Sony Telling People The PSP2 Is As Powerful As A PS3

It's part of a clear strategy Sony has for the upcoming (and still not yet officially unveiled) handheld, which is that it's "specifically requesting richer, more in-depth content to differentiate its device from app-centric Apple and Android devices."

Like its own PlayStation Phone, for example.

This all collaborates what Kotaku previously reported — that the PSP2 may rival consoles in horsepower. EA honcho John Riccitiello also told Kotaku, "Having something as powerful as a PlayStation 3 in your pocket is a pretty compelling idea."

The same report claims that while downloads will play a big part in the system's game library, the PSP2 will also use physical media so that its games can be sold in retail stores. It also states the handheld will be out in Q4 2011, possibly as early as October.

There's even word it may include some kind of phone (remember, the current PSP can be used as a Skype device), though "not as a primary function".

Before you spit internet coffee all over yourself, remember the PSP2 probably won't actuallybe as powerful as a PS3. But on a smaller screen, it should manage — just like the PSP did with the PS2 — to appear as though it's pretty close.

Kotaku is following up with Sony and will update should the company comment.

 

 

Mordor Is Real, and It's In Sicily

It's been nearly 350 years since Mt. Etna blew its top in a major way. Until yesterday, when Europe's largest active volcano spewed hot lava for two hours—within shouting distance of these people's houses. Location, location, location.

Fortunately the eruption didn't cause any injuries or damage, which means that the residents of this volcanic village were treated to an amazing fire show.

A Menu with Healthy Options May Make You Choose Unhealthier Meals

A recent study suggests that simply seeing healthy choices on a menu satisfies our desire to be healthy, causing us to be more likely to choose more indulgent foods when we actually place our order.

Daniel A. Marano at Psychology Today, explains:

Context is just as telling when it comes to that all-important piece of real estate known as the restaurant menu. A study published in the Journal of Consumer Research suggests that the mere presence of healthy offerings on a menu or on display in a restaurant or even in a vending machine can often be enough to vicariously satisfy our long-term health and nutrition goals-and trick our brains into allowing us to make more indulgent food selections, ones we would not otherwise make.

It's unlikely that restaurants will ever remove their unhealthy (but probably delicious) menu selections. Next time you're checking out your options and find yourself leaning towards the fried hamburger, keep in mind that the menu might be inadvertently messing with your head.

Real Magic Mouse for Windows

Microsoft's Touch Mouse for Windows 7 is a lot like Apple's Magic Mouse: The top is a capacitive, multitouch sensor. The difference? The Touch Mouse was actually designed to be used by humans.

It's the best touch experience on Windows yet. No surprise, 'cause Microsoft's designed the Touch Mouse's drivers and software, which is what really ties everything together. The ergonomics are quite solid too—unlike the Magic Mouse, which is passable, but not great. As you can guess, the hatches dotted all over the mouse mark the touch area.

The list of gestures is quite familiar:

• One finger scrolls in any direction inside of a window
• Swiping your thumb up and down acts like the back and forward buttons common on Windows mice
• Two fingers to the left or right activates Aero Snap, pinning the selected window to the side; two fingers up or down minimizes or opens minimized windows
• Three fingers—wait for it—activates a Mac OS X Expose-like view, showing all of your windows in a neat grid.

It's a little pricey at $80 when it comes out in June, but for a taste of what touch should be like in Windows, it could be worth it.

 

 

The Return of the Boxxy

iPhone Game Boy Case

Due to copyright concerns, Incipio will never sell this Game Boy case for the iPhone—but that didn't stop them from showing it off.

 

 

What Was This Person Thinking?

This is a mask that keeps a fresh patch of soil pressed to your face in order to force you to smell grass while listening to your own breath through the attached headphones. What are artists thinking lately?

The piece is called "The Open" and was created by Mattia Casalegno who describes the work as something which "plays with the Deleuzian notion of "ritornell" (refrain), and about the quality of sound to define a territory."

 

 

Assemble Your Very Own Human with This Life-Sized Model Kit

Artist Wayne Chisnall created a pre-assembly model kit of himself. The 12 body parts, er, pieces are all attached to a plastic frame and when put together, is just as big as his real-life self. Like having a life-sized action figure!

