fireworks
Toys
Video Of Weaponised RC Plane Shooting Fireworks
11:40AM Jesus Diaz | To celebrate Independence Day, some guys thought that shooting fireworks from RC planes—using an electrical firing system—was a great safe idea. Judging by the music, however, it seems they were celebrating Hitler’s invasion of Poland. [Hacked Gadgets] More »
Random Stuff
Giz Service Announcement: Aim Fireworks Into The Air, Not At Your Mom
11:00AM Jason Chen | Here’s another clip from the Consumer Product Safety Commission that proves, once and for all, that it is not okay to point fireworks at family members. Happy July 4th everybody! [CPSC] More »
Random Stuff
Giz Service Announcement: Fireworks Can Blow Up Your Face
2:30AM Jason Chen | Hey everyone, just checking in to make sure your holiday is kicking off with a bang. Bu that you haven’t blown your face off with some giant aerial fireworks. Happy July 4th everybody! [CPSC] More »
Gadgets
Giz Service Announcement: Fireworks And Watermelon Don’t Mix
2:00AM Jason Chen | Hey, we here at Gizmodo, together with Nancy Nord of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, want to remind you to have a safe 4th of July. Don’t use illegal fireworks for anything dangerous. Like blowing up an M-1000 inside of a watermelon. In slow motion. Happy 4th weekend everybody. [CPSC] More »
Toys
12:00AM Dan Nosowitz | Sega Toys is coming out with the Uchiage Hanabi, essentially a limited-function projector that shows fake fireworks on your ceilings or walls, complete with sound. More »
Sega’s Virtual Fireworks Machine Takes The Fun Out Of Explosions
12:00AM Dan Nosowitz | Sega Toys is coming out with the Uchiage Hanabi, essentially a limited-function projector that shows fake fireworks on your ceilings or walls, complete with sound. More »
Science
Explained: Fireworks Vs Firecrackers Vs Sparklers
12:50AM Mark Wilson | While prepping for our nation’s independence, we came across this excellent explanation as to how most basic fireworks function. The clip takes about a minute of your time and will imbue you with impressive knowledge for this July 4th. [HowStuffWorks] More »
Random Stuff
In Lieu of Fireworks, Chinese Villagers Hurl Molten Iron at a Wall
7:50PM Elaine Chow | During the Lantern Festival last month, one village in China celebrated the same way they have for 500 years—by throwing molten iron at a wall to create showers of make-do fireworks. More »
Random Stuff
10:53AM Nick Broughall | If you’re heading out to watch the midnight fireworks tonight to say goodbye to the year that was 2008, be prepared for a slight delay. And when we say slight, we mean slight – one second, to be precise. Boffins at Greenwich will be adding a single second onto the year 2008 to adjust time for the minute slowing of the earth’s rotation. According to AP, the move has reignited the debate between GMT and atomic time as the worldwide standard for timekeeping – atomic clocks are precise to the nanosecond and don’t need sporadic adjustments of a second to maintain accuracy. However, they don’t take into account changes to the planet’s rotation, either and in hundreds of years midday would actually be closer to 1pm than today’s 12pm. In any case, if any of you have an X-men like ability to slow down time and you’re wondering why tonight’s fireworks don’t kick off until 12:00:01, now you know.
[AP] More »
2009 Will Arrive One Second Late To Its Own Party
10:53AM Nick Broughall | If you’re heading out to watch the midnight fireworks tonight to say goodbye to the year that was 2008, be prepared for a slight delay. And when we say slight, we mean slight – one second, to be precise. Boffins at Greenwich will be adding a single second onto the year 2008 to adjust time for the minute slowing of the earth’s rotation. According to AP, the move has reignited the debate between GMT and atomic time as the worldwide standard for timekeeping – atomic clocks are precise to the nanosecond and don’t need sporadic adjustments of a second to maintain accuracy. However, they don’t take into account changes to the planet’s rotation, either and in hundreds of years midday would actually be closer to 1pm than today’s 12pm. In any case, if any of you have an X-men like ability to slow down time and you’re wondering why tonight’s fireworks don’t kick off until 12:00:01, now you know.
[AP] More »
Gadgets
Beijing Olympics Fireworks Line Will Light Up China This Spring Festival
3:00PM Elaine Chow | If there’s one thing you can’t overstate, it’s how much the Chinese people loooooved the Olympics. So it was kind of expected that Chinese fireworks makers would capitalise on the magic of the Opening Ceremonies by selling similar DIY pyrotechnics. This Chinese New Year, watch for the Bird’s Nest series of fireworks going off all over the country, including smiley faces and footprints, blossoming peony flowers and “silver and red waterfalls.” Gizmodo-readers in Beijing can grab their share of explodey things at over 200 locations across the city come Nov. 15th. [The Beijinger]
Design
