Skeptics will tell you that Wytheville, Virginia hostage-taker Warren Taylor climbed out of his chair, laid on the ground and surrendered to police by his own will. But I think it's obvious what really happened here. [DailyMail, AP]
In some ways, this chart showing the spread of broadband in the US sums up the decade better than anything else. [GigaOM]
Since an actual flying RC model of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-A is still a few anti-gravity discoveries away, this is the next best thing: A submarine Enterprise that you can fly in your swimming pool, by Japanese modeler Starfleet Yokosuka.
I only see one problem to this huge retrofitted 1/350 scale model: How the hell do you make pew-pew sounds under water? [Hobby Media via Makezine]
If you're not sure about this whole iPhone turn-by-turn thing, and you've been too afraid to try it because the apps are so expensive, hey, look: Motionx Drive, our favorite budget iPhone nav app, is just a dollar right now.
Granted, this should be seen as a trial, because it only includes a month of full services, after which a navigation subscription costs $3 a month or $25 a year via in-app purchases, though the months don't have to be consecutive, so you can sort of just pay as you go, buying nav access only when you need it. If you're driving anywhere over the holidays, seriously, just give it a shot. Four quarters, folks!
This is one of the best power socket ideas I've seen in a long while: A socket with an extension cord inside the wall itself. They should make these standard everywhere. I even like the name: The Rambler Socket.
It works easily: Pinch the sockets sides, pull it out, and use with your electrical thingamajig. Once your are done, tug the wire gently, and let the recoil mechanism neatly store away the extension cable. Power socket people of the world: Make it happen. [Yanko Design]
Believe it or not, this is the Burj Dubai. The very end of it, the top of its antenna tickling the sky. It's just a tiny part of this brain-imploding 2.3 gigapixel photo of the largest skyscraper in the world:
Of course, Gizmodo reader Gerald Donovan didn't send the photo itself, as it would have broken the entire internet. He created a video zooming in and out of his image in Photoshop. It's like magic. Or an episode of CSI. I just can't believe the level of detail in this photo. It's stunning to see such a titanic structure in this way.
The largest skyscraper in the world will officially open in 13 days.
Nothing is more Christmasy to me than the Nutcracker. OK, and Christmas pudding. Sooooo—nothing is more Christmasy than the Nutcracker and Christmas pudding—and probably eggnog. Maybe Christmas carols too. OK. Nutcracker, Christmas pudding, eggnog, carols, and Saturn's moons.
In space, nobody can see you dancing classical ballet while eating Christmas pudding dunked in eggnog while singing Xmas carols. And with nobody I really mean the Cassini spacecraft.
Is it any surprise that when I asked a bunch of Gizmodo readers to share their holiday horror stories, you guys sent in tales of frozen cameras, techno-challenged dads and—yes—porn-filled PS3s?
A fellow who goes by Skunkabilly sent his pictorial tale on Flickr, which documents a camping trip to Monument Valley and the miserable story of a D90 which froze up—literally. Apparently the poor camera was set up outside the tent in an attempt to capture one of those gorgeous swirling-star slow exposures of the sky.
I've lived in Southern California my whole life, so I don't really understand how this whole cold and frost thing works.
When he woke up, his precious DSLR was covered with frost. "What the crap is this?" he asked himself. "Ahhh, yes. All hail Frosty the Nikon!" He tried to thaw his camera on the engine block of his Subaru, but ultimately decided to take it inside the car. Sure, it fogged up on the inside for a bit, but it was fine eventually, and the rest of the trip was smooth.
The part that caught our attention though? Skunkabilly ended the tale by saying, "Hopefully I won't rappel into a pool and drown it to death like I did with my D200." Yikes! Sounds like there's a history of gadget abuse here.
Marte, better known as infmom, sent in this photo from 1961. It's Christmas morning, and she and her brother are admiring the elaborate electric train set their father had bought and built for them. Only that fact in itself was mysterious, as their father "could barely change a lightbulb."
Marte explains that, to his dying day, her father referred to record players as "Victrolas" and refrigerators as "iceboxes." Not so much Luddite as someone who didn't usually get involved with the technical processes of the household, he decided that year to break the trend, and get constructive.
