http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/yGQDPyQ5wjQ/single+slot-graphics-card-drives-eight-2560x1600-monitors-simultaneously

If I have trouble concentrating on a 30-inch panoramic monitor, I can't imagine myself in front of the eight monitors the single-slot Matrox M9188 PCIe x16 graphics card can drive, each at 2560 x 1600 pixels.

The $1995 Matrox M9188 comes with 2GB of video RAM, and works with Windows 7, Vista, XP, and Linux. It can be combined with a second one to form a seamless desktop across 16 monitors. Apparently, this is perfect for "energy, transportation, process control, financial trading," and making your head explode. [Matrox]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/p8tgo6HFogY/steve-jobs-really-is-the-kingpin-at-apple-hq

A bunch of us hadn't seen this little effigy of the Jobsian One before, and it's just too weird not to share. Dax Norman paints famous folks on bowling pins, and took these shots outside 1 Infinite Loop in Cupertino.

The turtle neck and glasses are there, but I don't know what's up with that "where's the bathroom?" pose. Cute, but strange. [Artist Dax Norman via Walyou]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/YYuZdOe9X9E/which-pspgo-color-do-you-prefer

That's the question Sony posed in one of their infamous, leak-laden surveys on the device, according to Destructoid.

Note that Piano Black and Pearl White have both already been released, but there are a slew of others that the company is at least considering putting on shelves. I'm remiss that there's no Fireball Orange option. That Bright Yellow just isn't getting it done for me. [Destructoid via Kotaku]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/fLmYp1o9-yk/dell-zino-hd-260-mini-home-theater-pc

After giving us an early look, Dell has revealed the full specs of their color-happy Mac Mini-esque Zino HD. And for $250ish, you aren't just getting an Atom net top. UPDATE x2

Instead, Dell has turned to AMD chips starting with a base Athlon processor (which can be bumped to an AMD Athlon™ X2, and AMD Athlon™ Neo X2). A single hard drive squeezes inside (up to 1TB) along with as many as 8GB of RAM. And you can choose between integrated graphics and an ATI Radeon HD 4330 512MB card.

That should be enough power to drive 1080P out of the HDMI port (using an optional Blu-ray drive and TV Tuner if you'd like). You also score 4 USB ports (2 front, 2 back) along with 2 eSATA ports for easy drive expansion.

The Zino HD goes on sale today. But I haven't spotted it on Dell's site just yet. I'm interested to see what you really get in that base $250ish rig, and how much a few of these key upgrades will cost. If Dell keeps the price down, the Zino HD could be a no-brainer when compared to the Atom and Ion-based systems floating around. [Dell]

UPDATE: Dell's press materials they sent out said the Zino HD would start at $250. As of right now, the cheapest configuration online is $360. We've contacted Dell for clarification.

UPDATE 2: This is fun, isn't it? Swap out Windows 7 Professional with Home and the price drops to $260. I have no clue why a sub-$300 computer defaults with a $100 OS upgrade.

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/pDQm78CcyBc/oh-my-another-windows-xp-phone-viewsonic-vpc08

Here I was thinking the xpPhone was the only handset crazy (brave?) enough to run Windows XP. Turns out ViewSonic may have one planned, too. The clamshell-phone a QWERTY keyboard, 4.3-inch touchscreen, Intel ULV processor, 512MB RAM, and 8GB storage.

The VPC08 also has a secondary 2-inch display, number buttons, and a 2-megapixel camera. It's all far from official, but there's already talk of a price: $800. We still don't know how much the xpPhone will cost, but we do know what its specs and custom interface look like. Take a look. [Tech163 (translated) via Cloned in China]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/vNidY5ehPxw/facebook-status-update-clears-teen-from-criminal-charges

This is Rodney Bradford. A few days ago, Facebook saved his 19-yo life. Facebook, and his status plea demanding the immediate consumption of one of the basic food groups every human being needs to properly function in the morning: Pancakes.

Rodney was arrested on October 18 as a suspect in two crimes. He declared himself innocent and Robert Reuland—his defense lawyer—found the key to free him: "Where's my pancakes?"

That seemingly inconsequential Facebook status update proved crucial when the Californian company confirmed that someone wrote it from his father's Harlem apartment computer, using Rodney's user and password at around the time of the alleged crime: Saturday October 17, 11:49am.

