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Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies have launched the the Bio Energy Discovery Kit, a product that they are calling "the fuel cell industry’s first direct ethanol product." The kit directly converts alcohol into electricity and can run non-stop for days on end. The purpose of the kit is to introduce fuel cell technology to students, scientists, teachers and engineers using a simple gadget that is easy to understand.

However, they claim that the kit could be the first step towards replacing conventional batteries in portable devices like iPods or mobile phone chargers. I don't know how practical a commercial application would be, or whether or not I would be willing to give up a single drop of my precious vodka, but you can pick up the kit now for $99. [Horizonfuelcell]

Sarah Varney of NPR's "All Things Considered" tested out the Kinoki body-detoxifying footpads currently making the rounds of late-night infomercials, to see if they really eliminate "heavy metals and metabolic waste." She and her husband used them for a night, and by the next morning the pads were covered in disgusting black gunk, as advertised. But then she took them to a lab for chemical analysis to learn exactly what was going on. The results? The Kinoki footpads are a dirty scam.

The adhesive footpads use bamboo vinegar and an unspecified combination of herbs and minerals to draw out toxins through your feet while you sleep, supposedly resulting in the gross-looking muddle you see when you peel them off. But when John Goyette at the Curtis and Tompkins Lab used nitric acid to measure the metallic levels in the two used pads and one fresh pad, he found that they "look like three of the same sample, basically." No heavy metals, no lighter metals: There was no significant difference, chemically speaking, between the samples. The $30-per-month pads are, definitively, just another shifty case of new-age snake oil, like the master cleanse or "recycling."

It turns out the Kinoki product is activated by either heat or moisture—the pads turned into the dirty "used" state even when held over a steaming pot of harmless water! Our bodies have a pretty efficient ways to get rid of metabolic waste; usually, you can even read the paper while it happens. Either way, waste definitely doesn't emanate through the skin of your feet while you slumber, or my Mighty Morphin Power Rangers footie PJs would've been tossed out long ago. [NPR via Consumerist]

Firefly might have been the best thing Joss Whedon has ever done in our opinion, but it's also one of the shortest things he's ever done. In just 14 episodes, the space western was able to surpass both Buffy and Angel (and all of his smaller creations) in our minds as his work, which is why we cannot wait to get this thing on Blu-ray. If you're rating this box set on an purely dollar-to-hour ratio, the $90 price tag ($62 on Amazon) would be absurd. But you know you're going to watch and re-watch this thing many times over, if only for the scenes with Inara and the other companion. We'll be in our bunk. [Amazon]

In our anecdotal experience, Apple has been pretty good about replacing clearly faulty MagSafe power adapters—the ones that split or fray from faulty manufacture. But now they are making their replacement policy official and offering free MagSafe replacements for the MacBook (13-inch Late 2006), MacBook (13-inch), MacBook Pro (15-inch Glossy), MacBook Pro (17-inch). (We read that as all models that use the MagSafe power adapter). Bring in your bad MagSafes to any Apple retailer and they'll take care of you. [Apple via Cult of Mac]

It's not yet ready for your download, but according to a now-pulled post on a company blog, Microsoft is accepting internal applications to be part of their technology adoption program (TAP) for Office 14. The new touted feature is Office's PerformancePoint Server, a boring-for-most-of-us business performance analysis system. Other details are scant and Microsoft has no official announcements to make, but an alpha of Office this year should beckon a new release next year. No word yet on whether or not Microsoft will allow Pam and Jim to finally get married. [ZDNet and The Inquirer]

The idea of making public spaces more playful is the brainchild of artist Bruno Taylor. In this project, he modified several London bus stops with swings to brighten the day of busy commuters. Never mind the smell, the noise, or that dude rubbing up against you—a swing set at the bus stop would melt away all of the stress associated with public transportation. That is until you get a little too carried away with the swinging motion and knock out someone walking behind the bus stop with your ass. On the playground that's detention—in the adult world it's called assault. Haha...(ass)ault. [Pixelsumo via PSFK via Dvice]