This is totally how I imagine how human droids will be made in the near future. Only not lime green.

 

 

Take a Bath in a Waterfall

The Aquamass Parure bathtub is clever! Designer Elvis Pompilio used crystalline pearls backlight by LEDs to make it look like the tub is constantly overflowing with water. Like taking a bath in a waterfall. Or in Avatar-world too, I guess.

 

 

Extravagant iPhone Case Artwork Comes with a Price to Match

Word out of CES is that Intel execs revealed their true feelings about Windows 7 on tablets. Apparently, they lobbied for Microsoft to make a more tablet-friendly OS. Microsoft said no.

 According to Cnet, here's what Tom Kilroy, Senior Vice President of Marketing, had to say:

"Hey, we tried to get [Microsoft] to do a tablet OS (operating system) for a long time. Us, and others like Dell," said Tom Kilroy, senior vice president and general manager of Intel's Sales and Marketing Group, speaking to CNET at an Intel function last night.

Looks like we're not the only ones who think full-blown Win 7 on a tablet is a bad idea.

 

 

Grate That Bar of Soap Like It's a Block of Cheap Cheddar

The designer may cite ecological reasons for eschewing the liquid soap for a bar of soap, but me? I just love the sheer brilliance of this concept. Grated soap! I demand all public toilets fit them immediately. 

 

 

Oh hey, your delightfully tacky Louis Vuitton Belt Buckle is ringing

Rarely do ostentatiously tacky and expensive rich people things look gaudy and do something useful at the same time. That's still the case here, as this curious Louis Vuitton belt buckle continues the trend. It's also a cellphone, you see!

 

 

Retro-Looking Analarm Wristwatch Awakens Wearer with Vibration

Hate the buzzer alarm clock, as I do? Radio station alarm mode not up to the task? Maybe vibration will get you out of bed. Since vibrating beds are expensive and a bit tacky, check out this Analarm wristwatch instead.

It's certainly not cheap at $450, but for those of us looking for a trendy, reto way to get up in the morning (and without waking others, perhaps), this could do the trick.

 

 

This Is What Happens When Polaroid Lets Lady Gaga Design Something

Lady Gaga stood up on stage and proclaimed "This is the camera of the future." This futurecam also happens to be a set of shades with a outward-facing 1.4-inch OLED display under each eye. Funky.

The whole world can see itself from your perspective, as images stream from the camera mounted in the bridge of the glasses. Or you can throw in an SD card and play something else. Like photos of your dog. Or your kids. Or a video of a vacation—anything that's in your mind's eye can be literally on your eyes for the world to see.

The spec-obsessed Gaga (remember those rad cigarette shades from Telephone?)says she came up with the concept for the glasses on her Fameball tour. She had a pair of glasses made with iPod screens as lenses; then, using her juice as Polaroid's creative director, she brought the idea to the instacam company and Polarez GL20s were born.

You can share the fabulous photos and videos you take with these glasses with a disguised removable USB in the earpiece, or send pictures straight to a printer via Bluetooth. They'll be available around springtime this year, though pricing information is not available yet.

An iPhone Case That Opens Beer Bottles Too

The iBottle iPhone case combines two of the modern man's most used tools—his phone and a bottle opener—in one. This way, you'll always know where your phone is when you drink.

It's 20 bucks for the 3G/3GS version. The iPhone 4 version is available for pre-order (for the same price) and coming this month.

 

 

Wooden Cuckoo Clock Disguises the Reason You're So Cool

I love this wooden fan from Dutch designer Luc Van Hoeckel, who used the original Black Forest design of cuckoo clocks to create a self-propelling fan. Once the weight-toggles are dropped, the fan starts churning. Beautiful.

 

 

It's a Chair, It's Made From Wood and It's Flexible

Wooden furniture is easy on the eyes, but not always the most comfortable thing to sit on for extended periods. This "Spring Wood" design aims to change that, by cutting wooden chairs in such a way that they become flexible.

 

 

The Nike+ SportWatch GPS Has TomTom and an Attitude

It's a new year, which means new resolutions to get in shape. Let technology help you! Don't fight it! The Nike+ SportWatch, powered by TomTOM GPS, will bug you when you forget to run and encourage you when you do.

