After Google Closes Lively, a Chinese Fake Hits

Google shut down its virtual world, called Lively, on January 1. But now, a copycat version, called "New Lively," has emerged in China. (props to Google Blogoscoped and the Second Times)

Found Photo: What's the Deal With Obama Phones?

A picture taken this morning of the Obama girls getting ready for their first day of school in Washington, D.C., raises questions (at least in my mind) about the phones in the picture. First of all, are those Blackberrys charging on the left? I thought the Obamas carried Blackberrys. (Obama used to carry a black Blackberry.) On the right, you see two landline phones. One is the hotel phone, and the other must be some kind of secret, President-Elect Bat Phone. I want one. (Click on the photo for the full size version.)

What REALLY Hard-core Xbox Fans Drive

Check out this insane melding of Xbox and automobile spotted on Flickr. Some modder integrated not one, but two full Xbox 360s into the interior of his Suzuki. (props to Engadget and On 10)

High-Def Video Camera Built Into Scuba Mask

A company called Liquid Image plans to unveil at CES a new, $215 HD video and still-photo camera fully integrated into a scuba mask. Called the Liquid Image SCUBA SERIES HD320 Camera/Video Mask, it captures 1280 x 720 at up to 30 frames per second (with audio). As a digital still camera, it takes 2560 x 1920 pixel images. The mask itself is certified to a depth of 115 feet.

Desk Globe Rotates via Earth's Magnetic Field

How cool is this? A $50 desktop globe called the MOVA Globe rotates without batteries, wireless or any electricity at all. The globe is moved by both light and the Earth's magnetic field. (props to GadgetGrid)

Download Puts Thongs On 'Left 4 Dead' Zombies

I mean, come on. How much wronger can you get? A free downloadable "texture pack" for the PC version of "Left 4 Dead," called Boomer Thong, puts thong underwear on all the Zombies. The developer dubiously claims that "A lot of people have been asking" for the add-on. (props to Electricpig)

How to Build a USB- Powered Soldering Iron

I can't think of of WHY you would want to build a USB-powered soldering iron, but the GetLoFi blog tells you how.

Why Products Fail

Why do some people prefer Windows XP and Mac OS X over Windows Vista? After all, Vista is pretty and sleek and much more advanced than XP, and, in many areas, Mac OS X. Why is there so much love for Xbox, but none for Windows Mobile? Why do BlackBerry users love their BlackBerrys, but the public is lukewarm about Palm devices? Why is the Amazon Kindle, which is an unsophisticated, clunky, poorly designed gadget so popular with owners? Why do people love plain, ugly Gmail? The answer to these questions is a mystery to most of the companies that make PCs, gadgets, consumer electronics devices and to software makers. The reason is that they their research never seems to get at the root cause of user happiness and misery: Control. Give me control, and I will love your product. It's as simple as that.

How to Stop Bad Predictions

It's that time of year again! No, not the holidays. It's the season for self-appointed "experts" and "pundits" to freak everybody out with outlandish predictions -- most of which will never come true. I'm going to tell you how use the Internet to expose, embarrass and shame bad prognosticators for your own enjoyment.

My Interview on the Kindle Chronicles Podcast

Len Edgerly was kind enough to have me on his Kindle Chronicles podcast today. Here's Part I. Here's Part II. I also recommend that you subscribe to his podcast on iTunes.

Obama Spotted In Wild with iPod, Not Zune

President Elect Barack Obama was rumored for some time to be a -- gasp! -- Zune user when he was seen using one earlier this month at the gym. The report sent Apple fans into a confused panic, in part because Obama is known to use a Mac notebook (which the Zune is incompatible with). But as of today, all is right with the world again, as Obama was spotted walking around with an iPod nano.

Wristwatch Hides Secret Removable Flash Drive

Wristwatches that store data are old hat. The new $50 USB Hidden Flash Drive Watch is unique in that it stores data, but in a secret, hidden removable USB flash drive. And the watch's 4 GB capacity is large enough to satisfy all your industrial espionage needs. (props to Red Ferret)

How to Use Twitter Without Typing, Pointing or Clicking

As recently as just one week ago, there were two major flaws -- or, at least, annoyances -- associated with Twitter. The first was that once you start following a large number of people, it's hard to keep up with their Tweets. You would have to click "Refresh" constantly to stay on top of all those incoming posts. The second Twitter flaw is that there's something about Twitter that makes you want to post interesting experiences you have. But so many Twitterable things happen when you're not able to type anything, such as in the dark, or while running a marathon or while doing any number of other things. Here are free, elegant solutions to each annoyance, which together make the whole experience of reading and posting tweets nearly hands-free.

