Gadgets

Filed under: CellphonesSingapore Telecommunications (aka SingTel) announced that it's secured agreements to distribute the iPhone in Singapore (on SingTel Mobile) and its partly-owned subsidiaries in Australia (on Optus), India (on Bharti Group), and the Philippines (on Globe Telecom). Vodafone's also distributing the iPhone in India and Australia though, so we'll have to wait until later this year to find out who gets to shoot first.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: LaptopsHP's got some new 2133 configs out as of tonight, including options for "downgrading" to Windows XP on models over $700 -- more or less as expected. They're up to eight base configs ranging from $500 to $820, so if you've been thinking of picking one up you've certainly got plenty of options to choose from.[Via HP 2133 Guide]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Peripherals, Wireless, StorageEye-Fi's expanding from a single card to a family of three tonight. All are the same 2GB as before, but now we've got the new flagship Eye-Fi Explore ($129), which includes geotagging courtesy of Skyhook (the same WiFi-based location system that helps the iPod touch and iPhone find their way). Then you've got the Eye-Fi Share ($99) -- basically the same card we used to know simply as the Eye-Fi -- and finally the Eye-Fi Home ($79), which appears to only be able to upload photos through desktop software using your home network. Expect 'em all on sale…

Filed under: Cellphones Damn, took 'em long enough! RIM finally announced the BlackBerry Bold / 9000 -- we've got specs, but no price or hard launch date. Here we go: Family will include HSDPA and EV-DO versions (including an AWS-capable 1700MHz version), much as we'd heard 480 x 320 display 625MHz CPU, 1GB internal flash memory 802.11a/b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 (with A2Dp), GPS, MicroSDHC 480 x 320 video recording, photo geotagging 4.5 x 2.6 x 0.55-inches, 4.7 ounces PC Mag's got the (latest) hands-on, hit the read link.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: LaptopsNot that we wouldn't eventually expect a 2.6GHz MacBook, but Apple's Hot News site is running this promo that references a new, upgraded model of the laptop (which right now only reaches 2.4GHz). Our take? We're thinking typo, not premature announcement.[Thanks, Matthew and fr]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

By Andrew Liszewski Here’s an easy (albeit expensive) way to class up your board game night. Just throw away that old cardboard Clue game and replace it with this Premier Edition. The gameboard is a wood-paneled box that features nine sunken three-dimensional rooms complete with decorations and even miniature furniture. Unfortunately all of those miniature rooms are off-limits since they’re covered by a non-removable piece of tempered glass. Also, I suspect that Colonel Mustard has been replaced with Colonel Grey Poupon, and instead of killing people with weapons, the characters…

By Andrew Liszewski Have you ever looked up in the sky and thought “Hey! That cloud looks just like the McDonald’s arches”. If you have, there’s a good chance that cloud may have actually been engineered to look that way by a special effects company called SnowMasters. They’ve developed something they call Flogos, which are basically flying custom logos. Made from a proprietary soap based foam, the Flogos are filled with gases such as helium rather than air. As we all know, helium is lighter than air, so once the Flogo comes out of the machine, they just float…

By Andrew Liszewski A lot of animators will keep a mirror next to their drawing desk so they can use their own faces and expressions as inspiration for their work. Well here’s a product designer who also used themselves for inspiration. But instead of looking at his face, Alexander Lervik wanted to delve deeper into his head so he had an MR scan of his brain done at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm. The image of his brain was then processed by a rapid prototyping 3D printer to create this bizarre looking lamp. It’s lit internally by a set of bright LEDs and apparently does…

By Andrew Liszewski If you’re in the business where you have to record the occasional interview, why spend your money on a dedicated digital audio recorder when there’s a good chance you’ll already have a laptop computer with you. The Narae Recorder Mini is a compact microphone that simply connects to the mic-in jack on your notebook, and is capable of recording sounds up to 32 feet away. To be honest though, the only thing this really has going for it is its compact size. You can connect any microphone (non-phantom powered) to your laptop with the right cabling, but thanks…

By Luke Anderson Convergence gadgets are always hit or miss. Sometimes you end up with something useful, other times you’re stuck with a gadget that is good for two or three applications that have absolutely nothing to do with each other, and thus don’t belong on the same device. This Magnetic LED light falls into the former category. This gadget is small, yet packs in both and LED light and a laser pointer. What’s more is that the base is magnetic, allowing you to attach it to a metal surface and point the light or laser where it is needed. This would be especially useful…

For years, the ThinkPad line has been the class of Windows laptops — offering rugged, simply designed machines with great keyboards, even in small sizes. But ThinkPads have always been aimed at corporate buyers, not the broader consumer market. So Lenovo (0992.HK), the Chinese company that took over the brand from IBM (IBM), is bringing out a new, consumer-focused line called IdeaPads. I’ve been testing one of these new IdeaPads, a small, thin model called the U110, that’s sized to be ideal for travelers. It looks nothing like a classic black ThinkPad. It even comes in red,…

When most people think about Internet security problems, they focus on viruses and spyware — technological attacks that can usually be mitigated by technological defenses. But the most insidious Internet security problems today rely on human gullibility, not tricky software. While technological defenses can help you fend off these newer types of attacks, your best weapons against them are common sense, alertness, and careful email and Web-surfing practices. These types of attacks are called “social engineering,” and they are used by criminals to steal your money and…

If you’re sitting in front of a computer, it’s easy to look up information on the Web. It’s almost as easy if you have a sophisticated cellphone with a decent Web browser and you’re in a place with a good Internet connection where it’s possible to type. But what if you only have a standard cellphone with a lousy Web browser — or even the best Web-browsing phone, but it lacks a fast data connection? What if you’re speeding down the road in a car, where typing is dangerous? Now, there’s a way to get your questions answered despite those hurdles.

