LG Slips Early With Optimus 7 Windows Phone 7 Handset

Admittedly it's not like we didn't know LG was going to announce the Optimus 7, consideringthey've already shown it off several times themselves. However, their blog went live with the details today, showing off the panorama photo-shooting phone.

The screen is a 3.8-inch WVGA display, with the overall phone measuring 125 x 59.8 x 11.5mm. Inside, there's 16GB of storage, along with the usual Bluetooth 2.1, accelerometer, proximity sensor, GPS, digital compass and light sensor.

Clamped onto the back is a 5MP camera which can shoot video at 720p resolution, but also snap 360-degree panorama photos. That'll be a nice trick to furnish your Flickr accounts with.

While it's running Windows Phone 7, LG (like many other manufacturers, we're sure) has added some of their own apps to the tiled interface. We already knew of the DLNA streaming, but there's also voice-to-text for Facebook, Twitter and email; not to mention Scansearch which is their own take on the whole "take a picture of a barcode, see if you can find it cheaper elsewhere" shebang which we've used several times on other devices, only to grow bored and revert back to Amazon.

This Door Is Supposed To Save Lives During Earthquakes

When an Earthquake hits, what do you do? Typical Earthquake 101 tells you to run to the nearest doorway to protect yourself under the "strongest frame in the house". This bendable door is supposed to improve on that thinking.

However! Recent theories suggest that standing underneath a typical doorway is no better than being any where else during an earthquake. They now teach people to drop to the ground, go underneath a table and hold on. This concept door from student Younghwa Lee kind of mimics being underneath a table while being underneath a doorframe, which in a way, sorta blends the two Earthquake schools of thought together.

If you haven't been in an Earthquake before, well damn, you're lucky. Get some practice before 2012.

NASA caught Photoshopping an image of Saturn's moons. What were they trying to hide?

A conspiracy theorist noticed that an image in NASA's Astronomy Picture Of The Day had noticeable Photoshop brushstrokes in it, when you turned up the contrast. Is there a mysterious object hiding near Saturn's moons?

As quoted by Fox News, DominatorPS3 said: "More solid proof of NASA/ government cover-ups. And this is recent. You can do this yourself!!"

Dominator PS3's tell-all YouTube video has been taken down, allegedly because he received death threats. NASA's Emily Lakdawalla, who was responsible for the photoshopping, explained it over at Planetary.org:

What do you think? Did NASA really try to hide evidence of extraterrestrial life by photoshopping a picture — and then making that picture is Astronomy Picture Of The Day, just to confuse us further? It's so crazy, it might just be true!

Today Is 101010: The Ultimate Answer to the Ultimate Question

Today is October 10, 2010. 10/10/10. In binary, that's 42. And 42 is The Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything. Or at least, that's what Douglas Adams says.

Many people wonder what Adams exactly meant by 42, the answer given by the supercomputer Deep Thought in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Why did Adams pick that number? Is there a connection to something the world doesn't know about? Is the CIA and the MI6 involved in all this? Real aliens, perhaps?

On November 3, 1993, he gave an answer on alt.fan.douglas-adams:

The answer to this is very simple. It was a joke. It had to be a number, an ordinary, smallish number, and I chose that one. Binary representations, base thirteen, Tibetan monks are all complete nonsense. I sat at my desk, stared into the garden and thought '42 will do'. I typed it out. End of story.

Later, talking to BBC Radio 4 Iain Johnstone, he explained that the number was chosen by none other than John Cleese as the punch line for one of his skits. The famed Python thought it was a funny number, and Adams borrowed it for his book, turning it into a recurring integer through all his work.

But that comment wasn't the end of the mystery. Stephen Fry—a friend of Adams—also jumped into the debate, claiming that the latter explained to him why it was 42. Fry will not reveal the secret, but he says it is "fascinating, extraordinary and, when you think hard about it, completely obvious."

Whatever it is, it sure has had a deep impact in geeklore. One example: The Allen Telescope Array—the radio telescopes system erected by Microsoft's Paul Allen for the SETI program—has 42 dishes in honor of Adams. And in Lost, 42 is the last number in the sequence that has to be entered on The Swan's computer, which is also the sequence picked by Hurley for his winning lottery ticket, and Kwon's number in the cave. In a Lostpedia interview, one of the show's producers confirmed that this was indeed a homage to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Google Is Road Testing Cars That Drive Themselves

This is not a Google Street View truck. It's actually a self-driving car. The car is part of a new research initiative that Google's been road resting: Artificially intelligent cars that drive themselves.

