Happy Holidays from your dudes at The 404!
(Credit: Nicholas)Welcome back to another Yuletide Mini-sode of CNET's The 404 Podcast. We'll be keeping you company all season with fresh episodes, year-end wrap-ups, CES 2010 previews, and much more!
It's hard to believe that 2009 has already come and gone, but with the holidays over and 2010 around the corner, we've decided to record a special wrap-up episode to finish off the year. Lots of big changes that happened in the past twelve months, but the most momentous for the show has to be the introduction of the Tricaster and the subsequent evolution into a full-fledged video show. Of course, we have to thank Jason Howell, the man behind all the CNET Podcasts who helped us set up and troubleshoot our new equipment.
2009 also saw our first ever corporate sponsorship by way of Beck's Beer and the Beck's Beer Semi-Weekly Audio Draft in Conjunction with Beck's Beer and Last.FM, a subsidiary of CBS Interactive, or BBSWADCBBLFSCI for short. As a result of this segment, new music became an asset to the show, and we were very excited to welcome musician Andrew WK, Family of the Year, Jonathan Coulton and The Paper Raincoat into our studio for an interview and even a few in-studio performances!
R2D2 hangs a 404 ornament - Thanks Jim!
(Credit: Props Guy Jim/The404)Another huge change we remember in 2009 was the contest submissions for our logo competition! We asked for your best ideas and you guys answered in DROVES! We had so many (hundreds!) of the most creative and inspired logos that the decision became much harder than we predicted. We finally voted on Blake Stevenson's bubbly design, and you can now see the finished product plastered all over our studio and merchandise. Thanks again Blake!
Before we welcome the new year, The 404 would like to extend a personal thank you to everyone involved with The 404. We consider ourselves incredibly lucky to say what's on our mind every morning, and we certainly wouldn't be able to do it without you, the listeners. The three of us listen and read each and every tweet, Facebook comment, e-mail, and voice-mail, and although we might not respond right away, we definitely appreciate every kind (and constructive) message. We also want to give a big thanks to every single person in the daily chat room, Jason Howell, Bonnie Cha, Cheryl Holloway, Mark Licea, Natali Del Conte, Richard Peterson, and everyone else that helps us navigate through the rigors of a daily talkshow.
It's going to be very difficult to top 2009 in the new year, but we're already off to a productive start with our debut at CES 2010. We're broadcasting LIVE everyday from January 5-9 on the CNET stage, so come say hi if you're heading to the show! In addition to merchandise (we promise!) and a very exciting new CNET podcast, we also have plenty of exciting guests lined up including artists, musicians, authors, celebrities, and sports starts, but you'll have to keep listening and downloading the daily show to find out more.
Have a fun and safe New Years everyone, see you in 2010!
Yuletide Mini-sode - Remembering 2009
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(Credit:
Brian De Vitis)
Behold! The retro gaming force is strong with this one-of-a-kind R2-D2 replica by PopSci reader Brian De Vitis. The Star Wars droid was meticulously built from a cooler and houses no less than seven discontinued game consoles, a sound system, and a projector.
Based on the controllers shown in the image, our resident gaming guru has identified most of the consoles. They include the original Microsoft Xbox; Sony PlayStation; various editions of the Nintendo Entertainment System, aka NES; Sega Genesis; and Dreamcast. Give us a heads-up via Talkback below if you can recognize the joystick-like controllers and light guns on the extreme right.
A top view of the R2-D2 console droid without the projector.
(Credit: Brian De Vitis)(Source: Crave Asia)
You know what's cool? Modding your computer case. What's cooler than cool? Modding your computer case to look like R2-D2. Yeah, that's right. A real life-size R2-D2.
Frenk Janse, the creator of this mod, used a trash can that was on its way to the recycle bin, plus pictures off the Internet and a bit of know-how and creativity to work this little guy out.
And it doesn't just sit there, either. This droid includes fans and a Webcam, and even beeps and buzzes out of speakers Janse attached to the legs.
The best part? The entire thing costs less than $150. Now that's a Force to be reckoned with.
(Via TechEBlog)
We're not trying to give robots too much power over our lives, but let's face it...there are some things that we'd rather not have to do, and our robot underlings would be perfect fill-ins. That is, of course, until they become self aware and jump onto our faces until we surrender to their immense robotic power. But that won't happen for a long time, so don't worry about that just yet.
Listen now:
Download today's podcast
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Episode 115 |
DanBall the finger massaging robot looks like anything but a finger massaging robot
Roofus the snow-sweeping robot protects the roofs of large buildings
Magic system fills glasses from the bottom up somehow
Pink Watch
Sony announces Bluetooth headphones, travel-friendly speakers
A propos (of) nothing
Erasable Shower Tablet for inspired moments (thanks HollyHock!)
