3207.aspx

Free online version of Sim City classic

You can play SimCity Classic for free online. (registration required)

Memories…

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Write on water

Impossible you say? The research team at Akishima Laboratories has created a device that is able to write on water using several wave generators:

The device, called AMOEBA (Advanced Multiple Organized Experimental Basin), consists of 50 water wave generators encircling a cylindrical tank 1.6 meters in diameter and 30 cm deep (about the size of a backyard kiddie pool). The wave generators move up and down in controlled motions to simultaneously produce a number of cylindrical waves that act as pixels. The pixels, which measure 10 cm in diameter and 4 cm in height, are combined to form lines and shapes. AMOEBA is capable of spelling out the entire roman alphabet, as well as some simple kanji characters. Each letter or picture remains on the water surface only for a moment, but they can be produced in succession on the surface every 3 seconds.

Via Pink Tentacle

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Illusion - Transparent table

Illusion is a neat transparent table:

All Illusion tables are handmade in Denmark, individual and unique. The design gives the impression of a table cloth on a round table. However, the object uses the structural strength of the folded material to create a magical and surprising experience - an illusion.

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USBCell

The world is slowly converging on using USB as a standard for charging gadgets. I already charge my phone, GPS receiver and Pocket PC via USB and now you can even get batteries with a built in USB connector:

Features:

• Rechargeable AA NiMH Battery 1.2v 1300mah


• Built in Intelligent Charger


• Charge by powered USB


• It can also be charged in approved NiMH Chargers

It is only 1300mah but I hope they will create batteries with higher capacity in the future.

Thanks for the tip Marco

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Baby Monitor for Symbian Series 60

Psiloc BabyCare for Symbian Series 60 phones:

Psiloc has implemented the functionality of a baby monitor into the smartphone. Leave the device in your child’s room and the activated BabyCare application will detect all the noises. Parents can work or rest e.g. on the different floor and the phone will notify them that the baby is awaken calling at a previously defined number. Smartphone with BabyCare installed is also able to receive parent’s call silently and allows listening what’s going on with the baby or even talking to the little one.

The systems sounds are muted to avoid waking up a baby. Incoming calls can be rejected or redirected to previously defined number. The application controls battery power and if the power level becomes too low BabyCare will send an sms to parents’ phone calling them back to baby’s room.

Thanks for the tip Masce

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Woman gets bionicle arm

Mitchell is the fourth person, and first woman, to receive a "bionic" arm which allows her to control parts of the device by her thoughts alone:

The device, designed by physicians and engineers at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, works by detecting the movements of a chest muscle that has been rewired to the stumps of nerves that once went to her now-missing limb.
…
Last summer, surgeons took the first step by rewiring the skin above her left breast so that when the area is stimulated by impulses from the bionic arm, the skin sends a message to the region of her brain that feels "hand." Future arms will also be able to perform more complicated motions. She recently spent time at the Chicago hospital trying out a prototype with six motors, not just the three of her current prosthesis. It will theoretically allow her to reach for things over her head.

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Diet Coke and Mentos

What happens when you have 251 bottles of Diet Coke, 1506 Mentos mints and waaay to much time on your hands:

More on the "science" behind it on Snopes

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The tilting vehicle

Check out the amazing videos of the tilting vehicle;

Its obvious that the most efficient method through a corner  is  to  tilt  the vehicle mass into the curve [ exactly  the  opposite  to a motor car]....    a car is fundamentally   inefficient. Its  not that  the   major companies don't know this, but they  have proved  time and again  to be  unable to grasp  the   technical fundamentals  required  to produce  a  simple  steer narrow Tilting Vehicle.

It has a more “home made” look than the Piaggio MP3 but it looks more comfortable should be a great fun to drive.

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Magnetic Bullet Holes

Want a “bad guy“ image? Get some Magnetic bullet holes:

These incredibly realistic looking bullet holes are sure to cause a stir. They will instantly adhere to any clean steel surface - no adhesive is necessary.

The authentic grey colouring looks like a vehicles paint has been blasted right through to the primer. Made of flexible rubber ferrite, these re-usable bullet holes can be applied or removed instantly.. They are weatherproof and remain securely in place even on a vehicle travelling at high speed.

They are effective on any colour vehicle and will not harm the surface.

Position with darker shading upwards. Create your own 'shooting scene' for a deserving car or motorcycle owner to come upon.

