death

Sony releases nonbroken 2.41 update for PS3

While the reported cases were few and far between, last week's PlayStation 3 firmware update 2.40 rendered a select few consoles completely useless. Sony had removed the upgrade just a day after the highly anticipated patch was released and claimed it was "looking into it."

Well it seems a week was all that was needed as the very bug-free, nonbroken firmware Version 2.41 is currently available for download. All of the features we told you about appear to remain intact in addition to a newer platinum trophy icon.

We should note that if you were … Read more

Gadgettes 96: The Childhood Bliss Episode

In the spirit of Kelly Baby Watch, we explore the many reasons why now is a really good time to be a child. Us grown-ups can still have a little fun too. Listen now: Download today's podcast

EPISODE 96

Sega Dream Dog DX http://dvice.com/archives/2008/06/sega_dream_dog.php

Edible legos: Yay or nay? http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/5775

Ultimate Star Wars Lego Death Star http://www.core77.com/blog/object_culture/the_ultimate_star_wars_lego_death_star_10257.asp

Go ahead kids: Draw on the fridge http://blogs.cnet.com/8301-13553_1-9976657-32.html

Swim-Ring amphibious PC pool toy http://www.popgadget.net/2008/06/amphibious_pc_p.php … Read more

The 404 130: Where Justin dances like a Muppet

Fridays are always the craziest days at the 404--hopefully you saw today's preshow where Justin danced his little Muppet heart out to Journey's "Don't Stop Believing." If you missed it, you can still check out the video below. We have the pleasure of speaking to the great Lou Bakalar today over the phone; he gives us his take on cutting edge tech and we pick his brain about the dangers of driving a taxi in the city. The story rundown is equally zany, filled with strip clubs, celebrity death predictions, vegetable oil automobiles, and of … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 724: YOU are!

It's episode 724, wherein we argue, but in a happy way. MySpace wins a $234 million antispam judgment they'll probably never collect, and Google blurs faces in Street view, maybe just to be nice. Also, it turns out seniors are more acutely aware of the passing of time (or they hate commercials more than the youngsters do) and Qtrax makes four improbable deals. Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 724

Note: We are making a change to our podcast feed system on Monday, May 19. However, you do not need to subscribe to a new feed. One … Read more

Desert tunes: Death Cab For Cutie, Portishead, Jack Johnson

This week, tens of thousands of alt-music junkies are fleeing to the desert to take part in the hottest event around: the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. And when we say "hottest" we mean both temperature hot and, yes, sexy hot, as well. We're impressed with the headliners, such as Portishead , Death Cab For Cutie, Jack Johnson, but we're even more down with the bands in the small print, too, such as Little Brother, Jens Lekman, and Modeselektor.

We're not actually going to Coachella (bummer), but we will be celebrating virtually via the playlist … Read more

Webware from beyond the grave: JustInCaseIDie.com

Here's a creepy site that is based on a sound idea: JustInCaseIDie. On this service you can set up a message to be sent to a single recipient if you don't check in by a certain time or reply to a reminder e-mail. The idea is that, if you die, you can't check in, and your canned message will be sent. Said message could be a posthumous love note, a terrible expose, the combination to the safe in the house, and so on.

It's implemented in a pretty lightweight fashion, so I can't imagine it … Read more

Report: Co-worker, not phone, blamed in death

This case has CSI written all over it.

Earlier this week the TelecomsKorea News Service and other news agencies reported that a man in South Korea (known as Seo) was presumably killed in a mobile phone explosion while working in a quarry. Then authorities said his injuries were too severe to have been caused by an exploding handset battery, though it was reportedly on fire in the victim's shirt pocket.

Now police say they suspect that the co-worker who first reported the incident (known as Kwon) was actually the one behind the victim's death, according to Digital Chosunilbo … Read more

Report: Phone may not have caused death

Authorities are questioning the cause of death of a South Korean man who was initially thought to have been killed in a cell phone battery explosion, according to news reports.

The unidentified 33-year-old man had been found dead next to an electric shovel at the quarry where he worked, and a mobile handset with a melted battery was discovered in his shirt pocket. His injuries reportedly included a punctured heart, ruptured lungs, and broken ribs and spine.

But the National Institute of Scientific Investigation determined that those injuries were too severe to be attributed to a phone battery explosion, according … Read more

The Red Ring of Death strikes again

"On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero," wrote Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk. The same, it would seem, is true of Microsoft's Xbox 360 video game console. The general hardware failure known as the Red Ring of Death has affected many thousands of consumers (Microsoft won't say exactly how many), including nearly everyone we know in the video game industry (and that's a lot of people). However, our main Xbox 360 console has always been fine, and is arguably one of the oldest systems still in the wild, with … Read more