A few days before Christmas, Dad brought home the train set and the plastic scenery and the controllers and a bunch of wood and nails and smuggled all the stuff into the basement through the outside door and told us to stay out of it. He borrowed a hand saw and a hammer from the neighbors and set to work trying to build a table to put the train set on. Including sawing a sheet of plywood to size. With a hand saw. Laid across our basement coffee table, which was a hollow core door on legs. When my mom heard the language coming from the basement she told us to stay way away from it.
Though his effort to this point was valiant, the electrical engineering—and a certain amount of required drilling, for which he lacked a drill—did him in. Still, on Christmas morning, the train set was up and running. How?
We were thinking some kind of miracle had occurred, until our mother told us that later that day we were to go over and thank our neighbor, who worked for the phone company, for responding to Dad's late-night cry for help.
Marte thinks that's the point where she vowed to grow up learning how to fix things herself. And considering that she's lurking around Lifehacker and Gizmodo, odds are that she did. I feel bad for her father though. While Marte and her brother got to enjoy their gift, to him this must've been a genuine holiday horror.
We've heard of coal in the stocking, but Jeff's story sounds worse. One Christmas, he hit the jackpot, scoring not just a cool RC car, but a set of Crazy Bones figurines too. So the next Christmas, he was reasonably quite excited:
I used to love sleeping by the fireplace at night, right next to the Christmas tree. Every season, I would do this with my little brother, and fall asleep to the warm glow of the fire, and wake up in the morning with presents all around us. I went to sleep too giddy to even imagine what I was going to receive the next morning.
I awoke to the sound of wrapping paper crumpling around me, as I stared at two of the biggest packages I had ever seen. I immediately started shredding the paper [the first one] was wrapped in, like a hungry wolf digging into its prey. What did I uncover? Two brand spankin' new... comforter and blanket sets. [And in] the smaller package next to it? A 100-capacity floppy disk lock box.
Sadly, he did not even receive any floppies to put inside it.
Photo by alliet
Luckybob343 grew up in the '80s, a time when "Christmas wasn't Christmas without a remote-controlled, battery-operated something."
The trouble was, Santa brought all the cool electronic toys but he never brought any batteries. Those we had to buy ourselves, but in our house we could only buy batteries from my dad's independent electronics store.
Sure, sounds nice to keep it in the family, but there were two catches: First, his dad bought hisbatteries in bulk from Walmart, and jacked up the price by $2 per pack. And second, Luckybob's dad's store was closed from Christmas Eve until January 2nd.
Come the new year, we'd fork over three weeks of allowances over to my dad to get to play with our toys one week after we got them.
Luckybob finally got some revenge though. This year, he got a multi-instrument weather station that he knew his dad had been eying, and he took out all the instructions except the ones written in French.
Photo by cosmic tito
Jose was happy to return home after finishing Navy boot camp last Christmas. Most of his family members, from age one to age 65, were gathered at his house. There his step-father had recently installed a 50-inch plasma TV and all the gaming console goodies that should go with it, including a PS3.
One of my little cousins wanted to play the PS3 so he turned it on and a porno came on. Everyone's mouth just dropped to the ground. My sister quickly turned it off but it was too late.
Jose told us that about 25 dear family members heard and saw what was likely a film by the Bang Bros. Everyone stared down his step-father, giving him "the look of shame." Some family members left because of it, and are pretending Jose's step-father doesn't exist. Needless to say, his mom had to throw out some DVDs. There is a silver lining, though: "We are having the Christmas eve party at my aunt's now!" Yikes.
Photo by me vs gutenberg
So, who wins the pizza? Each story has its own particular charm (and nastiness), so we thought we'd put it to a vote. Have at it, and by the end of Christmas Day, whoever has the most votes on this baby wins.
Which of these stories deserves a pizza?(survey)
You just saw a cute girl. How do you approach her? Do you follow her on Twitter in hopes of catching her attention? Friend her on Facebook? Get her number and call? This chart will help you decide.
You can click on the image for a closer look.
