Elections, Summer Blockbusters, And Roach-Infested Computers: Best Gizmodo Stories of the Week

The fact that we’re already halfway through August defies explanation. I feel like these past few months will go down as “the summer that never was” given the distinct lack of summer things available to most folks. Beach day? Forget about it. Cookouts? You better be social distancing around that grill. Water park? Ugh, gross, they’re a petri dish of bacteria even when we’re not in a pandemic.

I haven’t gotten sunburned once this year, and do you have any idea how difficult a feat that is for someone as pale as me? The sun cooks me lobster red if I even think about leaving the house without sunscreen (which skincare Tiktok has taught me is practically a cardinal sin). For those of you able to actually get out there and do something other than binge Netflix and doomscroll, I salute you.

Here at Gizmodo, we were tackling the big questions, like why oh why do the creepiest, crawliest critters on Earth—cockroaches—make a home out of so many people’s electronics? Someone please send a note to the universe that that should not be allowed, thank you. The perennially talented Victoria Song also broke down how the flaming death spiral of Bon Appétit’s YouTube channel reflects a much larger problem with media companies in this industry. Namely, the fact that they have zero clue when it comes to making video content work.

Next, the folks at io9 gave us the rundown on this year’s big summer blockbusters that are making their way to a streaming service near you given…you know….the everything going on right now. I’ve been craving a horror movie recently, and Host looks like it might be able to scratch that itch. Though I know I’m in the minority here, I actually liked Unfriended a lot, and the whole “Zoom call gone spooky” idea hits a lot closer to home nowadays than it did before.

Finally, at Earther, our writers explained the frankly mind-boggling method scientists have created for transforming bricks into batteries. As well as how Chevron is playing the roll of “evil big oil” far too well again, this time trying to shut up a climate lawyer because, well, do I even need to explain? Even with such painfully low expectations, oil companies still manage to disappoint.

You can read all these stories and more below: