- io9
Andy Serkis Thinks Performance Capture Will Just Be How All Actors Work in 100 Years
The man who’s played Gollum, King Kong, and Supreme Leader Snoke is undoubtedly the best performance capture artist in the world. A new video from the Academy Awards features Andy Serkis talking about how his craft has changed over the last decade. In the video above, Serkis explains how, out of necessity, his early work … Continued
- ScienceAnimals
Extinct Giant Panda Lineage Discovered Thanks to DNA From 22,000-Year-Old Skull
DNA from a 22,000-year-old fossilized panda skull suggests an entirely separate lineage of giant pandas once roamed the area that is now southern China. A cave explorer found the skull in Guangxi, a Chinese province that borders Vietnam. No giant pandas live there today—the giant panda population, which numbers fewer than 2,500, is confined to … Continued
- ReviewsHome EntertainmentSoundbars
Don’t Expect Miracles From a Cheap Soundbar
Cheap soundbars are a lot like cheap headphones. Many of them will do the job. Few of them will do it well. The new TV Mate by Samsung fits firmly in the first category. It will indeed make the audio on your TV louder and better. It will not, however, trick your friends into think … Continued
- io9
Westworld Approaches Its Endgame With Death, Tragedy, and a Few Major Revelations
If you watch Westworld for the shocks, last night’s installment couldn’t have disappointed you. And, while it didn’t reach the heights of last week’s phenomenal episode, which told an epic love story that had been lying in the margins of the main narrative, “Vanishing Point” told a story of self-obsession and lovelessness instead. It’s time … Continued
By Rob Bricken - Tech News
Facebook Will Stop Showing Ads for Gun Accessories to Kids
As of now, Facebook users under the age of 18 can be served advertisements for firearm holsters, flashlight-mounts, and silencers, and other gun accessories. But a new policy is supposed to but an end to that starting June 21. Facebook announced the new policy on Friday, explaining that this decision came during a regular reassessment … Continued
- Tech NewsApple
iOS 12 to Feature Automatic Location Sharing for 911 Calls
After pissing off law enforcement with its announcement that iOS 12 will include a tool intended to circumvent cracking of iPhone encryption, Apple has a new feature that police will probably like: Automatic transmission of location data when a user calls 911. The transition from landlines to smartphones has meant that many more people have … Continued
By Rhett Jones - How To
How to Transfer Data Between Two Computers Without Losing Anything
If you’ve treated yourself to a shiny new computer then the excitement might be tempered somewhat by the thought of having to shift all your files and programs over to the new machine. With the right tools and know-how though, this doesn’t have to be a chore—here’s how to get it done quickly. Know what … Continued
By David Nield - io9
New Set Footage From Wonder Woman 2, and More
Could The Walking Dead be flashing back to some familiar departed faces? Patrick Wilson sets the tone for his Aquaman villain. Samuel L. Jackson is already hyping up Captain Marvel’s role in Avengers 4. The CW’s DC universe is getting some cast shuffling. Plus, what’s to come on the season finale of Westworld. Spoilers, away! … Continued
- Tech NewsGiz Asks
Are Superhero Capes Aerodynamic?