Yeah, the message is something you probably already knew: Stick to the old-school stuff. Get her number, call her up, go out for some ice cream, and see what happens. Then again, you never know, you might get the same result through Twitter. I'm not really here to judge, the chart is. [SF Weekly]
The shuttle is retiring next year and, according to NASA, the remaining five flights may be the most difficult ever flown. That's why they created this contest for the final space shuttle patch. One of these will be the winner:
Among other activities, they organized the final mission patch contest to make NASA employees more involved and concentrate on the missions ahead. The entries—a total of 85—were created by all shuttle program members, from technicians to astronauts. Fifteen of these will go into a voting web page, where NASA employees would be able to vote. The favorite—although this could be vetoed by NASA's top brass—will be the final mission patch. My bet is hidden in the gallery, but looking at it, it's clearly perfect NASA patch material. [Collect Space]
According to the NY Times, a former Apple employee has told them that that "Steve is extremely happy with the new tablet." Guess he might not kill this one then.
I don't even want to speculate what about this tablet makes Steve so happy or about what will be so surprising about interacting with it. I just want to interact with one. Period. [NY Times]
Researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory have managed to accidentally cause $3 million of damage as they blew up one of their own buildings using a large-bore powder gun, a weapon which acts like a Civil War cannon. Updated.
According to Project on Government Oversight's Senior Investigator, Peter Stockton, this incident "is a new twist in the long history of screw-ups by Los Alamos." I can't really blame him for saying that when testing a gun results in several million dollars of structural damage, propels doors away from the building, and leaves pieces of the weapon spread out on the ground outside. Geez.
Let's look at the positive side of this though. The gun was a mess, but they discovered a heck of a bomb here, no? [Pogo via Wired]
Update: Wired reports that they've received an email from National Nuclear Security Administration spokesman Damien LaVera which implies that what we've first heard might not be the exact story:
Here are the facts: On December 16, Los Alamos conducted a standard proof test on a new design for a catch tank in the target chamber for one of our large bore powder guns (LBPG). These types of experiments are routine and responsible. The LBPG is used to conduct measurements of material properties at pressures needed for understanding nuclear weapons performance. During this particular test, unexpected explosive damage occurred and, because that damage could result in $1 million in damages, an investigation was automatically triggered. That investigation will seek to identify the cause of the incident and any changes in procedures that might be required. NNSA, Los Alamos, and all of our facilities take their commitment to safety very seriously. It is important to note that no personnel were injured from this event, no hazardous or radioactive materials were involved, and that lab's incident response mechanisms appear to have performed as intended.
Verizon's been defending its ridiculous $350 smartphone early termination fee to the FCC, but those folks aren't having any of it. In fact, the five-person committee dealing with the issue thinks Verizon's answers are "unsatisfying and, in some cases, troubling."
Mignon Clyburn, a member of that FCC committee, wrote a letter with a laundry list of issues she has with Verizon's treatment of its customers and makes it a point to say that she looks "forward to exploring this issue in greater depth with [her] colleagues in the New Year." Yikes. Not such great news for Verizon, but it could lead to some good for consumers. [FCC via Engadget]
Tis the time to be amazed: A 38-year-old man has regained vision in his blind eye thanks to a new stem cell therapy. It won't cure all blind people, but it's a giant leap. Here's how it works.
Englishman Russell Thurnbull got attacked with ammonia 15 years ago during a street fight. As a result, he got an extremely painful condition called Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency, which resulted in blindness in one eye. After much medication, he became a lab rat for all kinds of treatments until a team from Newcastle's North East England Stem Cell Institute got the miraculous cure he was waiting for.
First, the team took a minuscule sample of stem cells from his healthy eye's cornea. This millimeter square of cells was placed on a amniotic membrane, which was placed inside a liquid made from his blood, glucose, insulin, and hydrocortisone. The cells will grow in that solution until taking all over the membrane, which then is used to replace the damaged cornea.
The result: He completely gained eyesight after only eight weeks of the operation. It is not Christopher Reeve walking, but if this is not the future ringing the doorbell, right here, right now, I don't know what it is. [Channel 4]
Apple makes some of the most specialized mainstream devices around, but the gear is never very cheap and, let's face it, it stinks for any one company to own your wallet. So here are the best alternatives for each iProduct:
(If you'd like to see this post in non-gallery form, just click here.)