Supplied in sets of 6 bullet holes.

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DVB-H for devices without built in a TV tuner

Philips is working on a SDIO card that lets you watch DVB-H on devices that do not have a built in TV tuner:

The SDIO cards weren't much larger than a normal SD memory card, and simply need a smallish antenna attached to the top. The European version of DVB-H has a return signal - it is unlikely that DVB-H will be a free to air service, at least in Europe. As always, the US is using a different type of DVB-H that operates at a different frequency.

All the demos were run in Windows Mobile devices, so it is unclear if the SDIO cards will work on other mobile platforms or not. However, you might not need a mobile phone to make it work, as the SDIO cards should also work with many PDAs - as long as the subscription solution is flexible enough from the content providers.

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Harry and Harry Jr keeps your mess together

Harry is designed to creatively organize your everyday conventional stuff and be used in an unlimited number of places and spaces such as the office, kitchen, bathroom, garage, bedroom, entryway, closet, or wherever your imagination takes you. You can place this unusual and brilliantly designed gadget on walls, doors, tiles, mirrors and windows, or any other flat surface.

The concept is simple: You make your own design With flexible and sturdy wires, Harry will allow you to form these wires into hooks, rings, claws or whatever shapes best fit your needs. This accessory holder will become your indispensable organizing aid as well as a great talking point and would make a very original contemporary gift.

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iTunes 7.0; now with movies

iTunes 7.0 adds several new features:

• Buy Disney films from the iTunes Store and go to the movies without leaving your comfy chair.


• With Cover Flow, you can flip through your digital music and video collection just as you would CDs.


• Just $4.99 in the iTunes Store, iPod games give you hours of fun.


• Make the most of your time by telling iTunes in what order to download content from the iTunes Store.

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Free download: Grand Theft Auto volume 1, 2 and 3

Grand Theft Auto Volume 1, 2 and 3 are gratis

Respect is everything.

In 1999, Rockstar Games and Rockstar North (then known as DMA Design) furthered the groundbreaking gameplay concepts established just two years prior in the original Grand Theft Auto - with the release of GTA2. GTA2 expanded on the top-down, open-ended crime world gameplay formula with a host of new features including the advent of multiple rival gangs – seven, to be exact, including the Yakuza, Scientists, Looneys, Rednecks, Zaibatsu, the Russian Mob and Hare Krishnas. Earn your respect with each gang. Reap the benefits with all manner of shady work-for-hire gigs contracted your way. And climb your way to the top of the criminal pile.

Now, longtime Grand Theft Auto fans can revisit this classic entry in the series - and new jacks who missed out on this early franchise title can further discover Grand Theft Auto’s roots - absolutely free. GTA2 has been completely optimized for play on modern PCs and is available gratis for all registrants to the Rockstar Games mailing list (rest assured your information will not be shared with any third parties, you will only receive information from Rockstar). Simply fill out the form below and check your email for a direct link to the file (353 MB .zip file, includes install .exe, readme .txt file, and a .pdf of the original PC game manual).

Via The Road to Know Where

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Driv-e-mocion from Au-My

Say what you think about other drivers with style using the Driv-e-moicon:

….

Via Ubergizmo:

The Driv-emocion allows you to display how you're feeling to the driver behind you. This battery-operated device is attached to the rear windsceren and requires a remote control to activate it, which is good because it does away with the need for any pesky wires. Messages include "Back Off", "Thanks", and the evergreen :) and :(

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Imagine being shot 20 miles into the air from a giant crossbow...

I am sure it gives you one heck of a buzz to be at the tip of a giant crossbow but I would think twice about getting on top of this beast:

...Brian Walker, mad scientist and all around crazy person, plans to shoot himself 20 miles into the air in a homemade rocket launched from the world's biggest crossbow. The rocket, which has a jet turbine with 1,350 pounds of thrust, will shoot off the track of the giant crossbow shown above, which is equipped with a 24-foot carbon-fiber bowstring...

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Leatherman Squirt E4

What everyone that works with computer hardware should have on their keychain:

The Leatherman Squirt E4 is a keychain sized multitool that comes with: extra-small screwdriver; small screwdriver; Philips screwdriver; clip-point knife; wood/metal file; tweezers; and bottle opener.