It's like your own personal trainer...on your wrist! The SportWatch GPS will bug you with run reminders when you haven't logged a run in five days, you'll get "attaboys" for achieving run records, and you can plug the watch directly into your computer to interface with nikeplus.com.

 

 

Never Worry About Expired Food Again

Developed by British professor Andrew Mills, this bag stores food and reacts to changes in the food chemicals or the oxygen levels inside the bag. When the those changes reach a certain point, the bag changes color. And if you have yet to open the food in question, it will also change color if its seal has been broken.

The UK government says its citizens waste over 400,000 tons of food a year, nearly 40,000 tons of which was never opened. They estimate this bag could help reduce waste by 8.3 tons in the UK.

 

 

Verizon's First LTE Wi-Fi Hotspots

Until now, all of Verizon's 4G has been packed inside dongles. Samsung and Novatel's LTE hotspots will let you spread the 4G around with Wi-Fi. Slightly thicker than the old MiFi.

No price or date—or battery life spec—for Samsung's 4G Hotspot or Novatel's MiFi 4510L yet, unfortunately. Just that they'll support up to 5 devices.

 

 

Man Survives Without Using Soap For 18 Months—Could You?

What would happen if you went a year and a half without washing with soap and shampoo? Would your girlfriend ditch you? Friends loathe having to invite you 'round? Or, like Richard Nikoley and Sean Bonner, would life just...go on?

Nikoley's gone without either for 18 months now, and Bonner, inspired by Nikoley, just a year. Both claim life is much easier now, with Nikoley seeing some pleasant bonuses:

"What I've found over these 18 months is that I never even thought of the money I was saving. Hell, a decent sized bottle of shampoo and body wash would last me months anyway. Oh, and then there's the travel size versions. No, what has made this experience oh so satisfying is that I don't have to worry about any of that anymore — ever. Don't have to buy it. Don't have to carry it. Don't ever run out of it. Don't have to get it tossed in the dumpster by TSA goons."

Bonner, writing on Boing Boing, can't see himself ever going back to buying bottles of chemicals:

"The future? I will definitely be sticking with this. I'm still annoyed it took me 35 years to learn what I clearly already knew as a baby kicking and screaming when my parents tried to wash my hair. At least that's what I want to assume I knew back then. I know now, but I'd still rather not think about how much I spent on soap and shampoo and related products over the years when they were likely causing all the problems I was trying to protect against."

Supposedly one in 230 million people around the world are allergic to water, and cannot bathe without their skin being brought out in rashes, so suffer far worse than Nikoley and Bonner would if forced into a shower with a bar of soap. But would you go 18 months without using cleansing products on your skin or hair?

Samsung's 9 Series Laptop Takes the MacBook Air Head-On

It looks like the 13-inch MacBook Air finally has some serious competition: the 13-inchSamsung 9 Series is a shade lighter, a touch thinner, and looks like the Air's evil twin.

The differences in size and weight may amount to not much more than a rounding error—2.89 pounds to the Air's 2.9, and profiles of .64 inches versus .68—but its black metal finish and sleek curves make it look like it belongs on the deck of the Death Star.

The 9 Series packs a 1.4GHz second-gen Core i5 processor, including Intel's much-improved integrated graphics, and claims a downright decent 6.5 hours of battery life. You're also looking at 4GB RAM, a 128GB SSD, and a, surprisingly for the frame, a 1.5watt subwoofer. Gilding this very thin lily are USB 3.0 and built-in WiMax 4G.

Which, of course, is going to cost you. The 9 Series comes this February with a $1600 starting price.

 

 

A Fungus Is Destroying The World's Bananas

Tropical Race Four, a soil-born fungus, has been destroying bananas across the world. It kills the plant and makes bananas smell like garbage. That deadly fungus is expected to hit Central America, which is where we get all our bananas from.

There are a thousand types of bananas in the world but only one represents 99% of the banana export market. That'd be the Cavendish banana. Cavendish bananas dominate the export market because they provide farmers "with a high yield of palatable fruit that can endure overseas trip without ripening too quickly or bruising too easily".

