Geek culture

'Star Trek' Google doodle not ready to engage

CNET's Log, Stardate, 65151.4. We might need Mr. Scott to check out the dilithium crystals because the special Star Trek anniversary logo that was supposed to take over Google today seems to have disappeared down a black hole.

It was 45 years ago today that William Shatner first staccato'd his way through "Space, the final frontier..." on NBC. To celebrate the stellar birthday, a Star Trek doodle was supposed to orbit Google's global home pages--marking a TV show that has cultural impact on many aspects of society.

But, as the morning sun rose over Ceti Alpha V, Google wore its normal multicolored name tag. It wasn't a con. Google issued the following explanation about the doodle expected to go live today. "As happens from time to time, Google has decided to postpone running the Star Trek doodle due to last minute technical challenges. We aim to provide the best experience for our users and we hope to bring back the idea in the future."

That's sad news to Trek fans, but if you say "Google doodle" 50 times, it seems to cheer everybody up. … Read more

The 404 899: Where we take you to school (podcast)

Wilson begins this episode of The 404 Podcast with a few words of encouragement to our young listeners starting their first day of school today.

Unsurprisingly, Mr. Tang excelled in all his classes and never once printed a cheat sheet on a Coke-bottle wrapper--unfortunately Jeff and I can't say the same for our own salad days. Anyone know how to calculate the area of a triangle?

Aside from recalling our high-school days, today's show rundown kicks off with Nike's announcement of the long-awaited shoes from "Back To the Future II." Nike's head designer Tinker Hatfield invited members of the press to a big announcement that's likely to coincide with this preview trailer showing Marty McFly's closet full of Air Mag 2015s. Power laces and light-up soles!

We'll also break news about a partnership between Google and Zagat's (rhymes with "da cat") Restaurant Guide, shed some light on reports about Netflix capping multiple streams, and you'll also find out how you can rent the studio set from the Conan O'Brien late-night show!

The 404 Digest for Episode 899

It's about time: Nike goes "Back to the Future." Conan writers put studio up on AirBnB. Scan shows what the right 3DS thumb stick add-on might look like. Google buys Zagat, in original-content gambit. Video voice mail from David showing a retro pinball arcade.

Video voice mail from Tessa and Matt on a backpacking trip in the Sierras. Justin's Daily Bathroom Break Video: Going to the Store: Normal Guy, Normal Walk.

Episode 899 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Phew! Defusable alarm clock won't actually detonate

Say, that bomb looks familiar. It looks like almost every movie bomb every made--destined to have the proper wire clipped with exactly one second remaining.

This particular bomb is actually an alarm clock called the Defusable Clock. It has all the usual alarm clock features like a beeping alarm and snooze function, but it also has a 10-second detonation countdown.

Four wires stretch across the top. Trigger the detonation sequence and start clipping. The clock randomly assigns two wires to do nothing, one wire to set off an immediate detonation, and one wire that stops the countdown. The detonation is actually a visual explosion of red blinking lights.

The wires are easily replaceable so that you can scare the pretend wits out of yourself over and over again. A kit for the clock that contains just the electronic parts will be available this fall. You'll have to make your own fake dynamite sticks.… Read more

It's about time: Nike sneakers go back to the future

Twenty-two years years after their onscreen debut, Nike is set to finally release the Air Mag 2015 sneakers Marty McFly wore in "Back to the Future II." A few lucky sneakerheads just received an invite to a Nike event scheduled for tomorrow in West Hollywood, Calif., where Nike's head designer Tinker Hatfield will announce the shoe. And yes--it will have power laces.

Nike sent a box of goodies over to the lucky folks at HighSnobiety and NiceKicks to drum up excitement for the announcement, and it's working. Inside they found an iPod shuffle with a message from Dr. Emmett Brown, a preserved bottle of Pepsi from 1985, and a replica pair of the Doc's metal shield glasses.

Last year, Nike patented an early design for a light-up shoe operating on built-in batteries that would also automatically fasten the strap into place. Most speculated that Nike would stick with the "Back to the Future" story arc and keep the original release to 2015, but they may arrive fashionably early.

This trailer showing Marty McFly's closet popped up yesterday and gives a preview of the Air Mag 2015. More pictures of the promotional invite goodies after the jump.… Read more

The Bleeoo Project demands your best dial-up modem impression

Jason Scott from the Internet Archives stopped by the CNET New York office last week to tell The 404 Podcast why nothing is too small to earn a spot in cyberhistory. Jason's virtual contribution (one of many) is his collection of Netscape buttons; ditto for this "Under Construction" GIF graveyard. The Bleeoo Project is doing its part on a less serious level with a site that lets you record your best impression of a dial-up modem.

