Gizmodo: picture

As Seen at CES: Microsoft Surface Fail [UPDATED]

Dan Nosowitz — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 18:45:00 EST

Intrepid reader Yves Milord snapped a pic of what might be the first error message seen on a Microsoft Surface. UPDATED

It's not a system-wide fail, and we still like the Surface, but who doesn't love an error during promotion? Microsoft "goons" apparently hustled Yves immediately out after he snapped this shot, before he could do any more damage. Keep stickin' it to the man, readers! [Thanks, Yves!]

Correction: The Windows 7 touch UI above was not developed by the surface team, and so this general error message has nothing to do with them, and concerns only the separately developed UI.

Steve Ballmer's Presentation Laptop is a Strange Choice

Haroon Malik — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:10:00 EDT

"You do it to yourself, you do
And that's what really hurts."
— Radiohead. [Flickr]

Editor's note: nothing to be surprised about here. Even if he was using a MacBook for his presentation, who cares? Macs run Windows just like any other PC laptop, and also PowerPoint for Mac OS X. Probably Ballmer doesn't give a damn about what computer is running his presentation, as long as it runs Microsoft's software. —JD

Eric's Huge iPhone is Large, Probably Doesn't Make Calls

Haroon Malik — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 09:15:00 EDT

The picture is all we have to go on, so what we can tell is this; it looks like an iPhone, but that probably isn't a real touchscreen. Sadly, we doubt it will be making any calls either. You know what they say; if it walks like a duck and it talks like a duck, chances are it is a duck. Well, in light of that information, we can rule out the possibility that it is a duck. I think we can slowly eliminate stuff it isn't in this fashion, eventually we'll get our answer. Alternatively, Eric, if you're reading, drop us a line and let us know what the hell's going on, buddy. [Flickr via Unplugged via winandmac]

Hi Volt Antivirus Brings Unorthodox Safety Measure to Your Lappie

Haroon Malik — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 22:00:00 EDT

We've seen awesome Tesla coil art many times before, and the latest addition to the catalog is no exception. With Christmas decorations, a vehicle anti-theft device and allied soldiers all getting the Tesla treatment, it was only a matter of time before the humble laptop entered into the realms of electrical greatness. These images are titled Hi Volt Antivirus and there are three different effects on display. Our particular favorite is the High Intensity Professional version, which is pictured above. Check out the Original and Lite effects, as well as the inactive electrode surface in the gallery below. Jump in to learn what got the magic going.

The electrode in the pic above was attached to a rotating apex, once turned on, the revolving surface was fed by an electricity supply, which gave rise to the effect above via a multiplier. Using various photography techniques, the images above were captured. Disconcertingly, the hot electrode was quite close to the user's face, maintaining a constant distance away by only a few centimeters. We have to ask; when will this madness stop? Electrocution is not cool. [Tesladownunder]

Craigslist Auction for Nintendo & Apple Merger Documents Has Us Reaching for Our Wallets

Haroon Malik — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 01:59:00 EDT

We know you can find an occasional bargain on Craigslist, but this takes the biscuit: documents actually detailing a merger between Apple and Nintendo. We knew Nintendo and Apple were up to something—has no one else noticed all the plastic white styled similarities? C'mon you guys, it's just makes sense! Now, we're off to put in our bid. Expect some seriously breaking news soon. [Kotaku]

Mac With 150 Apps Running Shows Teeny-Weeny Dock, Exposé Windows

Haroon Malik — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 23:59:00 EDT

Ever wondered what Mac Dock and Exposé look like with 150 apps running? Well, wonder no more, friend. Wonder no more. Rest assured, however, everything gets ludicrously tiny. Now, we're not too sure who'd be using 150 apps simultaneously, except for maybe that dude at the end of The Matrix who manages to confuse the crap out of everyone. Damn, he sure was crazy. Anyway, the sight is quite impressive nonetheless, so jump in for a screen shot.

