Gizmodo

Your iPhone's Privacy Sucks—And Steve Jobs Agrees With This [Video]

Jesus Diaz — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 02:27:00 EST

Someone found out that Path—and most probably other apps—were stealing your contacts' information from your iPhone and iPad without telling you about it. This happened because of Path's greediness, but also because Apple is not protecting your privacy as it should.

And all that sucks, even according to what Steve Jobs himself says in this video.

To understand the unintended irony of Jobs' words, you need to fully understand the huge privacy problem that is happening right now in your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. It goes like this: Path and other apps—we don't know which—steal your contacts' information into their corporate servers without telling you about it. These apps use an address book service that Apple provides within iOS, which is similar to the geographic location service also present in the operating system that powers all the iDevices.

The difference is that the iPhone's GPS service requires you to actively approve the app from accessing it. Apple's operating system asks you for permission every time an application asks for your location, not the app itself. This is a barrier that the app can't bypass. The security system is designed in this way so the app—which could be anything from a game to your typical free flashlight app—can't spy on you without you noticing it.

This works perfectly fine.

The problem is that the address book service doesn't use the same mechanism. It's free for the taking. This is where the privacy clusterfuck ensues. Some app developers—like Path—were or are taking advantage of this weakness right now. The fact is that, at this point, any app can access your address book and steal all your contacts. Just like that. We don't know which apps may be doing this right now. That is a scary thought and Apple should have thought about it.

The irony comes when you realize that Steve Jobs thought this was absolutely wrong. In fact, you can tell that he believes that what their "colleagues in the valley" are doing—companies like Google or Facebook—is despicable. He explains it in detail in this video, recorded at the D8 Conference in 2010. He first attacks Silicon Valley companies for not taking privacy as seriously as Apple does. At least according to him. Then he details what they are doing to prevent any privacy breaches. It's a compelling description.

Jobs even says that, before accepting apps in the app store, they analyze them so they could detect if they want to steal your contact information data and "suck it up to the cloud." This is precisely what Path did. If that's true, they obviously failed to detect it in this case. He also assures the audience that they detected some malicious apps like these and rejected them. That's one of the advantages of the curated Apple store, he claims. One that, as the Path case has demonstrated, is either not true or not as effective as it should be.

Here is the transcript of the video above, what he replied when Mossberg asked if privacy looks that different in Silicon Valley than in the rest of America:

0:53 No, Silicon Valley is not monolithic. We always have had a different view on privacy that some of our colleagues in the Valley. We take privacy extremely seriously.

1:22 As an example we worry a lot about location in phones. And we worry that some 14-year-old is gonna get stalked and something terrible is gonna happen because our phone... so, as an example, before any app can get location data, we don't make it a rule that they have to put up a panel and ask because they may not follow that rule. They call our location services and we put up the panel saying "this app wants to use your location data, is that ok with you?" Every time they want to use it.

And we do a lot of things like that to insure that people understand what this apps are doing.

2:02 That's one of the reasons we have the curated app store. We have rejected at lot of apps that wanna take a lot of your personal data and suck it up into the cloud.

So... a lot of people in the Valley think that we are really old fashioned?

[...]

Privacy means people know what they are signing up for. In plain English. And repeteadly. That's what it means.

I'm an optimist. I believe people are smart and some people want to share more people than other people do. Ask them. Ask them every time. Make them tell you to stop asking if they get tired of you asking. Let them know precisely what you are going to do with their data.

That's what we think.

Basically, Steve Jobs thinks that anyone who doesn't follow this privacy model—like Path now or Google and Facebook during 2010—sucks.

He must be turning in his grave now, learning he left this world without taking care of the address book in the iPhone—making sure that it worked exactly the same as it does in the GPS service, with an alert controlled by the operating system and the users. Never the developers.

Because it seems that some developers, as demonstrated by Path, don't give a rat's ass about Jobs' idea of what privacy and sharing data should be. And perhaps some people at Apple don't give a rat's ass either. Otherwise I can't understand why this has happened.

What is clear now is that Apple should have made the access to your contacts information as restricted as to the user's geolocation data. After this, I bet they will. Soon. [Noted via Dave Winer]

Prepaid Cards are Safe Again as Google Plugs One of Wallet's Security Holes [Security]

Andrew Tarantola — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 01:40:00 EST

Google Wallet's no-hacking-required hack from last week has reportedly been resolved. Now the only person you can blame for being broke is yourself.

According to Google, the company has closed the security hole that could have potentially allowed thieves to access the balance on your existing prepaid Wallet card by resetting the app and generating a new PIN. Per the official Wallet blog,

Yesterday afternoon, we restored the ability to issue new prepaid cards to the Wallet. In addition, we issued a fix that prevents an existing prepaid card from being re-provisioned to another user. While we're not aware of any abuse of prepaid cards or the Wallet PIN resulting from these recent reports, we took this step as a precaution to ensure the security of our Wallet customers. If you are unable to access your previous prepaid card balance for any reason, please contact our toll-free support for assistance.

There's still no word on a fix for the other recently-discovered exploit, though that one seems a slightly less imminent threat given that it requires physical possession of your phone, a fair amount of hacking knowledge, and a few days of free time. [Google Commerce]

How Realistic Would a Robot Have to Be for You to Have Sex with It? [Just Me?]

Andrew Tarantola — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:40:24 EST

Implements for human-robot relations already run the gamut from abstract Fleshlights to fully-articulated, Uncanny Valley-straddling love dolls. But is more realism always better?

That is, if properly equipped, would an android from U.S. Robotics still be as attractive as, say, a Fembot? Then, what about a Hookerbot from Futurama? It's a slippery slope, to be sure, but essentially when does hanky-panky with an electronic being turn into humping a VCR? Let us know what you think in the comments!

Image: Svedka

Casablanca: The Best Love Movie Ever—And Possibly the Best Movie, Period [Movie Night]

Jesus Diaz — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:43:00 EST

Every year I watch Casablanca and Singin' In the Rain. I need them. They make me happy. Singin' In the Rain is just silly, lighthearted and flawlessly directed, sometimes visually surreal and abstract, always a joy. Casablanca has it all and, on top of that, it's the perfect lovers movie.

It's also the perfect heroic movie. And the perfect drama. And the perfect noir film. And the perfect—the perfect everyfuckingthing, really.

From the razor sharp clockwork dialogue to the plot to the direction to the acting. Oh, the acting. Every single actor and actress is perfect in this movie: the brief appearance of the always spooky Peter Lorre as Ugarte, the greediness of Sydney Greenstreet as Signor Ferrari, the cynicism of Claude Rains as Captain Renault, the stellar Dooley Wilson as Sam. Paul Henreid's portrayal of resistance hero Victor Laszlo. And all the small characters in the supporting cast.

And of course Bogart and Bergman, Rick and Ilsa. Never in the history of cinema was a love story so perfect and so confusing at the same time. Was Ilsa playing a game or did she truly love Rick? Was her love for Victor more powerful than her love for Rick? Or did she do what she did for the cause of the war against the Nazis? I like to think the latter is the truth, that she did it for the fight and that she truly loved Rick more than anything.

But to this day, no matter how many times I watch it, I don't really know. I'm not sure. Which is what makes the story so incredibly powerful. And also what makes Rick's gesture the epitome of the anti-hero that does the right thing. And hell be damned. Fuck it. I want to be Rick when I grow up.

If you haven't watched this movie, there is no excuse not to. It's not cliché. It's pure and brilliant movie making. It's as current today as it was when it was introduced. It's just the perfect movie, one that will push all your buttons and, at least, leave you in awe at the talent that is displayed during every second of its reels.

After watching it countless of times, it still gives me the same goosebumps and even more. Heck, I always tear up during the scene of La Marseillaise and start singing it at home—and I don't even like La Marseillaise!

It's just that good.

Oh, and they kill a Nazi. Always a plus. [Amazon and iTunes]

Twitter Saves Your Address Book's Contents for 18 Months [Privacy]

Andrew Tarantola — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:40:00 EST

Twitter, did you learn nothing from Path's recent kerfuffle? Customers do not like it when you remotely store their personal information, especially without telling them.

The company has acknowledged that it collects and stores contact information gleaned from a user's address book—including names, emails, and phone numbers—through its mobile apps. Every time you activate the "Find My Friends" feature, the app will apparently transmit the entirety of your address book to Twitter's servers where the data is maintained for 18 months. This affects both iOS and Android users.

Twitter's current privacy policy only seems to refer to this activity in that some portions of "log data" can be stored for that duration, though the policy only explicitly refers to transmitting your, "IP address, browser type, the referring domain, pages visited, your mobile carrier, device and application IDs, and search terms." Maybe your address book counts as a search term?

Twitter has issued a statement through its spokeswoman, Carolyn Penner. "We want to be clear and transparent in our communications with users," Penner wrote in an email to the LA Times. "Along those lines, in our next app updates, which are coming soon, we are updating the language associated with Find Friends — to be more explicit. In place of 'Scan your contacts,' we will use "Upload your contacts" and "Import your contacts" (in Twitter for iPhone and Twitter for Android, respectively)." However, unlike Path, which pushed an immediate app update and deleted the offending data from its servers, Twitter has yet to set a release date for the next software roll-out. [LA Times via Electronista]

This Inuit Delicacy Is the Turducken from Hell [Video]

Andrew Tarantola — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:40:48 EST

This is Kiviak, a traditional winter foodstuff consumed by Greenlandic Inuits. It may look like a seal's carcass stuffed with whole, fermented birds because, well, it is. Trust me, this is one dish you'll want to eat outside.

