SAN FRANCISCO, 11:36 PM, SUN JUL 6 | 11 POSTS IN THE LAST 24 HOURS | tips@io9.com | RSS
Posts Tagged “

Gizmodo

”
mega crotches

Whose Crotch Weapon is the Biggest, Hardest, and Strongest?

Crotch weapons are the stuff of life in science fiction: You simply can't have a great fight without snapping a giant gun between your legs once in a while, or using your crotch as a finishing weapon in a ninja battle. The question is, which crotch weapon is the best? Which fires the most flaming jizz, and which can crush the most heads? Also, which crotch weapon has the element of surprise? And, for you trivia buffs, whose crotch weapon actually resides in the ass area rather than the frontal zones? Read on for the eight best crotch weapons in science fiction, and (of course) to find out which one wins the crotch weapon measuring contest. More »

2:04 PM on Fri May 9 2008
By Annalee Newitz
20,296 views, 54 comments

Latest by n/a: There was that chick in the bar scene of "Priscilla,Queen Of The Desert" who shot the ping-pong balls out of her hoohoo. Officially renaming this site 'Jizzmodo'! more »

retro futurism

A Laptop From 1893

The next time you're feeling all smug and twenty-first century commuting into the office while using your laptop to catch up on emails or prep for a presentation, consider the following. Back in 1893, a publication called The Manufacturer and Builder hyped a new portable typewriter that could "readily be used on the lap, on the desk, on the train—in short, anywhere"—and showed a forward-thinking commuter doing just that. Click through for a closer look at the world's first laptop. More »

1:20 PM on Mon Apr 14 2008
By Lynn Peril
28,996 views, 17 comments

Latest by n/a: Actually I can top that. in the story Other Worlds by Cyrano de Bergerac in about 1650 there is this description: When I opened a box, I found inside something made of metal, somewhat like our clocks, full of an endless more »

jury-rigging

Greatest MacGyvers of Science Fiction

The greatest science fiction heroes are resourceful, building high-tech devices out of whatever crap they find laying around. In the right hands, a paperclip and some bubblegum can become an interstellar wave modulator. The more ridiculous those moments of gadget improvisation are, the more they make you feel as if you could create your own otherworldly tech and access other planets using the materials you already have — if you only knew how. Click through for our roundup of the greatest MacGyvers of sci-fi. More »

1:07 PM on Fri Apr 4 2008
By Charlie Jane Anders
19,257 views, 73 comments

Latest by Sanfam: [the rock monster chases Nesmith] Alexander Dane: You're just going to have to kill it. Jason Nesmith: Kill it? Well, I'm open to any suggestions. Tommy Webber: Go for the eyes, like in episode 22! Jason Nesmith: He doesn't have any eyes, Tommy! Tommy Webber: more »

scifi machines

Eight of the Oddest Inspirations for the Coolest Science Fiction Machines

Some of the most awesome science fiction machines ever conceived for film, like the turbo-tank AT-ATs from Empire Strikes Back, were inspired by things the concept designers saw every day. You may already know that George Lucas was allegedly inspired to create the AT-ATs by these cargo lifters at the Port of Oakland — but did you know the T-1000 "liquid metal" Terminator was inspired by chocolate fudge? Find out which strangely ordinary items inspired eight of the coolest science fiction machines, and be humbled. More »

Feature

12:41 PM on Thu Mar 13 2008
By Annalee Newitz
66,222 views, 65 comments

Latest by n/a: The best ones that show actual resemblances to me are deifinitely the At Tanks from Empire Strikes back and the Sundae which does indeed look like the bad guy! It's amazing how people get their inspiration from the weirdest places more »

neuroarm

A Robot That Does Brain Surgery Guided by MRI

Most precision brain surgery is done with robotic assistance, but there's one place robots can't go: inside MRI brain scanners. Enter the neuroArm, a robot specially designed to work inside the powerful magnet of an MRI — and guided by the detailed images the MRI creates. Developed by surgeons and robotics experts at University of Calgary, the neuroArm combines the best of telepresence surgery with the best imaging technology. But how do you create a sophisticated robot, with delicate actuators, that can withstand being destroyed by a giant magnet? We've got the answer, and cool videos of the arm in action, below. More »

7:00 AM on Wed Feb 27 2008
By Annalee Newitz
3,236 views, 16 comments

Latest by n/a: @Klebert L. Hall: The surgeon makes the surgical diagnosis, WHAT KIND of treatment a patient needs, puts together the operative strategy, optimizes the patient's other variables and comorbidities prior to surgery, then manages the patient in the surgical ICU post op. more »

triviagasm

Now You're Cooking With Tachyons: The Best Scifi Kitchen Gadgets

According to 1950s newsreels, the wonders of our age are supposed to include a dream kitchen that uses ultrasonic waves to clean our plates, automatically cooks our food for us and does all the shopping. But so far, all the best kitchen toys are still in science fiction. Check out our roundup of gadgets from the kitchens of the future that we want to see in our homes today. More »