Of course, you can argue that anyone with Rodney's password could have written the status update, while the 19-yo went on to commit two crimes, but his defense lawyer and the district attorney disagree:

This implies a level of criminal genius that you would not expect from a young boy like this; he is not Dr. Evil.

A spokesman for Brooklyn's District Attorney said the Facebook update served as the confirmation of the other alibis, namely Rodney's father and stepmother, who declared he was at their Harlem home at the time.

The most interesting thing in this case, however, is that this seems to be the first time in which social networking has been used to save the ass of someone, rather than nailing a really stupid thief. Some people believe that Facebook and other sites will become part of criminal cases across the country, as they get deeper under society's skin. Personally, I can't wait till we are all monitored by automagical retinal scans, and naked bald people in funky swimming pools decide who is a criminal and who is not. Can't wait, I tell you. [Fort Greene]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/VsoDXAfkL7w/dell-zino-hd-250-mini-home-theater-pc

After giving us an early look, Dell has revealed the full specs of their color-happy Mac Mini-esque Zino HD. And for $250, you aren't just getting an Atom net top.

Instead, Dell has turned to AMD chips starting with a base Athlon processor (which can be bumped to an AMD Athlon™ X2, and AMD Athlon™ Neo X2). A single hard drive squeezes inside (up to 1TB) along with as many as 8GB of RAM. And you can choose between integrated graphics and an ATI Radeon HD 4330 512MB card.

That should be enough power to drive 1080P out of the HDMI port (using an optional Blu-ray drive and TV Tuner if you'd like). You also score 4 USB ports (2 front, 2 back) along with 2 eSATA ports for easy drive expansion.

The Zino HD goes on sale today. But I haven't spotted it on Dell's site just yet. I'm interested to see what you really get in that base $250 rig, and how much a few of these key upgrades will cost. If Dell keeps the price down, the Zino HD could be a no-brainer when compared to the Atom and Ion-based systems floating around. [Dell]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/pDQm78CcyBc/oh-my-another-windows-xp-phone-viewsonic-vpc08

Here I was thinking the xpPhone was the only handset crazy (brave?) enough to run Windows XP. Turns out ViewSonic may have one planned, too. The clamshell-phone a QWERTY keyboard, 4.3-inch touchscreen, Intel ULV processor, 512MB RAM, and 8GB storage.

The VPC08 also has a secondary 2-inch display, number buttons, and a 2-megapixel camera. It's all far from official, but there's already talk of a price: $800. We still don't know how much the xpPhone will cost, but we do know what its specs and custom interface look like. Take a look. [Tech163 (translated) via Cloned in China]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/ThFUOhSaRF8/apples-new-patent-application-for-pen+based-tablet-input

Apple may have shunned the stylus for the iPhone, but its all about pen-based input on tablets. It's just filed a patent application for tech that improves digital ink recognition by breaking down strokes and phrases.

A system comprising: a pen-based input tablet configured to collect and organize received ink information into ink strokes.

"Upon the occurrence of an ink phrase termination event, the ink manager notifies the handwriting recognition engine and organizes the preceding ink strokes into an ink phrase data structure...The present invention, in large part, relates to the observation that client applications and handwriting recognition software in pen-based computer systems can make far more accurate ink-related decisions based on entire ink phrases, rather than individual ink strokes."

I'm thinking a possible Apple tablet would still be a finger-based multi-touch device, but this seems to suggest Apple is also thinking about the note taking side of things, as well. Either way, tablets are mentioned all over the application…one step closer to Jesus' wet dream? [USPTO via Unwired View]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/Y0d-wLAVbRs/vimeo-videos-get-friendly-with-iphones-and-android

I love Vimeo's video quality, but unlike YouTube, it doesn't make my uploads iPhone friendly. But that may change: they've already converted all "Staff Picks" and HD video showcases into iPhone and Android-friendly formats, and say there's more to come.

We've been working on it for the last few weeks. This is sort of the prelude of offering Plus members iPhone support; and in the future, an app. In the future, like the next several weeks—maybe longer, we'll be offering Plus users the option to transcode their videos to an iPhone version too."

