July 17, 2007

Sony Announces Digital TV for PSP

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 11:51 PM on July 17, 2007

medium_onesegpspfull1.jpgIn an announcement that teases the US for our lack of our 1seg terrestrial digital broadcast, Japanese buyers of the new PSP will be able to receive DVB on their PSP. The PSP-S310 is a digital television receiver add-on for the new PSP that will run $58 and snap on the top of the unit much like their portable EyeToy. It interfaces via USB and will require a Memory Stick to function, despite a lack of DVR. Bonus pic...

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Space Invaders Clock Made From an Old TV and Propeller Chip

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 11:28 PM on July 17, 2007

invaders-thingie.jpgJason Hickman is a very clever man. Not content with modding an old Sony TV into a Space Invaders clock, he then decided that a mere digital time display was not enough. Instead, he decided to have the hours represented by the extra lives, and the minutes by the aliens.

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Crawling Zombie Vigorously Drags His Legless Carcass Into Your Heart

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 11:15 PM on July 17, 2007

crawlingzombie.jpgIf you're one of the hordes of the zombie-obsessed, you're going to love The Crawling Zombie, a legless, lifeless and red-eyed oaf that chases you across the table as he cries out such pithy sayings as "Hey, slow down, would ya? I can only crawl so fast!", and "I can't feel my legs," and even more wisecracks. Jump to the next page for a video of this undulating undead ogre in action.

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New iPhone rumours ·  More Rumors: DigiTimes claims that a new iPhone is in production and will ship in September. [digitimes]

The Loopty-Loopy-Loopita Takes Seating One Step Further

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 10:35 PM on July 17, 2007

loopita.JPG.jpgThere are worse places to sit than the Loopty-Loopy-Loopita. A fabulously ker-screwy concept in on-floor seating, it has been designed by a chap called Victor Aleman who probably got the idea when he dropped a large chunk of orange peel onto the floor and liked the way it fell. The best bit about this, though, is that if you fit a bunch of them together then it looks like Scalextric for the posh. Made of a single piece of red oak and covered with high-density foam it will no doubt be off-the-scale expensive - but think of the Loopty-Love you could enjoy with the chicks.

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Semk Cupcake Speakers Are Deliciously Kitsch

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 10:02 PM on July 17, 2007

cupcake-stereo-speakers-big.jpgYum Yum Yum. Semk's cupcake speakers are a world away from your average girly gizmo. Normally, I would run a mile from this kind of ultra frou-frou, pastel twinkiness, but these little objects are somehow different. Maybe it's because it looks like a cake and I LOVE CAKE. Of one thing, however, I am sure. A couple of the guys at Mondo Giz would love them - basically because they look like a pneumatic pair of tits, the nipples covered by heart-shaped pasties. No prizes for guessing who I'm thinking of, eh, Jason and Jesus? Fresh out of the factory, there's no word on price or availability yet, and the Semk site is playing silly buggers right now, but I reckon these will sell like hot cakes. Oh dear. [Technabob]

Tree Camera is More Sound Than Vision

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 9:16 PM on July 17, 2007

woodcamera2.pngThe Tree Camera is an MP3 player that's made out of wood and cute to boot. It has a 256MB memory, plays MP3s, WMAs and OGGs and plugs into the USB port of your PC.

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Revolutionary Biosuit Could Be the New Face of Space Wear

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 8:37 PM on July 17, 2007

biosuit1-enlarged.jpgA professor of aeronautics and astronautics and engineering systems at MIT has come up with a revolutionary new space suit that she hopes will take the place of the traditional, bulky number worn by astronauts over the past four decades. Although still only a prototype, Dava Newman's spandex and nylon Biosuit will offer space travellers more mobility and flexibility to explore the planets. If given the nod, Professor Newman reckons the Biosuit could be ready for the first human visit to Mars,thought to be about a decade away.

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M&M-like Headphones Invite People to Lick Your Ears

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 8:23 PM on July 17, 2007

candy-headphones.jpgElecom is releasing their chocolate candy-themed $20 in-ear earphones, following on their rosebud-shaped earphones. For some reason, I find these 20Hz~20kHz, 10mW colorful pieces quite attractive, but if you are expecting swedish goddesses to come on the street and lick your ears to see if you are really stupid enough to put M&Ms in them, well, it just won't work.

