Firefox 1.5 is out!

* Automated update to streamline product upgrades. Notification of an update is more prominent, and updates to Firefox may now be half a megabyte or smaller. Updating extensions has also improved.
* Faster browser navigation with improvements to back and forward button performance.
* Drag and drop reordering for browser tabs.
* Improvements to popup blocking.
* Clear Private Data feature provides an easy way to quickly remove personal data through a menu item or keyboard shortcut.
* Answers.com is added to the search engine list.
* Improvements to product usability including descriptive error pages, redesigned options menu, RSS discovery, and "Safe Mode" experience.
* Better accessibility including support for DHTML accessibility and assistive technologies such as the Window-Eyes 5.5 beta screen reader for Microsoft Windows. Screen readers read aloud all available information in applications and documents or show the information on a Braille display, enabling blind and visually impaired users to use equivalent software functionality as their sighted peers.
* Report a broken Web site wizard to report Web sites that are not working in Firefox.
* Better support for Mac OS X (10.2 and greater) including profile migration from Safari and Mac Internet Explorer.
* New support for Web Standards including SVG, CSS 2 and CSS 3, and JavaScript 1.6.
* Many security enhancements.

Go get it! Now dammit!

USB Beverage Chiller

THE RAW FEED: 'Cool' USB Gadget: A Beverage Chiller!

The next must-have computer accessory is here. With the USB Beverage Chiller at your side, you can keep your beverage chilled and stay at your computer longer.

Just seconds after plugging the chiller into your computer’s USB port (no external outlet needed), the coldplate chills to 45 degrees Fahrenheit, the perfect temperature for keeping your beverage chilled.

Very cool. (apologies for the pun, but how do you resist?) Make sure to get the USB cup warmer for complete beverage coverage.

Email kills concentration more than pot

Email kills concentration more than pot - Lifehacker

Discover Magazine cites a study where two groups of people took IQ tests: one that was under the influence of marijuana and the other that was interrupted by email messages - and the potheads performed better.

Hmmm. Well, it appears I totally misquoted this article last night. Before you ask, no there wasn't any pot involved. A whole bunch of booze, but no pot. Honestly, I don't know why anyone listens to me at all.
P.s. Yeah, I know the Mickey image isn't that great, but I'm still trying to get sued by Disney.

World’s First Laser Slingshot

productdose.com Git Dem Critters!

We know you’ve been asking yourself, “Gee, I love using my slingshot so much—why don’t folks develop one with the kind of pinpoint accuracy my sophisticated rodent terrorizing demands?” Suffice it to say that you can count on productdose to deliver “The World’s First Laser Slingshot”

Sweeeeet! This is so going on my X-mas list. Now I can finally take care of those pesky kids behind my house (I live behind an elementary school). Make sure to check out the videos! My favorite is here. Apparently chicks using a laser guided slingshot is kinda hot. What can I say? I'm a simple man with simple pleasures.

Big Pimpin’

productdose.com - Big Pimpin’

So, you think you’re a bad-ass with your Hummer? [cue laugh track] It pales in comparison to this 1952 Sarracen MK 1 Armored Personnel Carrier, son. This armor-plated classic comes equipped with a Rolls Royce engine, 6 wheel drive, and it seats 12 comfortably. Who needs a backseat DVD player when you’ve got a gun turret? The only thing we’d upgrade, of course, would be to chrome out the 44-inch rims. But it’s yours to customize, because the Sarracen tank is available (by which we mean For Sale) from Shomer-Tec for only $33,000 (OBO!).

Screw the Tank Experience! This is the way to go for sure! I wonder if they include ammo?

Florida city latest to install public surveillance cams

Florida city latest to install public surveillance cams - Engadget - www.engadget.com

Following in the footsteps of larger cities like Chicago and Baltimore, West Palm Beach, FL has begun a trial run of public surveillance cameras meant to keep criminals off of the streets and plying their trade indoors, where they belong. West Palm Beach police will be placing four high-tech cams, which can pan, tilt, and zoom in to read a license plate from half-a-mile away, along high-crime Clematis Street, with plans to deploy as many as 100 of the the $17,000 devices in the next two years.

