YouTube will start paying some "select" uploaders, doling out wads of hard cash to video makers with ongoing series that have proven to be popular with viewers. YouTube's mentioned this idea before, and is still not saying when the largess of its parent company Google will start billowing out, but it's now asking for all interested YouTubers to speak up and start begging for the alms. Hope the company is set for a deluge, because anybody who makes a video thinks it's just ahh-some, don't they?

Come to think of it, this is going to be revolutionary. The prospect of pay-for-play could create a whole new class of videomaker, not a dweller of the Ivory Tower of broadcast but a middle-class erstwhile vid-volunteer who will suddenly be awash in cash. With the prospect of a hit video that pays big, this adds a whole new element to the uploading jones. Roll the open, cue the upheaval. – Charlie White

YouTube starts paying 'select' uploaders [The Register, via CrunchGear]

It had to happen. Someone is now selling Nothing, and undoubtedly, some suckers are buying it. It's a piece of packaging with a clear plastic sphere sticking out of it that contains absolutely nothing. Well, there's something in there, but it's just the same as what's outside it: thin air. And get this: It costs $6.28. It's Nothing for something!

Heck, if Seinfeld could makes billions of dollars on an entire TV series about nothing, certainly some enterprising entrepreneur can swipe a few thousand from those who want to send a message to their "loved ones." But if there's actually something in there, then this is not nothing, it's something.

So besides being a poor value, it's mislabeled. Might be worth $2 worth of laughs, but not $6.28. Is this that "nothingness" Camus and Hemingway wrote about? – Charlie White

Product Page [I Want One of Those, via Oh Gizmo]

Whenever there's an announcment about getting more file types to play back on the Xbox 360, PS3, or Wii, a lot of you always seem to want to remind everyone else that you're already running XBMC on your original Xboxes. Okay, we get it. It's great. Whopee! But if you are using XBMC, this $35 DIY kit can add IR-controlled On/Off to your beloved console.

With this installed, you can turn your Xbox on directly from your couch using the remote—or probably any universal remote—without having to run up and hit the power key. We wish our PS2 had this, since those three seconds of exercise are too much for our atrophied little hearts to bear. – Jason Chen

Remote [XIR]

Instructions [Awooga via eHomeUpgrade]

If you or your lady were going to buy an iPod nano armband or an iPod Nano case anyway, why not buy a pink one and support breast cancer research at the same time? These aren't pink because Belkin's trying to appeal to ladies (though that could be a side benefit), they're pink because of the breast cancer connection. Please, protect your iPod and the boobies. Especially the boobies. Steve Jobs doesn't come out on stage and whip a new one of those out of his pocket every year. – Jason Chen

Press Release [Belkin]

According to the WSJ, it looks like Yahoo is going to turn down Microsoft yet again. They claim that Yahoo just wasn't feeling the MS vibe.

These two star-crossed lovers seemed to be doomed to a world just friendly-flirting.

And thanks to the reader, only known to us as "Dean", for envisioning what the possible merger could of looked like down the road. Mmmm, pie.– Ben Longo

Microsoft, Yahoo Discussed Deal [WSJ via TechCrunch]

Just when we thought we had seen all the new UMPC platforms, Intel goes and springs another one on us. The Moorestown platform is claimed to let UMPCs last for up to 24 hours with normal/mixed use. It'll combine the GPU, CPU, and memory controller into one chip. It'll also support DDR3 memory and come in single or dual core flavors. Graphics-wise, it's expected to outperform Menlow by 50%. Personally I'd like to see lower prices as well, otherwise I'll continue using an ultraportable laptop (which lets me do more) over a high-priced UMPC. – Louis Ramirez

Intel Announces Moorestown UMPC Platform [DailyTech]

Although we finished the Zelda Twilight Princess game for the Wii back in November, we're kind of regretting the fact that we didn't wait until this Zelda Sword & Shield accessory was out before playing.