The biggest name in photo software for many years has been Adobe’s Photoshop. But, as more and more photos migrated online, Adobe (ADBE) became concerned that people would associate photo software less with its own locally installed programs than with Web-based products and services. So, last month, the photo giant introduced Photoshop Express, its free Web-based service for storing, sharing and editing photos, in an effort to compete with established online photo services such as Yahoo’s (YHOO) Flickr, Google’s (GOOG) Picasa Web Albums, or the photo-laden Facebook…

For years, I have focused my twice-a-year computer buyer’s guides on desktop PCs, with less-frequent columns focusing on laptops. Now that the latter are outselling the former, though, I am going to center my main buying guides on laptops. Many of the specs I recommend will also apply to desktops. As always, this is a general guide aimed at mainstream, nontechnical consumers who dwell on common tasks such as email, instant messaging and surfing the Web; managing and lightly editing photos, videos and music; and using basic office applications. It is not intended for heavy gamers, video…

A lot of people - especially its stockholders - are worried about the future of Yahoo now that Microsoft has backed away from its offer to buy the company for $47.5 billion. But Microsoft shareholders also have reason to worry. Bill Gates, with a lot of help from Steve Ballmer, built the Microsoft on the back of the personal computer. Ballmer is now CEO of Microsoft and, starting in July, he’ll no longer have Gates as a work make. Although he’ll remain as chairman, Gates is retiring from his day-to-day responsibilities to devote more time to philanthropy. As early as 1975, Gates saw the…

By Larry Magid Reposted from San Jose Mercury News I’m happy to be a member of a recently formed Internet Safety Technical Task Force, but it has caused me to feel a bit of a disconnect. One of the major goals of the task force is to explore whether it’s possible to use technology to verify the age of people signing up for social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace to give parents more control over whether their kids can use these services and to avoid inappropriate online contact between kids and adults. Yet, the first four experts to address the task force painted a…

Istanbul, Turkey — I’m in a city that spans Asia and Europe yet I’m happily using cell phones from Sprint and Verizon Wireless. I’ve always thought of Sprint and Verizon as purely domestic carriers, serving only the U.S. market, but that’s not the case. Even though most phones from these two popular U.S. carriers are configured to access cellular networks that are totally incompatible with the GSM (Global System for Mobil) networks used in Europe, Australia, parts of Asia, Africa and much of the rest of world, both companies do offer phones that are also capable of…

Listen to Larry’s CBS News Podcast with Google Sr. Scientist Shumeet Baluja and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children President Ernie Allen Working with law enforcement, analysts at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in Alexandria, Va., spend their days doing something no one should have to do. They look at what is called “child pornography,” but the photos and videos are actually evidence of children - in some cases infants - being sexually abused. They do this work to help rescue children who may still be in the clutches of a…

Apple last week confirmed that iTunes had outpaced Wal-Mart in January and February as the nation’s No. 1 seller of music. The Apple announcement followed an earlier report by NPD Group that compared iTunes music sales with those of major retailers. Pardon the pun but it’s not exactly an “Apples to Apples” comparison because stores typically sell albums while iTunes allows users to download one track at a time. To more or less even the score, 12 tracks were considered the same as a single album. It was only a month earlier that Apple passed Best Buy to become the No. 2…

For those of you who religiously use Parallels for the WIndows virtualization needs in OS X, you should be aware that there was a new update released today that has the appearance of being fairly important. After all, it now completely supports Windows XP SP3 and Windows Vista SP1, including full Boot Camp support in both. In addition, MacBook Air compatibility has been greatly improved, too. Of course, there are your other generic bug fixes and and performance enhancements as with any new release. Anyhow, definitely a recommended upgrade. Tags: apple (T), boot camp (T), mac (T), macbook air…

We have seen lots of clothing for catching WiFi signals, so it is no surprise that Nike Dunks have the same built-in. Named “A Step in the Right Direction,” the sneakers were designed by MSTRPLN and Ubiq. There are 3 LEDs on the flap enclosure that will go solid when it registers a signal up to 50 meters. These are not the kind of shoes to wear on a rainy day, we suspect. Contact Nike for price and availability. Tags: clothing (T), led (T), mstrpln (T), nike (T), shoes (T), sneakers (T), ubiq (T), wifi (T), wifi signal (T) Read More | The Geeky Traveller

Shades of Peter Pan! When you have perfected your shadow butterflies and head of Abraham Lincoln, you can now capture your own with the Shadow Magic Light Blaster for automatic or manual usage. It features a 23 x 28-inch Shadow Catcher glow screen and a light pen that you can use to embellish your portrait. The gadget needs 2 AA batteries (not included) and comes with a door clip screen hanger. Play away for $24.99. Tags: batteries (T), glow screen (T), light blaster (T), light pen (T), shadow magic (T), shadows (T) Read More | perpetual kid

Sanrio drags out another Hello Kitty creation with its new laptop. The Epson Endeavor NH2100 has a 15.4-inch TFT WXGA display, Intel’s Celeron 540(1.86GHz) CPU, Windows Vista Home Premium, 1GB RAM, 80GB ATA/5400rpm HDD, DVD-ROM/CD-RW, and IEEE 802.11b/g wireless LAN and Ethernet connectivity. Choose one of the two model designs and expect to pay 147,000 yen ($1,410.00) towards the end of the month in Japan. We wonder if Paris Hilton will want one after reading that she had a Hello Kitty Doll designed with her likeness. Tags: endeavor (T), epson (T), ethernet (T), hello kitty (T), japan (T),…

Reminiscent of the iDog is this multi-function 4-port hub with built-in speaker and LED light. Decapitate the Smart Dog’s head and you have a portable radio (88Mhz - 108MHz) to keep you company on the road. USB 2.0 compliant, it has both an in and out 3.5mm audio jack. At a size of 8 x 7 x 6.5cm, the radio/head needs 2 AAA batteries (not included,) comes with earphones, and carries a price of $19.15. Tags: 4-port hub (T), led (T), radio (T), smart dog (T), speaker (T), usb (T) Read More | Latest Buy

A report that 72% of journal articles on heart stents in 2006 failed to note who funded the research draws sharp criticism of disclosure practices

Stephen Wildstrom tries Research in Motion's new smartphone, which could solidify RIM's dominance in the corporate market

The electronics chain puts out the "For Sale" sign, hiring Goldman Sachs to assist on a deal, most likely with Blockbuster

Shares have slipped well below Microsoft's buyout price, and that presents a great opportunity for investors

The social network taps a fresh source of funds for $100 million and will buy more servers to support its growth in users and applications

Section: Audio, Portable Audio, Video, Portable Video Portable media players with 250GB of internal storage are hard to come by, for one many people don’t really need anywhere close to that amount of storage. However, Newman has recently introduced a player that comes in a few different models with storage options ranging from 80GB up to 250GB. The M8000 comes loaded with many nice features including 4-inch TFT screen, built-in camera, TV-Out, gaming support, a PVR and other multimedia support. It is also an HD quality portable media player and the video clarity should be really good,…

Section: Web, Downloads, Websites, Online Music/Video We recently saw the MPAA go after the now shut-down, but once popular torrent site, TorrentSpy. Now, the MPAA has gone after The Pirate Bay as well. The MPAA seems to be starting to crack down heavily on torrenting websites, so other such websites should be take note and be very careful as they move forward. Basically, in the case, the MPAA stated that “The Pink Panther” had been downloaded nearly 50,000 times. Personally, I wonder why they decided to use that torrent file as an example, I’m sure there are other files…

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Mobile, Gadgets / Other, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous Does the keypad lock on your phone annoy you? Well, you just might think different after you hear this. A soldier in Afghanistan accidentally called his parents while he was in the middle of a heated battle. The result was a terrifying voicemail that included the son yelling about needing more ammo and his gun having problems-and cutting off just as another soldier yelled “INCOMING!” His parents were understandably shaken but managed to get a hold of their embarrassed son, who assured them he was okay.