Sounds good, but don't forget that with Flash 10.1 on the way, pretty much every phone (including Android handsets, not just the Hero) should get Flash support around mid-next year. Wild guess: except for the iPhone, probably. Ugh. [CNET]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/h3R-yo4yWZk/readius+like-folding-ereader-planned-for-next-year

Polymer Vision have gone bankrupt and been bought by Wistron since we first saw their unique Readius prototype in Feb 08. However, the new owners now confirm plans for a similar 5- to 6-inch handheld in 2010. Stay tuned. [DigiTimes]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/OwSk48a-RzA/vimeo-videos-get-friendly-with-the-iphone-and-android

I love Vimeo's video quality, but unlike YouTube, it doesn't make my uploads iPhone friendly. But that may change: they've already converted all "Staff Picks" and HD video showcases into iPhone and Android-friendly formats, and say there's more to come.

We've been working on it for the last few weeks. This is sort of the prelude of offering Plus members iPhone support; and in the future, an app. In the future, like the next several weeks—maybe longer, we'll be offering Plus users the option to transcode their videos to an iPhone version too."

Sounds good, but don't forget that with Flash 10.1 on the way, pretty much every phone (including Android handsets, not just the Hero) should get Flash support around mid-next year. Wild guess: except for the iPhone, probably. Ugh. [CNET]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/QwqAgkFVIGA/leaked-shots-playstation-3-to-get-facebook-in-next-update

These dashboard screens—reportedly found directly on the UK version of PlayStation.com—suggest the PS3 will soon have Facebook integrated into the Cross Media Bar interface, plus a new photo viewing option, and the ability to change gamercard colors.

OK, the last one isn't super interesting, but the Facebook feature would be nice. Looks like Sony caught on before we had the chance to confirm the pics ourselves, but ScrawlFX says it found the them here, here and here. [ScrawlFX via Kotaku]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/5X7hDFK9o6w/loving-a-gadget+obsessed-person-is-easier-than-you-think

I've warned you about dating someone gadget-obsessed, but you just couldn't help yourself and fell in love with one of us. Let's talk about avoiding feeling like you're in a ménage à trois with a person and some circuits.

Gadgetwise's Jenna Wortham was forced to contemplate the hardship of loving someone who's in lust with electronics when one of her readers wrote in with a desperate plea for advice:

My boyfriend is in love with his iPhone. He uses it all the time-during dinner, the movies and even in bed! I have an iPhone too, so I can understand his obsession, but at the same time it's becoming enough of a distraction while we are together to be a problem. What should I do?

Jenna explained that, as any other relationship issue, you can resolve this one by talking with your partner. You need to set limits, figure out when it's absolutely unacceptable to reach for the digital mistress and when the wandering attention can be excused. That's it. It's that simple. Whether your lover is obsessed with an iPhone, a BlackBerry, a printer, or tricked-out ottoman, communication is key. [NY Times]

Photo by Fe Ilya

lizesc

• 17:26 RT @chriswidner: Sweet, baby #2 is here! I'm on diaper duty for the foreseeable future. Baptism by fire. can @jhitchco join you? #
• 17:57 I'm looking for radiator reflector panels for our steam heat system's exterior wall radiators. Know of a place that makes decorative ones? #
• 21:01 Cole has me looking for all of the old Sesame Street songs I loved... bit.ly/3d4972 CLASSIC! #

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/S1ATdjS7WKk/windows-mobile-marketplace-adds-non+mobile-app-store

Microsoft added a few nice new features to its Windows Mobile Marketplace today, including enhanced security and a nice-looking store that can be accessed from your computer's browser, much like Xbox Live.

The security features are really more like anti-piracy measures, but that's developer stuff—what about us consumers? Well, the new online portal seems like a solid idea, albeit one that implicitly acknowledges that app browsing is not that great on a WinMo 6.5 phone. You can access the portal from any browser, taking advantage of your computer's larger screen and faster loading to find apps that much quicker. They'll be downloaded as soon as you open the Marketplace app on your WinMo device. The site looks nice, too—cleanly organized and easy to use. It's not a substitute for a good on-device app store, but it's a nice feature to have. [Windows Team Blog via Engadget]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/R6TXQ1OJkIQ/diy-palm-touchstone-car-mount-death-to-all-cables

A modder managed to wire Palm's TouchStone inductive charger directly into his car's battery, giving his Pre both a simple mount solution and wireless charging. Makes tossing a phone into a cupholder seem so inelegant, doesn't it? [EverythingPre via MAKE]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/1Y7Rm7iVGuE/microsoft-patents-the-sudo-command

Microsoft has been granted a patent for the sudo command, because apparently you can patent a command that goes back to the mainframe days as long as you explain that it's a "personalized version" with a GUI.

