Feb 07

Max Page, Volkswagen’s Tiny Darth Vader

Posted in: ads, car, Miscellaneous Tech, Star Wars, Today's Chili

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This is Max Page, the biggest off-field star of last night’s Super Bowl broadcast outside of that weird mess of a half-time show. You didn’t see Page’s face last night, because, like the players, he spent his debut behind a mask. Page is the star of Volkswagen’s much discussed “Force” ad. Yep, he’s the tiny Darth Vader.

Page and his mom made an appearance on the Today Show this morning, to discuss the spot. The pint-sized actor has also appeared on the long-running soap, The Young and the Restless. Also discussed during the interview: the fact that Page has a pacemaker. He was born with a congenital heart disease and had to have surgery at three months.
Also, is it just me, or does the kid look like a Skywalker without the mask on? Video of the Today Show interview, after the jump. 
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Feb 07

8-Bit Memory Turns Nintendo Cartridges into USB Hard Drives

Posted in: diy, Games, hard drive, Miscellaneous Tech, nintendo, Tech Toys, Today's Chili, usb, video games

NES Hard Drives

If you’re like me, you have a bunch of old Nintendo and Super Nintendo game cartridges lying around. They’re not good for very much these days, especially if you don’t have your old consoles plugged in to your television. Over at 8-Bit Memory, they decided to do something special with all of those old cartridges: turn them into external USB hard drives. 
The cartridges come in multiple sizes and flavors, and some are even USB 3.0 compatible. Simply select the game cartridge you want attached to your computer for extra storage, and how much space you want in it. For example, the Dr. Mario Nintendo game cartridge will set you back $129.99 retail for a 500GB drive, $149.99 retail for a 750GB drive, or $179.99 for a 1TB drive. 
If you’re not a Dr. Mario fan, you can choose the original Metroid Nintendo game, Excitebike, the original Super Mario Brothers, Killer Instinct for the Super Nintendo, and more. If the game you’d like isn’t listed, you can request it, and 8-Bit Memory will find the game and turn it into an external drive for you.
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Feb 07

Groupon CEO Baffled By Super Bowl Ad Response

Posted in: Miscellaneous Tech, Today's Chili

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Believe it or not, one aspect of last night’s Super Bowl broadcast actually managed to garner worse reviews that the Steelers’ first-half performance and that trainwreck of a half-time show. Groupon got slammed with nearly universal outrage online, after the airing of its Tibet ad during last night game. 
The ad, which abruptly shifts from a seeming impassioned plea for Tibet to a light-hearted spot for online savings, was largely regarded as insensitive exploitation of the plight of a nation. The spot almost immediately drew comparison’s to Kenneth Cole’s recent attempt at humor in the wake of massive Egyptian protests.
The site’s CEO, Andrew Mason, doesn’t really get what all of the fuss is about. Mason told The Wall Street Journal that the spot was just “a spoof” and that he really didn’t regard it as offensive. Groupon for its part, was working on raising funds for Tibet prior to the airing of the ad–a bit of information that would have no doubt lend some context to the ads that were quickly dismissed as insensitive.
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Feb 07

Google Exec Released From Egyptian Government Detention

Posted in: Google, Miscellaneous Tech, Today's Chili

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The Wall Street Journal is reporting today that the Google executive who went missing in Egypt more than a week ago has been released from government detention. Word on Wael Ghonim’s release comes from family members and an unnamed “prominent businessman.”

Ghonim’s detention is believed to be related to his work as a political activist. According to the paper, after his release, Ghonim “emerged as a central symbol of the antigovernment protests, cast as the face of a movement and hero in the cause of democracy.” Authorities in Egypt yesterday confirmed that Ghonim was in their possession. Said his brother, Hazem Ghonim, “They told us they’ll probably bring him to us, and that he will likely be escorted by security.”
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Feb 07

Japan Gets Hamburger Vending Machine

Posted in: Miscellaneous Tech, Today's Chili, Weird News

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Well, sort of. The machine doesn’t actually make hamburgers, nor does it store ancient burgers in vacuum-packed bags. Actually, the whole thing isn’t too dissimilar from the concept of the automat, which really predated fast food as we know it. Still–it qualifies as a hamburger vending machine, right?