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Mobile Sony Ericsson recently had not one, but two new handsets hit the FCC’s approval list. The lucky phones are the R300 Radio and the C902 Cyber-shot. The R300 Radio is the less exciting of the two, and is aimed more at developing nations. This handset will be more on the basic side with a 1.8-inch color display, VGA camera, as well as a built-in AM and FM radio. The R300 will also feature Sony Ericsson’s TrackID application so users will be able to record small portions of music and be able to get the details such as artist, track and album…

Section: News, Computers, Laptops, Security An Apple Store employee whose apartment she was sharing with two roommates was recently victimized by burglars, however they had a happy ending thanks to the help of her stolen Mac’s screen sharing feature and built-in webcam. After the house was burglarized by thieves, the Apple Store employee received a call from a friend asking if she was online, since it appears that she is online on her friend’s computer. The victim immediately logged on to the Internet and used the Back-to-My-Mac program and found out that her Mac was indeed…

They said RIM's BlackBerry 9000 would be formally announced on the 12th. They said it would be called the Bold. Photos suggested that it would be the sexiest thing to come out of Canada since Sarah McLachlan's Fumbling Towards Ecstasy. And they wuz right. Boy Genius says it'll be available this summer on AT&T 3G, with a T-Mobile 3G edition in the wings—the handset can handle 850/1900/2100Mhz for HSDPA/UMTS, plus T-Mo's 1700MHz band. Sascha at PC Mag is reporting a CDMA/EV-DO version as well. Jump for more details—and giddy tittering—from sources all around the web, plus the…

Not so long ago we reviewed the Eye-Fi, a 2GB SD card that adds Wi-Fi to any digital camera. Now the company is expanding their product line with the Eye-Fi Explore ($129), Eye-Fi Share ($99) and the Eye-Fi Home ($79). The big news? Eye-Fi is now supporting hotspots and geotagging with the Explore. It should be noted that even though the cards are set at different pricepoints, the Explore, Share and Home all feature identical hardware (that's actually the same as the original Eye-Fi). So instead of making hardware differentiations, the company is pricing the cards according to the backend…

The scenario has happened countless times before. A pesky fly interrupts a dinner party. Brad, the club's resident tennis pro and notorious alcoholic, takes to his feet, Prince racket in hand, and smites the beast violently into a wall with a few tottering swings. OK, so it doesn't happen exactly like that, but you get the idea. Fly swatter, tennis racket or bare hands, the end result is the same. Boring. Enter the misnamed, but nevertheless brilliant, Bug Bat. The Bug Bat is shaped like a tennis racket, but the similarities end there. Anything that touches the strings on the racket face…

Our friend Robert Woodhead (of slow-mo Mentos-n-Coke fame) has kindly shared another of his Casio Exilim EX-F1 masterpieces, this time water balloons and china slowly shattering (and occasionally not shattering) to the tune of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. They're a mixture of 300, 600 and 1200 frame-per-second shots, set up in an uncomfortably vertical version of widescreen (tallscreen?), but they sure are fun. When will the slow-mo clips cease? you ask. Never, that's when. [Robert Woodhead]

One fun rumor bopping around the phone sites is that MWg, the smartphone maker previously known as O2 Asia, will be rolling out a Windows Mobile 7 phone in the fourth quarter of 2008, specifically the Flame II shown above. That's about a year earlier than we last heard. Everyone sounds skeptical, but you never know, the timeline could have been Boy Genius, or to see the whole MWg presentation, have a accelerated because WM6 isn't exactly a crowd pleaser. If you want a more complete roadmap, check out Boy Genius; for the original video presentation from MWg, look at MoDaCo. Either way, take it…

: Electric and alternative-fuel bikes are the future of individual transportation not because of their fuel efficiency but because they are extremely cool. That's right. Creators of eco-friendly motorcycles are pushing the limits of their designs to make them desirable to a biking community that sees little difference between their (relatively) efficient gas engines and the new-fuel wave of alternatives. Riding bikes is all about the cool factor, so the crazier and more technologically advanced they get, the more people will want to ride them, clean fuel or not. Gaze upon the alt-fuel bikes…

Olympus' E-420 is the lightest and smallest DSLR on the market. It also happens to take some damn fine pictures, thanks to top-notch optics and easy usability.

Latin America's top mobile provider says it has a deal to bring the iPhone south of the border. Mexico City-based America Movil, which has 159.2 million subscribers in 16 countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico, didn't give any details -- including whether it would have an exclusive.

Samsung's newest iClone has just hit the store shelves. Designed with a touchscreen and full QWERTY keypad, the Glyde is no iPhone killer, but it is a solid device with one rock-star twist.

: The Z9 effortlessly satisfies the standard phone user, and pleases the rest of us with a couple extra perks. You get your e-mail and IM; you can listen to music from the microSD card or buy some more. Calls are above-average quality (trust us, we've been shouting into an iPhone for the last year). In addition to 2-megapixel shots and recording video, it can also video share -- send live video to other 3-G AT&T users, which is great for broadcasting scenes from your DIY fight club or natural disasters. But the star of the show is the GPS. This is no cell-tower GPS Lite that only tells…

David Pogue explains the mystery behind the Toyota Corolla mileage counter on his home page.

David Pogue tests Apple’s Time Capsule, which backs up your computer automatically, constantly, completely and wirelessly.

How should teachers deal with phones in class? One teacher argues that schools should just get used to them -- and teach responsible use of the devices.

I’ve written several times about the annual conference known as TED, which stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design. It’s 50 talks over four days, each 18 minutes long. The talks range from hysterically funny to deeply moving. Each year, three of the speakers are awarded the TED Prize, which is something like a “make a wish” [...]

A reader complains about Apple's policy on replacing a cracked iPhone screen.