Apple iPhone 3GS ($199) -> Motorola Droid ($199)
When the iPhone was released, it was a generation, at least, beyond the entire smartphone market. Now, many manufacturers have worked hard to catch up. And while the iPhone is still my personal favorite, I understand wanting a phone on the Verizon network rather than AT&T. Besides, the Droid hardware is fantastic, and its software, Android 2.0, feels far more like a full-featured OS than the original. Just as we said in our full review, "It's this simple: If you don't buy an iPhone, buy a Droid."
What you gain:
• Physical keyboard
• Fewer dropped calls
• Memory slot expansion
What you lose:
• iTunes integration
• Decent built-in media player
iPod Touch ($199, 8GB) -> Zune HD ($219, 16GB)
I know, I know. Why buy a Zune? If you're heavily invested in iTunes albums, the answer is, no reason. But for those who are willing to break from the Apple music infrastructure, the Zune HD is actually an awesome PMP. The aluminum case is very sharp, with an OLED screen that's richer than any iPod (though slightly worse in the sun). The Zune software, coupled with optional unlimited download subscription packages, is every bit as hip and convenient as Cover Flow and iTunes, provided you run Windows. Oh, also, you don't need to drop $300 to get a decent amount of storage and you get HD TV-Out and a not-so-bad TV interface to boot. So when you're sick of the little screen, you can go as big as you'd like.
What you gain:
• 8GB more storage (base model)
• HD Radio
• Unlimited music subscription with free MP3s
• HD TV-Out and an on-screen TV interface
What you lose:
• iTunes integration
• About a billion apps
iPod Nano ($180, 16GB) -> Flip Ultra HD ($150)
The obvious contender to the iPod Nano used to be the Zune 16. But now? You can't even get that model of Zune. And with a built-in camcorder, be it a bit on the crappy side, the Nano truly is a unique contender in its space. However, I ask you this: Don't you already have an MP3 player? Seriously, it's not possible that you don't. OK then, just buy the Flip Ultra HD, the best bang for your buck pocket camcorder on the market. And use your old iPod because it probably still works fine.
What you gain:
• HD video
What you lose:
• I mean, it's not an iPod, or any kind of media player, obviously
iPod Shuffle ($100, 4GB) -> Sansa Clip+ ($70, 8GB)
The new Shuffle is basically nonexistent, a device that, while remarkable in terms of minimalist design, may be a tad difficult to wield when you just want to play that one song you want to hear. Enter the Sansa Clip+, an chunky but still tiny MP3 player lauded by audiophiles (if such a thing is possible) that supports up to 16GB of MicroSD expansion. Save even more money by buying the 2GB version (just $40) and sticking in a spare MicroSD. And as we said in our review, the Clip+ is "the best low-end mp3 player on the market, without question."
What you gain:
• Sound quality
• MicroSD expansion
• An actual screen
• Voice recorder
• The freedom to choose any headphones
What you lose:
• iTunes
• Trash-talking Voice Over function
Apple TV ($229, 160GB) -> Asus O!Play ($99)
No matter what direction you go, you're pretty much always better off not buying an Apple TV. It's basically a closed box that hates supporting not only external codecs but external drives, too, and you can forget about navigating to files on your own network—even ones stored on your precious Time Capsule. The $99 Asus O!Play is our favorite budget way to play media in any codec under the sun, from files on a Mac or PC formatted drive or streamed from pretty much any NAS drive. As for watching movies on demand, chances are, your cable box already does that. Need more options? The LG BD390 is an excellent Wi-Fi-equipped Blu-ray player with Netflix and Vudu video, and DivX support. And heck, I'd even recommend the $199 Xbox 360 as a Netflix/DivX machine with Windows Media Center Extender capabilities. Basically, you can't go wrong here. Everything is better than Apple TV, unless you have a library full of purchased iTunes music and movies, and if you do, you probably have Apple TV already, so go enjoy it.
