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Computers, Laptops, Holiday Gift Guide 2008

John Lennon Returns From Grave to Push the $100 OLPC


John Lennon may have departed this planet 28 years ago, but that's not to say he can't still have an impact. With the assistance of technology and the consent of Yoko Ono, the heralded Beatle has returned in a new OLPC spot. In the ad, the late musician proclaims: "Imagine every child no matter where in the world they were could access a universe of knowledge. They would have a chance to learn, to dream, to achieve anything they want." If this sounds like just the inspiration you needed to get your donation on, hop on past the break to see the vid in its entirety.

[Via Laptop Mag]

Audio/Video, Video Games, Holiday Gift Guide 2008

Wii-and-iPhone-Hungry Kids Freak Out on Video


As far as we can tell, YouTube, and its various user-generated video spawn, were invented to embarrass children. Well, that and to share renditions of the 'Super Mario Brothers' theme.

Need proof? Just check out these videos we've found in just the last few days. Remember the kid who was really excited to get an N64? Well, he was far from alone in his excitement over consoles from the home of Mario. Just check the video above posted to Pwn or Die of 50 different kids freaking out after they open up a Wii on Christmas, including one kid about two minutes in wearing a Santa hat who will clearly never have a girlfriend.

Of course, the Wii isn't the only thing that has children turning into blathering idiots. Just check out this video of a kid who really, really, really, wants an iPhone. He wants it so bad we were beginning to think he had either a speech impediment or a developmental disorder.

Then there are the non-holiday related, but equally annoying and disturbing clips collected by Cracked that border on child abuse. We're not saying you shouldn't let your six year-old listen to 'My Hump,' (though that isn't a bad idea) just that perhaps you shouldn't encourage her to sing it while slinking about and post it to YouTube. [From: NewLaunches.com, GeekSugar, and Cracked]

Audio/Video, Editor's Picks, TV, Home Audio, Holiday Gift Guide 2008

5 Holiday-Themed Blu-ray Discs

christmas story

So you're either giving, or you're about to receive, an HDTV and want something to keep the whole family busy this holiday? Well, you're in luck (sort of), since HD versions of some holiday classics have started to make their way onto Blu-ray discs. Surprisingly, there isn't much in the way of TV classics like 'Rudolf, the Red Nose Reindeer' or 'A Charlie Brown Christmas,' but here are five solid holiday movies that will feel brand new in stunning 1080p high-definition.


'A Christmas Story'
Sure, this classic about the cute, bespectacled kid who wants a rifle from Santa is played over and over on TV every Christmas, but not in full, 1080p HD, which is why you'd want to invest in the Blu-ray disc. The release also includes commentary by director Bob Clark and Peter Billingsley (who played 'Ralphie'), a documentary on the 20th anniversary of the film, script pages, and, of course, the de rigueur trailer. A limited edition version comes in a retro cookie box and is big enough to wrap, making it a decent last-minute gift.

'Home Alone'
Finally on Blu-ray, this 1990 John Hughes classic starring Macaulay Culkin as the kid that gets left behind by his parents on their way to a Christmas vacation includes a load of (unfortunately SD) extras, including deleted scenes, bloopers, where the stars of the movie are now clips, and a brand-spanking new 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio soundtrack.

'The Nightmare Before Christmas'
Tim Burton's creepy Christmas tale – an Dia-de-los-Muertos-esque musical featuring sons by Danny Elfman – came out on Blu-ray earlier this year and looks stunning in HD. The remastered 7.1 soundtrack also breathes new life into the movie. Extras galore include everything from the previous DVD releases of the movie, as well as new content such as re-edited and new commentary by Burton, the original poem that inspired the movie, and D-Box code, which works with D-Box motion simulators that you can attach to your chair or couch (and annoy neighbors).

'Fred Claus'
The 'Wedding Crashers' director David Dobkin's humorous tale of Santa Claus's less accomplished brother (played by Vince Vaughan). While it's not quite a classic, it is funny. The Blu-ray release includes the usual extras such as director commentary, interviews with cast members, and a nice looking HD picture and 5.1 surround soundtrack.

'Elf'
Will Ferrell plays an oversized human adopted by Santa's elves who figures out he's not like the rest of them and heads down to New York. Bob Newhart is deadpan funny as Ferrell's elf Dad. The Blu-ray release includes directory commentary, a funny making of featurette with Will Ferrell, and generous deleted scenes and bloopers.

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Advice, Editor's Picks, Holiday Gift Guide 2008

15 Last-Minute Gift Ideas

last-minute gifts

Do you need a last minute gift? End of the year office hassles, final exams, NFL playoffs, 'Fallout 3'... excuses abound, but fortunately so do last minute gift options. Here's a quick roundup of 15 late Hail Mary gifts. To make our list, each gift has to be available on December 25, so you ultimate procrastinators out there can hurriedly hobble together something before the turkey hits the oven.

