Got a new computer for Christmas? Are you worried about all the spyware horror stories you’ve read? You should be. I’ve heard varying numbers, but it’s said that putting an unprotected computer on a high-speed connection results in getting infected within a few minutes. I just read that the time is getting longer, but that’s not much comfort. By all means you should have a router if you’re on a high speed connection. A router provides some protection, but is only the beginning. Ok, now the new machine is booted up the first time and ready to go. It’s on the net. In this order, here’s what to do.
1. Update Windows immediately. In the Windows Security Center in the Control Panel turn on automatic download and installation for updates. Unless the computer came with a third party security suite or firewall, turn on the Windows XP firewall.
2. Update the pre-installed antivirus definitions and other security apps. Set them to auto update.
3. Download and install an alternative browser like Firefox or Opera.
4. Lockdown Internet Explorer. Yes, do it even if you use a different browser.
5. Install at least two anti-spyware apps. My top two recommended free apps are Ad-Aware and Microsoft AntiSpyware. Update definitions for both and turn on active protection in Microsoft AntiSpyware.
6. Install some free protective programs like SpywareBlaster and SpywareGuard from Javacool Software.
7. Install IE-SPYAD, which puts nearly 20,000 known dangerous domains in IE’s restricted site zone.
8. Install a HOSTS file from here or here.
9. Educate yourself on how to not become infected in the first place.
10. Surf safe and practice safe hex.
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Spyware/index.php?p=733
Tags: free software
Your data’s trapped on a dead computer. You lost your login password. You never wrote down the product key on a non-working Windows installation. Your Mac won’t start.
Don’t pay the extortionists at the computer repair shop 800 bucks to get your data back or start up your dead computer. Plenty of free tools can help you and are available for download right now. Today we’ve got our top 10 system recovery picks which span operating systems but all cost the same: exactly nothing.
Which one of these tools is right for you depends on your skill level, operating system and particular problem. Do yourself a favor and burn yourself a disc with a couple of these before the terrible day when you need ‘em happens.
Tags: free software
Launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour. This is a five minute exposure taken from about 7 miles away from the pad. Taken with a borrowed all-manual Nikomat camera, 24 mm lens, f/16, Kodak Royal Gold 100 film. When the exposure was stopped in this shot, the shuttle was approximately 229 statute miles downrange.
Tags: photo
Tags: General
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Death by Embracing the Reflection of the Moon
Chinese poet Li Po (701-706) is regarded as one of the two greatest poets in China’s literary history. He was well known for his love of liquor and often spouted his greatest poems while drunk.
One night, Li Po fell from his boat and drowned in the Yangtze River while trying to embrace the reflection of the moon in the water. |
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Death by Beard
Austrian Hans Steininger was famous for having the world’s longest beard (it was 4.5 feet or nearly 1.4 m long) and for dying because of it.
One day in 1567, there was a fire in town and in his haste Hans forgot to roll up his beard. He accidentally stepped on his beard, lost balance, stumbled, broke his neck and died! |
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Death From Holding a Pee In
Danish nobleman and astronomer Tycho Brahe [wiki] was one interesting fellow. He kept a dwarf as a court jester who sat under the table during dinner. He even had a tame pet moose.
Tycho also lost the tip of his nose in a duel with another Danish nobleman and had to wear a “dummy” nose made from silver and gold, but that’s another story.
It was said that Tycho had to hold his pee during one particularly long banquet in 1601 (getting up in the middle of a dinner was considered really rude) that his bladder, strained to its limits, developed an infection which later killed him!
Later analyses suggested that Tycho died because of mercury poisoning but that’s not nearly as interesting as the original story. |
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Death by Conductor’s Cane
While conducting the hymnal Te Deum for French King Louis XIV in 1687, Jean-Baptiste Lully was so focused in keeping the rhythm by banging a staff against the floor (this was the method before conductor’s baton came into use), that he struck his toe hard but refused to stop.
The toe developed an abscess, which later turned gangrenous, but Lully refused to have it amputated. The gangrene spread and killed the stubborn musician.
Ironically, the hymn he was conducting was in celebration of the recovery of Louis XIV from an illness. |
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Death by Dessert
King Adolf Frederick [wiki] of Sweden loved to eat and died from it too!
The “King Who Ate Himself to Death” died in 1771 at the age of 61 from a digestive problem after eating a giant meal consisting of lobster, caviar, saurkraut, cabbage soup, smoked herring, champagne and 14 servings of his favorite dessert: semla [wiki], a bun filled with marzipan and milk. |
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Death by Jury Demonstration
After the Civil War, controversial Ohio politician Clement Vallandigham [wiki] became a highly successful lawyer who rarely lost a case.
In 1871, he defended Thomas McGehan who was accused of shooting one Tom Myers during a barroom brawl. Vallandigham’s defense was that Myers had accidentally shot himself while drawing his pistol from a kneeling position.
To convince the jury, Vallandigham decided to demonstrate his theory. Unfortunately, he grabbed a loaded gun by mistake and ended up shooting himself!
By dying, Vallandigham succeeded in demonstrating the plausibility of the accidental shooting and got his client acquitted. |
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Death from Biting One’s Tongue
Allan Pinkerton (1819-1884)[wiki], famous for creating the Pinkerton detective agency and developing investigative techniques such as surveilling a suspect and doing undercover work, died of an infection after biting his tongue when he slipped on a sidewalk! |
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Death from Stubbing One’s Toe
Famous Tennessee whiskey distiller Jack Daniel [wiki] decided to come in to work early one morning in 1911. He wanted to open his safe but couldn’t remember the combination. In anger, Daniel kicked the safe and injured his toe, which later developed an infection that killed him!
Moral of the story? Don’t go to work early. |
| Death by Orange Peel
Bobby Leach [wiki] wasn’t afraid to court death: in 1911, he was the second person in the world to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel. The daredevil went on to perform many other death-defying stunts, so his death is especially ironic.