Visas and eight banks ("PNC Bank, SunTrust Bank, U.S. Bank, Wachovia, and Wells Fargo in the United States, and Royal Bank of Canada, TD Bank Financial Group, and Vancity in Canada") are testing real-time SMS notifications whenever your card makes one of a few types of transactions. The 2000 pilot beta customers can pick alerts for ATM cash withdrawals, internet or telephone charge, an out-of-country charge or a charge that's over a pre-defined amount. You can choose to have these alerts go to your phone or your email (if you're cheap like us and don't want to burn up all your messages), which you can then immediately use to alert Visa to any fraudulent activity. Great idea or greatest idea? You be the judge. [Slashphone]

Thanks largely to those meddling kids at Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry—who were investigating cases of people burned by too-hot-to-handle nanos—Cnet says Apple admitted today that some first-gen iPod nanos were overheating and said that it will replace any first-gen iPod nano that smokes or sparks (or blows up).

Apple says the issue has been traced back to a single battery supplier, and affects less than 0.001 percent of first-gen nanos. So if yours is bubbling or you're using it as a space heater for your pet mouse, hit up AppleCare for a replacement. There's a big question here though: If Japanese officials hadn't gotten involved, would they have made this announcement? I don't think so, even though it's not like exploding iPod nanos are an undocumented phenomenon. [Cnet]

The police around Cedar Hill, DeSoto and Duncanville Texas have a fancy new communications system that broadcasts their 10-4s and 187s up to 30 miles, which coincidentally enough is screwing up a fancy radio-controlled networked sprinkler system in that general area. Turning off the sprinklers may not sound like it does anything except for making the grass die, but that's exactly what local residents are pissed off about—pissed off enough to get the FCC involved. Too bad for residents that the precedent for FCC decisions on cases where two frequencies overlap is to award use to public safety. If they don't, those same residents would be enjoying that fresh, green lawn when they're burning to death. [Dallas News]

Cox communications, one of the top three cable companies in the US, is planning on making a foray into the wireless business with an offering that integrates all of their services into one device. Cox president Patrick Esser explained saying: "I won't divulge too many secrets here, but we'll focus on providing simple calling plans, integrating all our services into one device with a consistent cross-platform interface; and making our content and applications mobile."

The move shouldn't be all that surprising if you kept up with the 700 MHz spectrum auction earlier this year. During the auction, Cox dropped $304 million for its piece of the wireless pie. Esser noted that the company plans on investing a total of $500 million in wireless spectrum before all is said and done. No doubt they will need every penny (and probably more) if they want to make a mark in the highly competitive wireless business. [PC Mag]

We're not having any problems, but Ars has found many people complaining about the iPhone 2.0.2 update killing their ability to actually make calls over 3G. Among the people who suffer from no-calling-itis is one guy who took his phone to AT&T and had them swap out the SIM, which somehow fixed the problem. If you're getting "call failed" on 3G, try switching back to 2G in Settings -> General -> Network and making the call again. [Ars Technica]

While most of us have acquired too many responsibilities to waste the day away with a good, marathon Etch-A-Sketch session, every time we pull out the laptop to get more work done we can at least dream of less productive times with this Etch-A-Sketch laptop case.

[bertz white via technabob]

After investigating the debate between electric and manual shavers yesterday, I thought it might be a good idea to dig a little deeper into the topic of hygiene gadgets. In the previous poll, manual shavers have a commanding lead with over 40% of the vote—but I am curious to see if the same holds true for manual toothbrushes. So, the question is simple: do you prefer an electric or manual toothbrush?

Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.

[Image via WUW]

Jay-Z's upcoming Bluetooth headphones don't look nearly as good as Dr. Dre's noise canceling version, but their mere existence sparks a new East Coast/West Coast gadget war. We can't tell which we would prefer without looking at them, but Jay's model has the benefit of being smaller and wireless Bluetooth enabled, which is totally different from noise canceling ones you use when you're on a train or plane. Our prediction is that Diddy will come out with a pair of in-ear buds sometime within the next six months. [FCC via Crave via Engadget]

A knife, some rope and a decent flashlight. When it comes right down to it, these are tools that a guy can really use. As for the latter of the three, a good choice may be these new "Daylite" superbright torches from Duracell. Besides a sturdy all-weather design, the Daylites feature TrueBeam technology that uses "both a lens and a reflector to capture and project up to 100 percent of the light," which they claim significantly enhances brightness. Plus, a 3:1 zoom eliminates the annoying dark spot typical of most flashlights.