It can be about jailbreaking, apps, sources, etc. If you need help just post a comment and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Also, if you would like to know how I jailbroke my iPod Touch here is my post with instructions. Editor Note: There is more then one way to jailbreak your iPod Touch, you can also use this 1.14 jailbreaking method by lonestag. Share This

Well I am back from a break and if you want a great place to find and install 3rd party apps here are instructions that I have created and currently used to jailbreak and install apps: Here is the source:blazeco.info/blaze.xml 1 Open the installer app 2 At the bottom click sources 3 Look at the top and then click edit in the right hand corner 4 Click add 5 You can now add whatever source then let it refresh sources 6 Go into recent packages and you should have a bunch of new apps How I Jailbroke my iPod Touch using this method: Use: (blazeco.info/blaze.xml). When you install that source go…

How cool would it be to play game consoles on your iPod?!? TOTALLY AWESOME DUDE!  If you read my first post named “Emulators and ROMs,” you would understand there is a way to play games on your iPod such as Super Mario Bros., Sonic the Hedgehog, and the list goes on. It gets a bit tricky when you add ROMs to these emulators because you have to find the ROMs, SSH into it, add folders, and BLAH BLAH BLAH. People don’t want to do that…we all want the EASIEST way to add ROMs into our emulators. We just want to click on a ROMs packages and VOILA…ROMs in our…

I have gotten too many emails on whether or not to jailbreak your iPod. DO IT. Seriously, you need to at least try. So far, there is no possible way to completely break your iPod other than throwing it on the ground and jumping on it. I have bricked and “broken” my iPod so many times that I have lost count. This is because I try beta apps and jailbreak methods. You don’t have to. That is why I’m here. You don’t have to worry if something goes wrong. If it won’t connect to iTunes, you have a problem during the jailbreak, or some other problem where your iPod…

The writers of ipodtouchhacks.com are faced with lots of questions from people. There are 2 kinds of people that we face everyday. First, there are people that are interested in jailbreaking their iPod, but are scared of what might happen. These people are more concerned with what they benefit from jailbreaking their iPod. They come to us with questions and concerns about the whole process of jailbreaking. Secondly, there are people that already jailbreaked their iPod, but are in urgent need of help…due to an error and things not going smoothly. I’m writing this post to help Lone Stag and…

But Dartmouth is 'in a holding pattern' with its wait list.

Hundreds of UC-Berkeley students rallied to spare the department of East Asian Languages and Cultures from cuts.

Obama needs only 169 more delegates for the nomination.

Political bloggers on Clinton and other issues.

This is a sad and dangerous time for Hillary Clinton.

Whether you're flying a jumbo jet at night or working on a crossword puzzle in the dark, the Pilot's Pen is a nifty solution. The LED-powered penlight illuminates the page while you write, or you can retract the ink and just use it as a mini flashlight—useful for checking a map or locating something in the night driver's glove compartment. The Pilot's Pen will set you back 20 bucks, and it's available at Amazon. Pilot's Pen [Cool Tools]

Got a product you want to find for a steal, but not enough time to run through Fatwallet, Slickdeals, BensBargains, or any other of the deep-discount sites? Deal aggregator Combyo gives you results on any product, filtered by date, source, or category, and lets you set email price alerts for anything that's just not cheap enough yet. It's fairly similar in purpose to previously-mentioned Dealighted, but the interface is a lot cleaner and easier to run through (Original Dealighted post). Combyo [via MakeUseOf.com]

When a surge of guilt hits just as you're digging your fingernails into the shrink wrap around your latest gadget, you know you've probably made a rushed, unhealthy impulse purchase. The No Credit Needed financial blog suggests a "$100 rule," in which any purchase price is divided by that amount and considered for that many days—a $300 PlayStation 3 gets re-considered for three days, a $1,400 MacBook is delayed for two weeks of researching, and so forth. I'd have to scale that rule down to $50, or else end up arriving home with a new Wii game every Friday, but as the author notes, the…

Web site ReviewGist gathers the results of expert reviews from around the web to give you a better understanding of the pros and cons of a potential purchase. Aside from its deep analysis, which dives into the nuts and bolts of what a reviewer liked and disliked about a product, ReviewGist also provides a great comparison tool to check the ratings of similar products side-by-side. While a lot of people tend to stick to the consumer reviews on the site they're purchasing from, like Amazon, ReviewGist looks like a great place to check out the broader merits of a product before making a big…

The Driinn Mobile Phone Holder declutters your charging portable device by providing both a place to store your device and a method for controlling its long cable while it charges. This charging holder is about half the price of the previously mentioned Socket Pocket and charging hammock, and the wrap-around for long cords really cleans things up. The Driinn Mobile Phone Holder comes in a variety of colors and will set you back around $7 at Amazon. Driinn Mobile Phone Holder [Amazon via Unclutterer]

The USB Smart Dog Hub is one crazy dog. This cute little 4 port USB hub is also a radio. Well his head is a radio anyway. It’s also a speaker. And his head detaches so you can take the head radio with you. Although you might get some weird looks walking around with a dog head radio or having a headless dog body USB hub on your desk. Product page via NerdApproved

Here’s a simple concept to embed a squeegee into the edge of the window so that when you open it, the other window gets cleaned. But what happens to all the dirt- does it just get piled onto one side? And what about the other window? Obviously it still needs some work but in theory it’s a good start to something. via Yanko

Everyone’s seen those claw games where you drop a quarter in and try to manipulate the claw to pick up a stuffed animal that ends up costing you $20 in quarters when you could have just bought the stuffed animal for $5. Well now they’ve added another degree of difficulty to the game while upping the prize ante to something a little more adult friendly- live lobsters. This Maine machine lets you maneuver the claw for 30 seconds for $2 while you try to pick up the squirming lobsters and get yourself a cheap dinner. Not so easy to do since the lobsters are moving around. Watch the…

Help me Obi Wan, you’re my only soap! If you’re a true Star Wars fan and are looking for the complete Star Wars outfitted house, then you need the R2D2 Shampoo Bottle for your shower or bathroom. Nothing says look at my complete dedication to the Force like a lotion pumping droid. The R2D2 dispenser can be filled with soap, shampoo, lotion, bath gel, or any other liquid bath product you wish to geekify. Available for $22 at JBox

Check out the working lamp made from a Nintendo classic Duck Hunt controller gun made by some crafty fangirl. The NES cartridge is actually not real- it’s made of cardboard and is 1.5x the size of a real one (which would have been too small to serve as a base). The awesome shade features that annoying dog that taunts your every missed shot. via Crunchgear

You've finally gotten used to carrying a smartphone. Now, Oakland start-up Livescribe wants to persuade you to also carry a smartpen. Its clever new Pulse pen makes a strong case.

