Hey is that a life size LEGO replica of Hans Solo frozen in carbonite? Indeed it is! There are some other pretty cool photos, including MC Escher’s “Relativity,” a 14-foot long Stegosaurus, a gigantic Loch Ness Monster partially submerged in a lake, and an even more gigantic aircraft carrier. Enjoy! Awesome Lego creations [srsly cool] via Digg → Read More
Linux, to me, is like all the girls in college when you’re still dating a girl from back home. Free, good looking, easy to use, and with a lot of cool, unique features and abilities. After a while, though, you end up missing what’s familiar to you so you head back to what’s comfortable even though it’s expensive, unstable, and needs constant tweaking to keep things running smoothly. I don’t have the patience to go through a full install of Ubuntu but I also don’t think that running the Live CD does the operating system justice. If only there were an easy-to-use Windows installer that didn’t "require you to modify the partitions of your PC or to use a different bootloader." Enter Wubi. → Read More
Geoff Evila recently awoke from a 4-month coma and realized that he’d missed camping out for the launch of the iPhone. His buddy Steve dropped by the Chandler, Arizona Apple Store and relayed Geoff’s story of an almost-deadly car crash turned 4-month coma and convinced the store’s employees to do their best to recreate the excitement of June 29th, the iPhone’s original launch date when Geoff showed up to purchase his iPhone. → Read More
The conceptual P’gasus wheelchair provides a cool look into what the future of personal transportation for people with disabilities will be like. It it based on technology similar to that of the Segway as movement is controlled by shifting the riders weight. Best of all, the chair can be adjusted into an upright position which would help the rider accomplish every day tasks. There are still a few problems to work out such as effectively balancing the chair in the extended position. A similar chair is already available but it doesn’t look nearly as cool. Pegasus WheelChair Concept [tuvie] → Read More
We here at CrunchGear fear the elderly and their strange powers, and so we revel in anything that will turn their gimlet eyes from our soft, tasty underbellies and back onto their daily pill ration. To wit: the Poppet, a solution to a fairly big problem. → Read More
Remember when the coolest mod for your bike was sticking a baseball card in the spokes? That totally got the chicks didn’t it? I’m not sure if this will pick up the ladies, but it so damn cool. Everything retro makes me vomit these days, but this is cool and something I’d definitely consider if I had a bike. The streets of NYC are way too crazy for me, but if I ever get over my ‘itis’ I’d give these a whirl. This DIY kit is comprised of 30 LEDs per wheel and is powered by two AA batteries. Your choices for graphics aren’t limited to Pac-Man, either. Coded in Python, the open software allows you to upload any bitmap image for the 256 radial pixels. Awesome. Kits start at $37.50. Product Page [via Gearfuse] → Read More
The Actface from KDDI au in Japan has one of the craziest interfaces known to man. The three LCD screens alone would make anyone giddy, but it does the strangest thing when you press the keys. Details are pretty slim on the Actface. Plus, it’s a concept phone and it remains to be seen if this will make it into consumers’ hands. Au Triple Screen Phone Still Lacks Something [Oh Gizmo] → Read More
Once upon a time, Dell was played second fiddle to Apple in terms of hippness. However, with the recent launch of their multicolored Inspiron notebooks, along with a partnership with Google and actually compelling ads, Dell might be making a come back. Sure, Dell doesn’t have the iPod/iPhone duo to create a strong push into the markets, they do resell the Microsoft Zune though. I’m personally a Microsoft Zune owner — a white one that I refer toto as my Ice Cube — and I love the product. It’s much more compelling than the standard iPod. However, it doesn’t touch the iPhone. Why am I even bringing this up? Because these two products are what Apple has become famous. Without the iPod and without the iPhone Apple wouldn’t exist like it does today. In 1997 Apple was a struggling company with their own share of problems, but now they’ve made an excellent name for themselves among the younger generations. But enough about Apple… → Read More
Supposedly this $129 dongle will bump the average 30 foot range of Bluetooth to an astonishing 20 miles. Although the included hardware will do just fine at about half a mile, it looks like you are going to need a pretty serious external antenna to reach the advertised range. With ten times the transmission power of a regular Bluetooth transmitter, the possibilities are endless. Use on the battlefield comes to mind… AIRcable Host XR [via Gizmodo] → Read More
Toshiba really seems to have stepped up to the plate when it comes to notebooks on both ends of the market: ultra-portable and gaming. The Portege R500 is Toshiba’s newest addition to the mobile front. Surprisingly this two pound notebook comes with an optical drive which is touted as the worlds thinnest at an impressive 7mm. Click on for more pics and specs… → Read More
Less than 1 year ago a startup called Chumby began handing small squeezable Internet-ready devices at the Foo Con in Sebastopol, Cal. Recently, they have begun prepping the final version, which features some updated specs and features. This small alarm-clock-type thing packs a 350MHz CPU, 32MB RAM, 64MB flash ROM, Wi-Fi, 320×240 3.5-inch touchscreen LCD, speakers, audio output, microphone and two USB ports. It also features motion and squeeze sensors. Although it comes with a slew of widgets from sites like Flickr, customers are encouraged to take advantage of their Chumby by hacking and modifying it to their hearts content. Chumby [via TechCrunch] → Read More
