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Blockbuster Online

Blockbuster Online Having Mailing Issues As Well?

We just received a tip from reader Michael that Blockbuster online has been having shipping issues with their movies as well. Netflix's recent outage was settled in about three days, but Michael's problem has been ongoing for the last four business days. When he called a customer service rep, they said Blockbuster's shipping center were having an "allocation issue", and many other customers have been complaining. More »

7:03 PM on Thu Aug 21 2008
By Jason Chen
166 views, 2 comments

Guitar hero: world tour

Mystery Guitar Hero: World Tour Peripheral Just for Studio Mode

G4 says they've got a scoop on a Guitar Hero: World Tour peripheral that hasn't been announced yet, one that's just for the game's studio mode to help you make music. It's not for the game mode at all, apparently. We're kind of thinkin' accordion, but G4 guesses it'll be a keyboard. Another option is something like Beatmania's turntable/keyboard controller, or this fine musical instrument. [G4]

7:00 PM on Thu Aug 21 2008
By matt buchanan
142 views, 4 comments

Home phone overkill

Hands On With OpenPeak's Atom-Powered Home Media Phone

Slotting an Atom into a home phone just sounds plain ridiculous, but the Home Media Phone is more than just a VoIP handset and base station. The base station (which doubles as a speaker phone) has its own software platform, developed in flash and furnished with a full API, and serves many purposes of a PC in a picture frame-sized package. The current set of apps is adequate, but after using it for a few minutes it became very clear that the Home Media Phone could actually be a fantastic net appliance.
More »

6:40 PM on Thu Aug 21 2008
By John Herrman
783 views, 5 comments

obamamama2.jpg Politics

Announce Fake Obama Running Mate with Text Messages

Barack Obama is set to notify his subscribed fans supporters via text message when he selects a vice-presidential candidate. Verizon's website lets you send a free text message to anyone on their network, so use Obama's short code (62262) and announce the running mate of your choice. The picture above, unfortunately for followers of His Steveness, is only real in our hearts. McCain, of course, is set to notify Republicans via carrier pigeon. [Wonkette]

6:20 PM on Thu Aug 21 2008
By Dan Nosowitz
1,073 views, 18 comments

Coffee calligraphy

Writing Spoon Turns Your Coffee Into Ink

Admit it, you like those inexpensive restaurants where they use paper tablecloths and servers write their names upside down with crayons. Why? Because you love to doodle (and you love crayons). If only you could combine your passion for food and drink with your passion for doodling in one simple device. Enter the Writing Spoon by Spanish artist, Julie Mariscal. It incorporates a makeshift fountain pen into the spoon, making it possible to use things like coffee or soup as ink. You can pick one up on her website for around $31, which is a hell of a lot cheaper than it would be to get your own Gizuccino-making machine. [Julie Mariscal via Trend Hunter via Coolest Gadgets]

6:00 PM on Thu Aug 21 2008
By Sean Fallon
482 views, 16 comments

Death Race

Death Race: Filmed by Running Cameras Over

In an era when most stunt-driven blockbusters are really half cartoon, Death Race's director Paul W.S. Anderson insisted on keeping the action real. The shooting philosophy was something along the lines of, "why blow up a fake car when you can blow up a real one?" So the movie features of ton of real cars packed with real armor plating and real machine guns really crashing. And during an interview with io9, Anderson revealed how he rammed these monster cars into cameras without smashing his film equipment into tiny bits. More »

5:40 PM on Thu Aug 21 2008
By Mark Wilson
4,086 views, 22 comments

apple vs microsoft

Microsoft's Seinfeld Ads Considered Other Stars Like Colbert, Sarah Silverman, McConaughey and the Late Bernie Mac

Earlier today we learned that Microsoft is planning a $300 million advertising campaign starring Jerry Seinfeld in an attempt to counter the success that Apple has had with their PC vs Mac ads. However, according to FBLA, Microsoft may not stop with Seinfeld. Rumor has it that stars like Sarah Silverman, Willie Nelson, Travis Pastrana, Matthew McConaughey, Ralph Nader, Rob Corddry, Stephen Colbert and even the late Bernie Mac were/are being considered for the ad. Again, it's just a rumor, but this approach worked for the Bill Gates retirement video didn't it? [Yeah, no Bernie Mac for obvious reasons. - BL] [FBLA via Gawker]

5:30 PM on Thu Aug 21 2008
By Sean Fallon
1,242 views, 28 comments

iTunes

iTunes Blocked in China Over Free Tibet Album?

Over 60 comments on one Apple forum thread relate to problems downloading music from iTunes in China, and now it's believed that China has blocked access to Apple's store altogether. Apparently there's some correlation with the restricted access and the release of a pro-Tibet album by The Art of Peace Foundation, "Songs for Tibet." More »

5:20 PM on Thu Aug 21 2008
By Mark Wilson
884 views, 19 comments

Question of the Day

Question of the Day: Would You Prefer a Bidet Over a Regular Toilet Setup?