Start-up Axiotron took an off-the-shelf MacBook notebook, deep-sixed the keyboard and display and slapped on its own converter kit. The result is a modified tablet PC that, in lieu of a mouse and keyboard, lets you draw or write with a special pen.

Music and technology have long made an attractive duo, from electric guitars to grand pianos that connect to the Internet. A new music-tech pairing arrived this week, though it's not nearly on such a grand scale. The Beamz laser music system, from a Scottsdale, Ariz., company called Beamz Interactive, is a funky, $600, W-shaped, music-playing contraption that connects to a Windows PC via USB and works off six laser beams.

It carries a geeky name and an extraordinarily steep price for a television with just an 11-inch screen.

You're trapped in bumper-to-bumper traffic, praying you can soon escape the mess. The radio isn't even mentioning traffic tie-ups along your route, much less broadcasting commuting alternatives. If only the drivers ahead of you could somehow steer you to freedom.

Verizon Wireless and Samsung have launched a new phone which features a full QWERTY keyboard and a touch-screen. The phone, called the Samsung Glyde, includes a 2 megapixel camera with flash and is able to support up to 8GB of external memory thanks to its microSD card slot. The phone will also feature stereo Bluetooth support including advanced audio distribution. Besides supporting services such as VZ Navigator, VCAST Music and Video, and instant messaging using AIM, MSN and Yahoo! the Samsung Glyde also includes a music player which supports MP3, WMA and unprotected AAC and AAC+ files. An…

Looking for a low-cost ultraportable, but not sold on the Eee PC or the HP 2133 Mini-Note? Not a problem–MSI’s Wind might be just what you need. Up until recently we haven’t had the full story on this notebook, but details have been leaking in and now a retailer has finally posted the specs online. Here are the details, courtesy of Expansys: ID / color - Black LCD - 10″ (1024×600) LED backlit Chipset - 945GMS+ ICH7-M Webcam - 1.3M CPU - Atom 1.6GHz Memory - 1GB (on Board) HDD - 80G WLAN - YES BT - YES OS - XP Home Battery - 3 cells Carry Bag - Protective bag Still…

NASA is looking to update its Ames Research Center’s supercomputer in Moffett Field, CA. The new plan will feature a petaflop machine by 2009, which is 1,000 trillion operations per second, and will be built in stages allowing for a maximum throughput of 10 petaflops by 2012. To put those numbers into perspective, the fastest supercomputer in the world right now is IBM’s Blue Gene/L capable of 478.2 Gigablops (0.4782 petaflops), or roughly half the speed of the planned 2009 system, and 1/20th the speed of the 2012 system. The new system will be built using chips from Intel and…

If you’re a Canadian resident and you own a new first, second or third-generation iPod you may be entitled to a small credit from Apple Canada. Well, that is if you purchased your iPod before June 24, 2004. The credit comes as the result of a proposed settlement of two lawsuits, as reported by The Gazette. Both lawsuits claimed that the rechargeable battery included with the iPod would drop from the eight hours of use during the first year of ownership to only three hours of use between charges in the second year. The first lawsuit was filed by Ines Lenzi of Montreal. The second was…

What lessons can we learn from founders of companies that either made a lot of money in the dot-com days or should have and missed the opportunity? A new book by Sarah Lacy, “Once You’re Lucky, Twice You’re Good”, aims to show us by including lessons from Marc Andreessen and other notables from companies like Digg, Facebook, PayPal, and others. If you’re looking for some instant lessons now, CNNMoney put together lessons learned from four New York City dot-com guys who are making a Web 2.0 play. The list includes Philip Kaplan (F**kedcompany.com), Jeff Dachis…

E-Ink's newest segmented display cells are 40 percent thinner and may be cut to any desired shape. The first device to feature them is a wireless key fob from Delphi. The SDC products are simple digit, icon and alpha-numeric displays, offering exceptional readability in a paper-thin form factor that uses minimal battery power. The new SDCs are 40% thinner with a wider operational temperature range and increased flexibility for repetitive 3-D bends or 2-D conformable solutions. Applications include consumer electronics, PC-accessory, display smartcards, capacity indicators, electronic shelf…

A New York woman used .Mac's Back to my Mac remote login feature to take shots of the man who stole her laptop. Duplaga immediately signed on to another Macintosh computer and, using a feature called “Back to My Mac,” was able to gain access to her missing laptop remotely. She could see that that the person who had her computer was shopping for beds, Mr. Jackson said. Then it occurred to her that she could activate a camera on her laptop and watch the thief live. At first, the photo application revealed only a smoky room and an empty chair, Mr. Jackson said, but then a man sat down. Ms.

From OS NewsA few days ago, Marc Balmer, OpenBSD developer, received an email from an OpenBSD user. The email claimed that SAMBA would crash when serving files off an MS-DOS filesystem. Balmer got into contact with a few SAMBA developers who claimed that SAMBA uses a special workaround in order to function properly on BSD systems: the code for reading directories in all BSDs was flawed. Understandably, Balmer's first reaction was disbelief. "Of course my first reaction was to blame Samba," he writes. Despite his initial reaction, he decided to dig deeper into this case, and he uncovered a bug…

From Spinneyhead's photoset.

Over at the mother Boing, Cory spotted this fantastic mod: armed with a vintage vinyl record cutter, Aleks Kolkowski attended Manchester's Futuresonic 2008 festival, burning audio files for festival goers on old, discarded compact dics and making them capable of being played on any old phonograph. Golden-eared audiophiles will now have a new aspect to consider in the Vinyl vs. CD debate: does a record CD sound better than vinyl? CD Recycled 45 RPM [Futuresonic via Oh Gizmo]

We've seen a NES controller case mod, a gigantic fake NES controller, and even a huge functional Atari controller, but never a humongous working Nintendo controller that doubles as a coffee table. Until now. Kyle Downes, a man I wish lived next door, was the creator of this wicked controller table. Kyle spent months putting this together, starting with a scanned image of his original NES control. This he then simply scaled up, carefully crafting each piece out of MDF and hacking his own wiring onto a broken old controller board. The glass can be removed if you want to use the controller to…