By slipping the Wiimote into the sword and Nunchuck into the shield, the realism level would have been so high it would be like we were actually plugged into the Matrix. Except instead of dressing up in all black, we'd be wearing our girlfriend's green dress so we can look like Link. Finally, an excuse! – Jason Chen

Product Page [Outpost]

Always wanted to own your own Battlebot but don't have the engineering skills or the wife's permission to build one? Well, now you can buy a pre-mad Battlebot "Road Rage", who fought in two actual seasons of the show and won three matches.

Best of all—as if owning a Battlebot wasn't cool enough—it's only going to cost you $300 or best offer! And if you know CL, that means people are lowballing him left and right with emails like "I've only got $235, can I pick it up tomorrow?" – Jason Chen

Craigslist [Thanks Joe!]

Stick a rose into this Outline Vase by designer Yuko Tokuda, and you've suddenly got yourself a first-class sight gag. Even though your mom may not be a big fan of gadgets, she still might dig a nice little piece of design like this.

The short one's $34 and the tall one is $48. And keep in mind, you still have plenty of time to get ready for Mother's Day on May 13, still more than a week away. – Charlie White

Outline Vase [MOMA Store, via The Uber Review]

RCA began selling the Gem line of MP3 players, including the Opal. Creative introduced its Zen Stone. And today Acer brings us the Gemstone. Earthly naming conventions are nothing new, from the PEBL to the i-Stones, gadget makers have long tried to portray their wares as organic, natural forms instead of the mercury laden, toxic ones the really are. But if consumer electronics companies really want to mimic nature...

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Pogue's back from vacation, and this week, he's taking a look at high def hard drive camcorders (or, HDHD camcorders), marveling at the gadgets that giving your boring home videos the same picture pizazz as professional HD content. In his words, the picture is "sharp enough to slice a tomato." And your goofy dad will never tape over old content ever again because he accidentally hit rewind bfore hitting record.

He tests the recently announced HDR-SR7 and the JVC Everio GZ-HD7, ultimately preferring the Sony's more stabilized shot, better battery life, and more grainy but detailed low light picture. The Everio's 3 chips, one for red, green, and blue, didn't do a damn thing for visual quality.

What's cool is that both cameras can get HD content onto standard def DVDs (even though you can't play them back in most DVD players). The Sony solution works on Sony Blu-ray players and the PS3. JVC has a proprietary burner that only plays back the JVC discs in HD, for $400. Sounds like a pain in the ass.

Pogue also has a list of his favorite gadgets posted on his blog. Worth a read.

Video review of the cameras, post jump.

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These two pieces of clothing have magical properties thanks to nanotechnology: apparently they can help prevent the flu, protect against smog, shield against pollution and attract beautiful women, who will feel an irresistible desire to hug anyone who wears them.

Never mind that this last extraordinary feature will be clearly balanced by the fact that you will be wearing a silver nanoparticle-coated gold-colored dress, with anti-bacterial and anti-stain powers. Or the fact that women may not appreciate your accurate explanation on how your palladium nanoparticle-dipped jacket gives you Deadly Gases Protection: +43.

Although this kind of material is not new, it's "one of the first times that nanotechnology has entered the fashion world", according to fiber science assistant professor Juan Hinestroza at Cornell University. "Fashion world" means that, if you came here looking for the hot chicks with golden spandex leggings, you will get to the right place by jumping now.

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Although this new patent by Apple may not make it into Leopard, it probably means we're going to get some new Dashboard features sometime in the near future. If you can remember back to last year's WWDC, where the multi-desktop "Spaces" feature was demoed, you won't be that surprised when you see where Apple's going with this.

The patent shows a cube with Dashboard widgets on each side, being shown as the cube rotates. The cube doesn't have to be a cube—it can be any 3D shape. This, combined with Spaces, should give the user a feeling of having much more room to maneuver than he actually has.

