All articles tagged with #gizmodo
io9 is live-blogging San Diego Comic-Con 2026 with panel highlights (Avatar, Star Trek, Marvel, Gundam), fresh trailers, and on-site activations like Lanterns Training Headquarters and a Snoopy/Peanuts pop-up, promising continuous updates through July 26.
G/O Media has sold tech news website Gizmodo to European digital media company Keleops Media. The sale includes keeping Gizmodo's entire staff intact and represents a substantial premium from G/O Media's original purchase price. This move is part of G/O Media's ongoing divestment of former Gawker Media properties, which has included the sale of other sites like Deadspin, Jezebel, and The Onion. Keleops Media aims to strengthen its presence in the tech media industry with this acquisition.
G/O Media has sold the tech website Gizmodo to European media company Keleops Media. The financial details were not disclosed, but the sale was described as a substantial premium. Keleops Media will retain all Gizmodo staff, who will continue working from G/O Media's New York office for the near term. This sale follows G/O Media's recent divestments of other former Gawker Media sites.
Former Gizmodo writer Tom McKay changed his name to "Slackbot" and pretended to be the friendly robot on Slack after leaving the company, going undetected by management for months. By using a profile picture resembling an angrier version of Slackbot's icon and a name with a special character resembling the letter "o," McKay's active account evaded deletion and allowed him to send bot-like messages to colleagues. While some companies have security measures in place to prevent this kind of trick, Gizmodo's management either thought McKay's account had been deleted or simply didn't notice the duplicate Slackbot with a suspicious pair of brows.
Gizmodo Monday Puzzle is back with a Halloween-themed challenge. In Puzzle #17, you are in charge of a stronghold during a zombie apocalypse and need to identify a poisoned barrel of water among 1,000 barrels. The poisoned water is indistinguishable from the rest, but drinking it will cause death at midnight. The question is, what is the fewest number of zombies you'll need to capture and poison to find the bad barrel by tomorrow? A bonus puzzle, Puzzle #17b, presents a similar scenario with 2,000 barrels and two days to run tests. The focus is not on the number of zombies needed, but rather how to use them effectively. The solutions will be provided in the next puzzle update.
Gizmodo editor-in-chief Daniel Ackerman has filed a lawsuit against Apple, the Tetris Company, and others involved in the production of the 2023 Apple TV Plus film Tetris, claiming that it plagiarizes his 2016 book The Tetris Effect. Ackerman alleges that the film copied the same feel, tone, approach, and scenes from his book, particularly its framing of the game's release as a Cold War spy thriller. The lawsuit argues that the film infringes on Ackerman's copyright and engages in unfair competition. However, the case may face challenges as both Tetris and The Tetris Effect draw on real historical facts, which are not typically protected by copyright law.
James Whitbrook, deputy editor of G/O Media's Gizmodo and io9, criticized management for publishing a poorly written AI-generated article that was filled with basic errors. Despite protests from the GMG Union, G/O Media went ahead with its decision to introduce AI-generated content. Whitbrook expressed his frustration on Twitter, stating that no one at io9 was involved in editing or publishing the article, which he described as "fucking dogshit." The union called the decision unethical and unacceptable, urging readers not to click on articles with a byline ending in "Bot."
John H. Meyer created an AI chatbot trained on Steve Jobs' voice and connected it to Facebook Messenger, allowing for two-way voice conversations with the late Apple co-founder. The chatbot was able to discuss a variety of topics, including the Gizmodo iPhone 4 leak. The results were uncanny, with many feeling like Jobs was speaking from beyond the grave.