Tech Culture

Thanko glasses give you HD POV video on the cheap

If you long for high-tech eyewear but can't afford, or wait, for Google Glass, these Japanese glasses let you record in HD for less than $100.

Mitamanma Megane from Japan's Thanko hide the camera in the frame and only cost 8,890 yen ($91). That's cheaper than similar products like Pivothead video glasses, which go for around $300. … Read more

'Tornado Junkies' try to build twister-proof van

What would happen if you could take "The A-Team" and "Storm Chasers" and put them together in a blender? You'd get something like Tornado Junkies.

As their name suggests, this trio of young men are crazy about tornadoes. So crazy they think they can build a tornado-proof van.

Yes, this $5,000 Kickstarter project wants your money to build an armor-plated Ford to carry these Des Moines dudes down Tornado Alley chasing twisters. … Read more

Nintendo releases a bevy of new and old games on its 3DS

Nintendo announced Wednesday that it will be releasing a boatload of new games on its 3DS handheld console.

Not only will there be a host of Super Mario Bros spinoffs, but the game maker also is launching Yoshi's Island, Donkey Kong Country, and The Legend of Zelda series. Based on the games Nintendo is choosing to release, it seems the company is tipping its hat to the Game Boy days of the '90s but tossing in a modern 3D twist. … Read more

Should incest-warning app be a Facebook service?

Meeting someone in a club or a bar -- or even a church -- has its dangers.

You don't know who they really are. You don't know what they're like in a bad mood, as opposed to a bed mood. And you have no idea if they're really your cousin.

Such dilemmas have struck all those who are seeking love, or merely the comfort of warm, fragrant skin on a chilly Wednesday night.

Some extreme intellectuals in Iceland have decided to assist society's thrust toward safer human interaction.

They have created IslendingaApp, an app that gives you fair warning if the target of your pupillary expansion is, in fact, a close relative.… Read more

Goodwill sells incredibly valuable NES cartridge for dirt cheap

One man's junk is another man's treasure, but as you're about to learn, what Goodwill perceived as junk was actually a very valuable piece of video game history.

Kotaku tells the tale of a North Carolina woman who, upon visiting Goodwill, happened to come across a nearly sealed copy of the 1987 NES video game Stadium Events. She bought the game for $7.99 and walked out of the thrift store with something worth thousands more.… Read more

Smell the superhero: 'Iron Man 3' to get odor effects in Japan

You take a seat. The lights go dark. Tony Stark struts across the screen. What's that smell? It's Eau de Iron Man! That's what I imagine the experience will be like when "Iron Man 3" debuts in 4DX in Japan this year. The 4DX format aims for a more interactive experience than just sitting in your seat, passively absorbing a movie through your eyes and ears.

The 4DX format adds odd gadgets to the theater setting, such us tilting seats, bubble makers on the ceiling, fog, wind, strobe lighting, and odor effects (Smell-O-Vision!). It's like some mad scientist got ahold of a Regal cinema and went nuts customizing it. Naturally, 4DX theaters have to be specially equipped to handle all the extras.… Read more

Book chronicles cat's secret life

Four years ago, while San Francisco-based writer Caroline Paul was recuperating from an accident, one of her beloved cats, Tibby (short for Tibia), went missing. Paul presumed Tibby had gone to kitty heaven. But five weeks later, Tibby reappeared no worse for the wear.

Paul, who during the interview reminds me that she was heavily medicated at the time, was over the moon that her cat had returned. That is, she was happy until the questions arose.

"It was a celebration until the bliss wore off," Paul said. "And then I was, like, where were you? Why … Read more

Spotify lands in Asia and Latin America

Spotify continues to turn up its music service around the world.

As of today, Spotify is now officially available in eight new countries, including Mexico, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Iceland. The latest launches extend Spotify's global reach to 28 different countries.

CNET actually uncovered the news yesterday based on information from "a person familiar with the situation." CNET News reporter Paul Sloan reported the rollouts in the new markets with the launch date pegged for today.

Spotify kicked off in the U.S. a year and a half ago and now has 24 million active users, … Read more

Facebook reportedly wants $1 million for each video ad

Would you spend $1 million for a video ad on Facebook?

That's allegedly what the popular network is aiming to squeeze out of advertisers when it starts rolling out video ads sometime this summer, says a story today in Ad Age.

Citing information from one "executive briefed on the product," Ad Age reported that the video ads would carry a price tag upwards of $1 million, run for no longer than 15 seconds, and be scheduled so that no Facebook user sees more than three such ads per day.

Facebook has been chatting up ad agencies to … Read more