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Even makeup has entered the age of high definition. To our surprise, Samsung recently teamed with makeup-services provider Make Up For Ever to present a workshop that paired makeup with HDTVs.

(Credit: Make Up For Ever)

The rationale? The new demands of digital technology, where high definition tends to amplify details up to six times more than standard definition. This basically translates to talc-based makeup now accentuating, instead of hiding, those pimples, pigmentation, eyebags, enlarged pores and, horror of horrors, wrinkles when viewed on high-def TV.

This can be brutal not just for professional actors and actresses, but also for brides obsessed with their appearance before the unforgiving clarity of high-definition. So moving with the times, Make Up For Ever has developed a new line of HD cosmetics for the digital era.

Since we're a Web-based tech site, the workshop, held at Samsung's flagship Vivocity store in Singapore, probably didn't rock our boat much since anything screened on a tiny video window virtually allowed our presenters to get away with all kinds of facial blemishes.

Still, with high definition the shape of things to come, and with even cameras now offering 720p HD video-recording capability, it'd just be a matter of time before our cameraman goes HD and we'll have to gird ourselves for a high-definition close-up.

(Via Crave Asia)

AT&T today announced two enhancements to its AT&T Mobile Music service that will let users use music to customize their cell phones. With mSpot's Make-Ur-Tones (couldn't they have come up with a better name?), AT&T customers can create their own ringtones using an application downloaded to their cell phone. While that in itself is hardly new, the application gives aspiring musicians a lot more freedom than you might expect. Instead of just offering a selection of Midi tones, users will be able to download an actual music track and then cut their favorite portion for a 30-second ringtone. Of course, there will be a fee involved. Make-Ur-Tones is available will require a monthly subscription of $6.99 for three ringtones, with additional ringtones costing $2.99 each.

Remix, also from mSpot, will let you use your handset and AT&T's network to access music saved on your PC. Not only can you play songs using the Remix player, but also the track download to your handset's memory card. At $9.99 per month Remix is more expensive than Make-UR-Tones, but you'll be able to download 75 songs. If you go past your amount, you can can get a "Remix booster pack" for $2.99, which will give you 10 additional song downloads.

Though the two services each accomplish something pretty nifty, we're not fans of the subscription model. Charging $7 to $10 per month is a bit steep and we don't like how it locks you into a set number of transactions (use it or lose it!). Here's hoping that AT&T also comes up with a purely a la carte mode. Also, the services won't be available on the same selection of AT&T phones, which is rather odd. While Make-Ur-Tones will work on the Samsung Sync SGH-A707, Samsung SGH-737, , and Motorola V3xx, Remix will be available only on the Samsung Sync SGH-A707, Samsung SGH-A737, and LG Shine CU720.

The pushy little Clocky is now available in chrome.

(Credit: Nanda Home)

One of the world's most annoying gadgets is now available in--wait for it--chrome!

You may remember that not too long ago, we told you about the Enso Clock, which wakes users with soothing Zendo-like sounds and may be the least annoying alarm clock ever.

Well, the Clocky from Nanda Home is pretty much the opposite--a clock that actually jumps off your nightstand and wheels around beeping until you get up and chase it down. The pushy little Clocky gives you one chance to drag your sleepy self out from under the comforter, then it plays hardball. This is clearly not a gadget for snooze button fans.

The Clocky Chrome, which is now shipping for $65, does have at least one thing going for it: it's a bit more subtle-looking than the Valentine's Day edition.

Botanicalls has figured out a way to get plants to Twitter when they need to be watered.

(Credit: Botanicalls)

If you thought it was bad enough that all your friends, and even your mother, want you to keep up with them via their Twitter pages, your plants could now do the same.

That's because the folks at Botanicalls, a group that formed at New York University's Interactive Telecommunications Program that figured out how to get plants to make phone calls when they need to be watered, have now extended that functionality to Twitter.

"Botanicalls Twitter answers the question: What's up with your plant? It offers a connection to your leafy pal via online Twitter status updates that reach you anywhere in the world," says the Botanicalls site. "When your plant needs water, it will post to let you know, and send its thanks when you show it love."

And if you want to know how to make your plants Twitter their thirst, then hop on over to the Make magazine blog, where Geek Gestalt's good friend, Phillip Torrone, has the how-to information for you.

Now, don't get me wrong. I absolutely love the idea that you can get a plant to Twitter. But, at the same time, I'm a little worried about where this might lead. After all, my cat gets hungry several times a minute. I simply won't be able to handle if he gets ahold of a Twitter account.

AUSTIN, Texas--If you've never seen a machine that makes 3D models out of sugar, you should.

But unless you're part of a relatively small group of people who went to the Maker Faire in California in May, or are one of a few other people who know the machine's creator, you probably have never even heard of the device.

Similarly, you may not be aware--or at least the general public probably isn't--that there is a whole movement going on right now to build advanced, digital, relatively inexpensive personal fabrication and robotics tools that can do or create some very cool things like laser etchings on laptops or iPods, 3D models of virtual world avatars, Lego models of almost anything, and many other kinds of projects.

