I’m still here: back online after a year without the internet | The Verge

I was wrong.One year ago I left the internet. I thought it was making me unproductive. I thought it lacked meaning. I thought it was “corrupting my soul.”Its a been a year now since I “surfed the web” or “checked my email” or “liked” anything with a figurative rather than literal thumbs up. Ive managed to stay disconnected, just like I planned. Im internet free.And now Im supposed to tell you how it solved all my problems. Im supposed to be enlightened. Im supposed to be more “real,” now. More perfect.But instead its 8PM and I just woke up. I slept all day, woke with eight voicemails on my phone from friends and coworkers. I went to my coffee shop to consume dinner, the Knicks game, my two newspapers, and a copy of The New Yorker. And now Im watching Toy Story while I glance occasionally at the blinking cursor in this text document, willing it to write itself, willing it to generate the epiphanies my life has failed to produce.I didnt want to meet this Paul at the tail end of my yearlong journey.

via I’m still here: back online after a year without the internet | The Verge.

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The STATION modern Caddy for your iPhone, keys, sunglasses, pens, loose change, etc.

The STATION modern Caddy for your iPhone, keys, sunglasses, pens, loose change, etc,. It’s a truly universal caddy for anywhere your stuff likes to accumulate. There are tons of phone docks and charging stations out there, so Skelter wanted to create something that was versatile and almost any phone, pair of sunglasses, set of keys etc,. could rest neatly inside. It’s not a charging station, it’s a solution for too much clutter on your desk or countertop. If you get a text message or a phone call, you can easily grab your phone without fussing with cables or plugs.

Plus, it’s made from 100% Eco-Friendly Bamboo!

via The STATION modern Caddy for your iPhone, keys, sunglasses, pens, loose change, etc..

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Sur La Table® Stuff-A-Burger™ Press | Sur La Table


Great for barbecues, parties or any time you feel like a gourmet burger. Our inventive press works with any ground meat and helps you easily create delicious stuffed burgers with tender and tasty toppings on the inside. Stuff burgers with whatever toppings you love—caramelized onions and bleu cheese, basil and prosciutto, sun-dried tomatoes and Fontina cheese…the possibilities are endless. Stuff-A-Burger Press offers two stuffed-burger sizes: a mammoth ¾-pound burger or, using the insert, a substantial ½ pounder. Do not use on the grill. Hand wash with a mild dishwashing detergent, rinse and dry immediately. Do not use abrasive scrubbers.

via Sur La Table® Stuff-A-Burger™ Press | Sur La Table.

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Oh Man, This Genius Guy Created a Robot to Steal from Vending Machines


You could use measuring tape to steal a can of soda from a vending machine but if youre a genius, why not just invent a freaking robot to do the dirty work for you? This guy did just that. He inserts his robot inside the vending machine and controls it to grab as many sodas as possible. Awesome.French YouTube user ioduremetallique proves that when you know your way around robotics, puny human rules just dont apply to you. Basically, the robot has a levitating arm that can grab a can of soda and drop it down the vending machine for free. Its controlled by a gamepad and though it isnt exactly practical, well, genius solves everyday problems in different ways.The action starts at around the 1:20 mark of the video which is sadly all in French. When you see it work, youll wonder why people need to spend a dollar on that carbonated sugar water again. [ioduremetallique via Motherboard]

via Oh Man, This Genius Guy Created a Robot to Steal from Vending Machines.

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Have fun

Have fun, Be kind, Be Respectful of yourself and those around you, treat people as you would like to be treated, in short be a good Human Being. But above all have fun whenever you can life is too short to take it too seriously!

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USB Utility Charge Tool is a Geeky Swiss Army Knife

I have always been a fan of the Swiss Army Knife. Its practicality, that it is always there for you when you run into trouble. It is the goto for box cutting or getting yourself out of a pair of awful pantyhose. However, till now there hasn’t been such a tool that was solely dedicated to the geeky MacGyver’s in our lives. Increasing numbers of us lack the need to cut stuff up at a moment’s notice. Hence, the Swiss Army Knife is seen as a little less useful than it used to be. With the USB Utility Charge Tool, the torch can finally be passed.

