According to Reddit user knobcrik:

[I]n 2005 I was working for a "telemarketing" firm somewhere on the east coast. morale was so bad at the company, management went to great lengths to keep people that actually worked hard. one of the ways they did this was a short lived but highly entertaining award for "Employee of the Month". Said employee was treated to answering calls from a "special" desk with a 42" monitor.

What a nice treat, he must've thought. I needed to stop looking at porn during work hours anyway. Then the reality set in:

[He was] the first and last employee of the month winner. The next months winner could not go more than two days with the XL monitor stating his "retinas were getting burned out by the heat from the screen".

Somewhere, deep in an office complex in Scottsdale, a blind man is weeping. Touch-dialing potential customers from a seemingly endless braille book, his only comfort is to run his fingertips across his Employee of the Month plaque. It is starting to rust. [Reddit]

UPDATE: From reader Deacon Cupcakes, proof that the EXXXTREME SCREEN phenomenon is alive and well:

And no matter what, the model should be competitively priced.

The M2700HD is a 27-inch, 16x9 monitor running at 1080P. No straight contract ratio is listed, but the dynamic contrast ratio is 50,000:1, for whatever that's worth. Still, with two HDMI inputs and 10W of virtual surround speakers, the M2700HD is ready to fill the PC or TV niche without too much difficulty. And like I've said like five times now, it might be kinda cheap. [BenQ via Softpedia]

Create Your Own Sun Jar: Lifehacker Edition

Inspired by a tutorial we posted last year, we decided to make our own DIY sun jars. The trendy summer time lighting accessory retails for $30+ but we were able to make ours for around $10 each. The sun jars proved to be our most popular non-computer DIY of the entire year and readers shared their own creations with us.

The First-Timer's Guide to Building a Computer from Scratch

Building your own computer is a great way to get exactly what you want, the way you want it, without being constrained by the limits and high-prices of mass produced computers. We showed you how to build a computer from start to finish and have fun doing it.

Turn a Sharpie into a Liquid Fueled Rocket

What's standing between you and some office mayhem? Certainly not a lack of Sharpie markers and keyboard dusting spray. Combine the two with this fun DIY project and you've got one of the most awesome pieces of office-machinery we've ever featured.

Properly Erase Your Physical Media

You need to be properly erasing your physical media: all the time, every time. Our guide will show you how to get the job done and done right whether you use software to scrub your disks or you send them to the great data mine in the sky with a 21-gun salute.

Turn an Old Laptop into a Wall-Mounted Computer

Why settle for a digital picture frame when, in the same wall space, you could mount an entirely functional computer/slideshow player/TV tuner? One Lifehacker reader turned an old laptop into a super-charged digital frame.

$8 DIY Aluminum Laptop Stand

We've always been keen on DIY laptop stands, but reader Aaron Kravitz—inspired by an attractive $50 stand—went above and beyond, creating one of the most attractive DIY laptop stands we've featured to date.

Build an IKEA NAS On the Cheap

If the Hive Five on best home server software got you excited about setting up a home server but you're not keen on another unsightly PC in your home, check out this DIY IKEA NAS.

Build a DIY Portable Air Conditioner

We've shown you how to make an air conditioner (even for as low as $30), but what if you wanted something you can put in your car and take with you? While it's no substitute for a fully-charged and factory-fresh AC system, it'll keep you cool.

Turn a Bookshelf into a Secret Passage

Who hasn't dreamed of having a mystery-story-style secret passageway? While a trick bookshelf is pretty awesome in itself, this secret passage hides a home office with clever style. One industrious Lifehacker reader and his girlfriend had grown tired of seeing their office from their living space, so they hid it behind a wall of books.

Wire Your House with Ethernet Cable

You've ripped a movie on your laptop, and now want it on that fancy new home theater PC next to your TV. If you've got the time, wiring your house with Cat-5e cable could make transfer times a distant memory.

