A Welsh View

The Whisky PC

A step-by-step guide on how to cram a functioning PC into a bottle of whisky. [via]

Five Weird iPhone Apps

Today Apple announced that the iPhone App Store now hosts over 100,000 applications including these five weirder ones. I can't believe the list didn't include  the ones that involve using your tongue.

Video: Rip Ride Rockit Roller Coaster

A new roller coaster in Universal Studios Orlando has launched that has some pretty unique features. Before riding you can select that only you will be able to hear in your seat and mounted on your carriage is a camera that will film you as you ride the coaster. Along with the other cameras dotted around the track, a short montage of real-life and computer generated clips will be compiled into a DVD that you can buy when exiting the ride. [via]

The Evolution of the Mobile Phone

The evolution of the mobile phone from the 88lb SRA/Ericsson MTA which was hardly mobile to the Apple iPhone.

Video: Atari 800 Laptop

Ben Heck, creator of such gadgets as the Xbox 360 and Wii laptop, has just launched a new machine - the Atari 800 laptop.

Man Builds Tiny Bicycle-Powered House

A man has built a tiny 100-pound trailer that can be towed around using a bicycle. The house is self-sufficient and using renewable energy you can cook meal, heat up water for showers and the kitchen and there's a urinal funnel on the outside. There isn't room for #2 facilities which is probably a good thing.

There are more photos over at Dvice.

Cockney ATM Screenshots

Nick Burcher has posted a load of screenshots and a review of the Cockney ATMs that have been installed in London. Surprisingly, the machine also features a Welsh screen.

Video: Nokia Booklet 3G

Great features and what looks to be a very good battery life.

Cash Machine Offers Cockney Slang

3 ATMs in London now allow you to select Cockney Slang as your chosen language. You have to enter your 'Huckleberry Finn' (pin) to use the machine, check out how much 'sausage and mash' (cash) they have and withdraw 'speckled hens' (tens). Link.

Nikon Unveils World's First Projection Camera

Nikon has unveiled a camera that includes a built in projector that allows you to project images onto any available flat surface. The S1000pj will also allow you to control the size of the image – the minimum size being 5in and the maximum projection being 40in.

The camera itself is a 12.1Mp compact with a top ISO sensitivity of 6400 and wide-angle 5x zoom. It will be available to buy in the UK next month, priced at £400/€485 ($678). [via]

World’s Largest Mobile LED TV

The iCONIC 100 HD is easily the world’s largest mobile LED screen and also the world’s ONLY High Definition mobile LED screen. [View video here] [via]

Video: The Shweeb - A Human-Powered Monorail

[via]

20 Scary Old School Surgical Tools

20 scary surgical tools including this artificial leech tool which looks far more scary than having real leeches.

Video: iPhone 3GS Timeplapse

An example of what can be achieved using an iPhone 3GS, some cheap software and a tripod. [via]

New iPhone Knock-Offs Are Nearly Indistinguishable From Original

This video shows an example of an 'iPhone' from China. They've done a pretty good job of copying the hardware and the software looks similar but is almost unusable. More at Wired.

Carnivorous Clock That Eats Insects

UK-based designers James Auger and Jimmy Loizeau have created a robotic clock that feeds on flies which then powers the clock. They've also created one that feast upon mice.

The New Scientist has a gallery as well as a video of the robots. [via]

Video: iPhone 3GS Survives Being Dropped In Swimming Pool

Video: Macbook Transforms into a Spaceship

I must be missing out. All my PC does is make a strange noise that I'm yet to identify.

Outlet Wall

It may be ugly, but how convenient would it be to have all those plug sockets. [via]

USB Microwave

Heinz has created a world's smallest, portable microwave that can be powered by a USB port on a computer.

The turquoise device -called the Beanzawave allows workers tied to their desks to create a warm snack, or hot drink, to see them through the day.

To date, the device, which stands just 7.4inches tall by 6.2in wide and 5.9in deep, is only a prototype.

The Daily Mail has more.

Video: Netbooks Comes To Life

[Thanks Rachael]

The Evolution of Mobile Phones

The evolution of mobile phone design between 1983 and 2009.

Video: 73 Identical Model Planes Flown At The Same Time

Ball And Chain To Force Children To Study

Parents struggling to get their kids to revise in the run-up to exams can now keep them at their desk using a ball and chain that only unlocks when they have studied for long enough.

A red digital display counts down the "Study Time Left" and the device beeps and unlocks when the time expires.

The prison-style device weighs 9.5 kg (21 pounds), making it difficult to move while wearing it.

It cannot be locked for more than four hours and comes with a safety key that allows the manacle to be opened at anytime.

The ball and chain costs £75 and is sold online at curiosite.com.

Gift Card Puzzle Vault

Never feel guilty about giving a gift card again with this puzzle from Think Geek. [via]

Dog 'O' Matic Dog Washer

Even though Time magazine says that the Dog 'O' Matic was just invented, FoxNews has a video of a similar machine from 2007. [via]

Video: Multi-Purpose Pizza Box

The Making Of: PlayStation

Edge magazine has quite an in-depth article about how the Sony Playstation was created and marketed. The article includes the different concepts for the logo and control pad. [via @iA]

Video: Man Launches 'Mini' Saturn V Rocket

You can read more about the rocket over at LiveLeak.

50+ Cool Laptop Sleeves and Bags

Very tempted to purchase one of these to replace the rather bland sleeve you get with an EeePC.

2 Seater Segway

I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable riding a 2-seater Segway. More info here.