“The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters” is a film sure to interest most of you. It follows Billy Mitchell and Steve Wiebe, the two most notable “Donkey Kong” players ever, in their ongoing quest to dominate one another. It is a real-life tale of shady characters, heartbreak and deceit. Oh, and video games. Enjoy the trailer. → Read More
Many of you like your digital photo frames. I’m of the opinion that they’re going to hit mass-market prices and really take off in the near future. Until then, you must settle for small footprints and medium prices. But there’s always the option to make your own, and RedPost is here to help you out. The new photoframe kits include everything you need guts-wise for a photoframe. You just provide the stylization, meaning you can make the frame match the decor of any room you’d like. It’s a little more pricey than most frames, at $550, but it’s full featured and uses a generous 19-inch LDC instead of the 7-to-9-inches we see normally, well worth it. Seeing as how the machine is WiFi capable and runs a tiny version of Linux, all you have to do it make it match. One could start up a cottage industry doing nothing but custom frame work for the lazy and rich. In fact, we advocate it now. RedKit, via SlashGear → Read More
One of our favorite online tech stores just got a shipment of awesome crap for everyone to get their greasy mitts on. This includes the famous HTC Touch, a new UMPC on the cheap, an ultra-portable Toshiba, and some birds that chirp when you pet them. Dynamism Hit the jump for a few pics and links to the products. → Read More
Click To Play It’s Saturday, the sun is shining, and it’s time to make some art. Watch as some guy turns a TV playing perfectly good reality television into some kind of fancy-pants, beret-wearing modern art piece. Dig the music, as well. It’s like Nicholas’ bedroom just before lights out. Abstractor.tv → Read More
Ususally when you hear about a manufacturer’s new laptop, it’s all about the latest processor or fancy screens. Lenovo’s taking a different route. Since notebook computers have become so hard to differentiate, the Len’s going back to basics with a pair of Intel Centrino-based laptops with innovations in more than just the architecture of the innards. The new ThinkPads, the R61 and T61, are being touted as the “strongest, quietest and coolest” Lennies ever shipped, and coolest refers to both temperature and style. Honest, they told us that. By looking at the physics of how an owl stays quiet (again, really) Lenovo’s made the cooling system 3dB quieter, while keeping the surface temp 10 degrees cooler. It may sound like a drop in a bucket, but every little bit helps. The new ThinkPads also feature “roll cages” around the LCDs, as they are the most injury-prone part of any laptop. My boss at my day job has gone through several laptops in the last 5 years, all due to “shock defects” (read: gravity). Extra protection there is a good thing, friends. Lenovo also increased the battery life and improved Wi-Fi range with a new antenna design. Certain models will also feature unique disk encryption built in, good for Lenovo’s target business users. They’ll be available next week from Lenovo’s Website. → Read More
Gizmodo’s BLAM got himself a Transformer and like made it fight the old Transformers and was all like I’m going to make it beat up a Moto Q and then stuff got like SO weird. via Giz → Read More
When I was a kid I always wanted to use a Minitel terminal. These were essentially dumb terminals hooked up basic servers that allowed you to send email and get information, much like today’s postal service and newspapers. Apparently French ISP Neuf Cegetel is going to create Minitel 2.0 using a mini Linux computer and keyboard. The full kit costs 99 euro – about $130 – and the PC and service itself costs $54. It’s no greenscreen and clacky keyboard, but it’s darn close. Anyone in France who can fill us in? France caters to market for the most simple of computers [IHT] → Read More
The Schuberth J1 Helmet looks so cool that it kind of makes me want to get a bike just so I can use one. Beneath that distinctive futuristic styling is a collection of advanced features designed to protect your noggin’. The helmet has a removable chin guard, an Optical Class 1 distortion-free visor, integrated sun shade and a ventilation system that’ll prevent you brain from boiling — I’ve seen it happen, it’s horrible. It might cost $660, but that investment doesn’t seem too bad compared to the alternative of having your head splattered into the pavement. Just a thought. Schuberth J1 Helmet [via Uncrate] → Read More
Damn those Europeans! The finest fashion, the fastest cars, and now priceless works of air-conditioning! Apparently, air conditioners haven’t caught on in Europe as much as LG has liked them to. So as a strategic new approach to marketing an air conditioner, LG has unveiled its new line of units called ARTCOOL. In a nutshell, it basically is an air conditioner with a picture frame on the front and vents on the sides. This way, your guests see fine pieces of artwork while you and your company stay cool. I’d love to get one of these and throw a silly Andy Warhol print inside of it. One of the most fantastic ideas LG has come up with though. Who wants an unsightly air conditioner in their room? Not I for one. Put a Klimt or a Picasso in your air-conditioner [Akihabara News] → Read More