One day while walking down a street in New Zealand, Leach slipped on a piece of orange peel. He broke his leg so badly it had to be amputated. Leach died due to complications that developed afterwards. |
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Death by Overcoat Parachute Failure
In 1911, French tailor Franz Reichelt decided to test his invention, a combination overcoat and parachute, by jumping off the Eiffel Tower. Actually, he told the authorities that he would use a dummy, but at the last minute decided to test it himself. It was no surprise that he fell to his death.
There’s even a YouTube clip of his fatal jump. |
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Death by 1) Poison, 2) Gunshot Wound (4x), 3) Beating by Clubs, 4) Drowning.
According to legends, Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin (1869-1916) was first poisoned with enough cyanide to kill ten men, but he wasn’t affected.
So his killers shot him in the back with a revolver. Rasputin fell but later revived. So, he was shot again three more times, but Rasputin still lived. He was then clubbed, and for good measure thrown into the icy Neva River.
Rasputin was finally dead for good. |
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Death by Baseball
Cleveland Indians shortstop Ray Chapman [wiki] was the only man ever killed by a baseball pitch.
At that time, baseball pitchers dirtied up a ball before it was thrown at the batter to make it harder to see. On August 6, 1920 in a game against the New York Yankees, Carl Mays pitched such a ball towards Chapman that fatally hit his skull. |
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Death by Scarf
“Mother of modern dance” Isadora Duncan [wiki] was killed in 1927 by her trademark scarf she loved to wear:
As the New York Times noted in its obituary of the dancer on 15 September 1927, “The automobile was going at full speed when the scarf of strong silk began winding around the wheel and with terrific force dragged Miss Duncan, around whom it was securely wrapped, bodily over the side of the car, precipitating her with violence against the cobblestone street. She was dragged for several yards before the chauffeur halted, attracted by her cries in the street. Medical aid was summoned, but it was stated that she had been strangled and killed instantly.”
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| Death by Garbage
Homer and Langley Collyer [wiki] were compulsive hoarders. The two brothers had a fear of throwing anything away and obsessively collected newspapers and other junk in their house. They even set up booby-traps in corridors and doorways to protect against intruders.
 In 1947, an anonymous tip called that there was a dead body in the Collyer house, and after much initial difficulty getting in, the police found Homer Collyer dead and Langley no where to be found. About two weeks later, after removing nearly 100 tons of garbage from the house, workers found Langley Collyer’s partialy decomposed (and rat-chewed) body just 10 feet away from where they had found his brother.
Apparently, Langley had been crawling through tunnels of newspapers to bring food to his paralyzed brother when he set off one of his own booby-traps. Homer died several days later from starvation. |
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Death at a Talk Show
Jerome Irving Rodale [wiki] was a proponent of healthy eating. He was an early advocate for organic farming and sustainable agriculture, founder of Organic Farming and Gardening magazine and Rodale Press.
After bragging that he would “live to 100, unless I’m run down by a a sugar-crazy taxi driver”, Rodale died of a heart attack while being interviewed on the Dick Cavett Show in 1971. Appearing fast asleep, Dick Cavett joked “Are we boring you, Mr. Rodale?” before discovering that his 72-year-old guest had indeed died. The show was never aired. |
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Death by Suicide During a Live TV News Broadcast
Christine Chubbuck [wiki] was the first and only TV news reporter to commit suicide during a live television broadcast.
On July 15, 1974, eight minutes into the broadcast, the depressed reporter said “In keeping with Channel 40’s policy of bringing you the latest in blood and guts, and in living color, you are going to see another first: an attempted suicide.” With that, Chubbuck drew up a revolver and shot herself in the head. |
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Death on the Toilet
There are several examples of death on the toilet, but that of Elvis Presley (1935 - 1977) was the most famous.
The King of Rock ‘n Roll was found lying on the floor of his Graceland mansion’s bathroom after throwing up while being seated on the toilet, taking care of business.
Doctors attributed his death to a heart attack from weight gain and taking too many prescription drugs. |
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Death by Robot
Robert Williams [wiki] was the first man ever killed by a robot. On January 25, 1979, Williams climbed into a storage rack at the Ford Motor’s Flat Rock casting plant to retrieve a part because the parts-retrieval robot malfunctioned. Suddenly, the robot reactivated and slammed its arm into Williams’ head, killing him instantly.
The second death by robot happened just a couple of years afterwards in 1981. Kenji Urada [wiki], a 37-year-old Japanese maintenance engineer was working on a broken robot at a Kawasaki plant when he failed to turn it off. The robot’s mechanical arm accidentally pushed him into a grinding machine. |
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Death by Decapitation by Helicopter Rotor Blades
Actor Vic Morrow [wiki] died on the set of Twilight Zone: The Movie when a helicopter spun out of control due to special effect explosions, crashed, and decapitated him with its rotor blades.
Two other child actors also died at the event, which triggered a massive reform in US child labor laws and safety regulations on movie sets. |
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Death by Cactus
In 1982, 27-year-old David Grundman and a roommate decided to do a little “cactus plugging,” by shooting the desert plant with a shotgun.
The first one, a small cactus, went off without a hitch and Grundman was encouraged to try a larger prey: a 26-foot-tall Saguaro cactus, probably a 100-year-old plant. Unfortunately, Grundman blasted off a large chuck of the cactus that fell on him and crushed him to death!
To date, this was probably the only known instance of revenge killing by a plant. |
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Death by Bottle Cap
American playwright Tennessee Williams [wiki] died in 1983 after he choked on a bottle cap in his hotel room. Yes, he had been drinking. |
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Death by Drowning at a Lifeguards’ Party.
In 1985, to celebrate their first drowning-free season ever, the lifeguards of the New Orleans recreation department decided to throw themselves a party.
When the party ended, a 31-year-old guest named Jerome Moody was found dead on the bottom of the recreation department’s pool.
We suppose when it’s your time to go, then it’s your time to go: there were four lifeguards on duty and more than half of the 200 party-goers were themselves lifeguards! |
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Death on Stage, While Telling a Joke
Dick Shawn (1924-1987) was a comedian who had a heart attack and died during a joke that seemed strangely appropriate:
He was making fun of politicians by saying campaign cliches ending with “I will not lay down on the job!” Shawn then laid down on the floor face down. At first, the audience thought that it was all part of the show, until some time later a theater employee checked him for a pulse and began administering CPR.