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Bubble Wrap Curtains (Verdict: Ghetto Classy)

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 6:33 PM on July 17, 2007

bubblecurtains.jpg If you're looking for a cheap but aesthetically pleasing and environmentally conscious way to both tantalize your neighbors and keep them from peeping all the goods, we can't think of a better way than bubble wrap curtains. Hell, we even have real curtains and we might put some of these up instead. If we can resist the temptation to pop it all. [Street Use via MAKE]

iPhone's killing wireless LAN with address requests ·  Duke's wireless LAN is being eaten alive by iPhone MAC address request swarms buzzing at 18,000 requests per second. [Slashdot]

Pro-Zune iPod Haters Respond To Hide-A-Pod With Their Own Fake Product

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 2:27 PM on July 17, 2007

gallon_gel.jpgSome people see the Hide-A-Pod fake Zune case for iPods—a totally fictitious product—and chuckle to themselves. A pocketful of Zune fanatics saw it and decided to invent their own fake rebuttal product, which they also called Hide-A-Pod. While the pro-iPod Hide-A-Pod is a protective shell, the anti-iPod pro-Zune Hide-A-Pod is a colorful gel. The gist is that iPod owners who wish to protect their investment can lube up and "stick it where the sun don't shine." For the shuffle you need just 2 oz., says the fake ad for the fake goo, but if you own an iPhone, you're gonna want a gallon. [Hideapod Gel] Thanks Nate!

Real Transformers Exist! And Yes, It's From Japan

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 1:49 PM on July 17, 2007

Remember that moment in the Transformers movie when the kid says that super advanced robots (the Transformers) must be from Japan? He was right. This robot, from what seems to be a Japanese robot competition/show earlier this year, actually transforms from car mode into robot mode. It's tiny, but there's nothing—except possibly funding and the fear of being killed by one of these things—to prevent someone from making a bigger version. [AnimeNarutard via PlasticBamboo]

Giveaway: Sony. Experience More - get narky to win!

Australian Post Posted by Seamus Byrne at 12:45 PM on July 17, 2007

intro_header.jpg

UPDATE: Tuesday comp is now closed. Move along to another day for your shot at a double pass!

Want a fresh shot at winning a double pass to "Sony. Experience More", Sony's lush showcase event at Darling Harbour next Friday night?

Yesterday we asked you to give us your best Sony fanboy act, so today we're asking for your best Sony hater routine. Some of you tried it yesterday regardless of our request for fanboys, so TODAY is the day to pull out your trolls. Again, as few words as possible. Our favourite 20 comments dropped below win the double passes.

Sony. Experience More. Monday Winners!

Australian Post Posted by Seamus Byrne at 12:38 PM on July 17, 2007

Close calls on the first day's efforts, but there can be only 20. Congrats to...

Vincent, Simon, PB, Blake, Steve, Si, CoRDS, Jared, Beau, Peter Hanson, Ben Laidlow, Aron, Harpo_74, Y W, Mr. Crash, Drvec, d-_-b, William, Niles, and Cameron Gribble. We'll be in touch with you all soon to grab details for the door list.

Another shot at 20 double passes to Sony's showcase event next Friday night very shortly.

Lego Aircraft Carrier Has Small Gravitational Pull

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 11:05 AM on July 17, 2007

carriersmall.jpgEver wonder what happens to all those Lego pieces you lose? I think they end up in the hands of Malle Hawking, the man responsible for building an absolutely enormous Lego aircraft carrier. Made from over 200,000 individual bricks, the leviathan weighs in at just over 350 pounds. It has working aircraft elevators, a hangar, radar dishes, electrical lights and a working catapult/slingshot for launching the jets. Bravo, Mr. Hawking, bravo. [Lego Aircraft Carrier]