The tool has four prongs that can be flipped out like you would with a Swiss Army Knife. There’s a standard USB extension for charging, along with Micro USB, Mini USB, and 30-pin connectors. No dice on a Lightning connector, though, so if you have a relevant Apple device, you’ll need an adapter handy, too. Shame that doesn’t fit into the sleek body of this tool.

via USB Utility Charge Tool is a Geeky Swiss Army Knife.

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Windows 8.1 set to bring back the Start button | The Verge

Microsoft is preparing to revive the traditional Start button it killed with Windows 8. Sources familiar with Microsofts plans have revealed to The Verge that Windows 8.1 will include the return of the Start button. We understand that the button will act as a method to simply access the Start Screen, and will not include the traditional Start Menu. The button is said to look near-identical to the existing Windows flag used in the Charm bar.

MICROSOFT CHANGES ITS MIND…

Microsofts change of heart follows another recent planned change for Windows 8.1: a boot to desktop option. We understand Microsoft will add an option to allow users to boot directly to the traditional desktop environment in future builds of the upcoming Windows 8 upgrade. Most internal builds of Windows 8.1 do not include the Start button or boot to desktop options, but Microsoft is said to be planning how to add these into the operating system. ZDNets Mary Jo Foley previously reported on Microsofts plans to bring back the Start button and a boot to desktop option.The death of the traditional Start button in Windows 8 was one of a number of controversial changes introduced with Microsofts latest operating system. In our review of Windows 8 we called the new navigation changes “a steep learning curve,” and feedback on the Start button removal has been mixed. 1.5 million downloads of Pokki, a Start Menu replacement, and other similar tools suggest that Windows 8 users still want the Start button and Start Menu. Microsoft explained away its removal using data it gathered from the companys Customer Experience Improvement Program, but we understand the return in Windows 8.1 is due to customer feedback. We may see the Start button return in the upcoming Windows 8.1 Public Preview, if not expect to see it in the final version due later this year.

via Windows 8.1 set to bring back the Start button | The Verge.

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Alleged budget iPhone shows off polycarbonate body, brings back good memories

The rumor about that more affordable iPhone just keeps coming back, but this time were finally seeing some sort of progress. Courtesy of case manufacturer Tactus, were apparently looking at the upcoming budget iPhones polycarbonate shell, which was spotted at a factory that provides parts to Foxconn. Its the same story for the “iPad 5” case leak that Tactus published two days ago the same day as our own scoop, so the company does seem to have a good contact for these kinds of goodies — and it is a very competitive market, after all.Compared to the old polycarbonate iPhone 3G and 3GS, this mysterious shell appears to have a flat back instead of the old curved one, meaning it should reduce manufacturing complexity and therefore the cost as well. Another notable difference is that the old volume rocker is split into two, and then theres also the LED flash that was absent on the old polycarbonate iPhones. Tactus adds that this body is slightly taller, wider and thicker than the iPhone 4 and 4S, but what we do struggle to believe is that apparently the same factory is producing this shell in black and white as well as blue, red and yellow. A decoy, perhaps? Only time will tell.

via Alleged budget iPhone shows off polycarbonate body, brings back good memories.

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Maumelle Wal-Mart Greeter Mr. Willie – YouTube

Mr. Willie works as a greeter at a Walmart store in Maumelle, Arkansas. Here he explains what a greeter does and also what a “BAM!” is. We want a BAM! from him.

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Touchscreen interface for seamless data transfer between the real and virtual worlds – DigInfo TV

Fujitsu Laboratories has developed a next generation user interface which can accurately detect the users finger and what it is touching, creating an interactive touchscreen-like system, using objects in the real word.”We think paper and many other objects could be manipulated by touching them, as with a touchscreen. This system doesnt use any special hardware; it consists of just a device like an ordinary webcam, plus a commercial projector. Its capabilities are achieved by image processing technology.”Using this technology, information can be imported from a document as data, by selecting the necessary parts with your finger.This technology measures the shape of real-world objects, and automatically adjusts the coordinate systems for the camera, projector, and real world. In this way, it can coordinate the display with touching, not only for flat surfaces like tables and paper, but also for the curved surfaces of objects such as books.

via Touchscreen interface for seamless data transfer between the real and virtual worlds – DigInfo TV.

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