One problem, though. By relying solely on the Cavendish banana (and clones of the Cavendish), one disease can wipe out a whole ton o' bananas in one sweeping motion. Tropical Race Four is that disease, and it's already wiped out Cavendish bananas in Asia and Australia with newspapers around the world calling it the "HIV of banana plantations".

The funny thing is the Cavendish banana actually replaced another banana (Gros Michel) in the 1950's because that one got stricken with the Panama disease. History is repeating itself but this time scientists are working feverishly in an attempt to save our banana population. Let's hope they succeed.

 

 

iFlash Lights Up Dark Scenes for Flash-Less iDevice Photographers

If you're constantly disappointed with your iPhone 3G, 3GS, or iPod Touch's camera performance in low light scenarios, the iFlash could be just what you need. It's $29.95 and plugs into your iDevice's docking port.

The iFlash can conveniently fit underneath most cases and can also be repurposed as an LED flashlight. According to the iFlash's makers, by attaching the module to your iPhone with a plastic 3.5mm jack it can dangle like a phone charm, but that sounds highly unappealing.

SDXC Cards Go to 128GB

We're still a long ways from the 2TB SDXC. At $700, the card's clearly aimed at the professional market. It's best to think of this more as a neat technological breakthrough than something to add to your shopping list.

The 128GB Lexar should be available, along with its 64GB cousin ($400), this spring.

 

 

Mighty Mouse Has One Less Gene, Lives 20% Longer

Sorry, Apple. Researchers have already created a mightier mouse: By deleting a single gene from a mouse's genetic makeup, they've enabled it to suffer fewer age related ailments and live 20% longer. On humans, that'd be about 16 bonus years.

So what exactly did those crazy scientists do? They bred mice with the "gene that produces the protein S6 kinase 1 (S6K1)" disabled. The effects of this are a bit extreme:

The change mimicked the effect of keeping the mice on a calorie-restricted diet. Severely restricting the diets of yeast, bacteria, mice and primates have granted these animals unnaturally long lives. For humans, however, maintaining a diet of near starvation would be difficult at best

That last part's the bad news so far, but researchers are conducting further studies particularly targeting the S6K1 protein as it seems to have a direct link to longevity in mice. There are hopes that the benefits will one day be reproduced with drugs so that we don't have to starve ourselves for longer lives and prettier looks.

 

 

This Mouse Knows How to Tweet

I'm not even talking about Twitter. Thanks to the wonderful world of genetic engineering (which is the greatest thing ever), this mouse no longer squeaks. It tweets. Yes, like a bird.

The tweeting ability of the mouse actually came about by accident. Sort of. As AFP tells it, scientists at the University of Osaka were working on a study to see how genetic mutation facilitates evolution. So after breeding genetically modified mice that were prone to copy DNA wrong, they happened upon one mouse that could unexpectedly tweet. They've since bred over a hundred of these "singing mice."

Scientists are especially intrigued by this, because tweeting among birds functions as a low-level language for them. So they believe these noises from the tweeting mouse aren't entirely as random as the normal squeak. And they're also curious how it will affect normal, non-tweeting mice exposed to these sounds.

 

 

Why the Human Body Temperature Is 98.5 Degrees Fahrenheit (37°C)

Scientists have found the reason why our body temperature is 98.5° Fahrenheit (37°C). Apparently it's the perfect balance, as it's warm enough to prevent fungal infection but not so hot that we need to eat nonstop to maintain our metabolism.

Scientists have always wondered why advanced mammals are so hot compared to other animals. And this might be the reason! Fungal species that can thrive and infect an animal typically declines by 6 percent for every 1° C rise in temperature. So, we know we need a higher body temperature to ward off fungal infection. The question is how warm?

Scientists devised a mathematical model that analyzed the benefits gained by body temperatures that protect against fungi versus the costs (in terms of extra food consumption) required to maintain body temperatures between 30° and 40° C. The optimal temperature for maximizing benefits while minimizing costs was found to be 36.7° C, which closely approximates normal body temperature.

Looks like we were made for a reason (and so were the other mammals who all have temperatures around 98.5 degrees)!

