Archos 605 WiFi Hacked
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Although they not be the “best” videos of the year, or even the most culturally significant, below are the videos [in no particular order] that I had the most fun watching and thinking/writing about for NewTeeVee in 2007.
Then: “I’ve watched about ten Next to Heaven episodes, and my favorite so far is probably episode 41, in which an ex-junkie describes replacing his addiction to heroin with an addiction to anti-drug education films –- particularly those narrated by Paul Newman.”
Now: In September, Rob Parrish’s series won the big prize at NewTeeVee’s NYC Pier Screening. That same month, Parrish wrapped up NtH’s first, year-long season, with the promise of new episodes in 2008.
Then: “The sheer visceral experience of watching actual criminals enact some kind of zombie prison rape in homage to Western culture? That tops any experience I’ve had on YouTube…this week.”
Now: Still my favorite “accidental” hit video of 2007, and a common pick on other year-end Top Tens, this is one YouTube phenom that could have lasting repercussions –- as Craig Rubens learned back in August, the clip may stand as evidence “in an ongoing prisoner rights abuse case.”
Then: “I love Midwest Teen Sex Show…as a non-condescending, bona fide piece of sex education, MTSS is clearly on the cutting edge, of both online video and popular culture as a whole.”
Now: Not everyone is so enamored — Townhall.com’s Mary Graber, for example, has devoted two columns to slamming MTSS. But that kind of criticism makes me like it even more. Apparently I’m not alone; as of this writing, MTSS is #3 on iTunes’ Health/Sexuality podcast chart.
Then: “Practicing what she snarks against, [Julia] Allison seems to prioritize the gaze of the camera to that of her boyfriend. She’s far from clueless about the contradiction: all of that studying has taught her the importance of creating the conditions of celebrity all around her. It’s, like, a Horatio Alger story for our times.”
Now: Jake & Julia are, as of early December, no more. Jakob Lodwick infamously left/was fired from Vimeo, the site he co-founded; he is currently dropping hints about his next venture on his blog. Julia Allison is still posting clips at Vimeo, but disappointingly, she’s eased up on the professional/personal self-reflexivity. Her last video was about her dog.
Then: “I would never describe myself as a fan of Hillary Clinton, but I admit that I LOLed three or four times watching this clip. I still wouldn’t vote for Mrs. Clinton, but I might subscribe to her YouTube channel.”
Now: I don’t know if it’s the clips or the candidate, but I haven’t watched a Hillary video since. Have you?