Apparently this video is old. So old in fact that it was first discovered painted on the inside of a cave in France. So, yeah, freaking ancient. But I had never come across it before and it's awesome, so here it is. If you've seen it already and feel the need to type an obligatory "OLD!" in the comments, go right ahead. I'll be the first to congratulate you on your superior internetellect. Then I'll track you down and kill you. Just kidding, I don't care. Anyway, this is a stop motion animation of a bunch of deaths in video games. There's Centipede, Frogger, and several other classics. It is…

Kid Icarus is one of the best games ever made. If you've never played it you've never lived, but I'll give you a brief plot description anyways. Pit is an angel who has been trapped in the Underworld. He's given a magical bow by Palutena, Goddess of Light, to help destroy Medusa, Goddess of Darkness and Fugly, and restore peace to the world. Basically Pit rolls around kicking ass, avoiding those little grim reapers and eggplant throwers, looking good, and eventually sticks it to Medusa. It's good ol' fashioned fun and is available for the Wii Virtual Console. You should buy it, then we can…

You come home from a long day at the office and it's time to get your swerve on. What do you do? Push the Emergency Party Button of course! Basically, it is exactly what it sounds like; a button that instantly launches a party. When pressed, the blinds to my apartment close, the kitchen, hallway, dining room, and living room lights dim, the stereo starts blasting Haddaway - What Is Love, black lights turn on, laser lights start moving to the music, a strobe light goes on, and the fog machine starts up. With another press of the button, the party is gone as easily as it started. It may not be…

Well it's not news that lye has been used in the past to dissolve bodies. But now it's being considered as a possible alternative to burying, being shot out of a cannon, and cremation by the funeral industry. The process is called alkaline hydrolysis and was developed in this country 16 years ago to get rid of animal carcasses. It uses lye, 300-degree heat and 60 pounds of pressure per square inch to destroy bodies in big stainless-steel cylinders that are similar to pressure cookers. The resulting brown, syrupy residue can then be flushed down the drain, or, if you're a real sicko, applied…

I’ve just heard the shocking news that Rock has hit Rock bottom, as it were. In a sudden announcement made today, Dominic Wong and David Langton of Deloitte & Touche LLP were appointed as Joint Administrators of Rock Group Plc. Apparently the failure of Rock is “partly attributed to the cash flow difficulties faced as a result of stock misappropriation by a former employee,” though further details were omitted. As it stands, the admins are currently negotiating with potential suitors in order to place the outfit in more capable hands, but there is still a possibility…

I confess to getting a little bored with the multitude of iDocks knocking around. Few have pricked my attention such as the B&W Zeppelin, the loveliness of Roth Audio’s line-up and of course the gorgeous Vita Audio R4 but the latest from Gear4 has it’s own trick. The ‘Duo’ looks like another compact 2.1 speaker system for Apple’s tune-box but pull off the magnetically connected front panel and you’ve got yourself a portable, battery-powered speaker system similar to Gear4’s own StreetParty Size 0 complete with a fold-away kick stand. When you want…

Personally, with the weather as it is here in London, this is the only time I’d ride a scooter in a faux Italian kinda way. But i’d still miss the car-bound comforts such as hi-fi, video screen, etc. Not so fast! How about a scooter that packs a PC with a 1.2 GHz Mini-ITX motherboard, 1GB of RAM, a 2GB SSD, Bluetooth, and wireless internet into the frame along with a TV and radio tuner, 8″ LCD touchscreen, GPS, web cam, system status monitor, a mobile PVR and even an electric guitar PC uplink? The Lab will be putting instructions on how to build this media hub on 2 wheels on…

Well, I don’t really feel like I need to add anything to the picture. I think O2 are trying to tell us something…………….. The odd thing is that there hasn’t been any whisper of a release date for the next generation of the blower of the lord.

As you will have heard, Freesat will go up against Sky’s HD service and will be available across the UK - in fact - in 98% of homes. Users will have to make a one-off payment for a dish, set-top box and installation, but will not pay a monthly subscription. As you’ve got to track down your own dish you might as well get something a bit more groovy - enter the Sqish! Suitable to receive Sky as well as Freesat broadcasts, Sqish dishes come with the bonus of “sqishoflage” stickers . Squishes are from around £150, plus £25 for a sticker, available now.

OK, it must be the weather, here's bargain number 2 of the day! Refurb'd AppleTV's are now £135 (regular £199) on the Apple store. These never last long so grab one now...

XBMC for Mac took another major step forward today with the release of v0.5.0 beta 1. This brings extended support for the Apple Remote as well control from universal remotes and the XBox 360 remote. It also includes a raft of other features and fixes (we've noticed that ripping movie thumbnails and info from IMDB is working much better for example) and is based on almost the latest from the Linux port code...

We've just spotted another potential Home Server Bargain. The £129.99 + vat HP ProLiant ML115 is a 1.8GHz dual core server with 1GB of RAM (expandable to 8GB), a 160GB hard drive (plus room for 3 more), Gigibit Ethernet and a CD-RW / DVD-ROM. An ideal candidate for Windows Home Server or your favourite floavour of Linux. Full specs after the jump...

Perceptive Automation have just released v3.0 of their Indigo home automation software for the Mac. The upgrade is free for owners of V2 and there's a free 30 day trial download available...

In the second of our video interviews from this years Smart Home Show we talk to Iain Shaw, founder of the UK based integrators - Brilliant Living. Iain talks us through a live example of a recent custom installation carried out on a holiday home on the east coast of England. Using the beautiful AMX panel (around £3,000 worth) we see how the skill of an integrator can combine audio, video, lighting, heating, security and weather cameras into a single, easily managed interface... cdB52keLmHECheck out our Videos Page (Videos.html) for the High Quality options

We've commented previously that using the words "test" or "demo" for file names, examples accounts and other similar uses in demos it not recommended - it tells the customer that the application they are seeing is not "real".One simple solution is to change every use of "demo" or "test" to "production". This generates the impression that it truly is a real environment...!

Here's a very interesting recorded demo to check out:http://www.disruptormonkey.com/foundry/Comments?Here’s what I liked:- REALLY liked the “before” situation – very compellingly presented.- The groovy music, rather than a “professional” voice-over with background thrumming…- The recording/playback technology looks like a nice tool.Here’s what I thought they could do better:- What the heck is the deliverable??? What business process is this improving (web searching and information collection, I assume)?- Make it easy to take action. The company name and URL or phone should…

What vendors have you worked with that build recorded demos for online or website use? What have your experiences been?Here are the URL’s for three companies offering services in this area. Are there others to consider?http://www.flickerbox.com/http://www.vtdemos.com/www.Autodemo.com

During a call with a prospect today, the idea surfaced that there appears to be a relationship between the number of customer visits (or virtual meetings) required to secure each $100K of an order.For example, an order of $100K might typically require 2-3 visits, plus an additional customer visit for each additional $100K in the deal. A $1M order would thus consume 10-12 visits.Comments?