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Onyx Concept Phone

The Synaptics Onyx Concept Phone is pretty neat. No buttons, just a touch screen with gesture support:

The Onyx concept acts as a remote for your life. And because life is activity based, not application based, the concept illustrates how applications such as phone, GPS, music, teleconference and calendar events can work simultaneously. The Onyx concept does not base its experience on treating applications as separate windows or entities that work in isolation. Rather, the Onyx concept seamlessly integrates functions into activity based experiences.
…
More intelligent than conventional touch screens, the ClearPad accurately recognizes not only points and taps, but also shapes, complex gestures, and proximity to the user’s finger or cheek.  This creates new possibilities such as assigning functions to two-finger taps, closing tasks by swiping an “X” over them, sending messages by swiping them off the screen, or answering a phone by holding it up to your cheek.  The prototype phone uses a dynamic UI, where applications are layered and opened simultaneously, allowing a seamless flow of information between applications.

More info in the PDF

Via SCI FI Tech

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Skype on a stick

Preloaded SanDisk U3 Cruzer Smart Drives Let Consumers Make Skype Voice and Video Calls Around the World

The Skype software will now come pre-loaded on SanDisk’s newest Cruzer® Micro and Cruzer Titanium lines of Skype-certified U3™ enabled smart drives. This will allow consumers to make free PC-to-PC audio and video calls to Skype users in most major markets.

SanDisk’s Cruzer Micro and Cruzer Titanium with U3 gives users a portable way to carry files and programs without leaving any personal information behind on a computer. This means Skype users can take their Skype account complete with their contacts, settings and preferences on a device that is smaller than a pack of chewing gum and make calls, with video as an option, from any PC such as those in Internet cafes and hotels. This compact Skype is particularly useful for business travelers, leisure travelers, students and anyone who uses multiple computers.

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Motorola Portable Power

Motorola Portable Power P970

The P970 is essentially a 1700mAh rechargeable battery in a curvy PEBL-like casing with a USB port on top. It weighs just 79g and measures 7.4 x 5.1 x 2.4cm. Motorola is pitching the product as an accessory for its own phones and accessories, but we'd bet it will prove handy for other gadgets that can recharge through their mini USB ports, such as phones, PDA and MP3 players.

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The Beerbelly

The Beerbelly is a great way to bring along beverages wherever you go:

The Beerbelly brings Freedom to the Beverage! Now you can drink WHAT you want, WHEN you want, WHERE you want, with no hassles and for less money! What more could you ask for—now you can drink your favorite beverage at the movies, the ballgame, on the plane, you decide.
 
The Beerbelly: Is made up of a neoprene “sling” and a polyurethane “bladder” with a tube for dispensing. The bladder is held in an insulated pouch in the sling which is worn under your clothing for concealment. When worn, it looks just like a beerbelly.

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The oldest computer in the world

PhysOrg covers the Antikythera Mechanism; the oldest computer in the world

A team of Greek and British scientists probing the secrets of the Antikythera Mechanism has managed to decipher ancient Greek inscriptions unseen for over 2,000 years, members of the project say.

"Part of the text on the machine, over 1,000 characters, had already been deciphered, but we have succeeded in doubling this total," said physician Yiannis Bitsakis, part of a multi-disciplinary team of researchers from universities in Athens, Salonika and Cardiff, the Athens National Archaeological Museum and the Hewlett-Packard company.

"We have now deciphered 95 percent of the text," he told AFP.

Scooped out of a Roman shipwreck located in 1900 by sponge divers near the southern Greek island of Antikythera, and kept at the Athens National Archaeological Museum, the Mechanism contains over 30 bronze wheels and dials, and is covered in astronomical inscriptions.

Probably operated by crank, it survives in three main pieces and some smaller fragments.

"(The device) could calculate the position of certain stars, at least the Sun and Moon, and perhaps predict astronomical phenomena," said astrophysicist Xenophon Moussas of Athens University.