Duracell will be offering the Daylite in three varieties: the 80 lumens AAA / AA versions (both $25) and the powerful 160 lumens CR123 version ($35) beginning this month at drug and hardware stores. Duracell seems to be aiming at the MagLite market with the Daylites, but it remains to be seen whether the performance justifies the price tag. [Duracell]

Kite surfing is a fun sport that involves using a large kite and a surfboard to get a lot of speed up on the water. It's like wakeboarding without a boat. Naturally, you need a decent amount of wind for it to work properly. There's a limit to how much wind you should use, however, as a dimwitted kite surfer discovered when he tried to unleash his kite during a tropical storm in Fort Lauderdale and ended up getting flung across the beach and into the side of a building right in front of local news cameras.

26-year-old Kevin Kearney was strapped into his kite when a huge gust of wind came in and swept him away. A local TV crew was on the scene shooting weather footage and caught the entire disaster on tape. He's currently in the hospital in critical condition. Let this be a lesson to you all: don't be dumb. [CBS 4]

We were fine with USB warming slippers, USB warming kneepads, USB warming mice and USB warming gloves, but this USB heated shawl? You go too far, sir. Do you expect a Facebooking grandma to be hip to this thing? Do you think she'll spend $28 to get a USB version of something she probably got from Costco for the same price? We think not. But we will buy one of these and pretend to be USB Heated Batman, and a sale is a sale. [cgets via Likecool via Dvice]

RIM, why have you forsaken us? With no date or price yet for the US, Rogers has just confirmed that the BlackBerry Bold will launch in RIM's backyard on Thursday. They didn't release pricing info, but a leaked flyer on Friday that looked pretty damn legit pegged it at $399. Since it's launching 'round the world by the end of this week, odds are we'll be getting US launch details soonish. [Reuters]

The UK government has decided to spend hundreds of millions of pounds (gajillions of dollars in US currency) on a huge central silo for all of the country's communications data. What'll that entail? Well, apparently "the one-stop-shop database will retain details of all calls, texts, emails, instant messenger conversations and websites accessed in the UK for up to two years." Oh my.

This Orwellian nightmare center would obviously take a while to get put together, and it's not clear exactly what it'll consist of or how it'll be put together. The folks behind it have, however, figured out a way to push it through without requiring approval by parliament.

Sources said secret briefings revealed the cost of the database would run to nine figures and has already been factored into government spending plans. The IMP budget was part of the intelligence agencies' undisclosed allocation in the Comprehensive Spending Review last year. In an answer to a parliamentary question on 8 July, the Home Office refused to provide any budgetary details, citing national security concerns.

A Communications Data Bill mandating the database was expected to be proposed before the summer parliamentary recess, but did not appear. It had been planned that the database would be bundled with the EU Data Retention Directive (EUDRD), which must be enshrined in UK law by March 2009.

However, last week the government released a consultation paper on transposing the Directive as a standalone statutory instrument. Laws made by statutory instrument do not require a vote in Parliament.

Well, I guess the silver lining here is that all this garbage going on in the UK is making the US seem like a shining beacon of freedom and privacy. Which is not a good sign for you poor Brits. [The Register]

Hammacher Schlemmer's Digital Camera Swim Mask integrates an underwater digital camera into a swim mask—two things that have belonged together ever since Man decided that Woman should wear little to no clothing when they're in the water. The on-board 5-megapixel camera goes down to 15 feet and can take up to 30 pictures in its 16MB memory. You can expand that with a microSD card (no size limitation specified) in order to record more than 52 seconds of video as well. There's an LED inside the mask that tells you which mode you're in, but the whole thing requires two AAA batteries to operate. It's only $99, and can be used in snorkeling or just at the pool. You can bet your ass we're testing one soon. [Hammacher]

I only read two sections of the WSJ, partly because it's behind a pay wall, though there are ways around it. Their new Mobile Reader for BlackBerry drops the entire paper for free, constantly updated, right to your phone in an interface that actually works. Silicon Alley Insider says it's the best newspaper app for any phone yet.