In PowerPoint Slideshow mode, the “B” key can be used to toggle between your presentation and a black screen. This can be very effective in face-to-face presentations when you want to direct the audience’s attention away from the screen. You can achieve a similar effect in Remote Demos (using WebEx, GoToMeeting, etc.) by using the “W” key.In PowerPoint’s Slideshow mode, pressing “W” turns your screen white. If you want to draw your audience’s attention away from the computer screen in a Remote Demo, use the W key and say, “I’ve just blanked the screen…” The white…

With so many other artists making that Earth-rocking apocalyptic electro (e.g. Justice and Busy P) that's so en vogue of late, Boyz Noise (aka Alex Ridha) stands out with his skilled hand behind the boards and the way he presents electro that's as toxically loud as it ...

RIM BlackBerry Bold(Credit: RIM)World: Say hello to the RIM BlackBerry Bold. *Cue dramatic music* You may know it as the RIM BlackBerry 9000, but today, Research in Motion officially took the wraps off the highly anticipated and much-rumored smartphone, complete with a new name. The "Bold" is in ...

When we reviewed Eye-Fi's Wi-Fi card for digital cameras back in November, it was but a lonely single child in the company's product portfolio. Today, Eye-Fi announced the birth of siblings, creating a tiered product line of SD add-in cards that deliver Wi-Fi connectivity--and now more--to digital cameras....

Anti Atlas sounds a little like the music you'd make if you spent too much time around Thom Yorke--which Radiohead manager Chris Hufford surely has. Hufford's return to recording is a narcotic--but never narcoleptic--brew of modern English down-tempo and classical strains. Download free MP3 now!  

French Kicks can not be accused of musical laziness. They blend manic rhythms, crooning vocals, and keyboards atmospherics to truly unique ends. This New York-based trio utilizes the original post-punk ethos and suffuses it with pop melodies. If ambient music were disco, French Kicks would rule the dance floor. Download free MP3 now!...

Since leaving my former workplace and starting my own business, I've identified only a few things I really miss about the old office. 1) The IT person, Mary.2) Free food at 10am or 3pm in honor of someone's birthday. Bonus if I didn't know the person.3) 401K match. This post relates to #1 on the list, Mary. Mary knew her way around FileMaker databases and she could do mail merges like nobody's business. If I had a question about creating a new database of contacts for media pitches, I'd consult with Mary. Whether I needed help with invitations to press events, preview DVD mailings, or…

I was in my home office yesterday, impatiently waiting for a large media file to upload, when my kids came bursting in looking for some mommy-provided entertainment. It used to be that plain paper, sticky notes and a yellow highlighter could keep them occupied while I worked on the computer. Nowadays they want to record videos of themselves using my laptop's built-in camera and the program PhotoBooth. Obviously, this type of play is not conducive to getting any work done. So lately I've resorted to allowing them to photocopy their body parts on my all-in-one printer-scanner-fax machine. I…

I was talking with a dad recently who had acquiesced to his sons' pleas to buy one of the Call of Duty video games without taking a close look at the game. When he saw it in action, he didn't like what he saw. Sure, there was strategy, but the voiceovers of soldiers acknowledging kill after kill got him thinking about whether he will pull the game from his three sons. Now, I'm not about to launch into the post to define all posts about the merits/detriments of violent, war-strategy video games. But I would like parents to know that there are some very good, easy to access online resources to…

So you want to buy your mom (or wife) something tech-related for Mother’s Day. Assuming that she actually WANTS new technology, and not a new necklace, bouquet of flowers or breakfast in bed, there are plenty of great ideas for mom – including these from our fellow tech-blogger Dory Devlin and Yahoo Tech Blogger Christopher Null. But here the list that really caught my attention – Gadget gifts NOT to buy mom. Pulled together by the folks at retrevo.com, a web site that matches non-geeks with gadets, the “not to buy” list includes: Non-Apple MP3 player – There are alternatives…

Last weekend my daughter turned 3 years old. In addition to a Dora the Explorer pocketbook, a Dora the Explorer-themed Candyland Game, and a Dora the Explorer picnic set (do you see a theme here?), she received a Leapster learning game system from her grandfather. For those of you who are not familiar, the Leapster is a handheld system from Leap Frog for kids ages 4 and up where all the games are designed to teach kids while they are playing (this actually has a term – “edutainment”). When I told my husband to direct his father towards the Leapster, I could tell he was skeptical. And…

eHomeUpgrade is currently seeking competent writers to blog on all the latest trends and happenings in the “Digital Home” space. Ideally we are looking for someone who has had personal experience using some of the many products and services covered on this site and is able to post compelling content on a regular basis. For [...]

A free software update is now available for EyeTV 3 adding support for H.264 broadcasts in standard TV and HDTV resolutions. The update also offers separate deinterlacing options for Standard TV and HDTV, improved on-screen menus (better font readability and thumbnail badges for unplayed recordings), and additional hardware support. Learn more about EyeTV 3.0.2.

Another day, another update to an increasingly powerful PVR platform. SageTV v6.4.2 is now boasting support for the Hauppauge HD PVR, automatic STVI Generation in the SageTV Studio, EXIF metadata/thumbnail support for JPEGs, new file system and network browser, playback support for YouTube’s H.264 videos, high definition photo display via SageTV’s HD Media Extender, and [...]

This news will probably excite those living in the UK more than anybody else, but Martin Millmore (aka MilliSoft) has just announced the availability of his new BBC iPlayer VMC Add-In that’s essentially a hack that scrapes the iPlayer website to grab data and transform it into something that media center can use for navigation [...]

With another demonstration of the power and flexibility of the Orb architecture, Orb Networks, today announced the world’s first way to stream live TV to the iPhone and iPod touch. For the first time, iPhone users can enjoy the immediacy of live sporting events and fast-breaking news on their phone. “TV on the iPhone is now [...]

