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December 28th is the big day for Wal-Mart. So if by chance on December 28th - you need frozen burritos, some snow boots, a car battery, AND an iPhone.... you're in luck.

Its about time! I've been using the fantastic Gmail Redesigned plug-in for firefox for some time now, but this is a way to add a theme to Gmail - no matter what browser you're using :)

What a strange world. This 8ft Lego man washed up on Brighton beach.... I smell a publicity stunt.

[Read More HERE]

How do people actually find the time to keep up with blogs??

The lack of posts isn't completely due to me being lazy....With my birthday having just past, my cross country move coming up, work, working out(at least trying to) - I'm just finding less and less time to commit to this blog.

I have been keeping a collection of sites and articles that I've been meaning to blog and now I've got over 50 links. (most from lifehacker/engadget/gizmodo)

SO -I've decided when time is short, I'm just going to list out the links with a brief description. Happy surfing!

1. Need a fake window?
2. The future of work - Pimp your cube
3. Lehman Brothers goes bankrupt - and hilariousness ensues.
4. Looking for a Mac? Save yourself $1500 - build your own Mac Pro
5. Miss Doom? Here's an updated version of the classic

you can jump
new game modes
uses your old doom.wad file (hope you still have it!)

6. This guy photographed himself everyday for 17 years...
7. Got a camcorder with nightshot and an iPhone 3g? Check out the hidden matrix code
8. Antec's open air Skeleton Case puts all the guts on display
9. I'm not really sure this is the "World's smallest PC"
10. How to go back to the old Facebook
11. Funny domain names - they didn't think these through..
12. 10 ways to learn new skills on the cheap
13. KITT from the new Knight Rider gets jacked - not sure if this is real... seems it.
14. Article on the "Best Health Insurer" its from March 2007 - but still a good read
15. 15% savings on everyday products by using Amazon's subscribe & save beta program
16. Automate proximity based computer actions with bluetooth
17. Musical road in Lancaster - kinda neat....
18. Tiny Keyboard
19. U.S. Treasury unveils the new penny
20. Slimmer 360 spotted in the wild?
21. Toshiba's record breaking 1.8" 250GB hard drive
22. Wearable airbag for motorcyclists.
23. Pingpong ball saves little girls life
24. Phillies ballpark get "hot dog" bomb scare.... and they detonated the hot dogs to be safe... :D
25. Amazing football catch!

Alright.... now for round 2

26. A strip from one of my favorite online comics.
27. Hugh Hefner in financial troubles
28. DARPA super scope
29. Youtube bumped up their max file size for vids to 1GB
30. 7 rediculous ways to die while golfing
31. Adobe is working on Flash for the iPhone
32. Gamesradar's PC Builder's Bible
33. Pandora pre-orders go live (not the internet radio site)
34. Windows "Cloud" OS to be released in a month
35. Flickr's iPhone optimized site
36. Synaptics to add Mac like gestures to PC touchpads
37. Splitview and the new Remote Desktop allow me to have a dual monitor RD session.
38. Hack allows you to use the PSP as an extended display
39. Youtube gets theater view
40. Ad-blocking with DD-WRT
41. Be sure to inspect that card slot on your ATM...
42. Cool external wifi antenna mod for Asus eeepc
43. A 100% passively cooled desktop - pretty cool mod.
44. Confused about who to vote for? Glassbooth will help you out. (from Lifehacker.com)
45. Save video from any "tube" site
46. Remote control of your torrents through uTorrent's web UI
47. Personal online gadget "inventory"
48. Quicken Online finally goes free
49. Learn how to store your produce the right way - and save some money.
50. Youtube - link to a specific part of a video. Skip the foreplay.
51. Awesome (but fake) PSP in a Gameboy shell mod.... ( I might need to try this...)
52. Awesome (real) PSP controller mod
53. Mod free - PSP keyboard, mouse, and joystick ..
54. How to sync up multiple iTunes libraries across multiple computers

You've probably figured out that these are in no particular order..... just in the order of which I tagged them.

51. Good article on how to sell stock photo's/images
52. Gmail adds advanced IMAP options
53. Foxmarks has gone mobile! also O-Marks syncs foxmarks to your iPhone

Software links - all of these software links take you to a more descriptive page about the application.

1. Launchy - My favorite application. Period.
2. Bulk rename utility - haven't tried this personally, but it had a spot on Lifehacker.
3. Duplicate cleaner - again, haven't tried it yet.
4. WinDirStat - Seems very useful.
5. Paint.net - Well- reviewed and free photoshop alternative.
6. Running windows apps in linux with WINE
7. Microsofts' Image Composite Editor - stitches images together.. very nice.