Rain Gutters as Cable Management Tools

We're all about creative cable management here at Lifehacker, so we were instantly drawn to reader Seandavid010's rain-gutter cable management setup. He was awesome enough to send detailed photos and step by step instructions to help other readers recreate his setup.

Build Your Own DTV Antenna

The lights went out on analog television this year and we were there with a guide to help you build a great DIY antenna for boosting your reception and getting that crisp digital picture you crave.

DIY Laptop Rack Hack Turns Your Monitor into an iMac

Lifehacker reader Matt Lumpkin saw our monitor stand from door stoppers post and thought we might like his laptop rack hack as another space-saving desktop solution for laptop-lovers. He was right.

Build Your Own Pizza Oven

Suppose you were inspired by the cheap DIY home pizza oven—but weren't so sure your home insurance would cover oven modifications. It's time to build a safer, more eye-pleasing oven, and we've got a thorough guide.

Crack a Master Combination Padlock Redux

Two years ago we highlighted how to crack a Master combination padlock for those of you who may have lost the combination to your bulletproof lock; now designer Mark Campos has turned the tried-and-true instructions into an easier-to-follow visual guide.

DIY Invisible Floating Bookshelves

We've covered the invisible floating bookshelf once or twice before, but if you liked the idea but weren't keen on ruining a book in the process, weblog May December Home's got you covered.

DIY Inverted Bookshelf

Instead of storing your books upright on top of the shelf, the inverted bookshelf holds all of your books in place using elastic webbing so you can hang them below the shelf—all the while allowing you to still take them out and put them back on as needed.

Build an Under-the-Cabinet Kitchen PC from an Old Laptop

Inspired by our guide to giving an old laptop new life with cheap or free projects, Lifehacker reader Brian turned his aging Dell laptop into an incredible under-the-cabinet kitchen PC.

Turn Storage Containers into Self Watering Tomato Planters

If you'd like to have delicious home-grown tomatoes but lack a garden to grow them in, you'll definitely want to check out this ingenious and inexpensive self-watering system.

Deter Thieves by Uglifying Your Camera

A few years ago, blogger Jimmie Rodgers's camera was stolen while volunteering in an impoverished Brazilian community, so he did what any sane person would do: He bought a new camera and made it ugly. With his uglified camera, Rodgers was able to snap pictures freely during the rest of his trip without worrying too much that his ostensibly crappy camera would end up stolen.

DIY TV or Monitor Stand from Door Stoppers

Nothing adds space to a desk or home theater setup like a simple monitor or TV stand, and weblog IKEA Hacker details how to build your own stand on-the-cheap with a few inexpensive items from IKEA.

Repurpose Your Analog Television

You don't need to run out and buy a new TV because of the DTV switchover. If you did anyways, Make Magazine has put together quite a guide to giving old TVs new life.

Use Ping-Pong Balls to Create Diffused Party Lights

If you need some cheap and novel ambient lighting for your next party, you're only a box of ping-pong balls and a string of lights away from solving your lighting worries.

Build a Custom-Made BoxeeBox

DeviceGuru blogger Rick Lehrbaum, inspired by the cheaper set-top boxes, made his own higher-powered "BoxeeBox" for the free, open-source media center. He posted all the parts, the how-to details, and lots of pictures.

Build a Sturdy Cardboard Laptop Stand

You already shelled out your hard earned cash for a swanky laptop, why drop more cash on an overpriced laptop stand? Cardboard alone can do the trick, as detailed in this step-by-step tutorial.

Install Snow Leopard on Your Hackintosh PC, No Hacking Required

Earlier this year we put together a wildly popular guide to building a Hackintosh with Snow Leopard, start to finish, and then followed it up with an even easier guide to install Snow Leopard on your Hackintosh PC, no hacking required. Computers + DIY is all sorts of geeky fun waiting to happen.

