From Our Archives
BMW + MS Surface
by Michael Baumert on November 30, 2008 9:38 PM
Autoblog brings word that the in-dealer BMW model configuration tool will utilize Microsoft's surface technology to provide that 'extra oompf' required when purchasing a luxury automobile. Enjoy!
Tilt-Shift Photography At The Demolition Derby
by Michael Baumert on November 28, 2008 2:44 PM
Tilt-Shift photography is pretty neat. It's basically a method using specialized lenses and an extremely shallow depth of field. The resulting images make real life objects appear to be miniatures and it's pretty cool. The video clip above is one of the first moving examples I've seen and makes a big-ass monster truck look like a little toy.
GM Rumored To Be Axing Saturn, Pontiac & Saab, Vettes Going To Toyota?!
by Michael Baumert on November 28, 2008 12:35 PM
The advertising world, from an automotive perspective, may never be the same as a series of rumors (as yet unconfirmed) tell the tale of how bad things really are for GM right now.
The Story begins as GM contemplates shedding what it considers to be dead weight; namely Saab, whose sales figures are abysmal, Saturn, who was never really able to make a go of it, and Pontiac. Pontiac is the surprise here as it's such an iconic American nameplate. From an aesthetic standpoint it's also notorious as of late for slapping a bunch of plastic paneling, vents and fins on an otherwise normal-looking car.
read on for more
Continue reading GM Rumored To Be Axing Saturn, Pontiac & Saab, Vettes Going To Toyota?!.
Seagate + Sniper Twins Get All Freaky In Tha Office Yo (PS: Buy a 1.5 TB Hard Drive)
by Michael Baumert on November 28, 2008 8:52 AM
Ahh.. the viral video.. Seagate proves it's pretty hip when it comes to marketing and releases this little ditty courtesy of the Sniper Twins and some office space - esque scenery. Well played, and with well over 100K views in what appears to be a day, it looks to be a success.
Macy's Parade Gets Rickrolled Live
by Michael Baumert on November 27, 2008 9:41 AM
Well questions as to whether or not Rick Astley is aware of the 'rick-rolling phenom' have been answered as he lip syncs to never gonna give you up at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Now that it's officially slipped into (and on to) main street, it's time to move forward.
iPhone/Touch Adventure '1112' Now Available
by Michael Baumert on November 25, 2008 8:38 PM
Agharta Studio's interactive adventure 1112 Episode 01 has finally come to the App Store at $8 US. It's noteworthy to be sure because of the scale and scope of this endeavor which includes intricate hand drawn artwork and a full Sierra On-Line/Lucasarts adventure game format. The final product will be delivered in a number of episodes. Enjoy.
Samsung flexes it OLED, fascinates onlookers
by Michael Baumert on November 24, 2008 8:38 AM
This amazing concept phone from Samsung features amazing flexible OLED technology technology and sets the stage for a pretty amazing future in modern mobile technology.
iMac gives Xbox 360 a slot-loading future
by Michael Baumert on November 24, 2008 8:28 AM
Over at Hard | OCP they've got a modder's take on something just about every Xbox 360 fan might want (in order to compete with that sleek slot-loading PS3 in terms of esthetics).
SimCity Coming to iPhone in December for $10
by Michael Baumert on November 20, 2008 7:17 PM
TouchArcade brings news of EA's latest entry in the iPhone app business. SimCity will be arriving in a month or so for $9.99. MG Seigler of VentureBeat already saw it and liked it.
I got a chance to play a near-complete version of it today; it looks great. Fans of the series will recognize the SimCity 3000 look and feel, but the addition of touch screen controls makes sense for things like zoning (creating a certain type of building zone). Using the multi-touch capabilities of the iPhone to do things like zooming in and out of your city also makes the game a good fit for the device.
The Apple Phone That Could Have Been
by Michael Baumert on November 18, 2008 8:25 AM
Strap on your piano key tie and transport yourself back to the 1980's, then imagine one of these Apple IIc-inspired Apple phones sitting on your counter. Gizmodo brings us a few pics of this Frog prototype.
Benjamin Netanyahu Rips Off Obama's Website, Raises Political "Branding" Questions
by Michael Baumert on November 16, 2008 10:01 AM
This definitely raises the question of when 'borrowing' styles from other particularly good designs (barackobama.com in this case) becomes flat-out theft. The justification from one of Netanyahu's top advisors is equally odd.
"Imitation is the greatest form of flattery. We're all in the same business, so we took a close look at a guy who has been the most successful and tried to learn from him."