Kiviak is relatively simply to make. First, collect approximately 400 Auks. Then, stuff them—beaks, feathers, feet, and all—into the hollowed-out body cavity of a seal, Tauntaun-style. Next, press out as much air as possible from the carcass and seal it with seal grease to prevent spoilage. Finally cover the meat bag with a large rock pile for approximately 3-18 months. During this time, the Auks ferment within the seal until they can be eaten—raw. Thanks to a layer of fat within the seal sack, the Auks soften while they ferment allowing every part of the bird—save feathers—to be consumed.

Food shortages are common during the long, dark winter months in Greenland. During this time, hunting becomes a very risky proposition due to unsafe ice conditions and the general lack of light. This dish, as repugnant as it may seem to those unaccustomed to it, actually provides an essential food source when fresher fare is unavailable. [Oddity Central via Neatorama]

Image: Inga Sørensen

Freestyle Riding on a Vintage Ladies Bike Is Bonkers [Video]

Mario Aguilar — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:00:00 EST

If you've ever tried to do so much as ~~ride~~ amble down the street on an old steel-frame bike, you know they're unwieldy. It's unbelievable what this rider is able to do on one.

You have to admire BMX rider Mickael Dupont's tenacity. The old bike he's riding sounds like it might fall apart at any moment. Every time he lands, the bike crunches like a sack of bones hitting concrete. In fact, right at the beginning of the video, the bike's frame buckles from the impact of a landing—Dupont actually has to solder on a support rod so he can keep at it. The stunts in this video would be impressive even if they were performed on a modern frame. That Dupont lands backflips on this old, heavy cruiser is just crazy. [The Awesomer]

Cell Tower Disguised as Palm Tree Sliced Through a Car's Windshield [Wtf]

Kyle Wagner — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:20:00 EST

A giant metal palm tree branch crashed through an El Paso, Texas man's windshield, splashing glass in his face and coming inches from impaling him in the head. Why was there a giant metal palm frond crashing to earth? It fell from a T-Mobile cell tower dressed up as a tree.

Apparently T-Mobile checks the fronds on the El Paso, Texas towers once a year, every March, but windy season came a little early this year and nearly killed poor Sergio Gonzales. The CTIA told ABC that neither it nor the FCC regulates the towers—it's the job of local governments to keep the cell companies' metal palm tree costumes don't impales their citizens. As it should be, agrees no one. [ABC via Fark]

How a Composer Made Music From Famous Hair Recovered From a Nazi Extermination Camp [Video]

Mario Aguilar — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:40:00 EST

This is the bizarre tale of how a Scottish composer recovered some locks of Beethoven's hair from a garment that survived the holocaust, and then used the hair as the basis for a new work of music. Brilliant? Creepy? Both.

The Daily Mail recounts the story of how Stuart Mitchell wrote "Ludwig's Last Song" based on DNA from Beethoven's hair. It's almost too outlandish to be true.

Ludvig van Beethoven died in 1827, but it seems that his musical legacy wasn't the only thing to survive into the 20th century. A few clippings of his hair were passed on from generation to generation until they ended up in the hands of an unfortunate soul at Auschwitz where the prisoner was forced to hide the hair in his ass, lest the guards discover the artifact and confiscate it. The prisoner survived the camp and so did the hair.

Fast forward to 2009 when Beethoven's hair was sold at auction. With the help of another artist, composer Stuart Mitchell secured a tiny DNA sample from the purchased hair, which he used to make music:

The DNA was passed to Scots composer Stuart Mitchell, who is involved with a technique called "Cymatics," which focuses on the shapes that musical frequencies make when passed through either water or a layer of sand. Mitchell pinpointed the 22 unique amino acids in Beethoven's DNA and assigned to each one a note on a musical stave directly related to the amino acids' resonant frequency. From these frequencies he composed a piece of music for piano and viola based on Beethoven's DNA.

"Ludvig's Last Song" is certainly a moving composition, and the concept behind it is remarkable, even if it's hard to believe. [The Daily Mail]

Image via Georgios Kollidas/Shutterstock.com

Verizon Wants to Recycle Your Old Phones [Wireless]

Andrew Tarantola — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:20:00 EST

Valentine's Day seems an odd time to get environmentally responsible, but Verizon has done just that. The carrier has just announced a new nationwide trade-in disposal program for its old handsets and is giving away gift cards in exchange.

Any Verizon customer can turn in a used mobile at the company's stores or kiosks. There Verizon staff will evaluate the mobile for its make, model, and condition, then issue a Verizon gift card that can be used immediately. What's more, the card's balance can also be used to pay monthly bills, not just new merchandise. According to the carrier, certain phone models can fetch up to $300—though I doubt I'll get that much for my old StarTac. All trade-ins will be disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner, according to the company.

If you are feeling magnanimous, you can also donate the phone's value to Verizon's ongoing HopeLine project. This program redistributes used cellphones and unclaimed minutes to victims of domestic violence.

I'm curios as to how the valuation prices from Verizon stack up against those of online trade-in sites like Gazelle or Flipswap especially since it does have the advantage of immediate payouts rather than making you wait 2-4 weeks for a posted check. [VZW via IntoMobile]

If Blackberry Playbook OS2 Drops Next Week and No One's Around to Update, Will It Make a Sound? [Rumors]

Andrew Tarantola — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:15:59 EST

RIM's Playbook tablet hasn't exactly been a blockbuster success (or even much of a "success") since its initial launch last year—due in part to a clunky UI and lack of basic features. However, according to a report by N4BB, the vastly improved Playbook OS 2 could start rolling out next week.

The new operating system will reportedly include native e-mail, calendar and contacts programs as well as the ability to run ported Android apps. They'll be available through the RIM app portal. BBM, however, will likely not be a native option with OS 2 but can still be accessed through Bridge. The update is expected to be released February 21st if N4BB's sources are accurate. [N4BB via Electronista]

Rocket Science Explained For Non-Rocket Scientists [Video]

Andrew Liszewski — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST

Minute Physics has a knack for explaining complicated scientific ideas and principles in a way that the average YouTube viewer can comprehend. Even when they tackle rocket science, a term synonymous with complicated physics, math, and equations.

Now you're probably not going to walk away from this video ready to apply to NASA, but if you've ever wondered how rocket scientists calculate how much thrust and fuel is needed to get an object into orbit, this will be five and a half minutes well spent. [YouTube]

Battleground Lightning Review: Political Science/Fiction [Video]

Brian Barrett — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:25:40 EST

First Netflix debuted its so-so Norwegian comedy-drama Lilyhammer. Today brings us Hulu's original series response: Battleground, a well-timed political 'dramedy' (ugh) that takes us behind the scenes of a fictional Wisconsin Senate campaign. It's very almost good!

What Is It?

An original, scripted series from Hulu that follows the plucky campaign staff of an underdog Wisconsin Senate candidate. A new episode debuts each Tuesday, each with a run time of just over 20 minutes. It's shot in faux documentary style, if you love/hate that sort of thing.

Who's It For?

People who aren't so maxed out on the actual campaign drama of the next several months that they can't abide another 20 minutes a week of fake campaign drama with a patina of forced humor. Also fans of that one guy who's in all those commercials. He stars.

Premise

Chris "Tak" Davis struggles to balance managing an underdog campaign, a burgeoning love triangle within said campaign, and an indefensibly twee nickname.

Watching It

The first episode of the series is already up on Hulu; you can watch from your computer now or on one of your Hulu Plus devices if you're a subscriber. The show moves along briskly, and the bones of the plot are engaging; what's less so are the occasionally forced jokes (the nerdy kid says/does way too nerdy things, the doofus guy says/does way too doofus things. It sounds like a minor point, but having cartoons mixed in with the verite stylings of the rest of the cast and the overall tone of the show is jarring.

The Best Part

In between bouts of forced dialog and buffoonery is a plot that, two episodes in, keeps you hooked enough that you may well become a regular.

Tragic Flaw

Battleground is like watching two shows at once that don't play nice to each other. Hopefully, as the storyline gets more serious—and all indications are that it will—the series will, too, about itself.

Should You Watch It?

Yes, you should. Especially if it manages to find surer tonal footing, Battleground will be a tidy counterpoint to watching the real-life pols duke it out until November.

Battleground

• Hulu
• Episodes: 2 (and counting)
• Starring: Jay Hayden, Teri Reeves
• Price: Free online, $8 for Hulu Plus
• Giz Rank: 3 stars

Minimo: The Double Exposure Camera Gone Digital [Desired]

Mario Aguilar — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:00:00 EST

Amongst all the classic techniques we've lost thanks to digital photography, you're probably noticed the vanishing of double exposure photography the least. But a new camera, the Minimo, is a 3.2 megapixel, double exposure shooter that will help bring it back. And you won't burn so much money on film this time.

Elegantly stitching together two digital photos in Photoshop is easy enough, but actually nailing a double exposure on film is both expensive and incredibly difficult. The Minimo is a happy compromise between the two worlds. The best part about double exposure photos is the element of surprise. You never know what you're going to get, and sometimes the resulting picture is more beautiful for its flaws—more beautiful than what you would have shot intentionally.