The paramedics then arrived, and the audience were told to go home - Dick Shawn was dead. |
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Death by Belly Slam.
British pro wrestler Mal “King Kong” Kirk died underneath the big belly of Shirley “Big Daddy” Crabtree.
In August 1987, during the final moments of the match, Crabtree delivered his signature “Belly-Splash” move (basically jumping up and down, slamming his belly onto a guy) on Kirk, who then had a heart attack and died.
Crabtree was cleared after it was revealed that Kirk had a serious heart condition prior to the match. However, Crabtree blamed himself for Kirk’s death and retired from pro wrestling.
Before the match, Kirk had told his friends: “If I have to go, I hope it is in the ring.” |
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Death by Giant Umbrellas
In 1991, artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude put up an environmental installation art of thousands of giant yellow and blue umbrellas in California and Japan.
The giant umbrellas, which measured about 20 foot (6 m) in height, 28 foot (8.7 m) in diameter and weighed about 500 lb, became a huge tourist attraction.
Less than two months after the installation opened, Lori Rae Keevil-Mathews, a 33-year-old woman drove out to see the umbrellas in California. A wind gust uprooted one of the umbrellas and blew it straight at her, crushing her against a boulder and killing her.
Christo immediately ordered all of the umbrellas taken down. The umbrellas, however, took another life - this time in Japan. Crane operator Masaaki Nakamura was electrocuted when the machine’s arm touched a 65,000-volt high-tension line when removing the umbrellas. |
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Death by Re-creation
In 1991, a 57-year-old Thai woman Yooket Paen was walking in her farm when she accidentally slipped on a cow dung, grabbed a naked live wire and got electrocuted to death.
Soon after Paen’s funeral, her 52-year-old-sister Yooket Pan was showing her neighbors how the accident happened when she herself slipped, grabbed the same live wire and also got electrocuted to death! |
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Death by Sheep
In 1999, Betty Stobbs, 67, of Durham, England, took a bale of hay to feed her flock of sheep on the back of her motorcycle.
Apparently, the sheep were very hungry. About forty of them rushed the hay and knocked her off a cliff into a 100-feet deep quarry. Stobbs survived the fall only to be killed when the motorcycle, which was also knocked off the cliff, tumbled down after her. |
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Death by Necklace Bomb
On the afternoon of August 28, 2003, pizza deliveryman Brian Wells [wiki] tried to rob a bank with a home-made shotgun disguised as a cane.
When he was caught by the police, Wells revealed that he had been forced by some people he delivered pizza to earlier to rob the bank. A necklace with an explosive device was attached to his neck.
The necklace bomb blew up before the bomb squad could deactivate it (indeed, there was controversy whether the police took his story seriously and delayed calling the bomb squad). Until today, it’s unclear whether Wells was a victim, a co-conspirator or the lone perpetrator of the robbery and subsequent death.
Update 3/12/07: Case solved, said the authorities, with indictments expected soon: Link |
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Death by Stingray
In 2006, Australian wildlife expert and TV personality Steve “The Crocodile Hunter” Irwin [wiki] died when he was stabbed in the heart by a stingray spine while filming a documentary Ocean’s Deadliest. |
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Death by Bookcase
Mariesa Weber was reported missing by her family for nearly two weeks before they found her in her bedroom, wedged behind a bookcase.
“I’m sleeping in the same house as her for 11 days, looking for her,” her mother, Connie Weber, told the St. Petersburg Times. “And she’s right in the bedroom.”
Both Weber and her sister had previously adjusted the television plug by standing on a bureau next to the shelf and leaning over the top. Her family believes Weber, who was 5-foot-3 and barely 100 pounds, may have fallen headfirst into the space.
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Tags: photo
You can have an erection once dead
A death erection (sometimes referred to as “angel lust”) is a post-mortem erection which occurs when a male individual dies vertically or face-down – the cadaver remaining in this position. During life, the pumping of blood by the heart ensures a relatively even distribution around the blood vessels of the human body. Once this mechanism has ended, only the force of gravity acts upon the blood. As with any mass, the blood settles at the lowest point of the body and causes edema or swelling to occur; the discoloration caused by this is called lividity.
Sorry, no photo for this one!
Your hand can have a life of it’s own
Alien hand syndrome (or Dr. Strangelove syndrome) is an unusual neurological disorder in which one of the sufferer’s hands seems to take on a life of its own.
AHS is best documented in cases where a person has had the two hemispheres of their brain surgically separated, a procedure sometimes used to relieve the symptoms of extreme cases of epilepsy. It also occurs in some cases after other brain surgery, strokes, or infections. The HAND is after you!
Don’t laugh too much, it can kill you
Fatal hilarity is death as a result of laughter. In the third century B.C. the Greek philosopher Chrysippus died of laughter after seeing a donkey eating figs (hey, it wasn’t THAT funny).
On 24 March 1975 Alex Mitchell, a 50-year-old bricklayer from King’s Lynn, England, literally died laughing while watching an episode of The Goodies. According to his wife, who was a witness, Mitchell was unable to stop laughing whilst watching a sketch in the episode “Kung Fu Kapers” in which Tim Brooke-Taylor, dressed as a kilted Scotsman, used a set of bagpipes to defend himself from a psychopathic black pudding in a demonstration of the Scottish martial art of “Hoots-Toot-ochaye”. After twenty-five minutes of continuous laughter Mitchell finally slumped on the sofa and expired from heart failure. His widow later sent the Goodies a letter thanking them for making Mitchell’s final moments so pleasant.
A weapon could make you Gay
Gay bomb is an informal name for a potential non-lethal chemical weapon, which a U.S. Air Force research laboratory speculated about producing.
In one sentence of the document it was suggested that a strong aphrodisiac could be dropped on enemy troops, ideally one which would also cause “homosexual behaviour”. So that’s how they got Saddam!