Other stuff revealed in the patent have to do with Dashboard organization and configuration, so you can take a look at that if you're a big fan of widgets. Or patent drawings. – Jason Chen

Apple patent details multiple Dashboards in 3D [MacNN]

It looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. Six hundred mirrors reflecting sunlight onto a massive 40-story tall tower out in the Andalusian countryside. Yet as eerie as it looks, this is Europe's first commercial solar power plant being operated by a company called Solucar. The structure generates 11 Megawatts of electricity—enough power for 6,000 homes. Here's how it works.

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Inspired by a "phenomenon called gamer widowhood where men essentially abandoned their wives to play videos games," Jenny began work on this design project. It began with a game of Pong where the paddles are controlled by two sensors in a bra (to be groped, obviously). The intimate game controllers have since further developed—the woman's bra now has six control sensors and the man's shorts also has six sensors to play different games. Personally, I'd be afraid of either the man or woman getting too into the game and hitting a sensor harder than should be hit. –Travis Hudson

Intimate Game Controllers [WMMNA]

Unlike the Turd Twister and Bathroom Louie, this fecal idea is pretty useful. A Quebec design student has created a concrete bench that heats by pumping water heated by warm sewage through the bench. In Montreal the sewer temperature stays at a toasty 60 degrees Fahrenheit most of the year. This bench uses pumps connected to the sewer pipe to pump water warmed by the sewage through the bench, therefore keeping your bum warm. Ironic? Yes, a little. Hit the jump to see a video explanation (don't worry, no sewage is shown).

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Here's an unusual angle on timekeeping that tickles our techno-lust for clocks, and this one's a twisty, affectionately known as the Tubular Time Word Clock. Its two cylindrical segments revolve around, giving you approximate times of day rather than sticking to that pesky precision to which we've grown so accustomed.

This is a truly odd design which looks like a pipe coming up out of your desk, but gives you a quick answer when someone asks what time it is: "Well, it's about three," you'll say. We're thinking it's about time somebody came up with a unique clock design like this one. Too bad that uniqueness comes with a $160 price tag. – Charlie White

Product Page [Uncommon Goods, via Coolest Gadgets]

Who'd have thought that months after the release of the PlayStation 3, the book of PS3 Melee Watch would get another chapter added to it. A San Francisco man was stabbed to death Monday night when he tried to help two women who were getting their PlayStations stolen by the man they were selling it to. The women chased down the thief, reclaimed the PS3, but the helpful citizen was stabbed in the fight afterwards.

So if you've got a PS3 to sell, be careful where you sell it. And bring some large friends for backup. – Jason Chen

Fatal stabbing over Sony PlayStation [SFGate via 1pstart]

How long do you think it takes to clear out an Airbus A380 with 873 people on board in an emergency situation? 10 minutes? 5 minutes, perhaps? Try 77 seconds. That's what the above video shows, an amazing feat of organized jumping and sliding that clears the entire plane out with amazing speed.

Of course, this plane is just sitting on the ground, and it isn't on fire, on its side, or in the water, so a real crash would obviously be a tad bit different. But still, it's somewhat comforting to know that if shit goes down the potential is there to get you out of harms way ASAP. Plus, those slides look kind of fun. –Adam Frucci

Really into DJ-ing? Pacemaker's pocket-sized DJ lets you practice your song mixing skills on the wheels of molded plastic, all from the comfort of your own pants. The Pacemaker has a 120GB hard drive, USB 2.0 support, a touchpad, and various other DJ-ing functions (including loop-in, loop-out, re-loop, cue point search, and other things we have no idea about).

As for support, you can play back MP3, WAV, AAC, WMA, and FLAC. Not sure if this includes protected AAC from the iTunes store, however. Available this fall. Which means you can finally say there's party in your pants and everyone's invited—and mean it.

– Jason Chen

Product Page [Tonium]

My biggest problem with giving the females in my life roses is the fact that they are dead within a week (the roses, not the ladies). It could be a metaphor for the relationship, but this year I will one-up those silly girls and buy them some roses that can't be killed. The LED roses bring a rainbow of colors to any room. And as a reminder, Mother's Day is a little over a week away, so you better get ordering. A set of four LED roses will set you back $20. –Travis Hudson

Product Page [Via Uber-review]

The new "TiVo Gets Me" ads, part of their $15 million dollar campaign, are good. They'd be smug and impotent as any squeeky clean gadget ad, if it weren't for the slip of college humor into each of these two clips.