The Inquisitr reports:

Some Apple retailers in the United States have been given price lists for a new Apple laptop line, and there’s a big surprise: an $800 laptop. The information comes from a source we would categorize as reliable, would have access to such information, and who has been accurate in the past.

[Read more at theinquisitr.com]

It looks like the rumors were true, kind of. Sony has Dual Shock for the PSP in the works.

JoyStiq reports:

One of Sony's upcoming PSP games, Resistance Retribution, will utilize a newly developed technology called "PSP Plus." The feature will allow players of Retribution to connect their systems to the PS3, in order to enable use of PS3 wireless controllers. Using the DualShock will enable dual-analog control in the game. In addition, rumble will be supported. This potential use of connectivity was hinted at in a patent filed over a year ago.

Other games may be able to potentially utilize PSP Plus -- however, it is currently a Retribution-only tech.

At least Sony is acknowledging the fact that a second "stick" is needed. Its not exactly what we were hoping, but its a step in the right direction.

I'm pumped :) I'll still be adding that second nub to my PSP though. When/IF I get the time to complete that mod, I'll post it.

Xbox 360 Fanboy reports:

After finally being confirmed as a standalone expansion for Master Chief's final ride, Halo 3 Recon is the talk of the town walking out of Microsoft's TGS 2008 press conference. Taking on the role as an elite Orbital Drop Shock Trooper for the UNSC, Halo 3 Recon follows a brand new hero in an all new storyline. Taking place between the story of Halo 2 and Halo 3 as Master Chief is away on butt-kicking business, players are in store for what Microsoft is calling "a top-secret mission with a gripping story."

Featuring exclusive multiplayer maps, Forge items and four player co-op as well as saved films, screenshot capability and campaign scoring; Halo 3 Recon is sure to light up Xbox 360's when it releases in Fall 2009.

Robber Users Craigslist To Aid Getaway

And this actually worked....

The robber posted a help wanted ad on Craigslist - asking for workers for a construction job. They were told to show up wearing a "yellow vest, safety goggles, a respirator mask ... and, if possible, a blue shirt" - and that they would be paid $28.50 an hour.

A dozen or so people responded to the ad, showing up near the Bank of America around 11 am - as instructed. At that time, the robber - dressed in the same manner - maced an armored car guard and booked it with a bag of cash.

A witness said he saw the man float away on an inner tube at a nearby creek....

WTF. That has to be either the most genious - or most retarded plan I've ever heard. It worked, and he got away on a friggin inner tube.....

[via InformationWeek]

Well, I've fallen behind in posting - fooooo shoooooo....

I have 30+ pages bookmarked for potential items to post - I've just been so friggin busy as of late.

I'll get back to it soon. Really, I will.

David Kalb DECIMATES LeBron in a game of HORSE. Whaaaaa?

Lifehacker Reports:

Google releases Google Desktop 5.8 for Windows .... and promises 50% less memory usage during startup and faster shutdown. Once you get it installed and running, check out how to get more from Google Desktop.

[Straight from Lifehacker]

The Google phone has finally arrived! The G-1 has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and a trackball for navigation. Other features include 3G network connectivity and the ability to zoom on something by tapping on the screen.

One of the big things the G1 allows you to to is multitask, so you can be getting messages as you're talking or doing something else on the phone.

The G1 comes with Google Maps street view, and there is a compass mode, and the scene moves as you do. Google is front and center. There isn't a pinch feature to zoom in and out, as you would with the iPhone, but you can highlight

an area, and blow up the image. They also show how you can use the dedicated keyboard and then use the touch screen to access links on a Web page. They show the long press so that you can click on a link and then send an e-mail directly.

The phone will be locked to the T-Mobile network. Brodman said Google and T-Mobile will be marketing the device together. There is no Microsoft Exchange support. But it could be a perfect opportunity for the developers in the Android Market to develop something.

The phone uses browser technology called WebKit that uses the same base technology as Google's Chrome browser. Andy Rubin called it Chrome Lite. Brodman said the device is aimed at the consumer market.

The price: $179 with a two-year service contract.

You can order it today at www.T-MobileG1.com, or it will be in T-Mobile and some retail stores on October 22. It will be available in the United Kingdom in November and other European countries next year.

[Straight from CNET.com]

Modder techknott has created a portable Xbox 360.... sort of. Its portable - to a certain distance.

