Abu-Hadba's statement that "Most of what Google does is defensive" isn't actually the tech world's most hypocritical statement (when was the last time Microsoft created something that wasn't a version of an already-successful product?). He means that everything Google does is designed to keep their core business, search and advertising, growing and dominant. The impetus behind Chrome OS, according to him, isn't to encourage simpler and easier computing, but weirdly enough, to distract other companies from attacking its own cash cow.

This is an interesting conversation because Microsoft has been doing just that, attacking Google's core, with Bing—yet Abu-Habda doesn't see Bing as a similar distraction to stop others from attacking Microsoft's core business, Windows. So why is Microsoft allowed to venture into new-for-them waters with projects like Xbox, Zune, Silverlight, Bing and more, while Google is an inherently defensive company for announcing a ballsy new project of their own?

Microsoft might just be a bit nervous about Chrome OS, which we don't think is really warranted at this point. Microsoft's got an outrageously dominant OS marketshare, and seeing as how we know just about nothing about Chrome OS, it's quite a bit soon to be launching attacks at a product that may well not be a competitor at all. [Venture Beat via Crunchgear]

Each Nixie Tube packs 100mg of caffeine, about 20% more than a cup of coffee, and comes in colors and flavors a million percent less natural. They come in your standard candy flavors, from the classic lemon/lime to blue raspberry, which never has, never will, and does not now exist in the real world. They're available only from ThinkGeek (thank god; we don't need these becoming the new Jolt Cola) and cost $9 for five tubes. [ThinkGeek via CrunchGear]

The Speakers as Equalizer concept is one of those things that sounds cool, then it seems dumb, then for a moment seems cool again before you finally settle on, "Yep, it's dumb." It's definitely a creative stroke, and I applaud the designer for dreaming it up, but the thing is, most audiophiles I know deem speaker placement to be at least as important as equalization (which isn't usually as variable as this makes it seem). And with six speakers clustered together, so much for stereo imaging. OK, so I over-thought it, but like I said, it took a minute. [Unplggd]

A few weeks back, some BS blog with the really bleepin' original name of "Appmodo" published a rumor about a $55 iPhone tether plan for AT&T that the carrier flat-out denied right after. Guess what? They published the same rumor again, saying they only had the date wrong. And guess what, AT&T denied it again. We print rumors, and so does the Wall Street Journal. We just don't print dumb ones...twice. [DSLReports]

Why is America losing jobs to other countries? I'll tell you why: Technical colleges in India look like theme parks, complete with gigantic blue feet that you can sit in! There's a lotus flower of learning that serves as a lecture hall, and a stairway built of steel and wood to resemble reeds bending in the wind. (If this place had more integrated tech, I'd have posted on it for sure.) OK, maybe I'd get bored with it after a few days, but that's not the point—all they need is to get students to sign their lives away for four years. [Dezeen]

Actual dialog from an upcoming web show called IT Chicks:

Did I mention that ReadyNAS is rack mountable? Think of it as a push-up bra for computers. And if you need to remove a drive at any time, and you still want to keep the system running, it's hot swappable. So even though you might pull out your hard drive, the system always finds a way to keep on purring.

Never mind the fact that none of that really makes sense, sexually—did you happen to notice that Kato Kaelin, of OJ Trial fame, is the dude in the shot? [The IT Chicks]

Funny to me how much the beginning of the process is all about straight lines, while the latter half is all curves. Also funny to me how few women work in the field of airplane assembly. Must be a dude thing. [LiveLeak]

The obvious question is what the T-Mobile US will call the G2. Obviously not the Hero, but maybe the upcoming keyboarded version that we've been hearing about? [Android Community via Into Mobile via Mobile Crunch]

The Chinese government, which controls the nation's three major cellular carriers, said in the past that it objected to Wi-Fi in phones (perhaps because it's harder to sniff local packets than ones drifting through a wide-area network). According to reports, China Unicom has a deal to sell a GSM-based iPhone, like the ones sold elsewhere, but the license is for something where Wi-Fi is blocked. As TradingMarkets.com puts it: "Apple has to cancel the Wi-Fi function without changing other components."

The good news is, China has been waiting for the damn iPhone forever, and to get it in time for the Spring Festival next January is like amazing. I just wonder how adept the Chinese jailbreakers will be at reactivating that Wi-Fi. [BusinessWeek and TradingMarkets.com via AllThingsD]

Brent Freidman lays out exactly how to get Time Machine backups to work with any Windows Home Server machine in a point-by-point method that's pretty easy, despite some Terminal tinkering to make it work—follow that here.