What you gain:
• Mega codec support
• Ability to stream your video files from computers and NAS drives
• Cash in your pocket
What you lose:
• The iTunes video ball and chain
MacBook ($999) -> Dell Studio 14z ($750)
As Mark Spoonauer said in our best Windows laptop roundup, "Think of it as the poor man's MacBook-with better specs." No, the Dell Studio 14z doesn't run OS X, but the Core 2 Duo laptop weighs .3lbs lighter than a MacBook while offering 1GB more RAM (base), 70GB more storage, a backlit keyboard and nicer built-in speakers.
What you gain:
• More storage
• More RAM
• Backlit keyboard
• Less weight
What you lose:
• OS X
• Optical drive
• Flash card reader
MacBook Pro ($1200) -> HP Envy ($1700)
I'm not sure anyone should actually choose the 13-inch Envy (full review) over the 13-inch MacBook Pro (full review), but the Envy is the closest knock-off on the market. For the $500 Envy premium, you do shed .8lbs off the MacBook Pro, coming in at just 3.7lbs (which is crazy-light for a laptop of this size). And you'll score an extra GB of RAM along with a more powerful, discrete Radeon HD 4330 graphics. But we're still talking about $500 extra for a computer that, ultimately, doesn't feel as solid as a unibody Mac. Plus, if you really want to run Win 7, that plays just fine on the MBP, too. As for the MBP 15, there's really no ideal alternative. And if you were considering the 15-inch Envy, think again.
What you gain:
• More overall power
• Less weight
• Prettier screen
What you lose:
• OS X
• Optical drive
• Frame rigidity
iMac ($1200, 21.5-inch) -> HP TouchSmart 600 ($1,050, 23-inch)
The latest iMac (full review) is a beautiful machine, no doubt. But there are alternatives to this famed all-in-one. Our favorite is the HP TouchSmart 600 (full review), which is sort of the souped-up Civic to Apple's classic Porsche. Both will do a quarter mile in the same time—with Core 2 Duo processors—but the TouchSmart has the shiny detailing and LED underlighting of a street racer, while sprucing up the package with a decent touch display coupled with special Twitter, Facebook and even recipe box apps designed for the system. Especially as a kitchen computer, the HP TouchSmart is a valid alternative to the iMac.
What you gain:
• Larger, touchscreen
• Glitzy accents with customizable LED underlighting
• Clever apps
• HDMI input for home theater fun
What you lose:
• OS X
• Understated design
MacBook Air ($1500) -> Dell Adamo XPS ($2000)
There's only one laptop on the market that can confidently purge alongside the MacBook Air, and that's the Dell Adamo XPS. While the price premium seems absurd at first, keep in mind that the Adamo XPS, at about half the thickness of the Air, is loaded with a 128GB flash drive and 4GB of RAM stock (while the MacBook Air will run $1800 in a similar SSD configuration and maxed at 2GB of RAM). If you're considering an Air, you want a computer that says "I'm good at spending money." And the Adamo XPS will most certainly fulfill that need.
What you gain:
• 1 USB port
• Ethernet jack
• 2GB of RAM
• A clasp that opens from the heat of your finger
What you lose:
• OS X
• About $500
Mac Mini ($600) -> Acer AspireRevo R6310 ($330)
If I had the choice between a Mac Mini (full review) and the AspireRevo R6310—spending someone else's money—I would still choose the Revo for its HTPC prowess. The Mac Mini has always been a promising system falling just short of its potential in terms of both price and performance. Meanwhile, the absurdly cheap Revo, equipped with Ion tech that's more than happy to handle 1080p video outputted to your TV through HDMI (as opposed to Apple's need for funky wiring and/or hard-to-find specialized adapters), is kind enough to include 2GB RAM, 160GB HDD, HDMI, eSATA, VGA, 6 USB ports, card reader, wireless-N and a wireless keyboard and mouse for roughly half the price of a Mini. The only thing the Revo isn't optimal for is browsing Flash pages, that is, until we finally see an update that makes Ions and Flash play well together.