What he has really created is a hand held component that consists of a wireless controller and a wireless A/V system. What this means is that basically the Xbox is sending the audio/video signal to the controller's built in screen.

So although you won't be taking this on the road with you or on the bus, you can definitely take it to different parts of your house. This is really brilliant and something I may try in the future - I always wanted to have a way to keep on gaming when I need to take a poo.... this is the perfect answer ;)

[More details and pics at Benheck Forums]

Consumerist Reports:

Those "new" tires of yours could be six-years old and ready to disintegrate on the highway. Tire rubber dries out after six years, but unlike in Europe and Asia, American companies are allowed to sell expired tires long after they turn into death donuts. A 20/20 investigation found that the "new" tires on sale at Sears and Walmart can be up to 12-years-old. Inside, how to tell when your tires were born...
All tires bear a Department of Transportation number hidden on the inner wheel wall. At the end of the number is a four-digit sequence that shows the week and year the tire was made. Tires with the notation 3502 were made in the 35th week of 2002. If you only see three digits, get new tires immediately; your tires are from the 90's and are way past their effective lifespan.

Yeesh.

[Straight from Consumerist.com]

9:52 PM

Lifehacker recently published a great power user's guide to Chrome. It covers all of the things you'll need to know to help make your Chrome experience the best it can be. Keyboard shortcuts, tips, tweaks, and hacks all available in this well built guide.

It can be found HERE.

LH also has a Power User's Guide to Firefox 3

BBC News Reports:

Miners in Lesotho have discovered a huge gem stone which may become the largest ever polished round diamond.

The stone weighs 478 carats and is the 20th largest rough diamond ever found, said Gem Diamonds.

The company said the uncut rock was recovered recently from the Letseng mine, owned by the company in Lesotho.

The diamond, which is as yet unnamed, has the potential to yield a 150 carat cut stone, and could sell for tens of millions of dollars, the company said.

"Preliminary examination of this remarkable diamond indicates it will yield a record-breaking polished stone of the very best colour and clarity," said the company's chief executive Clifford Elphick.

It would be bigger than the 105 carat round-cut Koh-i-Noor diamond, which is part of the British Crown Jewels.

It would still be dwarfed by the Cullinan diamond discovered in 1905, which was 3,106 carats uncut and yielded a teardrop shaped diamond of 530 carats called the Great Star of Africa.

The Letseng mine is owned by a mining company of which Gem Diamonds controls 70% and the Lesotho government 30%.

[Straight from BBC News]

Look what the mailman just dropped off.. it seems following up with the newsletter/email sent out to people who registered for updates, Verizon Wireless is now sending out physical postcards to Verizon subscribers. The envelope says "Inside: Exclusive Invitation for Select Customers" (back side says "What will it feel like?" and within is the postcard photographed to the side here.

Is anybody else starting to find it funny that Verizon is all over the BlackBerry Storm while Research in Motion itself has yet to issue any sort of formal release or announcement???

[Straight from Crackberry]

While New Yorkers continue to feel the pressure of the financial sector's fallout, other cities are faring far better.

According to the latest Best-Performing Cities survey from economic think tank the Milken Institute, metro areas like Provo-Orem, Utah, and Raleigh-Cary, N.C., are actually bucking national unemployment trends by offering opportunities in growing sectors like technology and health care. (The survey tracks data on job creation, wage increases and the amount of the region's GDP that stems from technology products and services created between 2002 and 2007, the most recent data available. The survey also takes into account the Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data from March 2007 to March 2008.)

Besides playing host to growing industries, another defining feature of the cities that topped the Milken Institute's list was that these locales were relatively unaffected by the housing meltdown, says Ross DeVol, director of regional economics at the Milken Institute. In fact, cities in California and Florida that traditionally make the list fell off this year due to the impact of the subprime mess on housing and construction labor markets.

Provo-Orem, Utah

Utah isn't just about skiing and Mormons. In fact, Provo, home to Brigham Young University, is quickly becoming a hotspot for tech talent. Big IT services and hardware players, including Micron Technology and Novell collectively employ around 3,000 residents, says DeVol. And, in the past five years, angel investors have pumped more than $30 million into Utah start-up businesses, many of which are in Provo-Orem, says Alan Hall, an angel investor and founder of Grow Utah Ventures, which focuses on economic development. All of this has helped Provo-Orem's employment grow at a rate that's far above the national average. Between 2002 and 2007, employment grew by an impressive 16.5 percentage points, according to DeVol.