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Easier WiFi connections with Hitchhiker

Hitchhiker makes life easier if you connect to different WiFi networks:

Features:

• Support Dell X51v and other WM5 devices


• Support both WEP and WPA-PSK encryption


• Speedy connect to wireless Internet via public hotspot


• Fire-and-forget, one click away from the wireless Internet


• Change IP address without manually cycling WLAN device


• "IP Fastlane" input for rapid IP address input


• Secure Internet access with WEP and WPA-PSK


• Reconfigure system settings for optimal connection speed


• Perform complicated Internet connectivity tests automatically

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Typhoon personal supercomputer

Tyan unleashes 16-core 'personal' supercomputer:

Taiwan's Tyan today pledged to ship a deskside "personal supercomputer" powered by eight Intel low-voltage 'Woodcrest' Xeon processors and packing up to 48GB of memory in the fourth quarter.
...
Named Typhoon - it'll "blow you away", quipped Tyan CEO Symon Change - the 68 x 36 x 32cm system contains four removable motherboard units, each with a pair of dual-core Xeon 5100-series LV CPUs and 12GB of registered 533MHz or 667MHz DDR 2 SDRAM. Each 'node' board can take a single SATA storage devices.

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Candy Grabber

Have fun while you enjoy your sweets with the mini Candy Crabber:

Once you've popped one of the tokens in the slot, you have just one minute and fifteen seconds (but who’s counting) to manoeuvre your grabber into position using the three levers, grab your candy and release it down the shoot. Truly horrible and yet strangely nostalgic carnival music plays while you desperately try to grab stuff, and gets faster and faster as your time runs out. When you do succeed in liberating your sweets, a motion sensor triggers off some tacky but satisfying applause!

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Dell XPS M1710: An Impressive Gaming Notebook

The Dell XPS M1710 is heavy at 4kg but an impressive gaming laptop:

From its sleek design to its CPU, graphics processor, display, memory and disk drives, the Dell XPS M1710 screams speed. "Our" M1710 came with a 2.16 GHz Intel Core Duo CPU, an Nvidia GeForce Go 7900 GTX graphics processor with 512 MB of DDR3 memory, a 17" 1920 x 1200 display, 2 GB of 677 MHz DDR2 memory and a 100 GB 7200 rpm SATA hard disk drive.

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Wild West Flash game

Test your reactions with an Old West shoot-em-up

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LighTalk II

Make sure your message is noticed in meetings and at parties with the LighTalk II:

Picture this: you are in a meeting, bored out of your mind. So you doodle on your note pad, pretending to take notes. Suddenly, you realize you might have created the world's greatest doodle and you need to share it with your equally bored coworker on the other side of the table. Pull out your LighTalk II; problem solved.

With a push of a button, the LighTalk II has scanned the image into its memory. Flip the switch to the display mode, and wave the pen-shaped LighTalk II back and forth like an upside down pendulum. Your image will be created in the air by a strip of orangey LEDs, and all will be amazed. Persistence of vision at it's best. But this is version 2.0, which has some incredible new features. Apart from holding four more scans than version 1, you now have the ability to display one message after another in Continuous Display Mode. Also, with the new IR feature, you can "beam" your drawings and messages straight into a friend's LighTalk II. Now, not only can you flash your doodle, you can share it too!

• Scanning Area: 4" x 7"


• Image scans best when drawn with a black marker (.2" thick)


• LighTalk II dimensions: 8.5" long, 1" diameter


• Black Unit Color with Red-Orange LEDs


• Continuous Display Mode - cycles through all 8 messages


• "Beam" images to another LighTalk II unit


• Uses 2 AAA batteries (not included) for over 10 hours of continuous display


• Includes: LighTalk II, wrist strap, and instructions [download PDF version]
   

 

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You've got (monk) mail

Say what you really think with Monk Mail:

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Google Trends: see what the world is searching for

Goggle Trends:

With Goggle Trends, you can compare the world's interest in your favorite topics. Enter up to five topics and see how often they've been searched for on Goggle over time. Google Trends also displays how frequently your topics have appeared in Google News stories, and which geographic regions have searched for them most often.

Google Trends analyzes a portion of Google web searches to compute how many searches have been done for the terms you enter relative to the total number of searches done on Google over time. We then show you a graph with the results -- our search-volume graph.

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Find the hottest WiFi hot spot with WiFi Graph

WiFi Graph:

"WiFi Graph" let you spot neighboring Wireless LAN Access Points and their connectivity. With proprietary scanning technology, Access Point information is updated every second so you can always rely on it. IT security professionals can also use our XML-based logs to analyze the invisible network.

Features

• Locate the *hottest* spot within seconds!