It’s true, Men can breastfeed
The phenomenon of male lactation in humans has become more common in recent years due to the use of medications that stimulate a human male’s mammary glands.
Male lactation is most commonly caused by hormonal treatments given to men suffering from prostate cancer. It is also possible for males (and females) to induce lactation through constant massage and simulated ’sucking’ of the nipple over a long period of time (months).
Bart Simpson’s Tomacco (half tomato, half tobacco) was possible
A tomacco is originally a fictional hybrid fruit that is half tomato and half tobacco, from the 1999 episode “E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)” of The Simpsons; the method used to create the tomacco in the episode is fictional.
The tomacco became real when it was allegedly produced in 2003. Inspired by The Simpsons, Rob Baur of Lake Oswego, Oregon successfully grafted a tomato plant onto the roots of a tobacco plant, which was possible because both plants come from the same family.
It’s OK to have a third nipple
A supernumerary nipple (also known as a third nipple) is an additional nipple occurring in mammals including humans. Often mistaken for moles, supernumerary nipples are diagnosed at a rate of 2% in females, less in males. The nipples appear along the two vertical “milk lines” which start in the armpit on each side, run down through the typical nipples and end at the groin. They are classified into eight levels of completeness from a simple patch of hair to a milk-bearing breast in miniature.
You can die on the Toilet
There are many toilet-related injuries and some toilet-related deaths throughout history and in urban legends.
In young boys, one of the most common causes of genital injury is when the toilet seat falls down while using the toilet.
George II of Great Britain died on the toilet on 25 October 1760 from an aortic dissection. According to Horace Walpole’s memoirs, King George “rose as usual at six, and drank his chocolate; for all his actions were invariably methodic. A quarter after seven he went into a little closet. His German valet de chambre in waiting heard a noise, and running in, found the King dead on the floor.”
Picking one’s nose and eating it might be healthy
Mucophagy (literally mucus-eating, also referred as picking one’s nose and eating it) is the consumption of the nasal mucus, boogers, and other detritus obtained from nose-picking.
Some research suggests that mucophagy may be a natural and even healthy activity, which exposes the digestive system to bacteria accumulated in the mucus, thereby helping to strengthen the immune system.
http://www.2spare.com/item_39909.aspx
Tags: Science
We bring you the “Top 20 Strangest Gadgets and Accessories” that our editors have come across in recent time. If we happened to miss any, please leave us a comment.
[ShoutIt]
20. The Talking Lips
Not your ordinary speakers, these “Talking Lips” actually have moving lips that synchronize with your mobile phone or online chat conversations (Skype, etc.). They come in three different colors (silver/black/red) and connect to your phone or computer via USB. Fortunatley, there’s an on/off switch on the bottom that will come in handy after the few seconds of entertainment are up.
[Source]
19. Portable Cardboard Speakers
MUJI, best known in for their innovative yet simple products, has come out with speakers made of cardboard and a few electronic components They ship unfolded in a clear plastic pouch — fold them up and they’re ready to use. Now that’s what I call portability. MoMAstore has them available for puchase now at $42 USD.
[Source]
18. Talking Japanese Watches
Now available from FredFlare is this innovative new watch that not only tells time but teaches you Japanese as well. By pressing a button, you can activate the speaker which responds with the time in Japanese. It also features a stylish retro design and comes in five different colors - priced at just $20 USD each.
17. The Baller Cheating Pen
Did you always dream of a pen like this? The Baller Pen features a retractable 6.5″ sheet which can be written on. On the UV coated front side, you are able to use fine tip markers/sticks while the back side is erasable which makes it perfect for writing on with pencils.
[Source]
16. Cup Noodle Stove
The “Cup Noodle Stove” is the best thing that could happen to ramen lovers short of going to Japan. Forget the microwave, place your favorite Cup Noodle flavor on the stove and power it up. In just a few minutes, your ramen will be piping hot and ready to eat.
“The heat temperature can get pretty high for a little thing like this. So don’t try to make any damn omelets.”
[Source]
15. Gas Powered Blender
Tailgating parties aren’t complete without the “Daiquiri Whacker Gas Powered Blender”. It comes with an unbreakable Oster blender jar and a Mountain Safety Research aluminum fuel bottle (for gas mixing/fuel storage). This powerful blender will start any party off with a bang, get yours now for just $275.00 from TheBigChill.
Powerful enough to whip up a batch of your favorite blended drink faster than you can say” Dos Margaritas por favor!”
[Source]
14. The Mini Desk
Made by MiniStatements, the “Mini Desk” looks good enough to drive. The entire desk is constructed from what looks like a real Mini with its top chopped off, interior gutted, and left door panel removed. It supposedly retails at a whopping $4,400, email the company for additional information.
[Source]
13. Wood LED Clock
When turned off, this clock looks just like a regular block of wood. Once powered up, the LED lights display the time on this still regular looking block of wood. Time adjustment knobs and a “power adapter” jack can be found on the back. These wooden clocks are made by Japanese company Takumi and are available now from Dynamism at the price of $379.00 USD.
[Source]
12. Headlight LCD Combo
Now you can sit in front of your headlight and watch your favorite DVD movies. Someone decide to cut you off? Show them so love by putting on a movie.
Screenlights have come up with a piece of technological wizardry — “a fully functional headlight that has an embedded LCD screen within. This mod comes in 3″, 4″, 5″, and 7″ flavors. The 3″ screen will peg you back by $900.
[Source]
11. Rat Race Clock
Amsuing yourself at work just got a little bit easier with this “Rat Race Clock”. Watch the mechanical rat run on a treadmill, whilst moving “gears that advance the hour and minute hands”. Powered by 4D and 2AA batteries, this clock can be had for just $24.99 from ComputerGear.
[Source]
10. Radio Toaster
With “The Only Radio Toaster” you can not only prepare toast but also listen to FM radio at the same time. The toaster is housed in a slick silver brushed-metal case and features an electronic sensor which automatically adjusts the toasting time based on its internal temperature (this will come in handy since i’m not a morning person). Also included are multiple toasting settings, easy-to-read radio controls, and built-in cord storage to keep your kitchen “clutter-free”.
