Joining the ranks of SCTV, Vancouver's lax pot laws and universal health care in the short list of things Canucks can brag about, this new bundle comes with a 360 Elite, two controllers, Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST. This will set you back CAD$400, or $380 in USA dollars. It's for sale now, but much like the popularity of hockey, this deal won't last for long, so hop on it if you're going to. [Kotaku]

Canada Has Its Very Own Version of the AT&T vs. Verizon Ad Lawsuit

Telus and Rogers are sworn enemies in the Canadian wireless carrier arena, sort of like AT&T and Verizon but on a much more quaint, socialist and cold scale. And like our own two big dogs, Telus and Rogers have been at each others' throats recently about advertisements—Rogers has ads claiming it's "Canada's most reliable network" and that its speeds are twice as fast as any other network. Telus hit back, claiming it's not true (Telus did after all just launch a 21Mbps HSPA network) and Canadian courts actually forced Rogers to pull the offending ads, an interesting twist on the lawsuit pattern we Americans pioneered. Anyway, I know we're going to be crushed in the comments with high-larious anti-Canadian jabs, so let me pre-empt:

Igloo, cold, eh, hockey, The Arcade Fire, Bob and Dave MacKenzie, Pamela Anderson, who cares. [Boy Genius Report]

CollegeHumor Tackles Modern Warfare 2 (With Bonus Giz Appearance)

CollegeHumor just posted a video in which comedy nerds play (and are subsequently killed during) Modern Warfare 2, with a bonus appearance by our own Adam Frucci. I can exclusively report that Adam Frucci is a very old man who is several years removed from college, but the video's pretty funny despite this factual error. Discussed within: MW2's similarity to Crash Bandicoot, Dick Cheney quotes, a tax-funded sequel to Psychonauts, and why the glamorization of war is awesome. [CollegeHumor]

LG BL4 Gets Christmas Edition

You know, in America, Christmas editions are usually red and green, but in South Korea, it looks like they hang black tinsel on gold trees, because the LG BL40 Christmas edition is decked out in those colors. It's a small upgrade from the original BL40, with an 8MP camera (up from 5MP, though who knows if it's any better), a fancy case and entry into a contest with lots of prizes. It's in Remainders because only those black-and-gold-loving South Koreans can get their hands on it so far. [Engadget]

VUDU Adds Wikipedia, Possibly the World's Most Boring Update

VUDU is a pretty nice media service, built into set-top boxes and TVs and offering nice 1080p streaming, and adds to its repertoire Wikipedia integration. It's previously added Rotten Tomatoes, which is a little more obvious (and dare we say useful), and I personally might prefer IMDB rather than scrolling through prose paragraphs on my TV in Wikipedia, but it's good that Vudu is constantly updating its product. If you have to ask why it's in remainders, you probably haven't read this far: Vudu, Wikipedia, snore. [Engadget]

Tokyo company HiBot is developing a robot to transfer the dangerous duties of high-voltage wire inspection from meat-based humans metal-based robots, in a move intended not just to decrease the likelihood of flash-frying technicians, but to make the inspection process—vital, now that many countries' electrical infrastructures have components approaching 100 years old—more efficient.

The HiBot Exliner, pictured above and set to deploy in Japan, is the second such robot, and the most ambitious: while the LineScout, pictured at top and currently in trials in Canada, only inspects one line at a time, the Expliner will cover four. And unlike their human counterparts, Exliner and LineScout don't even care if the lines are left active while they're doing their respective things, because they ain't got nothin' to lose, y'know? Also: because they're properly insulated.

UPDATE: For anyone wondering why these robots are necessary (or depending on how you look at it, why they aren't) watch this video, starting at around 2:00. —Thanks, winshape![IEEE via Make]

It's a lighthearted dig for those with a sense of humor. But comes after Bell seemingly ripped off Apple's iPhone ads last week. So friendly neighbors to the north, what gives, eh? [Thanks Denis!]

First, the above chart: it clearly indicates the existence of an 8GB 3GS—look at that checkmark!—which seems to lend credence to an earlier, shakier report from BGR that the carrier would launch an 8GB version of the handset. But then, this:

That's from the same site, on the front page. If there was an 8GB version of the 3GS, it's safe to assume it'd be cheaper, and just as safe to assume that Rogers would want to advertise this fact. Rogers spokespeople were unavailable for comment this morning, but we can confirm their salespeople know nothing of the device, telling us that the only 8GB iPhone available is the 8GB 3G. Of course, the chart could reflect leaked info about some future announcement, unseen by Rogers sales minions, but I'm leaning toward some intern screwing up a complex chart over a bizarre, irrational shakeup to Apple's—and by proxy, Rogers, AT&T, 02 and others'—product line.