Raleigh-Cary, North Carolina

College students used to flock to New York and Washington, D.C., post-graduation. Now, they're heading a little farther south. Not only is Raleigh's relatively low cost of living attractive to young folks, but so are the job prospects. Tech giants like IBM, Cisco Systems and privately-held software maker SAS Institute employ some 20,000 of the metro-area's residents, says Devol. For non-techies, drug maker GlaxoSmithKline is the largest biopharmaceutical employer in the region. Between 2007 and 2008, Raleigh experienced a 3.6% bump in job growth, the largest in the country. (One caveat: From March to July, Raleigh-Cary's unemployment rate has increased from 4.1% to a recent 5.4%, according to the BLS).

Salt Lake City

Wall Street may be seeing red, but this Mormon mecca is making profits hand over fist. Job growth was up 2.2% between March 2007 and March 2008, in large part due to banks like Zions Bancorp and Wells Fargo, which collectively employ around 13,000 of the city's residents, says DeVol. Credit-card issuer Discover Financial Services also calls Salt Lake City home. Both Hall and DeVol agree that these companies are not likely to fall like their peers on the East coast. Health care also dominates the city's economy.

Intermountain Health Care, for example, operates a hospital, clinics and doctors offices, and employs more than 27,000 area residents.

Austin-Round Rock, Texas

The capital of Texas may be best known for cultivating the live music scene, but it's also proving to be fertile ground for tech companies. IBM, as well as electronic components firms Applied Materials, Flextronics and Samsung Austin Semiconductor have offices there, and collectively employ more than 13,000 residents, says DeVol. Many of these employees are picked up after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, says Greg Garrison, president of Startup Staffing Group, a finance, HR and recruiting company. Overall, this metropolitan area registered the fourth largest job growth -- 2.89% -- between March 2007 and March 2008 of all the cities Milken surveyed.

Huntsville, Alabama

Alabama has had its moments in the spotlight. Lynrd Skynrd paid homage to the state in its Southern rock classic and Forrest Gump lovingly called the state home. But perhaps one of Alabama's highest distinctions is playing host to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. Located in the northern city of Huntsville, the science and exploration center is ground zero for Ares 1, NASA's attempt to carry missions to the moon, Mars and the solar system. Many contractors and subcontractors in the aerospace and engineering sectors, including Boeing, Northrop Grumman and Teledyne Brown Engineering, have opened branches here hoping to tap into employment opportunities, says DeVol. And more jobs are on the way: The Army Space Missile Defense Command recently completed its move from Arlington, Va., and the Missile Defense Agency is scheduled to move more than 2,200 employees to Huntsville in the next few years.

[Straight from SmartMoney]

The free mobile phone web browser (still in beta) looks to shove Operamini out of the picture and even out perform the iPhone's Safari browser (GASP!)- IF it delivers on its promise to make "browsing on your phone exactly like browsing on your PC."

They even go so far as to say that its the fastest mobile browser you'll ever use...

Skyfire is faster than any mobile web browser you’ve ever used. You’ll load web pages as fast as your PC and eliminate the long delays and error messages you get with other browsers. That’s a big claim, so we encourage you to experience it firsthand

Right now its only available for Windows Mobile 5/6 and Nokia series 60, 3rd edition phones. Blackberry users seem to be out of luck:

We are currently investigating support for Blackberry, but it's not on our immediate roadmap.

Here's a video of it in action, its very very promising.

[Skyfire.com]

A beta tester has released all kinds of good screen shots of Microsoft's upcoming OS.

Although it looks almost identical to Vista, Windows 7 should take care of most of the issues Vista has. This will be the OS that has me upgrading from XP, it just can't come soon enough.

More details HERE.

[From BGR]

If you purchased one of the iPhone 3Gs, be sure to check if the power adapter you got with it is one of the ones recalled. My guess is that if you were an early adopter, that means you.

Engadget reports:

Apparently, the adapter's metal prongs can break right off, thus creating a "risk of electrical shock"

More details can be found HERE

[From Engadget]

If you've been holding off on Google Chrome due to its lack of support for add-ons or plug-ins, be ready to make the switch. Chrome has proven itself to be much faster and better laid out than my previous favorite - Firefox.

Even so, Firefox has remained my primary browser due to the add-ons that I just can't live without (Foxmarks, Adblock Plus, Gmail Redesigned).

Informationweek.com reports that Google plans on integrating support for add-ons soon. Although, they aren't going to rush it.

... Google will work hard to make sure its add-on paradigm keeps Chrome stable. "We hope to do them right," he said. "As many people notice in Firefox add-ones, there are problems with instability."

Hopefully, it gets here quick - I've been eyeing the newest Opera browser for a while and I'm about to give it another test drive.

