The Zone

Say hi to the world's thinnest notebook. Jobs and Co have done it again, unleashing the MacBook Air to the world yesterday at Macworld 2008. While it is simply stunning to look at, the Air does have some minor drawbacks - it works only with wireless networks, its too thin for an Ethernet port (can you believe I'm typing this? I can't myself), the baseline USD$1799 model only has a 80GB hdd whereas the USD$3098 one has a 64GB SSD - a whopping price increase, and the fact that all your hardware is sealed like an iPod makes this a tough buy.

On the other hand, it has a gorgeous 13.3" 1280 x 800 screen that is LED-backlit, Micro DVI adapter, Wireless-N, Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR, Core 2 Duo 1.6 or 1.8GHz processor, standard 2GB DDR2-667 memory, full-backlit keyboard AND a multi-touch/gesture pad! All of these in a clamshell that is only 3 pounds (1.3kg) and is only 19mm thick at its thickest point! That's thinner than most mobile phones! And it has a Core 2 Duo inside!!

Its a tough decision to make.

Check out Apple's guided tour video for more info.....and for size comparisions of course.

YouTube user arudson has created the inevitable - wiring up his Rock Band drum kit into a real-life virtual set using a software named drum machine. You can even use different soundbites for each pad, giving you an unlimited number of combinations!

(image credit = Boing Boing) 

Yesterday, the 28th of January marked the 50th anniversary of the LEGO brick. To celebrate this occasion, the LEGO store is offering 100 new items. What a wonderful time to spend all those angpows! We thank Ole Kirk Christiansen for his wonderful contribution to the world and to the many hours spent constructing cars, robots, planes and even whole communities! Happy Birthday LEGO! 

Although it’s still a concept, this inflatable mouse will really hype up a game of Doko Doko Maji Shinpan (if it was ever released on the PC) as you can experience a soft, fluffy gaming experience that has never been offered before. While it might make the Logitech Air mouse all green with envy, we see that most people wouldn’t be bothered about blowing up their mice, especially at a boardroom meeting, however geeky you may be!

[Yanko Design]

Here are some screen grabs for the upcoming "Manila" TouchFLO UI from HTC. Don't worry, they're all using WM6 underneath, so program compatibility and flexibility is still retained. Looks like HTC will continue to be an innovator in 2008 with this sleek UI, although it has yet to be finalized.

Haruhism has just hit the model kit industry as a new Mazda RX7 FD3S (no, not the Efini version) kit hits the market - complete with Haruhi decals on the hood and the sides. What has the bubbly, godlike schoolgirl got to do with an RX7, let alone a car? We don't know, but if you're lucky enough to read some kanji and katagana, check out this site for more information and pictures. (NSFW pictures beware!!)

Now now, it wouldn't be complete if we had forgotten to wish every one a Gong Hei Fatt Choy, right? But if the year of the rat gave you a huge bundle of joy such as the Gambian Pouched Rat?

All you need to know about this rat species here, and have a great year ahead! 

In a trailer just posted today on the game's website, SPORE is slated for a Sept 7th release....better yet, the creature editor will be released as a special demo 'before the game'.  For those of you who want more info, head over to the main page!

Pata-pata-pon-pon! Sony's quirky PSP game, soon to be released in English is getting a Be@rbrick! While the game has already garnered much attention in Japan with its quirky gameplay and minimalist yet tribal-influenced art, the Be@rbrick will be available in the 100% size and will be used for promotional activities. In other news, GeForce 8 owners might jump in joy if NVIDIA were to release PhysX firmware that enables any 8-series card to act as a full-fledged physics engine. Thanks to the use of CUDA as one of the backbones of NVIDIA's graphics technology, the green giant was able to port its PhysX IP (intellectual property) to CUDA when they bought Ageia a couple of weeks back.

A couple of people with the NBTD (Nothing Better To Do) syndrome has come up with trance and dance videos utilizing the soundbytes found in the world's most popular OS - Windows. Check out the beats in the videos below, and when we have some time (IF we do) we'll probably try it using soundforge. Or something. Enjoy!

With today being the last day of the Chinese New Year, we would like to extend our heartfelt wishes to your health and wealth! No, the Choi Sun above does not have a mustache, thanks to Gillette.

After winning this generation's format war, does CE giant Sony go out on the town and party? Not Quite. Instead, it turns to Sharp, one of its die-hard Blu-ray partners for its next-gen LCD panel source. Surprising, but not quite. You see, Sharp has got its fancy new substrate and mother glass plant worth USD3.5billion, and to speed ROI up, Sony has been offered the place of 'junior partner'. Surprising, because we happen to know that Sharp has bought a stake in Pioneer late last year. Coincidence? Something's up Sharp's sleeves, probably a second coming oh noes yes! [Valleywag]

Yes, yes, its another Haruhi post, but seriously srsly, you can has moar Haruhi and not dies!  This time around, its a cosplayer cosplaying as Haruhi's bunny suit cosplay. Confused? head over to Kotaku for more pics!