Hi, Doggert De Niro here, Gizmodo's resident Method canine, and the latest of Gizmodo's resident pet testers*, with the latest pet-friendly product, the dog fat counter. You may remember my predecessor, Fluffy, better. That bitch (heyyyy, just joking, people, she's a wunnerful mammal and one of the best stunt pets in the business) tested the pet life vest a couple of months back. Terrible what happened to her.
Anyways, she's no more, so it's my turn to step up to the plate. And that's just what I've been doing for the past three months, stepping up to a plate of food—three times a day, actually, such is my devotion to my craft. Originally I was cast in the role of Jake LaMutta in the big-screen remake of Raging Dog, but it fell through. Not before I had put on 14 pounds though, quite a lot when you're a mere Poodleweight.
from instructables.com — Have you ever seen those music-synchronized lights before? They're pretty neat. This intructable will show you how to make a device that sends your voice or any other form of audio over a beam of light. The picture below is the finished product. continue reading »
With just a few weeks to go before the US launch, Apple is cranking up the torture for all those iPhone fans by releasing a whole raft of new photos and the specs. There’s no doubt it’s cute and it’s probably about to sell a gazillion too, despite the price. Hell, people aren’t even going to wait for the reviews on this one. A mistake, of course, but that's hysteria for you.
Even more interesting than the new photos though was news from Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, yesterday when he confirmed that the iPhone will be able to run third-party applications.
“Developers and users alike are going to be very surprised and pleased at how great these applications look and work on iPhone. Our innovative approach, using Web 2.0-based standards, lets developers create amazing new applications while keeping the iPhone secure and reliable.”
Jump now for the Tech Spec sheet and another cute photo with the measurements kindly outlined.-Martin Lynch
Hats off to all those green-aware people that have made their own efforts to create greener homes. As a tech-head, gadgets and green are not often the most comfortable bedfellows in my house but I try my best.
Now, big business is embracing the green with builder Kingspan showing off what it claims is the first zero emission home. A striking two and a half-storey, two bedroom house, The Lighthouse loses 60% less heat than a regular home and is the first to attain level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. As expected there are solar panels - the whole rook actually - and a biomass boiler at the heart of the home. There's also a rainwater collection system as standard. The downside is that will cost 40% more to build than regular home.
On the energy front though the annual electricity bill will be just £31 – as opposed to the current average of £500. I like it already. Check out the photo blog journal of the real thing here. -Martin Lynch
No it’s not hidden, sleazy Hot Coffee mods, school bullying nor gratuitous violence that’s getting Grand Theft Auto makers, Take Two Interactive Software, in trouble this time but the cold harsh reality of running a business.
The troubled developer is having to take the axe to its workforce in an effort to cut costs by up to $25m (£12.5m). The announcement comes on the back of worse-than-expected results, where the company posted a whopping £25.5m loss for the last financial quarter.
Two months ago, shareholders booted the CEO and most of the directors for poor performance. The axe-wielding new board has not said how many of its 2,100 employees are for the chop but it’s expected to be ‘meaningful’.
The good news – and there is some – is that Grand Theft Auto IV is still on schedule to raise hell, make gamers grin and annoy parents and do-gooders in October.-Martin Lynch
Here's an eight-minute video that shows you a grandiose idea somebody dreamed up: building a 3000-foot-tall pyramid in Tokyo Bay. This megacity would be so tall, and would have such tremendous volume that 24 80-story skyscrapers could be suspended within, and people would travel inside it via the tubes that are also supporting the enormous structure. It's extreme engineering, indeed.
You gotta feel sorry for those people living in Tokyo, all crammed together like sardines in a can, so maybe this wild idea could give them some elbow room. To rent the amount of space made by this huge structure, it would cost $10 billion a year within the city of Tokyo. If built, it will be the largest structure in the world. Go for it! – Charlie White
Investing a lot of money in a sweet home theater setup can be well worth it if you're a TV or movie buff with a generous bank account. But hey, why spend all that money to get a huge TV and nice speakers for your living room when you can spend the same amount on some mediocre gear crammed in a pool table?
Hats off to all those green-aware people that have made their own efforts to create greener homes. As a tech-head, gadgets and green are not often the most comfortable bedfellows in my house but I try my best. 
Editor and Contributor | Martin Lynch
Contributor | Tamlin Magee