UPDATE: A Rogers spokeperson returned our email, confirming our suspicions:

You're right, there is no 8GB 3G s iPhone. There is a formatting error on our website. It is being corrected asap

FWIW, they were a little less emphatic when talking with Electronista, but at least for now, this looks like a no-go. [MacRumors via BGR]

Frozen in the "bottom layer" of ice (Christ, how many layers do you think there are?) since, he estimates, early winter, the iPod was frozen solid and not in the best of shape. But after a few minutes of charging, the iPod booted right up and even displayed the correct date, proving once and for all that the iPod classic is to date the only Yukon-approved PMP on the market. [Robulack via TUAW]

The full handset list, as transcribed by BGR, is here:

* Blackberry 82XX Pearl Flip (3G version of 8220 Pearl Flip but with GPS, WiFi, and video calling)
* Blackberry 9520 Storm (North American 3G GSM bands and 802.11 b/g WiFi)
* HTC Touch 3G
* HTC Touch Pro
* HTC Touch Viva
* Motorola MOTOZINE ZN5
* Motorola Q11
* Motorola VE66
* Nokia N79
* Nokia N85
* Nokia N96
* Nokia 5800 XpressMusic
* Samsung M8800 Pixon
* Sony Ericsson Xperia X1a
* Sony Ericsson C905

Some prices are still sometime horrific, natch, but this handset selection—which includes the hitherto unheard of 3G, GPS, Wi-Fi Pearl Flip and Wi-Fi Storm handsets—provides some relief for the long, dark winter of the gadget soul that is life in Canada. [HowardForums via BGR]

The drone, which will fly from the Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota, will begin its patrols in January. Ostensibly, it's on the lookout for terrorists who are trying to sneak into the States, but we all know who the real criminals are: Canadians who are sick of free healthcare and are looking to pay for hospital care in the US. We're on to you, you slimy Canucks! And we won't stand for it! [Breitbart]

The robot submarines are just the latest tool for the five "polar nations" currently jockeying for supremacy in the oil-rich Arctic Circle. Trouble is, there's no land mass up there, which is the traditional yard stick for territorial disputes, so the interested parties have taken to mapping the terrain underwater.

For Canada, this means determining where the Canadian continental shelf ends, and whether or not the subs can discern "geological links" between the country's northern coast, High Arctic Islands, and two underwater mountain ranges: the Alpha and Lomonosov ridges. The latter certainly sounds Russian, but who are we to get in the way of a little apocalyptic robot war, right? [Canada.com]

A letter from Apple lawyers said the VSBT logo, which depicts an apple and a mountain graphic from its sister company, northStudio.com, infringes on Apple's rights. The letter also alleges the logo is "falsely suggesting that Apple has authorized your [computer-software operation courses]." Some of those courses are conducted on Mac hardware.

If this tiny British Columbia school does not comply with Apple's request, legal proceedings could begin that would prohibit the school from using the logo. The VSBT could also be forced to repay legal costs and "damages."

The VSBT, for its part, is conducting a survey about the issue on its homepage. It doesn't take a genius to guess what the current survey results reveal.

Surprise! The school's president and CEO, Dieter Gerhard, is vehemently denying any infringement, saying the logo differs from the Apple logo in several ways:

• the acronym VSBT is part of the design.
• the logo incorporates a mountain graphic from its sister company, northStudio.com
• the school's apple has three bumps on top while Apple's design has two
• the logo is multi-colored while Apple's is not

Seems pretty cut and dry to us. Why all the sour grapes at Apple? [Vancouver Sun]

The quasi-three-dimensional electron crystals were discovered in a device scientists cooled at ultra-low temperatures – roughly 100 times colder than intergalactic space. They then exposed it to the most powerful magnetic fields possible on Earth, which made it “pop” from a 2D electron system to a semi-3D one. It could also help improve transistors, allowing for greater density on a single microchip. Looks like Gordon Moore can rest assure that his law won't be broken for another long while. [Science Blog]

(Note: That's not a picture of the new state of matter, by the way.)