Official AT&T 8525 Windows Mobile 6 ROM Leaked

Just like the T-Mobile Dash Windows Mobile 6 Upgrade was leaked about a week before the real release, AT&T's 8525 update has just been dumped onto the internet as well. What does this mean to you? Two things. One,... Read More »

Apple Illuminating Touchpads and Clickwheels

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 10:15 AM on July 17, 2007

AppleLogo2.jpgAccording to a patent filed by Apple, the company's MacBook touchpads and signature iPod clickwheel might be in for a very visual overhaul. The proposed technology will allow for both lighting and color responses to user interaction. If Apple follows through with its plans, when you get to use touchpads and clickwheels on next generation products, you might get a bit of a show. While most of it sounds fairly cosmetic, the idea of a touchpad that glows brighter with more pressure, follows around tactile input by the user, and changes color sounds pretty damn cool to us, and helps make things more intuitive on the user's end. The 34 page patent outlines the plans which sound like anything from an LCD touchscreen to a traditional touchpad backlit with LEDs. From the patent:

By way of example, it may be desirable to provide visual stimuli at the touch pad so that a user can better operate the touch pad. For example, the visual stimuli may be used (among others) to alert a user when the touch pad is registering a touch, alert a user where the touch is occurring on the touch pad, provide feedback related to the touch event, indicate the state of the touch pad, and/or the like.
Hopefully we'll actually see these ideas put to good use, rather than just a patent blocking others from using it. [US Patent Office via AppleInsider]

Asus T500 PCIe Card Better Than WiFi?

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 10:12 AM on July 17, 2007

t500.jpgMobile computing is getting a bit faster today with the announcement of the Asus T500 3.5G high speed PCIe card. Capable of pushing out a whopping 3.6Mbps downstream and 384Kbps upstream, Asus is boasting that this little rascal will provide connectivity superior to WiFi in some locations. In addition to bringing some serious bandwidth to the table, the T500 is also equipped with a handful of phone features.

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AT&T Apparently Offering Non-iPhone Plans to iPhone Users (As Promised)

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 10:05 AM on July 17, 2007

AT%26T-Star.jpgElectronista reports that if you get AT&T on the horn and threaten to cancel because of slow or unused iPhone Internet capabilites, they might try to strike up a secret deal: $40 a month for 450 minutes and 5,000 night-and-weekend minutes. Wi-Fi works but there's no mobile data. Also, you kiss Visual Voicemail and those 200 SMS messages good-bye, but you do save 20 bucks. Hmmm, that sounds suspiciously like AT&T's 450-minute Nation plan. Could this be fulfillment of Apple's original promise? 450.jpgBack when Apple and AT&T announced iPhone plans, they said, "In addition, iPhone customers can choose from any of AT&T's standard service plans." Could the secret rate simply be a standard service plan? If you try this, though, take heed: You will probably see added costs for text messaging, and you may really miss that Visual Voicemail. [Electronista]

Late running morning - in now and on the case. -SB. · Late running morning - in now and on the case. -SB.

Car Slippers Light Up the Bathroom Trail

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 9:08 AM on July 17, 2007

carslippers.jpgWe've seen flashlight slippers before, but were they in the shape of a car? Definitely not. These Illuminating Car speakers? Definitely shaped like cars. Not only do they have little light-up headlights that come on when you step in them, they're "ultra-soft" and plush, which means they'll be super comfortable on the cold floor of your bathroom. Plus, they cover your entire foot, so you won't have to worry about accidentally peeing on yourself thanks to horrible aim at 3 a.m. [Product Page via Techie Diva]

Sprint Mogul Software Update Gives Sprint Music Store Access

If you've recently upgraded to HTC's Sprint Mogul, the fancy Windows Mobile 6 phone we looked at last month, you should head over to HTC to grab the latest update. Along with adding Sprint Music Store support, which lets... Read More »