Cuba Breaks Embargo, Christmas Ban With Site

The Cuban government is working with a Spanish company called Grupo Excelencias to violate the U.S. ban on sales to Cuba, as well as its own ban on celebrating Christmas. The collaborative web site, called MallHabana.com is heavily promoting the sale of goods to Cubans living in America and elsewhere to be delivered to their Cuban relatives. (Cubans themselves can't afford this stuff, as the average Cuban salary is about $25 per month.) The Cuban government effectively banned the celebration of Christmas in 1966.

10 Things That Won't Survive the Recession

Economic downturns have a way of accelerating the demise of the obsolete and inefficient. Here are 10 things that I believe won't survive the recession.

Like Twitter? You'll Love 'Twitter On Crack!'

I like to leave a browser open on Twitter on the left side of my screen all the time. I take a lot of care to subscribe to the most interesting people, and stop following people who tweet things I'm not interested in. I'm currently at 1,400 *really* engaging people that I follow. Trouble is, with tweets coming fast and furious, I miss them when I'm doing other things. So I created a very simple page that auto-refreshes Twitter every 15 seconds. That way, I can just glance at Twitter without having to click anything. Best of all, it works for everybody, and I'm inviting you to use it. It's free, and I have no plans to ever shut it down. So go ahead and use TwitterOnCrack.com instead of the regular Twitter page. (Note that when you want to reply or tweet, just right-click to open in a new tab, because Twitter On Crack doesn't stop refreshing for anyone or anything.)

GE Creates the World's First OLED Christmas Tree

The OLED research team at General Electric unveiled what they claim is the world's first OLED Christmas tree. Why? 'Tis the season for publicity, apparently!

Found Photo: Cell Phone With Security Feature

(props to Strategy Page)

How to Improve Any Web Site: Add Bacon!

Now you can add bacon to any Web site, thanks to Baconlicious! Simply add the URL of your choice after the Bacolicio.us URL, separated only by a forward slash (as in http://bacolicio.us/http://therawfeed.com) and that site is as good as baconed!

Hybrid Blu-Ray and DVD Movie Disc Announced

A Japanese software company called Pony/Canon (sounds like a Civil War-era weapons system) announced the February release of the first-ever movie title to be released on a hybrid Blu-Ray/DVD disc. The disc layers one format on top of the other on the same side of the disc. The outside layer reads but reflects Blu-Ray blue laser light, but allows through DVD red laser light, which is read on the inside layer. It's compatible with existing Blu-Ray and DVD players, according to the company.

The Ultimate Gift Guide for Lazy Procrastinators

I'm going to tell you how -- and where -- to do all your holiday gift shopping in less than an hour, buying all your loved ones the best gifts you've ever given and at low prices. OK, we've got no time to waste, so let's get started.

Hard Work is Dead. Call It 'Work Ethic 2.0'

Since the turn of the new millennium, the nature of work has evolved to the point where hard work is becoming less important to a successful work ethic than another, more useful value: attention. As New York Times Columnist David Brooks says, "Control of attention is the ultimate individual power." In terms of defining the information-age work ethic, it has to be said: Hard work is dead.

Google Earth Gets Insane Level of Detail for 3-D NYC

Wow!! Google has added breathtaking, photo-realistic detail to its 3D rendering of New York City inside Google Earth. Incredible. (props to Google Earth Blog)

New York State May Tax All Media Downloads

New York Governor David Paterson is considering a new, statewide tax on all "digitally delivered entertainment services," which would include iTunes downloads, Amazon Kindle books and other content, as well as games.

Trend: People Taking iPhones to the Grave

>For true Apple fanboys, it's not heaven without an iPhone. That's why many instruct family members that they want to be buried with their iPhones -- charged up, switched on and, in one case, earbuds in the ears. Who says you can't take it with you?

MIT Teddy Bear Robot 'Enhances Relationships'

A robotic teddy bear developed at MIT combines robot interactivity with a kind of weird telepresence. The bear, called the "Huggable," has 1,500 skin sensors, actuators for movement, microphones in its ears, cameras in its eyes and a speaker in its mouth. Inside is a PC connected to the Internet over Wi-Fi. It can operated in fully autonomous mode, where it interacts without human intervention. More interestingly, it has a semi-autonomous mode, where it serves also as a conduit for interaction with someone over the Internet. People see and hear over the Internet what the bear sees and hears, plus control it remotely like a creepy puppet.