Groklaw has an explanation of the history of sudo and details about the patent, but it all boils down to this: Someone at the US Patent Office must've been snoozing when they approved this patent application. Either that or the command worked on a person. [USPTO via Groklaw]

Photo by xkcd

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/1Y7Rm7iVGuE/microsoft-patents-the-sudo-command

Microsoft has been granted a patent for the sudo command, because apparently you can patent a command that goes back to the mainframe days as long as you explain that it's a "personalized version" with a GUI.

Groklaw has an explanation of the history of sudo and details about the patent, but it all boils down to this: Someone at the US Patent Office must've been snoozing when they approved this patent application. Either that or the command worked on a person. [USPTO via Groklaw]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/OOegqXYPQsM/this-is-simply-the-coolest-pop+up-book-ever

It may not overheat in the presence of bread, but this pop-up book has the most accurate paper Large Hadron Collider ever. Figures that a book would make ending the world by firing that bad boy up look fun.

The book's called Voyage To The Heart Of Matter – The Atlas Experiment At CERN and it's written by Emma Sanders and crafted by Anton Radevsky. It'll be out at the end of November and run for about $33. I just want one because it'll satisfy both the physics dork and the bookworm inside me all at once. [Atlas via Shiny Shiny via OhGizmo!]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/vNidY5ehPxw/facebook-status-update-clears-teen-from-criminal-charges

This is Rodney Bradford. A few days ago, Facebook saved his 19-yo life. Facebook and his status plea demanding the immediate consumption of the very basic food groups every human being needs to properly function in the morning: Pancakes.

Rodney was arrested on October 18 as a suspect in two crimes. He declared himself innocent and Robert Reuland—his defense lawyer—found the key to free him: "Where's my pancakes?"

That seemingly inconsequential Facebook status update proved crucial when the Californian company confirmed that someone wrote it from his father's Harlem apartment computer, using Rodney's user and password at around the time of the alleged crime: Saturday October 17, 11:49am.

Of course, you can argue that anyone with Rodney's password could have written the status update, while the 19-yo went on to commit two crimes, but his defense lawyer and the district attorney disagree:

This implies a level of criminal genius that you would not expect from a young boy like this; he is not Dr. Evil.

A spokesman for Brooklyn's District Attorney said the Facebook update served as the confirmation of the other alibis, namely Rodney's father and stepmother, who declared he was at their Harlem home at the time.

The most interesting thing in this case, however, is that this seems to be the first time in which social networking has been used to save the ass of someone, rather than nailing a really stupid thief. Some people believe that Facebook and other sites will become part of criminal cases across the country, as they get deeper under society's skin. Personally, I can't wait till we are all monitored by automagical retinal scans, and naked bald people in funky swimming pools decide who is a criminal and who is not. Can't wait, I tell you. [Fort Greene]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/nNgfmrFs_oQ/microsoft-disowns-manager-for-suggesting-that-a-mac-os-inspired-windows-7

Poor Microsoft Partner Group Manager Simon Aldous. His Microsoft bretheren is calling him uninformed and practically disowning him for the quotes he threw out earlier about Windows 7 basing its UI on the Mac OS.

A post on the Windows Blog entitled " How we really designed the look and feel of Windows 7" renounces Simon's quotes with a curt, yet harsh line:

I hate to say this about one of our own, but his comments were inaccurate and uninformed.

Youch. That's gonna be a fun day at work tomorrow for ya, Simon. [Windows Blog]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/OeqyrrS9LD4/creepiness-strangely-absent-from-new-palm-pixi-commercial

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/hI3m6OCX51s/i-dont-want-to-come-in-i-just-want-to-ring-this-doorbell

*Ring* *Ring* *Ring* *Ring* "What?!" "Oh sorry, I can't stop pushing your Spore doorbell." *Ring* "I'm calling the cops." *Ring*

[Spore Doorbells via Apartment Therapy]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/nNgfmrFs_oQ/microsoft-disowns-manager-for-suggesting-that-a-mac-os-inspired-windows-7

Poor Microsoft Partner Group Manager Simon Aldous. His Microsoft bretheren is calling him uninformed and practically disowning him for the quotes he threw out earlier about Windows 7 basing its UI on the Mac OS.

