First off, it’s rather amazing that someone in a developed nation is still using the Nokia 1600 as their primary handset. Secondly, it’s even more astounding that said handset lasted a week in the belly of a cod and could still make calls after it was rescued. In a just-barely-believable story hosted up at The Sun, a businessman was both shocked and confused when his presumably sunk cellphone began ringing his lady friend around five days after he dropped it at sea. As the tale goes, a 25 pound cod managed to swallow the thing, and a pair of fishermen discovered it upon gutting their catch. The best part? The bloke who it was returned to is still using it, despite the fact that it literally reeks of rotten fish. Who knows — maybe he suffers from ichthyomania.

[Via Nokia Conversations]

Filed under: Cellphones

Nokia 1600 survives week in fish’s belly, still makes smelly calls originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Feb 2009 14:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here at Engadget HQ, we’re having a heated debate on which aspect of this finding is more fascinating. The fact that a Rolly can conduct an entire choir of musical AIBOs, or the fact that we finally understand the purpose of Sony’s questionably useful jellybean. Have a look at the video above and toss your vote in below.

[Via MAKE]

Filed under: Robots

Video: Rolly conducts choir of AIBOs, crowd goes wild originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 13:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve heard that The Network is pretty expansive, but we never could figure out just how Verizon Wireless managed to cover all those dead zones in record time without being heard. Now, it all makes sense.

Sean: “With a requirement to cut costs and save cake, Verizon has hired Bob the Builder to do the work of thousands. New Verizon slogan: ‘Yes we can!’”
Darren: “Anticipating an ambush from Chad and all his traditionalist friends, Verizon employees were forced to wear hard hats not just on location, but in transit.”
Paul: “There’s probably a smarmy guy with glasses in that car. Can you feel the anger rising within? You must learn to control that anger.”
Chris: “‘Small, slow, and easily destroyed’ was not the corporate image Verizon was hoping to project with its road fleet.”
Don: “Verizon was forced to quickly improvise after its first vehicle, the Storm-mobile, mistook park for reverse and met an unfortunate end.”
Joe: “It’s a long, lonely road out there — longer and lonelier when your car is wearing a funny hat.”
Nilay: “God, I hope no one can hear me now.”
Ben: “Ironically, this Verizon Wireless driver was seen using a GSM handset while traversing the International Speedway.”
Thomas: “My other car is a T-Mobile.”

[Thanks, Evan]

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Caption Contest: The Network covers ground in a Smart car originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ever wonder what some think your choice of cell phone (or cell phone accessory) says about you? You could ask your friends, or you could just check out this video called “Cell Phone Reunion” that anthropomophizes today’s (and yesterday’s) most popular cellies, giving them all distinctive — and some abrasive — personalities. We’ll let you guess which one plays the role of smug braggart.

Filed under: Cellphones

“Cell Phone Reunion” shows what happens when handsets stop being polite originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 08:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ever wonder what some think your choice of cell phone (or cell phone accessory) says about you? You could ask your friends, or you could just check out this video called “Cell Phone Reunion” that anthropomophizes today’s (and yesterday’s) most popular cellies, giving them all distinctive — and some abrasive — personalities. We’ll let you guess which one plays the role of smug braggart.

Filed under: Cellphones

“Cell Phone Reunion” shows what happens when handsets stop being polite originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 08:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ever wonder what some think your choice of cell phone (or cell phone accessory) says about you? You could ask your friends, or you could just check out this video called “Cell Phone Reunion” that anthropomophizes today’s (and yesterday’s) most popular cellies, giving them all distinctive — and some abrasive — personalities. We’ll let you guess which one plays the role of smug braggart.

Filed under: Cellphones

“Cell Phone Reunion” shows what happens when handsets stop being polite originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 08:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Imagine this — you walk into a custom confectionery and inform the design team that you want the image on a USB flash drive made onto a very special cake. In fact, you even leave the flash drive with them so they can really look it over. Sure, you’d think they would get to frost-brushing that unicorn flying through a rainbow right onto the cake, but apparently the artists in question had other ideas. Namely, creating a photo-perfect replica of a Lexar flash drive on the surface of what appears to be an otherwise delicious pile of sugar. Seriously. Too bad about that black icing, birthday boy.