Click the headline once and you see a paragraph summary—click again to read the whole article, which only takes 10 secs to load on EDGE. And you can save stories for subway or air reading. No word on an iPhone version specifically, but the Journal told us that the reader is "currently in development" for "other smartphone platforms." It makes sense to hit BlackBerry first since that's what the suit-and-tie, richer-than-you crowd—the WSJ's audience—are toting by and large. If you've got a BlackBerry, there's no reason to not grab this. If you don't read the Journal, try it, it'll make you smarter (maybe not the editorial pages, but the rest of it will). [WSJ via Silicon Alley Insider]

For this week's contest, we took a little break from the Photoshopping. Instead, I asked you to submit photos of gadgets being used in ways other than originally intended. Below the jump, you'll find a bunch of photos of people getting pretty creative with their toys (and breaking some warranties along the way). Hit the jump for the top three winners and then check out the best of the rest in our Gallery of Champions. (Warning: one of the winners is relatively NSFW.)

First Place — K. Bacon
Second Place — Jared Griffiths
Third Place — Jacky Radivoy
A smaller Gallery of Champions than usual this week for some reason. Don't worry, I'll bring back your precious Photoshop for next week's contest.

The ultimate Microsoft fanboy concept, Fenêtres 3.1 (or the Windows Window as we're insisting on calling it) is a normal house window decorated with all of the accouterments of the classic Windows 3.1 OS (along with the placeholder background from Windows XP). And yes, pulling down the blinds even brings up the dreaded BSoD. The designer truly thought of everything, except it's missing the boot disk you'll need to actually open the window or anything in it. [John Nouanesing via Unplggd]

We've seen this crazy motorcycle exoskeleton before, but its inventor Jake Loniak has just mocked up a video showing what it would be like in motion. Yeah, we're pretty damn impressed, but the guy gets cocky:

I believe a working prototype could be made, but it would take a great deal of time and engineering. This isn’t fantasy. It’s a green vehicle, and all of the numbers are based in the real world.

But who would actually use this? Sure, it looks pretty amazing and you can park it vertically in a garage to save space, but imagine having to unfasten yourself from this every time you get to work. Or the supermarket. Or grandma's house. At least with a Segway you can hop off and do your business. [Popsci via Crunchgear via Boing Boing Gadgets]

PlayOn, a program that allows Hulu, ESPN, YouTube and CBS streaming from a Windows PC to a PS3, Xbox 360 or HP MediaSmart TV, has just been released as a free beta to the public (well, the first 60 days are free, after that it'll cost $30). And to make things even better, the software should expand to support Netflix streaming and the Nintendo Wii within the year. Finally, that whole console becoming as complicated as a PC trend is paying off. [PlayOn via PS3Fanboy]

Archos just revealed what that curtain tease was all about: the 6th Gen Archos 5, 5G and 7 series PMPs. The 4.8" flagship 5G ditches the tired interface and buttons of the Gen-5 device for a slick UI and touchscreen-only operation. It's got Wi-Fi, HD video support, web browsing, email, a huge HDD (up to 250GB), and built-in HSPDA 3G connectivity. It's also got dock connectors, GPS, DVR, video/audio recording and more. In short, it's everything that the iPod touch isn't, and I got to touch it.

The interface on the 5G is incredibly smooth, scrolling is similar to the iPod touch, and the included Opera web browser does zoom and looks excellent. The device is intuitive and the touchscreen is responsive and big enough to really enjoy movie watching.