Not all superheroes wear capes, but many do, and it’s a long-established fact that these capes are crucial when it comes to flying around town to fight crime and brood and whatnot. And yet the people still don’t know, with anything approaching certainty, how exactly capes facilitate this process (at least, the capes that aren’t … Continued
- Tech NewsBest of the Week
Working for Amazon, a Net Neutrality Mess, and ‘Unlimited’ Plans: Best Gizmodo Stories of the Week
Amazon is one of the biggest companies in the world, is owned by the richest human on earth, and is creating tons of jobs with every new Fulfillment Center that it opens. But as we found out this week, the company’s brutally efficient supply chain often puts warehouse workers in a tough spot, pushing them … Continued
By AJ Dellinger - Tech News
Silicon Valley Invents Shoes
Silicon Valley firms crunched their hardest in 2017 to rebrand ordinary merchandise long produced by other industries as uniquely innovative product lines. Some of them were pretty obnoxious, like Lyft’s totally-not-just-a-bus shuttle service, or WeLive’s attempt to market living in communal housing as a lived experience, or the company selling a “private pop-up space” that … Continued
By Tom McKay - Tech NewsGoogle
Google Translate Can’t Provide Consent for a Police Search, Judge Rules
Google Translate is a useful tool for some quick and easy translations, but a federal judge in Kansas ruled this week that the machine translation service isn’t good enough to allow a person to consent to a police search. Omar Cruz-Zamora, a Mexican native in the US on a legal visa, had his vehicle searched … Continued
By AJ Dellinger - io9
People are Asking AT&T Customer Service to Release the Snyder Cut of Justice League
This is what you might call corporate miscommunication. Some context: as of yesterday, AT&T has wrapped up its massive purchase of Time Warner, a move that give sit control of Warner Bros., CNN, and HBO, among others. This means that the entire DC Extended Universe on film, including Justice League, is now ultimately the property … Continued
By Julie Muncy - Tech NewsNews
A Paper Straw Factory Is Opening Up in Britain Before a Planned UK Single-Use Plastics Ban
The first paper straw factory in the “last several decades” in Britain is planning to launch in Wales as fast-food chains prepare for a planned ban on single-use plastic products throughout the UK, the Guardian reported, with some chains already preparing their own plans to phase out plastic in favor of paper. The plant, run … Continued
By Tom McKay - io9
PSA: Some Scenes in Incredibles 2 Might Be a Problem If You’re Epileptic
When Incredibles 2 showed up at theaters this week, it appeared without one potentially very important detail: an epilepsy warning. Over the past few days, reports have been mounting that certain scenes in the film could trigger seizures in members of the viewing population who are sensitive to strobing, flashing lights due to epilepsy and … Continued
By Julie Muncy - Tech NewsAmazon
Oh Cool, Amazon Is Peddling Conspiracy Theories Now
Amazon Prime Video, the streaming service you turn to when Netflix doesn’t have what you’re looking for, is best known for shows like Transparent, The Man In the High Castle, and *checks notes* films claiming the government is run by human-reptile hybrids. The Telegraph reported that Amazon’s video streaming service has started promoting content from … Continued
By AJ Dellinger - Tech NewsNews
Word Salad President Demands ‘Really Long Strike’ Against Jeff Bezos
In between bragging, retweeting himself, and managing to repeat the phrase “Russian Collusion” four times in one tweet, Donald Trump found the time on Sunday to rev back up his ongoing feud with billionaire Jeff Bezos, who controls two companies the president hates: Amazon and the Washington Post. Though the president seemed a little unclear … Continued
By Tom McKay - io9
Rick and Morty Has Trading Cards Now, for Some Reason
I feel like I understand most merchandising decisions. This one is a little lost on me. As reported by Comicbook.com, Cryptozoic is debuting a series of Rick and Morty trading cards, including characters, moments, and apparently even gags from the series. The trading card packs also come with temporary tattoos, standees, stickers, and scratch-and-sniff things, … Continued
By Julie Muncy - Tech NewsNews
FTC Puts Tech Support Scammer Who Stole Millions from Consumers Out of Business
The Federal Trade Commission reached a settlement this week with a notorious scammer who worked with telemarketers to pose as large technology firms and offer fake tech support services to the elderly. Parmjit Singh Brar—the operator of Genius Technologies, LLC and Avangatee Services, LLC—agreed to a $7.5 million fine, though he will only pay $136,000 … Continued
By AJ Dellinger - io9
Report: There May Be as Many as Nine Star Wars Movies in Development
According to one actor involved in the Star Wars franchise, there is a lot going on. That actor is Tom Kane, a voice actor who has held several roles in the franchise (he was Ackbar’s voice in The Last Jedi), and who is especially known for being the guy they call to voice Yoda when … Continued
By Julie Muncy