Oh goody. The surveilance society hits home. Or fairly close anyway (Tampa, not Key West). Better get used to being videoed folks. Soon enough the only place you can expect to avoid being on camera will be in your house. Unless you pull a Paris Hilton of course.

Color Changing Volcano Lamp

GadgetMadness :: Color Changing Volcano Lamp (Non USB)

This cool desk decoration emulates the action of an erupting volcano with motion beads and multi-colored LED lights. There is an animated gif of this cool lamp in action on the product page, but there is one thing seriously wrong with this desktop sculpture. It's not USB! Why, oh why wouldn't you require a USB port on this office volcano? Even without the USB port it's still mesmering to watch, but making it USB would have seriously added to the cool factor, right?

Look, pretty lights. Have to gree with Gadget Madness on this one. USB would have made it much cooler. What? It would. Fine, be that way. I still think it's cool.

Maxell launches 1.6 TB Holographic storage @ 120 MBps

Maxell launches 1.6 TB Holographic storage @ 120 MBps - Ubergizmo

Maxell USA and InPhase Technologies have introduced holographic media that can achieve up to 1.6 TeraBytes of storage capacity, with data rates chugging along at a dizzy 120 MBps. This makes holographic media the prime choice for storage needs. Its 50+ year media archive life makes it superior to current disc and hard drive technologies. The first generation of holographic media will make a splash late next year, offering 300GB of storage at a 20 MBps transfer rate.

More holographic goodness. I've been following this tech for a while now (like 10 years, freakin' bastards). See the previous posts here and here. After the week I've had dealing with our backup solution at work you can bet your ass I'm keeping a close eye on this. I am soooooo over tape. As mentioned in the previous post (which I know you bastards are to lazy to read) the media should debut a $1 per cartridge. Yup, a whole dollar for 30 gigs. Tell me that don't kick the patooties outta tape. Oh, and yes, that big B in MBps means megabytes per second.

Keeping Christmas Fresh

productdose.com - Keeping Christmas Fresh

If you’re already thinking about setting up your Christmas tree, you’re probably the type of person that is going to have it up until February. So you’d better start thinking about how you are going to keep it alive this year, and this Ever-Green Tree Watering System is a pretty decent option that is both simple and effective. The 2.7 gallon tank remembers to water your tree even if you forget. Best of all, it’s shaped to look like a Christmas gift, so it won’t look out of place under your tree.

For those who are buying a real tree this holiday season (I've got a plastic one). Here is a clever way to keep that tree watered. Almost makes me want to get a real tree. Almost.

Sony Sued (again) and How to Bypass Sony's DRM with Scotch Tape.

Texas sues Sony BMG for spyware violations - Yahoo! News

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott filed a civil lawsuit on Monday against Sony BMG Music Entertainment (6758.T) for hiding "spyware" software on its compact discs in a bid to thwart music copying.

Yup, Sony is having a bad month. Sure, California was already suing them, but Cali sues everyone. This is freakin' Texas. I mean, this is the same state that execute the mentally retarded. How bad do you have to screw the pooch for Texas to sue you? Read our previous article for more info on Sony's DRM cluster fuck.
But wait, it gets better!

Sony BMG’s XCP bypassed with a bit of tape - Engadget
Gartner analysts revealed today that Sony’s XCP is “stymied by sticking a fingernail-size piece of opaque tape on the outer edge of the CD.” In other words, a bit of Scotch tape causes the PC to treat the disc as an ordinary music CD.

Ouch. Very similar to the black marker trick for Sony's original DRM. Evil ass Sony.

Datacenter in a Box

PBS | I, Cringely . November 17, 2005 - Google-Mart
The Waynester sayz:

holy crap ... google is putting datacenters into shipping containers? 5000 Opterons and multiple petabytes? We have about that much here at work(maybe a weeee bit more) ... on a football field sized area!
If that turns out to be true, and workable ... well ... read the linkie ... Bob pretty much spells it out.

(Editor's note: The Waynester works for one of the Baby Bells, so when he says it is comparable to his datacenter we're talking mondo datacenter)

Google hired a pair of very bright industrial designers to figure out how to cram the greatest number of CPUs, the most storage, memory and power support into a 20- or 40-foot box. We're talking about 5000 Opteron processors and 3.5 petabytes of disk storage that can be dropped-off overnight by a tractor-trailer rig. The idea is to plant one of these puppies anywhere Google owns access to fiber, basically turning the entire Internet into a giant processing and storage grid.

