Gizmodo: new years

Don't Be That Guy With The New Year's Noisemaker iPhone App Tonight

John Mahoney — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 10:45:00 EST

While everyone else is getting drunk, doing all kinds of exotic drugs and making out, you could ring in the new year with a breath-powered virtual new year's horn for your iPhone. But don't.

I'm all for iPhone apps replacing real-word objects and tools that I would then no longer have to purchase, carry or dispose of. But festive New Years Eve blowers is where i draw the line. The countdown sure is handy though, if you can't operate a digital clock. At least it's free. [NYE Countdown - iTunes via Cult of Mac]

Afternoon News: FBI Billboards, Radiohead Webcast, and Patents, Patents, Patents

Benny Goldman — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 16:00:00 EST

• The FBI wants to install 150 digital billboards in 20 US cities in the next few weeks to show fugitives, missing people and gadget bloggers. [Network World]
• Oft-discussed Radiohead will have a live webcast concert at midnight on January 1. It's almost cool to stay home on New Year's Eve now. [Pitchfork]
• Google is stuck in patent troll hell with Hyperphase Technologies, LLC. The company claims it holds patents on certain parts of AdSense technology. [The Register]
• Yahoo filed a patent for "smart drag-and-drop" technology, which means "displaying drop targets in proximity to a drag-able selected object." Too bad everything from MS Excel to Apple Mail to Adobe Flash all use similar technology already. [Ars Technica]
• Vonage finalized their settlement with AT&T over the former infringing on the latter's VoIP patents. The settlement is believed to be somewhere in the neighborhood of $39 million. [CRN]

New Year's Resolutions/Predictions

Mark Wilson — Sun, 31 Dec 2006 23:00:04 EST

It's about that time to bust out the champagne toasts, and you know what that means. (No, not a life of cold sores from the stranger you kiss at midnight). It's time to make New Year's resolutions that you won't keep and make predictions that won't happen.

I'll go first. My New Year's Resolution is to keep better track of my gadgets and their necessary batteries, cords and the such. As of now I have hundreds of dollars in lost tech in a perpetual state of dead battery in a travel bag beneath a dirty pile of clothes. My New Year's prediction (sorry kids, "iPhone" thing is taken) is that the PS3 will see a substantial price drop by 2008.

Now it's your turn.

Oh, and Happy New Year, readers! – Mark Wilson...on behalf of the drunk Gizmodo staff

Party Like It's 2025

johnb — Sat, 31 Dec 2005 20:50:47 EST

Phil Torrone and a number of web ninjas will be meeting in Second Life tonight to partay like it's the Cheap Hotel. Phil will be wearing his "wearable computer" and there is a live music feed and all sorts of coolness.

If you're staying in tonight come join MAKE and Eric Rice in the virtual world, Second Life. The party will be at Spin Martin's place (Eric Rice) - at the Spin Martin Estate in Palulop (117/231). Eric has set up numbers to call 1-818-237-5533 or toll free 1-800-978-KSSX and will be streaming music in world.

New Year's Eve - Virtually! [MakeZine]