A post on the Windows Blog entitled " How we really designed the look and feel of Windows 7" renounces Simon's quotes with a curt, yet harsh line:

I hate to say this about one of our own, but his comments were inaccurate and uninformed.

Youch. That's gonna be a fun day at work tomorrow for ya, Simon. [Windows Blog]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/lBlnU8Dle8g/

Google Cuts Price of Online Storage by 800%...Apple Updates Genius Bar Reservation System...Gold-Dipped PS3 Slim: The Hot Holiday Gift (in Donald Trump's House)...Sanyo's "Stick Booster" Looks and Sounds Far Dirtier Than It Is...

Google Cuts Price of Online Storage by 800%

You know how sometimes the new version of a product will offer 50% more, for the same price? And how you think that's such a great deal? Well, Google just stomped all over your puny 50% upgrade by bumping their online storage to a ridiculous extent. Now you get twice the amount of storage for a quarter of the old price. That's right, that's eight times more for the same amount of money. For those that are having trouble with math, that means the storage now costs $5 a year for 20GB of space, and you can buy up to 16TB at that rate. If you're looking to store stuff in the cloud, this is a pretty killer deal. [Google]

Apple Updates Genius Bar Reservation System

Apple's Genius Bar is a pretty good system, although the first time I went they told me to arrive 15 minutes before my appointment, like the fact that their 6-week-old, $1500 product spontaneously broke was somehow my fault and not something for which they should accommodate my schedule. They're tech support guys, not doctors, right? ANYWAY, they've redesigned their online reservation system, and while I have screenshots of the new version, I never cared enough about the system to be able to notice what's different. It's in Remainders for pretty obvious reasons, I think. [Thanks, Grant!]

Gold-Dipped PS3 Slim: The Hot Holiday Gift (in Donald Trump's House)

The dudes at Computer Choppers have dipped a PS3 Slim in 24kt gold (along with two controllers) and will be selling them for an undisclosed price in a limited run of 5. To the only person reading this: Hey, Mr. Trump! More photos and price will be coming soon, so if you just toss me your email I'll be sure to let you know when you can finally get the current-gen gaming console to match your skyscraper. [Geeky Gadgets]

Sanyo's "Stick Booster" Looks and Sounds Far Dirtier Than It Is

Sanyo's "Stick Booster" name sounds like the kind of product you hear about in spam emails, and it looks mostly like a vibrator. But it's actually a pretty nice-looking gadget charger, once you realize what it's for, taking two AA batteries (rechargeables, of course; it's in Sanyo's green initiative line) and offering a USB port to charge your phone, camera, or whatever for about 90 minutes. It's available now for about $35. It winds up here in Remainders because it's definitely not the first AA-USB charger we've seen, although it might be the prettiest. [CrunchGear]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/4DikJEO5ftM/most-electronics-dvds-and-waterbottles-could-give-you-ed

A five-year study shows that exposure to bisphenol A, a commonly used plastics additive, increases the risk of erectile dysfunction and other sexual problems. This study surveyed factory workers who face high levels of exposure, but further research is coming.

Since the levels of exposure faced by the factory workers are about fifty times that of the average person, we definitely need those extra studies to figure out what the safe threshold for BPA exposure would be, if there is one. So until there are numbers applicable to you, feel free to cringe every time you near anything containing BPA. Like your keyboard. Or that mouse. Or your glasses. [Oxford Journals via NPR]

Photo by Florida Dude

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/e8s9G_IRbws/the-first-real-mac-google-chrome-beta-coming-in-december

The first jenn-you-ine beta of Chrome for Mac is coming in December, graduating from the developer release that's out now, according to an email sent to developers by a Chrome product manager, mentioning "our Beta launch in early December."