The Wave LED Coffee Table Provides Motion-Seeking Light Show

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 8:50 AM on July 17, 2007

light_table.jpgHere's an interactive LED coffee table that refuses to simply table your coffee—it twinkles and sparkles, reacting to movement. The Wave uses 32 near-infrared sensors which observe the space above the table and any motion detected is mimicked with trails of light and color from 480 LEDs. A cat, for instance, would be followed by LEDs as it walked across the table. Once sitting, only its moving parts would be responded to, such as its tail. It's good that the table only uses 35 Watts of power when fully active, or else mesmerized guests would run your coffers absolutely dry. Each 62" long, 31" wide, and 18" high table is made to order and starts at around $2,500. Check out the gallery if you're comfortable with the idea of a table entertaining guests better than you can. [Because We Can via coolest-gadgets]

Becks with a cheap phone holster ·  The almost always fashionable David Beckham was caught using a cheap-o belt clip for his non-iPhone. For shame, Becks. For shame. [GeekSugar]

Dr. Who Cyberman Shower Radio Picks Up FM/AM/Invasion Orders

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 8:30 AM on July 17, 2007

Cyberman.jpgShow your support for the intergalactic robotic conquerers with the Dr. Who Cyberman Shower Radio. Not only will it observe you with its cold, black sockets, the Cyberman Radio receives FM/AM stations and its mouth glows when you tune around. Its about six inches tall, has a hanging cord, and requires three AAA batteries to get going. Still, for 30 bucks, you'd think the thing could at least threaten your future as an organic being or radio a fleet of orbiting Cybermen warships. [Voga via UberReview]

Intel xeon info leaks? ·  A leaked Intel memo suggests a 3.16 Ghz quad-core Xeon processor codenamed "Harpertown" is on the way. [Electronista]

Give Your iPhone a Tramp Stamp With a Skinit Skin

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 8:07 AM on July 17, 2007

skinitiphoneskins.pngEver feel like taking your nice minimalistic iPhone and slapping a big ol' sticker on it? Well, lucky for you Skinit has your poor taste in mind. They've extended their lineup of decals to include the iPhone. And don't forget to add in the purchase code REVOLUTION so you can pick one up for $12. [Skinit via Reuters]

DVR is in the dictionary ·  The word (acronym) DVR actually made it into the dictionary. It's only Merriam-Webster though, the USA Today of dictionaries. [Merriam-Webster]

Cow Pie Clock is What All Gadgets Would Be if the Midwest Ran the World

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 7:15 AM on July 17, 2007

cow-pie-clock2.jpgI'm not even sure what to say about this one. The Cow Pie Clock is a clock and, well, it's made out of real cow shit. Yes, a pure, 100% authentic pile of Utah cow droppings with a clock mounted on it. If you're disgusting and/or insane, you can buy one online for $40-$50. Just look how happy this lady is with hers! You can't go wrong! [Product Page via Nerd Approved]

Wearable Pillow Makes You Look Like a Silly Nun

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 7:00 AM on July 17, 2007

pillowhead.pngIf you're the type of person that goes about your day wishing you had a pillow with you at all times, this crazy Pillowig design is for you. It's a pillow combined with a wig, and it's designed by Joo Youn Paek, the craziest Korean woman since Kim Jung Il. She said when she performed user tests in public spaces (subways, airplanes, libraries, laundromats), others said they would like to have one of these for their trips as well. We're unsure whether they actually wanted these things or just humoring her so she wouldn't go batshit insane and cause a scene. [Project Page via Neatorama]

The Classiest DJ Setup

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 6:30 AM on July 17, 2007

babygrandmaster.jpgMost DJ setups consist of a park bench, some crates and a beat-up trash can. This Grand Master DJ setup? Much classier. Someone took a grand piano, added four subwoofers, some tweeters, and the standard fancy DJ controls to where the keys are supposed to be. Here are the full specs:

Dual Pioneer DVJ-X1 DVD Players, Edirol V-4 Video Mixer, 3 Marshal LCD Monitors, Allen and Heath Xone 92 Audio Mixer, Dual 15" Subwoofers, 18" Subwoofer, 12" Subwoofer, 3 Bullet Tweeters, AB 1100 Watt Power Amplifier.
[Digital DJ]

