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HAS_PROPERTIES

Rube Goldberg Machine Is Made of 100,000 Toothpicks, Shaped Like San Francisco

Artist Scott Weaver spent 35 years working on this toothpick structure of San Francisco, which required 100,000 toothpicks and has a ball that rolls through the entire thing in Rube Goldberg fashion. But perhaps the best part of this is Weaver's sentiment towards the project, when he mentions that he loves to "know that I'm building something that people will see later on that took a long time to build for no reason." The nine-foot-tall creation is called "Rolling Through the Bay" and is currently on display at the Sonoma County Fair in Northern California. [Press Democrat via Laughing Squid]

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Question of the Day: Do You Feel Naked Without Your Cellphone?

It seems like a distant memory now, but there was a time I could walk out of my house without a cellphone and never give it a second thought. As the years have gone by I have found myself growing increasingly attached to my phone. To be perfectly honest, I would rather not be bothered with phone calls and emails when I'm out—so why the hell do I bring my damn phone with me when I'm riding on a mountain bike trail? Seriously, it's unhealthy. So, I have to ask—are you like me? Do you feel naked without your cellphone? More »

HAS_PROPERTIES

The Shining Recreated with WowWee Robots

In the above video, the famous tricycle scene from The Shining is reenacted with a WowWee Tribot and a couple of Femisapiens who meet some gruesome demises. It's pretty awesome. After the jump, check the original scene for comparison's sake. More »

question of the day

Question of the Day: How's Your iPhone 3G Reception?

While some of us at Giz actually have better reception with the iPhone 3G than before, that's not the story raging in Apple's support forums, where few or no bars is the order of the day—and not just in the US, but worldwide, apparently. For AT&T's part, they're redeploying a bunch of 850MHz spectrum (which penetrates indoors better) for 3G service through the end of the year, so it should get a little better, at least. In the meantime, how's your reception? [Apple] More »

on the ball

It Took Comcast 20 Calls and 3 Visits Over 5 Weeks to Determine That No Cable Was Run to This Guy's House

I know—Comcast bashing is getting way too easy these days. But its hard to resist when you find out that it took 20 calls and 3 personal visits over five weeks for the company to figure out why Kenneth Bayes, a subscriber in Haymarket VA, could not get service. Then it hit them—they never ran cable to the guy's house. It is just the kind of customer service debacle that Comcast has been blaming on their rapid growth. According to Rick Germano, senior vice president of customer operations, "We are a victim of our own success, to a degree." More »

voice of the voiceless

iPhone App Devs Still Gagged by Non-Disclosure Agreement, Mad as F'n Hell About It

As we covered in our case for still needing the iPhone app black market, developers are gagged by a non-disclosure agreement that keeps them from talking about actually programming the iPhone with anybody, even though sharing info would help app development. Surprise, developers don't like that. So now we have Fucking NDA, which aggregates their rants and musings, turning them into a single stream of angst about, well, that fucking NDA. Here's a gem collected from Twitterific's Craig Hockenberry: More »

question of the day

Question of the Day: Does Your Partner Understand Your Gadget Obsession?

It's funny how technology can really put a wedge between two people in a relationship. That is to say, finding a couple where both parties share a genuine love for gadgets seems pretty rare. This issue is especially problematic when video games are involved. We are constantly hearing stories about how some dude is turning down sex and ignoring his family to play games online. As stupid as all this sounds, I'm willing to bet that it is a major problem with a lot of couples. Plus, gadget obsessions can be tied in with spending excessive amounts of money, which only serves to complicate matters. That having been said, I have to ask: does your partner understand your gadget obsession? More »

another one bites the dust

Why You Should Carry a Camcorder at All Times-Plus Infrared Goggles, Survival Kits, GPS, and Canned Burgers

Adam already pointed out the need to carry a camera with you at all times to catch amazing pictures. Now, here's one reason to always remember to carry a good videocamera. And survival kits and a GPS and armored suits and canned burgers and infrared goggles or a F-35 helmet. Unlike Lori Mehmen, however, these guys didn't take cover and just kept driving to this huge mother of all dust storms in Australia. Not as dangerous as a tornado, sure, but scary doesn't even start to describe it. [LiveLeak]

retromodo

Cruise Ship In the Middle of Hong Kong Is Actually a Crazy Shopping Center

This cruise ship is called the Whampoa and it is stranded in a gigantic pool in the middle of Hong Kong's largest private housing state: Whampoa Garden. However, this Love Boat is sailing to nowhere: it's just a huge shopping mall full of restaurants, shops, and a hotel, built to look like a cruise ship. Looking at it up close, it really looks like one, down to the metal finish. In Google Maps, you realize how huge this thing is: More »

