The prize is a $700 HP MediaSmart EX495 PC, set up as a Windows home server, with 1.5TB of storage and Mac/Time Machine support. The winner shall be chosen at arbitrary whim. Runners-up get something random from the gadget dungeon. The theme is "Found in Space." 100 words long. Go!... Full story...
Murilee from Jalopnik sez, "After reading your post about the candy-ass school VP who freaked out over that kid's science project, I remembered my own similar experience in high school ('75 Ford seat-belt buzzer hooked up to batteries and put in a locker, which resulted in school evacuation).
Fees for terminating your Nexus One contract: up to $550. The magic part is that Google and T-Mobile each charge you an ETF, meaning you have to pay back the 'subsidy' to both companies.
Brian Krebs's "Krebs on Security" features an ATM skimmer that is chillingly well-camouflaged. After seeing photos of early, crude skimmers -- devices that capture your card number and work in concert with a hidden camera that records you punching in your PIN -- I assumed that I could rely on my own powers of observation to keep from falling victim to one.
A San Diego school vice-principal saw an 11-year-old's home science project (a motion detector made out of an empty Gatorade bottle and some electronics), decided it was a bomb, wet himself, put the school on lockdown, had the bomb-squad come out to destroy X-ray the student's invention and search his parents' home, and then magnanimously decided not to discipline the kid (though he did recommend that the child and his parents get counselling to help them overcome their anti-social science behavior).
Richard sez, "For the discerning mad scientist: the list of items up for auction by the University of Delaware from a former Chrysler plant in Newark, Delaware.
Jake Bronstein of Zoomdoggle sent me a bunch of Buckyballs and for the last few days my daughters and I have been playing with them during meals and in front of the TV.
John sez, "I've been making using dismantled typewriter components. Each edition is made by sticking the sheet metal pieces to a magnetic plate then inking and printing like a woodblock.
Kevin Kelly shares my enthusiasm for the Perplexus, a 3-D maze toy. We've found the puzzle to be extremely addictive to anyone who gets started.
Perplexed of late by people knocking loudly on the front door instead of ringing the doorbell, I finally asked the delivery man what was up.
The YikeBike is an electric, folding "mini-farthing" (think "penny-farthing") bike -- €3,500 gets you a 10kg electric scooter that folds up to the size of a cymbal set and travels 10-20km on a single charge at 20km/h.