First, Mr. Baseball, a TiVo fan as visually distinguished by his antenna, compares his TiVo with his cute but naggy girlfriend. She doesn't understand his love for the Great American Pastime, but TiVo does. In fact, there's only one other thing she can do that'll make Mr. Baseball's antenna stand up with more excitement than TiVo or baseball.

Then, the BBQ where the TiVo gents compare antenna size while roasting wieners.

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Well, the entries kept rolling in, so why not post them? This is the last batch of photoshops from our mini-contest yesterday, and it contains some more brilliance and some more absolute head-scratchers. This contest is officially closed, so thank you all for playing, and please stop disrupting my day by filling my email with creepy photoshops.

Don't worry, there will be more of these in the future, because I crave punishment. Nice work, sort of, to all of you, and enjoy the chops.

–Adam Frucci

We love a good, vintage mod around these parts and this Apple bus mouse garage door opener just tickled me pink. Maker S1axter found a gutted Apple bus mouse and was instantly inspired.

So I got bored tonight and started going though my box-o-cables and came across an old Apple bus mouse I had gutted years ago. I always wanted to turn it into a garage door opener but never got around to it. Well, coincidently the garage door opener for my apartment parking is the perfect size to sit inside the mouse with room for a switch.

Now, make one that works as a garage door opener and actual mouse for a car PC and I will be really impressed. –Travis Hudson

Apple bus moue as a garage door opener [MAKE]

I'm sure there's a non-perverted reason to own a night-vision webcam, but I have no idea what it is. Anyone? No? That's what I thought.

So if your girlfriend said no when you asked if she'd be into taping your pale, awkward lovemaking, just get one of these and do it without her knowledge. It's the classy and respectful thing to do, and everyone knows that amateur porn shot with night vision will get you famous on the Internet. Just ask Paris Hilton. –Adam Frucci

Product Page [via Red Ferret]

Are you more traditionalist than tech-obsessed, but still like those flat panel TVs? This Chadwick Flat-Panel TV Frame might soothe that technophobia by disguising your TV as a picture hanging on the wall.

It's not the first frame-up for LCDs and plasmas, but this one's available in three sizes, built to fit around either a 37-inch, 42-inch or 50-inch flat panel display, and then it takes its place on your wall as just another object in your art gallery. Maybe this would be a good gift idea...?

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I've complained for months that Vista hogs battery life. Yet whenever I would look a laptop product rep in the eye and ask (most recently, HP and Gateway), I'd get a blank stare that says, "We can't really tell you." Now, the courageous folks at ZDNet have confirmation from inside HP. The Aero Glass interface is, indeed, a leech and a half.

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It'll be a long time before anything like this makes it into the mainstream, but Microsoft's DigiDesk concept is a geek's dream come true. It's basically a giant laptop with two touch-sensitive panes. You can re-size windows, scan documents and even perform voice searches with just a few taps of the display. The video after the jump shows the desk in action, though unfortunately it's a little heavy on the business features of the desk and doesn't even scratch the kind of media possibilities something like this could have.

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From the department of awesome overseas ideas is this store, which isn't so much a store but a massive vending machine. This is the UNIQLO store in Tokyo and the products for sale are just T-shirts crammed into tubes. Look at the pictures, insert the money and choose your shirt—easy peasy. Stateside, I think we need back from the high-tech vending machines and create something more practical, like a T-shirt vending machine store. –Travis Hudson

World's Biggest Vending Machine: An Entire Store [Gadget Lab]

Brian Lam, our lovable whip-cracking taskmaster, was interviewed this week as the Cool Geek of the Week over at BornRich. He waxes poetic on everything from what gets him amped about running Giz to what gadget Saturday night would be if Saturday night were a gadget. It's a fun peek inside the warped mind of our fearless leader, so you should go on over check that out. Nice work, Blam.

