Certainly one of the most unique computer mods that I have seen to date, by far not the most interesting but perhaps practical. With more and more people looking to have an “internet appliance” in their kitchen, the latest modded PC is Toasy, and as you can likely guess its made from a gutted out vintage toaster. Aside from the fact that this seems like a very strange choice to use for a PC case, it could have some potential benefits, perhaps most important it will offer a kitchen like look and not stick out like a sore thumb, but more important it may be a perfect mod to confuse any would be thieves. Toasty, the toaster PC includes a C 3600MHz processor, mini-ITX motherboard, 2.5-inch hard drive, a DVD-ROM drive, and a full sized wireless router. (Read the full post about ‘Toaster PC; helping to confuse the would-be home burglar’…)

In the middle of the night, nothing can be more frustrating than reaching for something on your nightstand in the pitch dark only to knock it on the floor, waking your sleeping partner. Well here is a little gadget to shed enough light on the situation so you can find what you need without disturbing anyone. It’s called the Night Coaster and as the name implies it is a coaster you place something on that you may need to grab in the middle of the night. To use the coaster, you simply wave your hand over it and a soft blue light illuminates to help you find the item you are looking for. After a few minutes the light will automatically shut off . (Read the full post about ‘Night Coaster helps you find things in the dark’…)

Now I know that this Karlsson vibrating alarm clock might get sniggers and strange look from certain people, as they think you’d rather be aroused each morning instead of being rudely awakened by a deafening ring. Still, if you’re willing to look at it maturely, this is one gentle alarm clock that gets you out of bed. Place it under your pillow and let the $59 wonder get to work at the designated wake up time. During the day, you can keep its batteries juiced up by docking it in the charging dock, ready for the next morning’s work. If snooze buttons are your favorite friends, then hitting snooze enough times will cause it to resort to an audible alarm instead. (Read the full post about ‘Karlsson Vibrating Alarm Clock’…)

Well, it hasn’t been an all-together exciting race to find WiFi on U.S. flights, but there is finally an official winner. Delta Airlines, of $25 second bag fame, has announced their plans to implement the service in the entirety of their domestic fleet. The prices aren’t bad, if you really, really need to use the internet on the plane. The program is a partnership between Delta and Aircell, which gives Delta use of their GoGo cellular data service. Notice the word, “cellular,” as in only 2Mbps at most. While that’s enough for browsing and e-mailing, you’re not going to be able to watch any streaming content or play World of Warcraft on it…though, maybe that’s really an OK thing.

(Read the full post about ‘Delta to be the first airline with in-flight Wifi on all planes’…)

eMusic, as we have previously learned is the number two digital music provider in terms of catalog size, has once again reached another milestone. Their most recent announcement puts them at the 4 million mark, which is now made up of music from more than 40,000 record labels. Some most recent additions include music from Nine Inch Nails, Liz Phair and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. eMusic currently offers music in the MP3 format, of which are all DRM-free. Much of the collection are independent titles, which coincidentally also places eMusic as the number 1 independent music site. In addition to the music tracks, eMusic also offers a complete range of ebooks in a variety of genres. (Read the full post about ‘eMusic reaches a new milestone, announces 4 million tracks now available’…)