I've been running the nightly Chromium builds as our secondary browser to Firefox, and it's been spiffy, if you're particularly impatient. [Cnet]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/OeqyrrS9LD4/creepiness-strangely-absent-from-new-palm-pixi-commercial

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/0mGbnE2pf3E/if-1950s-men-redesigned-the-human-form-wed-be-horrors

"While the human body has never been equaled [in] all-around master engineering, a number of glaring weaknesses do exist in man's basic equipment," stated a Mechanix Illustrated article from August 1956, which enlisted experts to suggest upgrades.

I'm not sure how serious this is, but it certainly reflects the design mentality of 50 years ago: If something doesn't work right, it must be lacking features. Here are the most unexpected add-ons recommended by industrial designers, anthropologists, engineers and biologists:

• Folding ears, something like the old-fashioned ear trumpet, to catch low-pitched sounds

• Hooks on heads for straphangers on subways who wanted to read the papers

• A device resembling a giant clamshell can protect internal organs and be opened easily for surgical purposes

• 20 teeth would be an improvement over the present 32, according to dentists

• A long snout to do away with the nose's confusing air flow and related sinus troubles

• Detachable arms so that you can sleep in comfort

• An extra pair of hands coming out of ears to hold hats in high winds

• Antennae concealed in the head that could pick up sound waves, lights and shadows

• A protective covering for the eye, containing substances which would screen out harsh ultra violet rays

• A small food storage compartment like the camel's

• Built-in pockets, such as kangaroos have

• The spine as a solid column, to greatly increase load-carrying capacity and protect vital nerves

Only this last one comes with an admitted downside: "Man would not be able to twist and turn as he does now but the semi-flexibility of the cylinder would allow enough bending for every ordinary purpose." Meanwhile, the only one from the list that may actually be a product soon—the UV protective eye covering—was a suggestion "meant frankly for fun."

In the intervening years, sometime between the Don Drapers and the Gordon Gekkos, the finger stopped being pointed at our inherent form, and was redirected at how we treat it. Not surprisingly, only one of the experts consulted has any real legacy at all, and he—design god Raymond Loewy—is most famous for artifacts like a locomotive engine (the S-1) and a packet of cigarettes (Lucky Strike). Besides, I'm pretty sure Loewy was joking when he suggested the hat hands. [Modern Mechanix via Secondhand Smoke]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/Ir4qp916SC0/vatican-holds-scientific-conference-to-ponder-the-existence-of-extraterrestrial-life

Last year Father Jose Gabriel Funes, a Jesuit priest and the chief papal astronomer, noted that the search for aliens did not contradict a belief in God. With that, the floodgates appeared to have opened at the Vatican.

Over the last five days, the Vatican invited 30 of the world's leading scientists to participate in a "study week" on astrobiology that focuses on questions regarding life's origins and the existence of extraterrestrial life. What conclusions they arrived at have not been made public, but there are plans in the works to publish the findings.

At any rate, this move is further evidence that the Vatican is taking a kinder, gentler, more active role in science and technological progress. After all, theology and science don't have to be mutually exclusive. [Physorg via PopSci]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/3Y9Qgb5XBB8/our-favorite-lifehacker-posts-of-the-week

This week Lifehacker has some great tips to overcome the piggy flu, protect yourself from intruders at open airport Wi-Fi spots and a guide to wire your house with Ethernet.

• Polish your shoes with a banana (This is a winner of a headline if I ever saw one)
• The Gaia Desktop, shown above (This is a winner of a desktop too, except that it would be even better if they were reading Gizmodo)
• Find nearby flu shots with Google Maps

• Intro to coding
• Protect your Wi-Fi connection at airport hotspots
• Firefox 3.6 beta 2 download is live

• AVG is Lifehacker's favorite antivirus (It's mine too)
• Microsoft's security tools are good enough to get you to not pay for other apps
• Google Wave's look and feel might be coming to other Google apps

• Paint.NET has a big update
• Put on a duvet cover without losing your mind, or sweating through your shirt
• How to wire your house with Ethernet

• Five good addons to power your Windows Home Server

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/_PsCV7eT57U/if-i-had-35000-in-my-left-pocket-i-would-get-bill-gates-to-guide-me-around-his-home

That's how much it costs to visit Bill Gates' home with him as the cicerone: 35,000 doubloons. Jefe Gates, if you are reading this, could I go visit your house gratis? I promise not to look for hidden Macs.