• Connectivity chart is updated every 2 seconds to reflect real-time changes


• Support VGA screen and scrollable display


• Display unlimited charts at once


• Display relative measurements


• Limited support on GPS


• Chart history compares connectivity for different locations


• XML logging for network analysis

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OI The One Binary Watch

Binary Watch from OI The One:

Looking for something different? Then these Men's LED Watches are probably perfect for you. A mad way to tell the time, yet completely cool:

Functions: Time (binary style – for further instructions on telling binary time on OI The One watches please go here)
Case: Stainless steel
Size: 38x30x11mm, 90g
Dial & Display Description: Black with blue LED lighting
Strap: Black genuine leather with stainless steel buckle
Water Resistant: 30m
Warranty: 1 year worldwide OI The One guarantee

2751.aspx

What does your name mean?

Name central has a searchable database of 25.000 names that explains their meaning. Did you for example know that Michael means Gift from God?

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Top 10 strangest and coolest robots

TechBlog covers the top 10 strangest and coolest robots.

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Papipo phone for kids

Akihabara News covers Papipo:

Bandai and Willcom present this Papipo, a PHS phone that uses the WSIM from Willcom. It has a 128x128 screen, a 0.3MP camera, it measures 52x29.9x101mm and weighs 100g. It will come with an anti-spam filter and a system that blocks certain people from communicating with your child.

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Open Source Stellarium

Stellarium is available for Linux, Mac OSx and Windows:

Features:

sky

• over 120,000 stars from the Hipparcos catalogue with info


• asterisms and illustrations of the constellations


• images of nebulae


• realistic Milky Way


• very realistic atmosphere, sunrise and sunset


• the planets and their satellites

interface

• a powerful zoom


• time control


• multilingual interface


• scripting to record and play your own shows


• fisheye projection for planetarium domes


• spheric mirror projection for your own dome


• graphical interface and extensive keyboard control
  

visualisation

• equatorial and azimuthal grids


• star twinkling


• shooting stars


• eclipse simulation


• skinnable landscapes, now with spheric panorama projection
  

customisability

• add your own deep sky objects, landscapes, constellation images, scripts...

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The exercise friendly phone: Nokia 5500 Sport

The Nokia 5500 Sport:

Pitched at joggers and the like, the handset boasts a work-out mode that will time runs and plan your exercise schedule. It even contains a pedometer. A push of a button flips the handset into music mode, and again into phone mode. The 5500 uses MicroSD cards for music storage and it supports many of the most popular formats, Nokia said.

The handset also boasts that ability to read out text messages. It'll do the same with pedometer and work-out progress information.

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Don't break the bottle

Don't break the bottle is a neat gift for wine lovers:

Don't Break the Bottle is an ingenious puzzle - simply lock the bottle up in the puzzle, and hand it over to the lucky recipient. At first sight it appears laughably simple to open, but first impressions are deceptive. It's hugely entertaining watching the recipient go from cocky to puzzled to deeply frustrated - especially whilst everyone else is chipping in with their advice... "No, loop that bit over there, slip that toggle round the whatsit" etc. They'll feel they deserve every last drop if they do finally manage to crack it. If they don't, aside from you crowing, you can put them out of their misery as it does come with release instructions.

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Cool tool: SyncToy

SyncToy is available as a free download. The easy to use, customizable application helps you copy, move, rename, and delete files between folders and computers:

There are new sources of files coming from every direction: digital cameras, e-mail, cell phones, portable media players, camcorders, PDAs, and laptops. Increasingly, computer users are using different folders, drives, and even different computers (such as a laptop and a desktop) to store and retrieve files. Yet managing hundreds or thousands of files is still largely a manual operation. In some cases it is necessary to get copies of files from one place; in other cases there is a need to keep two storage locations exactly in sync. Some users manage files manually, dragging and dropping from one place to another and keeping a mental card catalog in their heads. Others use one or more applications to provide this functionality for them.

Now there is an easier way. SyncToy, a free PowerToy for Microsoft Windows XP, is an easy to use, highly customizable program that helps users to do the heavy lifting involved with the copying, moving, and synchronization of different directories. Most common operations can be performed with just a few clicks of the mouse, and additional customization is available without added complexity. SyncToy can manage multiple sets of folders at the same time; it can combine files from two folders in one case, and mimic renames and deletes in another. Unlike other applications, SyncToy actually keeps track of renames to files and will make sure those changes get carried over to the synchronized folder.

