Gizmodo, the Gadget Guide

The Nine Lives of the Superstar Who Wanted to Jump the Grand Canyon

Elvis on a motorbike, Evel Knievel was one of the icons of the Seventies. With his star-spangled red, white and blue leathers—apparently inspired by Liberace rather than the King—and mussed-up blonde mop, cape flying behind him as he catapulted his Harley XR750 over buses, cars and canyons, Evel was excess personified. Spent, schtupped, drank, popped, jumped and snapped (35 bones broken, 36 months spent in hospital) until it was all gone. "I always wanted to live to about 70," he claimed, in an interview still to be published in Vanity Fair. "I thought that'd be a good age. There's just no stopping me." more »

8:00 AM ON SUN DEC 9 2007
BY ADDY DUGDALE
4 views, Comment

Zune

How to Disable Zune 3-play Restriction for Shared Songs

Are you lucky enough to have a Zune and know someone who has another one? Would you like to squirt fluids and songs with your future wife? Think the Wi-Fi song sharing sucks because the restriction that limits playback to three times? In other words: would you like to pirate some music on the go? For shame! Oh well, it's your soul, you are the one going to h-e-l-l, HELL. Just tag the songs' genre as "Podcast" and eliminate 3-play limit, any chance of redemption and the ability to browse your music by genre. [ZuneScene]

5:39 AM ON SUN DEC 9 2007
BY JESUS DIAZ
328 views, 4 comments

Latest by Windhawk: After 30 days do your "podcasts" go away? more »

Not So Breaking News

Apple TV is Not a Hit

The analysts are finally confirming what we've known all along. Apple TV isn't a big deal. Market research firm Forrester reports that they estimate Apple will be lucky to sell 800,000 units by the end of this year, or 200,000 short of Forrester's 1 million unit estimation. So do they blame the marketing? No, plenty of internet-using adults know about the product (around 50%), but only 5% of those people know what it does. more »

11:50 PM ON SAT DEC 8 2007
BY MARK WILSON
6,172 views, 41 comments

Latest by LoopTrack: The xbox360 had this locked tv streamer beat way before it was even announced. Does appletv play the most widely used video formats of our generation? (wmv & xvid) The only way Apple could be successful in this field is video more »

Leaks

New AIBO PS Rumors Grow, PlayStation AIBO?

It looks like Kotaku's word on a new AIBO was fairly solid, because a new [still rumor] from Stuff talks about an AIBO PS (or AIBO PlayStation as we read that). Controlled through a PS3, the AIBO PS will appear as an avatar on the PS3 XMB (menu system). Personalities will be downloadable off PSN and...wow, it just gets better (along with the mega-sized scan): more »

6:20 PM ON SAT DEC 8 2007
BY MARK WILSON
5,688 views, 23 comments

Clips

Imagineer Helps Design Cute, Killer Robot

The Robotex AH is a robotic killing machine. Standing just 2 feet tall and traveling 10mph, the Robotex can go up stairs and then shoot a 10-inch hole through a steel door from a quarter mile away. And most days, that's enough to make us crap our pants. But what's even more interesting/scary is that this concept video was produced by ex (or rogue?) Disney Imagineer Terry Izumi. more »

6:15 PM ON SAT DEC 8 2007
BY MARK WILSON
9,270 views, 33 comments

Deals

Dealzmodo Part II: Lenovo Laptops 25% Off

Happy [holiday that won't offend you] to everyone! To celebrate, Lenovo is offering 25% off ThinkPad notebooks and desktops. That means you can score an R Series starting at $651.30, you know, before you give in and add all the extra crap before checkout. Dollar for dollar you can probably match or beat the specs elsewhere, but It's worth scoping out if you'd rather own a ThinkPad than a bargain bin lappie. [lenovo] Thanks Dan!

5:32 PM ON SAT DEC 8 2007
BY MARK WILSON
2,553 views, 10 comments

Latest by Skorpius: I just picked up a T61p two months ago and am loving it. No other lappie looked as good to me or felt as good as the Lenovo. It is nice to have everything in black and the keyboard just more »

extreme controversy

Superbad DVD Pulled from Wal-mart

This may be the first time Gizmodo has reported on a DVD controversy that didn't involve the words "HD" or "Blu." Apparently the special edition of Superbad has been pulled off of Wal-mart shelves in Hawaii because of its inclusion of a novelty fake ID. Remember the movie? It belongs to a certain someone named "McLovin." more »

4:50 PM ON SAT DEC 8 2007
BY MARK WILSON
10,579 views, 29 comments

TomTom ONE XL Will Get You To Grandmas in a Timely Manner this Year

FROM GIFTS.GIZMODO.COM: In case you don't remember where your family lives this holiday season, you could ask for a TomTom ONE XL. This device has a gigantic 4.3-inch LCD screen. It also obviously includes TomTom's mapping software, that is a personal favorite of mine.