Filed under: Meta

Continue reading Engadget's top posts, 2007
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Filed under: Home Entertainment
We didn't have to wait long to hear more about Mark Levinson's partnership with LG, resulting in two new home theater systems to launch at CES 2008. No longer limited to audiophiles searching eBay auctions for discontinued equipment, the AP3133 and LHT888 promise a high end AV experience at "astonishing" -- albeit TBA -- prices. The AP3133 HTIB puts LG's Super Blu BH200 dual-format player at the heart of a 7.1-channel system with 150 watts x 7 ICEpower output, multi-input HDMI switching, Burr-Brown PCM and Audessey Auto Room Multi EQ adjustment. The LHT888 fulfills our needs for a champagne-glass styled HT system, with each speaker in a tapered, integrated pedestal, to math the 1080p upscaling, DivX / MP3 / JPEG / DVD playing 700W 5.1-channel receiver. Prices (and pics) are due at LG's press conference January 6th.
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Filed under: Announcements
It's (still) New Year's Eve out here in the States, meaning in a few more hours you'll not only see what it's like to live in the future (i.e. 2008), but you'll also lose your last chance to enter to win two round trip tickets on JetBlue (and some noise canceling headphones, to boot). Check out the rules, and to the young'ns out there, remember: if someone tells you that you're going to a "key party" tonight, we recommend you politely bow out.
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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Transportation, Wireless
So to be clear right off the bat, this is not the type of hovercraft that you might commute to work or class in, but rather a small RC version more suitable for transporting babies or adorable pets. That being said, Instructables user bradpowers has posted step-by-step guide for the ambitious modder to build his or her very own remotely-controlled or autonomous 'craft, from constructing the frame to assembling the lift and propulsion systems to setting up the onboard PIC. Definitely not a project for the easily distracted, however, a successful build will surely make you the delight of neighborhood children for blocks in every direction. Check out a video of the little guy in action after the break.Continue reading How-to build your own wireless, autonomous hovercraft
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Filed under: Gaming
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Filed under: Digital Cameras
We know you've had plenty of time to recreate that shutter release hack, and if you found yourself impressed with the results, you're bound to adore this one. Eagleapex has struck again with yet another swank camera mod, this time giving DSLR owners an easy (and affordable) method for handling time lapse photography. Granted, this creation isn't the simplest to build, and there's still a few notable limitations that keep it from supreme greatness -- namely the inaccurate interval setting and the occasionally problematic short output pulse -- but neither of those quirks are ones that pros can't remedy when concocting their own. Check out a video of the results after the jump, and don't ever say that watching ice melt is a bore.Continue reading DIY time lapse intervalometer saves dough, improves creativity
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Predictions — like a fatty snack at a New Year’s Eve party, or that last glass of champagne in the wee hours of the morning, you are almost sure to regret them, yet sometimes you just can’t help yourself.
So although I can do without the trans-fat and am willing to forgo the bubbly, this year I can’t pass up a few lingering minutes at the crystal ball. To that end, I’ve taken seven of the more interesting stocks of 2007 and ranked them according to how I think they’ll perform in 2008. They are all stocks that inspired a good deal of passionate discussion and, for the most part, a good deal of capital gains.
First, listed in order of their 2007 price gains, the seven stocks I’ll look at are:
Before I make my forecast, the usual disclosure: As investment advice, this list is worth exactly as much as the money I’m putting in them: zero dollars and zero cents. The only advice implied here is not to confuse a year-end parlor game with trading ideas. And as always, feel free to leave your own list or your thoughts in the comments.
Google. Time and again, it’s been a mistake to bet against this stock. It may have an off quarter now and then and it may draw bad press, but the company still rules search. A slow economy would dry up ad dollars in general, but search ads might benefit as advertisers seek out the cheapest way to get their message to consumers. And if Google Apps make an impact, 2008 could be the year when Google brings in non-search revenue.
Yahoo. Yes, good ole black-and-blue Yahoo. 2008 will be a make-or-break year for the company, but 2007 was so hard on the stock that even a moderate recovery in profits could propel it higher. Like Google, it could benefit if weakness in print and television ads end up driving more ad dollars online.
Apple. The only thing standing in the way of this company’s path to even more fortune are its own potential missteps. Notably, William Safire predicted today a “pod push-back” that could damage Apple. I don’t see it, but it is interesting to note the meme of an Apple backlash is drawing mainstream mention.
Amazon.com. The stock has always been on a rollercoaster: $5 in 2002, $60 in 2003, $25 in 2006 and $95 just last week. The pendulum-like pattern suggests a selloff in 2008, but I think it’s more likely to see a merely moderate year. For a compelling longer-term argument in favor of Amazon, see this post from Fred Wilson.
eBay. Another flat-ish year for the company, I suspect, with growing investor impatience if it continues to merely tread water. Bears have been grumbling for some time that eBay would be better off split into three. That idea could gain steam if earnings start to disappoint.
Research In Motion. I don’t have anything against the company or its outlook, but I think this is a case of solid financials distorted by speculative enthusiasm. The stock’s 3 percent drop on the last day of the year could signal that investors are ready for a pullback.
Microsoft. Despite Steve Ballmer’s success in turning around this battleship, Microsoft remains most vulnerable to a slowdown in corporate IT spending. Beyond 2008, the company will do fine, but I think there’s a risk of a setback before then.
The wild card in all this is the overall economic forecast, which is as uncertain and hard to call as it’s been in a long time. Still, even though nobody knows how bad or how long the credit crunch will hurt, so far it hasn’t come close to curbing consumer appetite for innovative tech gadgets, which is good news for companies like Apple. And as long as it doesn’t slow overseas growth, that’s good news for companies like Google.
So there’s my list. Now to make it even more interesting, I created an entirely random list to compare to my own. Similar to tossing darts at a newspaper’s stock pages, I assigned each of these seven stocks a random integer, then ranked them (as I did the two lists above) in descending order. Here’s the outcome:
As much thought as I put into my own list, I have to say the contrarian in me is rooting for the randomizer.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Although the press release issued to announce the settlement between Vonage and AT&T earlier this month is still the shortest we've seen in all of 2007, we're pretty certain the one doled out to trumpet the truce between Vonage and Nortel is holding down the two-spot. In just five wee sentences, we learn that the two have agreed in principle to end the litigation pending between 'em, and though no cash will be changing hands, the agreement does involve a limited cross license to three patents per firm. Way to put the past behind before entering into the new year, we say.
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Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment
Just a few months back, the FCC approved a set of rules for the 2009 digital TV transition, but now the entity is apparently okaying even more guidelines that will give US broadcasters "more flexibility in making the switch to digital television from traditional analog signals." More specifically, the new rules would allow some stations to make a "phased transition" to digital broadcasting, and furthermore, these stations will also "be allowed to reduce or terminate their analog service before the February 17, 2009 deadline for the transition if doing so is necessary to achieve their transition." According to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, the new rules are being enacted in order to "provide broadcasters the flexibility they need while at the same time ensuring that any disruption to over-the-air viewers is minimized to the fullest extent possible." Still, even those affected by the cutover will have ample time to pick up a converter box, and considering that some stations may now start the switch before February of '09, acting soon is looking better all the time.
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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video, Networking
Got an iPod touch? And some audio input hardware? Want to make some VoIP calls? If you answered yes to all of the above, you'll want to check out the Touchmods site later tonight, when they'll supposedly be releasing their full-on SIP client for the touch. Hopefully by now it's a little more prettied up than the last time we saw the thing above. If those last videos are anything to go by, though, it looks like it will be.
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Filed under: Gaming

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