IDEA 2008 awards

The Best, Weirdest, and Most Wonderful Gadget Designs of 2008

The 2008 International Design Excellence Awards are in. These are like the Oscars of the industrial design world, taking the pulse of what's going on, highlighting tons of weird and wonderful gadgets. We have picked the best, the weirdest, and the most wonderful, from laser liners that look like Wall-E's Eve evil twin, microwave containers with lids, and wall-mounted home server enclosures straight out of Star Trek, to self-propelled sprayers (like me), NYC condom dispensers/wrappers (no connection there), a "vibrating massager" that looks like an aubergine, and even a precision timing detonation system. More »

batphone

Nokia Responds to Batphone Allegations

Remember the fancy cellphone in The Dark Knight? It was that touchscreen Nokia that Morgan Freeman was carrying around all like, "Look at me, I'm so cool, I'm Batman's boss as well as the narrator behind many popular films." Some people (OK, CrunchGear) think that it might be the Nokia Tube (we were too busy making "pew pew" noises in the seats to notice). Nokia, however, is denying it. More »

Giz goes to Lego

Exclusive: Inside the Lego Factory

This video shows something that very few people have had the opportunity to witness: the inside of the Lego factory, with no barriers or secrets. I filmed every step in the creation of the brick. From the raw granulate stored in massive silos to the molding machines to the gigantic storage cathedrals to the decoration and packaging warehouses, you will be able to see absolutely everything, including the most guarded secret of the company: the brick molds themselves. More »

batman

Behind the IMAX in The Dark Knight

One of the many exciting aspects of The Dark Knight is how the movie incorporated IMAX shots. Friends who watched the film have called the shots absolutely stunning and incredibly immersive; another reason why this is the Best. Movie. Ever. Having yet to see it, I can only sigh wistfully and aggregate information on how it was done. Popular Mechanics has a great write-up of the challenges in shooting with an IMAX camera, including a behind-the-scenes video on how the action came together. More »

batman

Paper-craft Batmobile Recreates Tumbler From The Dark Knight

Despite wanting desperately to watch The Dark Knight, I still haven't gotten a chance to rush out to my nearest movie theater and bask myself in the two-or-so-hours of nerdgasmic delight I know is waiting for me. So as the stellar reviews pour in from the papers and from friends, I need to find creative ways to scratch that Batman itch. Like papercraft! Here's an amazing Batmobile Tumbler design created by paper model expert Claudio. With hundreds of individual pieces, I bet this thing will distract me until my man in shining (black rubber) armor whisks me off to the cinema. [Technabob] More »

question of the day

Question of the Day: Do You Support Hands-Free Laws?

It seems like common sense—if drivers have two hands on the wheel they are less likely to get in an accident on the road. Therefore, all states should adopt a hands-free law when it comes to driving and cellphone use. However, there are studies out there that suggest hands-free driving with a Bluetooth headset is as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol. Whether that is true or not, there is still the problem of implementing the law in such a way that it becomes a truly effective deterrent. So, despite these potential shortcomings, do you support hands free laws? More »

the gods hate gadgets

Gadgets Blamed For Dozens of Deadly Lightning Strikes in Russia

It appears that the gods hate gadgets, which is why they have been striking down citizens in the new, westernized Russia left and right with lightning. The fact that many of these individuals were outside using gadgets at the time has lead people to believe that the devices themselves are to blame. These incidents include a woman found dead with a melted cellphone in her hand, a 10-year-old boy on a bike and an elderly farmer tending her potato plants with what I assume was some sort of metal tool. More »

HAS_PROPERTIES

Hover Boards, Holy Grails and TIE Fighters Fill Hollywood Prop Auction's Geek Memorabilia Motherlode

For sci-fi and comic book movie fans, it doesn't get much better than right now. This week has brought both Dark Knight and the Watchmen trailer, and later this month, the Profiles in History auction house in Hollywood is opening up the prop vaults from just about every classic film over the last, oh, fifty years and isn't stopping until everything is gone, gone, gone! Marty's hover board? Check. Capt. Kirk's phaser from Search For Spock? Yep. The actual holy grail from The Last Crusade? Oh yeah! No shitty replicas here—all are the actual props used on screen, and they can be yours. But those are just the beginning. More »

review

The Dark Knight Review: Even Gadgets Can't Stop The Joker's Madness

The Dark Knight does not disappoint. Sure, there are gadgets galore in this one—you've seen a few of them in the trailer, like the Batpod and the new Batsuit—but you're going to be focusing your eyes on two things: The Joker and Harvey Dent. This film is dark, it's gritty, it's arguably more realistic than even the first movie. In short, it's everything you'd expect the sequel to be. And more. More »