The 5 and 7 are also great devices, featuring 4.8" and 7" displays, respectively. They are 3G capable with a separate dongle, and otherwise feature all the great specs of the 5G. The 5 will be available in 60-, 120-, and 250GB varieties, while the 7 carries either 160GB or 320GB under the hood. The products will retail between $350 and $550 when they arrive in September (5), October (7) and January (5G). It's a good day for the little portable-media underdog. Spec sheet down below. [Archos]

All applicable to both series unless otherwise noted:

Capacity
*60GB hard drive stores up to 80 Movies, 600,000 photos or 30,000 songs
*120GB hard drive stores up to 160 Movies, 1.2 million photos or 60,000 songs
*250GB hard drive stores up to 300 Movies, 2.5 million photos or 145,000 songs

Display
* High resolution screen, 800x480 pixels, 4.8'' TFT LCD, 16 million colors
* Touchscreen

Video playback
* MPEG-48 (ASP@L5 AVI, up to DVD resolution)
* WMV (MP@ML, up to DVD resolution) included WMV protected files
* M-JPEG (in QVGA resolution)

With optional software plug-ins:
* HD support: MPEG-4 (ASP 720p) & WMV HD (MP 720p)
* H.264 up to DVD resolution with AAC
* MPEG-2 MP@ML up to 10 Mbps (up to DVD resolution) and AC3 stereo sound (5.1)

Audio Playback
* Stereo MP3 decoding @ 30-320 Kbits/s CBR & VBR, WMA, Protected WMA, WMA pro 5.1, WAV (PCM/ADPCM).
* With optional software plug-ins
*AAC9 and AAC+ stereo audio files
*AC3 stereo audio and 5.1 sound files (via SPDIF output of DVR Station)

Photo viewer10
* JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF

PDF viewer
* Reads PDF documents (may not implement all PDF features)

Video Recording11
* Via the optional DVR Station or DVR Snap-on. Records NTSC/PAL/SECAM in MPEG-4 AVI format with stereo sound, VGA resolution (640 x 480) @ 30 or 25 f/s

Audio recording
* Via the optional DVR Station or DVR Snap-on: Stereo line-in, WAV (IMA ADPCM or PCM) format
* Voice recording via the optional FM remote and its built-in microphone in WAV format (IMA ADPCM)

Email client
* Compatible with Email accounts supporting POP3 and IMAP services
* Import/export of vCard contacts

Interfaces
* USB 2.0 High-Speed Device (compatible USB 1.1 at a lower speed): Mass Storage Class (MSC) and Media Transport Protocol (MTP)
* USB 2.0 Host: Mass Storage Class (MSC) and Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP) with optional Mini Dock, Battery Dock and DVR station

Connections
* Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g) connection. Free Web Browser (Opera® Web browser with Adobe Flash® 9 video support) upon registration
* 3.5 mm mini jack for headphones
* Accessory connectors to connect to the DVR Station and other ARCHOS accessories

Miscellaneous
* Built-in speaker
* Built-in leg stand

Power source
* Internal: Lithium Polymer battery
* Device charges via computer USB port
* External: Power adapter/charger (via optional accessories)

Battery life
* Music playback time: up to 12 hours
* Video playback time: up to 4 hours

Scalability
* Device automatically downloads latest firmware updates when the WiFi connection is activated
* Updates can also be downloaded at www.archos.com

Dimensions & weight
* Approx 127,5 x 78,3 x 12,9 mm (for 60GB* model) – 250gr
* Approx 127 x 78,8 x 19,4 mm (for 120/250GB* models) – 300gr

Minimum requirement system
*Microsoft® Windows® Vista, XP, ME, 2000 or higher
* MAC OS X and Linux (with Mass Storage Device Support)
* USB 2.0 interface

Package includes
* ARCHOS 5, headphones, ARCHOS USB cable, DVR Station adapter, screen cleaning cloth, Quick Start Guide (QSG), legal and safety notice.