Bleeoo.com is a safeguard to maintain our memory of a time when we waited for a box to call an … Read more

The 404 898: Where we wish the economy had longer legs (podcast)

The number of the day is 0, brought to you by the United States economy and Jill Schlesinger, editor-at-large for CBS MoneyWatch.com and host of an Emmy-nominated podcast! Jill sits with us today and reveals her plan of attack on Suze Orman at the award ceremony.

She'll also give an update on the state of the economy, the financial implications for Yahoo ex-CEO Carol Bartz, and why the rich and poor have never been further apart.

Check out the video today to see our new Bathroom Break video segment, and afterward Jill will predict the content of President Obama's jobs speech tomorrow. Finally, we'll run through a quick listener-submitted Q&A about how to keep yourself above water on your mortgage, the exact definition of a "robosigner," and why it's never a good idea to draft your prenuptial agreement.

The 404 Digest for Episode 898

Dial Global's Jill Schlesinger nominated for Emmy! Yahoo fires Bartz as CEO, names CFO to fill void. Bank of America sued by U.S. Bancorp over mortgages. August jobs: Obama blew it. Check out Jill's podcast on CBS MoneyWatch.com. Add Jill on Twitter. Today's Bathroom Break: Never Ending Story.

Episode 898 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

CLOO' app rents your restroom to semi-strangers

When you gotta go, you gotta go. That simple truth of life has inspired an unusual app project. CLOO' is like a social network for your personal lavatory.

It helps you ferret out a local loo through your network of friends on Facebook, Foursquare, and Twitter. You then send a toilet request and the person decides whether or not to rent out her bathroom to you for a small fee.

I know this sounds crazy. People you've never met could come in to borrow your bathroom. I checked in with co-founders Hillary Young and Deanna McDonald. They assured me that this app is no joke.

"Right now we're finishing our prototype. We're a little stuck because of funding. We realize this is a very new idea and intimate subject matter," writes Young in an e-mail to CNET.… Read more

20th Anniversary Mac on eBay is new-in-the-box

In 1997, I was watching "The X-Files," going to college, and using floppy disks in computer class. In 1997, Apple was showing off with the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh (also known as TAM), a sleek and imaginative take on the personal computer.

The TAM was ahead of its time. It was slim, had an integrated screen, and shimmered with metal-flake paint. You can now relive all the excitement of ordering and unboxing your very own TAM by buying one new-in-the-box on eBay.

The eBay TAM's accessory box has been opened to check for damage, but the rest of it is pristine. The substantial user manual is still shrink-wrapped. Not surprisingly, the system is being sold as-is.

The TAM has a 250MHz PowerPC processor, a CD-ROM drive, 32MB of RAM, a Bose speaker system, a 12.1-inch LCD display, and a keyboard with a luxurious Italian leather palm rest. Yes, it has a floppy disk drive.

Those specs won't get you very far with today's software demands, but it's not really about what you can do with it. It's about having one in your personal Apple museum. It's the sort of item you would place on your fireplace mantel and stare at while sipping a cocktail.… Read more

V-Moda Revamp headphone review: Because vampires like music, too

The V-Moda Revamp earbuds are a collaboration between V-Moda and HBO for the bloodsucking show "True Blood," but you don't have to be a fan to enjoy them. Aside from a couple small logos on the earbud pieces and the syringe-shaped remote control on the wire, nothing about them looks particularly vampiric.… Read more

The 404 897: Where you both owe me 14 bucks (podcast)

Remember the story we told you last week about the woman who spent $180 on what turned out to be a wooden Apple iPad? It happened again! In the same city! There's a lesson to be learned in all of this, and that lesson is to never trust anyone with more than four gold teeth.

Same rule goes for mustaches, and Google's celebrating Freddie Mercury's 65th birthday with a Web app that lets you add a mustache to every face on the Internet! We'll demo it today using someone else's face, however, since none of us are creepy enough to grow our own mustache.

We'll also talk about Amazon.com-branded delivery lockers popping up in select 7-Eleven stores, adding fuel to the fires already burning through the United States Postal Service, and introduce a new photo caption segment that Wilson cooked up over the weekend.

The 404 Digest for Episode 897