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Transparent Toaster

The Transparent Toaster looks great and would be useful to avoid surprises:

A shame it does not toast (yet):

This transparent toaster allows you to see the bread while it is toasting so you never surprised by toast that comes out too dark. This idea is based on the transparent heating glass featured in this issue. Although the glass does not currently get hot enough to toast bread, some day this application may be possible. The concept was developed by the Inventables Concept Studio.

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The Cool Or What link blog has a new home

The Cool Or What link blog has a new, and permanent, home address: Coolissimo.com. The RSS feed has not changed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/CoolOrWhatLinks

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Who links to your site?

Curious to see who links to your site? Who links to me uses several search engines to find out who links to your site.

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PC Cigarette Adapter and Beverage Holder

Why add a new hard disk when you can pimp your PC with a cigarette adapter and beverage holder:

The Thermaltake X-Ray is great for any home or office, allowing you to use cigarette adaptor accessories outside of your car. Besides that with the Thermaltake X-Ray you always have a place to keep your drinks, at home, and more importantly at LAN Parties. Now you don't have to worry about mixing drinks up with the people around.

Features:

• Use car accessories (charge Mobile phone, PDA Notebook etc.. )


• Beverage tray


• Convenient for LAN party gamers


• Fits for 5.25" drive bay


• Lightweight with aluminum & plastic housing


• Model: Thermaltake X-Ray

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SanDisk Sansa c150 2GB MP3 player

The Register has a in depth review of the SanDisk Sansa c150 2GB MP3 player:

Features:

• Plays MP3, WMA, and Audible audio files


• By capacity, holds large number of MP3/WMA songs and hours of playback


• Color screen (up to 64,000 colors) displays cover art and photo thumbnails


• Easy-to-use interface for sorting and playing back your music


• Digital FM tuner with 20 preset stations


• FM ‘on the fly’ recording and voice recording


• Supports Subscription Music Stores


• Includes one AAA replaceable battery for up to 15 hours of battery life (Battery Life Based on Continuous, Standard Playback, 128 Kb MP3 file)


• High-speed USB2.0 for fast and easy file transfer

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Football World Cup 2006 on your PDA

Get the latest results from the 2006 Football World Cup directly on your Mobile:

Keep in touch with every match, watch online scores and results from an authorized provider, get always fresh news and commentaries right from the stadium.

Online Coverage:

• World Cup News from an Authorized Provider


• Results


• Cards and Goals Statistics


• Match Reports

Rich Historic Data:

• Historical Statistics


• Reports and Tables from all World Cup Tournaments


• Portraits of Famous Players

Tournament Description:

• Match Schedule


• Calendar


• Description of Teams


• Description of Host Cities and Stadiums

Via Pocket PC eBooks Watch - eBook and beyond

2654.aspx

Laser "chess"

A neat high tech strategy game with simple rules:

There are four types of playing pieces, and two of them have mirrors. Game play is simple, and easy to learn, as there are only 3 movement choices. The goal is to eliminate your opponent's Pharaoh. And, you eliminate the Pharaoh just like they did in olden times - by firing a red laser! Each side of the board is equipped with its own laser, which you press after your turn. The laser bounces from mirror to mirror (always shooting off at a 90 degree angle). If the laser hits any piece on a non-reflective surface, that piece is removed from play. If you eliminate your opponent's Pharaoh, you win. If you eliminate your own Pharaoh, you will be mocked for all time.

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Radio Controlled UFO

The X-UFO by SilverLit  looks pretty cool:

It has a range of 100m indoors or outside in clam conditions. One red and three blue flashing LED lights indicate when the gyro is up to to speed and helps orientation. The lights also make it look like a real UFO, especially when flown in the dark. The UFO is factory assembled and Ready To Fly and comes with a four channel proportional radio control that allows three dimensional control; take off, hover, descend, spin left, spin right, pitch forward, pitch backward, pitch left, pitch right.

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The best Internet spoofs

Not everything few things you read on the net is true. Wired has collected some of the best hoaxes in the 10 Best Internet Spoofs

Soon after 9/11, a picture circulated through e-mail of a guy on top of the World Trade Center. The date stamp was 9/11/01, and in the background a plane was seen hurtling toward him.

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Got a question?

Answerbag has the answer

Answerbag is a compilation of human knowledge and experience. It is a universal, user-generated set of frequently-asked questions (FAQs). It is built and policed by its users, a worldwide information community that is working together to make Answerbag an authoritative collection of questions and answers on any topic relevant today. Answerbag follows the Open Content model.