Self-driving cars are admittedly a lofty, almost far-fetched prospect. Even the most optimistic people behind the Google team say it's at least eight years away from reaching consumers. But the promise it holds! With self driving cars on the road, researchers say road capacity can double since robots will drive at closer distances from one another. Plus, robot cars can theoretically react faster than humans and with the right sensors, can see the road from a 360-degree perspective. Not to mention they never get drunk, sleepy or text while driving either.

Google's been working on these self driving cars in secret but are actually testing them right now, right out in the open. The NY Times saw one of these cars in action:

A Prius equipped with a variety of sensors and following a route programmed into the GPS navigation system nimbly accelerated in the entrance lane and merged into fast-moving traffic on Highway 101, the freeway through Silicon Valley.

It drove at the speed limit, which it knew because the limit for every road is included in its database, and left the freeway several exits later. The device atop the car produced a detailed map of the environment.

The car then drove in city traffic through Mountain View, stopping for lights and stop signs, as well as making announcements like "approaching a crosswalk" (to warn the human at the wheel) or "turn ahead" in a pleasant female voice.

Ideally, there's a driver sitting at the steering wheel, ready to take over whenever anything goes awry. Once you hit a red button, move the steering wheel or tap the brake, the car is back under your control. I was never a big fan of driving so I'm hoping these self-driving cars become reality in my lifetime.

Designing Herman Miller's Golden Gate Bridge-Inspired Sayl Chair

The aim of the Herman Miller Sayl Chair, designed by Yves Béhar, is to maximize comfort while minimizing materials. For inspiration, Béhar looked to the suspension bridges of San Francisco.

It took Béhar and Herman Miller two and a half years to perfect the chair, which employs a novel "3D Intelligent Suspension Back" instead of a traditional frame. A special new type of urethane is used for the frameless back, which is injection molded with different degrees of tension for the various areas of the back and is held in place by a new Y-Tower suspension tower.

The novel suspended structure not only allows for a comfortable, ergonomic sitting experience but also greatly reduces the materials needed to produce the chair, in turn lessening its overall environmental impact. 93% of the Sayl's materials are recyclable. If you're interested in introducing your butt to a host of new innovations in chair engineering, the Sayl is available in a variety of colors and finishes over at Herman Miller.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 won't be in 3-D after all

Imagine that — a studio realizes that a movie will look poopy in 3-D, so they decide not to do it. Warner Bros. decided the first half of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be 2-D only.

Said Warners in a statement:

Warner Bros Pictures has made the decision to release "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1" in 2D, in both conventional and IMAX theaters, as we will not have a completed 3D version of the film within our release date window. Despite everyone's best efforts, we were unable to convert the film in its entirety and meet the highest standards of quality. We do not want to disappoint fans who have long-anticipated the conclusion of this extraordinary journey, and to that end, we are releasing our film day-and-date on November 19, 2010 as planned. We, in alignment with our filmmakers, believe this is the best course to take in order to ensure that our audiences enjoy the consummate "Harry Potter" experience.

We knew Harry Potter had amazing powers, but the ability to vanquish the trend towards last-minute, eye-bleeding 3-D conversions? That's incredible.

What Happens When You Smash Nitroglycerin With a Hammer in 600x Slow Motion?

Nitroglycerin, first discovered in 1846, is the explosive essence of dynamite. Even slowed down 600x, the reaction—detonation—is so violent, so fast, it still happens in less than the blink of an eye.

The 3DS' Battery Won't Last As Long As The DS'

While Nintendo is yet to release concrete figures on the battery usage of the 3DS - not that you can ever trust official figures - company president Satoru Iwata has hinted that it won't last as long as the DS.

"As for the battery, it is inevitable that Nintendo 3DS will be a device which requires more frequent recharging than Nintendo DS" Iwata said during a recent Q&A session with investors. "This is why we are going to include the cradle, which is a dedicated battery charger. Perhaps we may need to dispatch to our consumers a message, something like, 'Please place your Nintendo 3DS on the cradle as soon as you return home with it'."

That first sentence is the key: it means you won't get the same battery mileage from the 3DS you do from a DS. It's not a surprise, of course; extra horsepower and 3D capabilities will drain a battery faster than a DS game would, and packing one in that could withstand a lot of 3D play would have driven the cost of the handheld to a point Nintendo normally doesn't sell hardware.