Pretty cool article. The really interesting part isn't the datacenter, but the speculation on what Google will do with them.

Tank Driving Experience

Tank Driving Experience - I Want One Of Those
Speaking of tanks. If anyone wants to know what they should get me for X-Mas here it is. Of course you will have to fly me to jolly ol' England first.
How come we don't have this over here? Ooops, looks like we do. How come the limeys only gotta pay 175 pounds and we gotta pay $2750? Tossers.

RC Firing Battle Tank

RC Firing Battle Tank - I Want One Of Those

With full multi-directional driving (and it's fast!), turret swivel and barrel raise and lower, you'd think that that would be good enough. But oh no, the coup de grace, the absolutely fantastically wonderful thing about this tank, is that it fires pellets!!!! Oh yes, with a maximum range of 25 metres, and a capacity of 40 pellets, it powers out plastic BB's at a rate of 1p/s it even has a powerful red warning light next to the barrel that illuminates just before it fires. It's powered by 8xAA and with a 9V battery powering the remote (not included), and as we've said already, it's darn fast.

May as well stick with the theme for the day. This one has been around for a while, but it is still my favorite. Why? Umm, it has a gun! It actually shoots! Like, how much cooler can it get? The only way to improve this one would be to slap a video camera on it.

Remote Controlled X-UFO

ThinkGeek :: R/C X-UFO :: Zoom!

Basically this X-UFO (from SilverLit) is a lightweight but extremely durable craft (built of carbon fiber and EPP foam) with four independently controlled motors that allow you to fly and hover in all three dimensions*. The four blinking LEDs assist you with orienting your X-UFO. They will also indicate when your electronic gyro is at the optimum speed for maneuvering and, once you get the hang of it, they will also allow you to fly completely in the dark so you can startle friends, loved ones and pets. Incorporating the latest in miniature technology, amazing precision, and advanced materials, your X-UFO is going to consistently remind you that dreams are worth believing in again.

Looks like today is offical uber-cool RC stuff day. Sure, it's a $180 but damn is it cool.

iBuzz--iPod Controlled Vibrator

iBuzz--iPod Controlled Vibrator - Gizmodo

Merry Christmas, Mom! Apparently this little device, which hooks up to the iPod and buzzes in time to your music library, is the hottest Christmas gift going. It’s great for getting to sore muscles and aching bones and might even be used for a bit of extracurricular self-induced carnival time after hours, but we wouldn’t condone that at all. The body is a temple.

Now this is way better than salmon fucking soda! Another get your Rock on/off beat machine. If this sorta thing look intresting make sure to check out the Audi-Oh.

Daemon Tools 4.0 Released!

Daemon Tools Homepage

DAEMON Tools is an advanced application for multiprotection emulation. It is further development of Generic Safedisc emulator and incorporates all its features. This program allows running Backup Copies of SafeDisc (C-Dilla), Securom, Laserlock, CDCOPS, StarForce and Protect CD (and many others) protected games. Also included is a Virtual DVDROM drive (Generic DVD-ROM) enabling you to use your CD images as if they were already burned to CD! DAEMON Tools works under Windows9x/ME/NT/2000/XP with all types of CD/DVDROM drives (IDE/SCSI) and supports nearly any CD protection.

New version of Daemon Tools! Sweet.
Daemon tools is a CD/DVD emulator. It allows you to mount images of CD/DVD's so you don't have to hunt for bloody CD (which I loose constantly). Make an image of your CD and dump it to a file server and never have to hunt for a disc again!
Warning! If you are running the Novell client (I know, not many people are) wait for the next version. Installing Daemon on a PC with the Novell client will cause a BSOD on restart.

Salmon soda...yum?

2005 Holiday Pack

Flavors: Brussels Sprout with Prosciutto, Cranberry Sauce, Turkey & Gravy, Wild Herb Stuffing, and Pumpkin Pie.
Also included: Serving spoon, moistened towelette, and wine list.
Flavors: Broccoli Casserole, Smoked Salmon Paté , Turkey & Gravy, Corn on the Cob, and Pecan Pie.

