{ Internet }

Engadget Going Overboard With New Header

I’m all for Engadgets revised and revamped new site. Ever since they changed it back in November, they’ve tweaked things here and there, usually for the good. But, it’s the new header that’s getting a bit — how do you say — overcrowded.

Maybe its me. Maybe I’m just simple-minded. Is it me? Just look at the image above. That’s the [newest] header. Clearly I liked the one before, but this new version just seems a overboard and dare I say… ugly. There’s just too much color, too many titles, and too much content in one area.

Go back to the one big header, Engadget. Go back.

{ Eco-Friendly, Laptops / Netbooks }

Looptworks Offers Up(cycled) Laptop Sleeves For $30

Looptworks is offering some pretty sexy laptop sleeves for $30. Best of all their completely upcycled. Yeah, I didn’t say recycled, — although in a way it really is — I said upcycled.

Upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value.

These badboys are made from excess scraps of nylon neoprene so you know you’re little darling will be cushioned all around. It also comes in two colors: yellow and gray (with a sweet camo lining). I have a feeling you’ll probably dig the latter being the yellow is honestly an eyesore. Grab yours here.

[BoingBoing]

{ Apple }

App Store ‘Top Paid’ Ratings Mysteriously Disappear (Update: Fixed!)

Apple must be tweaking some settings in the back-end of the App Store because ratings are missing from the Top Paid applications.

It’s not just in the Top 25 section either. If you scroll to any number of sections, say Games for example, they’re missing there as well. I’m sure Apples working on getting the ratings back, just give them some time.

If you really need to know the rating for a specific app, just search it or head towards the Free or Top Grossing areas. These two sections don’t seem to be affected.

UPDATE: Looks like Apple fixed the issue. Ratings are back!

{ Internet }

Is ProFlowers.com A Valentines Day Bust?

If you haven’t heard, 1-800-Flowers has a class action lawsuit against it. Why? Deceiving and ripping people off. This Valentines Day, I haven’t heard [or seen] one single ad for 1-800-Flowers. No — it’s all about ProFlowers.com. From TV ads, to internet ads, to radio, ProFlowers.com it seems is everywhere. With incredible prices and a multi-million dollar ad campaign behind it, it’s no wonder people are choosing ProFlowers for their Valentines Day assortments.

Lets be realistic, shall we? It’s not all hugs and kisses. ProFlowers has been heavily marketing “a dozen roses for $19.99.” I’ve heard, you’ve heard it, your aunts-sisters-brothers-best friend’s heard it. However, Consumerist is reporting that the $19.99 price tag is just the beginning. Read more

{ Space, Technology }

The Sun Is Getting Ready To Take Out GPS Signals

Have you ever felt like you just couldn’t trust your GPS device? Well, you might have a reason in the next couple of years. Researchers are predicting a huge uptick in the number of solar flares our Sun gives off. These flares can wreak such havoc on satellites signals that it could eventually give us incorrect information or make data completely unavailable.

According to BBC News:

“Solar flares – vast exhalations of magnetic energy from the Sun’s surface – spray out radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum, from low-energy radio waves through to high-energy gamma-rays, along with bursts of high-energy particles toward the Earth.

The radiation or waves that come from the Sun can make sat-nav receivers unable to pick out the weak signal from satellites from the solar flare’s aftermath.

There is little that current technology can do to mitigate this problem, with the exception of complex directional antennas used in military applications.

Sat-nav receivers will be blinded for tens of minutes, probably a few times a year at the solar maximum. “

[BBC News via Engadget, Image Credit: IntoMobile]

{ Internet }

1-800-Flowers.com Receives Class Action Lawsuit

Well, what do you know? I received a little letter in the mail stating I have the right to a $10 Gif Voucher for each purchase I made from 1-800-Flowers.com between March 1st, 2006 and February 5th, 2008. Seems like the the online flower retailer got into a bit of trouble.

According to the letter, a class action lawsuit (Molnar v. 1-800-Flowers Retail, Inc) was filed in Los Angeles on December 21st, 2007. It alleges that “1-800-Flowers made misleading statements and omitted information concerning the shipping and delivery charges associated with certain on-line purchases and floral products.” Oh snap!

Apparently the courts couldn’t decide who was right and 1-800-Flowers denied ever doing anything wrong. So, in an effort to avoid massive litigation fees, they reached a settlement agreement leading to $10 gift vouchers for anyone who bought products during 3/1/06 and 2/5/08. Woo hoo!

What’s funny about the whole situation is I have no earthly idea why the hell I would have bought flowers in the first place.

{ Nintendo }

Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing Commercial Is Just… Dumb

Forget the fact that this racing game might actually hold you over until the next Mario Kart comes out. Forget the fact that the levels look more interesting than what we’ve seen in other Wii racing games. Forget the fact that you’re about to watch the worst acting ever. Prepared? I sure hope so.

This is SEGA’s latest commercial for Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing. Instead of being narrated by a deep-voiced-movie-like-older-man, SEGA instead opted for Alex and Jen, two of the most odd gamers we’ve ever seen. Sure, the game play looks semi-interesting but it’s their horrible (and sometimes creepy) acting that makes this commercial a huge fail.

“Bring. It. On.” … “Super horn!” … “You can ride Bananas!” … “Amigo’s crazy sunbuggie!!!” … Where’s my gun?

[Joystiq]

{ Multimedia Devices }

MSI Working On New iPad Killer, Releasing In Second-Half Of 2010

You may be a tad-bit bummed about the iPad’s shortcomings, but don’t fret, MSI heard your cries. Makers of the incredibly thin laptops — so thin you can catch them with your ass — are hot on the heals of Apple and are creating their own “iPad killer.” Unlike the iPad though, it won’t run the iPhone OS, but it will run one of the most popular mobile operating systems out there, Android. Read more

{ Apple }

The Apple iPad: It’s Here, But Is It Ready To Change The World?

For the past couple of years, since the dawn of the iPhone, the internet has been eagerly anticipating Apple’s foray into the tablet category. Fast forward to [January 27th,] 2010 and Apple finally pulls the curtain on its secret multi-touch tablet and calls it the iPad.

So what is an iPad? Do you set it on the floor to capture your dogs pittle? Do you take it with you to use as a cushion at Friday night’s game? Does it breed golden unicorns for the sole purpose of taking us the Apple Store? There’s been lots of speculation — some good, some out of this world — but we all know one thing, it was supposed to be the next-generation of touch screen computers. Read more

{ Robots }

Honda: On ‘Living With Robots’, A Documentary

Not many companies come to mind when thinking about robots, save for iRobot (the makers of everyones favorite vacuum robot: the Roomba). In fact, iRobot is the only one I can think about other than Honda. But even still, most people don’t know that Honda has it’s own robot. The fact is, the general population isn’t quite comfortable with a mechanical object walking around, interacting with our world, and it’s not actually… alive. Read more

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