[Source]
9. The Sauce Dispensing Chopsticks
With these sauce dispensing chopsticks you’ll never have to dip your sushi in soy sauce again. For $21 you can own two pairs of these chopsticks, which are made from polypropylene and ABS, meaning they will break before you know it. Additional info on this Japanese invention can be found here.
[Source]
8. The Head Bath Cap
If you’ve been waiting for a cap that gives your head/hair a good bath than the solution is here. Presenting the “Head Bath” cap, just place it over your head and let water start running into it. This thing not only looks funny but supposedly “helps your hair grow faster and fuller” by penetrating the pores in your scalp with the trapped water.
[Source]
7. SatuGO - Bouncing Digital Camera
This nifty little bouncy ball type gadget is actually a digital camera that snaps 3.0 Megapixel images when bounced. The SatuGO is notable in that it includes 1GB NAND memory and sports a timer/flash so it can also be used as a webcam. Just plug it into your computer’s USB port for quick and easy recharging. No word yet on pricing or availability.
[Source]
6. Touch Rubik’s Cube
The Touch Rubik’s Cube puts a new twist on the classic puzzle game. It uses six different materials: metal, wood, textile, stone, rubber, and plastic, engaging users to use their senses. This also enables blind persons to enjoy the wonders of a Rubik’s cube.
[Source]
5. RSStroom Reader
Introducing the RSStroom reader by Yi Tien Electronics, with this gadget you’ll be able to print the latest RSS headlines directly on to rolls of toilet paper. It also features Wi-Fi Connectivity, USB 2.0, and RSS 2.0/Atom compatibility. This reader interacts with your toilet bowl “biometrically” which basically means when you sit down this thing will weigh you. Depending on your weight, it’ll deliver you a customized news feed.
[Source]
4. BriefSafe
The problem with most safes is that experienced burglers know how to crack them. “Brief Safe” offers the next best thing which is basically stained underwear that securely stores valuables in a 4″ x 10″ secret compartment with velcro closure. Available now for $9 from Shomer.
“Leave the “Brief Safe” in plain view in your laundry basket or washing machine at home, or in your suitcase in a hotel room - even the most hardened burgler or most curious snoop will “skid” to a screeching halt as soon as they see them.”
[Source]
3. Knife Block Shaped Like Human Head
Put simply, this solid lime-wood knife block shaped like a human head would be a refreshing addition to any boring kitchen. This piece was hand carved by Irene van Gestel.
“This is a lovely design-student project: a hand-carved knife-block shaped like a man’s head, the knives sticking out of it in gruesome humor.”
[Source]
2. Shower Belt
While not on the cutting edge of technology or gadgetry, this shower belt did provide me with a few minutes of laughter. The “Shower Belt” designed by Carl Hagerling can easily attach to any faucet with the buckle acting as a fully functional nozzle. Get off work late and want to freshen up before heading out on that big date? Just whip out your trusty shower belt for a quick wash in the bathroom.
[Source]
1. Synthetic Human Skin Laptop Bags
This expensive ($601 USD), but striking laptop bag is made from synthetic human skin. The “Skinbag” is shock absorbant, has 1 cm padding (fabric lining), and 1 side pocket for all your accessories. It measures approx. 39 x 29 cm or 14 x 11 in. and doubles as a regular carrying bag.
“The bags dedicated to electronic machines are waterproof and proctective jackets and become autonomous organisms. They anticipate the fusion between the digital and the organic.”
[Source]
Top 20 Strangest Gadgets and Accessories
Tags: Cool Gadgets
Here is a list I have compiled of headphones that I have used over the past two years. I have owned at one point or another all of these headphones at one time. As most web designers know it is very very important to have good headphones seeing as more often than not it’s just you and your laptop plugging away with html, php, flash, etc. So without further adieu here is what I have experienced with each of these bad boys.
(To see the a more comprehensive list of headphones as composed by comments here and on the digg post see Top Headphones Remastered.)
Bose Triport
Price: $149.99
I’ll confess when I first saw these headphones I thought, how could these cone looking headphones produce good sound at all. However, I decided against my first instinct and bought a pair. Along with being Bose, as most audio gurus will tell you is slightly overrated in terms of sound, I had my own doubts. However I was pleasantly surprised. First off they are ultra comfortable on your ears because they are so lightweight and the padding they use is soft and not too suction-like. Secondly, unless you have unusually large ears, they earphones should fit around your entire ear which blocks out quite a bit of sound and produces very good sound quality.
Sound Quality:
On the Alicia Keys song that I used, if you’ve never heard her sing she has a very rich voice that covers a tremendous range, these headphones performed excellent against her raspy voice, trebles were good, bass was good, mid-range was sweet sounding. I’d say you can’t go wrong with these headphones at all.
Cons:
If I had to point out one design flaw with these headphones I would say that the plastic ring connecting the two earphones is not extremely durable. Bose did make an improvement over their first Triport which just had cheapo plastic, and added a nice neoprene sleeve over this new edition Triport which gives a more quality feel and increases durability.
Dorkiness Factor:
I’m not sure these headphones would exactly get you girls but you won’t be made fun of either. I mean if Dwayne Wade of the Miami Heat can sport them on national TV why can’t you (oh, wait I’m not in the NBA and shoot I’m not famous either, crud).
Recommendation:
For all the reasons I listed above, I do believe that for the money these are a great pick and you can’t go wrong with these headphones. If you want to be blown away with the sound I’d recommend listening to Brian McKnight with this pair of phones.
Where to Buy: Bose Triport
Bang & Olufson A8
Price: $159.99
Perhaps my favourite headphones of all time these are the perfect low profile headphones that fit easily into your pocket with amazing sound quality. Trust me I’ve owned all of these headphones and this one is by far the one I would take with me if I could only take one. The best song to listen to with these headphones is “The Blower’s Daughter” by Damien Rice, first of all this song is one of the best songs of all time, second you can even hear the background studio noise because the headphones are THAT good. I would venture to say that Bang & Olufson makes the best sounding headphones. If they ever came out with a noice canceling headphone it would blow the water out of everything out in the industry right now.