Still, it's interesting to see Nintendo take a backwards step on battery life, since it's normally been such a concern for the company's handhelds.

Is the Verizon iPhone Really Happening in Early 2011?

The Wall Street Journal is claiming that the Verizon iPhone is imminent. Again. They say that Apple will start mass production of a CDMA iPhone by the end of 2010, starting sales in early 2011. However, there's something weird here.

Originally, the Wall Street Journal vaguely reported this story early in the morning, but they have just updated the article explicitly stating that the Verizon iPhone is happening. However, they haven't changed a couple of points that raise a red flag.

First, the introduction date is weird. Apple always introduces their new iPhones in the middle of the year. It seems unlikely that Apple will break that yearly cycle trend, although you never know. Perhaps this new phone will be an exception.

Then, the WSJ claims that it will be a CDMA iPhone, even while Verizon's CEO Ivan Seidenberg specifically categorically told the WSJ that there will not be a CDMA iPhone in 2009. In fact, Seidenberg told the WSJ that, if the Verizon iPhone happens, it will be for theirnew 4G LTE network. Last month, Seidenberg said that the iPhone will not come in the near future.

But maybe Apple changed his mind and he just doesn't want to spoil the surprise. Perhaps the fabled Verizon iPhone will appear once and for all (hopefully, with a fixed antenna design). Perhaps the Wall Street Journal is right this time, but they really meant that the new iPhone will run on Verizon's newly deployed LTE network. Whatever it is, we will know in a few months.

Rumor: Sony Pulling Plug On PSP Dev Kits

According to a report on French site PSPGen, Sony has informed those in the relevant communities that come November 15, they won't be able to order development kits for the handheld any more. Wonder why that would be?

The news reportedly comes via a message Sony Computer Entertainment sent to PSP developers, part of which read:

SCEE will no longer be selling the PSP Development Tool (DTP-T2000A) or Testing Tool (DTP-H2500A) past November 15th. Please order in advance if you require these development units.

We will advise you when a new model becomes available.

Now, if this is correct, it could just mean that new models of the current PSP's development kits are on the way. That's one scenario. The other, of course, is that dev kits for the existing models of the PSP won't be needed when Sony begins sending out those for a new PSP.

Concept Phone Made From Copper Charges in Pockets Using a Thermogenerator

What would you sacrifice for a phone that charges by inducting heat from your body? An OS? A brand-name you can be proud of? A touchscreen? That's the question I pose to you, after spotting this concept Nokia phone.

It's been dreamed up by English designer Patrick Hyland, who envisions the phone to be made from copper and capable of drawing heat from your body (or something like an overheating laptop), converting it to energy. That's by way of a thermogenerator that's been placed in the copper E-Cu phone ("E" for environment, and "Cu" for copper, naturally).

I'm not so sure the increasing prices (and demand) for copper will ever make this phone a reality, but in the meantime it's nice to see someone use the Nokia name for good. Unlike, err, Nokia.

Intel's Leaked 25nm SSD: 600GB Storage With Four Times the Lifespan

Expected sometime either late this year or early next, Intel's third generation, 25nm process SSD should provide twice the capacity of the current model at the same price. In addition, you can expect sequential performance read/write speeds of up to 250MB/s and 170MB/s, respectively, and a total lifespan of up to 60TB. If you're still not sure why all this is exciting for a 2.5-inch SSD

LEGO Leica Camera Works, But Won't Fool Anybody

Save yourself $5k by making a Leica M8 out of LEGO for $50. It's a good way to dodge those red-dot taxes, but I'll warn you: the 3MP camera will hardly hold up to your phone, let alone a Leica.

MOCPages user Schfio Factory used a $50 LEGO camera as a base for the camera, sticking black LEGO bricks all over it until it resembled one of the most recognizable cameras in the world today. It'd make a great gift for a child who is always wanting to use Daddy's Leica, but I have a feeling that for most Daddies, this LEGO camera is more in their price-range than the real thing.

Motorola Droid Pro: It's Like a BlackBerry Impregnated by Android

The Motorola Droid Pro on Verizon isn't what we expected: It's a like a Motorola Droid, but with a BlackBerry keyboard bolted on the bottom. Or like aBlackBerry Torch that's permanently stuck open, running Android. Take your pick. Weird.