4:15 PM ON SAT DEC 8 2007
1,374 views, 6 comments

Nintendo

Darth Vader Wii, Please Don't Buy it Now for $15,000

The Star Wars Vader Edition Wii is pretty hot. While we could honestly do without the Star Wars theme in our living rooms (at least while company visits), the black finish and corresponding red LED gives us visions of just how good a touch of the dark side could be for the Nintendo Wii. Screw cute, family friendly pastels. We want coal, blood and steel. And we want it to spew raw meat for our ingestion. Oh, and it'd be nice if it didn't cost $15,000. more »

4:05 PM ON SAT DEC 8 2007
BY MARK WILSON
5,766 views, 17 comments

Latest by Letsan: NObody noticed that Wiimote has the same design-scheme that the pre-release prototypes had? Look at them here [www.gearfuse.com] I don't know if this guy just used an old image of a black wiimote, or he has one of those early versions... If the more »

Clocks

Oblong Gear Clock Anything But Conventional

Now that timekeepers can be found on everything from computers to cellphones to dog collars (well, maybe not that), the wall clock lacks function, not to mention it's boring looking. This Oblong Gear Clock, however, eschews the round/proportionally square look for a tall, rectangular look thats jam-packed full of working gears. Even if the gears were just for show, I'd still like it just because it looks so nice. The Oblong Gear Clock can be yours now for $125. [Z Gallerie via 7 Gadgets]

3:20 PM ON SAT DEC 8 2007
BY ADRIAN COVERT
2,529 views, 3 comments

Latest by AndersonBMX: @dysthymia: yes yes, the chinese version sometimes come better. sometimes not. more »

Media

Asus Eee Rocks Ubuntu in 3D

Linux add-on Compiz Fusion brings some fantastic 3D effects (along with a great deal of practical efficiency) to Ubuntu. Here's a video of the two programs loaded onto a completely stock, 512MB Asus Eee PC. We were way impressed by how the Eee doesn't break a sweat during all the effects. In our own experience, the only thing that seems to make the Eee chug is too many successive YouTube clips...so I'm thinking it's time to upgrade from the Eee's stock, Asus Linux OS with some dazzling Ubuntu style. [via digg]

2:34 PM ON SAT DEC 8 2007
BY MARK WILSON
4,437 views, 15 comments

Latest by strider_mt2k: Looks pretty cool to me. Good stuff, and thanks for the info! more »

Robots

RoboPhilo Features Twenty Programmable Parts for Under $500

With 20 programmable servos, which can be with a PC or included remote, the RoboPhilo looks like a sweet weekend hobby project. At first glance, RoboPhilo looks like that RoboSapien which is all looks and no performance. But according to Technabob, RoboPhilo is highly advanced for only costing $499, and if the video is any indication, I'd also agree. more »

1:25 PM ON SAT DEC 8 2007
BY ADRIAN COVERT
3,115 views, 13 comments

Latest by nincompoop: I'm a little teapot short and stout...these robots are definitely as gay as the month of May. Ohh, you are awful! more »

Art

Baroque Wars, Star Wars Gets Wiggy With It

We love a good Star Wars remix in these parts, and especially dig freelance illustrator Mattias Adolfsson's rendition of the story as told through Baroque era illustration. If Vader had the Death Star back somewhere between 1600 and 1750, this is how Lucas may have imagined the characters (with powdered wigs, rocking the counterpoint). [artist via superpunch]

12:54 PM ON SAT DEC 8 2007
BY MARK WILSON
3,840 views, 12 comments

Gifts the keeps Giving: Netflix, Gamefly Subscriptions

FROM GIFTS.GIZMODO.COM: Subscription anything is always a hot topic for gift giving. Sure, they are fantastic, but then again you are bestowing a monthly fee onto another after your gift has expired.

12:24 PM ON SAT DEC 8 2007
829 views, 2 comments

Deals

Dealzmodo: Apple Savings This Weekend

While Apple has already offered some deals leading to the holiday savings, they're over. And especially on Apple gear, which normally doesn't see much a discount, it's nice to save a few bucks. MacMall is running a large sale at the moment that combines savings and rebates for some noteworthy deals. Here are our faves: more »

12:11 PM ON SAT DEC 8 2007
BY MARK WILSON
9,218 views, 13 comments

poor batman

Batmobile Lost its Wheel...And It Fetched No Cash on eBay

Oh, poor Batman. His Batmobile from Batman Forever fetched less than half its reserve price on eBay after Warner Bros. put it up for auction. Expected to go for between $600,000 to $800,000, the Batmobile was only bid to $297,000. Apparently Warner Bros. restrictions like "you can never, ever, ever, ever dream about driving this car in public" turned off some buyers. But we're guessing what really happened was that car enthusiasts came to their senses and remembered, "wait a second, Batman Forever sucked!"

Jokermobile 4EVER!!!! [jalopnik and bornrich]

11:10 AM ON SAT DEC 8 2007
BY MARK WILSON
5,288 views, 28 comments

Latest by cowboyshootist: @Brian B: Check this site for the details on the original Batmobile [www.1966batmobile.com] ...I agree the best ever! more »

Rumor

Amazon Taking Kindle and Whispernet International?

A new rumor claims that Amazon wants to take their Kindle e-reader international. And while such a feat isn't a big deal for most of its competition, the Kindle's Whispernet service (a free EVDO connection allowing the downloads of books, etc from the Amazon store) will need a new partner to work across Europe (along with some hardware revision). And as rumor has it that Amazon is in talks with Vodafone Chief Arun Sarin to make this happen, sell e-books to everyone, take over the world, etc. Buyer beware: our attempts to burn Kindles in protest just won't have the impact of a good, paper book burning. [mobileread]

10:26 AM ON SAT DEC 8 2007
BY MARK WILSON
835 views, 10 comments

Latest by bandit: Can they work on making enough units for the US market first? No availability until January? Arg. more »

Poll

More Apple Multi-Touch Game Patents Leave Us As Puzzled As Before

Here's yet another Apple patent. This one has all the elements for creating the Greates Apple Rumor Theory ever, from multi-touch displays and gaming to multiple screens and media players. Clearly, we are witnessing the creation of the next nuclear-powered, worm-hole-inducing gaming platform with mind-reading capabilities. Or something like that. Really, after reading the whole text of the patent, I don't have a clue about what are they talking about:

more »

8:05 AM ON SAT DEC 8 2007
BY JESUS DIAZ
4,517 views, 26 comments

Latest by atropos: this is absurd. they are trying to patent the touch screen. more »