Oh, what to say about Chocobo’s Dungeon? Well, it has a magic baby that allows the starring bird to enter dungeons located in people’s minds. You definitely cannot say that about many games. It also stars Cid, who is to Final Fantasy what Tim Meadows was to Saturday Night Live, in that he’s got more title appearances in the series than any other character I can think of, unless you count Mogs as a whole… which I don’t. Anyway, Cid is back and he owns a chocobo named Chocobo. Which is kind of like a cat that is named Cat. It isn’t really that original or creative, and makes you wonder what is wrong with the owner. Cid is searching for something to build his first airship, I think. There was also something about a town where people forget things, and the baby and the bird team up to reclaim the towns people’s memories. It’s like Groundhog Day, except not funny. Despite my best efforts I was so bored by this game it was hard to pay enough attention to piece this overly-juvenile, puerile story together. Which brings me to my first gripe. The rating on this game is 10+, but I cannot imagine anyone over the age of five being the least bit amused by it. It’s sort of like a “my first video game” type of thing. Square Enix has really outdone themselves this time, creating the sort of story line here that makes the Crystal Chronicle series seem dark and cutting-edge by comparison. Which is to say, this game is revoltingly over-cute and infantile in its narrative and feel. Worse yet, the action follows the same path. There is literally one button that is pushed to do one attack… and that is pretty much it. Players wander around exceedingly simple mazes and kick at enemies on the screen with the A button over and over. Yawn. Even worse, the Wiimote makes a really annoying, loud chirp every time you hit that attack, which is constantly. It’s as if they are trying to irritate the gamer. You can mix things up by going into the menu and selecting a generic special attack, but really this does nothing to change the oversimplified gameplay. The upgrade and item-collecting portions of this game are just as lackluster. You pick up two types of upgrades, one for “armor” and one for “weapon.” Oh, and there is food to pickup and feed Chocobo when he gets hungry. Yes, it’s just as mind-crushingly boring as it sounds. A job system attempts to give this game depth, but it’s just not enough to save this title from its repetitive bland-ness. This is by far the most disappointed I have ever been in a release from Square Enix (yes, it’s far worse than The Bouncer was.) I’m admittedly a lifelong Final Fantasy fanboy, but I don’t begrudge this game for not living up to typical standards for the series. I begrudge this game for being an utterly miserable example of basic game design. It’s like they weren’t even trying for this one. Considering that oversimplified garbage has somehow equaled massive cash flow for Wii games, (thanks, casuals) I guess I can see why they wouldn’t particularly try. Stay far away from this title, unless you are seeking a non-prescription alternative to insomnia, or have a child of questionable intelligence that you wish to entertain. Tags: cable, cameras, consumer technology, dap (Read the full post about ‘Review: Final Fantasy Fables Chocobo’s Dungeon for Wii’…)

Since many devices these days are powered and recharged via USB, it makes perfect sense to have a USB cable nearby with you at all times. Unfortunately, not everyone carries a pouch or bag that has accommodates cables properly, which is where the Lisco USB Snake comes in. When not in use, all you need to do is slap it around your wrist to make a fashion statement, and it stays there until an occasion calls for you to whip out the snake - USB-wise, of course. This slap bracelet-inspired design is covered in a silky and soft polyurethane material that is both comfortable and stylish to wear. Tags: wireless, electronic toys, gprs, toys (Read the full post about ‘Lisco USB Snake Concept’…)

Movistar in Chile has just become the first carrier in the world to launch the highly anticipated blackberry Bold, and it is pretty clear they are excited. In fact it almost seems like they are just rubbing it in the faces of BlackBerry fans worldwide, making the bold (pun intended) statement of “Primeros En El Mundo” which translates as “First In The World.” The Bold will set Movistar customers back 299,990 Chilean pesos, which is around $588 US and that comes along with a two year agreement, which is more than just a little on the expensive side. Especially considering Tiger Direct has recently offered it up for sale unlocked for $649.99. (Read the full post about ‘Movistar becomes first to launch the BlackBerry Bold—in Chile’…)

Memorex has just announced their new lineup of portable hard drives, aptly named the Essential TravelDrives. The new lineup will be good for the person on-the-go as the drives are USB powered, which means at least one less power cord to carry around. Boasting just the essentials, these drives include backup software to keep your data safe along with a blue LED that flashes when the drive in use. They will be available in a selection of “nature-inspired colors” that include spring blossom, tropic green, caribbean blue or cool silver. The Essential TravelDrives are available in a variety of storage sizes to include a 160, 250 and 320GB option and are priced beginning at $89.99. (Read the full post about ‘Memorex intro’s new Essential TravelDrives lineup’…)

The Japanese have it good - Softbank has decided to reduce the monthly fees for the iphone 3G so that they will be able to expand the current customer base, picking up new people who are more conscious of where their precious yen goes to each month. This means the monthly fee will be approximately $27 after conversion, a startling reduction compared to the original $67 price point. I’m pretty sure that with such a price cut, you can expect to see many more folks in Japan pick up this user-friendly phone. Hopefully the factories pumping out this magical handset will be able to have enough elves and pixies working round the clock to meet the worldwide demand. (Read the full post about ‘Softbank Cuts iPhone 3G Rates in Japan’…)