Here it is for sale!
What the hell?! (Vibrating stool edition)
Vibrating Toilet Seat
Mario Mushroom vibrating stool (thanks Dr. Karl!)
Gender Gap
Tomahawk Skull Gauntlet
Tool Time (baby edition)
Badass Oakley Roddler stroller gives your kid an early chip on his shoulder
Electric-drill-powered stroller should come with a Father of the Year award
Pretty……..
BMW unveils electric Mini Cooper
Dirt-cheap Christmas crap
Walmart offers $128 Blu-Ray
(Credit:
Gizmodo)
Non-Star Wars enthusiasts may find these items utterly tacky on their desktops, but the official R2D2 and Darth Vader USB hubs were designed for hardcore fans who are in a galaxy of their own, far far away. In addition to the four USB ports, the R2 hub turns its head, lights up, and whistles the signature sounds associated with the droid. The Vader model features its own sound effects and glowing red eyes.
Unfortunately, the USB hubs appear to be located in a particular region of the universe called Japan, at least for now. Though we're sure that with so many Star Wars devotees patrolling our galaxy for such paraphernalia, it really shouldn't be too hard to find one popping up on online stores and auction sites soon enough. Gizmodo says both the R2D2 and Darth Vader USB hubs will retail for $66 each starting in July.
(Source: Crave Asia)
(Credit:
Wireless)
As witnessed by the unfortunate travails of R2-D2, Star Wars product merchandizing can go horribly awry. So sometimes it's safer to go with a simpler product for branding purposes, even if it means going analog (gasp).
Case in point: These Lego Star Wars Pens as seen on Uber-Review. The set pictured here includes Yoda, Darth Vader, and, yes, even the hapless, chirping R2-D2.
In addition to serving as perfectly serviceable writing instruments, these pens can be dispatched so you can mix and match their various parts while waiting for the next blockbuster arrives from the Lucas Empire. Because there will certainly be plenty of time to kill.
(Credit:
PaperKraft.net)
When the U.S. Postal Service launched several hundred R2-D2-skinned postal drop boxes around the country last year, it also quietly released a printable paper craft version for Star Wars fans who don't live near one of the limited edition mail receptacles. Being that I don't have good enough quality paper or glue stick skills to accomplish such a feat myself, I let the pros do the work then post their shots to Flickr.
Ron over at PaperKraft.net has put together a wonderful paper rendition of the lovable droid. While not as intricate as his Howl's Moving Castle or as nerdy as the paper weighted companion cube from Portal, I'm thinking about making one of these for some cubicle kitsch.
(Credit:
Strapya-World)
Poor R2-D2. Once everyone's favorite chirping bot, it's now reduced to serving as a lowly desktop accessory or novelty USB key. And as if this weren't bad enough, it's beheaded on a regular basis. We can hear Tim Moynihan weeping as we speak.
But all that pales in comparison to its latest incarnation--as a soy "source" bottle. "All you have to do is pour some soy sauce into his orifice, close him up, and then pour," Tokyomango says. The horror.
(Credit:
GeekAlerts)
As much as we appreciate the occasional Star Wars knickknack, $2,500 seemed a tad steep for an R2-D2 projector. So we were pleased at first upon hearing that a low-budget version would be available.
Until we saw it. The product shots of the "R2-D2 Night Projector" from National Console Support is enough to give a grown man nightmares. First of all, its head pops off, which seems to be a disturbing trend for the poor guy. Second, it looks as if it's projecting some bizarre Dali-like painting on the ceiling instead of the promised Death Star or Millennium Falcon.
Sure, you can argue that we can't complain for 20 bucks. But we think we'll save the money and get a good night's sleep.
(Credit:
Taito)
Sure, we like R2-D2 as much as the next geeks, but only up to a point. A projector that runs $2,500 seems a bit excessive, for instance, and even the $350 Webcam is steep in our book. At the same time, we can do better than just a lame Mimobot.
The perfect compromise may be a pair of R2-D2 computer speakers like the cheeky duo shown in the photos here from Japan's Taito. But did they have to come up with a design that forces their decapitation to reveal the speakers? (We couldn't help but think of the final scene from Kill Bill.)
Anyway, standing at 4.72 inches tall (with head intact), the $40 speakers are just the right size to display your allegience to The Force without reeking of date repellant. But even though Technabob says they're expected to ship in December, we don't recommend them as a holiday gift for the romance in your life.
