You know, guys aren’t the only gadget buffs out there. Girls love to read about gadgets that cater to them as well. I’m not saying all girls love Hello Kitty/Sanrio either; my friend kicked my ass the other day in Gears of War but still has a Badtz Maru doll.
So today Spectra introduced the KT4560 Hello Kitty iPod Clock Radio. This cutie-patootie iPod dock comes with built-in controls, video out, AM/FM radio, an iPod dock, and an auxillary jack in case you suck and don’t have an iPod. The dock even features a cute sleeping Kitty on top. No word on pricing, availability, or exact level of cuteness
Spectra intros Hello Kitty iPod clock radio [Electronista]
Why bother playing covers of Quadrophenia on a regular amp when you can kick it 1950’s style? These toaster amps from Hottie Amps come with a hella-sweet paint job and crank out tunes from any instrument with a 1/4” jack (though a guitar is preffered.) They’re pretty basic and are more of a novelty item/practice amp rather than a serious piece of equipment, but they do come with a line-out jack so you can practice in private with headphones.
Just think: You, a toaster, your axe, and a Rush mixtape from 1983. Pick one up for $149 and you’ll be the toast of the town!
Official Hottie Amps Website [via Sci-Fi Blog]
Because apparently Kevin Costner did when he chose to do this stupid commercial. It’s funny to reflect back at commercials from tech companies that try to appeal so softly to others. Listen to that cheesy background music and narration! This shit wouldn’t stand a chance on TV today.
Oh, and Apple Lisa: You rock.
Holidays are over and CES is almost here. So what does that mean? It means only a miniscule amount of news is going to be released until the second week of January. But fear not. I shall be scouring the web for cool, odd gadgets, gear-related videos, and things that fall into he category of “kick-assery.”
So enjoy the posts. I hope they keep you entertained, happy, and coming back for more. If you want to talk to me and send me some tips to post, feel free to contact me on AIM:
Screen name: hardhouse0
Meet my new day bag. The Python XM from booq. You might remember its special edition sister the Bianco from a few days ago. Both versions are identical in terms of functionality, but one comes in black while the other comes in a dubious white. The bag is all sorts of stylish and a versatile packer to boot. It’s designed specifically for use with Apple portables, but other laptops could be crammed in its pocket with zero effort.
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Ziff Davis’ Two Units Being Hawked by Lehman; Enterprise Division Status Unclear [PaidContent]
In this era of 60-hour video games and Cell processors, it’s easy to forget a small band of dedicated geeks who kept us from touching ourselves too much in high school. People like Richard Garriott created computerized worlds that not only paved the way for games like World of Warcraft and Custer’s Revenge but singlehandedly built the computer gaming industry into the cultural and economic behemoth it is today. Say all you want about Doom and Quake, friends. Akalabeth was the real grandaddy of gaming.
The History of Computer Role-Playing Games Part I: The Early Years (1980-1983) [ArmchairArcade]
Chess player Umakant Sharma has been banned playing in All India Chess Federation tournaments after judges discovered a Bluetooth headset sewn into his cap. A friend had been playing a computerized simulation of his games and relaying moves via the headset.
Sharma has been banned from competition for 10 years. Judges discovered the headset during a random sweep during a December 4 tournament.
Chess Player Banned 10 Years For Cheating With Bluetooth, Computer [InformationWeek]
Noka is some sort of expensive chocolate brand that costs about $2,080 per pound, a considerable investment for something that your body will eventually process into solid waste. DallasFood, a local food blog, decided to take a closer look at the vaunted brand and discovered that a) they do no make or source their own cocoa and b) they’re probably not as good as they claim.
Remember, however, that taste is a very subjective thing. If you put a hunk of chocolate in a fancy steel box and another piece of the same choco in a box labeled “Bird Poop and Incidental Chocolate,” your brain will automatically prefer the fancy brand. I know it’s a bit off topic, but I know you guys like chocolate, so head over and read the thread.
Incidentally, this sort of chicanery happens in many high-end industries including watches, cigars and, of course, technology. If you knew who made your Sony plasma, you’d probably pee yourself.
What’s Noka Worth? [DallasFood via BoingBoing]
Apparently — and I suppose we could check but who really cares? — Microsoft thought the "review process" would be a good way to seed some good will about Vista and they didn't really expect them back. Microsoft did a similar deal with the Zune, "giving" one away and asking for one back and they, by no stretch of the imagination, are the first or last company to give out tech to undeserving hacks. They just forgot that bloggers are usually whiny punks.
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I dugg up some information that HD-DVD encryption has been cracked. Not much is known but here are three links you’ll need to know if you want to try backing up HD-DVDs (how sweet, right?)
Link 1: Doom 9 Forum Thread
Link 2: Youtube video showing “proof”
Link 3: The Program in .zip
So if you have an HD-DVD drive in your computer, get on this and start making scene releases of HD-DVD movies!
Ever been in a meeting with a PR guy and you hate his guts so bad you wish you could just shoot him? Well now you can, but it won’t lethally injure him. The site OfficeGuns has been brought to our attention and it’s pretty much the greatest wealth of information available for those of you in an office. Learn the tricks of the trade, how to build weapons from basic supplies, and how to survive attacks from other cubicle-commandos.
Seriously. These office supply weapons rule. My favorite is the Double Maul.
Official Site [via Digg]
So it seems a lot of people got iTunes Music Store giftcards for the holidays. I’ll even bet my money that little Johnny down the street got that iPod he asked for too! So with all this hoopla of Apple-ness going around, iTunes sales skyrocketed and people logged on to iTMS to purchase songs. Visits were up a whopping 413% compared to last year’s Xmas. Anyone who wants to start beef with Apple’s numbers better step up to the plate and bring it!!
iTunes visits surge 413% on Christmas Day
 and leave it in the comments of this story. The winner will be judged on New Year’s Day, and will be notified via email that he or she has won (so remember to leave your email in your comment, sparky).</p>
<p>Good luck with your porn!</p>
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, the raised edges in the plastic vibrate through your chosen medium enough to express a week “congratulations!”</p>
<p>Double-you tee eff. Cool or creepy? You decide. Sadly, you cannot record your own audio onto the tapes at this point, but if they figure out a way to do that, we’ll give it our thumbs up.</p>
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Talking Tape [Grand Illusion]
Cicuit Board Luggage Tags [CyberGuys, via 
But that didn’t stop me from finding a winner for day three of our Holiday SPECTACULAR. He is the now the proud owner of both a pair of Ultimate Ears super.fi Studio 3 headphones and an ifrogz gift card worth $36. . It's electric, so you don't have to flail your arms wildly during the sharpening process. And it can be yours for just $30. </p>
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Presto EverSharp Electric Knife Sharpener [via 