Interesting piece on AfriGadget about mobile phone hacking in rural Africa: One of the more interesting innovations is the development of a dual SIM card hack so that users can access multiple carriers. This product has two SIM card slots in a single phone - primarily to support price sensitive/prudent consumers who wish to optimise their call costs by maintaining SIM cards from two different phone operators. As in many countries - calls to a customer using a different Ghanaian operator cost slightly more than those on the same network. Mobile Phone Ingenuity in Africa [Read More] [Comments]

Here's a cool project that shows you how to build a lightsaber like Luke Skywalker used out of a 1500 Hoover Vacuum Cleaner. Now if only you could use them in tandem and fight the "dark side" while cleaning up your living room carpet. How to build a Lightsaber 
from a vacuum cleaner [Read More] [Comments]

I saw one of the Sony XEL-1 OLED TVs in Tokyo and wanted to take one apart on the spot, luckily Bunnie just posted up some awesome photos! He writes - I was at the Embedded Systems Conference today in San Jose, and I saw a presentation where a Sony XEL-1 OLED TV was torn down live. It’s a sweet piece of technology, the crispest screen I’ve ever seen. Unlike LCDs, the screen doesn’t develop weird artifacts when you poke at it or twist it. I first saw it at CES in January, and then I got to lay my hands on it ever so briefly while in Japan a couple weeks ago…so tempted to get one…and…

At first glance, Stanford's Cool Products Expo looked like a regular college career fair. That is, until I saw the solar-powered car, tilting trike, Tesla car and BMW's hydrogen car parked on the lawn. Inside the packed hall, instead of suits touting companies there were dozens of, well, cool products. They ranged from a design student's clever silicone vegetable steamer to Belkin's newest remote control energy-saving surge protector. I loved that there was a broad mix of stuff, ranging from out-there prototypes to quite polished final products already on the market. (The most fun to look at…

Linus Åkesson made this amazing robot to clean out his kitchen chimney. In the end, the chimney was clean, and the kitchen fan worked once again. The claw hangs from a long cable, providing power and a control signal to the servo. At the other end of the cable is a plastic box with a power switch and a knob (actually a cog-wheel) on it. By turning the knob, you make the claw open and close. Inside the plastic box are batteries and a programmable micro controller, whose job it was to continuously figure out what position the knob was in, and report this down the line to the servo. More about…

The Samsung U900 Soul is without a doubt a very nice looking mobile phone and what better way to show it off to you in the video provided below. The Samsung Soul is a stunning quadband GSM slider handset with support of 7.2Mbps HSDPA, the main features that makes this phone stand out are a 2.2 inch QVGA display, FM radio, microSD, Magical Touch by DaCP, Bluetooth and the best bit has to be the 5 megapixel camera with Power LED flash and face detection plus Auto focus and image stabilizer. If you are into music then the Soul puts the Soul back into music because it has music library navigation…

Bell Canada has taken the stance that their customers want cool tricked out mobile phones, and they may well be right. So in the very near future Bell Canada are putting out the LG Vantage and Samsung Ace. The Samsung Ace is a dual-mode mobile handset with dual-band GSM and EV-DO connectivity, but sadly a lack of 3G with Windows Mobile 6 Standard, beautiful Blackjack feel, a lowly 1.3 megapixel camera and the tried and tested microSD; the Samsung Ace should launch 12th May, but as yet no word on pricing. Coming on the scene also is the LG Vantage a real slick design slider with a…

This June Eidos is to release to mobile the Commodore 64 classic game Jupiter Lander, the original game was first release 25 years ago and since then has been reincarnated a few times. The basis of the game is quite simple, the gamer steers a spaceship to safety via its thruster’s only as directional controls and land it easily at a choice of landing bays. Jupiter Lander has 10 levels and the gamer starts each and every level with a minimal quantity of fuel which of course gets less every time the thrusters are fired. As you progress through the levels each design gets more and more…

Invigorated by their apparent escape from takeover, Yahoo is jumping into the Windows Mobile platform with vigour, and has just released their new Yahoo! Go 3.0 beta for Windows Mobile, mobile phones. The new Yahoo! Go 3.0 has improved UI and Yahoo oneSearch, and has full widget support much like eBay, MySpace, and Wikipedia, while offering an integrated at-a-glance Yahoo screen. As with everything mobile, Yahoo! Go 3.0 keeps your data in the “cloud” so it can be retrieved on any device which can access the net. This means of course the user will be seeing a large amount of data access so…

Yes we’ve seen the Sony Ericsson P5 mobile phone, otherwise known as the Sony Ericsson Paris smartphone, before, and yes we even seen the specs before. But this is the first time we’ve been able to get hold of a clear shot of the Paris. Well yeah I suppose there have been shots floating about that show just cool the Sony Ericsson P5 Paris looks and hopefully they will be releasing in not the too distant future. The only real off putting thing I can think of is maybe the ROKR style keyboard which no doubt will take some getting used to, but once you are should be a breeze. A few images…

Filed under: HandbagsAre you suffering from campaign fatigue? Tired of seeing Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama duking it out on TV? Me too. But here's a bright spot: You can support the Democratic Party and make a fashion and political statement with the Change tote bag from Alexis Hudson. Company designers Rachelle Copeland and Emily Ironi teamed up with Los Angeles artist Greg Miller to create the bag. "The Change bag is designed for everyone who believes in hope, change and the Democratic party," said Copland. "It's a real statement piece!" Ten percent of proceeds from the sale of the bag…

Filed under: WheelsSo what does a superhero like Batman drive in situations when the Batmobile is just too obvious? A 640hp Lamborghini Murcielago LP640, of course. In the movie trailer for The Dark Knight (due out this summer) Bruce Wayne chooses the Lamborghini over the Batmobile in an attempt to be more subtle driving through town in the middle of the day. What did you expect? A Civic Hybrid? Lamborghini is apparently very proud to be associated with a franchise like Batman, saying in a statement "The Lamborghini Murciélago LP640 is the natural choice for Bruce Wayne's other car."I…

Filed under: PetsIt's not easy to find cutesy stuff for large dogs, I have a 65 pound mutt, so adorable sweaters aren't an option, neither are name brand carriers. I was excited to find this Swarovski retractable lead, it's covered with shimmering crystals and available in a nice assortment of colors. Walk your big pooch in style and be the talk of the dog park! Available online, prices range from $160 (dogs under 20 pounds) to $280 (larger breeds).Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Water, Real Estate DevelopmentsBritish Columbia's waterfront condo market is booming but I hadn't considered that the ample waterfront space might also be a spot for luxury yachts. The Vancouver Sun reports on the proposed mega-yacht marina which is scheduled for Victoria in 2009. The planned $20-million, 48-berth marina at Songhees would attract larger yachts ranging from 65 to 140 feet long and is designed to offer a permanent place for these larger yachts. The marina will be located at the entrance to the Victoria Harbour and will consist of two symmetrical one-story buildings…