November 25, 2007

Software

Desktop Evolution: Windows and Mac OS Comparison

Posted by Haroon Malik at 4:45 PM on November 25, 2007

AP08251107GI.jpgSince Windows 95 dropped, our desktops have evolved no end. Having recently had a fresh Leopard install on our Macs, we thought we would take a look back, with a side-by-side comparison of Windows and Mac operating systems. All the major releases are here, and it is interesting to see the general progression made. Jump for our ridiculously large and awesome image:

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Gadgets

Play Famicom Cartridges on Your DS With CYBER Familator Lite

Posted by Adrian Covert at 4:07 PM on November 25, 2007

ds_famicom.jpgThe CYBER Familator Lite is an Akihabara-esque gizmo that snaps onto your DS Lite and lets you play old Famicom cartridges on your DS screen (If you can hunt down an adapter, you can play NES games as well). I think we should forget the Familator Lite is bigger than the DS, and that an emulator can do the same thing, because you get real 8-bit goodness on your DS. It's like drinking Coke in a glass bottle – it just tastes better. The CYBER Familator Lite is expected to surface in Japan next month. [CYBER Gadget via DS Fanboy via Technabob]

How Gizmodo Celebrates Thanksgiving (With a Lightsaber)

Posted by Mark Wilson at 11:23 AM on November 25, 2007


Disclaimer: This commercial may be super old or something, but we're accustomed to ripping our juicy entertainment free from the stinky shell of advertising, to consume with our bare hands, the pulp and syrups flowing down our arms. And besides, any commercial that uses a lightsaber to carve a turkey is pretty much a must post on our part. Man, we'd love to see this guy go to work on the pie next. [superpunch]

Random Stuff

Bank Robbers Are Wearing iPods Now?

Posted by Mark Wilson at 10:18 AM on November 25, 2007


r205666_782673.jpgNSW police stopped a Bank of Queensland robbery in the Sydney suburb of Rhodes, arresting three men. The funny part? We think one of them may have been wearing an iPod, given that trademark white earbud cord sticking out of his pocket. It's possible that, having cold feet at the last second, this scared masked man cranked some Judas Priests to get in that important armed robbery state of mind. Or maybe he wanted to ensure that his Nike+iPod account gave him credit for all those steps he'd be making later, sprinting from the cops. Either way, it's a bit funny and a bit sad. But from our perspective, mostly just funny. [ABC News via digg]

Online

A Plush Webcam is Not a Tush Webcam

Posted by Mark Wilson at 9:16 AM on November 25, 2007

305.jpgHere's a cute 1.3MP webcam that will only run you $US16.99. We just don't recommend it for the purpose we both know you are already planning:

"Oohh, you're so sweet. This little chipmunk thing is the cutest!"

"Sure, happy one month anniversary."

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Gadgets

Make a Metal Detector For Like 5 Bucks and 2 Minutes

Posted by Mark Wilson at 8:10 AM on November 25, 2007


We'll admit it: we'll lack the ambition to perform most of the hacks you read about on Giz. But taping a calculator to an AM radio to make a metal detector? That's right up our alley. And by "right up our alley" we mean probably still too much effort...but not by much.

Phones

CarPhone Solves Wireless Calling in Car Without the Need for Bluetooth

Posted by Haroon Malik at 7:30 AM on November 25, 2007


1P02241107GI.jpgSo, you love your phone and your car so much you want to create a hybrid, but you are not going to embark on your ultimate mod before seeing some proof that it is possible. Thanks to some fellow, who deemed it fit to create a car/phone hybrid, your curiosities can now be settled.

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Deals

Dealzmodo USA: 10 Cyber Monday Deals Worth Checking Out

You didn't want to stand out in the cold for your deals on electronics, risking death by trample to save a few bucks? We can't blame you. So here are ten great deals you can get from the comfort... Read More »

Entertainment

MBL Speakers Look Steampunkish, Cost More Than a Black Market Left Kidney

Posted by Haroon Malik at 6:15 AM on November 25, 2007


P01241107GI.jpgMBL's new X-treme Speakers may look mighty impressive, but that has nothing to do with their ability to deliver "acoustically brilliant" sound, their ridiculously huge 6ft tall deep bass towers containing four 12" subwoofers, or the immense one month assembly/delivery time. No, the reason for their brilliance lies in the implementation of two vibrating element omni-directional drivers, which are seated on a platform constructed from wood, steel, acrylic and aluminum. The Steampunk feel the speakers exude is fantastic, but here is the shocker; they cost $US180,000.

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Computers

Concept iMac Commercial is Old Navy Meets Apple

Posted by Mark Wilson at 5:30 AM on November 25, 2007


This concept iMac holiday commercial was made by Ragus Media's Mark Richardson. While this may appear to be the product of a lot of patience and a very long power strip, Richardson informs us that each of the shots is actually a still rendered in Maya, taking about 8 hours a pop. Then light effects were added in after with Maxwell Render, which could be manipulated in real time on the production system, a quad core Mac Pro. Given the complexity of the light animations, that's pretty damn impressive. As for the spot, it really cracked us up—the love child of the star-crossed Apple iMac and $3.99 Old Navy sweater. [ragusmedia]

Entertainment

IBM Files Patent for DVD Commercials

Posted by Mark Wilson at 4:42 AM on November 25, 2007

100spindle.jpgFiling way back in February of 2006, IBM sought to patent a model for a dynamically updated, commercial-laden DVD. Essentially, the DVD would be coded to stick commercials in at certain points on the disc, which, depending upon one's reading of the documents, would probably not be skippable. (The commercial content itself could either be accessed from the DVD or downloaded from an online source.) And the whole concept is scary as all hell to us, even though IBM points out its potential use as offering a cheaper alternative to DVD. Here's the abstract:

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Games

Two Videos of Rock Band Drums Working on PC (Verdict: PS3 Is Cakewalk)

Posted by Mark Wilson at 3:44 AM on November 25, 2007


medium_2051691668_8e851f96d4_o.jpgGlory be to USB. Because just days after Rock Band's release, hardware enthusiasts have gotten the Xbox 360 and PS3 drum kits working on PC. But the methodology for each is different. The Xbox 360 version appears to work by making the drum kit become recognised as the already PC-supported Xbox 360 controller. It's not such a complicated idea since, after all, the drum kit is already built to replace many of the standard controller's functions. The hack requires about 10 steps of intermediate work—not bad, but the PS3 version is way easier:

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Entertainment

iPod Commercials Give Star Power

Posted by Mark Wilson at 2:36 AM on November 25, 2007

rock_stars_wanted.jpgIt's one thing to have your song play on TV during some random commercial. And it's an entirely different thing to have that song play during a commercial for the world's most successful music player. Take these two recent Apple commercial success stories: both bands see tremendous growth almost overnight after premiering in the famous iPod spots:

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Deals

Dealzmodo USA: $10 Off $30+ Video Games at Best Buy

Here's a quick reminder for those who may have overlooked this deal. Best Buy has a printable online coupon that offers you $10 off games that are $30 and up until Nov 28th. There are no other restrictions to... Read More »