Lifehacker.com's recent featured download is great Photoshop alternative for those of us who can't afford the software.

Its apparently very similar to Photoshop itself. So similar that "seasoned Photoshop users will find themselves wondering why a feature is suddenly missing from the menu."

Its certainly worth checking out.

[Read more at Lifehacker.com]

Now, this is pretty cool. The guys over at 360voice.com can help you setup a blog for your 360.

Yep, you read it right. The 360 is capable of keeping its own blog.

Ah, the internet – founded upon crazy men making crazy things for free. Such as a blog supposedly written by your 360, based on what you've been using it for. It monitors your Live account and automatically generates entries about what it's been up to that day (or what it hasn't been up to – expect many posts about neglect if you don't turn it on for a while). The tone is very much American geek, but it's a fun record of your own gaming habits, and of keeping an eye on what your chums are up to. Get set up at www.360voice.com.

I'll be setting mine up soon :)

[From 360Voice.com]

Gizmodo has a great tutorial on how to hack your PSP slim to play homebrew and backups of the games you already purchased....(cough).

I can't tell you why I haven't done this yet, only that I'll be doing it within the next couple weeks :D

[Check it out HERE]

Have you ever watched a great video on Youtube or Break and just wish you could download it?

Well Tubezoid.com makes it possible. All you have to do is enter the video's URL into the specified box and click "Download". In a matter of minutes, your download will be ready.

Fantastic.

Elitebydesign's 3 part series aims to teach you Photoshop in record time. One week is the target, so get going! I want to see some amazing work done by next Thursday!

[Find it HERE]

Wow, what a week on Wall Street! If you have investments such as stocks, mutual funds, or 401k's, you have seen your portfolio decline significantly. So far just this week the Dow Jones Industrials is down nearly 1,000 pts. The government has already bailed out several large banks, Fannie and Freddie and now AIG, so you may wonder whats gonna happen next on the market and who is the government gonna bail out next?

Well, the federal government may seem like a financial knight on a white steed riding to the rescue of big companies in trouble. The irony is that Uncle Sam’s got huge huge money problems of his own. The government is far deeper in debt than any of the companies it’s bailing out.

As of this morning, the national debt stands at over $9.634 trillion. That’s trillion - with a "T." And that’s nearly $4 trillion more than it was on the day President Bush took office. This year alone, it’s costing taxpayers more than $230 billion just to pay the interest on the national debt.

And it’s getting bigger every day thanks to the relentless rush of the government spending money it has to borrow. The federal deficit for the fiscal year ending September 30 is expected in the range of $400 billion - close to the all-time high.

In fact, the government doesn’t have the $85 billion needed to bail out AIG. The treasury department announced this morning it would auction new debt to raise funds for the Federal Reserve’s rescue plan for AIG. The Fed didn’t need President Bush’s permission for the bailout, but he supports the action.

The president’s economic advisors had determined that some of these companies were so big - that to allow them to fail would have caused even greater harm and damage to the economy.
The rescue plan means taxpayer funds are being put at risk. However, taxpayers might be harmed even worse if the collapse of a major company caused broader economic damage.

But where does the federal government go when it needs a bailout? Taxpayers need only look in the mirror!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Straight from CBSnews.com]

Google is set to unveil its rival to iPhone, BlackBerry on Sept. 23. It will introduce the Google Phone, with Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile cellular carrier becoming the first company to market the handset, T-mobile said, according to press reports. The phone, to be based on Google's Android operating system and produced by Taiwan's High Tech Computer Corp.

Google is expected to discuss the phone's pricing and plans when it introduces the phone. The phone itself should be available to consumers next month.

[From MarketWatch.com]

This is probably one of the most exciting applications I've ever seen. If you have a computer at home running XP with a broadband connection, you can use Orb.

Orb allows you to stream ALL of your media to any device that has a browser and streaming media player. Meaning most smart phones, PDAs and laptops.

It even works with the iPhone over edge!

Get it HERE

G2P is a fantastic site for the not-so-savvy surfers trying to find backups(cough) of songs that they already own. If your Google-Fu is strong, you probably already have a system setup to automate this process.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Google hacks, such as the ability to search for mp3 files by using certain tricks...G2P is a better quicker way to get this done. It does all the heavy work for you. The Google hack is basically this, go to Google and type in the following:

-inurl:(htm|html|php) intitle:”index of” +”last modified” +”parent directory” +description +size +(wma|mp3) “artist or song”

and put the artist or song in the quotation marks in place of the words "artist or song" and you'll likely pull up links to downloadable mp3s.

