RSS Feeds
Gadgets
Homemade Optimus Prime Costume Doesn't Quite Capture the Autobot's Masterful Walk
Posted by Addy Dugdale at 9:43 PM on December 12, 2007
It's long and a bit ponderous, but it's worth it when you get to the end of sister site Jalopnik's video of a guy struggling into a ten-foot tall Optimus Prime costume. Firstly, you get to see the bossman of the Autobots getting his gear on. A couple of minutes later, he's ready to move—and move he does, wreaking terror to the suburban streets. Er, heavy night, Optimus? [Jalopnik]
W00t, that expression of joy invented by gamers way back when Sonic and Tails were special friends, has been given the accolade of word of the year by Webster's dictionary. The word, which beat the verb "to facebook" has an uncertain providence: while some people think it is an acronym for "We own the other team", others believe it is a mere exhortation of joy, like "Yippee" or, as we say in my crib, "Huzzarahrah." My reaction is after the jump.
Looks like Vista Service Pack 1 is on its way to meet its 
It's no Vista Service Pack 1, but Microsoft's got some bug fixes, improvements, and a new feature that automatically scans Wikipedia and 
Placing multiple outlets along the entire length of an extension cord seems like a good idea, but like the folks at Yanko Design, I wonder whether the concept would actually be feasible. Conventional wisdom suggests that there would be a problem distributing power to all of the gadgets that are plugged in —but that's probably why I'm writing about gadgets, not designing them. At any rate, if the device were possible, a cord that would accommodate 3 prong plugs would be necessary. [
We've been buying digital portable MP3 players since they only hold about one album (or read MP3s off burned CDs), but we're flying high with our Zunes and iPods now. So here's a question for you: how many PMPs do you own? List them all in the comments and say which ones you currently use. We're loving our iPhones, iPods and Zunes, but we're also rocking out to the 
Never one to take a PR opportunity lying down, Greenpeace is fashioning the hooplah over its 
Not content to let Sony ride high on the good news the PS3's finally moving along at a pretty brisk pace, Nintendo came out with its own crowing announcement: Having sold more 6 million DSes this year through Nov. 30 in the US, it's the top-selling system of the year, landing in greasy, undeserving hands at a rate of more than one every 5 seconds. And that's not counting December. So, uh, who doesn't have one yet? [
The benefits of combining USB storage with a business card are obvious. For one thing, it will get you noticed and make your card less dispensable. Second, it is a convenient and logical means to deliver important information to prospective employers and clients. Unfortunately, no one has truly succeeded in this endeavor (and simply 
Apparently a 
As if you needed yet another household object to hide a spy cam in, here's a book camera. It hides a pinhole camera and microphone and can record video for you to check out from afar. The only problem? It'll cost you over $1,500, which is more than some therapy to get you over your addiction to peeping would set you back. Oh, another problem would be trying to sneak that Marcia Clark book into someone's shelf without them noticing. I mean, really, is that the most subtle book they could find? Were they out of copies of I Might Be Wrong, But I Doubt It by Charles Barkley? [
I suppose it was only a matter of time before a company decided to use the same E-Ink technology found in the 
If you are a collector, chances are that you wouldn't mind having one of these replica gadgets from your favourite game, TV show, or movie show up under the tree (or in the driveway) this holiday. Unfortunately, getting your hands on one is easier said than done. Limited availability and obscene price tags are going to be major obstacles in scoring these geeky holy grails, but not to worry, once you're done drooling, there's another gallery of more affordable replicas after the break. 