Durability:
I’d say they are more durable than most headphones because of the metaal earbands with the rubber lining. The only problem that I have had with them is I once dropped them in water and they stopped working for awhile, so as long as you don’t do something like that I think you’ll be fine.
Design Aesthetics:
The A8’s are low profile so no worries there. I’d say the only time I felt most like a dork was when I kept telling people to listen to my headphones and compare them to their stock ipod headphones.
Recommendation:
One of the two pairs of headphones that I use pretty much everyday, the A8’s are perfect for my walk to work (through downtown San Francisco) and are perform just as well at home. If you want a high performing, great sounding, durable campanion to your IPOD I would get these hand’s down.
Where to Buy: Bang & Olufson A8
Bose Quiet Comfort 2 - Acoustic Noice Canceling
Price: $349.99
Before I go onto my review of these headphones and everyone goes on to talk about how great these headphones are I must say that I too think they are GOOD headphones as well. Here is a statement that I’ll standby 100%, the Bose Triports that only cost half the price of the Quiet Comforts have a much better sound than these headphones. Most people will contest that these phones sound better but the way to actually test the sound quality is to sit in a quiet place and listen to both the Triports and the Quiet Comforts, the difference is staggering. From the trebles to the bass the Triport is just able to produce a crisper sound, you can just feel the singer’s voice and the vebratto.
Durabilty:
These headphones will stand the test of time. They are much better constructed than the triports and will be able to take a beating. The head band that connects the two earphones is about 3/4 of an inch wide and very very durable, you definitely get the same tough/industrial feel that you get with the Sony DJ headphones reviewed here as well. The only part you will be changing out is the batteries most likely.
Sound Quality:
As discussed before, for the price, the sound quality is a bit lower than expected. I believe that people often confuse good quality sound with the noise canceling that the Quiet Comforts provides. The Quiet Comforts do provide excellent noise canceling, I can testify to this, as I wore them on an airplan and couldn’t hear the engine or that typical airplane buzz at all. If I were looking into the market to buy a pair of noise canceling headphones I would definitely go with these bad boys.
Recommendation:
Don’t get me wrong I like these headphones for noise canceling I just have a hard time recommending the Quiet Comforts just based on sound quality. I would say if you are traveling in airplanes, trains, or on a whole in noisy environments a lot then these are actually really good headphones to buy because of their effectiveness blocking out sound. I would say if you are a consultant that hops on a plane more more than 4x a month this would be my pick for headphones.
Where to Buy: Bose Quiet Comfort
Price: $179.99
The two pairs of in-ear headphones that I bought were the Shure E3C’s and the Ultimate Ear super.fi 5 Pro’s and though I don’t like to bash another product I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that the Ultimate Ear’s and miles better than the Shure’s. There is definitely a reason that 90% of the professional music community uses the Ultimate Ear headphones. Though I’m not a huge fan of in-ear headphones if I had to recommend a pair of headphones it would be the Ultimate Ears. Ok, ok but this is a review of the Shure E3C’s, they are cheap. Quite simply, these headphones, at the E3C level, are Sony Fontopia’s for a higher price with a better in ear foam bud, and I might argue that the Fontopias are better. I once again used the Alicia Key’s song “If I ain’t got you” as a good song to test these headphones out. What I found was that the when her pitch got higher the E3C’s sounded very tinny and almost hurt my ear from the badly balanced treble. I chose a song with a lot of range because on a whole it is unfair to judge in-ear headphones on their bass performance, it’s just not going to be there with any of them.
Recommendation:
If you work out don’t buy these headphones. The main reason I say this is because when you’re running if you hit that wire at all it will reverberate back into your headphones and will be very disturbing. Though this is true with most in-ear headphones, in fact if you’re working out just buy cheapo headphones or if you want better sound go buy the Bang and Olufson’s they will work perfect. In fact I can’t recommend these headphones at all in light that the Ultimate Ears are available and are exponentially better in my opinion.
Where to Buy: Shure E3C
Sony MDR-EX71SL Fontopia Headphones
Price: $49.99
If you’re looking for the most bang out of your buck and a good trooper of a pair of headphones these are it. For in-ear headphones they are very good. These headphones aren’t tinny and handle bass very well when I tried playing some 50 cent on them while working out. Probably the second most important characteristic about in-ear headphones asides from sound quality is the foam earbuds that come with the earphones. The Sony Fontopia’s come with 6 pairs and they should fit most people’s ears comfortably, if you can handle in-ear headphones without headaches. Sidenote: check to make sure that you can handle in-ear headphones before you buy them, it is a very different feel than regular headphones you may be used to. Most people that don’t like in-ear headphones either get headaches when they wear them or the ear foam buds don’t fit in their ears.
Recommedation:
Buy if you are looking for those headphones to get your from point A to point B. Perfect for the train ride commute that is less than an hour. Don’t buy if you are planning on using these guys for hours on end while doing homework or web designing it’ll give you a headache or your ears will start throbbing…ok yours might not but mine did. This isn’t a Fontopia thing, it’s an in-ear headphone thing, though like I said in-ear works for some people just not me and I’ve owned some pretty good in-ear phones which right now my sister is enjoying (she loves in-ear headphones and CAN wear them for hours on end). Good buy if you like in-ear headphones, not super expensive and provide good value.
Where to Buy: Sony MDR-EX71SL Fontopia
Sony MDR-700DJ Studio Monitor Series
Price: $149.99
This is a pair of headphones I hold near and dear to my heart. Always by my side, the MDR DJ700’s were made famous by the 1000’s of DJ’s that swear by these headphones. Don’t believe me, go out this weekend to your nearby club and see what headphones the DJ is sporting, it’s the 700’s guarnteed. These headphones are quite simply a perfect balance of sound quality, durability, design aesthetics, comfort, and overall feel.