Cleopatra's Face Reconstructed with 3D CGI

Ancient Egypt expert Sally Ann Ashton has created an estimation of the face and head of Cleopatra in 3D CGI. The rendering is based on a year of research in which facial details were extracted from walls, coins and other original artifacts and descriptions. It's also based on a guesstimate about her ethnicity, which is presumed by Ashton to be roughly equal parts Greek and Egyptian. The reconstruction will be featured in an upcoming BBC documentary.

Hacker Steals Credit Card Info At Toys 'R' Us

Police in Sweden have uncovered a hack scheme at a Toys 'R' Us store in which a fake magnetic swiper was installed on a legitimate point-of-sale system. The customers swiped their cards, and the machine appeared not to work. In fact, it scanned their cards and recorded the data, then transmitted it via Bluetooth to a mobile device carried by the crook. Data on more than 500 cards were reportedly stolen.

iPod Pet Feeder? No! It's An Onion Christmas!

The satirical online magazine, The Onion, is selling gag gift boxes that appear to contain non-existent products, including semi-plausible electronic gadgets. It's the perfect way to ruin Christmas for that special someone. Wacky examples include the iFeast combination pet feeding station and iPod dock; the USB-powered toaster; the auto rear-view mirror power strip and more.

Worst USB Gadget Yet: Keyboard for Blondes

Now you can buy a bubble-gum pink "Keyboard for Blondes" that has helpful hints on the keys, such as "Useless Key" instead of "Alt," "Somewhat Useless Key" instead of "Ctrl" -- it even has an "Any Key" for when instructions say "press any key"). Here at The Raw Feed, we do not condone this kind of stereotyping, and feel it's unfair to blondes, who may not understand it.

My $99 Netbook Prediction Came True

I predicted on October 31 that netbooks would soon cost just $99. "The catch?," I wrote: "You'll need to commit to a two-year mobile broadband contract. The low cost will come courtesy of a subsidy identical to the one you already get with your cell phone." Fast forward a month and a half, and the prediction comes true. RadioShack is now selling an Acer Aspire One 3G netbook for -- you guessed it! -- exactly $99. The catch? You guessed it again: A two-year contract with AT&T's DataConnect service.

Europe May Tax Feature-Rich Cell Phone Imports

The European Union is considering the idea of re-categorizing cell phones with advanced features like GPS and TV capability as an "apparatus with multiple functions, including mobile telephony." The reason? That knocks them from the zero to the 14% import-tax bracket.

North Korea Gets 3G, but Cell Phones Still Banned

North Korea's shiny new 3G network goes live tomorrow (Monday) in Pyongyang and other major cities. What's unusual is that cell phones are banned in North Korea. It appears that the entire $400 million network was built for the exclusive use of a few hundred elites in the country, which suffers from severe poverty and malnutrition.

Why You'll Never See a Real 'Zune Phone'

A rumor circulating this week says Microsoft will unveil a Zune phone at CES. Most columnists and bloggers who mentioned it said Microsoft should not build a Zune phone, but probably will. My view is that Microsoft should sell a Zune phone, but probably won't. Why? Because the company simply doesn't have the vision to build something really great in the consumer electronics space. No, I'm not kidding. A Zune phone done right would be awesome.

Media Companies Have Only Themselves to Blame

The recession is hitting everyone. But print media companies -- newspapers, books and magazines -- are getting hit harder and sooner than most. It's their own damned fault. Like the US automakers and the music industry, print media companies squandered most of their time and money during boom times clinging to the past rather than preparing for the future. And now they're left totally unprepared for the bust.

The Raw Feed Hits DiggNation

Digg founder Kevin Rose and tech media dude Alex Albrecht mentioned The Raw Feed on a special "hung over" episode of their online show DiggNation.

Why You Want an 18.4-Inch Blu-Ray Notebook

Two years ago, you couldn't buy -- and wouldn't have wanted to buy -- one of the new 18.4-inch screen Blu-Ray notebooks. But the world has changed in four ways that make these systems now ideal for digital nomads. You want one.

Housewives Spend Almost Half Their Time Online

A survey by Taylor Nelson Sofres in the UK found that British housewives spend nearly half their free time surfing the web -- more than students or even the unemployed. According to the survey, housewives in the UK spend about 47% of free time online, compared with 39% for students and 32% for the unemployed.

Dell Now Charges $150 Extra for Windows XP

Dell has been periodically increasing the additional price for new systems with Windows XP, and now it's up to a whopping $150. No, that's not the total amount they charge for XP. That's what you pay after paying for the copy of Vista that you don't want. Stated another way, that's the penalty Microsoft and Dell charge you to punish you for not switching to Mac OS and Apple when you want to avoid Microsoft's hideous Vista OS. Is it any wonder Microsoft's OS market share has dropped to below 90% for the first time in 15 years? (props to Silicon Valley Insider)