The Droid Pro's runningAndroid 2.2, and it's a world phone, so it's definitely aimed at the dissatisfied BlackBerry user looking to make a switch. More on it as we get it.

Official specs from Verizon: 3.1-inch screen, 1GHz processor, 4GB memory, 5MP camera (but only "DVD quality" video, 3G hotspot powers, DLNA compatibility. For the suits, it's got QuickOffice pre-loaded for Office docs, remote wipe and AuthenTec IPSec multi-headed VPN integration, with device and SD card encryption coming early next year.

Would These Concept Power Cables Make Your Life Easier?

Despite making almost everything we use every day of our lives work, power cables are despised, and we haven't innovated our way out of them yet. This nesting concept cable, however, aims to tame the jungle. But would it work?

The Line Block cables click and seal together like a Ziploc bag—the idea being that you can lock a whole cluster of them together into one electricity snake, rather than the rat's nest of wiring I have behind my TV right now. It looks good on paper—as many concepts do—but some are skeptical, worrying that power bricks and outlets would split up the linked wiring. Hard to say based on nothing more than a rendered image, but we salute any attempts to maintain order.

Skype Lands on Android Phones Running Eclair or Higher

It seems unfathomable that Skype didn't have an app for Android until now*, but it's true. Phones running Android 2.1 or 2.2 can download the free app now, for free Skype-to-Skype calls, IM and more.

Just like with the iPhone version, you can call over Wi-Fi or the network (3G is included), both of which work well judging by the brief play I've had with it today. It's worth noting though that Skype only works over Wi-Fi in the US.

You can instant message Skype contacts—even a whole group of 'em—and synchronize contacts with your phone book too. It's a 14.23MB download, and worth doing if you have even one contact using Skype.

The 3D Sound System With 62 Channels is the Death Star of Audio

This isn't a Death Star model to go with your AT-AT. What's lurking behind it is a clue. Have you got it? It's a sound system, only with a twist—it has 62 channels for 3D sound.

It's from the Japanese National Institute of Information and Communications Technology(NICT), a research firm which is responsible for looking after Japan's frequencies and time standards, and also tests marine radar and maritime safety systems. Amongst doing all those important deeds, they've obviously found the time to jump upon the 3D wagon, with this sound system that is the first of its kind in the world today.

With 62 channels, the sound is meant to be a full replica of the original audio, so you genuinely feel that the singer is right there in the room with you. In 3D. It's being shown off at CEATEC this week, and while it's unlikely to go on sale (especially outside of Japan) it's fascinating to see what technology is capable of. Don't stop at 62 next time, NICT.

This Is Russia's Next Space Station for Tourists

Looks like the space tourism industry is heating up. RSC Energia—the designer and manufacturer of the Russian ISS modules—is creating a new space station for tourists, scientists, and evil genius wannabes. Construction could start as soon as 2012.

No price for the tickets yet, but the station will be prepared to accept spacecraft from any manufacturer.

Sharp's New Japanese Android Phone Has a Retina Display Equivalent

Sharp's new IS03 Android handset has a 960 x 640, 3.5" screen, putting it toe to toe with the iPhone 4's super crisp Retina Display. Oh, and then there's the 9.6MP camera and the TV tuner.

The IS03 employs an Advanced Super View display in lieu of IPS for keeping things visible from all angles, and its 9.6MP camera has autofocus and image stabilization. The 1seg TV tuner and Osaifu-Keitai contactless payment system are just the icing on the cake. It'll be available on Japan's KDDI network soon, but hopefully the rest of the world will be able to feast their retinas on the display sometime in the future.

Zoom Q3HD Handy Video Recorder Shoots 1080p and Has Stereo Mics to Match

While pocket cams video quality has improved incrementally from "good enough" to really actually pretty damn good, audio quality has largely been ignored. The new Zoom Q3HD combines 1080p, 30fps video with stereo mics for the full pocket cam package.

Zoom is known for their audio recorders, and the Q3HD is a nicer-looking refresh of their Q3pocket cam. It shoots 1080p video in 30fps or 720p in 30fps or 60fps, has an HDMI port, and runs on two AA batteries.

But what sets it apart are its built-in stereo condenser mics, capturing 24-bit/96kHz audio that can hold up even if you're at a concert hoisting the thing above a mosh pit. Audio meters let you check your levels while you're recording, and gain can be switched between high and low settings or left on auto. The Q3HD will be available this fall for $299.