12:55 PM on Wed Feb 13 2008
By Kevin Kelly
11,331 views, 33 comments

mega environmentalism

Giant Machines That Eat Garbage (and the People Who Feed Them)

Garbage disposal factories are the unsung heroes of the giant machine world. With everybody excited about Pixar's upcoming garbage robot flick Wall-E, it's time to meet some real-life garbage machines. Some are glistening high tech towers, like this waste disposal/power plant in Vienna. Others are surprisingly low-tech. Check out our gallery of fantastic and grossomatic waste disposal factories — and the workers who tend them — from around the world. More »

2:00 PM on Fri Feb 8 2008
By Annalee Newitz
7,324 views, 19 comments

Latest by n/a: @Annalee Newitz: Sorry, Ms. Editor, I guess you shouldn't be expected to edit cutlines. more »

high tech lairs

Top Five High-Tech Lairs of Evil Masterminds (OK, a Few Good Masterminds Too)

If you're an evil genius or a superhero with things to hide, then you've probably thought about investing some serious dough in a secret lair. But with real estate prices being what they are these days, and the pesky need to kill the architects for hidden bases after they finish, you might want to get one of these classic lairs. Either that, or copycat away and make yours bigger and better. Check out the top five secret lairs in this edition of "evil mastermind cribs." More »

11:10 AM on Fri Feb 1 2008
By Kevin Kelly
23,994 views, 58 comments

Latest by blurey: the "evil lair" in forbidden planet? that was V bahaus!-blurey more »

architecture

St. Petersburg Starts Process of Becoming a Domed City

It's not quite a glass-domed city yet, but St. Petersberg has taken the first steps towards that goal. British architecture firm Wilkinson Eyre, best known for the design of the Gateshead Millenium Bridge in Newcastle, unveiled a bold new plan to revamp the old market of St. Petersburg, Russia by putting it entirely under glass. Over the next few years they'll be putting a giant sheet of reinforced glass over Aprasin Dvor, a shopping district. A matching glass bridge will span the river. We've got some interesting facts about the project. More »

4:30 PM on Wed Jan 30 2008
By LISA KATAYAMA
37,859 views, 23 comments

Latest by n/a: But it'll just get covered in smog and pollution. Russia's not exactly a clean place. more »

nanotech

NASA Wants To Slice Your Brain With Nanoknife

Carbon nano-tubes aren't just gorgeous, they might also save your brain one day. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is teaming up with a cancer center, City Of Hope, to develop a new minimally invasive type of brain surgery using carbon nanotubes. Researchers hope that these sharp-tipped tubes, 50,000 times narrower than a human hair, can deliver cancer-fighting agents directly to the brain. Tests in mice found the nanotubes were non-toxic and could deliver actual genetic information to the brain. Here's an image of the first "nanoknife," developed by NIST and University of Colorado in 2006. [ScienceDaily]

2:30 PM on Thu Jan 24 2008
By charliejane
2,864 views, 9 comments

Latest by n/a: Love to see the case for these. "Hey I've got the nano kniv-oh shit I just inhaled them." more »

mad science

Mechanical Nose Uses Human DNA to Smell

This handheld device, which looks sort of like an old-fashioned iron, is one of the most sophisticated artificial noses ever created. It's used in industrial settings where you need to "smell" chemical leaks or toxins to know when they've happened. The best part? This nose, called the ScenTrak, uses a smear of specially-treated human DNA to sense multiple odors. Once the DNA slide is exposed to the air, the machine looks at how the molecules have changed and can determine what the nose has been smelling. We've got images of the DNA slides and a cool patent diagram below. More »

12:30 PM on Wed Jan 23 2008
By Annalee Newitz
3,277 views, 22 comments

Latest by gadgetfanatic: @DucatiGuy:As an owner of 2 dogs, I'd have to disagree with you, Dog farts are by far the rottenest smelling domestic animal fart ever. more »

star trek

First Look At New Enterprise

Just a day before the teaser trailer starts showing, the first image of the new Starship Enterprise from J.J. Abrams' upcoming Star Trek movie finally went online, at Moviefone. (Thanks, Falconfire!) Click through for the full image. More »