$35,000 was the final bid in a charity auction that will take the winner and a small group of friends around the Gates' Lake Washington property, with the house pater familias as the exclusive tour guide. Last year, the winning bit was only $8600.

If I had tons of money to spare, I'd probably bid next year. I'm curious to see his house. Can I play Natal with him? Who is his favorite painter? Can I browse through his record collection? And his personal, dearest bookshelf? Do his sofas have plastic covers? Can I open the fridge and make a sandwich? Oh well, since that is not going to happen, I'll just watch the 3D video like everyone else.

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/DUdRugyCEOw/the-street-fighter-iv-snuggie-is-actually-real

If you were put off by the stigma associated with the Snuggie, try one saturated with Street Fighter IV imagery. And it's actually being sold, somewhere, for $20.

Capcom confirmed to our friends at Kotaku that this is the real deal, but I have no idea where you would get one or, more importantly, why you would get it. For God's sake, isn't owning the original Snuggie embarrasing enough? [Twitter via Kotaku]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/00ZSMklmy_U/nikon-s1000pj-projector-camera-review-screw-you-all-i-love-this-thing

I don't think we've written a single story about the S1000pj without making fun of it somehow, and now I feel bad. Yes, a projector-camera is still a patently ridiculous piece of hardware, but I'm kinda of crazy about it.

In case you missed the news, the S1000pj is an utterly unexciting point and shoot camera from Nikon, except for one minor detail: it's got a projector—like a real, don't-look-straight-into-it lamp projector—built right into its face. This is why it's funny, why it's interesting, and why we're writing about it. Moreover, it's why this camera exists in the first place: as a sort of high-profile tech demo for Nikon.

But first!

And for that matter, foremost! This is a standard point and shoot camera, with generally standard point and shoot camera specs. Nowadays, that equates to 12.1 megapixel photo resolution, a 5x lens that's 25mm equivalent on the wide end, built-in vibration reduction and SD storage. A/V connections are served by a single microUSB slot, and the rechargeable battery juices up on a separate charger.

Taking photos on the S1000pj is extremely simple, almost to a fault: ISO and white balance controls, for example, are hidden behind two layers of menus. But for lack of a better word, the point of a point and shoot is to make taking OK pictures as easy as possible, which the S1000pj certainly does.

As you can see in the sample gallery, the shots are never spectacular, but never terrible. The Nikon rarely finds a situation where it can't return a decent shot in auto mode, be it in a dark room, a sunbleached roof or a tungsten-lit kitchen. High ISO performance was a pleasant surprise as well, since Nikon opted for the S1000pj's sensor to automatically draw down to three megapixels during ISO 6400 shooting, which keeps the results from being too spectacularly bad. In fact, ISO 800 shots are clean enough to print, while ISO 400 returns crystal-clear photos, even during longer exposures.

That said, this is still a point and shoot, and not even a very high-end one. The lens isn't spectacularly sharp, and the colors are particularly vivid. The VGA video is dull and mostly lifeless. Button-press-to-shoot time is quick, but still not quite instant. That's the biggest problem for this camera: It'd be a perfectly acceptable—even above average—point and shoot for, say, $250. It costs a good deal more than that, becauuuuuuuuuuse:

Yes, It's Got a Projector

My love affair with the S1000pj didn't start until the day after I got it. It was early evening so my room was dim, and I'd only taken a few photos with camera the day before, as I was unboxing and summarily dismissing the camera in a well-lit office. "This projector looks like ass," I believe I said. "Human ass."

But when I flicked the little projector button this time—it's a dedicated switch on top, next to the projector's manual focus slider—I was stunned. It looked fine. I shut the windows. I backed up, stretching the image to about 40 inches. Now it looked great. This dinky little projector, and hacky and ridiculous as it looks and sounds, is legitimately useful.

It's an instant wow-piece for anyone who uses it, and a great way to show off photos (and yes, videos—though sadly not external inputs) in a bind. And by bind, I mean any time you don't want to ask everyone where you are to crowd around a computer screen and awkwardly watch while you import photos. Now, you just tell them to dim the lights. That'll do fine.

Oh, But You Probably Shouldn't Buy It

It was a tough call not to recommend this outright, but I really can't, unless you've got a wad of cash burning a hole in your pocket, or don't mind paying a $150 (rough) premium for the projector. Yes, the camera itself is capable enough. And yes, the projector concept isn't nearly as ridiculous as most people make it out to be. What's so appealing about this camera is that it's nailed what will be, if not a universal feature, something we'll come to expect in a certain class of camera before too long.

