Gizmodo

Dubai

City-In-a-Pyramid Could House a Million Dubaians, Power Itself

A particularly optimistic design firm in Dubai called Timelinks has proposed designs for the Ziggurat, a complete city to be layered inside of a massive pyramid that could serve as home for a million people at a time. Timelinks is currently seeking patents for a variety of technologies that would make such a building possible, including a three axis public transportation system that would run residents up, through and across the pyramid. They've also claimed that with a hybrid wind, solar and steam power the Ziggurat would be able to meet its own power needs, and that there would be enough room to allow for some minor agriculture in designated "green spaces." More »

multitouch

TouchKit Brings Surface-Like Multitouch to the Nerdy Masses

Touchkit, a open source (software and hardware) multitouch kit designed by NOR_/D, has been announced at a $1580 price point, or roughly 1/8th the cost of Microsoft's Surface table. That's not to say that the TouchKit is equivalent or even necessarily a competitor to Microsoft's offering, but it is theoretically capable of many of the same flashy tricks. The system must be hooked up to a separate computer, and also requires an external projector. As you can see in the video, there's not exactly a whole lot it can do out of the box, but the open source platform can be tweaked by anyone with a little knowledge of C++. Check out the gallery of the hardware and potential installations are their site. [Gizmag]

VoIP

Tatung Prototype The Nicest VOIP Phone I've Seen Yet

The difference between what I would like to look at and what I would like to use makes for a a gap wider than the Grand Canyon, in this case. One button, no tactile feedback and no screen make this VOIP phone prototype little more than an electronic lollipop. But my desire to lick one increases with every glance. [e-Nova via Yanko and BBG]

Russian turtles

A Message From Russia: Turtles Are Reluctantly USB Compatible

In what is apparently an advertisement for a Russian mobile internet provider, a creative young HSDPA fan experiments with his modem in ways some might frown upon. The ad doesn't follow the viral convention of surprising viewers with an unlikely result following from normal circumstances, because the setup - a violent turtle rape - is weirder than the outcome. The ad raises some serious questions: was this guy just dealing with a captured Georgian spy turtle in accordance with the Russian Uniform Code of Military Justice? Does the Geneva Convention cover terrapins? Did he get any reception? Is the turtle USB 2.0 compatible, or just 1.1? Most importantly, having finally broached the taboo subject of turtle penetration, whither viral advertising? [English Russia]

Kindle Review

Review Addendum: Using Amazon Kindle on Vacation

Although Wilson tested the Kindle in bed, on the toilet, I had the chance to use it on vacation and found myself reading a great deal more than I usually do. Unlike regular books, which cause me to fall asleep pretty readily after less than 50 pages, I'd finish about 300 pages in a stretch, with no eyestrain in dark rooms or in the sun. I suppose it felt a lot more like reading on a computer or handheld. Bezos set out to build something better to read than a book, and by vacationing standards, I think he's easily met that goal on his first try. That's my quirky experience, at least, being the type of person who hates stockpiling physical media of any sort. Of course, I found lots of other things I liked and disliked about specific to using a Kindle on vacation. More »

R/c

3-Channel Black Steath R/C Chopper For $30

The guys at Think Geek are bringing R/C junkies one of the cheapest 3-channel mini choppers on the market with the new "Black Stealth." Unlike dinky 2-channel versions, the Black Stealth can handle forward flight with ease—or so they claim. In fact, Think Geek goes so far as to say that it is the easiest to fly small copter they have ever used. I would be kind of skeptical with a price tag of only $30, but the video below does a good job of showing off its capabilities. More »

Cars

Is this the Futuremark 3D OpenGL-Powered Car Dashboard of the Future?

