I had the pleasure of getting a hold of a set of these sweet new RC copter-borne marines thanks to a friend of mine. I was skeptical at first glance, as they seemed like any other RC copter I’ve used. Then I actually played with it. It puts other remote-controlled toys to shame. It takes some getting used to, especially aiming the rifle at your friend who sucks just as much as you do at controlling it. The coolest feature is definitely the combat mechanics:

Each shot causes the gun of your space marine to flash with simulated gunfire. The first hit causes your enemy to spin. The second makes the enemy copter lose power… the third cuts rotor power completely as your opponent plummets to the ground and you gloat in victory.

Of course, it’ll take some practice before you become as maverick as I am with these things. I am currently accepting all challenges.

Link

I’ve written many an opinion column on why the Playstation 3 is the best console out there. After HD DVD died, my argument was strengthened further. Ryan then put the nail in the coffin by confirming that the only BD Live-enabled player on the market right now is the PS3.

A lot of talk has gone on revolving around the price of Blu-Ray players on the market. Some argue that prices have increased since HD DVD died out. Others state that prices are going down on specific players. While each side has some truth to it, the Playstation 3 remains at $399 and gives you both the best Blu-Ray player available and the most powerful gaming console on the market. Either way, consumers shouldn’t have any second thoughts about picking up a PS3 if they’re considering an HD solution for movies.

I’m glad we had this little talk. In the end, I’m just trying to keep you informed.

Anyone with a passion for science fiction or the movie Aliens will surely want to pay tribute to Giger. As the creator of the actual aliens in the movies, his work has since been recognized around the world through sculptures, artwork and paintings. The latest creation Giger has unveiled is the Harkonnen chair. Featuring a design that would make even Corporal Hicks cringe in fear, these chairs are now available to those with bank accounts to match.

Each chair takes a solid two months to complete and ship out, so those of you a little on the impatient side, take note. They range in price from $15,000 all the way up to $45,000 for the aluminum version. At this price, you’ll want to make sure there isn’t a living soul within 1000 ft of your precious butt-warmer.

Link (via)

Editor’s Note: Apparently Giger did work for Dune? As a die-hard Aliens fan, I chose to drop references to that film as opposed to Dune. Either way, this chair is seriously badass.

Who can forget the antics of Chris Kattan and Will Ferrell on Saturday Night Live and their “Night At The Roxbury” skits? You hated that skit, you say? Well then, I see. Sorry to waste your time oh-mighty one! The Emergency Party Button is a clever red button, enabled with a special key, which turns your home into a night club within a matter of seconds.

The official description reads as so:

Basically, it is exactly what it sounds like; a button that instantly launches a party. When pressed, the blinds to my apartment close, the kitchen, hallway, dining room, and living room lights dim, the stereo starts blasting Haddaway - What Is Love, black lights turn on, laser lights start moving to the music, a strobe light goes on, and the fog machine starts up.

With another press of the button, the party is gone as easily as it started.
It may not be the most hi-tech thing in the world, but people sure as hell love it when they come over.

And there you have it! Instant party time. Hit the jump to see the button in action! (more…)

Unless your name is Paul Van Dyk or Matthew Edwards, chances are you won’t be able to spend $3120 on a DJ workstation. After all, if your card-table-in-the-living-room setup isn’t working out, you’re probably destined for your local bar instead of a nightclub. Those of you who have mastered the 1200s, however, can can gaze upon designer Reynold Rodriguez’s DJ workstation.

Made from composite wood with four areas that can hold sets of Technics, CDJs, laptops or whatever it is you use, it’ll really do a nice job of hiding the ugly sets of cables and dust that come associated with DJing. Should you need it custom-built for your setup, it can be done for a heightened price.

Link (via)

Most of us love to sing in the shower when no one’s around. I tend to take it one step further and sing while I’m shaving and taking a piss, but hey, if no one’s listening, might as well! Italian design company WET has created the X-Light Surround Basin with people like yours truly in mind.

At 142 x 38 cm, this transparent sink features dual basins and an integrated sound system. You can easily hook up an iPod or CD player to the built-in speaker system for instant Huey Lewis & The News, which beats listening to that cardboard music box you built last week. It’s available now, so be prepared to shell out the big bucks for such an elegant piece.

Link (via)

An e-mail from usually-decent accessories manufacturer Proporta landed in my Inbox this morning. It was for a Universal iPod Dock that’s supposed to fit the iPhone, iPod, etc. and charge it via USB. OK. Fantastic, right?

Not really. Problem is, according to the pictures on the product page, it looks like they took a goddamned iPod cable directly from Apple (the logo is still there on the cable!) and shoved it inside a plastic housing that was mass produced in Taiwan, China or Switzerland. I mean, Apple’s official iPod Dock has an audio-out port so you can hook it up to your stereo system. Proporta’s doesn’t it looks like.

So tell me, Proporta: Why should we buy your dock for $22? I see iPod USB cables for $4 online. Buy some Play-Doh for $2 and you have yourself a Universal iPod Dock. I’m not disowning Proporta or writing them off as a company. I just want to know who thought this was a good idea.

Link

When Trent Reznor let people pay what they wanted for the Ghosts I-IV albums, fans listened. In the first week alone, $1.6 million was generated in revenue - astonishing for an artist releasing their own music independently. Now Trent just doesn’t give a fuck and has released the latest Nine Inch Nails album 100-percent free.

That’s right. You wont pay shit for this album and you can get it in MP3, AAC, FLAC and WAVE formats too. It’s called The Slip and it’s a real hard album. This isn’t the instrumental stuff we heard on Ghosts, so suffice to say, many fans will be pleased. I hear not having to deal with DRM is always nice, too.

Link

“Don’t drop the soap.” is the first bit of advice given out to every new prison inmate. We really don’t want to explain why, but you probably get the hint. ANYWAY, maybe if jailbirds had a tad bit more “relief” in the shower, they wouldn’t be so eager to spot out any soap droppers.

The Stroke On A Rope is a hand shaped bar of soap, with the hand in a position that makes it perfect for scratching those… very hard to reach places (LOLZ, it’s a masturbation reference!) Sure, it goes without saying that the Stroke would serve as an awesome gag gift for only $9.99, but what about a beneficial use in prison?

Link [via]

Good day, Mr. Phelps. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to read this article with a close eye, because one day, you could be dealing with self-destructive DVDs. A German company has designed a new type of DVD, called an Einmal (German for “once”.)

These new DVD’s can only be watched for 48 hours, before a special chemical coating on the discs makes viewing impossible. There doesn’t seem to be a DRM method on these discs, so if you’re super speedy, you can manhandle yourself a copy, but after the 48 hours are up, so is your DVD viewing window. This post will self-destruct in 10 seconds. Good luck. — Andrew Dobrow

Link [via]