What you gain:
• HDMI out
• 1 USB port
• eSATA port
• Wireless keyboard and mouse
• Like $300
What you lose:
• OS X
• FireWire
Time Capsule (1TB, $299) -> D-Link DIR-685 (Expandable, $215)
The convenience of a Time Capsule, a combination wireless router and NAS, is tough to beat because it's so unique. But I wouldn't call the task impossible. The D-Link DIR-685 (full review) is a wireless-N router with a range that's competitive with Apple's own AirPort Extreme. You choose your storage capacity by sticking in your own 2.5-inch drive. Oh, plus it's a photo frame, BitTorrent downloader, iTunes server, FTP server, network file sharing with user management and even a UPnP streamer to video players. The only thing it isn't? Time Machine compliant. I know, I know. If you're willing to part with the built-in router, however, then another excellent choice is the Iomega Ix2-200 NAS (full review)—and that is Time Machine capable.
What you gain:
• Swappable storage
• Tons of advanced networking features
• BitTorrent downloading
• Media flexibility
• Digital photo frame
What you lose:
• Time Machine support (if this is a problem, check out Iomega's alternative)
Mac Pro ($2,500) -> Hackintosh (far less $$$)
There is one reason you want to buy a Mac Pro, and that's for OS X. So I'm not going to waste time by pretending there's any suitable alternative by someone like Dell or HP. Your best bet is to build a Hackintosh, a custom PC with a bootlegged OS X. Just keep in mind, you won't be able to build this system like any old Windows PC—you'll need to follow a guide with pretested hardware to construct something you can be sure will work. Luckily, such a guide is available, built by our friends from Lifehacker (see it here).
What you gain:
• Literally, thousands of dollars
• Gaudy case mods
What you lose:
• Peace of mind (there's always the slight chance of Hackintosh deactivation)
• Easy component upgrades
Diabetics are saddled with the unenviable task of checking their blood sugar levels constantly. But a new non-invasive technology lets diabetics keep tabs on their glucose levels with contact lenses that change colors as their blood sugar rises and falls.
Nanoparticles — is there anything they can't do? — embedded in the hydrogel lenses react with glucose molecules in naturally occurring tears. A chemical reaction then causes the lenses to shift their hues, alerting the wearer to falling or spiking blood sugar levels. The wearer can then make the appropriate adjustments to his or her blood sugar, all without having to carry around (and use) devices for drawing and analyzing blood.
U. of Western Ontario Professor Jin Zhang has just collected $216,000 from the Canada Foundation for Innovation as a result of the breakthrough process to develop other applications for multifunctional nanocomposites, which can be used in everything from biomedicine to food preservation to packaging. We think a head-up display for glucose levels is pretty good, but if nanocomposites can also make the packaging on that blood-sugar-leveling candy bar biodegrade more quickly, all the better. [Institute of Nanotechnology]
Popular Science is your wormhole to the future. Reporting on what's new and what's next in science and technology, we deliver the future now.
What you're looking at is a satellite image of the Dasht-e Kavir. Its mix of sand and marsh puts any artist to shame. And this shot is just one of 60 equally remarkable photos from a roundup from Webdesigner Depot.
The images are from the Landsat 7 satellite, which used a combination 8 spectral bands to produce the final products seen here. We picked four of our favorites, but any one of them would make a stunning fine art print for one's home. Treat yourself, minimize that Excel window and waste a few minutes subsidized by our planet. [webdesigner depot via presurfer via boingboing]
Why people insist on creating things to freak the hell out of me? There's only one thing I hate more than cockroaches, and that's nazis. I'm sure the solar-powered $15 cockroach bot was created by the latter. [Gadget4all via Nerd Approved]
Say hello to the Japanese Snuggie. The Two-Legged Sleeping bag. The Human Larva. Say hello to...this. There is no pitchman charismatic enough, no paid spokesperson straghtfaced enough, no model poised enough to give this the informercial it so clearly deserves.
The legs on this thing almost feel like a cruel joke. Sure, you've got a mobility that you could never get with a tradition sleeping bag, but what good is that without hands? Without the ability to pee? And without the dignity you sacrificed in becoming a six-foot-tall human tadpole, except without the regular tadpole's prospects for a happier future?
But perhaps I'm missing the point: while the Snuggie is a instrument of laziness, the Japanese Walkable Sleeping Bag is a tool for self-improvement. See that man in the bottom left corner, soiling himself on the floor like some kind of pathetic, mutated worm? When—if—he rises, he we stand a better man. [Reddit]