Have a favorite DIY from 2009 that wasn't highlighted here? Sound off in the comments with a link to your favorite project. Want to see more popular DIY guides courtesy of the ghost of Lifehacker past? Check out our huge DIY guide roundup from 2008.

Yes, this video uses three of Ostendo's 2880 x 900 quad-DLP CRVD monitors and the set up looks like it could satisfy even the craziest gamer or multitasker:

Each of those three monitors is $6,500, but Christmas is right around the corner and we've all been good boys and gals, right? [Ostendo via Engadget]

Fully certified for Windows 7, the L2105tm features 1920x1080 resolution, 1000:1 contrast, 5ms response, and VGA, DVI-D with HDCP connections. You'll only be able to use two-finger multitouch (or single-point stylus), but if you're buying a monitor anyway, it's smart that manufacturers are keeping the touch price premiums low...well...attainable. [SlashGear]

Despite being discovered on Dell's site, the monitor hasn't been officially announced yet. We assume the system is IR-based (meaning it's limited to 2 simultaneous touch points), tracking a finger and stylus alike as you drag and drop or pan/zoom.

Otherwise, specs are like any other monitor, with 1920x1080 resolution, 1000:1 contrast and quick 2ms response time, along with HDMI/DVI-in and a webcam/mic combo. No word yet on pricing or release, but we like the idea. A lot. [Dell via Engadget]

• OK, so the reality of the situation might not be that exciting. All the Atlona DVI to Mini DisplayPort does is, well, convert a DVI signal to Mini DisplayPort. It's the first converter to accomplish the feat, though. For some users, especially laptop owners stuck with DVI out in their chassis, that's probably a big deal. Other than that, there's not much to write about. The converter supports resolutions up to 1920x1200, and it maintains HDCP information through the conversion. Hopefully that means there won't be any lockout issues now that iTunes is an HDCP curmudgeon. The fact that it's the first makes it pricey, but if it does what you need it to, you can grab the converter from Atlona for $179. [Press Release via Engadget]

Dell claims the display covers 100 percent of the SRGB color space and 96 percent of the Adobe RGB spectrum. The ST2410 uses the same old TN panels that have been around forever now, and trades some of the U2410's color accuracy for affordability.

Considering it's an IPS panel, the U2410's cost isn't outrageous, but it's still up there. I just hope these things drop in price soon. My 17" monitor circa 2003 is begging for an upgrade, and as much as I don't need it, I would love an IPS panel. The U2410 goes for $599, and the STN2410 runs $259. Both are up for grabs today. (The ST is pictured.) [Dell via Electronista]

• The Coolpix S70 Nikon announced last month is now available. The main draw here in the 3.5" capacitive OLED touchscreen that of course comes with obligatory touch features like tap-to-focus. Besides the touchscreen, it's a pretty standard 12.1MP point-and-shoot with the ability to record 720p video. Now shipping for $370. [OLED Info]



• Dell released two new 24" monitors today, the Ultrasharp U2410 and ST2410.

• JVC's GZ-HM400 Camcorder

The new Asus Designo MS Series 20-inch to 23.6-inch LCDs are, at least from these renders, a pretty sharp line of monitors. Donning the theme of binary, you'll notice contrasting elements like white/black and 1/0 worked into the design—which manifests most prominently in the 0-like ring stand that supports the 1-like frame. This ring stand allows users to tilt the monitor with the pressure of a single finger.

The performance specs are just as promising, with a 2ms response, 1080P playback (in some models) and 50,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio (standard contrast unspecified). So what do they cost? When will they go on sale? We don't know yet. [ACNewsWire via Fareastgizmos]

Because the KVM offers a native 2560x1600 resolution at 60Hz (or 3840x2400 at a lower refresh rate) with 7.1-channel audio. It'll work with Macs and PCs, and has hotkey and push-button switching. At $220, it's a little pricey for a dual-monitor KVM, but we are talking DisplayPort here. [Star-Tech]

In layman's terms, the innovation arrives thanks to a liquid semiconducting layer that potentially bends and flexes more reliably than the "vacuum thermal evaporation" technique employed by Samsung.

