Geek In Me

by Luke Anderson via ohgizmo.com

I’m something of an animal lover. No, not the “save the whales” or “carry my dog in a purse” kind of guy (or a guy that carries anything in a purse for that matter), but the kind that enjoys seeing animals and loves his pets. That being said, I’m completely creeped out by this digital picture frame. Why? Because it holds the ashes of your dead pet.

I get that some people really love their animals, but holding onto their ashes is just a bit weird in my eyes. Then to take things a step further and enclose the remains in a digital frame is just too much for me. For those interested, you’ll be able to hold 256MB worth of pictures (I’m sure you’ll have no problem filling it up) and view them on a 7-inch screen. The price is a bit salty at $249, but who cares? Nothing but the best for your pet, right?

Perhaps knowing that a Death Star wedding cake was starting marriage asking for trouble, reader and chef Charlene made an R2-D2 one, bringing balance back to the Force, and restoring dorkiness throughout the Galaxy. There have been others, but her nine-layer version of everyone’s favorite astromech is far more realistic and complex, thanks to some DIY tech hacks.
While the R2-D2 wedding cake is not as advanced as the stunningly-accurate Maker Faire R2-D2, Charlene told us that she “bastardized an old camera for the lenses, with blue Halloween lights flashing behind throughout the whole wedding” for added realism.

The cake was the centerpiece in the wedding of two members of a Star Wars fan group in Alabama, which had all the guests dressed up as Star Wars characters, included the minister, who probably was wearing an R2-D2 beanie like mine. I’ve got to admit that it looks yummy, but seeing people eating R2’s dome disturbs the Force out of me.
via gizmodo.com

By Andrew Liszewski via ohgizmo.com

Have you ever looked up in the sky and thought “Hey! That cloud looks just like the McDonald’s arches”. If you have, there’s a good chance that cloud may have actually been engineered to look that way by a special effects company called SnowMasters. They’ve developed something they call Flogos, which are basically flying custom logos. Made from a proprietary soap based foam, the Flogos are filled with gases such as helium rather than air. As we all know, helium is lighter than air, so once the Flogo comes out of the machine, they just float away.

Depending on the soap mixture, the Flogos can last for just a few minutes or up to an hour. They can also travel 20-30 miles and fly as high as 20,000 feet, though the weather conditions (particularly wind speed) play an important factor in how far they go. The standard Flogos range in size from 24 inches to 48 inches, though the company is working on an even more impressive 6 foot generator. The Flogo machines can produce a flying logo every 15 seconds, and the soap based material is 100% environmentally safe.

by Joshua Fruhlinger via engadget.com

Edward Keith Stoddard Jr. really likes his PlayStation 3. So much, in fact, that if you were to touch his PS3, he may just kill you. Such was the fate of his neighbor, Douglas F. Abrams, who Stoddard believed had taken his console. During an argument over the missing system, police say Stoddard shot Abrams, fatally wounding him. When cops showed up on the scene, Stoddard surrendered and was taken to Land O’Lakes jail (no, really) in Dade County, Florida. It’s okay to love your console, people — just don’t get jealous if it drops by the neighbor’s house for some tea.

by Tim Stevens via switched.com
When the Pope arrived on our shores last month, much of the nation was subject to the pomp and fanfare that surrounded his every move. Now the Pope is making a trip Down Under for Sydney’s World Youth Day next month, and those who can’t watch him live (or online) will be able to follow the Pontiff via SMS.

The Pope (or one of his lackeys) will be sending “daily messages of inspiration” to the phones of thousands of Catholics during the event, which despite being called “World Youth Day,” actually covers an entire week.

The Catholic church will also be setting up a social networking site similar to MySpace or Facebook, enabling believers to hook up — and pray, of course. [Source: I4U/Reuters, via Textually.org]