After years of fighting, Amazon's infamous 1-Click patent has been (re)confirmed. In other words, if a site wants to deploy a single-click checkout system for registered customers, it's gotta license the tech from Amazon. Oh, patents! More »
If they ever make a 21st century Mary Poppins sequel—and say, Tim Burton directs it—I would like to see her umbrella replaced with this dimmer lamp. Mary could get swept away, up the electrical fuse. Forever. [Yanko Design] More »
This isn't just any old rusty antique of a car. It's the oldest-dated flying car, and comes with the blueprints, 1921 patent and documents charting inventor Frank Skroback's creation. Here's the catch though: it doesn't fly. More »
Silicon Alley Insider is reporting that Cisco is prepping a new line of Flip video cameras to be announced next month at the NAB conference in Vegas. Makes sense! No details on the models themselves, unfortunately. [Silicon Alley Insider] More »
Wireless charging has been around—even for the iPhone—for years, but it wasn't until the last 12 months that it's been refined to be as good as standard wired charging. Case-mate's Hug is our favorite iPhone charging pad. More »
A t-shirt-stuffed Linux store has opened for business, the proceeds from which support the Linux Foundation. But since Linux users are such penny-pinchers, $18 is probably more than they'll pay for a single garment of clothing. [LinuxStore via CrunchGear] More »
First law of gadget recessionomics: Take something you make, which is great, make it ever so less great, and sell it for ever so less money. That's how you end up with products like Microsoft's SideWinder X4 keyboard. More »
Google added bike lanes and bicycle directions to Google Maps today, allowing you to find routes that aren't too hilly or congested. It's pretty awesome! More »
It's confirmed: Space is bubbling with the potential for life. The Heterodyne Instrument for the Far Infrared—on board the Herschel Space Observatory—has sent a high resolution analysis of the Orion Nebula's chemistry. It has scientists very excited. More »
This daily calendar mixes analog, digital, nature, and poetry all in one: Every autumn day, each of its pages will fall off automatically, torn by a clever mechanism at its top. As this video shows, it works great. But why? More »
With stories abounding of identity theft aided by information lifted from discarded storage devices, you want devices you no longer plan to use to have no usable information when they head out the door. Here's how to wipe them clean. More »
Apart from the name—which I personally approve of very much—Zenitum's iKat app has another cool edge to it. It's (we think) the first augmented reality phone app to work without a marker, or real-world prompt. More »
When planning your next Japan visit, better put aside a night for a "factory night jungle cruise" if you want to be right up there with the latest Japanese otaku craze. They literally visit factories, at night. More »
South Korea has overhauled its public transport network with recharging roads, where the vehicles use power from buried electric strips in the road. It was invented at the University of California, before South Korea adopted it for an amusement park. More »
It's not a micro four thirds, but Pentax has lifted the lid on the 645D medium format camera, which will be available this May for close to $10,000. Why so expensive, you ask? There's that 40MP Kodak sensor for starters. More »
We often speak of material being used to conduct electricity, but what if underwear makers AussieBum—who've created underpants made from banana fiber—used carbon nanotubes as well? Think of the possibilities banana-derived electricity-conducting pants could bring you. [KoreaHerald] More »
12 Full Color Printed VHS Video Boxes: $9. Full Scale Plastic Washer and Dryer Set: $139. 2 Piece 20" Wide Screen LCD Style Computer Package: $49. Outfitting your entire home with prop gadgets: Probably a bad idea. More »
Here's some tasty-looking hard candy. And here's that same tasty-looking hard candy scanned by an SEM. Tuns out that there's a company offering to stick almost anything under an electron microscope and we can't help but wonder: What to pick? More »
Lego biped robots are a dime a dozen, even while some look pretty sweet. This one is special: It's the first walking Lego robot. And, unlike your usual feet-dragging toy robots, it actually walks by raising its feet. More »