If you wanna use just a generic NAS, you can do that too. Personally, I followed this guide by Adam Cohen-Rose—though there are others—to get it going on a 4TB WD ShareSpace several months ago, though WD now has a much cheaper consumer version. It's a hack that also takes a little bit of work, but ditching the USB cable is totally worth it.

If you're in the market for a NAS (if you don't have one, you are, even if you don't know it yet) check out our guide to finding the perfect networked storage.

Definitely a good weekend project, so let us know how it goes or if you have any tips in our fancy new comments if make the the attempt. [CompuGeek via MS Windows Home Server]

Too bad these glasses can't store the images you see. Last week at the beach I saw some things I would like to remember. Then again, I saw other things that I would reaaaally like to forget. At any rate, they will be available for $200 this October—just in time for...fall? [Men.Style via GetUSB via Technabob via Geekologie]

Navigon Lite: Hark! Dedicated navigation units are dead, for the iPhone hath slain them! Except no, not at all, because navigation apps are still fresh, imperfect, and too expensive to "just try." Navigon's Lite version, then, is a great idea: It lets users test the app's routing power, nice UI, and Navteq mapset—all 1.29GB of it, taking up space on your phone. The catch—and it's a big one—is that GPS doesn't work. But even as is, it's marginally useful, and definitely worth your time if you're considering taking the plunge on the full version—whenever it comes out, that is. So you're not shocked when it does, the Euro app is $140.

Absolut Drinkspiration : Drinking apps are almost invariably junkware, and advertisement apps are usually a waste of time. Absolut Drinkspiration is both of these things, and nonetheless manages to be pretty good. At its core it's a drink recipe and recommendation app; at this, it does fine, helped by the fact that Absolut is happy to accommodate non-vodka listings. (A true gentleman, this app!) If your drinking needs a little guidance, it can help with that too: it'll recommend drinks based on parameters like taste, time and mood. It's also got GPS built in so you can upload your mixes and see what others all over the world are drinking, and exactly where they're drinking it. Free.

TroubleSpots: TroubleSpots is part of an ambitious project, providing a tool to report when, where and how your cellular network has failed you. The reports, with embedded geodata, are passed on to AT&T, who will presumably see them and feel guilty, or something.

Two things: I think AT&T probably already knows where its network is thin; and I have a sneaking suspicion that using TroubleSpots inadvertently draws you into a secret guerilla annoyance campaign run by, say, T-Mobile, waged with iPhone apps and complaint forms. We'll never know! Anyhow, if having the ability to instantly file a complaint with your carrier will keep you from hurling your iPhone out the car window, this app is worth its (nonexistent) price of entry.

Pix Remix, Slideshow Builder : A pair of slideshow apps, both paid, which do very similar things. Both make Ken Burns-style moving picture shows, both can share presentations from phone-to-phone or though a web interface, and neither can export presentation into common slideshow formats, like PowerPoint or Keynote. The differences? Slideshow Builder pans more intelligently using facial recognition, while Pix Remix has many more presentation options. Another biggie: Slideshow Builder, though a dollar more expensive at $4, has a near-full-featured free version.

Lyrics+ : There are a few annoyingly obvious, dead-simple apps that we just weren't allowed to have on account of the iPhone SDK's prior restriction on music library access. Thank god for OS 3.0. Two weeks ago, we finally got a music-library-enabled alarm clock; this week, a real-time lyrics fetcher. There are plenty of ways to incorporate lyrics into your audio file tags pre-transfer, but this one will do it over the air (correction: it just displays lyrics. Nothing is written to your tags), while you listen. A buck for now, regularly $2. (via TUAW)

Finalprice: Fun fact: With a little help from the App Store, anyone can function as an adult without any understanding of math, at all. This is thanks to apps like Finalprice, which calculates discounts and sales taxes to give you an actual, at-register totals for whatever you're considering buying. Or, you know, you could just figure this stuff out on the built-in calculator in a few seconds. Your innumeracy tax: one dollar.

CNN Money: A polished single-source news app with a solid video section, clean (but weblike) interface, and a real-time ticker, if you're into that kind of thing. Good if CNN Money is your thing, although I'll stick with multi-source aggregators like Fluent, or an RSS reader. Free.

