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Residential solar has two main obstacles—expense and aesthetics. Even if I could afford it, my HOA probably wouldn’t allow it. All of this could change thanks to Dow Solar Solutions and their Powerhouse shingles. The shingle will use thin-film cells of copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS), a photovoltaic material that typically is more efficient at…
Oh, of course Steve Ballmer speaks “careful, well-pronounced” French perfectly and France loves him back because he’s “one of us.” [WSJ]
At the Swedish Finnish phonemaker’s booth, I overheard a Nokia rep say that Nokia “will never release an Android handset.” He added, “You can quote me on that,” which is good, because I am! Nokia’s aging Symbian S60 OS isn’t maturing so well, as seen on their N97 handset, and though they’ve made some positive…
We’re big on 64-bit OSes, ’cause ours computers eat memory like this Obama eats children’s dreams, but Microsoft’s thinking about going 128 bit as soon as Windows 8, and most definitely by Windows 9. https://gizmodo.com/why-you-should-go-64-bit-with-windows-7-5133771 That’s the scoop gleaned off the LinkIn Profile for Robert Morgan, Senior Research & Development at Microsoft, anyway: Working in…
I have to admit, the distressed look of the new Rock Band ‘Player’s Edition’ Fender Telecaster for the Xbox 360 is bad ass. But that badassery may not live up to the $110 price tag. If you are still with us after that price revelation, you might be interested to know that the Mad Catz…
This week in Berlin, two gigantic marionettes have appeared to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. They are awesome. Check the Big Picture for the full set. [Big Picture]
What’s inside the Windows 7 Launch Party Kit? Balloons, streamers and no cake. Oh right, they stuck a copy of Windows 7 in there, too. https://gizmodo.com/this-incredible-windows-7-launch-party-video-is-either-5366105 The box itself. The contents of the box itself. Note the inclusion of playing cards and a puzzle. These will be collector’s items when Ballmer dies. This looks like…
I just got some time with Samsung’s Android handset for Sprint, the Moment, and it looks promising, but barely differentiates itself from the Android crowd. https://gizmodo.com/this-is-the-moment-for-a-samsung-android-oled-qwerty-5376362 The Moment is a fairly slick-looking device, quite thin for a full QWERTY slider and with an inoffensive black and silver design with a nice silver grille accent on…
We don’t usually care about other people’s contests, but Technologizer has a smart one to find out who has the crappiest PC in America. Oh, and there’s a prize. It’s the HP envy 13. To enter, just head on over here and follow the rules. We’re working together with Technologizer so that we’ll be able…
If Sean inspired you to drop your cable or satellite subscription yesterday, the Lenovo HTPC might be just what you need to free yourself from paid TV. https://gizmodo.com/life-without-cable-or-satellite-tv-is-easier-than-you-t-5366161 Top Deals: • 13.3″ Aluminum MacBook (Previous Generation) for $899.99 plus free shipping (normally $970 – use this form). • Lenovo IdeaCentre Dual Core Home Theater PC…
What is photography’s greatest scourge? Cellphone cameras? MySpace self-portraiture? Neither even comes close to the insidious, creeping threat that is your camera’s built-in flash. Here’s when and how you should—and more importantly, shouldn’t—use a flash. Avid photographers, you already know the score, and this isn’t a guide for you. Nor is it for the dude…
Buffalo is set to cross the USB 3.0 finish line first with their HD-HU3 hard drive. They also plan on offering NEC’s IFC-PCIE2U3 2-port PCI Expressx1 host controller with the drive so you can, you know, use it. The drives will be available this month—although it appears to be a Japan-only release for the moment.…
Actually, he wouldn’t have, but only because in the 60s you needed a thousand-mile cable to carry a telephone around. And because he’s too cool for the iPhone. Still, the batmanesque iBike Rider looks great for bikers with iPhones. You can get the basic iBike Rider, a weather-proof case that attaches to your arms with…
Ah, the power of expectations. According to a new study, if you expect the video quality of whatever you’re watching to be great, you’ll think it is. Two groups of 30 people watched the same video clip, individually, on the same television. Half were told to expect a better experience thanks to HD technology, an…
Oh come on, Dell! Right after you show this amazing looking Adamo XPS you tell us you have made this ridiculous Bergdorf Goodman Adamo? The diamond snake adornment is twice as thick as the laptop, not to mention costs 5K. https://gizmodo.com/dell-adamo-xps-first-look-so-thin-it-could-slice-a-mac-5376253 Yeaaaaa. So you won’t be able to buy it and it will only be…
It appears that Samusng has dropped the InstinctQ branding on their upcoming Android-powered QWERTY slider to something that sounds like a lyric in a cheesy ballad. At any rate, complete details about the upcoming Sprint phone have been revealed. https://gizmodo.com/samsungs-android-instinctq-for-sprint-spotted-in-leaked-5341134 Features include a 3.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen, full QWERTY keyboard, a 3.2 megapixel camera and an…
Say your pet rat dies. Instead of trashing it, you could shove LED throwie lights into its eye-sockets in a decorative taxidermy experiment that’s as creative as it is graphically morbid. It might be what little Snowy would have wanted. https://gizmodo.com/led-throwies-harmless-way-to-make-your-mark-154993 Seriously, wow. This is one of the most twisted step-by-step instructables yet. Personally, I…
A Japanese company called Haruyama Trading Co. has developed a suit that supposedly protects the wearer from the H1N1 hysteria virus. Finally! It does this by being coated with titanium dioxide, which apparently reacts to light and kills the virus when it comes in contact with it. Unfortunately, you don’t get the flu through your…
Andy Phifer, like many of us, faced a glowing red ring on his nonfunctional Xbox 360. Facing an RRoD warranty technicality, he sent Microsoft $100 to make necessary repairs. Things didn’t go so well. Here’s his story: UPDATE I’m sure you get stories like this all the time, and I’m sure the news is old…