Little Kenny Irwin junior just made the big time. Last night, Conan O’Brien revealed his new Christmas set built by the rather unconventional microwave artist . While highlights include Mr. and Mrs. SanMagnatron Claus, Godzilla holding a candy cane, and the RoboRabbi, the true highlight is of Conan interviewing the desert-dwelling artist himself. See both videos after the break, it’s the greatest thing we’ve seen since the history of storytelling began and humanity first came upon this world – going back to the distant past and the future at the same time. [Thanks, Dusty K.] Continue reading Conan celebrates Christmas with Mr. and Mrs. SanMagnatron Claus Conan celebrates Christmas with Mr. and Mrs. SanMagnatron Claus originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Dec 2010 03:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Oval bookshelf is the perfect case for this DIY car stereo radio (video)
December 22, 2010 No Comment
Got a leftover head unit sitting about? How about a PC power supply? Add a few old speakers, a oval bookshelf, a sewing machine box handle and some carefully prepared wooden panels, and you’ve got a beautiful retro radio that looks like several hundred bucks . User iminthebathroom built this one for a daughter’s Christmas present, but isn’t keeping the formula to him or herself — you’ll find a full walkthrough at Instructables if you’re in a MacGuyver mood, and a video after the break to show you what the cherry-red contraption can do. Continue reading Oval bookshelf is the perfect case for this DIY car stereo radio (video) Oval bookshelf is the perfect case for this DIY car stereo radio (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Dec 2010 01:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …UK teen buys $750,000 of his own music from iTunes using stolen credit cards
December 22, 2010 No Comment
A UK teen named Lamar Johnson has recently plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud. His crime? It seems that he and his band (both in a musical sense and in a “Robin Hood” sense) used stolen credit cards to purchase something like $750,000 worth of their own music from both Amazon and the iTunes Store between January 2008 and June 2009. There’s no telling how much the group would have earned from royalties, and the name of the band hasn’t been disclosed (believe us, we looked), but something tells us that they probably recorded dubstep. Also, something tells us that — since the royalties would have to be paid out to someone with a bank account — this was a painfully easy case for prosecutors to crack. While Johnson will find his sentence tacked onto the 5-year jail term he is currently serving for grievous bodily harm, the rest of his 12 member “band” will have to wait until they appear in court in January to discover their fate. UK teen buys $750,000 of his own music from iTunes using stolen credit cards originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Dec 2010 00:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Rahul Sood joins Microsoft as GM for System Experience in the Interactive Entertainment Business
December 22, 2010 No Comment
Yes, it’s a big old mouthful of a job title, and no, we’ve no idea what exactly it entails either. Rahul Sood, the originator of the Voodoo gaming PC line, has just announced he has joined up with Microsoft to perform the ill-specified role of general manager for system experience in the Interactive Entertainment division. We imagine that’s an intentionally loose definition, intended to give Rahul the wide remit of influence and operation that he enjoyed with his previous employer , HP. He’s already had a few choice words to dish on the topic of Xbox versus PC gaming , so it’ll be most intriguing to see where and how his energies are utilized as things move forward. Most intriguing indeed. Rahul Sood joins Microsoft as GM for System Experience in the Interactive Entertainment Business originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 22:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We know Windows CE jibes with ARM-based architecture, but full-blown Windows? Looks like everyone and their respective mothers today — to be specific, Bloomberg , AllThingsD , and the Wall Street Journal — are reporting “sources” that claim Microsoft is set to announce Windows compatibility with ARM chips, which currently rule the roost in the mobile and embedded scenes, and more importantly dominate the tablet market . So yeah, we get the need for such a merge, and it’d really put Microsoft in a smart position for lower-power devices, but here’s the catch: the products aren’t expected for some time — two years according to WSJ — as drivers need to be written for the hardware. Then again, this may all be for nothing. Cue another well-connected Microsoft reporter, ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley, who has a decidedly tamer prediction: a new Windows CE / Embedded Contact — you’ll remember we saw it running on a Tegra 2 tablet back at Computex — and maybe ARM support for Windows 8 (or Windows 8 “Lite”). In other words, no one has a clear, 100 percent idea of what to expect in January, so as we say, just stay tuned. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Microsoft to announce ARM-based Windows at CES? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 22:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Kinect paired with Vuzix VR920 shades, creates zany virtual reality video game
December 22, 2010 No Comment
It was only a matter of time before Microsoft’s continually-hacked Kinect became embroiled in a VR simulation of some sort, and while we’re not riding light cycles quite yet, enterprising developer Nao_u has managed to put himself in the shoes (and short skirt) of a Japanese virtual pop icon. Mapping his every move onto the virtual skeleton of Vocaloid’s Miku Hatsune probably won’t impress you much at this stage of the game , but there’s the little matter of what Nao_u did next: he hooked up a pair of Vuzix VR920 LCD glasses to see through the digital diva’s eyes, too. Find the terribly cutesy video after the break, and fast-forward to 4:30 to watch Nao attempt to walk a narrow beam set atop a virtual skyscraper. Kinect paired with Vuzix VR920 shades, creates zany virtual reality video game originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 21:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Apparently it’s not good enough for bacteria to cause leprosy and tuberculosis any more, as scientists have been hard at work adapting the microorganisms for use as everything from microbial fuel cells to really, really small gears . Now, researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong have developed a way to use a colony of E.Coli for data storage and encryption. The technique involved placing data (in this case, The Declaration of Independence) in the DNA of bacterial cells, and can even harness site specific genetic recombination to encrypt the data. That said, the technology is still in its infancy: retrieving the info is “tedious and expensive,” according to Cambridge University’s Tim Middleton, and there is still the possibility that as organisms mutate, so will the data. Currently the only application of all this is the storage of copyright info in genetically engineered organisms, although further research might yield a bacterial storage medium that could survive the electromagnetic pulses and radiation of nuclear fallout. Scientists developing E.Coli bacteria that stores, encrypts data originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 21:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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We still don’t believe that machines (or machine translation, for that matter) will ever replace the artistry that beatbox pioneers like Doug E. Fresh, Darren Robinson (RIP), or that guy from the Police Academy movies brought to the table, but it is nice to see Google acknowledging the wonderfully percussive nature of the German language phrase “pv zk pv pv zk pv zk kz zk pv pv pv zk pv zk zk pzk pzk pvzkpkzvpvzk kkkkkk bsch”. [Thanks, benhc911] Google Translate gets Doug E. Fresh-approved Beatbox button originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 20:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Eton Raptor emergency radio trades the crank for solar power, rakish good looks
December 22, 2010 No Comment
If “danger” is your middle name and yet “caution” a favorite word, you’ve probably already got an ugly old emergency radio buried somewhere in your car. Today, Eton’s unveiling a model that you might actually feel comfortable using in public without disaster having to strike first. The solar-powered Eton Raptor boasts a slender, 11-ounce carabiner-like design that seems positively packed with tools, including the typical (AM / FM / WB radio, compass, LED flashlight), the adventurous (altimeter, barometer) and the plain ol’ useful (audio line-in, bottle opener). It’s also got a USB port for charging gadgets from the internal 1800mAh battery and takes splash-proof cues from the Eton Soulra . No word on price, but we know a few road warriors who might be interested when it hits shelves in the first quarter of next year. PR after the break, images immediately below. Gallery: Eton Raptor press shots Continue reading Eton Raptor emergency radio trades the crank for solar power, rakish good looks Eton Raptor emergency radio trades the crank for solar power, rakish good looks originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 20:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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