slices

IE 8's more secure, interestingly innovative: video

Internet Explorer 8 takes some long-needed strides to bring it up to speed with its competitors. It's more secure, with tab sandboxing and more aggressive malicious site warnings, and introduces some slick new features like Accelerators and Web slices.

Even with better support for Web standards, it's far from perfect. Check out what's hot and what's not in this First Look video.

Toaster proves they do make 'em like they used to

Toasters have always been a focus of attention in the kitchen. In fact, they seem to symbolize it more than any other appliance. Sure, the refrigerator or oven might seem like more obvious choices, but in the end it's the toaster that best represents the warmth of the kitchen.

But don't take my word for it. Toasters come in endless shapes and sizes. From a toaster with a built-in egg poacher, to a toaster stuck on the side of a microwave, there really doesn't seem to be any end to toaster combinations (or apparently, movie tie-ins; I'… Read more

Future Food: Peanut butter slices and canned bacon

There are two things that are certain in life, and I'm not talking about death and taxes. These happen to be of the food-related variety. Even though I am sure you are well aware of these food truisms, they are always fun to repeat:

Peanut butter goes well with anything.

Bacon makes everything taste better.

You may be familiar with these food rules, but did you know they are not independently separate from each other? Bacon and peanut butter work together too. If you've never had a peanut butter and bacon burger, you just don't know what … Read more

Mozilla Ubiquity, Microsoft IE8, and the fracturing of Web pages

Mozilla on Tuesday released a public prototype of Ubiquity, a curious command-based interface to locating information on the Web and creating compilations of information from various sources. See: Mozilla offers do-it-yourself mashups for all.

At the moment, it's most capable as a command-line browser. You press the hot key, ctrl-space, and you can just start typing lookup commands, like "imdb Blade Runner." Or, if text is already selected in the browser, your command will act on them. Mouse over a restaurant page in Yahoo Mail, press the hotkey, and type "yelp" for a review, for … Read more

Super Slice it with Virgin Mobile

We hinted at this a couple months ago, but Virgin Mobile has now made it official. The carrier's first Bluetooth phone, the Super Slice from UTStarcom, will be available by mid-September for $59.99. Besides Bluetooth, the Super Slice adds a VGA camera and a new user interface. All other features are carried over from the original Slice handset, including its thin (0.4 inch) profile. Check back soon for a review.

Trend watch: Individual desserts

Little did we know that the cupcake craze was actually a symptom of a much larger desire for individualized desserts. Sure, we've always had tartlets, creme brulee, and pudding. But lately we've noticed a couple of ideas for turning normally communal desserts into single-serving affairs.

For example, why bake a whole pie when you can bake individual slices in one of these pans? The 2/3-cup, wedge-shaped stoneware pan, which we first saw on Baking Bites, bakes a perfectly sized slice of pie (or other pastry) so you don't have to worry about the crust falling apart … Read more

A business card that's a weapon and vegetable chopper

If you happen to run into Jonathan Hirshon, president of Horizon Communications, ask for a business card. It's made of aluminum.

For the past two days, we've been trying to figure out all the many uses for it. It's sharp enough to cut carrots. If sharpened a bit more, it could be fashioned into a Ninja star. If this were the '80s, it would have been a status symbol for drug dealers in Miami.

The word "Horizon" isn't painted on the card either. It's a stencil, so you can also use it to … Read more

Segway vs. the golf carts

Thanks to a new line of Segways, you can look like a dork on the links. We got used to seeing the original, but when you add a golf bag, scorecard holder and other duffer essentials, it just looks wrong.

But like its predecessor, the Segway x2 Golf apparently is efficient despite its asthetic shortcomings. The new model, which Gizmag says will debut at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Florida, cut at least an hour off the usual round of 18 holes in early trials. That leaves more time for apres-fairway cocktails, which we always endorse.

Virgin Mobile introduces the Slice

In a trend that simply will not die, UTStarcom and Virgin Mobile have come together to bring us the latest thin phone to hit the market: the Slice. We've previously known this phone as the UTStarcom PCS-1400 (read our first take here), and yes indeed, it does look a lot like the Motorola Slvr. Measuring a svelte 4.3x1.8x0.4 inches and weighing only 2.3 ounces, the Slice is touted by Virgin as the thinnest phone you can get in the U.S. without a contract or an activation fee. While we can't confirm that statement, … Read more