MyWi: And finally, one for the jailbreakers. MyWi is an extremely slick tethering app that, instead of connecting to computers via Bluetooth or cable, sets up a zero-config wi-fi network, router-style. It even broadcasts an SSID (a network name) so you—and others—can easily tap into an iPhone's data connection. It's great, but $10 is a bit steep for a jailbreak app—especially one that violates your contract, potentially landing you in trouble with your carrier.

This Week's App News on Giz:

• NYC Exit Strategy: The Other NYC Subway App You Need

• The Cost of Buying Every iPhone App: $144,326.06

• SoundAMP App Turns the iPhone Into a Makeshift Hearing Aid

• Amazon Won't Let Mobile Apps Use Its Product Info Anymore

• iTwitter: The First iPhone Twitter App With Push, Sorta

• TwittaRound Twitter Reality Augmentation Looks Amazing, Even If It Is a Horrible Idea

• Push Gmail for the iPhone, Finally (It's Not What You Think)

• Prowl Pushes Growl Notifications to Your iPhone

• Nearest Tube iPhone App Adds Digital Directions to Your Surroundings

This list is in no way definitive. If you've spotted a great app that hit the store this week, give us a heads up or, better yet, your firsthand impressions in the comments. And for even more apps: see our previous weekly roundups here, and check out our Favorite iPhone Apps Directory and our original iPhone App Review Marathon. Have a good weekend everybody.

Along with ex-Microsoft CTO Nathan Myhrvold, Gates has applied for five patents that call for a fleet of specially equipped vessels to be deployed in a hurricane's path—vessels that are capable of reducing the surface temperature of the ocean by mixing in colder water from greater depths. This would reduce the heat-driven condensation that fuels hurricanes.

Of course, significantly altering the surface temperature of a large body of water is going to require many, many ships...a reality that is not lost on Gates. In the patent filings, there are a few proposals on how an endeavor like this one could be financed—including selling insurance policies in areas that are prone to major storms. While I seriously doubt the plausibility of such a scheme, if anyone can pull it off it would be Bill Gates. Besides, even if this doesn't work out he always has his important work with high tech kegs to fall back on. [Patent via Tech Flash via Slashdot via PopSci]

Zubbles were invented in 2005, but they have been in commercial limbo until now. Kids and adults can now buy two bottles for $15 at the Zubble web site.

Bubbles are the most popular toy on Earth—even bigger than Lego—with 200 million bottles sold annually. Stainless colored bubbles where believed to be chemically impossible, but inventor Tim Kehoe spent 15 years and $3 million making his daydream a reality. Hopefully, they will work out for him, because I like zubbles. I like plain bubbles too. And I love Bubble Toes:

[Zubbles via Discovery via Infoaddict—Thanks Rosa!]

iTweetReply is a full-blown regular Twitter app for $2, though it's not the prettiest or most feature-packed—except for the push notifications for mentions and direct messages. Boxcar, on the other hand, works with the Twitter app you already use—when you get a push notification of a mention or DM, it'll open your favorite Twitter app. Interestingly, it costs more than iTweetReply, at $2.99.

Since DMs go to me as text messages, I don't need push enough rightthissecond to shell out another $3 on top of the money I've already shelled out Twitter apps. They'll get around to it. [iTweetReply (iTunes), Boxcar - Thanks Marsala]

This compact games table is actually 20 games in one. [Argos Sports]
Pool tables can take up an entire room—a problem that can be remedied by installing it on a hydraulic lift that disappears under the floor. [YouTube and Link]
A good game room always needs a bar. This James Bond-esque custom version is hidden behind a wall-mounted HDTV in a revolving cabinet. [YouTube and Ballerhouse]
Like anything in a game room, you are going to need some space to install a ping pong table. This version features a mini table installed in a door frame that can be flipped up and down as needed. [tobiasfraenzel via Link]
If you are into a more robust ping pong experience, this modular table allows you to set up crazy games for up to 12 players. [Link]
Sure, a round pool table is going to take up space, but this version features a stripper pole add on that means you can scratch plans for a dedicated stripper section. [JM Billard via Link]
If you don't have the space (or the cash) for a full-size air hockey or foosball table, these palm-sized versions might fit the bill. The air hockey versions even feature a fan that keeps the puck elevated for a more realistic experience. [Link]
This billiard cue bench keeps all of your equipment tucked away and out of sight while providing additional seating in the room. [Pool Table Portfolio via Link]
If you are looking for a gaming experience that is a little more extreme, the N Range shooting system packs an actual firing range inside of an armoire. Using a special type of non lethal, low noise, low smoke round, users can fire their guns whether they are at home or the office (although I would strongly recommend against the latter). [Ballerhouse via Boing Boing Gadgets]
If you are going to have a coffee table in a game room, it might as well do more than just hold drinks. This version features an embedded Blu-ray player, 19-inch touchscreen and a PC. [Retro-Tech via Link]
Bonus gadget: Some couches pull out into beds. This particular couch happens to pull out into a snooker table. [Link]