In the researchers' case, the liquid, officially known as ethylhexyl carbazole (EHCz), will constantly deliver a fresh supply of semiconductors to the emitting layer. To you and me that means better, more flexible screens that might not degrade as quickly as once thought, if and when they arrive in the (near?) future. Just don't try and drink one. [PhysOrg via OLED Info - Thanks, Ron]

Due to certain materials used in consumer electronics (especially in batteries and displays), gadgets are some of the most toxic consumer items out there, capable of leaking dangerous chemicals into the ground if they're not properly disposed of. New York, and 13 other states, have thus passed laws to create specific, stronger rules for these products. Unfortunately, in NYC, that means the members of CEA would have to go door to door to pick up products like televisions and monitors, at their own expense.

CEA is claiming that this pick-up service would clog the city's streets with smoke-belching trucks, which is bad for traffic and bad for the environment, and that the laws are unfair to electronics manufacturers. A spokesman claimed that it's "an unreasonable and unsustainable burden on manufacturers."

The CEA's argument isn't totally unfounded—it certainly would be a financial concern, even if we're not sure their environmental point about trucking is all that accurate. But the fact remains that somebody's got to take care of this stuff: It's either the state of New York, that needs to spend far more money extracting these gadgets from the trash, or the manufacturers that create the harmful products in the first place. And the fact remains that many other states and countries (Japan, South Korea) have enacted similar laws. So we're siding with New York on this one: We think it's worth a little trouble to get these products conscientiously recycled. [Wall Street Journal]

The Mimo 710-S is the "Mobile Slider" edition of their existing line, a 7-inch, 800x480 USB monitor that opens like a clamshell and rotates 90 degrees depending on your viewing preference. The catch? It costs $20 more than the existing Mimo 710 to attain this new portable formfactor. So if you're not planning to travel with it, you can probably save a few bucks on an older model.

Look for the 710-S when it's released later this month for $150. [Mimo via Everything USB via DVICE via Engadget]

But aside from this wonderful picture, there's also a huge sample of plain wonderful imagery from around Norway in this collection, which ranges from the early morning hours all the way to evening. There's even an image of our new friend Stoltenberg lounging in what appears to be a Norwegian Obi-wan Kenobi hut:

The rest is really quite awesome: Cute baby shots, to emergency rescue crews in action, to wildlife, to landscape panoramas of the countryside.

Be wary though—since many of the shots are also of healthcare situations, there are a few from the morgue showing a doctor delicately preparing a deceased elderly person for Valhalla. And yes, was just being cheeky there, as I realize that's citing Norse mythology, and implies the person died in combat—life is tough!

Nevertheless, an interesting photo set if ever there was one. Thanks for sharing, Sverre. [24 Hours In Norway]

This kind of thing isn't too uncommon, and normally a company like Dell would either honor the price (if relatively few orders were placed) or offer some kind of discount, so as not to, you know, go out of business. But the Taiwanese government is now saying Dell must honor all 140,000 orders or face prosecution for violation of fair trade laws (and no, we have no idea what fair trade has to do with this situation).

Dell has apologized and says it will compensate buyers for the mistake, but they probably mean some sort of discount instead of a loss of millions of dollars. [Channel Register via The Raw Feed]

You've also got dual HDMI ports, four USB ports and what has to be the most straightforward design of anything Alienware's every shipped, which is in and of itself an accomplishment.

They're also selling what appears to be an Alienware-branded version of SteelSeries' nearly 2-year-old 5HV2 headset that they're calling TactX.

And really, we're still using X for Xtreme? Mountain Dew is gross guys.