The Future of Cargo Transport Is a Slow UFO

The future of heavy cargo transportation looked positively eco-friendly and blimp-like earlier this summer, so it's really no surprise that Australia's Skylifter cargo blimp is making the Internet rounds this weekend.

Theoretically capable of lifting about 150 tons, this massive 500-ft prototype blimp features a flying saucer shape so that it can combat heavy winds and still deliver its cargo at a breakneck speeds (playful sarcasm) over distances of up to 1,200 miles.

Skylifter, which is also the name of the company that builds it, plans on having these airborne within the next three years.

3D Hologram App For iPhone 5

Chicken Nuggets Are Made From This Pink Goop

This is mechanically separated chicken. Chickens are turned into this goop so we can create delicious chicken nuggets and juicy chicken patties. It's obscenely gross and borderline alien but it's not going to stop me from eating nuggets. They're too good.

The process works a little something like this:


There's more: because it's crawling with bacteria, it will be washed with ammonia, soaked in it, actually. Then, because it tastes gross, it will be reflavored artificially. Then, because it is weirdly pink, it will be dyed with artificial color.

Yeah, that's just disgusting. But I can't shake my roots.

The Verizon HTC Merge Is a World Phone With a Slider Keyboard

Android Central got their hands on a new Android phone: the HTC Merge, an 800 MHz Android 2.2 phone headed to Verizon. It's a World Phone that uses HTC Sense and has a sliding keyboard similar to the T-Mobile G2.

Truthfully, the Merge isn't anything out of the ordinary. Other than having a decent looking physical keyboard, the Merge's specs—3.7" screen, 800MHz processor, 5-megapixel camera, 720p video—seem to be in line with the average Android phone. On the software side, it's running HTC Sense and because it's on Verizon, it uses Bing for search. I'd be smitten with this device if I loved Sense and needed a physical keyboard, though.

It's sort of amazing how many Android devices Verizon has and continues to put out, you'd think they'd be overlapping each other by now. But unlike the other phones, the Merge can be geared towards world travelers since it comes with a rest of the Earth-friendly SIM card slot. As the Merge hasn't even been announced yet, there's no release date or price point set.

16 Year Old Internet Addict Beaten to Death in Chinese Boot Camp

After refusing a direct order, 16 year old Chen Shi was beaten to death at a boot camp for troubled youth in China. And it's not the first time this has happened to teenage internet addicts.

A day at a typical Chinese internet addiction boot camp begins with a 6:20am wake up call and morning exercises. The day continues with a strict regiment of military drills, lectures, martial arts training, and sessions with psychologists. Lights out is at 9:30 sharp. Some boot camps employ the use of electric shock treatment, while others, like the Beiteng School in Changsha that Shi unfortunately attended, enjoy beating their students with a plastic pipe, a wooden baton, and handcuffs. And parents pay thousands of dollars for this.

Internet addiction among Chinese youth is a bit of an epidemic—1 in 10 teenage internet users are estimated to suffer from the problem. US internet addiction rates run at 3-8% for the entire population (which, apparently, is mostly comprised of our Giz readership).

Shi's mother had initially been informed that he was in critical condition after "possibly" suffering from a sunstroke. He had been enrolled in the program due to his fear of hardship, weak willpower, and lack of self-confidence. It seems that a change in attitude, an increase in parent-child interaction, and some harsh regulations are in order to prevent more such deaths from occurring in the future.

Sh*t Talkin

AT&T Selling Windows Phone 7 Devices Nov. 8th?

The WSJ reports that you'll be able to get your hands on a Windows Phone 7 device in the US the week of November 8th. That's a month after WP7's official unveiling, and weeks after the rumored European launch.

As for hardware, AT&T will feature offerings from Samsung, LG, and HTC from day one.

Those of you on Verizon and Sprint wondering when your WP7 devices are rolling through are going to have to sit tight; Microsoft's not pursuing a CDMA version of the phone until next year. And those of you on AT&T wondering why—apparently—Europe gets first digs? Well, chalk that up to life's unremitting unfairness, I guess.

Facebook's Rolling Out High-Resolution Photo Sharing

As big fans of photo-sharing site Flickr, one of the most frustrating things about the popularity of photo sharing on social-networking site Facebook has always been the relatively terrible quality of Facebook's highly compressed photos. Starting today, that's changing.

