Aug 16
Those damn furry spiders love to chase lasers too. Like cats. It’s ok, spider. Come on. I will let you hunt my laser. And then fry you with it. More »
Aug 16
With all the rumors about a new 9-pin connector on the iPhone, what could be better than a tube of bamboo that amplifies your iDevice or Android phone in a sustainable way? The iBam 2 is basically a tube of bamboo that channels sound out and away from the phone, thereby creating a superior, bamboo-infused experience.
The sad thing? It costs freaking $63.22 and they’re only sold in Singapore so you may have hop on a slow, sustainable solar boat to pick one up. However, as you see from the above video, a honking big bamboo tube can really spruce up an iPhone.
The creators, Pasargora, are a sustainable-living maker space and a portion of the proceeds go to supporting DIY activities in Singapore, so there’s that. Otherwise, get yourself to Pier 1 Imports and grab some bamboo and rock out.
Aug 15
Oh, look, this nice girl lives in Anonymous Proxy! What a coincidence, I live in Anonymous Proxy too! I will love her forever. Oh wait. Nice girl, you are lying. You don’t live in Anonymous Proxy, you stupid online robot. You live in Stupid Robot City. Stupid. [Thanks Karl!] More »
Aug 15
Dell Pushes Warranties While Claiming Help-Desk Customers Won Phony Sweepstakes
Posted in: Today's Chili
If you call the Dell support line, chances are you’re the lucky winner of the chance to pay $300 for Dell warranty protection. Laptop Magazine called Dell three times with a number of simple problems, including trackpad issues and software problems. Each time the CSR informed the reporter that they had won a “daily drawing to purchase a four-year extended hardware warranty for our laptop for $317.”
The CSRs also offered software warranties for hardware questions and even forced a warranty on the customer during a question on how to use the trackpad with three fingers.
When we told him that we weren’t interested in a warranty, Sherma told us that only three customers win the drawing per day, and that the normal price for such a warranty is $512. We again told him we weren’t interested, at which point Sherma said that if we didn’t want the discounted offer, he would give it to his next caller. We once again told Sherma that we didn’t want to purchase the warranty, to which he replied in a clearly agitated tone that he was only trying to save us money. He then began telling us that we were also eligible for a software warranty.
These call centers were apparently all in India and Dell responded by explaining that many of the behaviors exhibited weren’t sanctioned by the company. “Daily drawings are not a regular practice nor encouraged tactic in technical support and we have used your feedback to reinforce this with our teams. Their only priority is to resolve our customers’ issues,” they wrote.
This sort of behavior suggests a few things. First, these guys are paid commission for every warranty they sell and by gar they’re going to sell them some warranties. Second, if Dell, ostensibly no longer a PC company, is reduced to the worse tactics than Best Buy, there may be some problems internally. I’m surprised they didn’t try to upsell Monster USB cables.
Aug 13
Aug 10
Drunk Idiot Takes a Nap On Airport Baggage Belt And Gets X-Rayed [Bad Ideas]
Posted in: Today's Chili
Passing out in weird places is part of any good drunk’s job, but a Norwegian tourist has taken the artform to a whole new level by falling asleep on an airport baggage belt, and taking a trip back to the scanners. More »
Aug 10
Why spend a few hundred on a Parrot AR.Drone when you can pop over to Brando and pick up a $49 quadcopter that fits in the palm of your hand and does flips.
The Quadcopter uses “New Design Technology” to be “The Most Stable (like the real?) Floating in the AIR.” I’ll let Brando’s breathless authors take it from here:
The Special Design of the One Press Button, which can make the UFO to Somersault in the Air. This RC UFO is powered by a Small piece Battery that is fueled with the USB External Dual Charging Box; therefore, UFO can Fly Never Stop with this Unlimited Power Supply!
Plus you get all that eversion!
Aug 09
A Perfume-Spraying Phone Is Definitely How Samsung Can Out-Innovate Apple [Patents]
Posted in: Today's Chili
Apple is convinced that Samsung are just a bunch of shameless copycats, but as this patent shows, Samsung went and conjured up an innovation Apple didn’t have the foresight to do themselves: make a phone that sprays perfume. Yes, perfume. When the scentphone market blows up in 2020, it’ll be Apple having to defend itself from copycat claims. [USPTO via Engadget via Ubergizmo] More »
Aug 09
If ultrasonic baby pictures aren’t enough, how about a resin-cast 3D model of your live fetus floating in clear lucite? An Ebisu health clinic, Hiro-o Ladies, is working with a 3D printer called Fasotec to create Tenshi no Katachi – Shape Of An Angel – so the entire family can see what that squirt is doing in your womb.
A company representative waxed all things baby love: “We actually got three expectant mothers to try this out. They said it felt great to see how their babies looked before birth, and to be able to actually hold the inside of their own body. They also enjoyed looking at the model after giving birth, thinking, ‘This is how my baby looked inside me’ and recalling how it felt to be pregnant.”
The service costs 100,000 yen (about $1300) and uses a dual-resin extruder to make the baby part and the solidified amniotic part at the same time. You can build the baby in multiple sizes and shapes and you can, using 3D imaging, focus on the whole body or just the face. You can even get little cellphone fobs with your baby floating inside of them. Seriously.
Aug 08
Our men and women in uniform got the total shaft on Olympics coverage this year. Like everyone else, active duty members of the armed forces and other agencies overseas have had to watch NBC’s infuriating tape-delayed broadcasts. Even if they’re on bases in Europe where they could otherwise watch the events live on local TV. Bloody hell. More »
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