Can you believe it? Ping Pong paddle gloves! The game, it has changed!

Now, granted, I haven't actually slipped my hand into one of these potentially revolutionary paddles, but the design alone had me salivating this morning and that has to mean something, right?

The $100 set includes the two paddles, four balls, terrycloth wristbands and a carrying case. The designer claims the more intimate palm-to-ball feel will result in a faster game with more spin and better control.

No idea if that's true or not, but I can guarantee using these paddles will result in a completely different game of table tennis. Question now is whether or not the International Table Tennis Federation takes notice. [Broadmann via Uncrate]

When crazy stuff happens on airplanes, as it did on Christmas, you can rest assured security will tighten and terrifying electronics restrictions will fall into place. But in this latest case, our electronics? They may still be "safe."

I bring that up because there was apparently this nasty rumor going around that all electronics would soon be banned on all British Airways and Virgina Atlantic flights once these inevitable "new security measures" went live. And could you imagine? A trans-Atlantic flight without laptop movies, MP3 jams and podcasts, and positively no covert airplane mode smartphone adult content? Hell in an aluminum tube, says I.

But it's apparently not true, for now. Both airways said electronics are still GO, even as some previouslt reported "unpredictable" security measures go into place over the next few days.

American carriers, like Continental, United and AA, have also not changed their security measures in the wake of the attempted Xmas Day terrorist attack—yet—so getting home from your relatives this week could still be moderately bearable, as far as air travel goes anyway. [Pocket Lint]

Remember Aiko, the fembot created by amateur inventor Le Trung? Well, apparently she and his boyfriend/creator spent Christmas with his family, and he even got her presents. He claims that she's exactly like a real woman. Seriously, Le? Let's review:

"Aiko can recognise faces and says hello to anyone she has met."

OK. Sounds good enough.

"She helps me pick what to have for dinner and knows what drinks I like."

Hmmhmm.

"Like a real female she will react to being touched in certain ways."

Right.

"If you grab or squeeze too hard she will try to slap you."

Correct.

"She has all senses except for smell."

Fine. That can be convenient at times.

"[Walking] is the most difficult thing for any inventor to do. The problem is finding a way for Aiko to walk that looks human-like without impacting on any of her other abilities. I have spent the last six months taking her apart and trying out lots of different systems, but I haven't been able to get it right yet."

Ooooooook. So she doesn't walk and you can take her apart to rebuild her.

"But Aiko is always helpful and never complains. She is the perfect woman to have around at Christmas."

Come on, Le, you had me until you said that. That's not very realistic. But then again, whatever rocks your world, dude. If you are happy, Aiko is happy, and we are all happy. Just don't have another heart attack while working on her, like you had two years ago.

I wish the New Year brings you both happiness and no tight white jackets. [Daily Mail]

Gift cards have ruined Christmas. An utterly depressing fact: They're the most popular present in the United States. Did you know Blockbuster is responsible for the modern gift card?

The Big Money's history of gift cards is a fascinating timeline of how they spread like a virus, infecting every gift-giving tradition we hold dear: Neiman Marcus actually was the first to sell gift cards, in 1994, but because the retailer didn't quite understand their potential, the cards were kept out of sight and sold only as a novelty item. Blockbuster was the first to display them, starting in 1995, which was the true beginning of the gift card revolution.

Starbucks was the next major innovator, in 2001, with gift cards that worked more than once, so you'd have to keep going back. (Today, one out of seven purchases is made with a gift card at Starbucks in the US.) Which brings us to the present, with gimmick cards like Best Buy's tiny speaker or Target's little camera, or purely electronic ones, like for Steam and Amazon.

Did your Christmas feel more empty and hollow this year? Did you give or receive a gift card? Bingo. Gift cards are the most cynical of all presents, lower than cash. They lock the receiver into a particular store or service, while relieving the giver of any responsibility, thought or feeling. If someone gives you a gift card, they don't care about you. In fact, they're trying to trick you, and make you think that they do, because they took the time to select a store to purchase your piece of plastic from. That is a lie—the effort went into the ruse, not your gift.

Of course, stores love gift cards, a pure token that holds no value after it's purchased, except that which the merchant dictates. Odds are, when somebody comes in to spend a gift card, they'll use to buy something more expensive. Even if the gift card is never used, the store still keeps the money—and most unused gift cards lose value over time, withering with the seasons. It's an $87 billion con by the retail industry, and Americans, obsessed with convenience, have eaten it up.

If you're thinking about buying somebody a gift card because you can't be bothered to pick out a real present, don't. Give them cash. Sure, you might feel like an asshole—well, you kind of are—but I promise you, the person receiving the wad will like it a whole lot more than any gift card. Cash can be spent, anytime, anywhere, and it won't expire in a year (unless the economy completely collapses, then we've got bigger problems than declining gift standards).

Update: I forgot to make the important exception for independent and local specialty stores, like record shops. Gift cards are okay in that case (small businesses need money, speciality stores require some consideration).

Here's a question that's quickly becoming a dilemma, though. What's a better (worse?) gift, cash or digital media? [The Big Money]

If you don't want other people to know what you read, you probably shouldn't own an ereader. And you really shouldn't get a constantly connected Kindle or Nook, at least according to the EFF's eye-opening guide to ebook privacy.

The Kindle and Nook are tied to Amazon and Barnes & Noble's respective bookstores, meaning every purchase and every book search is recorded. Amazon's license agreement for the Kindle, for instance, notes that the Kindle's software "will provide Amazon with data about your Device and its interaction with the Service...and information related to the content on your Device and your use of it (such as automatic bookmarking of the last page read and content deletions from the Device)."

The Nook is obviously capable of phoning home in a similar manner, but it's unknown whether or not it does, at least for now. With Google Books, it's clear that what you're actually reading is logged, down to the specific page.

On the other hand, since Sony's Reader lacks 3G for a constant connection and isn't as tightly integrated with their ebook store, there's less opportunity for data collection, particularly if you stick w/ sideloaded books. Better still, says the EFF is the open-source FBReader. But you can't download books from anywhere in 3 seconds over 3G, and the experience isn't as nice.

It's the classic tradeoff: Less privacy for more convenience and a better experience, or greater privacy for a bigger hassle. What side are you on? [EFF]