Gizmodo

Space is full of surprises, like this apparent star—which, given the tumultuous circumstances of its formation, shouldn’t really exist.

While millions of gamers are still struggling to find a retailer that have an Xbox Series X in stock, those who already have their hands on the device may have noticed that their controllers aren’t staying connected to their consoles. Microsoft is now acknowledging the problem and is promising to fix it.Read more...

As of January 4, 2021, Intel has started phasing out its 300-series chipsets. The company recently published a Product Change Notification detailing the end-of-life timeline for its chipsets that supports 8th and 9th generation Intel processors, and by the end of January 2022, the chipsets will be silicon history. The…Read more...

Despite America’s apathy for soccer, foosball remains a popular staple of pubs and college dorms across the country. But Hasbro thinks the game has the potential to supplant billiards, air hockey, and even beer pong as America’s most popular tabletop drunken pastimes by combining foosball with basketball to create a…Read more...

Yesterday, 250 Googlers announced that they’ve taken the plunge and formed a union, and, after a torrent of news coverage, they ended the day over 400-strong. The effort is unique in that it’s aimed at uniting all workers, from maintenance to full-time developers to perma-temps. In the tech industry, it’s undeniably a…Read more...

There’s a real simple formula for selling to kids: grab any toy imaginable, combine it with A-list dinosaurs, and you’ve got an instant hint. Nerf has finally done the math and thundering out this spring is its new DinoSquad line of dart and water blasters, which are just about the best honor an extinct species could…Read more...

The Pentagon has granted Lockheed Martin a $4.9 billion contract to build three missile-warning satellites for the U.S. Space Force. Parked in geosynchronous orbit, the next-generation satellites will warn of incoming threats from virtually anywhere in the world.

To kick off 2021, Dell just announced what it claims is the world’s first 40-inch curved 5K2K display, and judging by its specs, it might be the ideal high-end display for working from home (maybe make your office pay for it though).Read more...

It’s official. In the latest of the Trump administration’s last-minute assaults on regulatory policy, the Environmental Protection Agency on Monday evening finalized one of its most controversial rule changes, limiting what research it can consider in creating pollution standards.Read more...

Two researchers at Penn State have created a new system for five-axis additive 3D-printing that reduces the amount and density of support materials needed for making printed objects.Read more...

New York City police discovered suspicious-looking devices — very much intended to look explosive — on a stolen Tesla outside a Queens shopping mall early Monday morning. In addition to a gas cannister and wires, there was a husky calmly sitting in the car.Read more...

The Always Pan and a RAVPower MagSafe Charger for iPhone 12 lead Tuesday’s best deals.

This week, the UK’s Royal Mint announced five new commemorative coins honoring figures like the Queen(!) and Sir Walter Scott. It would’ve been a standard beginning of the new year for the mint, but this year’s edition of collectibles has proven to be controversial as the coin honoring H.G. Wells seems to lack a…Read more...

As someone who doesn’t pay any attention to Funko Pops, I’m always a little concerned by the staggering amount of products the company has. The seemingly infinite line of collectibles spans multiple decades of media, turning some of our favorite nerd properties into plastic figures with oversized heads. Anytime I…Read more...

The Food and Drug Administration appears to have rejected any alternative strategy for the distribution of covid-19 vaccines—for now, at least. In a statement released Monday evening, FDA chief Stephen Hahn called the possibility of any dosing or scheduling changes “premature” and not supported by the current…Read more...

How much is too much for an 8K TV?

Generally, you expect earbuds to go in your ear canal. Because, you know, that’s what earbuds do. But today, Bose is announcing its latest truly wireless earbuds—the Bose Sport Open Earbuds—and the company claims they don’t go in, over, or on your ears at all.Read more...

Face masks are an absolute necessity during the coronavirus pandemic. They help protect the wearer and, more importantly, the people around them. Yet, they also cover the majority of people’s faces, and it can be dull to wear a generic surgical mask or even the same cloth mask over and over again. Some people have…Read more...

Tiffany Haddish is boarding MGM’s adapatation of Landscape With Invisible Hand. Sarah Shahi is doing some very interesting DC Comics research. To the surprise of no-one, The Suicide Squad will be R-Rated. Plus, what’s to come on the Star Trek: Discovery season finale, and Netflix is already working on a We Can Be…Read more...

Does this diagram show the secret plans of Bill Gates and his minions to inject 5G chips into the bloodstreams of unsuspecting people who get the covid-19 vaccine? Not quite. But it can sure scoop the hell out of those mids.

The world’s grasslands are an essential carbon sink, and may even be more efficient at capturing atmospheric carbon than trees. But thanks to animal agriculture and fertilizer use, they’re now producing as much greenhouse gas pollution as they sequester, according to a new study published in Nature Communications on…Read more...

When it comes to the perfect accompaniment to 2021, there can be nothing better than the RoboTrombo, a project by iSax Laboratories whose primary goal was to create a MIDI-controlled brass instrument “that could play any song.”Read more...

Venmo just introduced a check-cashing feature to its popular mobile payment service, and in a magnanimous move, it’s also temporarily waiving the standard 1% fee for anyone cashing a covid stimulus check. TechCrunch reports Venmo’s new Cash a Check service is rolling out to select iOS and Android users as of this…Read more...

Over the course of 2020, a patchwork of circles were dug out from below the topsoil of Tye Green, Cressing in England. The circles—each a ring of polygonal depressions—were the footprints of large structures, all that remained of a settlement that began in the late Iron Age and lasted through the Roman conquest of…Read more...

