The gorgeous, glowing computer is really the ultimate gaming PC. For starters, it looks amazing. But under the hood, it’s a serious workhorse of a machine, that’ll surely pwn any computer you currently own.

At the core of the system is an Intel Core i7 975 Extreme Edition CPU, and a pair of nVidia GeForce GTX 295 graphics cards running in SLI mode. The system has 12 GB of DDR3 RAM, and 2.5 TB of hard disk. There’s also a Logitech G19 gaming keyboard, a custom Razer Boomslang mouse, and 13 video games thrown in for good measure. In total, there’s over $10,000 worth of components in this bad boy.

Parts and labor for this amazing system were donated by nVidia, ASUS, Crucial, Danger Den, Intel, Performance PCs, SilverStone, Smooth Creations, TigerDirect, Western Digital and the whole thing was put together by Out of The Box Mods.

Currently, the system is up for sale on eBay, with a bid price of $4,000 – but I’m certain that will climb as the auction nears its end on 11/24. For more details head on over to the Charity Case Mod website. 100% of the auction proceeds (after auction fees) will go directly to the charity – so bid early and bid often.

[via flickr]

Did that sound like a bunch of crap to you? It did to me, until I watched the videos.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Here’s another one, with a more ordinary story. Watch it and I swear you’ll think of your own search story:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Dawwwwwwww. There are a few more clips at the official Search Stories channel on YouTube. The videos reminded me of just how much we’ve come to depend on Google and the Internet for all sorts of things, from the simple to the complicated ones, that when we want answers there’s a good chance that we’ll immediately tell ourselves, “I’ll just google it.” It’s a funny (and scary) thought.

[via The Official Google Blog]

As TechCrunch’s Jason Kincaid said, you’ll only need three things to run the OS in your system. First you’ll need a Google Account ID, e.g. a Gmail account. Second, you’ll need the disk image itself, which you can either download via torrent (clicking that link will download the torrent file) or at gadget site gdgt. Finally, you’ll need VirtualBox, a free cross-platform virtualization program, although I see no reason why commercial alternatives like VMWare Fusion wouldn’t work.

If you’ve tried creating virtual machines before, the steps for installing Chrome OS are pretty straightforward. Just select Linux as the operating system and Ubuntu as the version, then choose “use existing hard disk” when asked which boot hard disk to use, next, next, next… and voila! You just installed the Chrome browser the hard way. Check out the full article at TechCrunch if you want a more detailed walkthrough.

Each one is built from the finest electronic components, with an optical resolution of 1600 dpi, and with microswitches rated for over 1 million clicks. The mice also feature a stiff, but bendable cable that keeps the cord from getting in your way. There’s also a unique sound-wheel control which kicks in to adjust your system’s volume when you click the scroll wheel.

The handmade wooden mice are available in Bubinga, Makor, Sapele, and Ebony woods from exotic locations like Sierra Leone, Cameroon and Sri Lanka. Of course, being a luxury item, you can’t expect them to be cheap. Prices for the mice range from €668 to €859 (appx. $996 to $1281 USD). If you’ve got money to burn, you can get your hands on one of AlestRukov’s mice here.

[via Behance]

Berg encountered a couple of problems while modding the G4, the first being the proprietary connector that the iMac monitor uses to connect to its controller. He remedied it by installing a shelf on the back for the new connectors. He then installed a surface acoustic wave touchscreen, saying, “its high resolution does not distort the image at all.”

The second problem was the lack of real estate in the base of the iMac: “I initially wanted to make it a Core 2 Duo all in one. Unfortunately, there is a lot less space in there than you think. Its very impressive how Apple constructed it. because it was convection cooled, the parts literally stacked on top of each other. They fit together like a puzzle. The disk drive alone probably takes up 70% of the volume in the base.” He states the solution to this problem more vaguely though: “I decided to keep the computer separate.”  But if it’s proof you need, don’t worry, Berg’s got it all on camera:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Although we all know that a conventionally oriented desktop touchscreen monitor would be a pain to use for more than a few minutes, I think Berg still deserves a round of applause. And major plus points for the Blu-ray drive. But wait!

He had some leftover parts and decided to use them to build a “big touch screen remote equipped with Windows 7 Media Center and a convenient blu-ray player hooked up to my HD TV.” This time he used a 17-inch HP monitor and painted the whole thing black. The touch screen is resistive, which according to him is less sensitive and operates at a lower resolution, but that’s okay Mr. Berg. You turned a white iMac G4 into a black touchscreen Windows Media Center remote control. If that’s not modding then I don’t know what is.