Well, with G2P, you just check the radio box to the right of the type of file you are looking for and put what you are looking for in the search box and it automates everything else.

Check it out at G2P.org

Modder "Vomitsaw" has put together another amazing box. This custom console has been a work in progress since 2002. It consists of four of my personal favorite childhood systems - NES/Super NES/Sega Genesis/ and the Atari 2600. Props on the mod!

Really pretty cool, although you might say its not very practical now-a-days. This is what emulators are for, but if you have a really large library of all the old cartridges - this would be the way to go. I dig modding myself - so I can really appreciate his work.

Check out the YouTube video of it in action.

[More info at Stupidfingers.com]

Google recently released a mobile app to make most things Google a butt-load faster. I love Google and I love my Berry, so this can only be a good thing!

Here's a breakdown of the perks:

Fast Google search - enter queries without waiting for a browser to load
Search history - easily access and amend your previous queries
Google Suggest - complete queries with less typing
Easy access to Google products for your phone - click once to download and install our applications for BlackBerry, and get immediate access to our web-based services
Google Apps support - get direct links to your Google Apps Calendar and Documents/Spreadsheets (select Menu, Options, Use Google Apps Domain: yes, and then enter your domain name)
Update alerts - learn about new versions of downloadable Google mobile applications and upgrade with just one click (Google Mobile App replaces Google Updater for BlackBerry)

Head to m.google.com on your Blackberry's browser to get it.

Welp. Its been 6 days since I've posted anything - its not so much that I've been slacking off, really.

Its because of Hurricane Ike..... No, really. I work in the IT department for an insurance company - and believe me - we got Ike'd (like Tina Turner) . I've been waaaayyyy too busy to keep up.

But, the good news is that its all dying down - so the posts are about to come back full force.

:D

Maxconsole reports:

"A Best Buy insider has tipped us off to say that the new PSP 3000's will include the ability to play games on the PSP using a PS3 controller. And you will also be to use composite cables (480i) to play games on the TV instead of requiring a component 480p. This should be treated as a rumor until confirmed."

I'm not real sure how reliable that is, Best Buy's people aren't usually the brightest bunch.

[From Maxconsole.net]

Although its nothing new, its still fun to play with. Photosynth allows you to sort of "stitch" together photos in a way that allows you to "look around". Its hard to explain, so just watch the video.

UPDATE: Here is a newer video - that last one is from two years ago.

Quick Media Converter is a handy little app that puts a GUI on the FFmpeg application. For those of you that don't know - FFmpeg is a fantastic command line tool that converts any audio or video from one format to another. Its so simple, your grandma could use it.

Having the same video formatted for your phone, iPod, and DVD player - has never been so easy. Best of all - its free.

Download it HERE.

[From Lifehacker]

Gizmodo reports:

Everyone who has owned a cellphone over the last 10 years should at some point pour one out in thanks to Cliff Kushler, one of the inventors of the T9 text entry system that knows you mean "DONKEY" when you type 366539 in an SMS. Now Cliff is smartly shifting his focus on touchscreens with Swype—a way to type blindingly fast on a touchscreen by tracing your finger or stylus over the letters you want without lifting up, connect-the-dots style. It looks frankly amazing in a demo—so amazing that we remembered we've seen it somewhere before. Thankfully, it could be heading to the iPhone and Android really, really soon.

Turns out, as the folks at jkOnTheRun also point out, that the idea of this kind of input system has been around since 2004 (when touchscreens were still kind of from the future), when it was developed by IBM and called SHARK. Now, SHARK is called ShapeWriter, who are the developers of the WritingPad Android app and a similar app for the iPhone. How about that?

Swype is currently near prime time for Windows Mobile, with an SDK to bring it to other platforms in the works. ShapeWriter's Android version of WritingPad is forthcoming, and their iPhone version, which was released briefly before being pulled from the App Store for reasons unknown, should be back soon.

Great stuff, this would make my iPhone that much better :D

[Straight from Gizmodo]

Marcelo da Luz was driving his solar-powered Xof1 car when he was pulled over by Alaskan police. They chased him for a while, trying to figure what the heck his vehicle was, then decided to stop him. The reason: 911 received an UFO sighting alert. And no, there's no Sarah Palin connection here, because this wasn't the first time it happened to him.
Yes, the thing does look like an UFO. For anyone who doesn't have a clue about what a solar car is, anyway. Or who doesn't notice the big honking wheels below. Or the fact that the "UFO" is rolling on a road.