ALIENWARE PUTS YOU IN THE GAME WITH THE LAUNCH OF THE ALIENWARE OPTX™AW2210 21.5" FULL HD MONITOR AND ALIENWARE TACTX™ HEADSET

· Eye-catching Alienware OptX Monitor boasts 1080p HD, ultra-fast response time and features low-input lag
· New Alienware TactX Headphones single out in-game sounds for a truly immersive experience
· Together, the Alienware OptX AW2210 Monitor and Alienware TactX Headset help to create the ultimate gaming experience

MIAMI – June 30, 2009 –Gamers looking for a completely immersive gaming experience can now arm themselves with two new weapons from Alienware – the 21.5-inch Alienware OptX™ AW2210 Full HD Monitor and the Alienware TactX™ Headset offering a unique custom-engineered audio experience.

The Alienware OptX AW2210 Monitor, which goes on sale today for $299, features a Full HD screen resolution ideal for the latest-generation games and high-definition movies in glorious 1080p. To give gamers that extra edge, the monitor features low-input lag and a 2ms response time for a more real time gaming experience. With sleek looks and a dramatic profile that catch every eye in the room, the display's key features include:

• 21.5-inch Widescreen Flat Panel LCD
• 1920 x 1080 Full HD Resolution
• Ultra-Fast 2ms Response Time
• Low Input-Lag for Intense Gaming
• 16.7 Million Colors for Vibrant Images
• 80,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
• Tilt, Swivel and Height Adjustable Stand
• 2 x HDMI ports allow for you to plug in to your PC or your TV for either PC or console gaming sessions
• 4 x Universal Serial Bus ports for hassle free connection to flash drives, mouse, keyboard and other peripherals

Serious gamers know that every single component of their set-up is part of creating the best gaming experience possible. The same is true when it comes to their peripherals. Alienware TactX headphones are optimized to single out key in-game sounds, enabling you to detect gunfire, footsteps, reloads and more with precision clarity. The headset also features:

• Convenient Retractable Microphone for Headphone-Only Use
• Custom Audio Environment for Optimized In-Game Sounds
• Closed Circumaural Ear Cups for Long Term Comfort
• Gold-Plated Connectors for Increased Fidelity
• 3-Piece Design for Quick Break-Down and Easy Transport

"The ultimate gaming experience requires more than just a great PC," explained Frank Azor, Dell Gaming. "Alienware is building an ecosystem around our machines to give gamers the complete gaming experience. We're proud to offer peripherals like these that can make all the difference."

The Premium Panel Guarantee
Alienware monitors are designed and built to our highest standards, providing the quality and reliability you expect when you see the Alienware logo. Each has been exhaustively tested and comes backed by a Dell Limited Warranty1. Unyielding commitment to quality and the satisfaction of our customers has driven Dell to offer a Premium Panel Guarantee ensuring replacement of Alienware OptX series monitors with zero bright pixels. Even if only one bright pixel is found, a free panel exchange is guaranteed during the limited warranty period, so customers can rest assured their investment is protected.

[Alienware, Alienware]

The Scopia webcam captures 720p video at 30fps with a bitrate of 2 megabits. It also supports V2oIP conferencing technology and uses h.264 compression. Obviously, this thing will never win any design awards, but considering this is an enterprise-oriented product and is far more powerful than any comparable product, I'm not sure Samsung cares.

As for actual monitor specs, the Scopia VC240 has 1920x1080p full HD resolution, 1000:1 contrast ratio, and a 170 degree viewing angle. It will also be available in the fall. Oh, did I mention it costs $2000. Well it does.

Question: what video conference software works with such high resolutions?
[Only Gizmos]

Sadly, most gadgets are made out of far more toxic, environmentally devastating materials than plain Jane cardboard.

But hey! There's no reason to burden your mind with all that depressing stuff tied to a global economy dependent upon the sale of such fragile and quickly obsolescent goods. Just look at the cardboard gadgets. Neat, right? [Kyle Bean via Unplggd]