Lightest 3D Glasses in the World

Samsung's ultra-lightweight 3D glasses don't look as bad as generic active shutter specs, but that's not saying much. Noses and ears, breathe a sigh of relief: they weigh just 28 grams.

 

 

A USB Hub With a Power Strip State of Mind

That's the idea behind Japanese company Elecom's latest attempt to re-engineer the humble USB hub, a power strip-esque block with ports facing skyward and a switch dedicated to each one.

Sure, the garden of sprouting cords won't help you forget that the hub is sitting on your desk, but that means you won't forget that they're sucking up precious electricity, either. The hubs are on sale now in Japan $41 for four ports or $106 for seven.

MacBook Air's SSDs Will Be Sold to Other Companies by Toshiba

Available in 64GB and 128GB capacities (both measuring 2.2mm in height) and a 3.7mm tall 256GB option, the Blade X-gale SSDs will inevitably show up in laptops, netbooks or even tablets. They've got a max sequential read speed of 220MB/s, with max sequential write speed of 180MB/s.

 

 

Forget Your Dog, Your Phone Needs an Adorable Little Outfit

You don't spend all day in some sweaty plastic case, so why subject your most faithful electronic companion to that same sartorial torture? Get it the case it deserves. The outerwear it needs. A tiny denim outfit.

Thanks to SabaiSmile at Etsy—where you can now certifiably buy anything you can think of—you can snatch up a jacket, a dress, or some short shorts for your smartphone, MP3 player, or if you're a real big weirdo your handheld GPS device. 

 

 

A Winter Wonderland in China

The Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin, Heilongjiang China is set to open on January 5, 2011. It's a winter wonderland with buildings made from beautiful ice and snow.

 

 

The northern lights could be headed south to a night sky near you

The amazing lights of the aurora borealis and its southern counterpart, the aurora australis, are created by the collision of charged particles in the Earth's magnetic field. As photons from the solar wind are accelerated along the lines of our planet's magnetic field, they undergo incredibly energetic reactions with nitrogen and oxygen atoms in the atmosphere, releasing and absorbing lots of energy in the constant collisions. Collisions with oxygen molecules create the green or brownish-red colors of the aurora, while collisions with nitrogen account for the blue and red colors.

Because the lines of Earth's magnetic field run towards the two magnetic poles, the aurora effect is strongest and most likely to be visible to the naked eye in the polar regions. The poles also have an added advantage, as their much longer periods of darkness mean there are far more opportunities for auroras to become visible.

But every so often the auroras become visible far away from the poles, thanks to a little help from the Sun. During periods of extreme solar activity, the Sun can create what's known as coronal mass ejections (or CMEs), which are huge blasts of charged particles. In almost all cases, these CMEs miss the Earth completely, and even when they do hit the Earth it's rare that they have any noticeable effects.

Still, if a strong enough CME hits the Earth, it can trap tons more charged particles than normal in the magnetic field. That supercharges the aurora effect so that people living as far south as Dallas or Los Angeles would be able to see the northern lights. (Well, maybe notspecificially Dallas and LA - the city lights would probably drown the aurora out.)

We've already enjoyed some spectacular auroras thanks to the solar activity, and it only figures to get better. We're in a particularly strong period of solar activity at the moment, and astronomers predict it will peak around 2013.

Even Putin Looks Displeased With 3D Glasses

When Russia's bad boy Prime Minister Vladimir Putin himself looks irritated with the idea of wearing 3D glasses, it's gotta be time to reconsider that whole trend. 

 

 

The Last Roll of Kodachrome Film Ever Will Be Developed Today

Even if you don't give two f-stops about analog photography, it's always good to respect our elders. So today, we pour one out for Kodak's legendarily beautiful Kodachrome film, which after today, in Parsons, Kansas, will never be processed again.

Kodachrome, which Kodak stopped manufacturing last year, has been prized by the world's most eminent photographers for its beauty and refinement—the way it captures light and color is unlike anything else, and has made possible some of photography's greatest visions..

Despite having the bejeezus knocked out of it by digital, the singular beauty of analog photography should never be forgotten—and thanks to groups like the 1,668 member strong Kodachrome Flickr pool, it probably won't be.