The fact is that Marcelo, who is trying to raise awareness about renewable energy and energy independence driving across North America trying to break a long-distance record, has been stopped a total of seven times by the police. Marcelo, seriously, I think the third time was enough to paint "This is a frikkin solar car, you idiots" in fluorescent yellow all over the car's rim. [Xof1 and NPR via New Launches]

Don't lactate too much yet, that's just a fan mock-up. Still, everyone is hoping that the MacBook touch rumor holds some truth.

Although I don't think a touch version will be announced during the upcoming "Let's MacBook" event on October 14th, some really awesome hardware changes will be announced for the MacBook series that should excite the fanboys out there.

[From Gizmodo]

[Straight from Gizmodo]

I know all of you BlackBerry fans have been waiting forever for the true AOL Mail experience on your cellphone right? Right? Yeahhhhhh! Seriously though, if you would prefer true AIM and ICQ as opposed to third-party IM clients, now is your chance to get a deeply integrated, feature-rich AOL experience on the go. Hit up the BlackBerry website to grab the new software.

[BlackBerry via CrunchGear]

Magnetosphere revisited (audio by Tosca) from flight404 on Vimeo.

The once separate visualizer plugin for iTunes is now the standard. It is pretty amazing - best visualizer I've ever seen.

7 years have passed since that dreadful day and the Pentagon Memorial has been inaugurated today. Gizmodo reports:

"The memorial contains 184 units placed parallel with the trajectory of American Airlines Flight 77. Each cantilevered, stainless steel memorial unit hovers over a pool of water that lights up during the night."

[From Gizmodo]

[Straight from Engadget]

BREW Ninja, who readily (and oddly, for a ninja) admits that he's a mobile QA engineer over at Yahoo! Mobile, just scooped 3x phones in this quickie 4 and half minute video. The HTC Coke -- a variant of the HTC Touch Pro -- and tiny LG Lotus with full QWERTY for Sprint (AKA, LX600) are both interesting, but it's the hands-on video of RIM's touchscreen Thunder that blows our doors. At about 2:50 in, he reveals the BlackBerry Thunder for Verizon (AKA, Storm 8350) saying, "I don't like it, it's, it's an ok phone." His biggest concern seems to be the touchscreen (something we've heard before) which acts like a button -- you have to actual push the screen, hard, unlike most capacitive touchpanel devices. See for yourself after the break.

[Via Crackberry]

A leaked internal release makes me feel better about a rumored October 2nd AT&T release date for the Blackberry Bold.

Price is said to be $299 - most likely with a new line of service and a 2 year contract. No word on the price for existing customers.

This little personal tracker is a fancy little device about the size of an average usb drive and sports an OLED display. Its sole purpose is to track your every move - which is a good thing.

It keeps track of "exercise intensity levels, calories burned, sleep quality, steps and distance traveled" and all for only $99.

This really is a great device for those who would like to keep a more accurate record of their daily activities.

Calorie accountants rejoice.

[From Engadget : Buy it at Fitbit]

As we all know, Tom Brady is out for season, I cant tell you what this does to the 2008-2009 season, now all of a sudden the Jets with Favre JUST might be good. Its just crazy... (AND GUESS WHO I PICKED AS MY FIRST PICK IN FANTASY).

On another note with the Pats "man down" teams like the ChargerS should be foaming at the mouth to get to the Bowl, yet, Pro Bowl sack machine Shawn Merriman has decided to have surgery on his leg....

Get ready for a CRAZY UNFORSEEN YOUR... GO SAINTS.....

As noted in my post last week the long slim version of the iPod is back. There are eight new colors, all the colors of the rainbow. An 8GB model will sell for $149, a 16GB model will sell for $199.

Both are now shipping, the 8GB should arrive later this week, while the 16GB should show up over the weekend or early next week. Apple is introducing new headphones with these iPods, with a pause/play feature, as well as track navigation and volume controls right on the cord. There's also a microphone on the new headphones, which will cost $29 and be available in October.

New in-ear headphones are also out. According to Steve Jobs, they think they finally got these right. They will be out in October for $79.

As far as the iPod Touch, the new version is thinner than the previous model. It has the same display, but integrated volume controls, which was the #1 request Apple got for an iPod Touch. It has a built-in speaker for for casual listening and has the Genius playlist creation and the App Store. Three models will be available: 8GB for $229, 16GB for $299, and 32GB for $399. Those prices are cheaper, but not as much as some people might have thought. All the new iPod Touches are available today.

More to come.....

Braylon Edwards is a fantastic wide receiver. A master gambler, he probably is not.