[Via UberReview]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Storage

USB cake design worst birthday surprise in history originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Feb 2009 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We never knew that cameras could be constipated, nor that excrement could be framed, but apparently Takara Tomy knows better than us.

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Misc. Gadgets

Takara Tomy Xiao printer-camera excretes prints originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 15:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There’s nothing that screams “end of the world” quite like a 49-foot ASIMO towering over a forest, but we’d prefer to ignore inevitable doom long enough to imagine what exactly a 49-foot ASIMO would scream.

Thomas: “Dance I said! Dance!”
Chris: “Hey, did we remember to fix that bug where he falls down stairs?”
Joe: “Where’s Arthur Murray when we need him the most?”
Darren: “Wait, Dancing With The Stars said what? No pimp canes? That’s a deal-breaker.”
Paul: “In his musical debut, ‘ASIMO Takes the Stairs,’ the eponymous star provides a surprisingly self-deprecating reenactment of the moments leading up to his infamous tumble. Music by Elton John.”
Nilay: “Not to be outdone, iRobot later sucked the entire city of Pasadena into a football field-sized Roomba.”
Don: “After years of toiling away at two-bit trade shows, ASIMO finally realized his dream project: Mr. Peanut: The Musical.”
Ross: “Having been turned down by both Ultrazoid and Voltron, the giant ASIMO checked his RAM for a dance number he could do solo.”
Josh T.: “Moments later, running ASIMO’s ‘Jazz Hands’ script sent dancers flying hundreds of feet to their grizzly deaths.”
Josh F.: “I’m crushing your head! I’m crushing your head!”
Cesar (from Zune): “I for one welcome our inflatable robot overlords. With a dance!”

Filed under: Robots

Caption Contest: 49-foot ASIMO makes trees, dancers look tiny originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

We’ve seen no shortage of unorthodox alarm clocks, but Bandai’s latest creation is nothing short of spectacular. Rather than making users defuse a bomb or catch a runaway helicopter, the appropriately named Gun O’clock actually forces heavy sleepers to aim a gun and successfully strike the bullseye to shut the undoubtedly obnoxious alarm up. Best of all, those who enjoy challenges can set it to “Hard” mode, requiring them to blast the center target no fewer than five times in order to hush it; after you’re satisfactorily awake, you can utilize the game mode to work on your aim. This magnificent wonder is all set to launch in Japan next month for ¥4,095 ($41), but we don’t see any obvious signs of it ever coming Stateside. Anyone feeling an online petition? We hear those work really well.

[Via UberReview]

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Filed under: Cellphones

We really, really like where this is going. First came the Zune puppet rap vid, followed by the equally astounding Large Hadron Collider joint. Now, we’ve got a video for all you G1 pre-orderers that’s sure to get your noggin’ bobbin’ as you patiently await the arrival of Android. And just as any true rap should, it unashamedly bashes the iPhone, Instinct and most every other “rival” on the market today. The best 3 minutes and 56 seconds of your day are about to occur — click on past the break and get it going. Word?

[Via Phandroid, thanks Rob]

Continue reading Android rap shows the G1 love, gives Google some street cred

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Filed under: Cellphones, Misc. Gadgets

We deeply apologize to all the vegetarians in the crowd, but this was just too grotesque to overlook. We’re not exactly sure of the whos, whats, whys, and whens behind all this, but apparently some butcher-to-be found enough spare time (and enough fresh meat) to create a wallet, a set of keys, a 3G-capable cellphone and a 4TB flash drive from raw, tender meat. We don’t know what’s sadder — the fact that this isn’t the first of its kind, or that there ever was a first of its kind.

[Via textually]

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Filed under: Gaming

On a serious note, we’re telling ourselves that there’s just no way this happens in even a meaningful amount of Gamestop locations, but more than anything, the video waiting just after the break is for chuckles and chuckles alone. Apparently, one quick-thinking videographer-to-be captured a few stacks of Xbox 360s and PS3s in the store bathroom. Yes, the store bathroom. So the Gamestop-sourced console you’re playing on right now could have all sorts of restroom-related germs on it. Yikes.