Over the next few weeks, Facebook will be rolling out support for high-res pictures for free to every user:

We're increasing the size of the photos stored from 720 pixels to 2048 pixels on the largest edge, for an 8 times increase overall. I'm really excited to be launching this feature. To see the quality of these pictures, you can view National Geographic's "Top-Rated Your Shot Photos (September)" album or Sports Illustrated's "Football Across America" album. Download high-resolution photos by clicking the "Download" link.

They're also updating their photo viewer with a new lightbox interface (think Flickr's new galleries—dark background with the image popping out in the forefront). Chances are you're not seeing any of the updates in your account yet, but the rollout starts today, so if you aren't, you can expect it in the near future.

A Gift For The Sexy Geek In All Of Us

Play chess, or masturbate? We love both activities so much, sometimes we just can't choose. Thankfully, with Kiki de Montparnasse's vibrator chess set, we can have both at the same time...we just have to find $7k to buy it.

This May Very Well Be the First New Earth

You are looking at what could be the fourth planet on the Gliese 581 star system, 20.3 light years from Earth. If the NASA artist rendition looks very much like our Earth... it's because it is similar to Earth.

Gliese 581 is a red dwarf star. A starship traveling at near the speed of light would only take 20.3 years to get there, which is not that much. Until now, astronomers had discovered five planets around this star. Some of them were too close to it, making them too hot to be habitable. Others were too far and too cold. But now, a sixth planet has been discovered right on the "habitable zone", the fourth in distance from the star: Gliese 581g.

If the discoveries from the planet hunters at University of California Santa Cruz and the Carnegie Institution of Washington are right, Gliese 581g could be habitable.

Now, before you jump into the Enterprise and go there camping, roast some marshmallows, and get back leaving a lot of beer bottles and crap behind, being potentially habitable doesn't mean that we can just go there and thrive. It doesn't even mean that this planet is full of little green men or buxom big blue women. It just means that this is a planet that could sustain life, with liquid water and an atmosphere.

Gliese 581g has three to four times the mass of Earth, orbiting the star at an zippy 37 days. According to data gathered by the Keck I Telescope HIRES spectrometer, it's a rocky planet with a "solid surface and enough gravity to hold to an atmosphere."

More importantly, according to Steven Vogt, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz, not only their "findings offer a very compelling case for a potentially habitable planet" but "the fact that we were able to detect this planet so quickly and so nearby tells us that planets like this must be really common."

In other words, the chances of the Universe being bubbling with life of all kinds and forms just jumped beyond our most optimistic hopes.

OMG U R NOT SERIOUS: Justin Bieber Gets His Own Headphone Line

Dr. Dre, what hath ye done? As if 3% of Twitter's racks weren't enough, tween demigod Justin Bieber can now lay claim to his own headphone line—part of the Beats by Dre series of audio gear. Totes adorbs!

The JustBeats series (geeee-eeet it?) is available in earbud or cans form—but only in purple, Justin's fave color! The press release for the phones, clearly written by someone with a strong sense of irony, laments that young music fans have "never been exposed to high-quality sound." Yes, and Justin Bieber will be the solution to this social ill. We only hope they fit snugly enough for Segway getaways.

What Facebook and Skype Integration Would Mean For You

Facebook and Skype integration! That's the rumor. But beyond the intermingling of two major tech companies, the important question is: how's this going to affect you?

Video Chat With Facebook Friends From Skype

Just to be clear: this wouldn't mean that you'd be able to Skype video chat through Facebook. Not yet, anyway. Instead, when this supposedly goes live in a few weeks with Skype 5.0, you'd be able to connect with your Facebook friends list through Skype. Still pretty handy! And in-browser video chat is apparently seen as a "logical progression" to the partnership, meaning it could well happen down the line.

And Text Them, Too!

According to the WSJ, the deal would also include SMS, which definitely wouldn't get annoying after a while.

Facebook Phone's Own FaceTime?

Facebook denies that they've got a phone in the works—much less two—but that's a product that would definitely benefit from deep Skype integration. Skype's currently only available on Verizon phone.

A Google Voice Alternative

Specifically, an alternative to making calls in Gmail. That's not to say that a Facebook/Skype VoIP solution would be better, necessarily. But if you for some reason want to break free of big G, or don't have a Google account to begin with, you'd have a viable alternative. Choice is good!