In my first go-around with Win 7 touch, I didn't feel so much ooh-aah as I felt relief, relief that Microsoft had actually baked intelligent touch controls directly into the new operating system. Once again, my touch experience is with the optically driven HP TouchSmart PC, this time running Windows 7 Release Candidate build 7100. Nothing you see is third-party, except for the beta TouchSmart multitouch drivers by NextWindows.

Microsoft Touch Pack for Windows 7 is a roundup of six demo apps directly from the Surface team that make it clear that the days of the big-ass table are numbered. Surface will finally go anywhere there's a multitouch PC running Windows 7. Here's me, showing off the Surface Lagoon, Surface Collage and Surface Globe apps:

In certain cases, as you can see in the video, "multitouch" just means two simultaneous inputs. This is a programming decision, not a fault of the screen. However, the TouchSmart's optical screen isn't the sort of thing you'd want to use to play a lot of games on. The other three apps in the Pack are games: Blackboard, Garden Pond and Rebound, shown in gallery below. I am not going to say that they were totally lame, they would just benefit from a capacitive touchscreen like those found in some high-end laptops and in top-tier smartphones.

Microsoft says: "The Microsoft Touch Pack for Windows 7 will be available to PC makers who will have the option to pre-install some, none, or all of the applications available in the Microsoft Touch Pack for Windows 7 on PCs designed for Windows Touch (PCs that meet the logo requirements for Windows Touch)." In other words, buy a touch-enabled Windows 7 machine and you might see this stuff pre-loaded.

HP loaned me the TouchSmart knowing full well that it wasn't originally developed to run Windows 7 touch apps, and as such, it can't be judged for its gameplay or minor hiccups. In the main Surface apps, it does a great job, and as for the OS, it runs Windows 7 smoothly with a spring in its step. But am I waiting eagerly to see Windows 7 running on a touchscreen with more dexterity? You bet your ass. Meantime, this beats a clunky $20,000 Surface table any day of the week. Keep the Surface apps coming, Microsoft—the age of touch is upon us. [Windows Team Blog]

You'll find this guy on his couch, sporting an ironic t-shirt with a delivery-food stain of some kind. He "commuted" minutes earlier by rolling out of bed and over to his laptop in his shoebox-sized Brooklyn (Williamsburg) apartment littered with empty Redbull cans. He came to Gizmodo 9 months ago after deciding that "traditional media" wasn't edgy enough (read: required pants and didn't like it when he powered down walls of TVs). He only puts on pants in order to put electronics down them, and he gets very upset if you mess with his Star Wars legos. He genuinely believes that the hot PR girl is into him and not just trying to get a post. He overuses the word "fail."

OK, so I might commute from my bed to my desk, sure. And yeah, I order a lot of delivery. But I live in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, not Williamsburg! And PR girls love me because I'm charming! Go ahead, ask any of them! Also, I don't wear glasses. Fail, Best Buy. Major fail.

Update: It looks like he pulled the post for some reason. Here's a screencap so you know I didn't make this all up:

Update 2: Looks like his post is back up with a new ass-covering intro. We knew you were a good sport, Barry. [Barry Judge]

Computing and Peripherals:
• 15.6" Lenovo G550 CoreDuo 2GHz Notebook with WXGA LED TFT for $499 plus free shipping (normally $799 - use coupon code USPG5502BU).
• Lenovo ThinkPad X301 13.3" Core2Duo Notebook (2GB RAM, 64GB SSD) for $1,484.25 plus free shipping (normally $1838 - use coupon code USPX301SAVE).
• 12.1" HP Pavilion tx2z AMD Dual-Core 2.2GHz Touchscreen Tablet Laptop (3GB/320GB) for $679.99 (normally $999.99 - use coupon code NBZ5676).
• 23" Samsung 2333SW Widescreen LCD Monitor for $149 plus free shipping (normally $249).
• Cavalry Storage 1TB USB External Hard Drive for $82.99 plus free shipping (normally $119.98 - use this rebate form).