Some of the latest questions

• Would a child act like an ape if it was raised by apes?
  
• If we are capable of living with one kidney, why do we have two?
  
• Where did the word "inning" come from?
  
• Why are minivans considered uncool?
  
• Can you get married via video conference?
  
• Is honesty always the best policy?
  
• Should I take my dog to see the dentist?
  
• How do you remove cooked-on stains from the inside of a microwave oven?
  
• What's the origin of the maple leaf on the Canadian flag?
  
• How can I check on the status of my tax refund?
  
• Why do we blink?
  
• How can I build a practical heat pump to heat my house?

2646.aspx

Your name in Japanese

Discover how your name is written Japanese. The Japanese write foreign words phonetically so your results may wary.

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PhotoStamps for special occasions

Not as cool as the Dutch video stamps, but the PhotoStamps service is pretty neat:

PhotoStamps are an exciting new product that lets you take your own images or photographs and turn them into real U.S. postage! To create PhotoStamps all you need to do is upload a photo, customize it using our fun, easy-to-use interface, and place your order. Our customization interface allows you to zoom, move, and rotate your image, and then select one of 10 different border colors to match your image perfectly. You may purchase PhotoStamps in one of seven different postage denominations ranging from 24 cent postcards to 39 cent regular first class to $4.05 for packages, to meet all your mailing needs.

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Worlds most expensive cars

Wired covers the World's Most Expensive Cars, 2006

The world's 10 most expensive automobiles, which you can see in the slide show that follows this piece, include such dreams-come-true as a street-legal, 10-cylinder Porsche race car (the Carrera GT) and cars with over 1,000 hp each ( Bugatti's Veyron 16.4 and SSC's Ultimate Aero).

These kinds of cars make Ferraris and Aston Martins look like relative bargains; despite their fame, they are much cheaper than the cars on our list. Of the 10 most expensive cars, only two are made by brands with household names -- Porsche and Mercedes-Benz -- although I guess it depends on what your household is like.

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Gupi - Intelligent Robot Guinea Pig

Meet Gupi the moving Tamagotchi

If you don't play with him he becomes lonely and scared, and he'll go off and hide in a dark place, but if you stroke him he'll feel loved, and will be happy. Gupi can also hear you, and will react to voices and sounds, depending on his mood. When happy he'll actually come running at you when you call him, but when he's scared he can't stand noise and will run away from it. When happy, Gupi will also follow a light beam so you can lead him wherever you want him to go.

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HyperScore: Free ring tones

Download HyperScore and make your own ring tones for your cell phone or download one of the many free ring tones.

The Edge was one of the judges selecting the winners of the MIT competition.

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Your own Hollywood star

Become an instant star:

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Microsoft Portrait 2.3

Microsoft Portrait 2.3

Microsoft Portrait is a research prototype for mobile video communication. It supports .NET Messenger Service, Session Initiation Protocol and Internet Locator Service on PCs, Pocket PCs, Handheld PCs and Smartphone. It runs on local area networks, dialup networks and even wireless networks with bandwidths as low as 9.6 kilobits/second. Microsoft Portrait delivers portrait-like video if users are in low bandwidths and displays full-color video if users are in broadband. In low bandwidths, portrait video possesses clearer shape, smoother motion, shorter latency and much cheaper computational cost than do conventional video technologies. Microsoft Portrait pursues providing presence notification, chat/voice/video functions anytime, anywhere, on any device.

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Handheld electronic Sudoku

Sudoku  is addictive and a great time killer. ThinkGeek has a neat gadget for Sudoku fans: a hand held electronic sudoku game :

• Handheld electronic Sudoku game with touchscreen and stylus


• 8 Difficulty Settings


• Pre-programmed with over 1 million puzzles


• Date, Time & Alarm functions

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Tales Animator

Tales Animator creates custom cartoon animations in AVI format.

It does not require any graphical talent to get started since it includes several of ready-to-use cartoon actors. All you need to do is write a screenplay, using a very easy to understand script language that uses a common English syntax which does not require any programming skills. The program comes with a sample that will get you started immediately, once you look at the documentation and the included sample, you will have no problems understanding the concept. Tales Animator lets you use custom background images (or included scenes) and the characters will speak their text aloud using MS Agent technology to convert your typed text to speech. The result can be saved as a project or rendered to AVI format or exported as animated GIF.