The Minimox Double Exposure Digi cam is smaller than the palm of your hand and weights just 1.1 oz, making it tiny enough to port around everywhere you go. The camera isn't a high-resolution beast, but its limitations are well-suited to vintage style snapshots with high color saturation. The sensitivity is permanently set at ISO 100 and the camera automatically sets the shutter speed from 1/8 to 1/5000 of a second. An added bonus, the 640 x 480 video in case your nostalgic photo excursions warrant a little impromptu movie-making as well. The camera is available now for $130. [Photojojo]

David Bowie: Heroes [Video]

Jesus Diaz — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:40:00 EST

So, Valentine's Day. Personally, I don't give a damn. Every day should be your Valentine's Day or else you aren't truly living. This comes from a guy who has been married three times and truly fell in love at least twice.

But if you must have a song for your Valentine's, you can't go wrong with the best love song ever ever EVER: Heroes.

Composed by David Bowie and Brian Eno in 1977, Heroes is the history of two secret lovers in Berlin. It's based on an intense love affair between Tony Visconti—co-producer of the album—and backing vocalist Antonia Maaß. The history of how lovers can be heroes just for one day, whether they stay together or not. No matter what happens, if their love is true, it will be alive forever and ever, even if they are separated by the Wall of Shame and bullets are flying over their heads.

If you are lucky, you will experience the joy of that feeling at least once in your life. Maybe two. Or who knows, maybe seven, Liz Taylor. It doesn't matter. If you ever get lucky, enjoy that person without fear, embrace her or him for as long as it last. No barriers, no fears, no qualms. If it ends, it's ok. That's life. Just keep it in your memory even if it hurts at first. And never dispair—others will come.

This exhilarating version of Heroes is from his Reality Tour, which went from 2003 to 2004. It was cancelled after Bowie was diagnosed with a circulation problem that required an angioplasty. Sadly, it was also Bowie's last tour.

Also, when I die, please someone play this song as six semi-naked Swedish valkyries put my dead body in a drakkar, set it on fire and push it into the sea. [Spotify]

Let Schrödinger's Cat Decide If You Should Order Sushi Or Thai [Video]

Andrew Liszewski — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:20:00 EST

Any decision in life, whether ordering take-out or taking over a corporation, should be left to the randomness of the universe. Like flipping a coin, or even better, a 1935 thought experiment on quantum mechanics by an Austrian physicist.

Explaining the science behind the Schrödinger's Cat experiment would require several thick tomes, so here's a gross summation of the idea behind it. You stick a cat in a box with a bottle of poison that will be released if a radioactive element releases a subatomic particle. But since there's no way to observe what's going on in the box, and some particles are believed to only exist when actually observed, there's the possibility that the cat can be both alive and dead at the same time. Confusing, I know, but the idea works well for a novelty desk toy.

As long as you can't see the cat, it can exist in the bizarre dual states of life and death. But when you slide open the door and take a look, it randomly snaps into one of the two states. And in this case, a living cat means yes, while a dead feline obviously means no.

To illustrate the science behind the box, when you first open the door an image of the cat briefly flashes back and forth between alive and dead. But quickly the cat's state will solidify into one or the other, giving you your answer. And it's available now from ThinkGeek for $30, or, given the randomness of the universe, maybe it isn't? [ThinkGeek via 7Gadgets]

Cupple for iPhone: A Social Network for Lovey Dovey Couples [IPhone Apps]

Casey Chan — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST

Cupple is a social network for couples. Wait, let me specify. It's not like a social network made up with just couples, but rather an app that allows couples to privately share pictures, messages and locations with each other. Like a digital file of your relationship's communication.

What does it do?

Cupple connects two people, presumably in a relationship, and lets them share stuff with each other. Cupple bills itself as a "private sharing app" which isn't untrue; you can share pictures with each other, tag your locations and send messages back and forth. It's like an app for just you two. Like if you two were the only person on this network. Like you're the only two people in this world. OH ISN'T THAT JUST SPECIAL. It sorta feels like that actually. See a new lamp you want for the home? Send a message. Want to show your wife you're at work late and not partying? Send your location. See, you care about your relationship because you're connected.

Why do we like it?

Wait a minute... isn't Cupple just like text messaging your girlfriend or boyfriend? Hm. Good point. It kind of is! But the good thing about Cupple is that it elegantly culls all those messages together into one long chain of picture sharing and location sharing and message sharing. It's nice to have everything in one place you know? And also, it's a little bit more convenient to like, sext and stuff. So there's that. It's like sharing stuff without the voyeurs lurking around.

Cupple

Download this app for:

Cupple, Free

The Best

All in one place

The Worst

Limited

Happy Valentine's Day, Tech Bloggers [Media]

Mat Honan — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:40:00 EST

There's been so much hate and self-righteous indignation in tech blog circles lately. Name calling. Ugly accusations. Petty bickering. It's even divided good friends, brother against brother. Can't we all just get along?

I want to start with you, Nick Bilton, because it was your post that kicked all this off. Here's the thing: You were right! Path fucked up, badly. And Silicon Valley is far too chummy. Reporters should be more critical, and less prone to roll over for an apology. We're the ones who showed the belly. Also? Glad to have you in Frisco. (And BTW people here love it when you call it Frisco.)

And MG Siegler, your counterpoint was also valid. At least, part of it was, buried somewhere in the thousands of words you threw at it. You're right about tech blogging having too much of a push to publish, publish, publish. The rush to spew half-ass content out hurts everyone. But you know, I do trust Bilton's reporting. He's got bona fides that guys like you and I may never have. You were off-base in your attack on him. Here's what you and Arrington need to understand: everything you say is suspect. You're running a fund now and, fairly or not, that means people will perceive you as biased. Deal with it. Wear that, like your delightful little glasses in which you are quite handsome.

Dan Lyons? You made fun of me when you were pretending to be Steve Jobs. But whatever, I have a sense of humor about that. (Of course, you got your facts wrong. I was there for six months, and it was Wired that I was writing for.) And, quite frankly, when people call you out for being a crank, they've had a point more often than not in recent years. But your description of the problems created when journalists have financial stakes in the companies and industries they cover was solid. More to the point, as everyone—even MG—has pointed out, when you put your heart into your writing it's a joy to read. Thanks, man. Let's make out. Seriously. I want to make out with you.

Kara Swisher! Goodness gracious. You bring old-school reporting chops to (kinda) new media and it's fantastic. And especially I love it when you are cranky on Twitter. We met in person once, and you were way past rude to me. Way. Past. But you also linked my CES post, and despite your beefs with @blam and Gizmodo, I think you're aces. Let's be friends. I know you already got mo' scoops than Ben & Jerry's on free cone day, but let's hang and I'll buy you some ice cream. There is nothing like a waffle cone to cement a new friendship.

I love you, too, Gabe Rivera. Especially because MG told me he'd make sure you put this post on the top of Techmeme. This is, after all, a shameless inside baseball post.

Beschizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzza!!!!!!!!

And Sarah Lacy? I've been a fan of yours for years and years. Look, you're going to have all kinds of conflict-of-interest accusations lobbed at you because of all that VC money you took at PandoDaily. But that just means you'll have to work harder to show you're fair. I know you can do that. Hell, you seem to live to work hard. You've already had some great stories. Please do more. Also, your kid is pretty darn cute.

And then there's Josh Topolsky. Topolsky is out there, every day, proving people wrong who say that nobody can wear a suit as well as Pete Cashmore. And look, man, I may also owe you an apology. I know you didn't really put an iPad 2 in your ass. That wasn't nice of me. I was just hurt because you never invited me to your trailer at CES. Next year?

And while we're talking Verge writers. Laura June? You are fantastically funny. I know you are an editor, but you should write more. I suspect you may be spending too much time on Twitter talking to matt buchanan about hot chocolate.

Oh man. And don't even get me started about Alexis Madrigal. Sure, you've made The Atlantic a tech destination, and I love making magazines with you. But that mustache you are kicking now? Those waxed ends? I want to build a house on one end and commute to my office on the other. Would that be okay with you? I do not care. I am doing it.

Oh, and, Matt Yglesias, I know you aren't really a tech blogger, and look, I know you called me a "Bay Area burrito snob." But it's all good, broseph. And for real. My offer still stands. Let's do this thing.

Engadget! Is there anyone still there? I bet you guys are great. I'll check in again soon.

Farhad Manjoo: I cannot believe it took us so long to meet in person. Congratulations on the book deal. You deserve it! I do not even have anything backhanded to say to you. You go, girl.

And what can I say about good old Walt Mossberg that hasn't already been said?

Oh, man. And then there's John Gruber. Gruber and Gizmodo have a long, and often contentious history. You can be a total dick, John Gruber. Total. Dick. And of course everyone just assumes you are a secret Apple employee at this point. But that's also kind of why I love you. You can be a jerk, sure, but you're infuriatingly so often right. Plus you're funny on Twitter, and you link my shit on occasions. I enjoyed meeting your lovely wife at Macworld this year. She's much more charming than you are. Happy Valentine's Day to you both.

I have not forgotten about you, people of Wired. There are too many of you to call out by name, because quite honestly I am afraid I would miss somebody and offend him or her. But I miss working with y'all. You do great work. Please invite me over for Start Lounge. I will totally be there and will even bring liquor.

Jenna Wortham! Jenny Deluxe! Jenna-mother-fucking-Wortham! If the management at the New York Times had any damn sense, they'd give you Pogue's column.

Update: Megan McCarthy. Thank you for the DM on Twitter! How could I have forgotten about you in the original version of this story that went live ten minutes ago? You are right! BetaBeat is doing awesome stuff, and yes I did forget it because it was new. Although, in fairness, older than the Verge. I think. But yes. Holla!