For some reason, bidets have yet to catch on in a big way here in the States. It can be expensive, it takes up space and it may have an effeminate vibe to it, but let me tell you—there ain't nothin' wrong with a good butt washing now and then. Besides, billions of foreigners love it—they can't all be wrong. But what about you? Would you / do you prefer a bidet over a regular toilet? More »

5:00 PM on Thu Aug 21 2008
By Sean Fallon
7,611 views, 110 comments

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4:54 PM on Thu Aug 21 2008

Deals

Dealzmodo: Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007 For Students Only $60

Student editions of Microsoft Office have always been cheap—price it too high and all but the most Boy Scoutish of college kids will pirate it—but now their $60 Ultimate version has PowerPoint and Access tacked on. The pack comes with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, Publisher, OneNote, Groove and InfoPath, but most college students we know only really use Word, Excel and PowerPoint with a little Outlook thrown in if they haven't discovered any other alternative. This is Office 2007, so Mac users (which supposedly more and more college kids call themselves) are left out. [Microsoft]

4:40 PM on Thu Aug 21 2008
By Jason Chen
3,301 views, 28 comments

Nintendo Wii

Samba de Amigo Wii Maracas Spotted on Amazon: Red, Fiesty, $15

One the games we've been waiting for on the Wii since it was announced eons ago is Samba de Amigo, the revival of the Dreamcast classic. Amazon has posted the first live shots of the maracas attachments for the Wiimote and nunchuck, which are spicy red, just like the ones on the Dreamcast, pre-selling them for $15 with a Sept. 23 release. If you're getting the game, you should definitely pick up an extra pair for some multiplayer action. [Amazon via Wii Fanboy]

4:20 PM on Thu Aug 21 2008
By matt buchanan
670 views, 7 comments

intel classmate

Hands On With Intel Classmate Tablet: So Far Just a Touchy, Double-Jointed Netbook

When news of the Classmate tablet broke yesterday, it was hard to know what to think. In terms of specs, the devices is a far sight better that the Classmate 2.0, but aside from the new tablet form factor, the diminutive netbook didn't seem to include any truly innovative new features. During the Intel Developer Forum today I got to fold around with the new Classmate, and my suspicions were confirmed: barring a late-stage killer feature, this iteration of Intel's OLPC killer will be sort of lame. More »

4:10 PM on Thu Aug 21 2008
By John Herrman
705 views, 10 comments

Roundups

Man Stuff - The Best of Uncrate

This week at Uncrate: We get the drinks ready with the Gas Powered Party Blender, colorize the office with some Pantone Coffee Mugs, and prepare ourselves for 10K of running in the Nike+ Human Race. We also ditch our happy ending-loving masseuse for the Dry Water Jet Massager, maximize our space with the Convertible Compact Desk, and take a tour of the new J.Crew Tribeca Men's Shop. Finally, we stay alert with Buzz Strong's Caffeinated Cookies, hit the road in the 2010 Cadillac SRX, and enjoy some vintage babes with Playboy Cover to Cover: The 50's.

4:01 PM on Thu Aug 21 2008
By Jason Chen
474 views, Comment

Landline iphone

The OpenFrame Home Phone iPhone Clone

The team at OpenPeak is hoping to spice up the outdated landline phone by "borrowing" the entire iPhone concept and repackaging it as a feature-rich communication hub for the home. Initially, the "OpenFrame" will include core touchscreen apps like calendar, news, weather, etc., and it doubles as a digital photo frame and an internet radio. Beyond that, the idea is to get developers interested in creating third party apps—just like the iPhone. The device is expected to be sold through telcos like Verizon and AT&T for between $200 and $300 sometime in early 2009, but I say just pick up an iPhone and stop wasting money on landlines altogether. [OpenPeak via Wired Gadget Lab]

4:00 PM on Thu Aug 21 2008
By Sean Fallon
1,753 views, 20 comments

iPhone Apps

Snapture 2.0 Further Improves iPhone's Camera

Snapture's one-upped their third-party jailbreak iPhone camera suite with Snapture 2.0, which brings multi-touch gesture zoom, cleaner user interface a delay timer and four color modes. You can also now delete pictures on the "viewfinder" which is nice, or go slightly more advanced with the self-timer and the ability to shut off rotation. It's free as long as you jailbreak your iPhone, but $7.99 if you want the premium version without ads and with QuickView delete/thumbnail stack/thumbnail enlarge. [Snapture]

3:59 PM on Thu Aug 21 2008
By Jason Chen
1,762 views, 10 comments

Dot Matrix

Dot Matrix Wallet Smears Fashion All Over Your Sweaty Pocket

We're not going to spend all day explaining why this dot matrix wallet is the best thing we've ever seen. If you don't know, then you are without joy in your life. And there's simply nothing we can do about it. However, as for its downsides, we're pretty sure there's not room for both your Visa and Diner's Club cards inside. So you'll have pare down a bit. Oh, and unlike other cult-y homemade-looking geek paraphernalia, this wallet is actually for sale for $17. [fredflare via UberReview]

3:40 PM on Thu Aug 21 2008
By Mark Wilson
2,614 views, 15 comments

Review

Lightning Review: Duracell's LED Daylite Flashlight

The Gadget: Duracell's new Daylite series of flashlights turn night into day using proprietary TrueBeam technology that they claim captures and projects up to 100 percent of the light—making for a brighter, whiter beam. It comes in three varieties: AA/AAA (80 lumens each) and CR123 (160 lumens). More »

3:20 PM on Thu Aug 21 2008
By Sean Fallon
8,772 views, 51 comments

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