 

 

The Nintendo 3DS Will Destroy Children's Eyeballs

Remember your parents telling you sitting too close to the TV would make you blind? Well, now when parents tell young kids to turn off the 3D on Nintendo's 3DS 'cause it'll ruin their eyes—they'll actually be right.

The machine translation is a little rough, but the gist is clear: Nintendo has issued a warning that kids under six shouldn't use the 3DS's 3D mode because their vision is still "in the development stage," and the way that stereoscopic 3D works, delivering different images to each eyeball, "has a potential impact on the growth of children's eyes."

Sony's also noted that kids under six shouldn't play 3D games without being examined by their eye doctor first. But the 3DS is in a slightly different position than the PS3, since Nintendo's way more geared toward kids than Sony is.

To keep the childrens away from 3D, the 3DS will apparently have a parental lock on 3D, locking the 3DS in 2D mode. Even with the parental lock, though, this is pretty crazy. Nintendo issuing a warning explicitly stating, "Hey, our product could screw up your child's vision." Who's gonna buy that for their kids?

Hoodie With Earbuds Instead of Strings Is Greatest iPod Accessory of All

Hoodies have strings around the neck, right? Have you EVER used those strings? Why you'd want to tighten a noose around your neck, I'll never know. The HoodieBuddie cleverly replaces the strings with earbuds; the pocket contains a 3.5mm jack.

All you need to do is whack your iPod into that 3.5mm jack, hiding in the front-right pocket, and you can listen to music without your wires getting tangled. Really, it costs $44. 

 

 

In the Future, We'll All Wear Clothes Made by 3D Printers

Designers are already using 3D printers to create textiles apparently. Fashion site Ecouterre has an article on the 3D printed clothes phenomenom, and the museum of Modern Art is exhibiting the Dutch designer Freedom of Creation's works already. 

It's not just the lure of having clothes that fit properly that's appealing for designers—3D printing also helps cut down on labor costs and could be seen as reducing waste.

WWF Is a New Green File Format That's Impossible To Print

The rabble rousers at the World Wildlife Fund (they re-named fake wrestling!) have created a new, PDF-type file format called WWF. It's a file format that CANNOT be printed out. The idea: save as WWF, save a tree.

WWF is currently only savable and readable on Mac, but a Windows version should be coming soon.

 

 

Electric Razors Really Are Better (for the Environment)

Electric razors use 30x less energy. How does Slate figure? An electric razor runs on 5-6 watts, consuming 0.35 kilowatt-hours a year. But! Most dudes using a disposable razor use a quart of hot water, using 10.4 kilowatt-hours a year.

All told, when you consider other elements, like the CO2 produced by making each disposable razor and the like, an electric razor will save you 14.9 pounds of carbon dioxide per year—which isn't a lot—but every little bit helps. I suppose if you wanted to go ultragreen, you could go ultra badass: a straight razor with no water.

 

 

The Most Magnetic Material Yet

Iron cobalt was the most magnetic material on Earth until physicists created what's in this man's hands. It's an iron and nitrogen compound which is 18 percent more magnetic and potentially disproves theories about how magnetic a material can be.

Jianping Wang, a physicist at the University of Minnesota, created the compound, but he's actually not the first to do so:

In 1996, researchers from the Central Research Laboratory of Hitachi in Japan made the same iron and nitrogen compound. Their research also showed that the material exceeded limitations set by traditional theories. However, scientists were unable to duplicate their experiments.

Apparently Wang has "taken special care to allow other scientists to duplicate his experimental setup" because of these failed attempts of the past. It's a shame that his experiment doesn't count as proof of the original compound's creation for some reason though.

Intel's 310 Series SSDs Are an Eighth the Size of Their Predecessors

SSDs are great, and they're getting smaller all the time. A lot smaller. Intel's teeny new 310 Series SSDs deliver the same performance as the x25s that came before them, but they're just an eighth the size.

The new drives, intended for notebooks, tablets, and rugged industrial and military devices, are 51mm-by-30mm and a mere 5mm thick.

Lenovo's signed the 310 up for their next-generation ThinkPads, and DRS Technology's planning on sliding the 310 in a tablet next year. Intel's shipping drives to OEMs in 1000-unit quantities in two capacities: 40GB ($99) and 80GB ($179). They say it's the first salvo in a wave of new solid state drives they'll be firing off next year, to which I say bring it on. The smaller and the faster the better.