The Mac in question is a 2.2GHz MBP with an undisclosed amount of RAM installed. The user, Flickr member burnflare92, stated no slowdown was detected at all. I find that a little hard to believe, as mine lags a bit with a mere 20-plus apps running, even if it is a 2.16Ghz, 2GB RAM MBP. What do you guys reckon: is zero lag with 150 apps running total BS? [Flickr]

Storm Blooper Reveals the True Dark Side Overlord

Haroon Malik — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 22:30:00 EDT

And so, the true ruler of the Dark Side was subtly revealed; Dr Robotnik, how we underestimated you. [Boing Boing]

iPod Pictured Onboard Space Shuttle Endeavour

Haroon Malik — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 23:30:00 EDT

A TUAW reader has managed to spot an iPod onboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, which is currently floating around in a giant vacuum. The hawk-eyed reader spotted the iPod from official NASA photos, which showed the device, barely visible, through a cabin window. Interestingly, iPods cannot be taken into space willy-nilly. In fact, the usual lithium battery must be replaced with specially designed alkaline alternatives to ensure safety standards are met. That seems like a lot of planning to us, which is part of the reason we won't be leaving planet Earth anytime soon. Another equally valid reason is because we are not qualified astronauts. If you are having difficulty recovering from the shock of this new information, please sit down and drink some water. Jump for a zoomed out shot of the space shuttle, which indicates the founder was either very bored or has awesome Superman-like eyesight. You decide.

Hit the link to learn of other galactic fantastic Apple iPods. [TUAW]

Wheelchair Dude Features in Apple Thesaurus; His Cover is Blown

Haroon Malik — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 20:30:00 EDT

What better way is there to spend your Sunday then looking up synonyms for the word "observed"? Apparently, none. As someone on planet Earth was doing exactly that when they discovered the following definition, as featured in Apple Thesaurus. Jump for a bigger pic of the priceless quote.

That picture is our own confirmation shot, but try it for yourself and see. Who is this Wheelchair Dude? Does Wheelchair Dude know he is featured in Apple Thesaurus? Where was this vestibule? Why does the narrator of the dictionary/thesaurus always leave out the important details? Is Wheelchair Dude protecting New York City when we are not looking? If you observe him, tell him his cover is blown, and he better have a damn good excuse for all that vigilante work he's been carrying out. [Cuberoot]

World's Largest: Smartparts 32-Inch Digital Picture Frame is Aptly Named

Charlie White — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 23:48:22 EST

Well Hung: When we saw the first announcement of the Smartparts 32" digital picture frame, we were wondering just how good the 1366x768 panel would look. We saw it tonight, and it's super-sharp. It's so big, it needs mounting hardware if you're hanging it on your wall, but it just might be worth the trouble. While it's not as svelte as that unreal Pioneer concept plasma display, it looks reasonably thin, about four inches at its deepest point, so it'll lie pretty flat on your wall. Brewer's Droop: It has 16:9 aspect ratio, not the same as most digital cameras, and it has no Wi-Fi connectivity. Company officials say we may have to wait until next year for sending pics to it online. Until then, not to worry—it's simply stunning as it is.

Bill Gates and Steve Jobs: Nerds on Desks

Jason Chen — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 16:50:12 EDT

Nerd hunk on desk vs. Nerd hunk on desk. Which would you do? [Boing Boing]

Fujifilm 2GB xD-Picture Card

Jason Chen — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 19:30:01 EDT

Fujifilm's announced a 2GB xD-Picture card for digital camera and camcorders—mostly Olympus and Fujifilm cameras, plus Olympus's voice recorders. The press release says the 2GB card can store 1,640 5-megapixel pictures of sorority girls gone wild, or up to 58 minutes of drunkenly filmed 320x240 resolution movies. Add to that hours and hours of your Anthropology professor's lectures, and you've got your whole college experience in something the size of a penny. – Jason Chen

Press Release [Businesswire via Mobile Whack]