Among the callers was John Hope, who keeps a trigger lock on the 9-mm Beretta stowed in his Bracebridge home. He says he's eager to give up the gun so it doesn't land in the wrong hands – a criminal or suicidal teenager, say. Since he can't trade it for a camera, he now plans to throw it into the middle of a lake.

"There's no way someone's going to go down 200 feet to get a gun he doesn't know is there," he said.

Smart thinking.

It's a really great promotion, even though most people who own a gun can probably already acquire a digital camera for free...[The Star via UberReview]

These gloves are made for wussy American winters. In a real winter, you can't be pulling out your fingers all willy-nilly to decide which Justin Timberlake track you want to bop along to. You make that decision before you leave the house, and goddammit, you stick with it. These gloves are an invitation to lose that iPhone-pointing finger to frostbite. Unless, of course, you live in the south, which I've now come to see as anything below Boston. You confederates will be just fine. [Freehands]

DOT MATRIX REVOLUTION* from superbrothers on Vimeo.[io9]

Calling all iPhone 3G fans!

Select Rogers Plus stores to open early coast-to-coast on July 11 Launch promotions to include limited time 6GB data offer

TORONTO, July 9 /CNW/ - In anticipation of iPhone 3G launch on July 11, Rogers Wireless today announced plans to open the doors of select Rogers Plus retail stores across Canada in advance of regular hours. Starting at 8:00 am July 11, Canadians will be able to purchase the new iPhone 3G at special launch day events to be held at six Rogers Plus stores across the country. Be among the first in Canada to get the next generation iPhone 3G and have the choice of a 6GB data plan through a limited time promotional price offer. "As Canada's leading wireless carrier, Rogers is excited to bring iPhone 3G to Canadians even sooner, allowing our customers to be amongst the first in the world to experience this amazing mobile innovation," says John Boynton, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Rogers Wireless. "To celebrate its launch on Canada's fastest wireless network, we're rolling out the red carpet with special events at six Rogers Plus stores and a limited time price promotional data offer from coast-to-coast." iPhone 3G combines all the revolutionary features of iPhone with 3G networking that is twice as fast(*) as the first generation iPhone, built-in GPS for expanded location based mobile services, and iPhone 2.0 software which includes support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and runs the hundreds of third party applications already built with the recently released iPhone SDK.

Rogers Launch Promotions —-—-—-—-—-—-—-—- The following Rogers Plus stores in these cities will open their doors at 8:00 a.m. (all times local) on Friday, July 11 for advance purchases of the Apple iPhone 3G: Toronto: 112-10 Dundas Street East Montreal: 1015 rue St. Catherine Ouest Ottawa: 690 Bank Street Halifax: Unit 265, 7001 Mumford Road Calgary: 5244 Falsbridge Gate, NE Vancouver: 2097 West Broadway

Customers attending launch day events at these Rogers Plus stores will be treated to a free early bird breakfast and have a chance to win Rogers Wireless prizes. Effective July 11, and as a limited time promotional offer for customers who activate by August 31 on a three year contract, a data-only offering of 6GB of data for $30 per month is being made available that can be added to any in-market voice plan. For example, with 6GB of data, iPhone 3G users can visit 35,952 web pages, or send and receive 157,286 emails, or watch 6,292 minutes of YouTube videos each and every month.(xx) New Canadian iPhone 3G customers will also have the choice to select from Rogers Wireless' existing voice and smartphone data plans and/or additional features to best suit their needs, or from Rogers Wireless' value bundled plans specifically for iPhone 3G. Existing Rogers Wireless customers can keep their current voice service plan and select a separate data plan to meet their needs or choose from other plans after checking their individual upgrade eligibility. Starting July 11, iPhone 3G will be available at participating locations across Canada, including select Rogers Plus, Rogers Video, and Rogers Wireless retail locations and at the following specially selected authorized Rogers Wireless dealers: WirelessWave, TBooth and Wireless etc. iPhone 3G can also be purchased online at www.rogers.com and through Rogers' customer service at 1-888-764-3771. For a complete store listing, visit http://your.rogers.com/mq/mqlocator.asp. Due to anticipated high demand, there is a maximum purchase of two iPhone 3G per customer.

(*) Based on 3G and EDGE testing. Actual speeds may vary due to a variety of factors. (xx) Based on live trials of iPhone 3G on Rogers HSPA network, July 2008