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Tech NewsGadgetsWe Wish You a Tacky Christmas
There are those who celebrate the holidays as a time for friends, family and merriment. There are others who feel that this time of year solely exists as a canvas for their oil paint that is horrible Christmas lights. Here are the best/worst of what you sent, depending how you look at it. Our winners … Continued
By Mark Wilson -
Tech NewsGadgets
First Guy to Get Comcast TiVo in Boston Liveblogs the Ordeal (Sorta)
Steve Garfield got the email from Comcast that his long, thirsty wait for the Comcast TiVo was over, so he immediately called ’em up (after the online system gives you no way to order it), only to be told by the rep “I didn’t know it was coming out so soon. Let me check if … Continued
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Tech NewsGadgets
Best Plasma Ever vs. Best LCD Ever (Verdict: Plasma Wins)
Sound and Vision took took the best Plasma TV they could find (Pioneer Elite PRO-110FD Kuro) and the best LCD TV they could find (Samsung LN-T5281F), and threw them against each other in a carefully calibrated match. The winner, which we’ve actually seen before as the best flat panel ever, was the Pioneer Elite. Not … Continued
By Jason Chen -
Tech NewsGadgets
Activision: By Guitar Hero III/Rock Band Guitar “Agreement,” We Meant “Money”
Remember how Harmonix wanted to release a patch to let you use Guitar Hero III guitars on Rock Band for the PS3, but then Activision blocked it and Harmonix told everyone about it, and then Activision said Harmonix just didn’t wanna play ball, where it pretty much seemed like Activision meant Harmonix didn’t want to … Continued
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Tech News
Angry Unix Admin Tries to Take Down California Power Grid, Fails
When will people learn? You don’t mess with Unix admins! Not because they wield a lot of power or anything, but because they’re generally the type of socially maladjusted people who are liable to flip out and do something rash when provoked. You don’t spend that much time in a server room and come out … Continued
By Adam Frucci -
Tech News
Porn Coming to Blu-ray; PS3 Owners, Jason Chen Very Excited
The porn industry, having steered clear of Blu-ray and successfully put out titles on HD DVD for the past year, has decided to give the competing HD format a shot. Digital Playground has plans to release Pirates, an adaptation of Treasure Island as I understand it, on BR as its first foray into the format. … Continued
By Adam Frucci -
Tech News
Monster Theater Video Tour: One Sci-Fi Nerd’s $100,000 Nightmarish Fantasy
Who doesn’t want their home theater to look like a "spaceship transporting dangerous aliens"? I for one wouldn’t mind owning an animatronic alien that pops out of nowhere. "When steam starts blasting from ceiling vents and the alien lurches through the wall, you hear friends scream expletives like ‘holy (expletive)’—and then request to borrow a … Continued
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Tech NewsGadgets
Last Call for Crazy Christmas Lights
Do you, a loved one or a neighbor you don’t know at all suffer from an affliction of either absurdly tacky or absolutely awe-inducing holiday decorations? Then this is your last call to send them in to be immortalized on the pages of Gizmodo. We need all entries by today. So procrastinators, congrats, you made … Continued
By Mark Wilson -
Tech NewsGadgets
Pizza Box PC Mod Arbitrarily Wins 2007
A modder has officially combined a pizza box and a PC. It’s like a stereotype incarnate and it smells delicious. We just wish that the disc tray were modified to eject a steaming slice of pie. Oh, and it’d be OK if cheese got stuck somewhere in the middle, stretching and wrapping around the optical … Continued
By Mark Wilson -
Tech NewsGadgets
NIO 2|4 Digital Audio USB Interface Lets You Mix Your Tunes, Add Sound Effects
Bands on a budget might like this small, yet very capable, digital audio box from Novation that adds sound effects and connects to your PC via USB. The NIO 2|4 measures just 1.8 x 5.7 x 5.9 inches, but packs in four input sockets, four phono outs, two monitor headphone jacks and more than 10 … Continued
By AddyDugdale -
io9Television
Two New Vizio LCD Televisions Leaked
Hidden pages on Vizio’s site have revealed two new additions to the Vizio lineup. First up we have the VO47L FHDTV complete with a 47-inch viewable, 16:9 wide screen aspect ratio, 1920 X 1080 resolution, 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p, 480i compatibility, a 2000:1 contrast ratio (with DCR), a 178 degree viewing angle, included HDMI cable … Continued
By Sean Fallon -
Tech News
Half of Mac Users Pay to Download Music; 84 Percent of PC Users Thieving Assholes?
According to market research by the NPD Group—who give out monthly console sales figures and other fun statistical fodder for flamewars—50 percent of all Mac users paid to download music during the last quarter, while a seemingly laughable 16 percent of PC users did. Mac drones are also more likely to buy real live CDs … Continued
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Tech NewsGadgets
Unlocked Open Source Anti-DRM Logo
While we’re not sure logos are the solutions to all the world’s problems (you’ve seen that video of a Microsoft-designed iPod box), we kinda like the idea of an anti-DRM logo to make it easy for consumers to quickly pick up on content that’ll give ’em more bang for their buck, since they’re not restricted … Continued
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Tech NewsGadgets
Chimera BC16 Modular Synth is Cheap, Colorful, Cute
Although it’s not shipping until January 2008, Chimera Synthesis is taking orders for its BC16 mono synth. It’s the first product from the UK-based company, and will be followed next year by its PH303 (any Chicago House fans out there will be feeling hot under the collar right now) and the SM16, a 16-step analog … Continued
By AddyDugdale -
Tech News
All PS1 Titles Now Playable on The PSP via Remote Play
It appears that todays new PSP and PS3 firmware updates include a “secret” Remote Play enhancement that allows users to play all PS1 downloadable titles and discs on the PSP. If you ask me, it is about time that Sony got in on all of the firmware hacking that has been going on. [Playstation Forums] … Continued
By Sean Fallon -
Tech News
Passive Technologies Blu-ray/HD DVD Combo Media Center
We haven’t heard much of the UK-based Passive Technologies, but if they keep rolling out with stuff like this lifeStation HD media player, they may yet become a common name—at least in the UK. The player features a HD DVD/Blu-ray combo player, Windows Vista, up to 1.5TB on-board storage, multi-room Crestron support, 1080p HDMI out, … Continued
By Jason Chen -
Tech NewsGadgets
All Giz Wants: A Gaming PC With the Soul of a Console
As grown-up and burly as this generation of consoles has become, we still like doing some of our gaming on the PC, especially when it comes to first-person shooters. But our ultimate gaming PC isn’t what’s come to typify the phrase “gaming PC.” We don’t want some tricked out, neon Barad-dûr bullshit dominating our desktop. … Continued
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Tech NewsGadgets
New PSP Firmware Available, Too
Last night we mentioned that new PlayStation 3 firmware 2.1 was available (specs here, testing here). But we should also point out that PSP firmware 3.8 is available now as well. The big new feature? The device is now internet radio ready. You’ll also score some fancy new visualizations. No, it’s not a pocket DVR … Continued
By Mark Wilson -
Tech NewsGadgets
PS3 Game Developer Claims to have Crossed Uncanny Valley
We’re fascinated with the battle against uncanny valley—that point in graphics or robotics where the human likeness isn’t quite reached, which in turn repulses the viewer. And while we’ve seen graphics card makers and robot designers tackling the problem before, for the first time a video game developer claims to have bridged the gap. Quantic … Continued
By Mark Wilson