Gaming:
• Halo Wars (Xbox 360) for $41.99 plus free shipping (normally $52.94).
• Prince of Persia Xbox (360/PS3) for $19.99 (normally $29.79).
• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time (Wii) for $26.98 plus free shipping (normally $36.95).
• The Bourne Conspiracy (Xbox 360) for $19.99 (normally $39.99).
• Ghostbusters The Video Game (PS3) for $35.99 plus free shipping (normally $40).

Home Entertainment:
• 50" Panasonic VIERA TC-P50S1 1080p Plasma TV for $1,044.05 plus free shipping (normally $1180 - use coupon code AFL5).
• 47" Vizio SV470XVT LCD TV for $949 plus free shipping (normally $1116).
• 46" Sharp AQUOS LC46D65U 1080p LCD TV for $836 plus free shipping (normally $1050).
• 42" Vizio VO420E Class Eco 1080p LCD TV for $598 with free shipping to store (normally $799).
• Polk Audio VM30 3-Way Tower Speaker for $399.99 plus free shipping (normally $571 - use coupon code EMCLVLX23).
• Pioneer VSX-919AH-K 120 Watt Home Theater Receiver $319.99 plus free shipping (normally $350 – use coupon code EMCLVLX22).
• I, Robot (Blu-ray) for $12.99 (normally $16.00).
• "Amnesiac" Album by Radiohead for $1.99 (normally $7.99).

Personal Portables and Peripherals:
• Samsung SC-DX205 DVD and Flash Memory Camcorder for $200 plus free shipping (normally $279).
• Olympus FE-20 8MP Digital Camera for $69.99 plus free shipping (normally $150).
• Klipsch Custom-1 Noise Isolating Headphones for $44.99 (normally $54.88).
• ALPINE EX-10 Universal Bluetooth Handsfree Car Kit + iPod Controller for $49.99 (normally $59.97).

Hobomodo:
• Small Slurpee at 7-Eleven for $0 (Valid on 7/11 - Tomorrow).
• Free Lifestyles Condom Sample for $0.
• Mars Chocolate for $0 (250,000 Every Friday - remember for next Friday too).
• Shepard Fairey "Clean Energy" Sticker for $0 (use this form).
• 8 oz. Tea Freddo at Peet's Coffee for $0 (valid from 2-3PM).
• Free Sample of Depends (Men's and Woman's) for $0 (Costco Members Only - use this form).
• Download of The Elder Scrolls Arena II: Daggerfall and the Original for $0.
• (iphone) Bubble Pop Game for $0 (normally $0.99).
• Sample of Bodycology Body Lotion for $0 (use this form).

If a deal looks too good to be true, investigate the store and see if it's a good, reputable place to buy. Safe shopping!

[Thanks TechDealDigger, Fat Wallet, GamerHotline, Cheap College Gamers, CheapStingyBargains and TechBargains.]

People love cheating death by standing right under some Tesla Coils going crazy, protecting themselves in Faraday Cages.

They also like playing music through Tesla Coils, especially super nerdy music like the Zelda theme song.

And people even use his toys to protect their computers, although that ones isn't all to practical. You can see that one in action above.

So for all that you've done for us, we thank you Mr. Tesla. Here's to another couple of centuries of shocking fun.

It's certainly not top of the line, but it does have 1080p support—and the price is hard to resist if you simply want to get into the HD game. Again, this permanent rollback seems to be available in stores only at the moment. [Fortmat War Central via Engadget HD]

I've been using it for a couple of days and love it, since one behavior does not fit all when it comes to all the cameras I use—when I plug in an iPhone it opens iPhoto to import photos, while my card reader triggers Image Capture, and the Flip opens up Finder. There's no reason you shouldn't download it: It's lightweight, free, and makes your life that much saner. [Flexibits via Lifehacker]

The new ball was designed for the three big football leagues (England's Premier League, Spain's La Liga, and Italy's Serie A) and it will undoubtedly lead to less games that end regulation tied 0-0. Essentially, Nike has expanded the sweet spot to cover the entire ball using a three-layer construction that will equate to longer kicks, greater accuracy and better speed. They have even updated the ball with a high tech look to increase visibility. If I had $140 and I wasn't an American with little interest in soccer, I would be all over this. [Nike via Crunchgear]

I am not a cyborg, but I am getting closer and closer to being a terminator. My back is already full of titanium, and I've got a radio-controlled device in my abdomen that feeds medication into my spinal canal. If the trials go well, I hope to get my chance at being the female Hardiman with the ReWalk system. You can start calling me Ripley when that happens.