How have I made it this far without mentioning the blogfather? ~~Anil Dash~~. I mean, Nick Denton. Nick, I love it when you write. I know it's rare these days, but you've got a great voice and remarkable editorial vision. (If terrible taste in music.) I really wish you'd start writing again regularly. And I don't just say that because you pay me. Well. Maybe I do. You'll never know!

In short, I love all y'all.

And that's not just the bright sunny day, or the ecstasy I took this afternoon talking. We are living in a new golden age of journalism, even if we don't realize it yet. One where individuals and little startups are capable of building up just as many readers and credibility as the most storied names in journalism. It's a meritocracy now.

And while we're often all lumped together as tech bloggers, we do different things, and come at them from different angles. Some of us are trying to get scoops, others are trying to do deeper reporting, or explain how things work, or evaluate products, or tell literary stories that try to contextualize the culture. We want to inform, serve, and even entertain. We're aided and handcuffed by the mind-blowing speed at which we have to not only write, but publish. We're making up history as we go, getting facts right and wrong, being vindictive and wonderful, and trying really, really hard to explain this weird new hyper-connected world we that all stomp across. And at the end of the day we're all just humans. And I love you, all of you, who make the Web what it is.

Except you, Mike Arrington. I don't love you. You're a boil on the ass of the industry.

Oh, what the fuck. You too. Even you. Especially you, Mike. TechCrunch has had some great stories over the years, and you've managed to do a lot of great things there, despite yourself. After today maybe I'll go back to loathing you. But for now?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Find Your Perfect Valentine's Day Fleshlight [Nsfw]

Casey Chan — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST

You either have a date for Valentine's Day or you don't. Whatever. Doesn't really matter, because who's going to take better care of you than you? If you're going home alone tonight, give yourself company with a Fleshlight for every situation. NSFW, pretty obviously.

You're Taking Things Slow But Valentine's Day Went Well: Fleshlight Ice (Mouth)
Dinner was great! She loved those friendly flowers with a hint of red you gave her. There was a little awkward moment when your hands grazed each other as you reached for the bread but that's normal right? Plus, when you took her home, she told you she had a great time and to call her this weekend. Even if it the night didn't end in her arms, that's still a win in my book. You could really like this girl! You should reward yourself with a Fleshlight Ice (Mouth Edition). You don't want it all, you just want it wet.

You Need Quick Relief Right Now Because Your Date Went Horribly Wrong: Sex in a Can
You asked her what she wanted, didn't you?! You had the decency to give her options. IHOP or Waffle House. Pancakes or Waffles. Rooty Tooty Fresh and Fruity or All Star Combos. Dessert with a coupon or breakfast as dessert, whatever. She wanted flowers? You got her flowers from your mom's backyard! She wanted chocolate? Who thinks Kit Kats aren't delicious? She doesn't know what she's missing. And now you're sad. And alone. And need to calm down asap. Pop open a tall boy in one hand, a Sex in a Can in the other and start multitasking.

You're Going Beyond Your Wildest Dreams Because Your Valentine Was Inspired By Hallmark's Holiday: We Vibe II
*Look in the mirror. Deep breath. Woooo* Is this real life? You used to believe Valentine's Day was a ploy created by florists and card companies to boost their sales. But things went amazingly well at dinner and you're starting to think you won't end up forever alone after all. Just follow the Valentine's Day plan and your partner will be a little freakier than usual. You're so vibing together with the We Vibe II.

You're a Little Sad You Didn't Have a Valentine: Jenna Haze Fleshlight
You tried to snag a Valentine's Date from the Internet. You posted your picture everywhere. Yet you still can't seem to find a date. It's not that you're a big sap and dying for a relationship, it's just that Valentine's Day seems so happy when you're with somebody. Goddammit. Why couldn't you be more free-wheeling and less worrisome? Why do you care so much? You need comfort, you need a real person's fake vagina, you need Jenna Haze.

You're Freaking Ecstatic You Didn't Have a Valentine: Fleshlight Motion
Black Tuesday Bro. Single parties! Impressionable people waiting to make wrong decisions! Let's go to the gym before we go out! LET'S TALK IN ALL CAPS. WOO. VDAY IS FOR SUCKAZ. Let's stop. Okay, you probably think Valentine's Day is the biggest joke in the world and claim that your future partner won't expect all those things from you on a manufactured day because you will treat them right every day (in reality: you'll never buy flowers ever). You're so cool. You're so damn cool you probably have sex furniture already. Have at it, then.

You Have No Idea Today Is Valentine's Day: Alien Fleshlight
Keep on, keeping on young fella. The world just doesn't get you yet.

The Great Nerf Guns of 2012 [Video]

Sam Biddle — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:40:00 EST

Will we ever feel too old to love Nerf guns? No, I doubt it. What about Super Soakers? Oh hush, of course not. Shooting things with toy guns is an intrinsic human joy. Here's what you'll be firing this year.

The Dart Tag system gets an upgraded electric automatic pistol, and you'll be able to slap a giant (heavy!) ammo drum into your Super Soaker for precious extra minutes of spraying and screaming.

The familiar old Nerf guns? Now they'll fire glow in the dark bullets, charged by a built-in LED. Want to toss the ol' ball around in the dark? Firevision equipment glows when you look at it—and works much better in person than you can tell from this video. Just hope your LED glasses lock on to an incoming football before it hits you in the face one night.

And then, yes, there's the Nerf bicycle—training wheels optional, man. Remember when riding your small bike around the neighborhood was an innocent, smiling affair for kids? Just take that and strap a pistol to the front. Who's innocent now? This was somewhat cool and somewhat disturbing, but maybe I would have enjoyed the notion of rolling gangs of armed children more if I weren't too big to get the bike to move. Look for all of this non-lethal gear to drop in the coming months.

Motorola Droid 4 Review: Do You Love Keyboards? [Video]

Brent Rose — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST

The original Motorola Droid was the first Android phone worth getting (sorry G1, we loved you, but it was). A little over two years and three reincarnations later, that familiar—or is it tired?—form-factor is back. Has the Droid 4 evolved enough to keep up with today's superphones?

Why It Matters

Because it's a Droid. Not a Droid Charge or Droid RAZR, but just a straight up Droid. The original Droid basically single-handedly pulled Motorola Mobility out of its tailspin. It was a flagship. Its pullout keyboard was flat and pretty lousy, but the whole thing felt like military hardware. And it was, like, cool. But that was November 2009. 2010 saw the Droid 2, which had a slight bump in specs, but was pretty forgettable. 2011 saw the Droid 3, which was bigger and had a better keyboard, but it failed to inspire people to actually want one. The Droid 4 is Motorola's answer to 2012.

Using It

The Droid 4 is the anti-Galaxy Nexus or Razr—a heavy, thick brick. At 12.7 millimeters thick, it's only slightly thinner than the three-years-ago Droid, and with a 4-inch screen it's longer and wider, too.

However, keyboard-lovers will immediately forgive it for being a little big-boned when they slide out the 5-row qwerty keyboard. The keys are off-set, well-defined, and they have just the perfect amount of click. The dedicated number row is really nice, too. The Droid must have gotten sick of all the big chin jokes, because it's been chopped off and the screen is now totally flush with the slide out keyboard. No more Droid Leno jokes.

The D4 is running Android 2.3.6 (Gingerbread), with a promised upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich. It has Motorola's unnamed custom skin on top, which isn't as bad as other 3rd-party skins, but it isn't pretty and it hinders more than it helps. Moto definitely has business users squarely in its sights, with deep Citrix integration and enhanced security of enterprise users. Oh yeah, and the whole thing is splash resistant, so it'll probably survive if (read: when) you accidentally drop it in the toilet for a sec.

Surprise, the battery on this thing is a champ! I hadn't killed it once through normal usage over the first few days, so one day I set out to abuse the hell out of it. 4G LTE on the whole time, 20 minutes of streamed video from Netflix, 80 minutes of streamed tunes from Google Music, about an hour of intensive gaming, a few phone calls, plus the usual constant pushing and checking of emails, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. I finally drove it down to 5-percent battery... after 13 friggin' hours. Very impressive. It won't go as long as the Droid RAZR MAXX with it 3300mAh battery, but it definitely comes in second. The camera is pretty good for still pictures, and it has an excellent macro mode, but reds bleed a lot, and it has some trouble with bright colors blending together. (click the photo below for full-res test photos and video)

They keyboard took some adjusting to, because it's just a little bit off center and some of the keys are larger than you'd expect. After a couple days, though, I'll go ahead and call this the best keyboard you can find on any Android device. The keys have a satisfying snap and require just the right amount of pressure. The backlighting is really attractive and it makes everything extremely easy to see. I got consistently excellent reception, in fact, it seemed to lock onto towers and GPS faster than any phone I've used. The 4G LTE speeds were what you'd expect from Verizon, ranging between 12 to 21 Mbps down and 3 to 6 Mbps up. Call quality was excellent, and the phone's earpiece was super loud. The external speaker is one of the loudest/clearest on any device I've used.

No Like

Ugh, the screen. Why, Moto, why!? While it is a slight incremental improvement over the screen on the Droid 3, that really doesn't say much. It just can't come anywhere near the 720p screen on the Galaxy Nexus or any of the other high-end phones this year. Colors are washed out, graphics aren't crisp, and it doesn't produce enough light to be readable in bright daylight. It's simply way behind the curve for 2012.