You'll Actually Use Skype

As wonderful as Skype is, less than a quarter of its 560 million members are active. When they add what's arguably your most comprehensive Rolodex—your list of Facebook friends—you might be tempted to actually use other parts of the service once in a while. And eventually maybe even cut that cellphone voice plan loose.

Insulate Your Brain and Body in This Sealed Off Mini-Room

If you're unfortunate enough to live in a region cursed with bitter winters (I know I am!), you know the pain of keeping your pad heated. One solution? Build an insulated room within a room to stay focused and toasty.

German architectural firm Davidson Rafailidis created this prototype, constructed out of plastic and wood, that hooks up directly to a window for both light and warmth. Probably not a great space for the claustrophobes out there, but might make for an excellent place to get some work done without having to put on a sweater. Or hide some bodies. Y'know, whatever's your thing.

Rent the Balancing Barn at Your Own Peril

Architects took on gravity and won, and now daredevils can pay almost $300 a night to stay in the "balancing barn," where 50 per cent of the building dangles precariously off a slope.

Thankfully it doesn't appear that a swing was built-in under the barn as the concept pictures suggested last year. Everything else about the Suffolk, England-located barn however matches up perfectly—albeit, scarily. The website describes the house as being "clad in elegant silver tiles," however I'd watch out on a sunny day if I were you—they look capable of reflecting some mean sunlight.

Construction has just been completed, and already the website is taking online bookings from next month. Stays of four nights cost £725 ($1,150), which works out to a little below $300 a night for the eight person-sleeper. I'd suggest packing a first aid kit just in case.

Fanboys, Time to Get Your Very Own 8-Bit Steve Jobs Bust

Come on. You know you want it. I dare you. It's only a fraction of the price of your spankylala Macbook Pro. And unlike your iPhone 4, you can hold it and caress it in any way you want.

Not only is it Jobs' bella figura, but it will be digitally created for you, on demand, using Shapeways' 3D manufacturing machines. I tell you, $128 for spending the rest of your life watched by his Steveness? That's nothing.

Video Box Battle Royale: Who Should Be Your TV's New Best Friend?

With new offerings from Roku and Apple, and the grand impending entrance of Google TV, the crowd of little plastic boxes that all want to stream your video is getting packed. And confusing. But we're here to help you compare.

While you know an MP3 player will play MP3s, and a DVD player will do its thing, the new breed of boxes don't wear their functionality on their sleeve. Set-top boxes, media boxes—we know they're boxes, yes, but what's inside? What are these boxes going to do for you? Some want to make renting movies a cinch, some want to help you stream the movies you already have—and some seem like they want to try to do it all. So take a look below, and see what matters most to you.

It might feel like comparing apples to oranges to turkey legs, but every device listed on the plate wants to help replace your TV.

Magnets Could Turn You From a Rightie to a Leftie

I don't know why you'd want to be a leftie, but at least we know the choice is out there if now. The magic causing the change of dexterity is called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, and is specifically intended for right-handers.

When magnets are applied to a specific part of the brain (the posterior parietal cortex region, which is involved with planning physical movements), researchers at the University of California Berkeley found that their 33 right-handed guinea pig volunteers started favoring their left hands for smaller tasks instead.

While people weren't beginning to write with their left hands, they did find that they started picking stuff up with their other hand, or pressing an elevator button.

The potential here is obviously vast, and I'm not just talking about which hand we use. Imagine if magnets could make us favor healthy food over fattier food? Earlier mornings instead of long lie-ins? I can almost see horror movies being planned using unauthorized TMS technology, that's how big this could get.

Still, it's only early days for the team in California, but I doubt I'm the only one who's on the edge of their seats over this one.

Ultimate Tablet Showdown: iPad vs. PlayBook vs. Galaxy Tab vs. Slate

The iPad's finally got some competition; in the past few weeks, the HP Slate made a brief appearance, the Samsung Galaxy Tab debuted, and just BlackBerry unveiled its business-minded PlayBook today. Here's how they all measure up:

It should be noted that there are still some things we don't know about the PlayBook, and the HP Slate specs are taken from a leaked internal document that hasn't yet been officially confirmed.

Still, the battlefield's a lot more clearly defined than it was when we first compared tablets—both real and rumored—back in January. And as its rivals catch up, the iPad's looking increasingly outgunned.

