Sunday, April 30, 2006

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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.

Thursday, April 27, 2006

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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:


Saturday, April 15, 2006

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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. 

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

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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.

Monday, April 10, 2006

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Bent festival 2006 (April 19-23)

The 3rd Interntational Circuit Bending Featival will be held in New York April 19-23:



"Circuit-bending is the creative short-circuiting of low voltage, battery-powered electronic audio devices such as guitar effects, children's toys and small synthesizers to create new musical instruments and sound generators. "


-Wikipedia


....


If you have the least bit of curiosity about electronics or electronic music, or if you've ever just really wanted to rip your toys apart, this festival is for you. Each day we will have open studios with expert benders on hand to help you get started. There will be installation artists building circuit-bent artwork throughout the space. There will be a full schedule of in-depth workshops. There will be nightly concerts of some of the best circuit benders in the world. It is genuinely fun for the whole family. You will have a blast.


Sounds like great fun

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Devilish iPod Nano cases

PodStar has some Devilish looking iPod Nano cases:


 


They come with a screen protector that is applied before the iPod nano is inserted into the case and a handy neck strap.



Via The Register

Monday, April 3, 2006

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Rearview Mirror HandsFree Car Kit

Using the phone while driving is dangerous. The Rear view Mirror HandsFree Car Kit is a great idea as it allows you to view incoming calls in the review mirror instead of having to pick up the mobile phone




The Rearview Mirror HandsFree Car Kit (MHF-R220BT) is a wireless device that utilises the latest Bluetooth technology to communicate with your compatible phone within a 10-metre range. This allows you to talk through its built-in high quality loudspeaker and external high sensitivity microphone without the need to hold the phone or take your hands off the steering wheel.


So easy to install, just plug into your vehicles lighter socket and simply clip the MHF-R220BT unit over the existing Rearview mirror and once set up, you will be able to answer, end, reject, redial, place calls or adjust the loudspeaker volume by the simple press of a button, wherever your phone is in your car- there is no need to even remove your phone from your pocket or purse.


The MHF-R220BT also supports voice dialling which enables you to dial your favourite contacts without the need to touch the phone and allow you to remain concentrated on safely driving your car.



Via Darla Mack

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USB tanning kit

Get ready for the summer and loose that unhealthy nerd look with the usb tanning kit:





Don't let the sun have the monopoly on making people love you more. Get the USB Desktop Tanning center and, in the comfort of your own cubicle, a scrumptiously golden tone can be yours in about the same time it takes you to update your lame blog with another meaningless entry that nobody will ever read. Ever.


Features:



  • Two base units attach to either side of your monitor

  • 4 WOLFFE Ultra-violet 100 watt bulbs

  • USB Powered

  • Variable rate knob features three settings (Powder, Tea, Malignant)

  • Comes with eyeball cover thingies!