11:47 AM on Thu Jan 17 2008
By charliejane
30,466 views, 69 comments

triviagasm

A Brief History of Reality Distortion Fields, Starring Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs is the first non-science fiction character to possess a reality distortion field (RDF). Apple's MacWorld 2008 conference kicks off tomorrow with a keynote from Jobs, which leaves gadget lovers and iPod fiends white-knuckled on Tuesday morning as news of the next "insanely great" thing trickles out of Moscone Center in San Francisco. Why does this speech cause such furor (and fury) every year? RDF, of course. We've got the scoop on how Jobs came to posses the RDF, and we've got four other famous RDFs from science fiction for you to contemplate as you await the mind-control ray that will emanate from MacWorld tomorrow. More »

11:00 AM on Mon Jan 14 2008
By Kevin Kelly
10,828 views, 19 comments

Latest by n/a: I think the SEP field generator (somebody else's problem) is more commonly in use, by several multinational corp directors and a good few politicians at least... but its kinda hard to tell of course more »

medical imaging

This Is What Game Consoles Really Do To Your Brain

Video game tech could literally save your brain. Currently, when your neurologist needs to make a snap judgment about brain surgery, a 3-D brain image like the one above might not be ready for hours — far too long in an emergency. But now the Mayo Clinic is teaming up with IBM to develop ways to create a 3-D image from an MRI or CT scan in minutes, thanks to microprocessor architecture developed for the Sony PlayStation 3, which amps those scans up like Sonic the Hedgehog. Brain image from Harvard. [Computerworld]

9:20 AM on Thu Jan 10 2008
By charliejane
15,516 views, 23 comments

Latest by cabowah: Does anyone know, if one can use the ps3 as render box for maxwell render [www.maxwellrender.com] it could be sweet since it literally can take days to render a high definition picture... Even with a descent computer as the Mbp. more »

nanotech

Nanotubes Make Synthetic Skin Feel Your Pain

Carbon nanotubes can conduct sensations through artificial skin back to the brain, making prosthetic limbs feel like the real thing. A nanotube like this one, delicately balanced on top of gold filaments, is threaded through a rubbery polymer. This nanotube-infused polymer generates electricity in response to pressure or force, creating signals that can be routed to your brain. That's why this synthetic skin can "feel." Researchers want to build a prosthetic limb out of this stuff by 2010. Click through for more images of carbon nanotubes, the artificial nervous systems of tomorrow. More »

12:00 PM on Tue Jan 8 2008
By charliejane
44,346 views, 16 comments

Latest by Freddie Freelance: @ LIZHENRY: Since nanotubes can be configured to work as P-N Diodes you could make clothing that collects light energy to power itself or your artificial limb(s); or can act as nano-sized LED Chromatophores, meaning you could change the color more »

iron man robo-armor

Shiny, Scary Iron Man Suit at CES

Our fannish friends at the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas (hi, Noah!) snapped us some photos of the new Iron Man suit, which got paraded on stage by LG (who have a phone in the movie). This is the Mark-1 suit that Iron Man hacks together in prison. The Iron Man movie will be out May 2. Take a look at the suit in its full glory, plus awesome closeups of its actuators, in a gallery below the fold! Images by Curtis Joe Walker. More »

2:20 PM on Mon Jan 7 2008
By Annalee Newitz
22,115 views, 28 comments

Latest by scotth0: Just watched it in high def finally. One of the best trailers in a long time for sure... more »

triviagasm

A Peepshow of the Best Futuristic Vision Systems

Science fiction is terrific at helping you imagine how you'd enhance, hack, and upgrade your own body — especially your eyeballs. Humans have been trying to improve on the sense of sight since 1300, when spectacles were invented. What comes next? Take a look at our list of some of the vision enhancement tools that science fiction has offered up. It goes way beyond seeing more clearly or getting a glimpse of the infrared side of the spectrum. More »

11:00 AM on Fri Jan 4 2008
By Kevin Kelly
13,281 views, 25 comments

Latest by superbryant: all i can say is I was promised x-ray vision many times......WHERE IS IT!!!!!! I bet the Chinese have it lol :] more »

neuroscience

Fully-Functioning Synaesthesia Machine

You've probably heard about synaesthesia, the glamorous neurological condition in which people's senses get swapped so that they smell colors and feel words. Now a group of roboticists and bioengineers have got a working prototype of a little machine that gives you the synaesthetic ability to feel things you see. This tiny device attaches to your fingertip, using a camera to translate visual images into feelings by activating a little vibrator attached to the sensitive nerves in your finger. So you wave your hands around and "feel" objects across the street. More »

2:40 PM on Thu Jan 3 2008
By Annalee Newitz
21,237 views, 35 comments

Latest by Ghede: I must have this. I will wear one on all fingers, close my eyes and walk down the street, looking like I'm dangling twin marionettes from my fingers. more »

next »