Hasta La Gadget!

Companies like Apple tend to shut down the companies and services that they acquire and fold it into their own products and services. They did this with Workflow, Beats Music, and Texture, just to name a few. Facebook on the other hand seems to be more than happy to let their acquisitions continue operating as it is.

However it seems there is a chance that could change because in a report from the New York Times, it appears that Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg is looking to unify its services. No, it does not mean that Facebook’s services will all be merged into one, but rather the infrastructure will be unified so that they share underlying principles across the various apps like Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger.

One of the things that Zuckerberg is hoping to see is the inclusion of end-to-end encryption across the board. It is unclear what the goal is by unifying the infrastructure, but it has been speculated that it could potentially be to help make these services tied to Facebook even further so that it’s harder for users to quit its platform.

A good example would be WhatsApp, which for the most part has allowed users to use the app/service without necessarily being linked to Facebook. Facebook reportedly plans to complete this by the end of the year or early 2020.

Facebook Wants To Unify Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

Are you a DOOM fan? Of course, you are. Do you own a Roomba? Of course, you do. Now you can combine two of your favorite things into one new cool thing. DOOMBA is a script written by programmer and designer Rich Whitehouse for his 3D model and animation conversion program Noesis that allows you to create playable Doom maps from the data collected by your Roomba. How cool is that?

Now your little robot vacuum cleaner is helping you in a whole new way.  Now we just need to be able to put our Roomba in the actual map that it generates so that it can play a fun game of DOOM while we watch.

I’m eagerly awaiting that Black Mirror episode. Mostly because I can’t wait to see a gun-toting Roomba going crazy on some demons. Actually, I’d like to see that turned into a product. A robot that cleans my floor and secures my home? Hell yeah! Now that’s a DOOMBA. It would be the best security guard ever.

You can read more about the process and download the program from Rich’s website HERE if you’re interested in trying DOOMBA out for yourself.

[ via Polygon via Geekologie]

If the redesigned iPad Pro gave you hope that Apple would deliver a similar overhaul for lower-cost iPads, you might want to temper your expectations. Code sleuther Steve Troughton-Smith has discovered that the iOS 12.2 beta references four new iPad…

I’ve tried playing the guitar on a few occasions in my life, but I always got frustrated with proper fret placement that I like to blame on my fat fingers rather than my lack of coordination. So when I saw these miniature guitar models from Japan, I realized that things could be a whole lot worse for me.

These 10 inch-tall Guitar Legend models from Media Factory are incredibly detailed 1/8th scale versions of authentic electric and bass guitars, from brands including Fender, Gretsch, Ovation and Zemaitis.

Each one is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, but no detail has been left out – other than the ability to actually play them. Depending on the model, they include accessories such as tiny guitar stands and cases as well.

They’re available from Amazon Japan or Media Factory for ¥1,764 (~$17 USD) each, but the guys at White Rabbit Express can import them to other countries for you if you’re interested.

The Chicago Auto Show isn’t until next month, but Toyota is making an early announcement for a special edition of one of the world’s most iconic SUVs: the Land Cruiser. Later this year, the carmaker will be releasing the 2020 Land Cruiser Heritage Edition, limited to just 1,200 units, to celebrate over six decades of production. Most of the details … Continue reading