We've seen all-digital concept dashboards before, but none seem as impressive 3D (or close to reality) as Futuremark's. It scraps everything behind and to the right of the wheel in favor of a smooth, uninterrupted display onto which an OpenGL powered 3D engine renders everything you might need—instrumentation, navigation, entertainment system controls, climate controls, everything. More »

Pancake tattoos

Personalized Pancakes: Laser Etching vs. Silkscreen vs. Stencils

It appears that Instructables member lamedust has moved on from laser-etched tattoos and fingernails to the exciting world of pancake personalization. I don't even touch a pancake unless it has the entire Simpsons cast etched on it, so I was excited to see which of the three printing methods would work best for my time-consuming pancake problem. Check out the very annoying video above and decide for yourself. [Instructables]

Porsche

I Always Wanted Me a Porsche

Porsche is now offering online tools to photoshop your favorite model in front of your home. Just hit the link and click on "picture it." As you can see, a $100,000 sports car really classes up the joint. [Porsche via AB]

Ie 8

Microsoft Confirms "Porn Mode" For IE 8, Calls it "InPrivate" (Still Sounds Dirty)

Microsoft has confirmed the rumor floating around last week that IE 8 would get its own "porn mode"—or "private browsing mode" if you insist on being mature about it. Amusingly enough, they have dubbed their service InPrivate, which sounds even filthier if you ask me. UPDATE: Beta 2 is now available here. [IE Blog via The Register via BGR]

Architecture

Iceland's Ragnarokkin' New Opera House Designed To Be Elf-Friendly

Maybe you don't get over to Reykjavik very often, but the old Viking homestead is a crazy mix of old and modern architecture. Joining the skyline will be the Icelandic Opera House, an icy glass fortress that changes colors throughout the day. Designed by a man whose middle name is Thor, the transparent cube and enclosed 820-seat theater are situated upon a hill known for its magical elf population. What now? Elves, you say? More »

iPhone 3G

iPhone 3G Antenna Re-Tested With Problem Phone: Still Nothing Wrong With Hardware

In response to claims that their original iPhone 3G test was not valid because the phone used was in good working order, Swedish scientists gathered up 2 iPhones from users that were experiencing reception problems. Once again, testing showed that there was nothing wrong with the antennas. Obviously, you can't test every phone, but it seems pretty clear that the iPhone antenna is not the problem here. [Goteborgs-Posten via AppleInsider]

cabling

Transparent Fiber Optic Cabling: An Easy Way To Hide Unsightly Wires

Earlier this year we came across a solution for hooking up surround sound with flat speaker cable that promised a quick and inconspicuous way to deal with cabling across a room. A company called OWLink is offering up another solution to this problem using their new transparent fiber optic cabling. The fiber itself measures a minuscule 9 millimeters in diameter and a clear, plastic covering not only protects it, but makes it nearly invisible to the naked eye. More »

Question of the Day

Question of the Day: How Many USB Ports Are You Using?

If you are anything like me, you have waaaay too many gadgets plugged into your USB ports. I have a hub of course, but it is still hard to keep up with the insane amount of stuff you can plug in these days. That having been said, I am curious to know how bad things have really gotten. So, how many USB ports are currently in use on your computer? More »

Most Popular Stories

ifa 2008

Plantronics Gamecom 777 Dolby Gaming Headset Ears-On Actually Goes to 11

I was able to try the new Plantronics Gamecom 777 gaming headset here at IFA Showstoppers preview (about the only few thing worth trying, since the Garmin Nuvifone was broken). The $99 headset—equipped with a microphone that folds into the headset itself, Dolby Headphone and Dolby Pro Logic II technology—feels good both on your head and in your ear. More »

Christiantech

Guitar Praise: Guitar Hero Minus the Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n Roll

When you siphon the antiestablishmentism out of rock 'n roll, you get one of two things—Christian rock or The Jonas Brothers. Neither is the most ideal listening situation. Still, we're not ones to judge, so here's just the thing for all of you Christian rockers in the audience. Guitar Praise, the Christian response to Guitar Hero, is coming soon to Mac and PC for $100. Bundled with one wireless guitar, it packs a long list of exciting music and bands we've never heard of (other than, OK we admit it, dc Talk): More »

Mods

iPhone 3G Modded with Macro

The iPhone 3G's camera works alright until you want to grab a shot of something within a foot or so (like a butterfly, or unpopped pimple). And to address this dilemma, one modder softened the glue holding in his iPhone's camera and rotated the lens to macrofy the fovus. He was able to take several shots within 5 inches, but the most impressive is this picture taken just .25 inches away from its subject. For a phone especially, that's some impressive macro. If only it didn't require such delicate surgery to implement—ahem—Apple—ahem. [flickr via TUAW]