Gizmodo: egypt

The Most Ingenious Way to Parallel Park Ever

matt buchanan — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:20:00 EDT

People with Audis that need their car to park itself to fit into tight spots should feel like jackasses: This guy added a retractable, perpendicular fifth wheel to his car that slips him out of anything. Genius. [Liveleak via BB]

What Is This?

Jesus Diaz — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:40:00 EDT

Some kind of circuit board close up? No. A nuclear power plant's control panel full of gauges and labels? No, that's not it. The answer will probably amaze you as much as it surprised me.

According to NASA, these are roads and circular fields in the Egyptian desert, as photographed from the International Space Station. I don't know about you, but I swear I saw labels printed there. [Boston.com]

Five Undersea Cables Cut So Far

Wilson Rothman — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 11:04:24 EST

In this strange maritime epidemic, the number of undersea cables cut in incidents around the Middle East and South Asia now totals five, including Sea-Me-We 4 (in two places) and cables run by Flag Telecom located at Alexandria, the Dubai coast, and Bandar Abbas in Iran. (Insert not-so-funny-anymore Dick Cheney terror joke here.) [Khaleej Times via Slashdot]

Egypt Allowing Prisoners to Listen to iPods, Still Tortures Them

Matt Buchanan — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 18:45:31 EDT

Egypt's apparently gotten more liberal with its current administration vs. past government leaders, as Ibrahim Essa, editor of Egypt's biggest opposition newspaper, tells the Chicago Tribune that

"I've found out that I'm allowed to take my iPod," he said cheerfully. "This is progress in the Mubarak era. Yes, they do torture you in your cell, but they allow you to listen to your iPod!"

Since music's been allegedly used to ill effects on detainees, being able to pick your poison is kind of a step up. What would comprise your personal "just kill me" playlist? [Chicago Tribune via Listening Post, Flickr]

Sony Bravia Ad Covers Pyramid in String

Jason Chen — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 14:30:48 EDT

This Sony Bravia ad that aired in Egypt may or may not "take inspiration" from an uncredited artist (we haven't checked), but it is quite neat. Not to spoil the ending for you (it gets covered in string!) but, well, a pyramid gets covered in string. If actual Sony Bravia refresh rates were this bad, we'd go pick up a book or something. Nah, who are we kidding. [Adsoftheworld]