It's as if they're unable to distinguish between the candidate and the brand established around him.. (more at gizmodo)
Another Stab At The 'Minority Report' User Interface Highlights How Impractical It Would Really Be
by Michael Baumert on November 14, 2008 4:58 PM
For those with a yearning for a Minority Report-inspired user interface, the wait appears to be over thanks to the Oblong g-speak OS. As expected, such interaction vehicles prove far more costly in terms of 'user time invested-to-computer response' and is likely why such ideas are rarely if ever practical beyond panning and scaling images in a dedicated garage somewhere. Still it looks neat!
75% of Global Email Spam Taken Down With The Fall Of A Single ISP
by Michael Baumert on November 13, 2008 8:20 AM
Gizmodo brings word that one single ISP (McColo) located in San Jose was taken down and a near instantaneous drop in Spam to the tune of 75% was recorded globally.
It's probably a bit too soon to start accepting Viagra offers and get rich quick schemes though, this has happened before and it only took spammers a day or two to get their footing back.
The Hover Q 'Tiny Hovercraft' is both Tiny and a Hovercraft.
by Michael Baumert on November 12, 2008 7:02 PM
ThinkGeek brings us a great new way to experience the magic that is the hovercraft in a fantastic new, small package. The controls are Asteroids-like in their thrust/turn/thrust control.
Seven Real-World Bond Gadgets That You Can Actually Use!
by Michael Baumert on November 11, 2008 8:12 PM
MSNBC has complied a Cosmo-esque listing of seven Bond gadgets that are not only plausible, but actually available assuming your pockets are deep enough.
The list includes the martin jetpack, fingerprint forgery (also seen on Mythbusters), miniature cameras, mobile phone-controlled cars, tracking chips and more.
Just in time for the new movie.
Best iPhone Racing Game Yet?
by Michael Baumert on November 11, 2008 10:53 AM
TouchArcade brings word of a new (yet to be released as of the 11th of November) iPhone racer which looks to be the most promising racing sim yet for Apple's handheld.
New PhlooQ Widget, Logo and Site.
by Michael Baumert on November 10, 2008 9:17 AM
We've done more work on PhlooQ and we're excited to share progress. To the left, you'll see the new PhlooQ widget (now available with green accents and the new logo.)
We've also tweaked the logos a bit and come up with a new phlooq.com page.
Continue reading New PhlooQ Widget, Logo and Site..
What If The Matrix Ran On Windows?
by Michael Baumert on November 10, 2008 9:03 AM
Hi production values abound in this web clip which imagines the Matrix running on XP. Delicious.
Tesla Salesman Attempts to Take a Wet Turn At 100 mph, Fails.
by Michael Baumert on November 6, 2008 4:52 PM
The next time a hot shot sales guy attempts to 'show you what this baby can do' take a pause and consider this cautionary tale. While the Tesla roadster might just be the perfect electric sports car, it isn't magic and taking a slippery turn at 100 mph probably isn't the best idea. ouch. (found at jalopnik)
Gesture Control On The Cheap
by Michael Baumert on November 6, 2008 4:39 PM
From Engadget, Mgestk Technologies unveils a new gesture control system that "makes use of nothing more than an 'affordable 3D camera' and some custom software to capture even small hand gestures."
Virgin America to Roll Out Aircell's Wi-Fi Service On November 22
by Michael Baumert on November 5, 2008 7:17 PM
Jaunted brings word that Virgin America is about to roll out Aircell's Gogo Wi-Fi service. The "beta" flight will take off from SFO, VA's HQ, to JFK. Virgin plans to roll out the in-flight broadband service on one plane per week with a full rollout scheduled by March 2009. Speeds are reported to be around 2Mbps and a wired version will be online later next year.
CNN's Wolf Blitzer to interview holograms on election night
by Michael Baumert on November 4, 2008 2:06 PM
From Engadget comes word that the CNN vs MSNBC vs FOX News graphics arms race will be taken a step further with Wolf Interviewing holographic pundits during it's election coverage.
Ultimate Auto Race: GT-R vs ZR1 vs 599 vs GT2
by Michael Baumert on November 3, 2008 7:23 PM
Motor Trend has got what has got to be the definitive power struggle, with a race between the best sports cars on the planet.
Continue reading Ultimate Auto Race: GT-R vs ZR1 vs 599 vs GT2.
Salesforce.com extends cloud computing service
by Michael Baumert on November 3, 2008 10:15 AM
Salesforce.com is expanding its cloud computing service with a new option that lets customers more easily build external Web sites.
The company is expected to announce the new service, called Force.com Sites, at its Dreamforce user conference on Monday in San Francisco.
The service extends the company's existing Force.com service, used to build internal business applications, to development and hosting of Web sites targeted at external users, said Kendall Collins, senior vice president of product marketing at Salesforce.com.
More At CNET