A primary example of the places that offer these kinds of tools and project support is MIT's Fab Lab.

As Wikipedia's entry on such fab labs puts it: "While fab labs cannot compete with mass production and its associated economies of scale in fabricating widely distributed products, they have the potential to empower individuals to create smart devices for themselves. These devices can be tailored to local or personal needs in ways that are not practical or economical using mass production."

On Thursday, as many of the organizers of Maker Faire Austin and the so-called "makers" themselves began gathering to prepare for this weekend's event, they took time out for what they called a "fabrication summit," a discussion of such tools, and more importantly, how to get them into the hands of and in front of a larger number of people.

Hosted by Make magazine editor and publisher Dale Dougherty, the meeting--attended by some of the most accomplished people in the personal fabrication field--became a referendum on what it might take to get the masses interested in these kinds of tools and machines.

No conclusions were reached, but there were some insights that might help the group reach its goal--particularly about why most people may not know about this kind of technology.

On Thursday, some of the organizers of Maker Faire, as well as some of the 'makers' themselves gathered for a 'fabrication summit' in Austin.'

(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com)

"By far the biggest obstacle is fear," said Jim Newton, the founder and managing director of TechShop, a business in Menlo Park, Calif., that offers drop-in access to a wide range of fabrication tools. "People are afraid to try this. Very few people want to make things anymore because they've built up this fear. Aside from providing the actual tools, (it's necessary) to get people past the fear. It's (about showing) people that they can do this: 'You don't have to be an engineer. You can do this yourself.'"

Another meeting attendee, Make senior editor Phil Torrone, suggested that the way to getting people interested in using these kinds of tools, particularly young people, is to show them how to use the technology on their favorite devices.

"People under 18 want to (laser) etch their iPods and cell phones," Torrone said. "But the people that have this equipment are engineers. It's like a drug (though). You let them try it and get them addicted. You have to have a gateway drug. You have to give them something interesting first. And there are a hundred million iPods."

Lifehacker.com editor Gina Trapani had 'Make' magazine senior editor Phil Torrone etch a symbol of an Irish knot on her PowerBook. Here, the machine is still doing the etching.

(Credit: Gina Trapani/Lifehacker.com)

But as Ted Hall, president of computer-controlled machine tool company ShopBot put it, "There's still very little awareness of digital fabrication capabilities. It's amazing to me how little awareness (there is) of how much can be done."

Part of the problem, Hall added, is terminology. For example, one important term in the personal fabrication field is CNC, or computer numerical control, which is part of the system that ShopBot uses. Hall said tools must have more accessible names.

For example, he pointed to concept of the 3D printer, a device that can build a three-dimensional physical model based on digital images. "Printer," Hall said, offers "a word of explanation that conveys everything that it is going to do. And for many of the other tools, that's not the case."

The meeting ended without specific resolutions or recommendations, but it appeared that those involved left inspired to promote their movement and to help bring the new tools to the public in a way they feel will empower the masses to do whole lot more creating on their own.

AUSTIN, TEXAS--I'm sitting in the lobby of the Radisson hotel downtown with a bunch of the folks putting on Maker Faire.

One of them is Make magazine editor Phil Torrone, who, among other crazy ventures, was the co-genius behind Roomba Frogger, when he and fellow hacker Limor Fried modified a Roomba vacuum cleaner and wirelessly directed it to run back and forth across an Austin street like the iconic classic video game during South by Southwest 2006.

This morning, however, Torrone is tired, as it's only 8 a.m. But he's got a goal, and it's not one that would be generally accepted by society at large.

'Make' magazine editor Phil Torrone holding the TV-B-Gone, an open-source kit for turning off televisions

(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com)

And that is to show off his brand new TV-B-Gone kit, an open-source, build-it-yourself device for turning off almost any television created by Fried in conjunction with Mitch Altman, the designer of the original TV-B-Gone.

And while Altman sold his device, people couldn't build it themselves. Now, anyone can in about 20 minutes with some rudimentary soldering skills, Torrone tells me. This is much more in the spirit of Maker Faire and general DIY culture.

So, we're sitting in the lobby and Torrone shows me the device, which is small, with several LEDs and some circuitry. I would never have known what it is.

A big flat-screen TV on the wall is showing CNN and Torrone is bemoaning the fact that television tends to suck people's attention away from conversation. So he looks over at the set, surreptitiously pushes the button on his TV-B-Gone, and it flickers off.

We smile, because it's nice that it's off, but a minute later, someone walks over and turns it on again.

That's no good, clearly, and so Torrone clicks it off again using his tool.

Torrone turning off the television in the lobby of the Austin Radisson hotel using his TV-B-Gone kit. Someone turned it on a minute later, so Torrone turned it back off.

(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com)

"I feel really bad about this," Torrone says, "totally bad about that. I'm not a good person."