Computers, Holiday Gift Guide 2008

E-Card Industry Collapsing Since No One's Reading the Greetings

E-Card Industry Mercifully Collapsing?
Apparently this year, the e-card business, those obnoxious animated things sent by distant family members and formerly tech-savvy friends who stopped learning about new technology in 1997, is taking a massive financial beating. Apparently no one is sending them (someone should tell our inbox, we're still getting quite a few), no one is reading them (guilty as charged), and no one is willing to pay for them.

American Greetings, an Ohio based greeting card company, saw its third quarter profits go from $29 million in 2007, to a loss of $193.3 million in 2008.

Not that we enjoying seeing people loss money and jobs, mind you, but we'll be extremely happy if we never have to open another e-mail from a person we haven't seen in three years featuring a poorly animated snowball fight. For that, we've got Facebook! [From: paidContent.org]

Have you sent out holiday greeting cards or videos?

Cell Phones, Holiday Gift Guide 2008

BlackBerry-Inspired Ornament for Your Festive CrackBerry Addict

The BlackBerry-Inspired Ornament for Your Festive CrackBerry Addict
Looking for a perfect gift for the BlackBerry-addicted member of your household? You know, the one who wants to be buried with his handset when he or she goes to the great inbox in the sky? How about an ornament that looks like their favorite device decorated up for holiday cheer?

The ornament replaces the BlackBerry's keypad with "Merry Christmas" and displays candy, a gift, and a reindeer on the screen. It's far more cheerful than your real mobile device, and since the thing is completely non-functional, you won't have to worry about your tree starting to vibrate and shake whenever you receive an e-mail. Sadly, the device has sold out for this season, but if you place your order now perhaps you can get in on next year's high-tech ornament. A red and green iPhone, perhaps? [From: geeksugar]

Editor's Picks, Switched Video, Holiday Gift Guide 2008

Wacky Gifts Under $50

Sticking to a budget of $50 or less this year for gifts? Good news: Some of the wackiest, most unique gadgets usually cost about half that. And, until recently, some of the most uniquely daffy gizmos of all could only be found in Japan, where those kinds of products tend to sell well. Now, however, you can find all this stuff online at sites such as Gizmine.com, acgears.com, and japantrendshop.com. Take a look at the above video to see what we're stuffing stockings with this year.

From: [Gizmine, ACGears, JapanTrendShop]

Audio/Video, Switched Video, Home Audio, Portable Audio, Reviews, Holiday Gift Guide 2008

Hands-On Review: i2i Stream Wireless Music

Ever wish you could make any audio setup wireless? We checked out the i2i Stream wireless audio system that essentially takes the place of a cord and allows you to stream audio from nearly any source. The kit comes with two combination transmitter/receiver devices and when you want to make a music source wireless, you simply connect the output to one of these small devices using the included 1/8-inchcable, turn the unit on, and press the "send" button. Then you can connect the other device to headphones or speakers, press the "receive" button and you're free to roam around your house with your iPod pumping tunes from your pocket to your living room stereo.

Since you have to charge each battery powered unit by USB, the i2i Stream doesn't seem to be a permanent solution for wireless audio, but the convenient size of the devices make it perfect for quick plug and play. We found ourselves streaming songs from our computer to show our friends in the living room, then using it with an iPod in the kitchen as a sort of music remote, and finally to play some late night 'Rock Band 2' with headphones (with the help of a simple RCA to 1/8" adapter from Radio Shack).

Once you get the units linked, you'll find that they work really well, but we had some occasional problems getting them to find each other when syncing for the first time. One of the units mysteriously turned off one time, and for $119 MSRP, we would like to see much more sturdy construction: The i2i Stream devices are plastic and feel cheap. Still, the system delivers what it promises, and the simple input/output design gives you an incredible number of options for linking your audio devices through the ether.

Car Tech, Holiday Gift Guide 2008

A Toy Tank to Scare the Neighbors


Hey ladies! Looking to get that manbaby of a husband you married something he loves for the holidays? Look no further than a gigantic, radio-controlled tank that's powerful enough to actually pull a car.

A company called Mark 1 Tanks, based in the UK, manufactures the six-foot long beast, which is essentially a 1/4 scale model of a German King Tiger from World War II. With all the available accoutrements, the tank goes for around $15,000. The tank has a fully working turret and a two-foot long gun with a "realistic recoil action."

It's the gift that keeps on giving (you heart attacks). (Especially when you hear how much it costs to ship from the UK.) [From: DailyMail]

Holiday Gift Guide 2008

Make This Christmas the Most Uncomfortable Yet, With a GotchaBox

Make This Christmas the Most Uncomfortable Yet, With a GotchaBox
Believe it or not there are people out there willing to pay $8 for a box. Seriously, an empty cardboard box. It probably makes more sense when we explain that the boxes are gag gift boxes from our favorite source of satire, The Onion.