The phone's 1.2GHz dual-core processor should make the phone fast, but here's the thing, it doesn't feel fast. That's largely due to the "animations" in Moto's 3rd party skin, and it doesn't launch things very quickly either. Installing a 3rd party home replacement like Launcher Pro will go help salve that pain, but you shouldn't have to do that. Hopefully Moto will go much closer to stock Android when it upgrades to Ice Cream Sandwich. Within apps, the phone is plenty fast, and it streamed 1080p video over its mini HDMI-out without a problem.

If you enable a lock screen (which you really should) you have to go through TWO lock-screens to get to the desktop: the one for security you just enabled and the typical swipe to the side to unlock. It's inconvenient and baffling. Also, Motorola isn't really pushing the envelope in camera quality like you see in high-end Samsung, HTC, and Apple devices. Low-light is pretty terrible, and video is just okay. Lastly, there is no NFC chip in this phone, which means you will be left out of the mobile payments revolution, should it actually materialize this year.

Should I Buy It?

If you really want a keyboard, then yes, the keyboard is great. If you really want strong battery life, then yes, this will almost certainly get you through the day. A good, reliable work-horse? Absolutely. If you primarily use your phone for work, then it's maybe hard to do better. However, if you want a device with a beautiful, eye-popping screen that's right at the cutting-edge in terms of performance and features, then no. This is a very good phone, but it feels just a bit behind the curve.

Motorola Droid 4 Specs
OS: Android 2.3.6
Carrier: Verizon
Screen: 4-inch 540 x 960 pixels
Processor and RAM: 1.2 GHz dual-core TI OMAP processor / 1GB RAM
Storage: 16GB internal + up to 32GB microSD
Camera: Back: 8MP/1080p HD, Front: 1.3MP
Weight: 6.3 ounces
Battery: 1785 mAh
Price: $200 w/ contract
Giz Rank: 3.5 Stars

32 Photos of People Frozen in Time [Shooting Challenge]

Mark Wilson — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST

The world is always spinning. But what if we could stop, just for a moment, and let it all wash over us? These 32 long exposure photographs from this week's Shooting Challenge consider the possibilities.

WINNER - Ferris Halo

Amanda Reed waits in line to ride a ferris wheel at the Arizona Centennial festival in Downtown Tucson on Friday, February 10, 2012, marking 100 years of Arizona statehood.

I used a Canon 7d on a tripod, with a canon EF-S10 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM lens at focal length 15mm, 800 ISO, at 2.5 sec, f/25. I shot this with a wide angle lens at a low angle in order to capture the ferris wheel and a good portion of Amanda's profile in the same shot. I did encounter lens flares that bled into Amanda's profile, so I corrected those in processing.
- David Olsen

Mohawk in Philly

I'm still new to having a DSLR, so having a chance to really have fun with the exposure settings was a real treat! Well, almost. I wound up not being able to shoot this until Sunday due to a snowstorm. I wanted to capture just how busy Philly is, so I stood directly in the middle of Broad Street. For about 30 Minutes, I braved near 20 degree temperatures without most protection, and it wasn't until the end I got the shot I wanted. At one point someone started eying up my camera, which had to be the most hazardous part of shooting this, frostbit be damned. Canon EOS Rebel T2i Canon Zoom Lens EF-S 18-55mm (Kit Lens), ISO-100, 6-Second Exposure
- Larry West

Fishing

I originally didn't think I was going to be able to participate in this week's contest, but I decided to make an impromptu trip to the Lincoln Park Zoo here in Chicago (on the namesake's birthday, no less). I was there to mostly use a couple film cameras, but came across this tank of fish in the Africa exhibit and thought of this week's contest. Putting the DSLR on a small pocket-sized tripod set on the floor, I took a handful of test shots to get the right amount of movement with the fish, I went and stood in front of this wall of fish, and then I used the wireless remote on a 2 second delay. So yeah, a little bit of a self-portrait here. Canon T2i, EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS kit lens, f/5.2, 2 sec. exposure, -2/3 exposure bias.
- Rob Lennox

Before the Accident

For this weeks shooting challenge I wanted to create all the hustle and bustle I could with movement. After some train shots, some street corner shots, and some long waits with no avail. I decided to run out into the middle of the road with the subject and hope that neither of us got hit by a car. The following is the result of that action. Also, it's cold in Chicago. Shot on a canon 60d 18-135mm Lens. f/4.5, 1/6th iso:320, raw. I did some cropping and color adjustment in Lightroom.
- Tyler Bedgood

Times to Kiss

Shot in Times Square, New York. It was the only way to make them "stand out" amidst a sea of tourists. The only instruction given to the couple: "hold a kiss for 3 seconds.". They happily obliged. Canon 5D Mark II. 17mm-40mm 4.0L. Shot at f/10.0, 2.0 seconds, 100 ISO up close with a tripod.
- RJ Carrillo

The Puppets Are Real

My inspiration for this shot came from working in stop-motion animation. And the fun (but creepy?) idea that the puppets are real little people in there, just standing still while we move them around. I tried to show the chaos of animating with my hands all over these guys. They were great sports, while I sat in the dark retaking and tweaking this setup! I used my Nikon D3000 and a remote. And I believe at this point I had the shutter open for 15 seconds.
- Emily Thompson

Left Out

I had a hard time with this challenge. We went to several places and I found that I do not have a steady hand to try and hand hold the shot during a long exposure. Therefore, I wanted to use a tripod, unfortunately, the locations that we went to did not allow them. Then I saw the ice skating rink and thought that since it was outside, I could use it. It was very cold out and this was the last location of the day to try and get the shot. This is the one I came up with, luckily, moments before being told to take down my tripod. Shot with Nikon D3100.
ISO 200, Exposure .5 sec at f/25
- Katrina Giusti

Seat Post Screw

I've been waiting to do this shot for a long time, so now i finally found the motivation to do it, i was thinking in wasn't going to be possible without a gorilla pod or some custom made camera holder to attach to the bike, but when i inspected my bike i saw the screw that holds the seat post was very similar to the camera screw, so i just had to buy a screw that was precisely for the camera, some nuts and bolts to hold the camera still, and it was ready.

I tried the shot right away but only after 1 second exposure it looked all white, i waited until past the afternoon and it started raining, i waited but it didn't stop, it was just minutes until the last natural light disappeared into the all yellowish color of street lighting, so as ridiculous as i might look i had to take an umbrella to protect the camera and ride my bike with my umbrella and remote shutter in one hand, wile going down the street trying different exposure times with the shutter, the camera got a little wet, you can even see some drips on the lens, but in the end i liked this shot, its not the best of them all technically speaking (i got more steady and better focused shots), but this is the one that i find visually superior, it feels more dynamic, looks more adventurous with all the rain, and has a better mood with those colors. Canon 20D, Generic shutter, 15 secs exposure, ISO 100, Camera mounted on Seat post screw.
- Laikmosh

Headphone Party

It's a great surprise that you picked this topic. I really like the technique, it's quite rare and fascinating. And I really like this photo. It was a spontaneous idea at a very unusual event, so this is my best here. It's hard to believe that I'll do any better again if it try and plan this kind of shot.

The story anyway - once a year Israeli Museum in Jerusalem hosts a very unusual event. It involves all kind of unusual artists, performers and so on and completely takes away the usual (boring if you ask me...) cold and static museum environment transforming it into a weird and cool party. Yes, night party at a history museum.

They've hosted a headphone party. Pictured here is my friend Ron, who has a unique ability to instantly dive into the party and start dancing like crazy (with no substances involved). So, aside from technical stuff and camera settings, there was the challenge to keep him still for 13 seconds. Nikon D90 / 18-105 kit lens, ISO 320 (manual), F/4, Gorillapod, Photo straight from the camera, no PS adjustments.
- Yuri Polyakov

Yellow Skate Refusal

Shot on the ice skating rink near Millennium Park, Chicago. Shot with my 5D MII & 16-35mm f2.8 II combo. Aperture: F4 Exposure Time: 1/3Sec ISO: 50 Focal Length: 35mm
- Kumaran Alagesan

Wow, what a great set of entries this week. Thank-you everyone for getting behind a totally made-up idea based on simple technique. The results were just as fun as I'd hoped. The full galleries below, the big shots are on flickr.

Mark Wilson is the founder of Philanthroper, a way to give $1 to a good cause every day.

Tim Cook: Apple Does More than Any Company To Improve Labor Conditions [Apple]

Brian Barrett — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:51:35 EST

Tim Cook led off his appearance at a Goldman Sachs conference today with a stirring defense of his company's efforts to curb unsafe and unfair labor conditions in its supply chain. According to Cook, Apple's not just good at keeping its suppliers in line; it's the best. But is "better" good enough?

Cook's comments came during a long rundown of the efforts Apple has made along these lines; educating workers, ensuring safe conditions, deterring underage labor. He's pretty proud of the company's record:

I would tell you that no one in our industry is doing more to improve working conditions than Apple. We are constantly audition facilities, going deep into the supply chain, looking for problems, finding problems, and fixing problems. And we report everything, because we believe that transparency is so very important in this area.

And to be honest, that's very probably true, especially now that the company's going to be making monthly labor reports public. But it's not necessarily true because Apple's the most altruistic OEM in the land. It does, though, have the highest profile, and Foxconn—one of its most prominent suppliers—has had a seemingly disproportionate number of recent tragedies.

