now lead removed language doing the same at the last minute from its national platform.

Apple today announced it’s adding two new offerings to its global radio portfolio: a hits station and one for country music. Somewhat confusing for fans of its existing and immensely popular Beats 1, Apple also announced the station will be renamed Apple Music 1. As with its infuriatingly frustrating Apple TV and TV+…Read more...

Thank you, contemporary designers, for lifting our spirits with wearable bubbles, dining table sneeze guards, and hug tunnels during these trying times. No thank-you for these four pieces of lumber behind which we can contain our sadness and paper towel wads, aka, a minimal home office from Panasonic, available soon…Read more...

The strange configuration of material in the outer reaches of our solar system has led a team of scientists to speculate that the Sun had a companion during its early days. Intriguingly, this scenario could explain the presence of the hypothesized Planet Nine, should it actually exist.

Louis DeJoy was nothing but a private equity ghoul and fundraiser for President Trump before he became Postmaster General in May. In his short tenure, the constitutionally mandated U.S. Postal Service has begun to “overhaul” its operations in a way that has slowed service and caused it to warn most states it may not…Read more...

“Guess,” says my boyfriend, as he now does every morning, before turning on the coffee kettle. “Fifteen,” I reply without looking up from my laptop. “You owe me ten bucks,” he beams. “Way over fifty.” He means fruit flies, of course.

California’s rideshare behemoths Uber and Lyft are still grasping for ways to get around the state’s attempts to classify their drivers as full-time employees, and the long-play at this point very much appears to be a November ballot measure. But the two companies have reportedly explored alternative workarounds as…Read more...

Most of us might think of Facebook as the social network of choice for suburban moms and conspiracy theorists, but the company hasn’t been shy about branching out to become much more than an app on our phones, even if that’s the last thing we want. Here’s an example: earlier today, Facebook put out a company blog post…Read more...

In a future world, leafy vegetables may not be grown in rows of crops under the sun. Instead, they may be grown indoors beneath tinted semi-transparent solar panels that will allow farmers to grow food and produce energy. That’s the future imagined in a recent study that shows how the use of this technology can…Read more...

The iconic Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico was damaged last week when a large cable fell onto the radio telescope’s main reflector dish. We’re now learning more about this unfortunate incident, including how long it might take until the beleaguered observatory is back online.

In case your smartphone tracking your travels, web browsing, dating history, job changes, diet changes, shopping habits, and general content consumption wasn’t enough for you, there’s good news. Soon, the little snitch in all of our pockets might be able to tell us when we’re plastered just by measuring a few of our…Read more...

One of the biggest advantages iPhones have over their Android counterparts is the number of years Apple devices receive regular software updates. However, while it isn’t quite the five years of support iPhones typically enjoy, Samsung is now committing to supporting many of its recent Galaxy devices with at least…Read more...

In the hierarchy of the Avatar: The Last Airbender franchise, The Legend of Korra often gets slighted. But Korra is just as good, if not better than, The Last Airbender. Here are three reasons why our pal Max thinks the follow-up series deserves more credit.Read more...

An HP Envy Photo printer, a Fibit Inspire HR fitness tracker, a Razer gaming mouse and keyboard, an Outer Worlds price drop, a Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 air fryer, a Eufy Smart Lock Touch, a Bellesa Boutique 1-day sex supply sale, and a discount on Huckberry swimwear lead Tuesday’s best deals.Read more...

There are arguably two vital components to making a new Space Jam. One is that the almighty clash of animated Looney Tunes enmeshes with the real-world stuff as well as our brains remember the original doing. The other is the Tune Squad must be decked out in an iconic look, and Space Jam: A New Legacy is already…Read more...

Back in 2005, before the iPhone, Apple purportedly helped a U.S. Department of Energy contractor modify a 5th-generation iPod to secretly record and store data. The exact reason why remains a mystery, but an ex-Apple engineer involved in the project thinks it could have been a surreptitious Geiger counter.Read more...

I thought that I hated Mister Softee.Read more...