Oh, and yeah, that picture above is the one he voluntarily submitted to be posted with his interview. Yes, that's our boss. Yes, it's a strange, sometimes awkward work environment. –Adam Frucci

Brian Lam - Cool Geek of the Week [BornRich]

I've been waiting to buy a piano for years, but something's always been missing. Sure, they're timeless, classy instruments, but I require some tacky fad to be attached to anything I own. Something like an… iPod dock?

Perfect! The horribly named iQ is a piano with an iPod dock that can play back music as well as have music played on it. Why invest in a beautiful piano you can be proud of for years when you can get one that's totally gimmicky and you'll be embarrassed of in a year or two? –Adam Frucci

PianoDisc to present its iPod docking piano 'iQ' [Aving]

Today Acer lifted the veil on its new laptop design, and so far we're not overly impressed. Okay, so the notebooks have smoother lids and more "opalesque" curves. There's even a neon blue light (think Tron) that streaks from the DC-in port on the side to the power button just beneath the keyboard. These are nice improvements over previous designs, but what we're really pumped about are the speakers. Here's why.

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Okay, so technically it's been over a month (6 weeks plus a few days) since I started using the HairMax laser comb. I started back on March 23rd and did my final sweep this past Wed. The results? Well, as you can see there are none. My hair has grown, yes, but only from the sides and that's because I haven't had a haircut in over a month. The bald spot is precisely the same as it was in March. The lonely strands still look lonely and the bald spot looks no smaller. So fellas, take it from me. You're better off stashing your $400 'cause the lasers (no matter how many you use) are gonna do squat. Good luck to our friend, Dan. It's looking bleak, bro. – Louis Ramirez with video by Richard Blakeley

Product Page

Hands On [Gizmodo]
Lab Rat Week 1 [Gizmodo]
Lab Rat Week 2 [Gizmodo]
Lab Rat Week 4 [Gizmodo]

The Wall Street Journal says that Microsoft and Yahoo are back to talking about a merger, after a serious flirtation a year ago. Seems the Goog has grown stronger of late (something to do with utter dominance of online advertising, coupled with new and promising consumer software apps) and one thing Yahoo and Microsoft can do about it is get together, like platonic friends from college who meet up again, desperate and lonely, at their 10-year reunion. Will it work? Can you imagine the branding nightmare? They say "merger" but can you really see Gates, Ballmer and the rest of Redmond sharing the keynote stage, especially with Terry Semel? Feel free to share your vision of the scariest (or most surprisingly utopian) Microsoft-Yahoo mashup. – Wilson Rothman

Microsoft, Yahoo Reconsider Merger [The Wall Street Journal]

It would seem that the shorties in developing countries are a hot new market indeed. Last month, we reported that Asustek, makers of the Asus-branded laptops, would be introducing a flash-based $199 laptop. Well, economics being how they are, the price is now looking like $249 (at the low-end, on up to $400), and the models are confirmed to be based on Intel's Classmate PC design: a 7" LCD at 800x480, an Ultra-Low Voltage (ULV) Celeron M 900 with no L2 cache, and 256MB of DDR-II, presumably with a version of Windows embedded in memory.

According to Ars Technica, Asus will first build its own edition in July; Asus will begin the official Intel Classmate PC production in September. There's no mention of the quantity of installed flash-memory, but Ars does say that the Classmate PC may give the OLPC XO a run for its money:

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We've seen phones with lots of crazy features, but in my opinion BenQ's fat-measuring phone beats them all. The alleged phone keeps track of your pudge by shooting out a micro-current that travels through your body.

When you touch two separate electrodes on the phone, a special chip will measure the electrical signal and before you know it, you'll be dropping those Twinkies in no time flat. I think the idea is pretty far-fetched—the last thing anyone wants is a phone telling them when they've had one too many Doritos. – Louis Ramirez

Body Fat Measuring Phone from BenQ [Unwired View]