By David Ponce

[ This article concerns a paid campaign currently running on the site. ]

So here’s the deal. Symantec’s been working on Norton. They know many people find it a slow resource hog and sometimes annoying. They’re trying to change that perception (and the product itself, from what I hear). As part of this process, they’re asking four Federated Media Authors to build PCs, test them and document the process. While there was an HTPC and a gaming PC to build… I was not so lucky. I got the Home Office PC. But that’s ok, Home Officing can be exciting… right?

They’re giving us a ,000 budget, and free rein on just how we do this. They’re not asking us to say anything nice about Norton. Heck, if it’s still slow, I’ll be the first to say it. But before I get there, I have to build this PC. And this is where you guys can maybe help.

Pasted below is a passage of the first article in the series. (The whole thing is here.) Since there’s no PC yet, this article is about the setup I’ve got now, and the direction I’m planning to take with the new one.

Now, you have to understand that I’m 27. While I enjoy getting work done, I’m not one to poo poo a good game of UT4 now and then. So not only is this PC good enough for Home Offic-ing, it happens to have a couple of components that could be considered extravagant for the more restrained home office worker. Like the Ultra case with see-through side panel. Or the XFX GeForce 8600GT video card with two DVI outputs. Or the 4GB of RAM. Or the massive 700W power supply. Or even the 1.5TB of storage over four hard drives. Oh, and the 250GB WD MyBook extrnal drive sitting on top. Heck, even the Acer 22-inch LCD could be considered a bit of overkill for the typical home office.

Where do you come in? Well, heck, what would you want in a Home Office PC? I want suggestions, guys. Ideas.

[ Old Vs. New PC ]

Link to the original article…

On the surface, Darkmarket.ws appeared much like any other Internet platform used by fraudsters to trade their wares. Members traded in just about everything that could turn a dishonest buck, ranging from specialized hardware to personal data, electronic banking details, credit card information and fake IDs.

The difference with Darkmarket, however, that it was being operated by the man; the man in this case being one J. Keith Mularski, a senior cybercrime agent for the FBI who is based with the National Cyber Forensics Training Alliance in Pittsburgh and who went by the name of Master Splynter to penetrate the criminal network. With Darkmarket now shuttered, we can expect the arrests to start any day now. Don’t drop the soap boys.

Check out Wired for more detail on the story. [Südwestrundfunk via Wired]

Link to the original article…

This post is syndicated with permission from GamerFront.net

A lot of people decide to make modifications to their PC case, and they turn out alright. Other people decide to go all-out, and you’re left with a creation that can only be described as “pure awesome”. This Battlestar Galactica PC mod falls into the latter category.

This machine has just about everything you could imagine, right down to functioning runway lights. You’ll find 3 2.5-inch LCD screens, and a nice 10-inch LCD screen on the side, just in case you’ve forgotten a full-sized one. Even more impressive is the slot-loading optical drive hidden behind the Battlestar Galactica medallion. I can’t even imagine the sort of time and effort it took to put this together. Kudos to Boddaker, the mastermind behind this incredible project.

Link to the original article…

The current iPod Touch supports the microphone on Apple’s new earphones; which makes for a very exciting possibility - namely that it should be able to function as a Skype phone. It is not a perfect solution, indeed it would have been much better for Apple to have incorporated an onboard mic, but it is certainly an interesting development.

I would say that the development of Skype for the iPod Touch will only be a matter of time. The iPhone Skype software will need a few modifications to function in the iPod Touch environment, but if the hardware capability exists, you can bet people are going to make use of it. Depending on how easily other mobile Skype software can be adapted to the Touch, I would say that we could see it within the next six months.

People have been speculating about this sort of thing for over a year, but it is the next generation Touch that has made it an inevitability. There were hacks to incorporate a microphone on the original Touch, but to get the mainstream support that would motivate developers to produce the software, it needs to have native capability - as that provides the potential market to make it worthwhile. Voice over IP capability would be a selling point in its own right and would attract buyers that might not otherwise be prepared to buy an MP3 player, or for that matter, an iPhone. [Various Sources]

Link to the original article…

By Andrew Liszewski

While this electric toy car/windmill model kit is recommended as an educational toy for kids 15 years and older, it seems better suited for the younger set who go through batteries like they grow on trees. Once assembled, the electric car is actually recharged by connecting it to the turbine on the back of the windmill. The windmill itself features a loop-wing design that can be turned with even the slightest breeze, but also has a switchable gear system for better harnessing the power from a particularly strong wind. The electric car will run for about 1-2 minutes with about 5-10 minutes of charging, and since it attaches to the windmill your kid can spend the afternoon running around the backyard with it, creating their own breeze. The kit is available on the Tamiya America website for .

[ Tamiya Loopwing Wind Power Generator Set ] VIA [ Crave ]

Link to the original article…

By Andrew Liszewski

I don’t get out camping as much as I used to, but one of the skills I at least mastered as a kid was how to build and start a fire. (Because when you’re a kid, when else are you allowed to play with fire?) However the Kinderlite disposable campfire seems designed for those who probably wouldn’t last much longer than a weekend in the great outdoors.

From what I can tell it uses a hanging cardboard container that probably contains a fuel source as well as kindling-type material, as well as a wooden frame with pre-drilled holes that makes it easy to create a teepee structure from gathered twigs. It was designed by Philip John Luscombe from Northumbria University and while it looks like a ridiculously easy way to get a fire started, you’ll probably want to be throwing some bigger logs on there once it gets going if you want it to burn for longer than 20 minutes.

