Crave

If you've played Persuasive Games' past titles such as Bacteria Salad, Oil God, or Airport Security, chances are you'll get the idea behind its latest Flash diversion, Xtreme Xmas Shopping. On the surface, you play a shopper with a demanding wish list to satisfy. If an item on your list runs out of stock before you can purchase it, you lose, presumably having ruined Christmas. As with most of Persuasive Games' titles, though, Xtreme Xmas Shopping attempts to engage players in thinking about a broader social issue--in this case, rabid holiday consumerism--in a participatory kind of way.

While … Read more

We chuckled at the Dolce & Gabbana Motorola Razr, and we scoffed at the Bang & Olufsen Serene, but that doesn't stop the influx of marriages between high fashion and mobile technology. The latest to tie the knot are Prada and LG, who are set to collaborate on a fashionable phone that would apparently rival the catwalks of Paris in its elegance.

No images of the phone so far, and we don't know too much of the phone's features either. But with a name like Prada, it'll probably be way out of my price range. Set … Read more

Lest there be any doubt about the convergence of digital technology and the human body, consider this: a "bio-inkjet printer."

Carnegie Mellon scientists working on stem-cell research have developed a printer that uses "bio-ink," which Popular Mechanics describes as "solutions of hormones that alter cell behavior." In an article that sounds like natural sci-fi fodder, the magazine says the machine uses a custom-made nozzle that prints highly accurate patterns "to create a blueprint for cells to grow and differentiate into the various types that scientists want to create."

And why not? Manufacturing … Read more

Could this be the headliner at next month's MacWorld? Or perhaps share the stage with an iPhone or an iTV? The volume is increasing about the rumored return of a 12-inch Apple laptop, the likes of which have not been seen since the now-defunct 12-inch PowerBook. This time around, Apple's version of an ultraportable laptop, which Mac OS Rumors is calling the "MacBook Thin," reportedly will feature a 12-inch wide-screen display and similar specs as current MacBook Pro models, including Core 2 Duo processors, 667MHz DDR2 memory, 120GB (or bigger) hard drive, and ATI Radeon Mobility … Read more

Today's dose of humor only a Web monkey could love is brought to you by Bob McCarty. The online entrepreneur--also of BugsGoneWild.com fame--has come up with a "My Name Is URL" line of shirts and other assorted items (a play on My Name Is Earl, the popular comedy about ordinary people and karma.)

The logo comes emblazoned on long sleeve and cap-sleeve shirts, plus tank tops, hoodies, boxer shorts, bumper stickers--and yes, even doggie garb. Let's hope Fido appreciates Interweb humor.

In a conference call this year with an exec at HDMI, we heard someone at the other end of the line describe HDMI 1.3, the new standard for the highest-quality digital A/V connection, as "the 1080p of 2007." In other words, he's hoping that HDMI 1.3 becomes the new buzzword in HDTV that everybody wants to know about, that high-end buyers will plunk down lots of cash to get, and that makes everything that came before it seem obsolete.

On Monday, I attended a 3-hour press event where HDMI Licensing LLC, the company behind … Read more

A few weeks ago, I noticed my local (Brooklyn, N.Y.) Blockbuster Video store was closing up shop. No big deal. These things happen all the time, especially with the sky-high rents charged for commercial real estate here in New York City. But when I saw that two other nearby Blockbusters were also shutting down, my interest was piqued. Some quick googling revealed that the closures weren't limited to Manhattan and Brooklyn: at least 16 stores in northern Michigan were also shuttered in recent months. And who knows how many were closing without the news hitting the local papers. … Read more

Sure, the Internet is great for Holiday shopping in your bathrobe at 3 a.m., but sometimes you just feel like throwing on some shoes and doing a little real-life late-night shopping. Even in the Big Apple, 24-hour outlets are hard to find, and there are times you want something a little more upscale than the wares at your corner bodega--like maybe a new MacBook Pro.

Starting today, December 13, Apple's flagship SoHo store in New York will remain open 24 hours a day, until 11:59 p.m. on December 24 (the glass-box Fifth Avenue store is always … Read more

We dredged the series of tubes for you: here's today's roundup of link love.

--GAMING: Fake wiinjuries: they're all the rage (Joystiq)

--JUICY GOSSIP: MacBook "Thin" Coming Soon? (CrunchGear)

--GADGETRY: New Nabaztag Tag (Information Aesthetics)

--GAMING: China cracks down on online games (Kotaku)

--ARTS & CRAFTS: Casting metal Legos (MAKE)

--ONLY IN JAPAN: Shark USB Mousepad Warmer (Tokyomango)

--POLICE BLOTTER: Guy wants PS3, gets box of floor tiles (Game|Life)