But that makes this product admirable, not buyable. For the Nikon to be a worthy purchase, we'll need to see a change: Either the photographic experience itself gets a little closer to what you'd expect for $430—about how much you're going to end up spending on this now—or the camera drops significantly in price.

Nikon is charging a classic early adopter tax, and you won't just be paying for it in dollars: battery life is predictably bad when using the projector (I could easily lose a quarter of my charge just showing off a set of photos to friends). And this thing isn't particularly svelte, considering the specs. But if you know what you're getting into—and now you do—it's your call.

You will have fun with the Nikon s1000pj, even through the pangs of buyer's remorse.

The projector is surprisingly decent in low light

Chunky design

Adequate photography

Battery drains very quickly when projecting

Hefty early adopter tax

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/U66drdqXfZM/google-street-view-captures-fire-truck-hit-and-run-with-an-old-lady-on-a-bike

The latest adventure for the Google Street View car comes to us from the Netherlands, where it witnessed a fire truck mow down an innocent old lady on a bike.

Grotere kaart weergeven

Yeah, it looks like the fire truck just continued down the street like nothing happened. Look at her, in the classic "I've fallen and I can't get up" pose. Poor thing. Fortunately for the bike lady, Google did what fire fighters are supposed to do—come to the rescue. [Jalopnik]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/a8czewyRoSU/windows-7-netbook-battery-life-sucks-worse-than-windows-xp

Yeah, netbooks feel so much nicer running Windows 7 than Windows XP, but you're paying a secret price: Your battery. On average, Windows 7 seem to suck all the life out of it 47 minutes faster than Windows XP.

It varies from netbook to netbook—Toshiba's NB205 hardier withstood Windows 7's power greediness better than HP's Mini 311, but you definitely lose juice quicker. It's somewhat expected, though, with features like the fancier Aero user interface to name one probable cause. Personally, I'll take Windows 7 and the dead battery. [Laptop]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/DEBaFNurEhM/apples-soaring-pile-of-cash

Apple brought Steve Jobs back to the company in December 1996. Since then, he's been building a massive pile of cash, rolling out new product after new product.

On December 27th, 1996, Apple had $1.8 billion in cash and securities. Today it has $34 billion.

(Thanks to reader Cory Padfield for this chart idea.)

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/4WbJfIgvgWQ/droid-gets-sacrificed-in-the-name-of-your-cruel-visual-pleasure

You saw it up close in all its black and gold Tim Burton's Batmanesque glory in our review. Now it's time to see all its naughty bits out. Enjoy, the Motorola Droid slicing and dicing photo fest. [iFixIt]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/frs0p_Cw6Xs/big-shot-build-your-own-digital-camera

Sure, you own a digital camera, but do you know what's inside? Faeries, maybe, working in a darkroom to develop your photos instantly? The Big Shot's a camera kit for kids to put together, teaching them how digital cameras work.

In a Skittles array of colors, the Big Shot's actually designed to be put together and taken apart again, unlike real cameras, and it's aimed squarely at kids, developed by Columbia University's Computer Vision Lab. It's actually a fairly sophisticated kit in some ways—the really unique component of the Big Shot, the lens wheel, contains three different lenses and viewfinder stencils—and it has a crank for manual, battery-less power.

It's not for sale yet, because it's still in final testing, but I'm really excited to what this thing can do—for digital lomography, it could be more popular with hipsters than kids. [Big Shot via Make]

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/bqshgjVW1xM/

Have you played Modern Warfare 2 yet? With sales of over 7 millions copies in one day, chances are you have. And man, is it great. Here are my five favorite new toys in the latest Call of Duty blockbuster.

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/0M7DED1DFFU/more-tips-for-torrenting-your-brains-out

Just about every BitTorrent trick you need to know that we haven't shown you, Maximum PC covers in their BitTorrent guide, like remote management, rolling your own torrents, and even getting somebody else to do the dirty work for you.

The other major bit they're missing—where to get torrents where the policies are a little, um, flexible—we've got you covered. If you've got more tips, shower the comments with 'em. [Maximum PC]