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Apple Accidentally Leaks, Unleaks iTunes 8 (It's a Hoax)
Posted by Matt Buchanan at 11:30 PM on September 8, 2008
At least one person says he was able to download a release candidate of iTunes 8 last night, after a mysterious, out-of-place "Download Now" button appeared in the middle of the iTunes webpage last night. It's not totally inconceivable—iPhone 2.0 was leaked before it officially launched. We've got support docs that reference iTunes 8 showing up in Asia too. Update: There's a reason we use that bright orange "unconfirmed" sign above posts—the whole thing is a bullshit hoax, move along. We'll see iTunes 8 tomorrow.
Actually, it's more like set to "ouch": a UK government report has revealed the police are testing out non-lethal weapons. These include low-powered lasers which hit a miscreant's skin and burn off the outer layer, "leaving them in agony, but with no permanent damage," which sounds lovely doesn't it?
Unlike other DVD backup software that has succumbed to movie industry pressures, RealNetworks' RealDVD gives you a new way to copy DVDs to your computer caked with so much DRM that you'll question why you went through the trouble in the first place. (But maybe that's the point.) Fully approved by the 
We're sure Nintendo has some market analysis that justifies this device, because the company has just announced their Wi-Fi Network Adaptor for the Wii and DS. I know what you're thinking: The DS and Wii already have Wi-Fi. This unit is actually a Wi-Fi router/bridge for those who don't already have wireless networks in the first place. Available in Japan on September 18th for US$53, it looks like a horrible Wii knockoff that you'd buy from a shady store in Akihabara. Kudos to Nintendo for making the process easier for Nentendo Wiii producers everywhere. [
Forget namby-pamby flickering 
Jason and I have been wanting a hero action figure version of ourselves for a long time. Plus a couple of Leia in her metal bikini too, so we can play with them like Dark Helmet. And perhaps two more of potential vice president Sarah Palin as well. Unfortunately, they are too expensive, which is probably for the better, since the idea is kind of disturbing when you see Palin's legs going out her miniskirt.
Star Trek fans will be tickled to know that the good ol' starship Enterprise first took flight on network TV on September 8th 1966, and split infinitives became OK. Actually, aspects of the show have become such cultural items that even non-sci-fi fans know the thrilling soundtrack, the iconic hull of NCC-1701 zipping into warp, Kirk, Spock, 
It was almost exactly a year ago that we talked about Sony's 
That little logo there is Sony's attempt to inject a little bit of adrenaline into the Walkman lineup of PMPs, because you all need to know that the accessory you're buying is properly certified to work with Sony's proprietary WM-PORT connector. Yes, you do. Honest. Logitech thinks it's a good idea, anyway, and is due to spring a few things like speaker docks, FM transmitters and sound recorders bearing the compatibility logo in October. And clearly Sony thinks it's a good idea. Whether it shakes up the MP3 player market enough to disturb that 
Remember that announcement last week that Sony was 
A cool new 
There may be a 
There you have it folks. The real inspiration for Apple's game-changing iPod, courtesy of the world's unluckiest Briton, Kane Kramer, 52 (not including the fifth Beatle). You see, in the dark technological days of 1979, Kramer saw a beacon of light in his IXI. Capable of playing a mind-busting 3.5 minutes of music, the IXI prototype was Kramer's ticket out of obscurity. Sadly, when he couldn't raise enough venture funding to renew the IXI patent in 1988, the device became the Zune of its time, and was largely forgotten. Fast forward to the present, when Apple, fresh from making year-over-year record profits with the iPod, needed Kramer something fierce to bail them out of 
Thanks to tipster Alex, we've got some fresh hands-on pics of the new Microsoft Arc mouse, which we got a first look of back in July. The US$60 mouse folds down to half its size for easy portability thanks to what the packaging calls a "strong metal hinge," and the glossy veneer, to quote Blam, is indeed "flip and drool" worthy.
Like it or not, the NFL 2008/2009 season is in full effect today. What's a jock-hating geek to do? Well, how about compromise? That's what EA and ESPN are doing with their NFL Sunday Countdown coverage today, as the two mega brands have reached an agreement that puts the Madden franchise front and centre on any given Sunday. Called the EA Sports Virtual Playbook, it will combine ESPN talking heads with virtual players (see pic). What would have happened if Tom Brady threw a quick out to Wes Welker, instead of that incomplete to Randy Moss? Now ESPN can show you, thanks to the software and a special digital camera. Of course, if you're like me and hate Madden (preferring instead the blocky goodness of yesteryear's Tecmo Super Bowl), you're still out of luck. [
That avalanche of 
When we're talking office PC accessories today, there's boring, and then there's Dell boring. Regular boring gets you a quick trip to irrelevancy. Dell boring, on the other hand, gets your product onto the desktops of a million cubicle drones the world over. And that's probably where we'll see these pre-release products from Dell. The safe, non-threatening design reminded TechWareLabs of Logitech, which makes sense given the G3/G5 design cues, but we at Gizmodo practically fell asleep. The LED indicator is pretty, but unless you're a typist into some serious keystroke entry porn, we imagine you can easily hold off on buying these and just use them when they show up at work in a few months. [
Last we left Mitsubishi's LaserVue 1080p rear-projection monster, we had