It is when I read these things that I become fully aware of both my limitations and the tiny dimensions of any troubles I think I may have. Go read Sarah's interview at BBG. [BBG and Sarah's Blog]

Send your best entries to me at contests@gizmodo.com with Retro Gadgets in the subject line. Save your files as JPGs, PNGs or GIFs, and use a FirstnameLastname.jpg naming convention using whatever name you want to be credited with. Send your work to me by next Tuesday morning, and I'll pick three top winners and show off the rest of the best in our Gallery of Champions. Get to it!

I love squalls in Honolulu: refreshing, cleansing and replenishing for island precious water.

On Pegasus 50, we move fast at more than half of the squall's speed. My personal interpretation of North East Pacific Squalls is that they are caused by evaporation with subsequent cooling of the rising air and travel with the tradewinds. During their build-up phase, they mostly "suck" air into them as they are highly active building convective systems. The upper limit comes when the ultra moist air reaches adiabatic balance. Therefore, if you are in front of such a building squall, you loose a lot of wind velocity and get a nasty right shift, but if you have one behind you, she "sucks air" that heads you if you are on starboard jibe with a great boost in velocity. The longer you ride that squall the better. Mark caught a short video of one that he was riding to a max speed of 28 knots of wind and 22 knots of boat speed this afternoon . Check it out, passing right behind Pegasus 50. Mark is steering and filming.




Course 270° T, Speed 14 Knots, Lat 25° 54' N, Lon 139° 36' W

July 9, 7:00 PM PST
Tradewind sailing with building squalls, pointing right to Diamond Head




Course 270° T, Speed 14 Knots, Lat 25° 52' N, Lon 139° 40' W

July 10, 2:30 AM PST
Insomniac sailor with a Transpac purpose!

Philippe Kahn founded Borland, invented the Camphone, and decodes human motion. He's also a fellow outdoorsman, splitting time skiing Tahoe and sailing in Santa Cruz. He'll share his Transpac 2009 sailing race with us live from the Pegasus Open 50. He and Richard Clarke set the race record for a double handed team in 2008 with a time of 7 days, 15 hours, 17 minutes and 50 seconds, besting all boats in overall time for that year.
[Previous Pegasus Sailing posts on Gizmodo, Pegasus]

The defense research agency has announced they'll be funding the EATR project—the Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot—which aims to build a lumbering mechanical creature that lives off of flesh, both plant and animal:

EATR is an autonomous robotic platform able to perform long-range, long-endurance military missions without the need for manual or conventional re-fueling. The patent pending robotic system can find, ingest and extract energy from biomass in the environment, as well as use conventional and alternative fuels (such as gasoline, diesel, propane and solar) when suitable.

It's actually a steam-powered machine, which employs a biomass furnace that can be fed by all manner of organic materials, harvested with its "gripper" claw and chainsaw.

The EATR's ideal source of fuel would probably be foliage, not humans, but there are just too many red flags here. Claws? Chainsaws? "Organic matter" and "biomass" euphemisms? Not to mention this is the second death-powered machine we've seen in as many weeks. The project is set to be completed in about 90 days, so enjoy the next three months, folks. [Register via Switched]

"I was typing and all of the sudden just woosh! I was like oh, what the hell?" Phoutthaphaphone said.

"This is clearly a real desperate act, I mean he (the suspect) stole the computer out of his hands while he's in his house," Minneapolis Police Sgt. Jesse Garcia explained.

"He was probably just creeping right here, I was typing, and then all of the sudden he just yanked it," the victim remarked. He only saw the suspect's hands; then saw his back as he ran around the corner of his home.

Pppppppthfaftpatphthftyaphone chased after the suspect, eventually cornering him in a nearby garage. The homeowner saw the commotion and jumped in to help—eventually they were both able to pin down the thief until the police arrived. Naturally, he incident described as both "bold and bizarre" has left authorities baffled. [Kare11 via Twitter / Image via Slashdot]

Gerardine Botte, an Ohio University professor, sees the liquid as a solution thanks to the particular composition of its major component, urea. Its make-up, a 2-to-1 ratio of hydrogen and nitrogen, is convenient because hydrogen can be extracted from nitrogen using much less electricity than that needed to, say, pull apart hydrogen and oxygen. (It's a matter of 0.037 Volts versus 1.23 Volts, if you really need to know.)