"We know that people have a very high expectation of Apple," said Cook. "We have an even higher expectation of ourselves." And that's basically the question: Does Apple lead because it took a step forward or because it was pushed into the limelight? And can it effect change not only for its own workers, but inspire other companies to follow suit?

We'll see. We'll hope.

Everything You Need to Fake a Valentine's Day Present [Video]

Andrew Liszewski — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:30:00 EST

Well, you've done it again. It's late in the afternoon on February 14th and you don't have anything to give your loved one when you get home. Not even a measly box of chocolates.

But don't stress. If you can slip away from the office a little early, we've got several brilliant last-minute ideas for faking the perfect gift from stuff you've probably already got at home. You're welcome.

Realistic Duct Tape Roses

The perfect way to say "I forgot about Valentine's Day but still love you" to someone who's handy around the house, these faux roses will probably look just as fetching if all you have access to is traditional silver duct tape.

In fact, everyone gives a dozen red roses. Very few people give them in silver. So your partner should appreciate these even more considering how truly unique a gift they are. Even if it meant you were locked up inside your work room for a couple of hours after you got home from work. Free

Hack Your Fridge's Ice Machine To Dispense Candy

This is truly hacking at its finest. And you don't need to be a mechanical engineer to pull it off. All you need is a fridge with an automatic ice maker and dispenser, some stiff card stock or foam board, a few minutes of cutting and trimming, and some strong tape.

You'll basically be creating a custom hopper to hold a few bags of candy to be fed into the dispenser. It doesn't even require any re-wiring. Once it's installed and filled with candy, everytime you press the ice cube dispenser you'll instead be rewarded with sentimental hearts, Hershey's Kisses, and M&M's. $20 (for candy)

The Legend of Zelda Pop-Up Heart Card

If your significant other happens to be a big gamer, and has been for many years, there's a good chance they're a fan on Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda. And even if they've only battled their way through one adventure, they know how important a healthy stash of hearts can be.

So download this PDF, print off a copy, and go to town with a hobby knife. I guarantee they'll be overjoyed with the sentiment, even if the card's caption is a misquote. But who cares? Hearts are far more romantic than swords anyways. Free

Magic Transforming Origami Paper Rose

You might want to watch through this instructional video a few times before starting, and a word of caution: this project certainly isn't for the origami faint of heart. But all you'll need is some appropriately colored paper and a few minutes of folding to create what starts out as a paper box, but magically turns into a beautiful rose.

Your valentine is guaranteed to love it since it was crafted with your bare hands. Otherwise they'll look like an unappreciative jerk. And unlike a real rose, this one won't die after a few days when they forget to water it. Free

Valentine's Cards Courtesy Of the U.S. Patent Office

If you're turning to Gizmodo for advice on last minute Valentine's Day gifts, there's a good chance you're electronically and/or mechanically inclined. Or at the least, very geeky. Which is why I'm sure you'll enjoy this series of cards created from actual wacky patents on file at the U.S. Patent Office.

They were collected and prepped by Steve Hoefer so all you need to do is download the PDF, print off a copy on some fairly presentable paper, and sign your name. It also saves you from having to scour the shelves at your nearest Hallmark which have no doubt been picked bare by this point. Free

Custom Lego Valentines

Lego now makes it easy for anyone to design and create their own boxed kit—unfortunately there's no way it's going to arrive before February 15th rolls around. But who doesn't already have Lego lying around the house? Whether from your own childhood or bought for your kids.

Lego even sells its own Valentine's Day themed models, but with a keen eye you can easily just rebuild them from the pieces you have available. In fact, if you have kids, there's a good chance they're even better builders than you are, and you can easily rope them into helping with promises of extended bed times tonight. Even if it's a downright lie. Free (if you have kids or ever were a kid)

Bacon Roses

Think the whole bacon fad is played out? You're completely wrong. Bacon will never get old. It's nature's perfect food, and it turns out it also serves as the ideal replacement for fresh cut flowers. It looks better than roses, it smells better than roses, and obviously it tastes better too.

As long as you can find a muffin pan, or some way to roll the bacon slices while they get crispy in the oven, you can easily create what will certainly be the most appreciated bouquet you could ever give someone. Also, why stop at Valentine's day? These also make for the perfect wedding bouquet, and a beautiful centerpiece once Thanksgiving rolls around again. $5

Photo: Shutterstock/TonyB.

Update: How (Not) to Find a Last-Minute Valentine Using Social Media [Valentine's Day]

Kyle Wagner — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:20:00 EST

I seem to have struck out. After 2+ hours, my quest to find a last-minute Valentine using social media has come up dry. There's reason for you to be hopeful on your own search, though.

For one, it's not exactly romantic to include terms and conditions of your proposition. And for another, I probably could have executed this a little better. Here's how things went down:

The Best: Facebook

One of the more serious offers I got came from a friend's older brother offering up his fiancé's sister. Which was kind of confusing, but he seemed pretty excited about it. I got a few similar offered hookups on Facebook, and honestly, that sort of makes sense. At least for me, Facebook has the most people that I actually know, and might offer to set me up with someone.

The Most Horrifying: Craigslist

Again, obvious. Makes sense. But good god, I can't believe for a second that a person can find anything but casual (and equally horrifying) sex on craigslist. At least as a guy making a post. I received a few replies from reply-bots advertising escort services, and one very graphic proposition, with embedded pictures.

hopin to hav some fun. rly like your pix. do u no red hoko?! wanna accom* at my house

Our research shows that "accom" basically means "have sex at my house," which we didn't know.

The Worst: Twitter

Don't look for dates on Twitter, unless you're a professional athlete. It's terrible! I got a bunch of replies and retweets, but no one actually taking the exercise seriously. OK, it probably didn't help that my account is infested with horrible trolls posting not-super-helpful things, but still. The very format makes actually interacting on a serious level impossible. What's tremendous for digesting a headline or breaking bits of news is not so great for asking someone to engage with you on a human level.

Radio Silence: Google+, OkCupid

Well this was my first public post on Google+, and I've only posted one or two things to it since I got into the beta, so it turning up dry isn't much of a surprise. In OkCupid's case, this wasn't incredibly fair. I set up a totally new profile, and only answered a few dozen questions and filled in the essays. The service just isn't set up to attract people on a specific day, and immediately. I probably (maybe?) would have had better luck if I'd reached out and messaged people.

Lessons Learned

Don't wait until Valentine's Day afternoon to try to get a date. But if you have to, and you work up the guts to ask people who you (sort of) know for help, just be sincere. Finding a date online is a lot like finding one in real life: You stand a much better chance of finding one if you don't just sit on your ass and wait for someone to approach you. Send someone a message on OkCupid. Or reply to a craigslist ad that doesn't appear to be a prostitute (even though it's probably a prostitute). Always include a picture. Basically, don't half-ass it.

Do These Alleged BlackBerry 10 OS Images Mean Widgets Are Coming? [BlackBerry]

Adrian Covert — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:10:42 EST

Crackberry came into some supposed BlackBerry 10 OS screenshots from a tipster, which, among other things, shows off a new widget-centric UI.

The shots apparently come from a packet put together by an ad agency working for RIM, and plenty of the Playbook's QNX underpinnings can be found in the photos. The widgets themselves look like a something between WP7's live tiles, and webOS's cards. But what's reassuring about these is that, if real, show a very up-to-date looking UI for BlackBerry 10, that at least appears to be on par with what Microsoft, Google and Apple are doing. Check out the rest over at [CrackBerry]

The 50% Off Criterion Sale Is Your Cinephile Deal of the Day [Dealzmodo]

Chris Beidelman — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST

In 1877, after many millennia of spirited debate, the gods finally settled on the fate for the way cinema would evolve and unfold over the course of human history. They would hide the choicest gems in a visual sea of garbage, and leave us mere mortals to fend for ourselves. But then towards the end of the 20th century, it was determined that all this would change. A collective of disciples forming under an umbrella known as the Criterion Collection would form from the ether and gather all the finest films from the past 120 years for all to lay eyes on. By the year 2012, it was foretold that they would gather over 600 of these films before the Apocalypse came and wiped us all out. And now, all of these films (or the ones which are in print, at least), are 50 percent off at the Criterion store. Blu-ray and DVD! I'm talking Royal Tenenbaums, Seven Samurai, Solaris, Gojira! Watch em all! While you still can, at least. -AC

Top Deals

• Abbott & Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection [DVD] for $68 with free shipping (normally $120 {Savings of $52 / 43% off})

• Free Quiznos Cookie on Valentines Day (no purchase required) for $0

• Criterion Valentine Sale - 50% off everything (use coupon code SWAK)

= Free

= Refurbished

= Rebate

Computing and Peripherals:

Gaming:

• Armored Core V (Xbox 360, PS3) for $48 with free shipping (normally $57 {Savings of $9 / 16% off} - use coupon code EMCNHJF95)

• Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater 3D (Nintendo 3DS) + $10 Amazon Credit for $40 with free shipping (normally $50 {Savings of $10 / 20% off})

• Catherine (PS3) for $30 with free shipping (normally $47 {Savings of $17 / 36% off})

Home Entertainment:

• 65" Samsung UN65D8000 1080P 240HZ 3D SmartTV LED HDTV for $3340 with free shipping (normally $5400 {Savings of $2060 / 38% off})

• 60" Panasonic VIERA TC-P60GT30 1080p 600Hz 3D Plasma HDTV for $1700 with free shipping (normally $2800 {Savings of $1100 / 39% off})

• 40" Sharp LC40LE835U 1080p 240Hz AQUOS 3D LED TV for $900 with free shipping (normally $1100 {Savings of $200 / 18% off})