[via Hacked Gadgets]

These new Tactile Pro 3 keyboards are built from the same technology used in the original Apple Extended and Extended II keyboards, complete with lovely, long-throw, clicky ALPS mechanical switches. While the key switches may be decidedly old school, the design of the Tactile Pro 3 has been updated to be more ergonomically friendly than retro Apple keyboards. It’s got a sleek, curvy form factor, and is built for durability. The keys are each laser etched, and the case is designed to keep crumbs and dirt from getting in-between the keys. And Matias has included a special technology that prevents missed key-presses if you’re a smokin’ fast typist. There’s also a built-in 3 port USB 2.0 hub, and it’s even compatible with PCs if you don’t have a Mac lying around.

While $149.95 (USD) might sound like a lot for a keyboard, it seems like a worthwhile investment if you spend all day sitting at your keyboard like I do, and want to type at the highest speed and accuracy. Want one? The Tactile Pro 3 starts shipping in January 2010, and Matias is accepting pre-orders here.

[thanks for the tip, Kenny P!]

If you need to use the reader half of it, just unscrew the pen to reveal the USB connector. I don’t know if you can use the pen half on its own though.

Maybe in the future we’ll have pens that can recognize our handwriting and store it as a text file, ready for us to plug in to computers  - or our heads! – for reviewing.

You can get the Four SD Slot Pen at GeekStuff4U for appx. $22 (USD); at that price you’d better not be the type who easily loses pens. The pen comes with two ink refills and a USB cable.

Aside from the ION 330 ITX, the PC is equipped with an x64 SSD by Corsair,  4GB Twin2X4096-6400C5 DDR by Corsair, a 90-Watt Pico power supply unit by Logic Supply,  Windows Vista Premium, and an LG GH22 DVD Writer drive. Here’s a more thorough look at the little green thing:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The design is too loud – and too green – for my taste, but the fact that it rotates makes it one of the best mods that I’ve seen. Check out the Casemod Blog for more pics and info.

[via The Awesomer]

Designed by New York designer Diana Rodgers, the Intraoffice Laptop Sleeve is made from a durable water-repellant microfiber and has a soft fleecy lining to protect your delicate computer. The sleeve fits notebooks and laptop up to 13-inch size (perfect for the MacBook Air), and is perfect for netbooks too. It’s available from the MoMAstore for $55 (USD)/$49.50 for members.

[via BLTD]

Walky’s interface is idiotproof – make your fingers walk and the robot walks, make a jumping gesture and the robot jumps, kick and the robot kicks. You can imagine how much easier it would be to teach people how to control robots using a system like this as opposed to something that uses an array of buttons, levers and knobs. Nintendo hit upon that idea too, and turned it into lots of money by creating the Wii. Hand over a gamepad to an inexperienced gamer and you’ll have to spend quite some time explaining the controls before the person gets the hang of it, but give that same person a Wii and he won’t even need your help because the input system is much more natural. But is gesture-based input really the simplest and most practical input system?

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

I don’t know about you, but I’m gonna have to side with buttons, levers and knobs for now. If you watched the video you saw how freakin’ cumbersome the system was; there was simply too much effort needed for a simple command. Maybe gesture-based systems are okay for entertainment or educational purposes – Walky is indeed a fun way of introducing robotics to kids – but if I had to use a natural input system I’d rather it be a voice-operated one.

[via Plastic Pals]

Those who want their peripherals to blend in with the rest of their computer will be glad to know that the 10 Key also comes in black and white.

I don’t know if there’s any way to re-map the arrow keys though, and that could be a problem if you’re used to the 2-4-6-8 layout of ordinary numpads. Unless of course that functionality is baked into you operating system and not in the peripheral itself.

You can get the 10 Key at Retail Factory for £50 (approx. $80 USD). I guess the dual functionality and the design were factored into the formula used to derive the price.

[via ChipChick]

Created by Japanese artist Hanaoka, the Siva mouse is part of a series of grass-covered objects he’s produced for the world to enjoy. This mouse is just one of many grassy items that Hanaoka has created over the years, and while the grassy mouse it’s not currently for sale, there are a variety of other grass-covered stuffs over at his website. As an added bonus, 50% of the proceeds from his product sales go to a non-profit group called Shibafu Spirit, which helps bring live greenery to Osaka’s schoolyards.