Errrr. Well. I seem to be at a loss for words. Well, not entirely. Fucking gross comes to mind, but it lacks style. Seriously, brussel sprout and salmon soda? Yup, fucking gross.

When Snowboarding Gets Serious

productdose.com -Blog Archive-When Snowboarding Gets Serious

If you’re planning on snowboarding more than once or twice this year, you might want to consider adding the Bakoda URA tool to your list of gear. (Not to mention that this is a great multi-tool all year round.) It’s sort of a hopped-up Swiss army knife that is compatible with all bindings, just in case you get stuck halfway down the hill. The handsome tool features Philips and flathead screwdrivers, hex tools (3 and 4), knife and scissors, file, and a ticket clipper. There’s also a bottle opener thrown in for the end of the day.

Screw snowboarding. This is one kick ass multi tool.

Gandalf to speed up Internet access

Gandalf to speed up Internet access | Emerging Technology Trends | ZDNet.com

Gandalf is not only a character from J. R. R. Tolkien's universe. It is also the acronym of a European networking project, which stands for "Gbit/s Access Network using remote Delivery opticAL Feeder." Its goal is to carry data at speeds up to a thousand times faster than with existing DSL technology and a hundred times faster than Wi-Fi networks. According to IST Results, Gandalf "uses an optical feeder that allows data to be sent over cable in a format that also allows it to be transmitted over wireless networks." And as it should be cheap to implement, we should soon have bandwidths up to a gigabit per second in our homes for the same price we pay today for a few megabits per second.

Looks promising. Hell, I'll take anything that will get me gigabit access at the house.

Solar Death Ray

Solar Death Ray

I built the first Solar Death Ray during the summer of 2004. The original inspiration came from Rob Cockerham's funny site website cockeyed.com. He built a "Mirrored Parabola," an array of mirrors he hoped would boil water. After I read his solar story, I started thinking about what I would have done differently. I built the first Solar Death Ray because I like designing and building things, I thought it would be fun to have, and I wanted to see if I could. It was fun to design and build, and I did have a lot of fun bringing it to parties and barbeques.

Fire! Uuhhh huh huh huh, huh huh huh, fire! Yeah, yeah ,yeah fire! Check it out! This guy built his own solar death ray! The pic above shows the Solar Death Ray (left) and one of the targets, a lego pirate ship (right). Hit the link to see the other fun targets.

VirtuSphere

VirtuSphere

The Virtusphere could be the device that bridges the real world with Virtual Reality (VR)... Once you step inside, you can navigate the virtual world with a full degree of human movement with its wireless headset and 360 degree movement sensors. You can use it for military training, the ultimate gaming peripheral, a treadmill at the gymnasium.

Discounting the ummm, styling body suit, this is kinda cool. This is probably the first inexpensive and simple idea I've seen that allows stationary 360 degrees of movement (hmmm, that sounds kinda worng but I'm to lazy to fix it). I wonder where they got the idea from?

Remote Controlled Hover Craft!

Hover Craft - I Want One Of Those

Well not only is the Stealth Hovercraft a UK first, it's also exclusive to iwantoneofthose.com, and as this catamaran hovercraft knocks the socks off (or possibly skirts off) all the mono hovercrafts out there, we're all rather chuffed. Its broad base makes it a dream to drive (or should that be fly?), as placing the propellers further apart gives you far more left and right control. The 'Lift' fan is controlled by a button on the remote, so you can stop the lift in an instant, and therefore stop the craft with virtually no drift (on land obviously). It has a top speed of a mighty 15kmh, and naturally works on both flat ground and water.

I hate kids today. Little bastards get all these wicked toys. What did I get? A Big Trak. Ok, the Big Trak was pretty cool. But it ain't no freakin' RC hovercraft! Ungrateful wretches.

Zoto :: Photo Sharing - Photo Hosting

Upload photos right from your PC, Macintosh or camera phone. Tags and permissions allow you to organize and control who sees them.
Post slideshows and filmstrips of your photos to any blog with a GUI that works with Blogger, TypePad, LiveJournal, WordPress, and more.
Build custom photo galleries then invite friends to participate. Share them with your friends, or share them with everyone.