Sound Quality:
This time I gave these headphones the full test. When I first bought these headphones it was because of the incredible hype around them that existed, but still I waited awhile, a long while. Finally after a particular hard day at work I broke down and ordered them off of Amazon ($83 bucks right now) and I wasn’t disappointed. The sound is incredibly rich. When I say rich I mean the bass is complete, soft when the drums are lower, crisp when it’s a cymbol, just nice and balanced. You will never flinch because the sound is too high-pitched or uncomfortable with these phones. I guess I can’t say more than these headphones are just balanced, however if you do buy them make sure to use the extra adapter and listen to them through your receiver. Oh, now that is amazing, the extra power that using the 8mm brings is such off the hook.
Durability:
By far the most durable of all the headphones reviewed. Double enforced head band, metal components, half the reason that DJ’s use these headphones is because they are soo durable. You can throw them around (did that), sit on them (that too), and overall do everything you aren’t supposed to do to them and they will keep on ticking.
Recommedation:
For anyone that will be listening to music for longer than an hour at a time. That’s calling all you engineering students out there, web designers, programmers, and anyone else that spends more time on their computer than they should. As far as design aesthetics these headphones are beautiful, we’re talking the Jessica Alba of headphones. I know that there are now more expensive new generations of this headphones and better DJ headphones out there, but there is a reason these headphones have become a classic.
Where to Buy: Sony MDR-700DJ Studio Monitor Series
Ultimate Ears super.fi 5 Pro
Price: $249.99
Best in-ear quality headphone brand out there. Great fit with the foam pads (very important with in-ear headphones), great sound quality. I love the range of the super.fi 5 Pro’s and would definitley recommend giving a bit more money to but this version over the cheaper version. I know easier said than done, I had to skip a few meals and eat to ramen for the month of September, but I can now say it was worth it. Ultimate Ears was a brand started by a sound engineer in the music industry and it shows in pretty much the entire product. If you are into heavy bass or trebles these headphones will cover the range of music easily and well. To test the bass out I listened to a lot of down tempo, drum and bass, stuff and can say I could easily pick out snare drums and different bass drums. Surprisingly, also, after wearing these headphones I didn’t have a headaches because the fit with the foam pads was so secure.
Recommendation:
Yep, I recommend these headphones as an alternative to noise canceling headphones and as the best in-ear headphones around for the money. If you are debating between Shure and Ultimate Ears I would recommend the super.fi Pro 5’s, or just Ultimate Ears in general.
Where to Buy: Ultimate Ears super.fi 5 Pro
Apple In-Ear Headphones
Price: $39.00
Don’t buy these headphones. Ok now that I’ve gotten that out of the way let me tell you why. I bought these headphones so that I could use them to work out but they performed so terribly that I had to return them the day after. First off the ear buds don’t fit correctly, and though I did manage to get them to fit for a second of two they will definitely fall out during a short run. In addition the sound quality is no better than your typical Apple Ipod stock headphones and realistically I wouldn’t even accept these headphones as a gift.
Where to Buy: Apple In-Ear Headphones
Bang and Olufson Form 2
Price: $99.99
Aesthetically I’m not sure about these headphones at al as they are black and someone spaceship like, however musically they perform very well. Since you can try these out at the apple store, to test the sound quality, I would first listen to the Alicia Keys song “If I ain’t got you” any of the other headphones and then listen to these headphones. Eventhough they may not block out the sound very well because of their ear phone design the quality is top notch.
Recommendation:
I’m not sure I can recommend this as a buy because for $100 this is a bit over priced. I see this pair of headphones as a tweener between a really good pair of headphones and your stock headphones. I would suggest you save your money and buy the Bang and Olufson A8’s or the Bose Triport’s if you are thinking of spending this kind of money on headphones.
Apple Ipod Ear Phones
Price: $29.00
The stock ear phones that come with ipod are actually probably the best stock ear phones that you will ever get. They are stylish durable, produce decent sound, and overall are a good pair of headphones if you don’t want to spend anymore money. They will however not block out any sound and if you do ride the train or are in an airplane your music will be competing with the outside noise and airplane engine.
And that concludes my headphone review (I swear I thought this article would never end, I just about wore out my keyboard). If you found this article helpful I’d be much appreciated if you would digg this article.
Posted by steve on October 03rd 2006 to General
Tags: Cool Products
It would be too easy to rank the world’s richest people today. You could simply take the founders of some of the top firms in the world, sort them by the value of holdings in their company and voila! At AskMen, we have consulted with economists, financiers and historians to rank some of the most influential men in the history of humanity, as ranked by wealth in 2001 US Dollars (some figures are approximate as they take into consideration inflation, GDP growth, currency exchange rates, and fluctuations in share prices). 
10. Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan — $ 23 billion
The United Arab Emirates Sheikh has considerable holdings in oil, property and various investments, that boosted his financial wealth to just over $23 billion. In power since 1966, the Sheikh is the man behind the U.A.E.
9. Paul Allen — $25 billion
Microsoft co-founder and Vulcan Ventures founder (and a pretty mean guitarist) makes the list, yes, mostly because of his involvement with the Redmond, Washington-based software giant, but also thanks to his unique intellect, vision, and good-natured, fun-loving demeanor. Even if his wealth were at 28 cents, we would want to sit down and pick his brain (and maybe jam a few tunes with him as well).
8. Warren Buffett — $28 billion
Over the 1990s, Warren Buffett tumbled a bit on this list, mostly because of his aversion to investing in technology stocks. But the “Oracle of Omaha” has apparently had the last laugh as technology stocks melted. Even with some battered picks, Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway is going strong, as his $28 billion would strongly suggest.
7. King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz Alsaud — $30 billion
In power since 1982, the 77-year-old Saudi Arabian King’s fortune has swollen in recent years. At the helm of one of the world’s top oil-producing countries, the King has substantial financial clout as his $30 billion would suggest, but he has even more power than meets the eye, as the recent oil prices have increased immensely.
6. Lawrence J. Ellison — $55 billion
Currently the world’s second richest man, Oracle’s Chief Executive Officer is a charismatic visionary and driven individual, both in and out of the boardroom, who briefly sat atop the Fortune Hierarchy. His managerial skills, target-setting abilities and execution capabilities make up B-School curriculums. His womanizing, thrill-seeking and adventure-chasing exploits are a thing of legend. His fortune is the icing on the cake.