While I’m not sure about the practicality of this thing, I really do appreciate the concept of bringing a bit of nature to our drab, fluorescent-lit cube farms now and again. Also, I don’t know if it’s a good idea to pour water on your mouse either.

[via Crave and Craziest Gadgets]

While Apple zealots will no doubt deem the classic gray PC as too ugly even for the old iMac, it’s actually Windows & PC fans who will be more insulted in the video. Watch it and look at Mic’s (that’s the PC) third wooing gimmick to see what I mean.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

I bet that last kid’s name is Psystar.

[via BB-Blog]

The Marionette is a lush 2D adventure that follows the strange events surrounding a sculptor named Martin who awakens in a strange location after opening a mysterious package. It’s up to you to point and click your way through to the truth.

The game is packaged in a pretty big file, but you can always poke around the website for character information and more while you twiddle your thumbs… and if you’re less patient, you can always just try the demo.

[via Indie Games]

All your old favorites are there, including AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS. But if you look carefully, there are directories for WINDOWS and a HIBERFIL.SYS file, so this pillow must actually be running Windows XP or a newer version. And watch out for the PRON directory – you never know what’s hiding in there. The pillow also appears to have been infected with a trojan, so you might not want to actually sit your butt on this pillow.

The Dosogus 2.0 is actually an upgrade of Lebedev’s earlier Dosogus pillow, and I have to say the new model crashes a little less frequently than the original. Want one? Head on over to Lebedev’s online shop.

Macally’s wooden ECOFAN and ECOFANPRO stands keep your laptop nice and cool, and look good doing it . Each stand has a built-in USB powered cooling fan, and can support any laptop up to 17″. They’re made from Bamboo wood, which not only has a warm natural style, it’s eco-friendly.

While the ECOFAN features a fixed-position stand, I greatly prefer the adjustable height stand on the ECOFANPRO (pictured above). Here’s a snapshot of the simpler model:

Both stands are available over on Amazon, with prices around $32 to 33 (USD) for either model. With virtually no price difference, there’s no reason not to go PRO.

Now all I need is one of those Bamboo laptops to go with this, and I’ll be set.

The Mac version has a metal case and a 2-liner LCD screen like its software counterpart, while the Windows calculator sports the classic XP color scheme, and even has menu headers. I know that these are just concepts, but what would the window buttons (maximize, minimize, close) be for in a real calculator? It would be awesome if you could actually maximize a real calculator though.

The designer is aware of the fact that it would be unlikely for either Apple or Microsoft to let any third party get away with making these calculators, so is leaving it up to the two computer makers to make real-life versions of their OS calculators, if only to give away as gifts or for marketing gimmicks. And if they decide to go ahead with it, maybe they should contact Mintpass.

Other than the color of the base stone, I’d say these 4.3-inch tall Lady Liberty drives from Super Talent are pretty accurate 1:421 scale replicas of the real thing – other than the fact that they get their bluish-green hue from dyed rubber instead of weathered copper verdigris. I suppose it would have been pretty hard to make a copper USB drive with a little tiny staircase and people inside. But I bet it could be done. Then you’d have to leave it out in the elements for 200 years to get that perfect patina.

The drives are available in 4GB ($14 USD), 8GB ($19.50) and 16GB ($34.45) versions over at Amazon. As an added bonus, you’ don’t have to take a boat ride and then wait in line for 3 hours to see what’s inside this version.

Here’s Bowers on his creation: “The light sensor sends data to an Arduino, which is waiting for a spike in the data. The Arduino runs the sensor data through some averaging filters, and sets a threshold for on and off.”

The robot’s fingers are servos, and its fingertips are made of copper wire embedded in foam. Everything was stuffed “into a modified Pelican case, with a lot of hot glue (non glittery)” and voila! A rockin robot that looks like an iPhone lobotomizer. Enough talk, let’s see it rock!

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

I can still hear the rhythmic squeaking.

[via Boing Boing]

ClearView makes a list of rules based on a program’s “normal” behavior. When something causes the program to deviate from those rules, ClearView “comes up with several potential patches designed to force the software to follow the violated rules… If additional rules are violated, or if a patch causes the system to crash, ClearView rejects it and tries another.” And it does all of that without any human intervention. As a test, ClearView was tasked to babysit Firefox while the browser was attacked via ten different methods. On average, ClearView came up with a patch within 5 minutes of exposure to an attack. How’s that for customer service. If you’re tired of having programs die on you, read the full article at Technology Review. It may just make your day.

[via Slashdot]