Though they went on sale in 2006, the GotchaBoxes have soared in popularity. The empty boxes are carefully designed to look like packaging for crappy gadgets that you might pick up from an infomercial, or SkyMall. Put that GPS device in the box for the USB Toaster or the iFeast pet feeder/iPod dock and watch your friends and family squirm as they try to feign appreciation.

Of course, none of these products are real. They're ridiculous, yet frighteningly plausible. Our favorite (and everyone else's apparently) is the Visor Organizer, a hat-mounted pack that advertises the ability to hold seven pounds of crap, allowing you to ditch the embarrassing fanny-pack. The Visor Organizer box is sold out, but there are still plenty of other gag gift boxes to choose from.

Give your family the greatest gift this year, uncomfortable laughter. [From: CNN and The Onion]

iPhone, Holiday Gift Guide 2008

Wal-Mart iPhone on Sale the 28th for a Lot More than $99



At this point, it's clear that the $99 iPhone 3G rumor was just that: rumor. We have a letter that we believe to be authentic from a source within Wal-mart that says the iPhone will launch in the house that Sam built at 9am December 28th. At launch, only the 8GB ($197) and 16GB ($297) iPhone 3Gs will be available with a required signature on a 2-year AT&T contract. An internal pilot program kicks off today at 488 stores across the nation. The iPhone 3G and a sack of garden manure all under the same roof... heaven.

Holiday Gift Guide 2008

Gyroscopic Golf Club Gives you the Perfect Swing?

Gyroscopic Golf Club Gives you the Perfect Swing?
Here's a gift for the geek and golfer on your holiday shopping list, the Gyro Swing, a golf club with a gyroscope in the head. A perfect gift, that is, as long as you don't mind dropping $200 and are comfortable with purchasing something based on questionable scientific claims.

The gimmicky Gyro Swing claims that the gyroscopic disc inside the head, which spins 20,000 times per minute, lets you "feel" the perfect swing and resists movement, keeping your swing straight and level.

The concept is interesting, and plausible (though just barely), but we certainly don't have $200 to drop on a gold club this holiday season. [From: Wired]

Holiday Gift Guide 2008

Gadget Store Offering Bad Gift-Wrapping Option

Gadget Outlet Offering Poorly Wrapped Gifts
Some of us geekier types have trouble performing basic human functions, such as talking to member of the opposite (or same) sex, dressing ourselves, and wrapping gifts. As messy as a geek-wrapped gift may be, there is something oddly charming about the crooked folds and sloppy taping job.

Gadget e-retailer, Firebox, is offering a service it's calling CrapWrap. CrapWrap allows anyone to offer the allure of a poorly wrapped gift, smothered in brown packing tape. The gifts are wrapped not by dedicated packaging workers, but by untrained warehouse workers, including forklift operators. Even lazy geeks who just don't want to take the time to do their own shoddy wrapping job can cough up $9 for hastily packaged products. [From: News.com.au]

Audio/Video, TV, Holiday Gift Guide 2008

BetaMaXmas Brings Retro Christmas TV to the Web


We learned about BetaMaXmas.com this morning from Andrew Sullivan's blog over at Atlantic Online.

Remember those long Saturday mornings in the '80s you spent plopped down in front of the TV? Well, now you can relive them on the Web. The BetaMaXmas Web site features a wood-paneled living room, TV Guide, and a rabbit-eared TV, which streams classic Christmas specials on every channel. You have your pick between all of the season's finest programming, including the Grinch, 'Pee-Wee's Playhouse' and Scrooge McDuck.

Just be sure to have your rabbit ears tuned correctly, or you'll be getting a screen full of snow, and we don't mean the winter wonderland kind. (Check the source code on the page for a special greeting.) [From: The Daily Dish]

Audio/Video, Switched Video, Reviews, Holiday Gift Guide 2008

Hands-on: iMuffs Wireless Headphones

A recent late night flight back to New York was a great opportunity to test out the new iMuffs MB220 Bluetooth headset ($150) from Wi-Gear. The MB220 links with your iPod, iPhone, or Bluetooth-enabled cell phone. The built-in music and volume controls allow you to stash your music player away while you listen wirelessly, which can be a space-saver when crammed into the tiny back rows of a 737.

In compliance with the FAA, we didn't have the chance to test out the built in microphone and make some calls, but that important feature is available should you need it. Unfortunately, we had to take our iPod out of its case to connect the Bluetooth transmitter. With the device stashed under the seat it wasn't a problem but we'd like to see the dongle put on a diet on future iterations of these headseats.

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