• 37" Dynex DX-37L200A12 720p 60Hz LCD HDTV for $250 (normally $400 {Savings of $150 / 38% off})

• 26" Haier LE26B13200 LED HDTV for $230 plus $11 shipping (normally $260 {Savings of $30 / 12% off} - use coupon code MSR55006)

• Pioneer VSX-1121-K Home Theater Receiver for $450 with free shipping (normally $499 {Savings of $49 / 10% off} - use coupon code EMCNHJF73)

• LG LHB306 Network 3D Blu-ray Home Theater System for $140 with free shipping (normally $184 {Savings of $44 / 24% off})

• LG LBH306 Network Blu-ray Disc Home Theater System for $140 with free shipping (normally $199.99 {Savings of $60 / 30% off})

• Abbott & Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection [DVD] for $68 with free shipping (normally $120 {Savings of $52 / 43% off})

• Logitech Speaker System Z323 with Subwoofer for $40 with free shipping (normally $56 {Savings of $16 / 29% off})

• HBO John Adams [Blu-ray] for $25 with free shipping (normally $80 {Savings of $55 / 69% off})

• Kick-Ass (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) for $8 (normally $12 {Savings of $4 / 33% off})

• The Lincoln Lawyer (Blu-ray) for $8 with free shipping (normally $12 {Savings of $4 / 33% off})

Personal Portables and Peripherals:

• 5" TomTom GO 2535TM Bluetooth GPS Navigator with Lifetime Traffic & Maps and Voice Recognition for $175 (normally $232 {Savings of $57 / 25% off})

• 14.1MP Nikon Coolipix S80 Digital Camera for $110 with free shipping (normally $150 {Savings of $40 / 27% off})

• Canon PowerShot A3000 IS 10MP 4X Digital Camera (REFURBISHED) for $49 with free shipping (normally $99 {Savings of $50 / 51% off})

• Samsung HM3700 Bluetooth Wireless Headset for $20 with free shipping (normally $25 {Savings of $5 / 20% off})

• Criterion Valentine Sale - 50% off everything (use coupon code SWAK)

Miscellaneous:

• LEGO Star Wars General Grievous Starfighter for $37 with free shipping (normally $50 {Savings of $13 / 26% off})

Hobomodo:

• Free Quiznos Cookie on Valentines Day (no purchase required) for $0

• Ben & Jerry's Americone Dream Ice Cream on Valentine's Day for $0

If a deal looks too good to be true, investigate the store and see if it's a good, reputable place to buy. Safe shopping! [Thanks TechDealDigger, Dealzon, FatWallet, Brand-Name-Coupons, Logic Buy, GamerHotline, Cheap College Gamers, CheapStingyBargains, TechBargains, Slickdeals.]

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Dealzmodo is a gift from Gizmodo to you. We search the web for the best savings and deals on computers, TVs, games, etc. and deliver them to you in a daily list. Think of it as a modern day coupon book for technology and gadgets.

Some Company Is Selling Pure Magic At Toy Fair [We Love Toys]

Andrew Liszewski — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:40:00 EST

You might think you can explain where Colombia-based Aracataca got these giant pens, pencils, crayons, and markers that are somehow miraculously passing through solid objects. But you can't. Because it's magic. Pure, unadulterated, magic.

Oh, you think they're just made from wood and magnets and painted to look like larger versions of the real thing? Sounds like someone's trying to explain away something they don't understand. Come on, it's obviously magic at work here, or at the least, voodoo. That's why there's no pricing or availability info for those of us who don't have the gift. [Aracataca via Chip Chick]

Even Fox Anchor Shepard Smith Hates AT&T's Data Plans [Video]

Michael Hession — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:40:00 EST

What's eating Fox News' Shep Smith these days? Apparently, it's AT&T's new policy regarding customers with high data usage. Shep got a friendly text from AT&T informing him that he might find his 3G speed a bit throttled unless he switches over to a tiered data plan. Smith has been known to go off script every now and then to give the world a piece of his mind. I can't say I disagree with his chosen target this time. Give 'em hell, Shep! [BuzzFeed]

The Insanely Deep Layers of Ice Covering Lake Vostok, Visualized [Science]

Jamie Condliffe — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:20:00 EST

Earlier this month, a team of Russian scientists finally drilled down into Lake Vostok. Everyone was incredibly excited but, how deep can a lake really be, right? Um, it turns out very, very deep, and this visualization lends some perspective.

What I particularly like is the inclusion of the dates in this image published in Nature (see below). It only took two years to drill down 2,500 meters. Comparatively, the final 100 meters took almost four years to complete (though, admittedly, the drill did get stuck).

It's pretty mind-blowing seeing it drawn out to scale: that is one hell of a deep lake. At those depths, when they finally drilled through, the pressure was enough to see quite a surge of water. From the Nature article:

"When the drill broke through to the lake, water surged roughly 30–40 metres up the borehole, forcing 1.5 cubic metres of drilling fluid out of the top of the hole."

In fact, it's well worth reading the Nature write-up — it's fascinating stuff. [Nature]

Unbelievable New Camera Technology Erases People in the Background of Your Pictures [Video]

Casey Chan — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST

We've all been there. You're setting up a shot that perfectly frames your friend against the background but as you snap your picture the people in the background start moving around and mess it all up. The picture is ruined, your friend looks like a bobbing ocean buoy amongst a sea of people and you hate everyone. Scalado thinks it's come up with a new camera technology that can fix that all too common situation, it's called Remove.

With Scalado's Remove, you take a picture without worrying about who or what is in the background. Once the picture is snapped, you can scrub the unwanted objects away from the picture's background to give every picture a clean and pristine backdrop. Like if you were the only person there at that time. That sounds amazing! Think about it, you no longer have to wait and wait and wait until a spot clears up, you can just snap the photo with Remove and then erase all the jerks in the background right from your camera (or smart phone). So simple.

Of course, mind blowing technology like this doesn't always work as well as you want it to so we'll have to wait until Scalado shows off Remove at MWC to see how it works in real life. The technology behind Remove makes sense though, when you take a picture, the app captures several images in a row and then creates a composite photo of the missing background, zapping unwanted objects away. Currently, the technology seems to be more of an OEM play than a future app in the App Store but I'm sure every camera company would love to have the Remove feature in their toolbag. If it really works. [Scalado via Engadget]

Bitcoin Suffers Another Setback [Bitcoin]

Adrian Covert — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:44:02 EST

Thanks to the exit of e-wallet service Paxum, and a $100,000 fraud incident, trading has been suspended at TradeHill, a Bitcoin exchange site that mostly played second-fiddle to the more prominent Mt. Gox.

In a blog post, the Chile-based company outlines their reasons for halting trading and returning funds to customers, basically saying that in addition to the other factors, regulation has made the price of transaction licensing too costly. As for the fraud:

Everyone at TradeHill has also been working without pay for several months after one of our payment processors removed over $100,000 dollars from our account without notice. We decided to cover this loss for now instead of passing it on to our customers and are taking legal action against the processor.

Bitcoin, of course, was being championed around the internet last year as the future of currency; one that wasn't tied to any nation, or government, or corporation, or physical object. After trading at a price over 30 USD, security issues began to pop up, highlighted by the hacking of Mt. Gox, which led the site to freeze all trading and roll back the timeline of events. The price of Bitcoin eventual fell to a much lower price, which severely stifled the amusing little experiement.

TradeHill says it's not completely down for the count, and promise to relaunch with Bitcoin.com, but forgive me if I remain a bit skeptical of that ever happening. [TradeHill via BetaBeat via The Verge]

A Sensitive Pillow That Detects Your Misery and Comforts You [Video]

Mario Aguilar — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:40:00 EST

The thing that sucks about sadness is that, sorry, no one is ever going to be there for you. Except this pillow. It's not a person, but it's smart like one, and it bursts into song when you need it most.

The Sleepy Weepy Pillow NEEDS to exist because sad people are really depressing, and depressing people are usually lonely. Something needs to stop the downward spiral. The Sleepy Weepy Pillow is outfitted with a moisture sensor that detects your tears, and triggers a built-in speaker to play music or a comforting message. I'm assuming the Sleepy Weepy Pillow isn't recommended for folks who drool in their sleep or have over-active sweat glands.

If you want a Sleepy Weepy Pillow, head over to Instructables and follow the step-by-step instructions to construct one of your own. The process requires a few tools, but it's pretty straightforward if you're comfortable with a soldering iron. And who knows, maybe the simple act of getting off your bed to build something will jump-start your spirits. By the time you're done, you might not need a comforting pillow anymore. [Instructables]

The World's Smallest Chameleon Fits on a Fingertip [Science]

Jamie Condliffe — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:20:00 EST

Chameleons are famous for changing color in order to blend in with their surroundings. This little guy doesn't really need to, though; at just an inch long he's the smallest chameleon in the world.

Discovered on a small islet just off Madagascar, this tiny reptile is one of a new species called Brookesia micra, reports the Daily Mail. It's thought to be one of the smallest reptiles on the planet — and is definitely the smallest chameleon.

Ted Townsend, of San Diego State University, who is genetically testing the little critter, told the Daily Mail: "Their size suggests that chameleons might have evolved in Madagascar from small and inconspicuous ancestors, quite unlike the larger and more colorful chameleons most familiar to us today." Regardless of how it got here, I could look at it all day. [Daily Mail; Image: Animal Press/Barcroft Media]

Feds Want to Warrantlessly Track Phones Bought with Fake Names [Privacy]

Mat Honan — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:11:35 EST

If the DOJ gets its way, it won't need a warrant to monitor people who buy cell phones and other electronic services using a fake name, according to a story in today's Wall Street Journal.

