Reminder: Christopher Nolan on Blu-ray Chat Tonight [The Dark Knight]

Just a little reminder for Blu-ray/Batman fans in the audience—that live screening with director Christopher Nolan is tonight at 6pm Pacific. Here’s what Warner says you need to do to participate:

Pending you’ve registered,

1. Pop your The Dark Knight Blu-ray Disc into your Internet-connected Blu-ray Player at least 15 minutes before the event and log into BD-Live from the main menu.
2. Fire up your Internet-connected computer and go to wblive.warnerbros.com, sign in, and click on the Post Question button in the event to ask a question.

We have word out to Warner Bros as to exactly how we can expect to receive Nolan’s end of the discussion (audio track or text chat?), and we’ll be sure to update this post if we hear anything more.






Baylis wind-up MP3 player is no joke

If you’re thinking about going green in 2009, the Baylis Revolution wind-up MP3 player may let you inch down your carbon footprint ever so slightly.

Photo of Baylis Revolution MP3 player.

Click for Baylis Revolution photo gallery.

(Credit: CBS Interactive)

I know it’s unforgiveably anachronistic to have a hand-crank slapped on the side of …

Virgin Galactic’s Spaceport America Gets FAA Green Light [Space Tourism]

It becomes less and less a future fever dream every day: Spaceport America in Las Cruces, NM, Virgin Galactic’s future home, has gotten FAA approval to begin construction.

The design has been set since September 2007, but now that an environmental impact assessment has been passed, construction can now begin. Branson is banking on the rich still paying for a suborbital flight in our current economic clime, and yeah, I probably believe him.

Virgin Galactic and its SpaceShipTwo/White Knight launch system will be the main attraction, but the spaceport’s license for vertical and horizontal takeoffs can be used by any number of clients willing to lease some launchpad time. [Ars Technica]






How to Re-Enable Unlock and Jailbreak in Mac OS X 10.5.6

The Mac OS X 10.5.6 update broke pwnage, the unlocking/jailbreaking program for the iPhone. Fortunately, there’s now an easy solution to fix this problem. You just need an Automator script and these simple instructions.

You first need to be logged into the Mac with administrator privileges and, when asked, you have to provide with the administrator password.

Yes, it’s that easy. Enjoy. [Get the script here or here via Hackintosh]

Parrot intros Philippe Starck-designed Zimku wireless speakers

We’re not sure if he’s been taking notes from fellow countryman Jean-Michel Jarre or not, but it looks like prolific designer Philippe Starck now has a tower-style speaker system to call his own. Considering that Starck has paired up with the wireless-minded folks at Parrot, however, there’s a few more surprises in store with these — namely, built-in WiFi and Bluetooth to accommodate your laptop or cellphone of choice. You will still get an iPod / iPhone dock, of course, along with a remote control (also designed by Starck), and some newfangled NXT technology that apparently “revolutionizes traditional acoustic design.” All that comes at an expectedly premium price, however, with the speakers set to run $1,500 when they’re released sometime in the spring.

[Via Phone Arena]

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Parrot intros Philippe Starck-designed Zimku wireless speakers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Dec 2008 13:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Free Shipping Day Today For Last Minute Gadget Gifts [Dealzmodo]

We are really getting down to the wire here, but if you hurry you can take advantage of the free shipping deals offered by over 250 stores in honor of Free Shipping Day.

These deals include free shipping on purchases of $24 and up from Circuit City, two day shipping on purchases $40 or more from EB Games and GameStop, select electronics $50 or more at Target, select items $49 or more at Toys R Us, and free two day shipping on all Inspiron/Studio desktops and laptops, XPS, and Mini orders from Dell. Like I mentioned, you had better hurry. Many of these deals expire today. [Freeshippingday via Lifehacker]






How to See Clearly on a Foggy Morning


Generally, fog is thought of as a thing that obscures vision and makes things difficult to see. With regard to photography, it is just the opposite.

Fog actually helps you see better.

Many photos I’ve taken in the past at the Paynes Prairie overlook have been on days with clear skies and no fog in sight. You could see for miles and the sun lit up the green surroundings. Good consditions for shooting the obvious, but not good for highlighting the obscure.

This morning, the fog was incredibly thick – as it is this time of year – with the moisture actually visible to the naked eye. You could see waves of tiny droplets floating by in the breeze, getting caught up in the thousands of spiderwebs, shedding light on one of nature’s invisible masterpieces. The surrounding foliage was covered in spiderwebs, producing a visual as if there was a big net covering the prairie. Had the camera been able to capture this with some reasonable amount of detail, I’d have posted it. Looking at this image, though, should give you a good idea of what it was like.

foggywebs.jpg

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iCap MP3 Player: Genuine Disruptive Technology At Last [Mp3]

While headphones are a serious cause of hearing damage, there are alternatives. And one such alternative is the iCap MP3 player—an MP3 player in a baseball cap that never bows to social pressures.

The $100 iCap features two speakers with SRS WOW technology that play music from a MicroSD expandable integrated 1GB MP3 player or FM tuner. And apparently the speakers play quietly enough for just you or a loudly enough small group without damaging your ears in the process.

But for those of you who see the iCap as a simple response to hearing loss, you’d be missing the main point. The iCap is an f-you to the whole fashionable iPod generation. There is nothing (and I mean nothing) in the MP3 player industry that is more hideous than this hat. Just as the original punk rockers donned green hair and piercings to shake up the proletariat, so too can you ruffle the feathers of electronic hipsters everywhere with the iCap.

No, the iCap is not cool and it probably won’t start any trends in the fashion or music industries. But it’s necessary. And I’m glad it’s here. [iCap]






Fujitsu N7010 laptop with 4-inch touchscreen caught on video

The kids at Gotta Be Mobile have given the old what-for to the new Fujitsu N7010 laptop — you know, the one with the 4-inch touchscreen above the keys — and we have the video to prove it. All said, the reviewer seems pretty impressed by the thing, especially its remarkable 960 x 544 resolution. However, he did have some trouble getting it to work with Windows Journal. Since this is configured as a second monitor and not some sort of SideShow display, there are all sorts of possibilities, as long as you don’t mind a little squinting. Depending on how you work, this might be one of those devices that you never knew you needed. Video after the break.

Continue reading Fujitsu N7010 laptop with 4-inch touchscreen caught on video

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Fujitsu N7010 laptop with 4-inch touchscreen caught on video originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Dec 2008 13:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Christmas Tree Made From 70 Recycled SCSI Hard Drives [Ooh Shiny]

Using 70 old SCSI hard drives destined for the scrap heap, an IT guy that goes by the handle “Trigger” created this blindingly festive Christmas tree.

However, constructing the tree was done at the expense of a thorough DoD level wipe, so this innocent little project may contain enough sensitive company data to make Trigger’s bosses go Grinch on his ass this year. [Make]