The machine is located on the exterior of a hamburger shop in Tokyo’s Katsushika neighborhood. Stick 100 yen in the slot, and you’ll get a relatively fresh burger manually placed in the slot by an employee on the other side. You can only get plain burgers, though–and only one at a time. If you want more, you’ll actually have to walk into the restaurant.

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Feb 07

DEVO Introduce Energy Dome DJ Headphones

Posted in: headphones, Miscellaneous Tech, MP3 Digital Audio, Today's Chili

devo_headphones_0.pngOh, DEVO, how we’ve missed you. After releasing its first studio album in two decades this past June, the band is going on tour starting in March. And that’s not all — DEVO is also joining the long list of musicians with their own line of headphones. DEVO’s Energy Dome DJ Headphones feature the iconic Energy Domes that have been integrated into the design of the retro-style headpphones.

According to the site, the headphones are “made to channel a mix of quality audio & hearty orgone energy to your head.” I have to admit, these are the coolest looking musician-endorsed headphones I’ve ever seen. Take that, Dr. Dre. 

The headphones cost $49.95 and are available through DEVO’s Web site. Check out the full press release for more info.

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Feb 07

The Super Bowl’s Geekiest Ads

Posted in: ads, Miscellaneous Tech, Sports, Today's Chili
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If there’s one thing I learned today at our PCMag morning editorial meeting, it’s that America’s geeks really are watching the Super Bowl for the ads–really, it’s the nerd equivalent to reading Playboy “for the articles.” If you couldn’t bring yourself to sit through that cultural touchstone for the sake of getting big companies to sell you stuff, fear not, we’ve got a roundup of some of the geekiest ads from the event (and there were plenty).

You get pop culture without having to watch a minute of professional sports and international corporations get free advertising on a gadget blog. Win-win!
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Feb 07

10 Geeky Gift Ideas for Valentine’s Day

Posted in: iPhone, laptop, LED, Mac, Miscellaneous Tech, Tech Toys, Today's Chili

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It’s that time of the year again. Stores are wall-to-wall with boxes of chocolates, roses, and cheesy Hallmark cards. If you’re reading this blog, chances are you’re on the nerdier side of the divide, and there’s a good chance your significant other is on that side, too. With Valentine’s Day only one week away, it’s time to start shopping for those V-Day gifts.

If you’re married to or dating a geeky guy or gal, chances are they’d rather get an upgrade in RAM than jewelery or boxers. From cute plush stuffed animals, to bath time fun, we scoured the Web and we were not surprised to find a plethora of geeky gifts perfect for Valentine’s Day. Check them out after the jump!

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Feb 07

Julian Assange Extradition Trial Begins

Posted in: Miscellaneous Tech, Today's Chili

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Julian Assange’s trial began this week in London, as the court decided whether the WikiLeaks head would be sent to Sweden to be tried on charges of sexual assault stemming from his trip to that country in August of last year

The trial is set to last two days. Assange has denied the charges, insisting that his relations with the women were consensual. For his part, Assange lawyer Geoffery Roberston fold the press that bringing the issue to trial in Sweden “risks a flagrant denial of justice,” as the case would be heard in private. Despite the extradition request, Sweden has not yet filed criminal charges against Assange.

The defense also suggested the charges are part of a larger conspiracy that will eventually lead to extradition to the US, where Assange will be charged for WikiLeaks role in releasing classified information. Swedish prosecutors have firmly denied those charges.

Assange was present at the trial today–as were a number of high profile supports, including Bianca Jagger and Bianca Jagger and socialite Jemima Khan, according to The Washington Post.

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Feb 07

AOL Buys Huffington Post for $315 Mil

Posted in: Miscellaneous Tech, Today's Chili

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AOL made a major addition to its ever-growing blog empire this week, with the addition of popular political/pop culture site, The Huffington Post, the company’s biggest buyout since it split from Time Warner, back in 2009. According to a report from The New York Times, the deal is valued at $315 million–$300 million of which is in cash (stock will make up the difference).

The deal marks a big promotion for the site’s founder, Arianna Huffington, who is now in charge of the newly-minted Huffington Post Media Group, putting her in charge of editorial content for AOL, as well as AOL companies like Moviefone and MapQuest.

Huffington insisted that her own partisan political stance won’t affect the way she run the business. She also insists that the deal is a perfect fit, telling the press, “we were practically finishing each other’s sentences. It was really amazing how aligned our visions were.”

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