The FTC just announced a settlement with Google, which the commission had been investigating for illegal, anti-competitive behavior. And it’s mostly good news for everyone except Google: less patent warfare, less search engine bullying. More »
Scientists have discovered that an orange or creme-colored cup definitely makes chocolate taste better, while a white or red cup will not enhance the flavor. The discovery demonstrates once again that our taste buds are definitely influenced by the colors our eyes perceive. More »
NASA Wants to Give Our Moon a Moon
Posted in: Today's Chili NASA must think our moon is getting lonely, because it’s mulling the idea of capturing an asteroid and placing it in lunar orbit, so it has a rocky satellite all of its own. More »
The full-frame sensor, usually reserved for only top-of-the-line DSLR cameras, represents the finest standard of DSLR picture-grabbin.’ It doesn’t come cheap. Canon fit a full-frame sensor into its new 6D—and offered camera buyers a pro-level detail at a surprisingly low price. Does it make the 6D worth buying? More »
The platonic ideal of television’s future is a la carte consumption: the ability to pay only for the channels you want. It’s a dream that everyone from Apple to Intel has reportedly pursued, and one that every half-sentient cable customer desires. But maybe the question isn’t can—or will—this happen some day. What we should really be asking is: when it does happen, what will it cost us? More »
It’s Time For the US to Go Metric
Posted in: Today's Chili The US has a love affair with imperial units: height in inches, milk in quarts, weight in pounds. You name it, and it’s measured in imperial. The only problem? Imperial is dumb. So let’s cast of those shackles and join the rest of the world by embracing units that make sense. Let’s go metric, once and for all. More »
OK, 2012 wasn’t the greatest year for tech, but it wasn’t a total bust either. Wade through the glut of comically oversized phones, tiny tablets and fruit company refreshes, and you’re bound to come across a few shiny needles in that crummy haystack. Here, in no particular order, are the 10 most important gadgets of the year. More »
We learned a lot this year—and we shared a lot of it with you. Here’s the complete collection of everything we explained, defined, spelled out and broke down in 2012. More »
Cameras in cell phones have come a mighty long way in the past few years, from the pixelated shit-vision of yore to the current breed that have replaced most of our compact digicams. But the sense of wonder is fading, and we need some new features. Who’s gonna step up? More »
Every occasion is a good occasion for fireworks—The 4th of July, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, Guy Fawkes Day, Chinese New Year, your birthday, your anniversary, a home run, a touchdown, graduation, Tuesday… Unfortunately, such an abundance of occasions also resulted in more than 8,000 fireworks-related injuries in 2011. Four of them fatal. Here’s how to properly handle your celebratory explosives without hosting the after party in the ER. More »