Video: Wii Lawn Mower

Created by Kjeld Jensen, a robotics researcher at University of Southern Denmark, the Casmobot is a lawn mower that can be controlled using a Wiimote.

Tilting the Wiimote forward causes the mower to drive forwards, while tilting the Wiimote backwards puts the lawnmower in to reverse. The mowing process can even be automated. Users can guide the mower to map out the borders of a lawn, and then leave it to automatically cut the area on its own.

Video: Giant Lego Nintendo DSi Timelapse Construction Video

This giant replica of a Nintendo DSi was built from 51,324 Lego pieces, weighs 250lb and took Sean Kenney 200 hours to assemble. It's currently on display in the Nintendo World Store at the Rockefeller Center, NYC. [via]

Video: World’s Largest Model Train Railway

Japanese 'Fashion Model Robot'

Someone likes shiny metal asses.

Related story: Engadget

Man Builds His Own 747 Simulator

Flight enthusiast Matthew Sheil has built a 747-400 flight simulator in his Sydney warehouse that the Guinness Book of Records has called 'world's most expensive home flight simulator'. The simulator is powered by 14 different computers and requires 45 different software programs. It cost US$200,000 and allows Sheil to fly to and from 27,000 different airports around the world. [via]

Video: 24 Solid State Drives = Awesomeness

Video: The Pentaminx = The Rubik's Cube From Hell

[via]

Nokia's Boring Me

I used to a be a big fan of Nokia phones but lately each device they have been releasing has only been marginally better than a previous device. Whilst you can't have a perfect device it seems that each one released, even the top end devices, lack something (e.g. battery too small, no xenon flash, smaller screen, etc).

The N86 that was launched today has an 8MP camera and some other new features such as scratch resistant screen, wider angle lense and the capability of taking panoramic shots but it has a small battery and doesn't have a xenon flash that was present on the N82.

I'm not sure why Nokia are so late with bringing out a phone with an 8MP camera. Sony are pulling ahead with a 12MP phone and Texas Instruments has announced a new mobile platform that can support up to 20MP.

Of course, megapixels aren't everything and it has yet to be seen how the improved optics on the N86 will perform.

And something that Nokia really needs to move away from is the clunky S60 interface. It's a full featured platform but it's tired and each Feature Pack released doesn't improve the overall interface.

My contract runs out in July and I'm starting to sway towards the iPhone. It's so much easier to use than most Nokia phones and I think I could put up with the limitations.

The Touchcube - The First Touch Screen Rubik's Cube

The Touchcube from Rubik's is a purely touch screen version of the classic puzzle.

The TouchCube works just like its more antiquated brethren, but instead of grinding the actual spinning cogs (manual labor is for suckers!), a simple swipe of the finger in a straight line or an 'L' shape (for rotations) does the trick. There's an accelerometer built in that ensures only the upwards-facing surfaces respond to your touch, so you can still hold the thing.

And it wouldn't be a touchscreen Rubik's cube without a few improvements: namely, the TouchCube can solve itself as you watch, and even teach you, step by step, how to do it. So you can be one of those kids we all marveled at in school (Ben Shepple, this one's for you) who could solve a cube in a matter of seconds. Built-in memory will also save your cube's state if you need to take a break.

The Touchcube will probably retail for $150. [via]

Video: Star Wars Imperial March Played On A Hard Drive

Nerd!

Stanford Writes In World's Smallest Letters

Boffins at Stanford University has claimed the title for the world's smallest writing. The process is very complex and uses words I've never heard of so rather than trying to explain it, here's a video.

Combination Lock for USB Drives

Can't be bothered to encrypt your USB drive? Slap an old school combination lock on it. It's only three digits so it won't be the most secure. [via]

Video: Wood Chopper From Hell

The Evolution of Apple Design Between 1977-2008

This collection of Apple products has to be one of the most complete. The article shows the evolution of its computers laptops, desktop, iPods and even mice and keyboards.

Related: Wired - Jan. 22, 1984: Dawn of the Mac

9000 USB Flash Drives Left At Dry Cleaners

Pointless statistic of the day. Over the past year, 9,000 USB drives have been left at dry cleaners.

Credant Technologies surveyed 500 dry cleaners that said on average they found two USB sticks during the course of a year. Taking this figure and multiplying it by the number of dry cleaners in the UK - 4500 - got the 9000 figure.

[via]

Video: Touch Screen Coke Vending Machine

A new Coke vending machine that is expected to be launched in the US this year and the UK in 2010.

SDXC Memory Cards Promise 2TB of Storage

The SD Association, the industry group behind the Secure Digital memory card format, has announced a new version of the card that can be scaled to 2TB.

The SDXC (eXtended Capacity) specification was announce at CES and as well as offering huge amounts of storage, will also eventually boost transfer speeds 10 fold to 300MBps.

The first batch of cards with a read/write speed of 104MBps will be released in March but it's not known in what sizes. Link

Asus Eee Keyboard

Computing has come full circle with the announcement of the Asus Eee Keyboard.

Described as a fully functional PC, the keyboard has a 5in touch screen that displays a suite of bespoke media controls or a Windows desktop.

Like Eee PCs, the keyboard is powered by Intel’s Atom processor and incorporates a selection of USB and video ports around the back as well as solid state storage and Wi-Fi connectivity.

The keyboard also has HDMI so in theory you could stream movies to a HDTV. [via]

Related: Asus Shows a Tablet-Style Eee PC

Apple's History in Patents

Technologizer.com has probably spent a lot of time presenting Apple's 31 year history by the patent's that it's filed.