Gizmodo: sadness

Making Fun of Microsoft Suddenly Doesn't Seem As Funny

Adam Frucci — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:40:00 EST

Sometimes, editorial cartoons are more sad than funny. No matter what you think of Microsoft, nobody likes seeing people laid off. Stay strong, all you Hodgmans. [Gary Varvel via The Daily What]

'Generic Escape Capsule' May Be the Saddest Thing I've Ever Seen

Adam Frucci — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 11:30:00 EST

Sometimes, when life's getting you down, you just need to hole yourself up in a modified wardrobe, sitting on a chair with a hole cut in the seat for you to poop through.

The wardrobe, designed by Australian artist Adam Norton, features everything you need to live, from the aforementioned toilet chair to a cooking setup, bookshelf and even a periscope to see if anyone from the outside world is coming to get you.

I'm just going to keep telling myself that this is just an art project and that no one would actually hide in it for an extended period of time. I just have to.

[Treehugger via Make]

Beer-Filled USB Drive Raises Disturbing Questions

Dan Nosowitz — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 20:00:00 EDT

Gadgets like this Beer-Filled USB Flash Drive really make me question the basics. More than my first-year university philosophy class did, anyway. Existential angst, the downfall of western civilization, and "customizable floaties" after the jump.

Is capitalism really that great, if it leads to beer-filled USB flash drives with "optional customizable floating objects" inside? Should we Americans really be that pleased with our free speech, if it means I get emails from people who make flash drives with BEER in them? And am I really secure with myself as a gadget dork, getting all excited over the latest and greatest shiny toys, if that same email brags about the floating objects being in 3D? How could they be anything but 3D, when they're actual, physical objects? I can't pretend like the world is the same after this. The sun doesn't shine as bright. The air doesn't taste as sweet. Congratulations, Beer-Filled USB Drive Manufacturer. You've broken me. [CNK]

Robotic Plant That Nods When You Talk Makes Me Want to Cry

Adam Frucci — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:45:00 EDT

Oh, my, this is a sad robot. It's a robotic plant, and all it does is nod at you when you talk to it. Apparently designed for the loneliest people on the planet, it provides as much comfort as an inanimate object designed to move up and down automatically can provide. It makes me sad to even think about some poor shut-in using this. [BBC via TokyoMango]

My Computer Speakers Died; Giz Readers' Assistance Needed

Adam Frucci — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 11:45:22 EDT

OK, dudes, I need some help here. I've had a sweet set of Yamaha 2.1 computer speakers for about eight years now. They've served me well, they sound good at a high volume, they're small and simple, and they even survived getting an entire can of root beer splashed on the subwoofer in college. Now, after surviving many moves and many computers, the right speaker seems to be dying. It crackles out and just stops playing, and it seems like it's about that time to finally get a new set. The trouble is, I don't know which set to go with.

From looking at stores like Circuit City, it seems like there's a big gap between the crappy, cheap speakers that run like $50 and the nice sounding but insanely overpriced Bose speakers that I refuse to spend $250 on. What do you guys use? I don't want a 5.1 setup for my computer, I want a 2.1, but I want it to sound good. I listen to it all day while I work, after all. So what's the best setup? Let's hear it, dudes.

iPhone Linewatch: One $600 Phone Away From Homelessness

Adam Frucci — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 23:25:07 EDT

Here he is again, Sweaty McTouchscreen, the #1 linesitter at the midtown Apple store, this time explaining himself via a strange variation of the "I'm homeless, need money for booze" sign.

Well, that's it. We're doomed. We've had a good run, but it looks like this whole humanity experiment didn't really work out. Let's just cut our losses here. Better luck next time, guys.

Thanks for the snap, Andrew Andrew.