Found a new photo sharing site that looks pretty cool. Seems to be pretty similar to Flickr. Has all the "social" photo sharing crap plus some blogging specific tools. The real improvement is Zoto gives you 2 gigabytes of storage for free! I still think the Hello bloggerbot is easier for posting to the blog, but Zoto gives you waaay more storage. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Extreme Jello Shots

Jello Shots Today...Pudding Shots Tomorrow | Liquor Snob

Ultimately we determined that the breaking point of a Jell-O shot the point at which the gelatin began to lose its structural integrity (i.e., ability to gel and hold its shape) is somewhere between 19 and 20 oz. of vodka per 3 oz. package of Jell-O powder. That's at least 14 oz. (1 2/3 cups) more than the 5 oz. of vodka in the original Jell-O shot recipe.

Wow! Now that's a jell o shot. Almost 3 times the booze compared to a standard jell o shot.

WARNING! Jello shots have extreme side effects! Side effects can include: sleep deprivation, severe financial hardship, talking to yourself, paranoia, noxious fumes (possibly toxic, but that is speculative on my part), destruction of property (yours), vandalism, graffiti, manic/depressive episodes, spy ware infections, lice, viruses (both human and computer), Tourettes Syndrome, decreased sex drive (all right, not the drive but the opportunity), stuttering, destroy your social life and loss of intelligence.

Oh, I know what some of you are thinking. "Poor C. Light, he's finally gone off the deep end. There is , like, no way that jell o shots can have those side effects."
Wrong! There is so a way. Allow me to tell you a story. (Stop your whining and keep reading!)

Once upon a time there was a beautiful and intelligent couple. A beautiful, intelligent, and doomed couple (they don't know they are doomed yet). So the beautiful and intelligent couple went out to this thing called Necronomicon. A wonderful fantasy land filled with weird creatures and copious amounts of alcohol.

Upon arriving they gazed in wonder at the strange sights.
The more clever of the pair (the man) said, "Trekkies and furries and goths, oh my!"
After a bit of exploring this most unusual of places, the beautiful and intelligent couple began to grow weary and decided to rest in the evening breeze. During their respite they are approached by a witch cleverly disguised as a waitress.

The witch says, "Would you like to buy some jell o shots?"

The beautiful man says, " Look! Pretty colors!" (the intelligent part no longer a factor due to the aforementioned "copious alcohol").

The imp of the perverse (incarnated in this tale in the form of the Schram-Man) speaks, "Lets buy the whole tray!".

Where upon our beautiful, no longer intelligent but still doomed, couple proceeds to buy the entire tray of jell o shots. After consuming the entire tray, the beautiful couple have mad, passionate sex for the rest of the enchanted evening.

What? This doesn't explain the side effects? But it does. Let us join our beautiful and intelligent couple one month later...

The beautiful and intelligent lady speaks, "I'm late."

The beautiful and intelligent man replies sagaciously, "You should set your alarm earlier".

The beautiful and intelligent lady replies, "No jackass. I'm late. As in my period was supposed to start and it didn't. I think I'm pregnant."

And so our story ends and the once beautiful and intelligent couple are now afflicted with a myriad of side effects from the evilness that are jell o shots. With no hope of a cure for another fifteen years.

Santa Claus is "Coming"

Strange New Products: Santa Claus is "Coming"

"From Ann Summers, a UK-based adult toy retailer, is this Santa Claus gag gift that dispenses bits of candy from his rather large sweet-shooter.

You push his head down, and he shoots out a wad of sugary goodness for you. Pump him several times and he'll reward you over-and-over.

And Europeans blame us for crass commercialism??"

Hehe. Just in time for Christmas.

Upgrade the Linksys WRT54G with open source firmware

Upgrade the Linksys WRT54G with open source firmware - Engadget - www.engadget.com

The Linksys WRT54G is a fairly typical WiFi router, able to connect your home network and work seamlessly with a broadband connection. But what makes the $60 router unique is the fact that its firmware is based on Linux. A couple of years ago, Linksys under pressure from the open source community released the firmware under the GPL, and since then, developers have taken it apart and put it back together again, adding new features, including the ability to run the WRT54G as a VPN or VoIP server, a RADIUS server, or even as a full-fledged (albeit very low-end) computer.

