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ie8 fix

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Don't just daydream--enter the vortex

Acknowledging our generational biases, we've noted our partiality to the lava lamp in its original form, or at least as close as possible. Although we've tried to keep an open mind about more contemporary equivalents, few can even approach the volcanic icon of our wasted youth (so to speak).

But Discovery has managed to come close with a USB swirling vortex that looks good enough to keep us mesmerized even without artificial enhancements. This LED-illuminated item has a practical use beyond its entertainment value as well, housing four USB ports in a 180-degree revolving hub. With any luck, … Read more

Desktop levitation sans voodoo

Levitating TVs are nice, if a bit nerve-wracking. Levitating globes are great if you're planning world domination.

But what about in-home object levitation for the rest of us television-boycotting, non-geography-loving types?

It's not new, but the IFO 3000 fills in that gap nicely, offering desktop (actual desktop, not computer desktop) levitation for such items as picture frames, Mini Coopers, and alarm clocks. And, yes, globes. For good measure.

The IFO 3000 does not come with a wizard who makes objects levitate via witchcraft. Instead, magnetic fields are to blame for all the levitation action.

Again, it's nothing new, … Read more

Enter Gleemax: Wizards of the Coast's new social site for gamers

Not all games need a computer or a video game system. Long ago, before the Internet and broadband and (one assumes) wheels and indoor plumbing, gamers played games on tables. Card games, role-playing games, and strategy games were all played with pens, paper, cards, dice, and figurines. Plenty of gamer geeks still play those games today. I count myself as one of them.

Wizards of the Coast owns Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering, respectively the largest tabletop RPG and collectible card game franchises ever. WotC recently announced the strangely named Gleemax, a social site focused specifically on the … Read more