[ Kinderlite Disposable Campfire ] VIA [ Cribcandy ]

Link to the original article…

By Andrew Liszewski

A few months ago I wrote about a couple of pairs of limited edition Puma Disc Blaze sneakers that featured a Tetris design, complete with a blinding 90’s neon color scheme. I have no idea how well the shoes sold, but given how rabid some sneaker collectors can be, I have to assume they were quite popular. And that’s probably why Puma is releasing another custom pair of Disc Blaze sneakers that feature a more subtle design inspired by the 1985 film, The Goonies. In reality the shoes can only be considered ’subtle’ when compared to the Tetris kicks, since these also feature a pretty crazy design with skulls and treasure map patterns, and what looks like hemp loops on the tongue and heel. They even appear to come in a Puma/Goonies-themed burlap sack, and like the Tetris versions before them, they’ll only be available in limited numbers when they go on sale in December.

[ ALBOTAS - Limited Edition “Goonies” Pumas ] VIA [ CrunchGear ]

Link to the original article…

The Vestal Grenade Watch is designed to look like a grenade strapped to your wrist. Flipping the top open will reveal that it is not actually a “device.” Just remember that law enforcement types are more inclined to shoot you than taze you if they think that you are carrying explosives; they don’t want to risk the current from the Taser causing the explosives to detonate.

If there is one thing I have learned over the years it is that airport security goons tend not to see the humor in things like grenade watches or Mac Book Airs. Sure, it doesn’t look real, but people have been hauled away by the Department of Homeland Security for much, much less; so unless you are planning on a ten day detention without charges in a Virginian hoosegow, you would be best advised not to even consider bringing this on a plane.

Back to the Vestal Grenade Watch, if you are game, it can be purchased for $125, not too bad for an unusual timepiece that is made out of a sizable chunk of stainless steel. [Watchwear via Tech Chee]

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About a year ago we took a look at what happens when lightning strikes your car, so it seems appropriate to follow this up with a slightly more exciting example of eleventh grade physics in action. The principal behind one’s safety whether in a car or a plane are the same; in each case the outer shell of the vehicle becomes a hollow conductor, also known as a Faraday cage. Touch the outside and you will be well and truly fried, but inside you are safe as trousers. [Popular Science]

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On the surface the Kilmatec Base 1 AirWater might look like a plain Jane water cooler but the reality could not be further from the truth; by combining the functions of a dehumidifier and water purifier, Kilmatec has created a water cooler that never needs refilling and that can produce a substantial amount of water on a daily basis even in the harshest conditions.

In case you are wondering, 20 liters, or five gallons, per day is pretty standard fare for most dehumidifiers; so the amount of water that the Base 1 is able to churn out is not really spectacular. The water that is extracted by most dehumidifiers is not, however, drinking quality. The Base 1 makes use of a carbon filter and ultraviolet light chamber to ensure that the water is free of particles and bacteria.

Price: N/A [Kilmatec via Red Ferret, DVICE and Gizmodo]

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These classic Famicom (NES) cartridge business card holders embody just about everything I like in a product: they have some retro appeal and they are extremely geeky. I am not quite sure how they would go down in a corporate board meeting, but for casual business card distribution, they are a winner.

According to the maker:

Cartridges come from either Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros, The Ledged of Zelda, Ice Climber or Balloon Fight, then there’s both Controller 1 and 2, the second with the volume control and speaker.

Before you go running out to grab your Zelda model, you should know that the selection is random, you are just as likely to get Balloon Fight or worse yet, Ice Climber.

Price: $8.80 [Game Asylum via Nerd Approved]

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This origami V12 engine took approximately two years to design and, one would presume, build. It is constructed almost entirely from paper, though the maker admits that there is a little bit of tape. What is even more incredible is the fact that this sculpture contains moving parts. In fact there is a little more going on here than just some folded paper.

According to the maker:

This “V12 four-stroke Engine” has semi-realistic exterior and interior detail. Each of 12 spark plugs (LEDs) is ignited accordingly to the moving cycle. Many moveable parts include a compound crankshaft, a rapid cooling fan, 12 rods and 12 pistons etc.

Non-paper parts include 12 LEDs (as spark plugs) little wooden sticks, 12 switches, electrical wire, a resister, a motor and a battery holder. The interior of the mdoel is reinforced to attain what looks to be a semi-rigid structure.

[The Contaminated]

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If you like Star Trek and enjoy the occasional bit of liquid refreshment, then this just might be the bottle opener for you. Who would have thought that the shape of the Enterprise could lend itself so marvelously to a simple bottle opener. It looks good, but the price is a tad high considering the fact that it only opens bottles and is just begging to be borrowed and not returned by one of your friends.

Price: About $26 [Firebox via Coolest Gadgets]

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The Jelly Bean Gun is not a whole lot different to any of the endless variety of launchers out there, but I have to say that the idea of launching sweets sky-high is very appealing. It looks like a potentially dangerous project, so if you don’t know what you are doing it is probably best to admire from afar. [Make]

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The closing of Elite Torrents may feel like it was a lifetime ago, but those involved are finding that the wheels of justice turn slowly. In 2005, 10 people were arrested in relation to the administration of EliteTorrents and the distribution of pirated material on the site. Dale Dove, a 26-year-old from Clintwood Virginia, was one of those ten and has just been found guilty of felony copyright infringement and conspiracy.

For his part in the operation it is alleged that:

Dove led a group of “uploaders” that supplied pirated content to the group, as well as recruiting members with ultra-fact broadband connections to become uploaders. Prosecutors also said Dove operated a high-speed server himself.

Dove now has to wait until September for sentencing. At which time he will learn how many years out of a possible ten that he must serve. You might be forgiven for thinking that the MPAA are a petty and vindictive lot. [CNET]

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