Samsung Taking the "Thinnest" 3D Blu-ray Player

The defining characteristic of most home Blu-ray players isn't usually their thickness, but perhaps if you live in a house with low ceilings you might fancy Samsung's new, unnamed Blu-ray device. Seems pretty deep, though, Samsung. Got anything narrower?

While announcing the device, Samsung also took the time to blow its trumpet about US Blu-ray player sales—claiming it is "commanding" the US market and took a 35% share of sales between January and November.

Go Pew Pew in the Space Invaders Couch

This sofa is likely to never see the dawn of a waking day, nor the imprints of your buttocks as you settle in for a marathon 15-hour Space Invaders sesh.

Keep The Snow Out Of Your Brain With The Sony MDR-EX1000 Flagship Earphones

Seems a bit of a shame to spend $799 on something no one will ever see because it'll spend most of its life rammed down your ears, but if you need higher-end earphones, the MDR-EX1000 will do the job.

The Asia-only flagship earphones are available on import through Audiocubes, so if you'd like your audio reproduced by a custom Sony 16mm driver created from a liquid crystalline polymer with an impressively wide response range between 3-30,000Hz and a magnesium housing, they're the ear canal warmers for you.

 

 

Zip Tie Snow Tires

It's officially that time of year, with snow and slush and ice perpetually impeding your biking. What to do? Well, if you've got a box of zip ties and can conjure up a little MacGuyever spirit, you do this.

Fritz Rice of the Dutch Bike Co. is the clever rider behind these makeshift snow tires, and while he admits they look a bit silly (and that some fixie-riding hipsters may have pioneered the idea), he seems pretty thrilled with the results.

Embrace The Light

I never thought that a lamp which costs over $500 and has to be inflated before it can be used would be appealing, but then I was informed that it's huggable. Now I just want to snuggle up with one.

The lamp is called Supernova and it is created by a firm called Scale 1:1

Flexible LED Mat Can Bend and Fold for Any Emergency Lighting Situations

Running off three AA batteries, this FLEXiT blanket of LEDs is completely flexible and able to hold shape, meaning you can wrap and fold it around objects (your laptop, dog's tail, under the sink) for some urgent light-throwing.

There are 16 LEDs sprinkled across the silicone blanket, and there are even three light settings (I imagine for dim, dimmer, and dimmest light?) cost $30 on FLEXiT 

 

 

It's Official: LED Lights Are Coming

The future of lighting is here, it's just not evenly distributed. Light-emitting diodes (LED) lightbulbs have been coming on the market in the past few years, but their quality varies greatly, from "almost perfect" to "horrible."

The Qnuru bulbs use LEDs made by Cree. The versions are "cool white" (6000k temp), they're also available in "warm white" (3000k). They use a standard E26 socket and use respectively 6.4 watts and 9.2 watts, and they're both rated as replacing 60W incandescents, though the bigger OPAL definitely produces more light and has a wider beam angle.

They have a 50,000+ hours lifetime, which compares very favorably to about 15,000 hours for compact fluorescent (CFLs) and 2,500 hours for incandescent bulbs. It makes more sense to pay extra for quality if you're going to be potentially keeping these lights around for decades. In fact, they come with a 3 year warranty, not something you'll find on any fluorescent!

And of course, because they are LEDs, they don't contain any mercury, and they are a lot less fragile than CFLs and incandescents.

Why Do All the Christmas Lights Go Out When Only One Bulb Blows?

If you've dabbled in Christmas decorations with traditional Christmas lights, you'll know that when one bulb blows, the entire line goes out with it. Why is that? Because of how the manufacturers wire them.

That image above shows how the lights and power supply are typically wired (not the new LED varieties, though) in traditional Christmas lights. If the filaments of all the bulbs are intact, then the circuit is complete and all the lights work. But if one bulb so happens to break then the entire circuit is broken, thus making all the lights go out. It's basically much cheaper for manufacturers to build lights like this because it allows them to use this cheaper series wiring with inexpensive bulbs.