That's just on the hardware side, though. Apple's still got three major advantages that opponents haven't made up much space on: iOS, the App Store, and a huge head start. It's going to take more than a pair of HD cameras to overcome that.

Deceptively Packed Dalcans Lollypop Cabinet Boasts Hidden AV Goodies

The simple lines of the Dalcans high-end "Lollypop" unit hide a host of features one would not readily associate with an AV cabinet. For instance, it smells.

Yes, smells. As in fragrance. Inside the cabinet, you see, are four diffuser capsules. If you're wondering why such soothing scents would need to be emanating from your television set, you obviously did not see Steve Buscemi's sex scene in last week's Boardwalk Empire pilot on HBO.

With a starting price of $38,629 it's certainly not Glade scented candles we're talking about, of course, but in any event here's a laundry list of the other items Dalcans has crammed into their minimalist cabinet (in case you're looking):


42" HD LED TV with mirror screen
Crestron amplifier
iPod dock
Odyssée acoustic speakers (2×200W)
Four HDMI ports
mini jack stereo + VGA
USB
network connectivity (Ethernet and wifi)

The price above is for the basic "classic" version, if one could seriously consider the price of a low-level luxury car "basic." An "automated" version sells for $51,117 and may very well control space and time for all the explanation they give about what the hell "automated" means.

Segway Company Owner Dies After Driving Segway Off Cliff

Just like the countless innovators, explorers and fine people killed in a Frankensteinian way by their own inventions, the current owner of Segway—not Dean Kamen—died yesterday after he rode off a cliff and into a river in England.

Jimi Heselden, aged 62, was found at 11.40am yesterday by the River Wharfe in North Yorkshire, with his X2 Adventure (pictured) by his side. Police believe that it was just a freak accident, with nothing suspicious about the man worth $262m falling to his death.

It's particularly poignant as his company had only just purchased the Segway company in December 2009. He sounded like a really nice guy according to reports, a chap who left school at 15 to work in the mines, but was fortunate enough to develop some interesting-sounding defense systems which made him millions.

He was one of those rare philanthropists who had given away millions to charity but didn't like to talk about it—at least £23m ($36m) in the last few years alone, it's thought.

Titanium Foam Builds Wolverine Bones

Eat your heart out, Wolverine. The X-Men superhero won't be the only one with metal fused into his skeleton if a new titanium foam proves suitable for replacing and strengthening damaged bones.

Bone implants are typically made of solid metal – usually titanium. Though well tolerated by the body, such implants are significantly stiffer than bone.

This means that an implant may end up carrying a far higher load than the bone it is placed next to, according to Peter Quadbeck of the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials Research in Dresden, Germany. In a worst-case scenario, the decrease in stress placed on the bone means it will deteriorate, while the implant loosens and needs to be replaced.

Spongy inspiration

Now Quadbeck and colleagues have created a titanium implant with a foam-like structure, inspired by the spongy nature of bone. The titanium foam does a better job than solid metal when it comes to matching the mechanical properties of bone, such as flexibility, and this encourages more effective bone regrowth.

What's more, the foam is porous, so the bone can grow around and within it, truly integrating the implant with the skeleton.

The titanium foam is made by saturating polyurethane foam with a solution of titanium powder and binding agents. The titanium clings to the polyurethane matrix, which is then vaporised away along with the binding agents. This results in a titanium lattice which is finally heat-treated to harden it.

Though the foam has yet to be approved for use in humans, Quadbeck and colleagues are now working with physicians to explore its suitability for treating certain injuries.

Peter Lee of the Department of Materials at Imperial College London is impressed. He says there are applications where inserting one of these titanium foams "looks like the most promising solution", such as bridging long gaps between broken bones.

Yuyuan Zhao, a materials engineer at the University of Liverpool, UK, adds that "if human bone isn't good enough, an implant could give your body better performance" than leaving bone to heal naturally or using other types of implant.

The Bra That Doubles as a Gas Mask Is Now For Sale

 It's the lovely brassiere that can save lives. How? When the bra is removed, the cup of the bra can be worn as a gas mask. I'm not joking. It's now available, here's how it works:

See, you take off the bra in event of emergency and then separate the cups from each other. After that, place your mouth and nose into the cup's interior and extend the bra strap over your head. Lastly, breathe normally. The peace of mind of wearing a bra that's ready for gas bombs will cost you $30.