DIY LED Bug Eye Goggles

There are many characteristics and traits that various animals in the animal kingdom possess that we humans dream of having for ourselves. When I was kid, for whatever reason I always wanted a tail. After that fad, wings and flying were the next animal fascination of mine. To this day I still think it would be pretty darn cool to take a quick lap around town…five thousand feet up to freshen up a bit. Besides flight, eyesight usually comes up in sought after animal traits. Though usually it pertains to “eagle eyes” in which one could see great distances. Rarely if I ever have I ever heard anyone say: “Boy I sure do wish I had eyes like a fly”. Besides having terrible eyesight….why? Forget such deep questions and just focus on good ‘ol geeky goodness. The fine nerds over at Indestructibles have come out with a DIY to make LED Bug Eyed Goggles. While you can’t actually see out of them, a trivial circumstance, they sure do look cool and are sure to make people do at least one double take when they see you. If you’re feeling mighty geeked and adventurous, give Indestructibles a few minutes of your time.

Source: Geeky-Gadgets, Gizmodo, Make

Another “harmed” musician lashes out against RIAA-Thomas ruling

Somehow I don’t think this is exactly what the RIAA envisioned in regards to an “open arms welcome” by musicians and record labels alike when the Thomas ruling was given. Granted, while music labels are more than perfectly fine charging convicted individuals unconstitutionally large sums of money, more and more of the very core of their entire case, music artists, couldn’t be more disgusted. Yesterday it was Moby calling for the disbandment of the RIAA, today it is Richard Marx has something to say. Now before you start laughing, while Richard Marx doesn’t exactly portray the image of a tech junkie who fights for the digital rights of all, his newly acquired voice is one that is surely welcome. While his voice alone doesn’t hold any legal substance and won’t cause any different outcome in any trial regarding copyright quarrels, what he has to say is enough to make your ears perk up and your attention span hone in on his core message: Suing people enormous amounts of money just to “make an example” is disgusting and stupid and will only push more people to the practice. Of course, Mr. Marx said it in a few more eloquent words…

Outlook 2010 sucks…and it hasn’t even been released yet…[Fail Whale sighting]

Many of you whom are proficient in web standards, or at least know what they are, know that the last year or so has been full of hype by various browser development teams as to the speed and ability to adhere to web standards know that Microsoft and their ugly step child, Internet Explorer are usually at the bottom of the totem pole. Shifting to a slightly different market, Outlook has been one of Microsoft’s greatest achievements in terms of email application marketshare as corporations worldwide have latched on the now standard application. However, just because it’s popular doesn’t mean it’s the best. Similarly, the new version of office in development, Outlook 2010, shouldn’t be automatically considered better than previous iterations — because it isn’t. Am I saying that Microsoft is going backwards with a new product?

Defy all common sense and scientific laws: Windows 7 Ultimate on a Pentium II

*Chuckles*. Yes folks, some one has done it. Just when you thought you couldn’t get any more bored/adventurous, someone like PC enthusiast Hackerman1 comes along and does something crazy like putting Windows 7 on a Pentium II computer. Why? Well why not? Just to prove he can of course! As far as basic specs go, underpowered is a gross understatement. A 266MHz processor, 96MB of RAM, and 4MB graphics card round out the much too old spec sheet. Obviously such measly hardware earns nothing but a solitary UNO for the Windows Experience. It’s safe to say that he won’t be enjoying Aero anytime soon. Not content with his current feat, Mr. Hackerman1 plans on trying out his luck with an old 166MHz Pentium I machine. God rest his soul. Godspeed Hackerman1.

Source: Technabob, Maximum PC, The Windows Club

Comcast and Time Warner doing anti-trust tango

If you have ever spent a few billing periods with either company, you know how expensive their entertainment packages can be. In some areas, you don’t even have a choice as Comcast has either paid someone to be the exclusive provider in that area (apartments), or other providers simply haven’t made it there yet. Still, in the year 2009 one would like to think that competition in on the uptick, especially with the economy so low. Why with the economy in the gutter and the assumed competition, the consumer should be saving a boat load right? Not to mention, with the growth of the internet, almost unlimited amounts of new technologies and services are just waiting to be discovered. The only problem is, the industry doesn’t want to discover. They want to recapture the monopolistic past.

Blast off with a low profile, uber geeky Rocket Board

Perhaps one of the greatest accomplishments of any geek anywhere is that of the home experiment or mashup if you will. Taking two seemingly objects that absolutely no relation to one another and then somehow combining them often makes for rather unique creations. Case in point: the Rocket Board. The Rocket Board may not feature a real rocket, but that doesn’t take from the coolness factor. Instead, it uses a 3.7 HP model airplane motor attached nice and tight to a narrow skateboard to keep things interesting. Leave it up to the geeks in life to truly revolutionize. Are you tempted to try it out now?

Source: Dvice, Make, Crazy Builders

Palm more consumer/jailbreak friendly?

While Apple has time and time again negatively talked about jailbreaking, even going as far as to saying that it is illegal, Palm it seems is taking a different approach. A recent statement from Palm says:

“We recognize that some developers will experiment in ways that cross official boundaries, but we believe that our formal offerings – and community efforts built around those offerings – will provide the best experience for the vast majority of webOS developers and users.”

That isn’t too hard to decipher and at least to me comes across as “Ya, it’s cool”. What’s your interpretation? This is one of the best stances and policies Palm could have towards hackers and “outside” developers. By not alienating these individuals who will truly be the innovative force behind the Pre, Palm can actually surpass Apple in this respect by allowing jailbreaking and not actively trying to cut it off. +1 for Palm.

Source: Gadget Venue