Thanks Marco

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Celestia space simulation

Celestia is a free space simulation that lets you explore our universe in three dimensions. It runs on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X.:

Unlike most planetarium software, Celestia doesn't confine you to the surface of the Earth. You can travel throughout the solar system, to any of over 100,000 stars, or even beyond the galaxy.

All movement in Celestia is seamless; the exponential zoom feature lets you explore space across a huge range of scales, from galaxy clusters down to spacecraft only a few meters across. A 'point-and-goto' interface makes it simple to navigate through the universe to the object you want to visit.

Celestia is expandable. Celestia comes with a large catalog of stars, galaxies, planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and spacecraft. If that's not enough, you can download dozens of easy to install add-ons with more objects. 

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You are a sex symbol if you read this

Scott Adams wrote this great story in 1995 Men Who Use Computers Are The New Sex Symbols Of The `90s. Some highlights below that prove that you are the most sexy being alive:

... women prefer men who listen.  Computer users are excellent listeners because they can look at you for long periods of time without saying anything.  Granted, early in a relationship it's better if the guy actually talks.  But men use up all the stories they'll ever have after six months. If a woman marries a guy who's in, let's say, retail sales, she'll get repeat stories starting in the seventh month and lasting forever.  Marry an engineer and she gets a great listener for the next 70 years.

Plus, with the ozone layer evaporating, it's a good strategy to mate with somebody who has an indoor hobby.  Outdoorsy men are applying suntan lotion with SPF 10,000 and yet by the age of 30 they still look like dried chili peppers in pants.  Compare that with the healthy glow of a man who spends 12 hours a day in front of a video screen.

It's also well established that computer users are better lovers.  I know because I heard an actual anecdote from someone who knew a woman who married a computer user and they reportedly had sex many times.  I realize this isn't statistically valid, but you have to admit it's the most persuasive thing I've written so far.

If you still doubt the sexiness of male PC users, consider their hair.  They tend to have either:  (1) male pattern baldness -- a sign of elevated testosterone -- or  (2) unkempt jungle hair -- the kind you see only on people who just finished a frenzied bout of lovemaking.  If this were a trial I think we could reach a verdict on the strong circumstantial evidence alone.

...

Finally, there's the issue of mood lighting.  Nothing looks sexier than a man in boxer shorts illuminated only by a 15-inch SVGA monitor.

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iPod Thong case

The sexiest case yet for the iPod from iPodStreet?

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WWPC: Wrist-Worn Personal Computer

The Wrist-Worn Personal Computer by eurotech looks like the perfect companion to rescue workers. I smaller “personal edition” would be great: 

 

• 200g core with flexible strap, right and left-handed, special shape for different wrist sizes


• 72x55 mm active display area on the wrist, with touchscreen (input pen on the strap), direct-access keypad and joystick, support for USB HI devices, microphone, flat speaker, headset/stereo headphone jack


• low power consumption: fully operational mode lasts 6 hours; extended power savings support (true OFF, idle, stand-by, wireless enable key, battery monitor); 2-cell Li-polymer rechargeable batteries enclosed on the strap


• global positioning information: L1 16-channel GPS receiver with active helix antenna; wireless connectivity: IrDa (up to 4Mbps), Bluetooth v1.1 (up to 721 Kbps) wireless LAN 802.11b (up to 11Mbps) with hardware coexistence handshake; 2 specific internal antennas


• 32 MB system rom-flash, 64 MB system SDRAM, up to 1 GB on built-in SD memory slot;

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Power Tool Drag Racing

Have some fun with your old tools and Power Tool Drag Racing:

Machines in all classes are based on hand-held power tools (see caveat for "unusual designs" class). A hand held power tool is a machine intended for handheld operation by one individual. A machine primarily used on a stationary mount, or rolled on wheels, or used by a group of people is not a hand tool for the purposes of this event. Hand tools might be electric (AC or DC), gas, pneumatic, hydraulic, cold fusion, steam or otherwise. Examples of hand tools are machines like belt sanders, angle grinders, Skilsaws, drills, chainsaws, weed wackers, vibrators, etc.

Examples of things that are NOT hand tools are things like lawnmowers, floor sanders, generators, bench grinders, etc. Hand tools used in the drag races can run on a variety of power sources, provided by either on-board or external sources. For external power sources, we will provide 40 amps of 120AC per lane. For DC, pneumatic, gas and other sources, you are on your own.