[Thanks, gamestopped]

Continue reading Video: game consoles stored in Gamestop bathroom

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Here’s one straight from the far left corner of left field. Microsoft has not only filed for, but actually received a patent that essentially amounts to Page Up / Page Down functionality. More specifically, the patent covers a “method and system for navigating paginated content in page-based increments,” and it goes on to cite an example of “pressing a Page Down or Page Up keyboard key / button [that] allows a user to begin at any starting vertical location within a page, and navigate to that same location on the next or previous page.” Brilliant, or just plain spiteful?

[Via GigaOm]

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Filed under: Cellphones

Well whaddya know? The iTreo 800p is finally selling on eBay! We thought the day would never come that we could actually get our hands on this totally sweet — and absolutely real — phone. Man were we wrong. Sure, the listing says you’re selling off a Treo 800W, but given the large amount of completely reassuring blue text, scrolling text, and large font text, we’ll happily accept that we will, in fact, receive the device pictured above via UPS Next Day Air. So, yes. Yes. We will “buy it now” for $349.99, safe in the knowledge that by this time tomorrow, we’ll be the only guy on our block busting out the iTreo 800p at parties, pool halls, and any place else where all the happenin’ stuff happens. Thanks “naseemajid” — you’re A+++++ in our book.

[Thanks, Spencer]

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Filed under: Robots

Oh Pleo, it’s been far too long since we’ve seen you out and about! Thankfully, we’ve stumbled upon a handful of Pleo news all at once, so we hope you’re ready to catch up with your favorite dinosaur. First up is a pair of useful hacks from GRIP: a spy cam hack — which transmits images from the pet to a PC sans wires — and an XBee hack, which allows users to monitor Pleo’s sensors and control its servos in real time. For those looking for less work and more laughs, you’ll definitely want to venture on past the break. Wondering what’s there? Pleo visits the day spa — need we say more?

Read - Pleo hacks
Read - Pleo’s day spa adventures

Continue reading Pleo roundup: spy cam / XBee hacks, dino visits the day spa

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Filed under: Cellphones

It’s hard to say if the pigeon you see above actually understood what he / she was doing, but apparently these birds can be taught to at least play iPhone 3G games in a very poor manner. The creature’s owner does note that Mr. Pigeon was pretty awful at racking up high scores on Tap Tap Revenge, but the important thing to realize here is that pigeon pecks do register as presses on the screen. Now that this is all out in the open, we fully expect a follow-up video next week of someone teaching their bird to dial a number on command. Vid’s after the break.

Continue reading Video: pigeon learns to “play” Tap Tap Revenge

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Filed under: Storage

Be honest with yourself: has there ever been a time when you felt like taking a hammer to a computer of yours? Yes, of course. Apparently some of the clever minds at plankton figured out a way to let people live out that fantasy without totally destroying their partially functional machine. The “nailed” USB flash drive features 2GB of internal storage, an unmistakable design and a rather huge head to ensure that even novice nailers don’t miss the target. Of course, it doesn’t take any responsibility for damage incurred by inserting said drive in the previously referenced manner, but a few light taps should suffice in most instances. Pick one up now in galvanized or blued (okay, not really) for €29.50 ($46).

[Via technabob]

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Filed under: Cellphones

Unless you hit the jackpot at an Apple Store, you aren’t apt to see this many iPhone 3Gs in one place without planning a meetup. As the story goes, one particular lady picked up one of Apple’s latest handsets, took it home and began checking things out. Curiously, a trio of images were already on the Camera Roll. Upon viewing them, she noticed two snaps overcome with blur and the one you see above — likely a rare look into an iPhone 3G factory. Not that we haven’t see Apple products give away their place of origin before, but still interesting nonetheless. Now, scurry along and check out your own roll to see if any hidden treasures are waiting.

[Via TUAW]

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Filed under: Storage

We’re not too sure how the advertising director that green lit Hitachi’s bizarro perpendicular recording video is still on staff, but sure enough, he / she has been cut loose again as evidenced by the latest spot. We knew the outfit was pushing this whole “Dawn of the Tera Era” slogan with the introduction of its Deskstar 7K1000.B, but this is just taking things entirely too far. Fair warning: the video hosted after the jump contains cartoon scenes that could easily be used by D.A.R.E. officials looking to keep kids from trying drugs, but somehow we get the impression its just a plug for having lots of (Hitachi-branded) storage space. Hmmph.

[Thanks, Frederick]

Continue reading Hitachi promotional video highlights Tera Era, effects of hallucinogens

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