Vintage Transformers Shirts

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 5:40 AM on July 17, 2007

vintagetransformers.jpgWe thought the new Transformers movie was fantastic, but if you're one of those people who were totally offended at what Michael Bay did to your childhood, these vintage shirts give you the chance to wear your feelings on your sleeve. Well, more like your Optimus on your chest, but same deal. Pick one of five "classic" designs, one of which isn't really classic, but still quite cool anyway. [NerdyShirts via Crunchgear]

Kensington thumb drives ·  Kingston is releasing two thumb drives: the 8GB DataTraveler II Plus - Migo Edition, which retails for $154, and the DataTraveler 100, which has a one-handed sliding construction and ranges from 1 to 8GB and has prices of $19 to $116. [Kingston]

Fake Foreskin Gadgets Create Real Foreskin Out of Other Skin

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 5:20 AM on July 17, 2007

972282.0.gifJohn Long, a man, really misses his foreskin. This is why Mr. Long bought the TLC Tugger, a lampshade-like device that's made to pull a faux-foreskin out of shaft skin. You stick your member into the lampshade-like connector and tie the other end to your thigh, which then tugs on your shaft skin the entire day. Does this gadget actually work? Beats us. There's actually four pages of this article talking about how men are using gadgets like the TLC tugger to "restore" their foreskin, but we'll leave the wonder of discovery up to you readers. [HoustonPress]

Cooler Master NotePal Infinite Cools Your Laptop (and Your Lap)

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 5:00 AM on July 17, 2007

Notepal-Infinite.jpgCooler Master's NotePal Infinite employs variable speed fans under a wide steel mesh bed to cool your laptop. Since the unit's air intake is located at the rear rather then along the bottom, the NotePal Infinite will probably be able to deliver the goods even on surfaces that aren't flat, such as your legs. (Who would put a laptop there?) All this technology is supposed to drop your laptop's temperature by up to 60 degrees, making it one cool pad.

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Sizemodo: PSP vs. Slimmer PSP

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 4:45 AM on July 17, 2007

pspsizemodo.pngWhat does 19% slimmer really look like? We compare the old PSP to the new PSP (slimmer) and say that 19% doesn't really make all that big a difference. It's definitely not all that much shorter (0.6mm shorter) and narrower (2.6mm narrower). So how much is 4.4 mm really? It's 0.17 of an inch. Nothing you're really going to notice. [Sizeasy]

Tiny Lava Light Cellphone Charm Blinks When You Have a Call

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 4:37 AM on July 17, 2007

mathmos_phone_charm_lava.jpgMost cellphone charms do nothing but sit there and be charming, but this one by Lava Lamp creator Mathmos actually serves a useful purpose: It blinks red (or blue, your choice) when you have a phone call coming in. Might be a good compromise between setting that phone on vibrate and possibly still irritating those around you, or missing all your calls. If you don't care for this retro-chic lava lamp replica, you can also get one shaped like a miniature light bulb.

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Huge iPhone Bug List

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 4:30 AM on July 17, 2007

IMG_0518.jpgFor those of you who didn't take our advice and wait on the iPhone, you may have found some bugs on your pretty new toy. It's one of the hazards of being an early adopter: You get to be free product testers before the first rounds of firmware upgrades. Curious what bugs have been found or how to fix bugs that you've run across? The crew at AppleHound has a list of 68 (count 'em) bugs that are on every iPhone, including how to make them happen for the curious and how to fix them (if possible) for the afflicted. OK, Apple. Where are the firmware updates? [AppleHound]

Brando's Sex-Themed USB Sets Show a Bit of Pink

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 4:15 AM on July 17, 2007

ULIFE011000_06_L.jpgThis is Brando's USB gift set for the ladies. It comes with a mini vacuum cleaner*, a light-up mirror*, a cooling fan (perish the thought that my boss might see me looking a bit sweaty) and a mood light pen holder. Of course, it's in pink. How thoughtful of Brando. There's also a men's version...