When Fitness+ dropped a few weeks ago, we were pretty impressed by the launch, but the service isn’t perfect. One of our gripes was that you could only filter workouts by music, length, and trainer—those of us hoping to browse by goal (i.e., run a 5K, working your way to a pull-up, etc.) or intensity were out of luck.…Read more...

Hulu’s live TV offering is getting more than a dozen new channels through a multi-year deal with ViacomCBS.

Two new missions to explore the Sun and Earth’s auroras could vastly improve our understanding of the complex interactions responsible for potentially dangerous space weather.

One of the biggest issues with 5G is the impact it has on phone prices, often increasing the cost of current handsets by around $100 or more compared to standard 4G phones. But with the introduction of its new Snapdragon 480 chip, Qualcomm is looking to make 5G phones much more affordable.Read more...

Today, former Trump legal representative L. Lin Wood shared some supposedly earth-shattering information about a cabal of intelligence officers from “10 of the world’s most well-known & ‘elite’ agencies” [sic] whose alleged mission is to blackmail powerful people by forcing them to have sex with children at gunpoint.…Read more...

Not content to keep things simple or easy, SpaceX plans to catch its upcoming Super Heavy booster rockets at the launch tower, allowing for subsequent relaunches a mere one hour later.Read more...

Adobe Flash, the multimedia software platform that powered so many pre-YouTube animated videos like Homestar Runner, is officially ancient technology. As of December 31, 2020, Adobe stopped supporting the software, and now Microsoft is telling every Windows 10 user it’s time to ditch it if they haven’t already.

The U.S. federal government is scrambling to increase the limited supply of covid-19 vaccines. A new proposal suggests doling out half-doses of the Moderna vaccine to some people, but it’s not yet clear whether Moderna or health agencies like the Food and Drug Administration would be on board for the idea, nor whether…Read more...

Verizon customers can snag up to 12 months of the brand new Discovery+ streaming service for free. Here’s how to get it.

After weeks of rumors, Samsung has finally announced its next Galaxy Unpacked Event scheduled for January 14, and it couldn’t have come at a better time because recently a number of new leaks have spilled the beans on what we’re expecting to see at Samsung’s next big product showcase.Read more...

Thanks to global warming, climate disasters are set to impact pretty much every corner of the world, but of course, some places are getting hit first and worst. A new federal report shows which parts of the U.S. are most in danger.Read more...

Was there ever a time that we were able to communicate without emojis? It’s difficult to remember, but these little icons are now an essential part of our digital communications, and if the thousands of currently available options aren’t enough for you, then you can create your own—and we’re going to show you how to…Read more...

Assuming everyone was getting tired of spending every waking hour playing video games while socially distancing at home, Nintendo released two IRL video game experiences last year that, it turns out, can be unofficially combined to create an even better real-life Mario experience.Read more...

The third season of Cobra Kai has now been out four days. How many times have you watched the whole thing? Six? Seven? We’re kidding of course but you’d better have finished it if you want to read what’s below. io9 did a Zoom chat with creators and executive producers of the Karate Kid show, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden…Read more...

Quibi’s spectacular flameout in 2020 drags on into the new year. After raising a $1.75 billion war chest to launch the next big thing in on-the-go video, the streaming network only managed to keep the lights on for six months. Now the video vultures are circling over Quibi’s substantial catalog of content, and Roku is…Read more...

Mpow Flame Wireless Earbuds | $28 | Amazon

Having to feed a machine an unending supply of quarters to enjoy your favorite video game was just one of many reasons arcades died off. But if there was one reason to actually miss arcade machines it was those fantastic buttons and joysticks that never felt as satisfying to play with once they were miniaturized to…Read more...

Another gaming favourite could be coming to the Mortal Kombat movie. Even more Eternals merch leaks give us our best look yet at Ikaris. Get an up close look at Singular Point’s chonky new Godzilla. Plus, what’s to come in the Star Trek: Discovery season finale. To me, my spoilers!

Earlier this year, a research team made waves by suggesting that we should disseminate Earth’s microbes on Mars in a preemptive effort to foster a climate hospitable to human life. To the “anti-contamination” school of celestial thought, this was heresy; to the most others, this was an obscure theoretical squabble…Read more...

Aukey 9-in-2 USB-C Hub | $43 | Amazon | Use Code 4OANDQGVRead more...

Workers at Google announced on Monday that they’ve formed a union open to all employees of Alphabet, according to a press release published online. Dubbed the Alphabet Workers Union, the initiative was launched with the help of the Communications Workers of America. Members of the new union will also belong to CWA…Read more...

A judge in the UK ruled on Monday that Wikileaks cofounder Julian Assange should not be extradited to the U.S. to face computer hacking and espionage charges brought by President Donald Trump’s Justice Department, according to a ruling posted online and statements made in court. The judge cited Assange’s depressive…Read more...

Facebook’s cross-platform chat app WhatsApp saw a record number of users on New Year’s Eve as some people smartly opted to celebrate the end of 2020 virtually this year. Because even if that cursed year from Hades is finally behind us, the covid-19 pandemic is definitely not.

Apple appears to be moving along in its development of a foldable iPhone, according to new rumors. The company has apparently asked its Foxconn, its biggest iPhone supplier, to create two prototype foldable shells with displays.Read more...

Supply issues have hamstrung the rollout of the latest generation of video game consoles. Even now, nearly two months after the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S released, Microsoft is still scrambling to meet demand and has reportedly reached out to chipmaker AMD to fast-track production on its end.Read more...

I know, I know: the film’s got a star, a director, a picture of the star in costume, the whole shebang. But I still can’t quite believe that, after years of development hell, the Uncharted movie is actually happening.Read more...