Pricing
* 60GB model - $350
* 120GB model - $400
* 250GB model - $450

7 Series

Display
* High resolution screen, 800x480 pixels, 7'' TFT LCD, 16 million colors

Dimensions & Weight
* Approx. 190 x 110 x 16 mm ; 7.48" x 4.33" x 0.629"
* Approx. 640 gr.; 23oz

Pricing
* 160GB model - $450
* 320GB model - $550

OK, so the new TV-B-Gone SHP (super high power) is designed to look like an iPhone. It appears to be designed just for us here at Gizmodo, embodying two things that, for better or for worse, we're known for. But no matter what this thing looks like, there ain't no way we're getting within 10 feet of a TV-B-Gone again. Even if it is an upgraded model with eight powerful infrared emitters that can turn off 90% of the world's TVs. No. No, ma'am. [Maker Shed via Ubergizmo]

We've long known that Nike+ has been in development for the iPhone. Now we're finally getting a peek at the first shots of the interface. From what we can skim, Nike+ users will get all of the nifty performance graphs right on the phone (before this stuff was available on the web only). But the biggest improvement over the old Nike system may be Google Maps support:

We don't know just how robust the Nike+ maps support will be, but mapping routes directly on the iPhone could make for more organized training sessions. If only we had the coordination to use the iPhone's touch interface while running. Hell, if only we had the coordination to run. Hit the link for a lot more shots. [iPhone.fr via Ubergizmo]

DSTwitter brings Twitter Shitters the ability to broadcast their current activity to the world via their DS. Is this something you couldn't do before with your cellphones? Of course not. But if you can read Spanish and can run homebrew apps on your DS, grab DSTwitter and start broadcasting the consistency of your turds to everyone in the world. We have. [Mashable via PMP Today via Pocket Gamer via Kotaku]

This video demos what an Instructables team call a "quick down and dirty hack" that uses a Bluetooth headset to prank callers to your cellphone with an infinite hold pattern. It involves nothing more sophisticated than a cheapo Bluetooth headset, a few components, a modicum of soldering, and some amusing tunes and message creation. Your callers will then be treated to a "you are in a XX minute queue" message and your choice of irritating music. Now this wouldn't amuse me: It would piss me off, as I've listened to enough hold muzak for real... but your mileage may vary. Check out the Instructable if you want to DIY. [Instructables]

Slashgear's just found a video of the upcoming Treo Pro, a device that physically looks like the Centro, but runs the touchscreen version of Windows Mobile. The video shows you pretty much what you need to know about how big the phone is in your hand (not too big) but if you want to see it compared to some other things, there were the photos before and also some new photos over at a Chinese site. With all these leaks, the Treo Pro pretty much DEMANDS to be released soon. [Treo Pro via Slashgear]

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.The Burj Dubai tower, the tallest skyscraper in the world, is about to be completed. To celebrate it, David Hobcote has taken a series of amazing high resolution pictures from the air which give an exact impression of the breathtaking, massive scale of this building. Inside, it looks like a set from Blade Runner or the interior of the Death Star. Corrected and updated: David Hobcote told us how he did these great photos:

I took these photos from a bell helicopter last week on a trip to see this amazing building in Dubai with my son. They were taken on a 45 degree bank over the tower on a canon 1Ds mark 3 digital camera NO GOOD FOR THOSE AFRAID OF HIGHTS !! The interior shot however is not the Burge Dubai but the Arab Emirates Towers shot from the 10th floor bar looking up to the upper floors also took the attached shot looking out from the window across the street with the reflection of the interior in the window cool.

Here are more photos of the Arab Emirates Towers:

[Burj Dubai Skyscraper via Dark Roasted Blend]

In order to thwart the spread of HIV in India, "condom a cappella" has been released by an organization that's funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. A ringtone that's meant to promote safe sex, we thought that it might consist of a crying babies, nasty bodily functions or soliloquies from one's parents, but instead the ringer is a chant of "condom, condom!" And as everyone knows, if people chant a word on a cellphone ringer, its correlating concept is immediately embraced by the youth of the world. [breitbart]

Less spine-tinglingly freaky than the eerie-eyeballed Opto-Isolator animated sculpture, the upcoming Waterdrop sculpture by Héctor Serrano Studio for Roca may have a different side-effect: seasickness. It's made of hundreds of moving vertical bars, each with a glowing tip, driven by motors to mimic in large scale the surface of a puddle after a water drop impact. Imagine: a darkened room with the repeating oscillations of a huge simulated sea surface. At the very least, it may make you wonder where the bathrooms are. On show at 100% Design London from 18 September. And if you can't make it, there's a video of the effect at the Waterdrop link. [Waterdrop via Designboom]