5. William Gates III — $60 billion
Currently the world’s richest man, at one point, Gates’ fortune was creeping towards the $100 billion mark. Then, as we all know, the DOJ’s Anti-trust case, as well as an overall meltdown in the high-technology market, hurt the Harvard dropout. Today, with a $60 billion fortune, Gates is both hated and loved. Unlike many, he has promised to contribute over 90% of his wealth to charities when the big guy calls his number. We hope this will not be anytime soon, as he and his wife Melinda French Gates run the world’s largest philanthropic association.
4. John Jacob Astor (1763-1848) — $85 billion
Adjusted for time, Astor, “the Self-Made Money-Making Machine’s” fortune would rank at roughly $85 billion in 2001. Despite never setting a trap himself, the German-born Astor became synonymous with the American Fur Trade. Along many others, Astor symbolizes the American Dream, as he rose from obscurity to financial success.
3. Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794-1877) — $100 billion
You know you had serious clout when universities are named after you. An American steamship and railroad builder, financier, promoter, and executive, Vanderbilt left an estate of roughly $100 million, which, in 2001 dollars, represents an astonishing $100 billion. A man of incredible energy (and obviously remarkable time-management abilities), his intricate sense of business left his rivals in the dust.
2. Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) — $110 billion
The only thing we will say is that by the time he passed away in 1919, Carnegie had given away over $350 million. The rest, we will leave to him: “My heart is in the work… the duty of the man of wealth… is to set an example of modest unostentatious living, shunning display; to provide moderately for the legitimate wants of those dependent upon him; and, after doing so, to consider all surplus revenues which come to him simply as trust funds which he is strictly bound as a matter of duty to administer in the manner which, in his judgment, is best calculated to produce the most beneficial results for the community.”
1. John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937) — $200 billion
If you thought Bill Gates has some serious anti-trust issues, then let us introduce to you the man that needs no introduction: the man who has a Center named after him in New York. The man who built, dominated, controlled, and ultimately lost the Standard Oil Company. Do yourself a favor: if you like business, politics and wealth, then get yourself his biography, Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller Sr., and you will understand why America is the place to be if you want to get rich.
By Dennis O’Connell
Tags: Business
A lot of us are still avid text messagers, not because we enjoy paying our carrier those tiring toll (or package) fees, but because it’s still one of the most reliable ways to get a text-based message to a cell phone user — not everyone has mobile IM clients or uses mobile email services.
Even web-based services are starting to recognize that, and recently there have been more and more companies launching “free” SMS options — most often free for those users who want to send a text to a cell phone via the web and email.
Sending free SMS from the Internet isn’t a new idea at all and companies have been developing the bridge between email and SMS for years. By now it’s a simple and easy service to set up and companies have started adding these services as a feature to bring in eyeballs.
Startups are also starting to get more creative with the business model (which was previously severely lacking) as well as the technology solution. At the same time they are learning to add privacy and best practices functions. Remember much of the time receiving the SMS message costs, and some of the services like free bulk messaging could have some not-so-nice spam potential. Be careful about signing up for any ol’ service and check out this list of good characteristics of SMS web services.
1). TeleFlip: TeleFlip has always been a favorite way to send “free” texts via email: ‘phone number’@teleflip.com. They still offer that service which they now call FlipOut, but they are also trying to turn their technology into a working business. I haven’t been able to test the new service yet (shown at DEMO), which is supposed to be out sometime this month, but they say it forwards your emails to your SMS inbox for free — 5,000 messages for per month. Hopefully they have a good management tool, as email spam can fill an SMS inbox pretty quickly and receiving text fees still apply.
2). Peekamo: Founded just November 2006 and based in Toronto according to their web site, Peekamo says they are different than other web-based SMS free sites, as both the receiver and sender don’t pay for the message. How do they manage that? — they say ad-sponsored messages, and using a protocol called short message peer to peer, (unlike the more common email-SMS method). When I sent a message from the web site to myself, it was sponsored by Sharp and had a link to Sharp’s web site www.moretosee.com. It’s still in beta, but is adding other social features.
3). Gizmo SMS: SIPphone has more than its fair share of sweet mobile services like the Gizmo Project, and earlier this month they also added a free web-based SMS service. The service works for dozens of countries and has a model ‘terms of service’ and privacy assurance sections. It’s not rocket science, but shows how these services are easy enough to create that they can be used to market the company’s other money-making solutions.
4). TxtDrop: TxtDrop founder 22-year-old Nate Kapitanski got some flack over his SMS MySpace widget and web service last year — the site didn’t launch with privacy terms and didn’t have an About section describing the company or its goals. He says the whole thing was a learning experience which helped make the site much better. As a result he added a privacy policy, email blocking, limited the number of messages that could be sent per minute, and says your phone number is now hidden in the MySpace code. Kapitanski, who only works on the project part time, also recently released a Mac OS dashboard SMS widget and says he is working on a Vista text gadget that could be out as early as April. There still isn’t a clear about section, but if you email the info address on the site, Kapitanski will probably oblige you on details you want to know.
5). Your carrier!? Yes, its true, some carriers have some limited web-to SMS and email to SMS services. On Verizon Wireless’ vtext.com site you can send a text to a Verizon wireless cell phone user, and send an SMS via email to “verizon wireless phone number”@vtext.com. Sprint has a similar web based service to text Sprint customers. They still get some money the more times people text using most solutions, so why not get more people to text their customers.
Written by Katie Fehrenbacher
Tags: Technology
10. SuperDuper! (Mac boot drive maker)
9. Magical Jelly Bean Key Finder (Windows)
8. USB PC Repair Kit (Windows)
7. Undelete Plus (Windows file recovery)
6. System Information for Windows (diagnostics)
5. DasBoot (Mac boot CD maker)
4. Ophcrack Live CD (Windows password cracker)
3. Ultimate Boot CD (bootable diagnostic CD, x386)
2. Knoppix (bootable CD, x386)