They're still working on the logistics of it, but I look forward to the day when I'll be using a toilet that powers the phone I'm using while sitting on it with my own emissions. The future is at hand! [Discovery via PopSci]

This is the second design of these sticks, redesigned after fans complained that the first ones weren't faithful enough to the Dreamcast original. And if any company needs to listen to the whines of fanboys, it's a high-end Japanese peripheral company that makes $300 controllers designed for $15 games. [Insert Credit via Kotaku]

MLAS—named after Maxime Faget, the designer for the Aerial Capsule Emergency Separation Device in the Mercury program—is an alternative abort launch system concept developed by a team of NASA engineers, working in parallel with the Constellation program team. It won't replace the Orion abort system, however, but according to NASA this concept has serious potential for future missions:

MLAS is of potential interest because it is theorized to have aerodynamic performance benefits, weight savings and be relatively simple in some spacecraft applications. Much of the potential gains would be accomplished by eliminating the launch abort tower, which also means eliminating the attitude control motors.

[NASA]

This feature has been a persistent rumor since the original Onyx shots hit the web, though the fact that it contradicted the actual photos of the device didn't bode well for its credibility.

In the context of early reactions to the Onyx leak, this apparent late change makes a lot of sense: the handset was characterized as a best-of-all-worlds device, keeping all the best features of non-touch BlackBerrys without sacrificing compactness. Grabbing the optical trackpad from the 8520, then, is an obvious move. [BlackBerry Underground via BGR]

Google CEO Eric Schmidt is now admitting that it took him quite a while to warm to the idea of Chrome the browser, even longer to come to terms with the possibility of Chrome the OS, and in both cases only after Larry Page Sergey Brin literally nerded him into submission:

I just gave up, but there is no question I am hugely supportive of Chrome and Chrome OS. They are game-changers. They change the way you think about your computer.

Meanwhile, Android's perceived role in the world was expanding. After all this soul-searching, though, Schmidt must have a clear vision of parallel, non-conflicting roles for Android and Chrome OS, right?:

Although it appears they are two separate projects, there's a great deal of commonality. Eventually they may merge even closer."

This is somewhere between "oops!" and "I have no idea."

But hold on! There could be a third way! Digitimes is reporting that Intel is in talks with Google to help adapt Android for use in MIDs, the so-far ill-fated bridge devices between netbooks and smartphones. Technologically, this seems like a reasonable secondary use for Android. Commercially, though, MIDs are something of a ghetto; a category broached by few manufacturers, and unfamiliar (or unattractive) to most customers.

The most obvious conclusion to all this is for Android (and Android enthusiasts) to narrow ambitions and focus on what we know it's good at: cellphones, and possibly portable media players. This is something that will probably happen organically, but only after a few more news cycles worth of bewildering quotes and announcements from Google, which we will gleefully document. [WSJ, Digitimes]

Nintendo's North American President Reggie Fils-Aime explained that the Vitality Sensor is just the latest in a chain of products that are first misunderstood and ridiculed, gaining acceptance after having a chance to prove themselves, like the DS, or the Wii, or the Balance Board. Pretty much everything, actually:

[We] probably had a very similar conversation when we first showed the Nintendo DS: how is it going to work, why a touch screen, voice activation—I don't get it. We probably had a similar conversation about the Wii Remote: how is this going to work, how is it going to work with the games that I want to play—I don't get it. Now I'm hearing something similar for the Wii Vitality Sensor. And all I can tell you is, with the game developers that we have, we will bring forth an experience that you will say, "Wow, I get it."

There were surely plenty of folks who ridiculed the DS and Wiimote concepts, but they were shouted down by the rational majority who could easily see how a touchscreen handheld or a console motion controller could be awesome.

And besides, most interested people do have specific ideas in mind for the Vitality Sensor, which is precisely why they're not excited. It's not the nobody "gets" the product; it's that gamers are lamenting the Wii's accelerating change from a fun console to some kind of distinctly un-fun health device.

Of course Nintendo could blow us all away with some new kind of clever biometric game integration, akin to their previous attempt at a heartrate sensor (except hopefully better), but if they want us to expect—and get excited about—anything beyond Wii Fit II, we're going to need a little more information—games, clues, or frankly, anything at all. [Fast Company via TechRadar]