Before the Olympics, as Braylon and Phelps were hanging out somewhere talking about all things Michigan (take that, Miami of Ohio!), they struck up a bet. Braylon wagered that he'd score twice as many touchdowns as Michael Phelps would win gold medals (gracias, FanHouse).

Phelps, as you may have heard, won eight.

The foot injury wasn’t a complete loss. Edwards used the time on his couch to catch up with swimmer Michael Phelps’ chase for history at the Olympics.

Edwards and Phelps have University of Michigan ties and struck up a friendship. Edwards bragged before Beijing that he would more than double Phelps’ gold-medal total with touchdown catches. After Phelps’ record eight golds, Edwards needs to set another franchise record.

I don't know exactly what's on the line, but I hope Braylon's getting odds. He's going to have to be injury-free and dominant to win this one.

Myself, I don't bet against Michael Phelps. That would feel like betting against America.

You?

[From Yahoo Sports]

Dell has finally has 'em on their site. They start at $349 (Ubuntu OS, 512 MB Ram, 4GB SSD). A fully decked out model (WinXP, 1GB Ram, 16GB SSD, 1.3MP webcam, BT) will set you back $489.

What happened to the red model that was in previous pics? Right now there are only options for black and white. Although, the black model does look pretty pimp.

Overall - I'm pretty disappointed in the price, I was hoping that the rumor of $299 was going to pan out. For $329 you can get an awesome Acer netbook from Newegg with better specs (Crappier Linux OS than the Dell - but linux is free so go DL Ubuntu and it matches up, 512MB Ram, 8GB SSD, 0.3MP webcam).

Acer makes fantastic products too, so Dell could learn a bit from them and drop the price or at least offer up a bigger SSD for that price.

EDIT: If you DO plan on buying one with maxed specs, go the XP route as a decked out XP bundle ends up being cheaper for the EXACT same unit with Ubuntu..... whaaaaat?? Dell trying to pull a fast one, I guess.

The good news is - the Dell2Direct blog states that there is an opportunity to get the Mini 9 for only $99........with the purchase of another "select notebook"

If you can wait until 6 a.m. Central tomorrow, Sept. 5, you'll be able to get a Mini for only $99 with the purchase of a Studio 15, XPS M1530 or XPS M1330 laptop through 6 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9(U.S.only).

That's actually a pretty good deal if you're already in the market for a laptop - IF you can use a 30% coupon code - LOOK HERE

The Fraunhofer Institute—the guys who invented MP3 and screwed the music labels as a result, which is why we like them so much—have a booth at IFA with their latest inventions. The best one is this stunning magic mirror, an augmented reality display that gets any piece of clothing and transforms its fabric in real time. Live, the effect was absolutely amazing, indistinguishable from a real mirror.

Honestly, when I was in front of it I just couldn't tell the difference from a real t-shirt. It deformed like the one she was holding. I think she's a witch.

.

"She turned me into a newt!...... Well... I got better..."

There's a better vid of the magic mirror at Gizmodo

[From Gizmodo]

For anyone that missed the wave - Google released its own web browser to the world. They've dubbed it - Chrome.

I'm not sure if it will replace Firefox as my top browser - but you can bet I'm gonna give it a thorough test run.

On a side note, the guys at Gizmodo have come across some interesting info in the end user license agreement. It basically states that they own any content you create with it - from blog posts to emails to haikus...... Ehhh.. I don't even know what to say about that - read more on the EULA HERE.

If you still want to give it a spin (and you should!):

Chrome can be downloaded HERE

UPDATE: Google has fixed their EULA according to informationweek.com:

Chrome's Terms of Service were revised to simply state that Chrome users retain all rights to content viewed or posted using the browser.

[Read more on the EULA update at informationweek.com]

Dell's entry to the "netbook" race is said to be released September 4th. For those of you unaware of the netbook trend - just do a google on Asus Eee PC. That's the netbook that started it all.

Its basically a tiny laptop that usually runs a custom version of linux or windows xp and would be used primarily for surfing the web and playing music along with other simple tasks. Awesome solution for students on a budget or those of us that want a decent machine to blog on while on the toilet.

The details aren't concrete (until tomorrow) but it's rumored to be around $199 and has the following specs:

1.6GHz Intel Atom processor
512MB - 1GB of Ram
8.9" WSVGA screen (1024 x 600)
3 USB Ports
Wi-Fi
Integrated web-cam
Weighs only 2.2 lbs

I'm excited, that's for sure.

[Wall Street Journal via Gizmodo]

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