L33t haX0r stuff! Links to a good article on using a custom firmware on your Linksys router. I've been using HyperWRT for 6 months or so and I have to say, it is pretty tight. Lets you do basic QoS and bump up the transmit power on the wireless portion. There are a whole bunch of other mods you can do. If you have a Linksys you should check it out.

The E-Mail Time Capsule

The E-Mail Time Capsule - Forbes.com

Most time capsules involve cramming stuff into a metal box and burying it in a hole in the ground. It's a method that works --but it's so primitive. What if you could write an email to yourself, and be assured of receiving it twenty years in the future?

That's what we've done with this email time capsule. Simply fill out the fields below, decide how long you want the capsule to be sealed for, and hit send. We'll do our best to make sure the message gets delivered.

Thought this was kinda cool. Send yourself an email 20 years from now. Of course, this is all predicated on having the same email address in 20 years.

Put Your Vices Together for Cofee-beer

Put Your Vices Together for Cofee-beer - Gizmodo

"Feast your eyes on the newest Swiss invention: Coffee-beer, a “fermented coffee beverage” that has been patented in every major market around the world by Nestac (part of the Nestle empire). The beverage is basically a super-caffeinated liquid that pours like a beer but smells like coffee. No alcohol included."

Well, I was all excited until I read the no alcohol part. I'm confused. So it smells like coffee, has lots of caffiene, and pours like a beer? Ummm....couldn't you just drink coffee?

Silly String Tripwire Detector

Tricks of the Trade: Marine

Apparently some clever Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan are using Silly String to detect bomb tripwires in dark rooms: They spray the Silly String into the room, and the brightly-colored string gets draped over even the finest tripwire, making it easy to spot. I am gobsmacked by the brilliance and simplicity of this.

This is almost as brilliant as Guinness Draft. Fine, how about equally brilliant on account of blowed up people don't get to drink Guinness? This is one of those slap your forehead kinda of ideas. The simplicity is staggering.
I'm guessing that being blowed (It is too a word! Fuck you and my spell checker both! So there!) up is an extremely good motivator for thinking outside the box. I wonder if I could apply the same principle at work? Hey Baa, maybe you should try this on your flunkies. "Brad, you've got 15 minutes to get that router back up or the bouncing betty will detonate!"

DRM this, Sony!

DRM this, Sony! - CNET.com

Marz says...

Here's a nifty little rant on CNET that the Ritalin Kid forwarded to me.
I'm thinking of changing electronics companies...

From Cnet.com

On Monday, October 31, alert users discovered that Sony BMG is using copy-protected CDs to surreptitiously install its digital rights management technology onto PCs. You don't have to be ripping the CD, either--just playing it from your CD-ROM drive triggers the installation. The software installs itself as a root kit, which is a set of tools commonly used to make certain files and processes undetectable, and they're the favored tool of crackers who are, as Wikipedia puts it, attempting to "maintain access to a system for malicious purposes." In fact, root kits are often classified alongside Trojan horses. And Mark Russinovich, who created a root-kit detection utility and was one of the first to blog about the Sony intrusion, discovered another little gem when he tried to remove the DRM drivers. It broke his computer--disabling his CD drive.

Man , I just love Sony. Those evil bastards. I actually saw this here, here, and here before Marz sent me the other link. The short version is they install this program without telling you. It has no way to remove it. If you do remove it, you end up disabling your CD-Rom drive. As an added bonus it hides any file on your system that starts with $sys$. Which means any aspiring virus writer can hide a virus on your system and it will never be detected.

As you can imagine, a few people are a bit upset. I'm sure Sony will see that this is unacceptable and apologize immediately. Hahahaa. ??Just kidding, I know Sony better than that. Here is what Sony has to say:

Thomas Hesse, President of Sony's Global Digital Business, literally says: "Most people, I think, don't even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?"

Ah, umm, well, how can you argue with that logic?

Well, at least none of those pesky hax0r virus d00dz have taken advantage of the rootkit. Well, ok, maybe they did but since you don't know what a rootkit is why would you care?

So how are things going for Sony? Lets see. Bad publicity is spreading faster than Paris Hilton's legs. All the major anti-virus vendors have classified the software as a virus and added it to their definition files. Oh, and two class action lawsuits. Well, at least they finally decided to stop using it.