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Japanese Famicom (NES) Ads

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 4:00 AM on July 17, 2007

After watching this collection of old Japanese Famicom ads from the '80s, we can pretty much say there's not all that much difference between these ads and the Wii ads of today. There's definitely more of a focus on the games and accessories compared to the "what do people look like while playing them" ads of today. But in the end, you're not seeing some crazy console alone in a room with a demonic baby. [PlasticBamboo]

Pixar Short Subject Appeals to Neophytes of All Stripes

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 3:59 AM on July 17, 2007

UPDATE: Oh, it's been removed... Well, here is a link to the official site so you can taste the vibe. If you saw Ratatouille, you've already enjoyed "Lifted," the brilliant Pixar short subject shown before the movie, but for the rest of you, take a look at this poor alien noob who's having a bit of gadget trouble. [Neatorama]

palm treo 700 series updates ·  Palm released a software update for the Treo 700w and 700wx. Grab them now and get some improved dial-up networking features (among other things). [Palm via Boy Genius]

Anti-Shyness Nasal Spray to Finally Get You Out of Your Parents' Basement

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 3:45 AM on July 17, 2007

Shut-in.jpgScientists in London have developed a nasal spray that will help you get rid of your crippling shyness. The drug releases the hormone oxytocin into the brain, increasing self-confidence and lowering anxiousness. It's undergoing clinical tests right now, but scientists hope to have it out to the masses in just a few years. There's no word as to if this will be as effective as the current drug on the market that increases self-confidence and suppresses shyness, alcohol, but time will tell. [YahooSpulch]

Net Cowboy Webcam Illuminates the Goods

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 3:30 AM on July 17, 2007

Digital_Cowboy_1.jpgIf there's anything those amateur internet webcam video ladies need to improve their quality (besides, you know, exercising and eating right), it's more light. This Net Cowboy from Digital Cowboy of Japan does the job seven times over. It may look like a USB missile launcher, but it's actually a 1.3-megapixel webcam with seven LEDs to light up whatever's in front of the lens. It even comes with some software so you can view the cam through your cellphone as well, which is better than lugging around a laptop like we usually do. [Akihabara News]

NOW Watch is Always Right

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 3:15 AM on July 17, 2007

now_watch.jpgEven a stopped clock is right twice a day, but this watch is even more accurate: It's always right, because when someone asks you what time it is, just show them its face prominently displaying the word "NOW." But wait a minute, this is a fake watch. Damn. But you can't argue with its correctitude. For your humorless friends, just tell them it's a special precision timepiece supporting the National Organization for Women. Addy, our British Gizmodian wordsmith/babe, says it stands for Nobs Out, Wankers. Either way, it's on sale for $49.95. Seems like a lot to pay just to lampoon your clock-watching friends. [Elevate Films, via This Next]

Alarm Clock Thinks It's a Light Bulb

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 3:01 AM on July 17, 2007

lightbulb-clock.jpgHere's an alarm clock that mocks those old-timey incandescent bulbs, packing LEDs inside to show how those tiny diodes can run circles around antiquated tungsten filaments. From a Korean company called 10x10, its LCD panel in front shows you the usual time and temperature info, but it's that glow emitting from within that makes this cheap little trinket a thing of tacky beauty.

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Hide-a-Pod Keeps Your iPod Undesirable By Hiding it in a Zune

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 3:00 AM on July 17, 2007

hide-a-pod.jpgNow, this is just mean. Some Apple-loving pranksters have created the "Hide-a-Pod," an anti-theft device for the iPod that disguises it in something no gadget thief would want: a Zune. Sure, the Zune might not be all that social, but somehow I think that the types of people who steal devices off you in the subway aren't ones to discriminate by brand. If you really want to protect your iPod (or Zune), you should hollow out something that nobody wants, like a book of Buffy the Vampire fan fiction or something. [Hide-a-Pod]

Microsoft Home Server software ·  Microsoft says its Windows Home Server software has been released to manufacturing. Iomega and Fujitsu Siemens will join HP in making home-server products; various editions of the software will also be distributed a la carte. [Technet]

Internet Radio May Survive, But Only With Lots of DRM

Posted by Seamus Byrne at 2:37 AM on July 17, 2007

hometaping.jpgThe imminent death of Internet radio due to unreasonable licensing and fee hikes might not be so imminent, at least as long as radio stations are willing to pile the DRM onto their streams as de