NYC cabbies could have cellphone use blocked while driving… but probably not

The Taxi and Limousine Commission of New York City (also known as the TLC) is considering some changes to the way that taxis and their drivers will operate in the future as part of its “Taxicab Passenger Enhancement Program.” Among the wild ideas being floated is one that would “block” anyone in the front seat from using a cellphone — most notably, of course — the driver. Driving while using a handset is already illegal in New York, but this measure would apparently kill the ability to use a hands-free device as well. The TLC is trying to have an open discussion with New Yorkers on its website about other possible ways to make taxi rides more… enjoyable “in the future.” We’re betting this one will never happen but hey — you never know. Our suggestion? Stop acting like we asked you to cart us to the gates of hell when we tell you we need to go to Brooklyn.

[Via WCBS]

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Best Wall-E Case Mod Ever

wallecasemod

By Chris Scott Barr

It’s hard to imagine anyone who didn’t enjoy Wall-E when they went to see it in theaters last year. After it came out there were lots of different homemade Wall-E’s floating around the internet. However, this Wall-E case mod definitely takes the cake.

Apparently some Russian guy went and saw the movie, and decided that he absolutely had to have a Wall-E computer. He’s a pretty cool little robot, so I can understand putting in a little effort and making something decent looking. However, this guy went the whole nine yards. He flawlessly fashioned the entire thing from sheet metal. The pictures here hardly do it justice, so I recommend checking out the full step-by-step process on the original site. My only suggestion for the next person that tries this is to put a Mac in there. Everyone knows Wall-E was a Mac.

wallecasemod1

[ CaseMods ] VIA [ CrunchGear ]

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Mini Hydro Turbine concept could bring renewable energy production to your bathroom

Environmentalists would have you believe that leaving the faucet running while you brush your teeth puts an unnecessary drain on the environment. We always disagreed, and if Jin Woo Han’s concept Mini Hydro Turbine ever goes into production we might finally have something to back up our argument. The device would capture the “free” energy of your tap to spin a little generator, in theory producing enough juice to charge up an electric toothbrush or shaver. That actually sounds somewhat reasonable, but Han’s suggestion of powering your boiler with this thing is probably a bit optimistic. It would also take quite an optimist to think this could some day appear in a bathroom made of tiles and not pixels, but we’ll keep on hoping; pairing this with a turbine toilet might enable us to take our homes completely off the grid — or our bathrooms at least.

[Via Gadget Lab]

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Netflix streaming-only subscriptions coming ‘in the future’

This news may not be a surprise, given the huge success of Netflix’s Watch Instantly streaming service, which had been activated over 1 million times on Xbox Live the last time we checked — accounting for about 10 percent of its subscriptions. Regardless, word has come from Netflix’s CFO Barry McCarthy that the company plans to offer a streaming-only service “in the near future.” The Watch Instantly service currently offers about 12,000 movies (around 100,000 titles are available if you order the physical discs), on a variety of devices, including Xbox Live and Roku boxes, so it seems like a smart move, though we don’t know the timeline or pricing of the stream-only service. Here’s to hoping they expand their offering a little before then… maybe Final Destination? Just a suggestion.

[Via Joystiq]

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Buy A New PC After July 1st, Get Free Upgrade To Windows 7

windows_7_upgrade

By Luke Anderson

I’ve been checking out Windows 7 since the beta opened up a little while ago, and have thus far been fairly pleased with it. I’m not a huge Vista hater (I can’t say that I’m in love with it either) but I’m looking forward to the new OS so that I can go ahead and upgrade. I always hate this period of time between operating systems because end-users are sort of in limbo. Everyone is hearing how great the new version is going to be, but they want to upgrade their system now. So what does one do? Well my suggestion this time around would be to wait until July 1st of this year to get a new computer.

Seems like a pretty specific date to be buying a computer, but it’ll definitely be worth the wait. You see, if you purchase a computer after this date, you’ll be able to upgrade to Windows 7 for free (once it is released, of course). The only snag here is that some OEMs may not opt to participate in this promotion, so you’ll need to read the fine print. For those that do take advantage of it, you’ll be in a win-win situation. You’ll have your new hardware now, and you’ll get the new software when it hits without paying extra. Even better, if for some reason Windows 7 ends up worse than Vista (at this point it would take a lot to make it that bad), you can keep Vista.

[ TechARP ] VIA [ BoingBoing ]

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MP3 Mirror has potential, could be so much more

Given that we’ve seen mirror TVs and MP3 players designed to emit sound within one’s shower, we’d say Antonio Lupi’s MP3 Mirror is just one of the gang. In fairness, we do appreciate the sleek design and its reported ability to integrate into any steel frame mirror, but unless we’re badly mistaken, the user is still responsible for adding speakers. Our suggestion? Hook up with Emo Labs and concoct an all-in-one device with sound emission baked right into the shiny stuff.

[Via DVICE]
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There will be a GSM-friendly 3G Palm Pre


We’ve gotten Palm on the record saying that there’s a WCDMA (read: UMTS world 3G) version of the Pre in the works, though we don’t know when or where. That means that the AT&Ts, T-Mobiles, and Vodafones of the world will get a shot at this baby. Suggestion, Palm: “soon” and “everywhere.”

Update: We’ve just seen a copy of the Pre’s press release, and sadly, the 3G GSM version is listed as being intended for “other regions” — in other words, places not served by Sprint. The good news, we guess, is that we’ve also confirmed that it’s HSDPA, so at least it’ll be hauling ass.

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Google rumored to be developing own router, also mowing own lawn, doing own laundry

Google rumored to be developing own router, also mowing own lawn, doing own laundryThere’s a lot of truth in the old adage about getting something done right by doing it yourself — but so too in the one that says it’s easier to re-use than to re-build. Choosing the right option isn’t easy, but if rumors currently swirling about Google turn out to be accurate it seems the company is leaning toward the former when it comes to its network routers. Big G currently relies on hardware from Juniper Networks but may be looking to develop something in-house to handle its copious quantities of bits. The company is issuing a firm “no comment,” but the mere suggestion of Juniper’s biggest client turning coat was enough to send its stock plummeting 5 percent.

[Via Slashdot]
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USC develops flexible, transparent TFT prototype for high-tech temporary tattoos


USC researchers have demonstrated a low-temperature (and therefore relatively inexpensive, apparently) process for printing transparent TFTs on flexible material able to bend up to 120 degrees which allows for embedding LED to build see-through displays. The prototype disc shown above is 5 inches in diameter and contains around 20,000 nanotube transistors. The researchers suggest the technology could be used for e-paper, smart tags, and artificial skin, as well as an affordable heads-up display that could be put into car windshields. Our suggestion? Couple it with transparent playing cards for the ultimate poker-cheating experience.

[Via OLED-Display]
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