MPK, a company that has made a name producing glow-in-the-dark paint, has developed self-luminous micro particles called Litrospheres. The new material is said to be inexpensive (40 cents to light up a 8 ½ x 11 piece of plastic that is 1/8" thick), non-toxic, and capable of staying constantly lit for over 12 years thanks to a 
It's rare that people are clumsy enough to take their phones close enough to a pool to drop it in, but accidentally slipping it into the toilet is another matter. If these people are iPhone owners, then they need the H2O Audio iFR Ruggedized Case, which wraps the phone in a water-resistant seal that protects against drops, shocks, and scratching. Even though their previous products have been waterproof, we're not sure if this particular one is completely sealed or just water resistant. Either way, it beats having to fake-cry to the Apple Genius for them to fix your phone. [
• Vivid Video is suing PornoTube over copyright infringement. I never thought I'd say this, but I hate you, Vivid Video. [
The NES emulator for the iPhone was hard enough to control with the touchscreen that we can't imagine how frustrating it would be to try and play a PlayStation 1 game on the iPhone or iTouch. Luckily for us this is still a work in progress and these screens (bonus one after the jump) that show button placement aren't quite final. What we do know is that screen scaling will be improved, sound will be supported, there will be four face buttons and 75% of games will be compatible. It would be 1000% better if someone could hook up a wireless Bluetooth controller to the iPhone/iTouch to play this instead of smashing the screen with your fingers, covering up parts of the action. [
There are two things we really like about this Towel Rail TV. The first is, of course, the fact that it puts a television in your bathroom (newspapers and magazines are for chumps and literates). The second is the heated towel rack that's attached to the TV. Why would you wipe yourself off with a cold towel? What are we, animals? Do we live in zoos? Does it say "Ape Habitat" our door? C'mon people, this is the 21st century. Bathroom tvs and heated towels are the least we can do to differentiate ourselves from our parents. [
The Gadget: The 
Here's our vision of the next Nintendo DS, compiled from rumours, logic and (wet) dreams. It's got a slimmer profile and a seamless shell thanks to a MacBook-style hinge. Inside: more power, larger screens—the top one being a 3.5-inch widescreen to play downloaded movies—a flash card slot for media and continuation of that amazing sleeker look. Hit the jump for our high-definition mock-up with full specs.
Not to inundate you with endless updates about the keyport key device, but we've got some news that you'll be glad to hear. After the limited edition $US300 run is done, there's going to be a cheaper $US50 edition of the Keyport slide some time in 2008. 
This is so mind-blowingly ridiculous I'll leave all of the smarminess to you guys to wipe up in the comments. In the case Atlantic vs. Howell—the couple's being sued for sharing songs over KaZaA—the RIAA filed a supplemental brief. On page 15, they repeatedly call ripped MP3s "unauthorised copies," basically arguing that ripping songs from a CD to your computer for personal use is making an "unauthorised" copy. And the money quote so you don't have to pore over the whole document:
If you're looking for an entry-level 802.11n router to go with that new laptop, check out D-Link. They've lowered their "unit prices" to below $US50, which is more than 35% lower than comparable routers from Linksys and Netgear. On the other hand, instead of lowering prices, Linksys has focused on dual-band 802.11n routers to pump up their sales. So it's up to you: cheap Wi-Fi or slightly more expensive Wi-Fi that may give you slightly better performance. We'd choose whichever one worked better, since we deal with mission critical wireless apps every day—if you consider making poop jokes online "mission critical". [
Just like we said it would, the Xbox Live Marketplace has come to four parts of Europe: the UK, France, Germany and Ireland. It's also in Canada. 
Industrial designer Brano Meres updated an old telephone handset dating from the Soviet era and brought it into the Noughties as a headset to use with his mobiles. As well as an on/off button, the Cold War-era monstrosity rocks a pair of LED indicator lights and a connector for charging the battery. There was one surprising item used in the mod, however:Titanium wires taken from Scud missiles (I can't work out if he's joking or not, but he's got a very stern face and, frankly, I'm scared.) [
If ever a gadget is going to promote responsible drinking, then the Shot Caller is it. And let's face it, when you're playing drinking games with your buddies, it is all about being responsible and drinking up when you are told to drink up. Made for the Power Hour and Century Club drinking games, the Shot Caller prepares you for when it is time to drink, with red, amber and green lights. You can set it for either an hour or 100 minutes, and it comes with four regulation-sized shot glasses. The financial cost is $US14.99. [
Want a free copy of Windows Vista Ultimate direct from Microsoft, no piracy required? Don't care about your privacy? Have I got a deal for you! Microsoft is offering up free copies of Vista Ultimate, Office Ultimate, Money Plus Premium, Student with Encarta Premium and Streets and Trips, all for free. All you've gotta do is allow them to track your every move for a few months.
Starting today in beta, Vudu owners can pay $US1.99 a piece for episodes of 24, Family Guy, Firefly and other Fox-produced shows in standard-def video. Today also marks the availability of the 
For those who prefer "non-aspirin pain reliever" to Tylenol, this $US109 Optimus Touch is the perfect Apple remedy. Strikingly similar to Apple's iPod Touch, the 4GB Optimus Touch sports similar menus and lots of enhancements, including a 1.3MP camera, FM tuner, miniSD slot, and support of your DivX and XviD movies. Of course, there are a few catches as well, as you will see in the video after the jump:Aside from assuredly lower build quality, you lose Wi-Fi and the screen size takes a hit to 2.8-inches (down from ?) along with a resolution hit to 320x240 (down from 480x320). Plus, we worry that since it includes a stylus, the device really isn't meant for a finger.