Mark November 8, 2009 (11/8) on your calendars, dear readers. That’s when HP is launching some particularly generous promos, covering laptops and desktops alike:
Save up to $315 instantly on the HP TouchSmart tx2z Series Customizable Notebook PC! – Savings Include: $200 instant rebate, FREE memory upgrade from 2GB to 3GB ($30 savings), FREE hard drive upgrade from 250GB to 320GB ($40 savings), and get FREE shipping ($29 savings). Ends 11/14
Save up to $275 instantly on the HP Pavilion dv6t Series Customizable Notebook PC! – Savings Include: $150 instant rebate, FREE memory upgrade from 2GB to 3GB ($30 savings), FREE hard …read more

As someone who does practically everything online, I know that a lot of what I do is on record somewhere. And you know what? That’s perfectly fine—for me, at least. When I first used my credit card online, I felt a bit uncomfortable, worried that some unscrupulous soul would use the information I entered to max out my credit limit and saddle me with debt.
Eventually however, I realized that as long as I limit my online purchases to retailers who have made the effort to win my trust, I should be fine. These kind of companies follow industry standards regarding …read more

This is so cool! The brainchild of Steve Hoefer, the “Secret Knock Detecting Door Lock” attaches to a doorknob and its corresponding lock with suction cups. Upon detecting the correct knock pattern (by default, the classic shave and a haircut), it unlocks the door to grant access.

Even better, the knock detector is completely programmable. Changing the secret knock cadence is a simple matter of holding the red button while executing a new lock pattern, with a max of 20 knocks. The system simply detects the pattern, and not the tempo, providing allowance for users who knock slower or faster than …read more

The new Litl is basically a web-based netbook designed to work entirely on the web, allowing users to access prominent online applications like Flickr and Google Docs. The gadget, manufactured in China, enjoys the support of a minimalist-oriented marketing and design strategy. The design of the actual unit itself is special, especially as the display hinge flexibility allows the Litl to turn into a dynamic picture frame of sorts, showing pictures, weather forecasts, and of course the time. The emphasis on usability and simplicity looks promising.

Users cannot directly install applications on Litl; updates are streamed automatically via WiFi. There’s also …read more

Apple fans remember October 23, 2001 as the debut of the first ever iPod. Turns out right on the day of its launch, people were already dissing what’s easily Apple’s most successful product line as “just another MP3 player”. Get ready to feel smug folks, for hindsight always is, and dismissive thoughts were saved for posterity at the MacRumors forums:

elitemacor: “iPoop… iCry. I was so hoping for something more.”
WeezerX80: “Great just what the world needs, another freaking MP3 player. Go Steve! Where’s the Newton?!”
Pants: “hey – heres an idea Apple – rather than enter the world of gimmicks and toys, …read more

Looks like Sony’s really pushing the Cyber-shot TX1, the new flagship of its “ultra-thin” compact series. Or at least they’re doing so in Asia, complete with the “Love the Night” tag line and “Lucky in Love” contest, both attempts to highlight the camera’s low-light and panorama shot abilities.

“Lucky in Love” mainly involves a Flash-game where players have to drag and rotate a series of photos to create a panoramic shot. It’s a pretty straightforward yet cumbersome game: not only do players have to properly align images as much as possible, they are also under time pressure. Obviously, the point of …read more

Whether you’ve played the first Left 4 Dead or not, here’s a trio of videos guaranteed to satisfy your curiosity about Left 4 Dead 2.
We begin with the first video, where our hero Criken tests the waters. The new special infected make their debut off-screen, but you can already hear the telltale sounds they make:
The second video is more revealing, at least in terms of gameplay mechanics. Criken intentionally(?) puts himself in bad situations, and shows us how to deal with the new Charger and zombies enjoying bullet-proof protection. He even reveals his “single favorite weapon in all the Left …read more

Geekiness is quite an expensive passion, but not all gadgets and accompanying accessories require a serious look at finances before purchase. You’ve got the cheap stuff, and you have the really cheap stuff. Case in point: cables.

Whether you need an HDMI cable to hook up that player to your HDTV, or a way to make full use of your computer’s USB port, the general rule when it comes to cables is to take the time and look for the cheapest alternative. For what is a cable, but a bunch of wires providing the bridge between standard ports? Standard means mainstream, …read more

1984 was an eventful year for geekdom. That was when Apple released the Macintosh, people breathed a collective sigh of relief over George Orwell’s predictions failing to pass, and The Terminator debuted, bringing the concept of machines taking over mankind to contemporary mainstream consciousness.

1984 was also the year when Japan’s Waseda University developed the WABOT-2, an “intelligent humanoid keyboard player”. As SynthGear reports:
When it was made, it was considered the ‘most advanced robot of its time’ – it could speak Japanese, and it could play a song on a synthesizer, using both hands and feet, while reading the sheet music …read more

If you’ve heard about the LG Crystal, billed as the world’s first transparent phone, and you’re up to reading a marketing-oriented interview about the phone’s design, here’s a Q&A with Youngho Kim, LG’s VP of design. But before we get to it: We already know the phone looks good LG, how about showing us why we should get the phone, other than looks?

Your phones have always looked good LG, and that’s why you’ve managed to overtake Motorola in worldwide phone shipments a couple of years ago. Now that you have the beachhead, it’s time to start appealing beyond the superficial …read more