"As a precautionary measure, Sony BMG is temporarily suspending the manufacture of CDs containing XCP technology," it said in a statement.

"We also intend to re-examine all aspects of our content protection initiative to be sure that it continues to meet our goals of security and ease of consumer use," Sony BMG added.

Sony BMG said it stands by content protection technology "as an important tool to protect our intellectual property rights and those of our artists."

Gee, they sound like they feel bad don't they?

Peekaboo Pole

Peekaboo Pole - I Want One Of Those

The Peekaboo Pole Dancing set is the world's first complete Pole Dancing Kit. Packed neatly into a handy tube (so you can take it to parties - and you'll want to) is a chrome plated extendable dance pole, an instructional dance leaflet, a pink garter, and a stack of fake $10 bills for people to stuff into it! The pole is spring loaded and will extend up to a height of 8 foot 6 inches (to use on ceilings no higher that 8'2"), and it needs no drills or screws.

Well, I was looking for something as sexy as Baa's pistol and lookee what I found. Pistols are cool, but boobies are better! I'm thinking about starting one of those "make mad money at home" scams. Sign up and send me $200 bucks and I'll send you everything you need to make extra cash at home. Whadya think?

Telescopic Eye

Miniature Telescope

Israeli company Vision Care Inc has developed an Implantable Miniature Telescope that could sound the death knell to all age-related macular degeneration that causes vision loss. Currently in phase II/III clinical trials, results have been nothing short of positive. The prosthetic telescope works with the cornea to enlarge images up to 3x the actual size, reducing blind spots in vision impaired patients. The device is situated in the eye itself after a minor operation.

So much for those good 'ol Mark 1 eyeballs. They are now soooo yesterday. I'm waiting for the infrared package then I am totally upgrading.

Uwe Boll to Make Postal Film

Uwe Boll to Make Postal Film - Kotaku

In what I hope to God is a joke press release, game developer Running with Scissors has announced that Uwe Boll has signed a deal to turn the over-the-top gore-fest Postal into a movie.

The press release goes on to say that shooting for the movie begins in 2006 with a release set for 2007, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the original games debut.

Update:: I just confirmed this with RWS CEO Vince Desi, they are in fact making the movie. I'll post my short interview with him in a bit. It also includes one interesting casting announcement.

Ah, the suckage that is Uwe Boll. Here he goes out to anally rape another video game franchise. For those not familiar with his "work" check out the link. The man is single handedly trying to destroy video game based movies (and doing an outstanding job). The most lamentable is probably the Bloodrayne franchise. Lets face it, ol' Steve Spielberg couldn't make a decent movie out of Postal.

On the upside, as long as the ass clowns keep letting him make movies (I can only assume for a tax write off or something) I have an entry into the annual Bad Movie Film Festival or BMFF (pronounced like you had a mouthful of peanuts and you got kicked in the nuts, which is remarkably similar to how you feel after attending). More on BMFF later...

Gift Wrap-CLOWN ORGY

T-Shirt Hell :: Gift Wrap :: CLOWN ORGY
With X-mas right around the corner I thought I'd provide a link to some excellent wrapping paper. Great fun for mom and the kids! For those who aren't big clown fans give the Gang Bang Elves wrapping paper a shot (sorry, couldn't resist).

Sony's New Proprietary Memory Scheme - Compact Vault

Sony's New Proprietary Memory Scheme - Compact Vault - Gizmodo

You got to be kidding me Sony. According to my count, this is the sixth Sony Memory Stick version released: Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, Memory Stick Pro Duo, Memory Stick Pro M2, UMD, and now the Compact Vault. This isn't completely proprietary. It's just kind of silly. The Compact Vault is a variant of CompactFlash Type II, so in a way they are simply upgrading, but there is probably no chance in hell that it will be compatible with older CompactFlash devices. The initial release will offer 5GB of data and transfer at a nice 96.7Mbps. It should be popping up around the UK in November.

Ahhhh Sony I can always count on you for a good laugh. Their tenacious dedication to proprietary formats is amazing. Seriously, after like 20 tries you would think they would get the idea that people don't like that shit. It's kinda like dating the really hot chick that turns out to be a major psycho stalker. Yeah she's hot, but that GPS tracker she hid in your car is a bit on the disturbing side.

