Windows 7 Sales 234% Higher Than Vista

NPD declared sales for Windows 7 were 234% higher than the sales for Windows Vista in the same amount of time on the market, says Nick Wingfield at the WSJ's Seattle desk. Oddly, Windows PC sales were down, 6% lower than they were during the Vista launch weeks. The NPD analyst take: "I think it's mixed. We would have liked to see a stronger jump on the hardware side." The non-analyst take: People who had XP knew that switching to Vista would suck without a new machine; now, the opposite is true, with so many people keeping their old machines but trying any means necessary to rid them of Vista. Still, these are early days, and we already knew pre-orders were insane. I'm just curious to see if PC sales will pick up for the holidays. [WSJ - Image Source]

Battery Juice No Longer Just an Expression, Still Not as Tasty as Orange Juice

You know how the Air Force has been working on a secret water-based battery technology for 25 years, but couldn't get it to work because of water's damned evaporative property? OK, me neither, but this research, which bears the ironically simple name "metal-air," might become our next great battery technology. They won't be using water, though. Instead, they'll use a clear, viscous, electrically conductive and mercifully non-volatile substance called ionic liquid. This stuff isn't going to be powering your Zune until the Zune itself is pretty much an implant (or a smart tattoo), but if you're curious, you should check out the super over-my-head chemical explanation. [MIT Tech Review - Image Source]

Verizon Calls AT&T's Ad Lawsuit "Junk"

As if AT&T's stupid "Map For That" lawsuit wasn't embarrassing enough on its own, Verizon Wireless's Jeffrey Nelson got a chance to ridicule it when AdWeek called him for comment. "This is a junk lawsuit," he said. "It's surprising that rather than defend the ‘blue' hot spots on their 3G map, our competitor instead focuses on their white spaces." This isn't working out according to plan, is it, AT&T? Reminds me of the Trojan Rabbit scene in Python's Holy Grail. [AdWeek via AllThingsD]

Air Filter Uses Plants to Get Rid of Yer Weed Smoke

There's a new air filter that draws air through the leaves, roots and soil of a house plant in order to filter impurities from the room. Well, it was designed in 2007, but it's now a reality. Hey, are you thinking what I'm thinking? If you grow pot in the filter, when you smoke it, the plant itself that bestowed it upon you can filter the smoke, and maybe recapture some THC for bonus stickiness? Wait, what? Oh man, I'm freaking out. You're crazy. This is crazy. Seriously. Let's do it. [Inhabitots]

And if you like the style, Bugatti also does a toaster (don't ask me why). I prefer their shiny fast cars and boats, even though I'll never be able to afford them.

If you take your water boiling super seriously, you'll be able to pick one up in late September for $300. Yikes. [Wheredidyoubuythat via Unplgged]

And good on them, I say. Medicinal Cannabis use works, alleviates pain, and allows people who need some serious stress relief—say, from cancer—to get that relief and feel great doing it.

The app is based on Ajnag.com, which has existed for a while as a legitimate medicinal Cannabis location site on the Web. In fact, once you download the app to your iPhone, you have a veritable smorgasbord of legal Cannbis services at your fingertips:

Once you have received your medical cannabis recommendation from a qualified physician, you will need to locate an organization that can provide you with medical cannabis. Access the Cannabis application again. Press locate. The nearest medical cannabis collectives, cooperatives or facilities will appear with little green dots on a map of your current or selected location. Get real-time door-to-door directions. Add the locations' details to your iPhone contact list.

If the unfortunate happens, and you find yourself in legal trouble over your medicinal herb, pull out your cannabis application once again. Pin point local attorneys who specialize in marijuana-related offenses.

And one more thing... If you need medicinal marijuana and don't live in one of them wonderfully progressive hippie states, like California, there's an app for that too. This one:

Not living in a medical cannabis state? The only way to make cannabis change is to take action. Your new iPhone application will locate the nearest cannabis-reform group so you can get involved.

If you're suffering, and get approval from a doctor, get some herb. This $3 app will help you keep tabs on where to get more when it's all out. Ed note: And yes, my newly promoted commenter friend, you might have to be high to pay three bucks for such an app. But, if you're new to an area... [ajnag.com - Thanks, Cheryl]

Gizmodo '79 is a week-long celebration of gadgets and geekdom 30 years ago, as the analog age gave way to the digital, and most of our favorite toys were just being born.

The Canna Chopper boasts odor and video sensors to find pot fields from the air, and on its first trip it rounded up seven outlaw farmers and several kilos of product, so looks like it's reasonably effective. Effective at being no fun. [Dutch Daily News via DVICE]

Doesn't look like there's any water in the pipe, and there's no way it's still functional, but any and all McGuyvering of marginally illegal substances must be championed. So, um, champion! [Thanks, Brian!]

As explained in this CNN clip, Hillman returned to the police department later with his original box and receipt, proving his ownership of the system. But the console could not be found because it had not yet been transferred to the evidence room.

We're still in the dark as to whether or not Hillman ever got his (now) stolen Xbox back. Here's hoping the authorities drew the lines of decency somewhere and left his frozen pizzas alone. [Xbox360Fanboy]

Just watching this video serves as proof of the efficacy of the Volcano—obviously whoever shot and edited this watch-the-grass-growing video had a distorted sense of time passing. Note to self: Don't shoot and edit video while plastered.

Its makers say the Volcano Digit is accurate, bringing that herb to ± 1.5°C of the perfect vaporization temperature, showing its progress to you in big bright LEDs you'll be able to read no matter how toasted you are. Even though this Volcano Digit costs $669, we like the idea of reducing the most harmful aspect of pot smoking: It's a gateway drug ... to cigarettes. [The Volcano Vaporizers, Via Storz-Brickel]

Polish Pot Plant PC [Tha Boing]

This six-foot marijuana plant, marked down to $190.57 from $224.20, includes five buds and sits in a basket container. The three-foot marijuana plant is $114.07. Or you can just grow your own for free. – Charlie White

Product Page [New Image Plants, via Yahoo News]

This is actually from a longer Financial Times piece about "functional drinks" designed to make you think you're drinking something more than sugar water. While this is rarely the case, C-Ice has made a shrewed marketing decision—stoners definitely love them some sugar water. – John Biggs

Some cannabis with your tea? [FT via TreeHugger]
Product Page [C-Ice]

Oh man. That pun in the title was like, soooo funny, man. Dig...Pot? Like a Potted Plant! Sorry about that, I just got sidetracked because of this totally awesome Cannabis-scented candle from IIKH. Straight outta NYC, these candles are made from vegetable wax and have a cotton wick for a longer and cleaner burn. You know, kind of like a totally rad bong hit, man. If Cannabis isn't quite your thing, the candles also come in other scents such as Basil, Black Tea, Hyacinth and Lime Blossom. If you want to get your stoner friend something for the holidays, this is a great gift idea. Votives are $10 and candles are $28, so why not grab a dime bag and a few votives and be creative?

Cannabis Candles from IIKH [Cool Hunting]