I don't believe him.

She's got motion sensors for eyes, and so much more. If you're not offended by seeing a mannequin's nipple, then click here to see behind the scenes photos of how Lisa was constructed.

(Credit: Donald Bell / CNET Networks)

The following was originally posted on the new MP3 Insider blog.

Could the next frontier of gadget interface design be modeled after female sexual arousal? Multimedia artists Matt Ganucheau, Kyle Machulis, and Kelly Moore have designed a female mannequin that uses strategically placed sensors to control audio playback. The mannequin, affectionately named Moaning Lisa, was unveiled at the recent Arse Elektronika conference, as part of a showcase of emerging erotic-based technology. While Lisa is currently programmed to only play a catalog of more than 200 female moans, her open-source architecture is capable of handling anything from an MP3 music library to advanced audio synthesis.

It may sound like Weird Science, but Matt promises that Lisa's technology is nothing mystical. A cutaway in Lisa's back reveals a Make controller board that works as a hardware router for all the touch-sensitive sensors mounted on the mannequin's more sensitive areas. A USB plug found on Lisa's ankle connects to a nearby computer that handles the software end of things. Matt developed Moaning Lisa's unique software using a visual programming language called Max/MSP. The program uses a neural networking algorithm to monitor all of Lisa's sensors and determine her state of excitement, which in turn modulates both her volume and number of moans. With some help from Matt and Kyle, I've put together a slide show of Lisa's construction, to help other lonely tinkerers.

Beyond the juvenile theatrics, there are some advanced principles behind Lisa that could filter into consumer technology. With Lisa, Matt and Kyle consciously avoided simplifying the mannequin's "arousal" to just a slap and a tickle. Instead, Lisa's software monitors the sensors for speed, duration, and sequence of touch input, along with an element of chance that may cause Lisa to not respond to you, no matter how smooth your moves. With advanced multitouch interfaces such as the iPhone grabbing the world's attention, could the next generation of interfaces be engineered for deliberate unresponsiveness? Imagine an iPod that will only power on based on the unique pressure of your grip, or a pet robot that responds preferentially to your voice, rather than your girlfriend's. The technology behind the Moaning Lisa project actually has practical applications that could reach into next generation Tickle-Me-Elmos, or post-Guitar Hero game controllers. Personally, I'm hoping for an MP3 player that can sense my mood (or someone else's) based on interaction, then find an appropriate soundtrack for it.

'Making Things Talk,' a new book from O'Reilly--the publisher of 'Make' magazine--shows how to make do-it-yourself toys that can communicate.

(Credit: O'Reilly Publishing)

Who doesn't love cool, do-it-yourself toys, the kind of projects that Make magazine has been celebrating for the last couple of years?

Well, now think of such things and imagine them talking to you, to each other or even to your cat.

That's the premise of Making Things Talk, a new book by Tom Igoe due out Oct. 15 from O'Reilly, publisher of Make.

The idea is just that, according to a press release I got this morning from O'Reilly: How to bestow "the power of communications upon your favorite tech creations through simple projects that present the guidelines for electronic verbosity."

Now, as a geek, I can't really help but salivate over that line. I don't think I have the skills myself to manifest Igoe's instructions, but I know a heck of a lot of people who do, and once I get my copy, I'm marching it over to one or two of them and offering a trade: the book for some talking toy.

An example of what Igoe teaches, courtesty of the release: "The Pet Lover: Want to play with your pet while you're away? Discover the 'networked cat cam' and the interactive pet bed that sends you personal emails!"

It sounds like playing Nabaztag with your own cat! How great is that?

Igoe, meanwhile, is a teacher at New York University's terrific Interactive Telecommunications Program, and that in and of itself is reason enough to buy the book. So if you have any toys you'd like to find talking to you when you get home from work--and who doesn't?--check this out.

It's a pretty boring Billboard ringtone chart this week, with the same crowd of top-10 contenders simply shuffling around.

"Adios Amor Te Vas" by Grupo Montez de Durango is back in first place, while Henry Mancini's funky "Pink Panther" ringtone is in second and the Koji Kondo "Super Mario Brothers Theme" is in third.

So, let's review one of the quickest methods for making your own.

While there are many programs available for making your own ringtones, some cell phones offer you a simple three- or four-click solution.

This is old news, but it amazes me how many people still don't know about it.

I am using the Cingular 8525 (now called the AT&T 8525), but this should work on most Windows Mobile cell phones. It's as easy as click, click, right-click, click.

Click File Explorer on your Windows Mobile cell phone.

Click the folder where you keep your music, whether it be within "My Documents" or on a storage card.

Right-click on the MP3 music file.

Click the "Set as Ringtone" option. You're done. The first few bars of the song will now be your ringtone.

This method does not allow you to chose a specific clip from a song. Still, it's a great way for you to keep updating your ringtones if you already own the music and have loaded the MP3 files to your cell phone anyway.