Coffee Regurgitated By Weasels

GadgetryBlog: Coffee Regurgitated By Weasels

This amazing coffee is so rare and so astonishing, that it's put me right of coffee! Weasel Coffee ($16 per 57g) has been eaten and regurgitated by rare Vietnamese weasels! Honestly! As you can imagine, the weasels' gastric goings-on radically alter the taste of the coffee and the result promises to be a stronger, smoother, heady-flavoured coffee that will appeal to serious connoisseurs of the mighty bean. Once 'evacuated' by the bean-loving fur balls, the coffee is collected by eagle-eyed villagers, who then market the stuff directly to the manufacturers. Pass the biscuits...

Um, eeeeeeeeewwwwwww. Look, I'm sure ya'll know I'm a major caffeine junkie (I can even spell caffeine without the spell checker, a very major accomplishment for me). But this goes waaaay over the line. Weasel vomit. That is nastier than Paris Hilton.

iGuitar.USB Connects Directly to Computer

iGuitar.USB Connects Directly to Computer - Gizmodo

We keep hearing about direct guitar-to-computer connections, but respected custom guitar maker Brian Moore is actually shipping one that works, right now: the iGuitar.USB. Plug a single USB cable into your computer, and you've got instant audio: no external power, breakout boxes, or drivers needed. Gibson's not-yet-shipping "digital" Les Paul can't do that. Better repaint your PowerBook so it doesn't look too dorky onstage.

Another post for the Schram-man (who likes another astoundingly lame band this week, Cumfree and Chlamydia.). Since he keeps dissin' the Gibson ethernet guitar I'd thought I'd post this cool alternative. No boxes or nothin'. Just plug in the USB cable and go. For those old schoolers who don't want to shell out the phat cash for a new phallic extender...sorry, guitar...check out the box from Line 6.

Buckypaper

Buckypaper

Buckypaper is a material that is 10 times lighter than steel and yet 250 times stronger. The downside is, it's a highly conducive material for both heat and electricity. Constructed from carbon nanotubes measuring about 1/50,000th the diameter of a hair, Buckypaper could change the way the world works when real-world applications for it are developed. We are looking at an energy-efficient, lighter material that would allow a more uniform level of brightness than current CRT and LCD technology.

More nanotube goodness. What can I say, I love them little buggers. Way more useful than a diet crouton.

Samurai Toy and Candy

productdose.com-Blog Archive-Samurai Code

Here's another winner we just found at Giant Robot. You love Akira Kurosawa? Can you think of any way to express it that's better than this Akira Kurosawa Film Maker toy? Not only is this one in series of seven samurai, but it comes with candy.

How cool are these? And they have candy! The only way to improve these would be for them to include caffeine.

Topless Bartending Academy

Friday Fun: Topless Bartending Academy | Liquor Snob

Sometimes we find something on the Internet that is so stupendous, we're not sure how to cover it. The Topless Academy's Guide to Bartending is not one of those things. We know exactly what we want to say. But, our mothers read Liquor Snob, so we'll try to keep things relatively tame.

Genius! All things are better with naked boobies! Naked needlepoint? Sign me up! Now we know why Bond orders his martinis shaken.

Accidental Invention Points to End of Light Bulbs

Accidental Invention Points to End of Light Bulbs

Michael Bowers, a graduate student at Vanderbilt University, was just trying to make really small quantum dots, which are crystals generally only a few nanometers big. That's less than 1/1000th the width of a human hair.

When you shine a light on quantum dots or apply electricity to them, they react by producing their own light, normally a bright, vibrant color. But when Bowers shined a laser on his batch of dots, something unexpected happened.

"I was surprised when a white glow covered the table," Bowers said. "The quantum dots were supposed to emit blue light, but instead they were giving off a beautiful white glow."

The new device gives off a warm, yellowish-white light that shines twice as bright and lasts 50 times longer than the standard 60 watt light bulb.

Finally, a replacement for regular old light bulbs. Yes, I'm serious. I hate the inefficiency of regular bulbs. What?!? I do. Yes, it is a little OCD but I'm ok with that. Inefficiency bugs the crap out of me. Fine, be that way see if I care. New light bulbs are still cool.