The DOJ is arguing that because a California man used a fake name when he bought a broadband card, service and a computer (and rented his apartment) he's not entitled to protection under the fourth amendment.

The government used a device called a Stingray to locate the broadband card being used by Daniel David Rigmaiden. The Stingray mimics a cell phone tower, and pings the target device. It measures the signal strength, and then moves to another location and measures it again. It uses that data to triangulate the phone's position. They are increasingly being used by law enforcement.

The FBI didn't get a warrant when it used a Stingray to locate Rigmaiden's location. At his apartment complex, it found he had used a fake ID on his rental application. It used that to get a search warrant, where it found the broadband card.

The government's argument is that it didn't need a warrant to locate Rigmaiden because he gave up his fourth ammendment rights and had no reasonable expectation of privacy when he used a fake name to rent and purchase his broadband card, service and computer.

It's in the courts, but if the DOJ wins this one, it could mean that even if you use a fake name to buy something in a non-fraudulent matter—say a burner phone—it can track you down, and perhaps even listen in. Beware, Stringer Bell. [Wall Street Journal]

Raw Beef Bouquet: How to Land a Meat-Lover Lover [Valentine's Day]

Brent Rose — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:00:00 EST

A box of chocolates? Yeah, that might be fine for omnivores, but what about that special carnivorous someone? How's about a dozen beef sirloin roses from this British butcher? Nothing says "Let's get carnal!" like a bouquet of carnage. [Hungree via Design You Trust]

The Coolest Action Figures You Can't Buy Yet [Video]

Sam Biddle — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:40:00 EST

Toy Fair is full of lame jigsaw puzzles, toy horses, and other antique things nobody cares about anymore. But! There's also plenty of unreleased Star Wars, Spider Man, and other stuff that makes us feel like excited kids again. Lightsabers!

Of all the figurines and goofy weapons we put our paws on, the new versions of Darth Maul's dual saber were standouts. There's the glass-tubed Force FX model, which should run at least a couple hundred dollars, and a plastic collapsable model that whips open in a highly satisfying manner—and will be a lot safer to clunk people in the arm with.

Look for all of this geeky bounty to drop throughout this year—of course, movie-related toys will surface surrounding the movie's arrival in theaters. The new version of Battleship lets you play as aliens! Aliens. I just don't think I can support that—who will ever want to play as aliens?

The Next-Generation MacBook Pro 2012 [Video]

Jesus Diaz — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:33:00 EST

Have no doubt about this: Apple is revamping their MacBook Pro line in 2012 in a radical way—not merely evolutionary. We know this not because of the usual rumors, but because there is no way this will not happen.

This is what we expect.

A radical but logical change

When Steve Jobs said that the MacBook Air was the future of laptops, he was right. To the disgust of a vocal minority, Apple destroyed lots of ancient technology with the Air. They simplified its guts and squeezed its industrial design to create an amazing machine. The result was a huge success—and the whole industry started their photocopiers once again.

It's only logical that they will take the same steps with their MacBook Pro. It's not only a rational consequence of the Air, it's also extremely convenient for their bottom line and their public image: The new MacBook Pros—and not the beefed-up iPad 3—will be the first real test for the new executive team at Apple.

They need to make a statement. Here's how.

Faster guts

The new MacBook Pro will use Ivy Bridge, the new Intel 22-nanometer architecture with 3D transistors that will provide quite a speed boost over the current MacBooks. Intel estimates that it Ivy Bridge will provide a 20 percent performance boost with comparable Sandy Bridge laptops. Ivy Bridge also provides a 30 percent boost in integrated graphics performance, although these machines will use something stronger to drive graphic intensive applications (more on this later).

No hard drives

Screw the hard drives. It's antiquated technology with a negative impact on battery life. Apple loves SSD and Apple users love SSD. They may not be the cheapest, but it's the fastest, safest and most power efficient storage technology for mobile devices. Moving their entire laptop line to SSD will also give them more buying power, which will help them keep the same price and benefit margins.

SSDs are also key for speed. In fact, for most consumers, it's also one of the key factors to boosting speed perception, even more than the processor and the graphic cards. When everything loads and saves almost instantly, people instantly get it, which is what happened with the Air.

No legacy stuff

The new MacBook Pro 2012 line will get rid of legacy technology. That means no more optical drives, and no more Ethernet port and FireWire. These machines will have nothing but a bunch of Thunderbolt and USB ports, plus the SD memory card reader, just like the MacBook Air. By taking this out, the new machines will save space and simplify the electronics on board.

I can't remember the last time I used my optical drive. All my media and application consumption goes through online services, like Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and iTunes. Apple and thousands of developers have already shifted to 100% digital downloads for software distribution. The optical drive is dead.

And I can't remember the last time I used my Ethernet port. Most consumers are in the same position. And while FireWire is the only point of conflict I may have—since I use it for backups and extra disk space—an adapter will easily an cheaply take care of any legacy equipment. In fact, there's plenty of Thunderbolt adapters at this point, for FireWire, Gigabit Ethernet, and even PC Cards.

Retina-ish display

The machines will have a high definition Retina-ish display. This is part of Apple's ongoing move to HiDPI.

How much? They will not be as dense as the iPhone's 326 pixels per inch—which is as high as your average printed page—but they will be close enough. The current 15-inch MacBook has a 128-pixel-per-inch display (1440 by 900 pixels), while the 17-inch runs at 133 pixels per inch (1920 by 1200 pixels). These relative resolutions are similar to the current MacBook Airs.

The question now is if they would be able to double these resolutions to 2880 by 1800 pixels and 3840 by 2400 pixels. It seems insane and there's no evidence of anyone manufacturing these kind of displays.

But we know that there are graphic cards that can push that kind of power. We also know that, before the iPhone 4 came out, nobody had heard of a 326ppi Retina Display before. Apple had bought all of them and they kept the lid on them until the iPhone 4 was announced.

Perhaps Apple will just increase the resolution to 180 or 200ppi. Given the distance from your eyes to the screen, 200ppi will be enough to achieve close to the effect of a "retina" display in the iPhone, the point in which you can't see pixels. And still, it will be a lot of extra pixels.

Killer graphics

All those extra pixels will require a lot of graphic muscle. Apple uses AMD Radeon graphics in all their MacBooks now, so most probably they will stick with them. AMD is set to introduce their new high end, mobile 28nm process graphics engine in the second quarter of 2012. They will be part of the Radeon HD 7700m family.

If Apple continues with AMD, the top of the line MacBooks will likely use the HD 7770M (their current notebooks us the HD 6670M). Given the boost in resolution, I wouldn't be surprised if the highest end came with 2GB of GDDR5 memory. The current top of the line MacBook has 1GB of GGDR5 RAM. The cheaper option could be the HD 7750M, with 1GB of GGDR5 memory.

If Apple decided to change with Nvidia, it's not clear what would they use. Someone leaked that Samsung's Ivy Bridge laptop would use a Nvidia GeForce GTX 675M with 2GB DDR5, but GTX graphics would probably run too hot to be incorporated into a super-slim product like the MacBook Pro 2012.

Redesigned enclosure

That will be the biggest selling point of these new MacBook Pros. These things will have a super-slim wedge profile. Perhaps even more so than the Macbook Air, given that they will have a largest surface to spread the components. They will also be really light compared to the current machines, all thanks to the saving achieved by getting rid of so much legacy crap. Although maybe they will be less aggressive on the weight shaving and increase the space used by the battery.

Battery capacity

Something that will make everyone extremely happy and will be truly disruptive: some insane battery life. Given the reduction of components and the lack of a hard drive, an increased battery life seems more than reasonable no matter what. If they decide to increase the amount of battery cells, then maybe we could witness a laptop that will run for an entire work day on a single battery charge. Or close enough. If Apple is going radical on these, I would expect a radical battery life.

One more thing: Full surface trackpad

This is something that has been rumored before, but now I believe it may happen: the entire palmrest of the new MacBook 2012 will be a multitouch trackpad. It's obvious that, technologically, Apple can accomplish this. They have patents that cover detection of palm touch vs finger touch vs accidental touch. Even a Wacom Bamboo tablet can distinguish between my fingers and my palm.

But they would not do it just because they can. They would do it mainly for two reasons.

The first, because the full surface would be the cornerstone for the final step in the metamorphosis of Mac OS X. A metamorphosis that started with the success of multitouch and direct interface manipulation on iPhone and iPad.

Lion brought some of those concepts into Mac OS X and, while it isn't the successful merging that I was hoping for, it clearly shows where Apple is headed. The next Mac OS X will only get deeper into multitouch, just like Microsoft is doing with Metro and Windows 8. A full surface trackpad—not a touchscreen—will be the key in this transition for laptops and the desktop (for an idea of how this could work you only need to see the video next to these lines).

But there's perhaps a more important reason for the introduction of such an innovation: the "one more thing" factor. Cook and the new executive team need to show the world that they have what it takes, that they can keep innovating and pulling rabbits out of their hats just like the old boss did. He would have gone something like this:

"But why have just a trackpad? The current trackpad is very good, but too limiting. What about if we could give you the entire palmrest as a trackpad? It's a hard technological challenge, but we found a way to differenciate between your palms and your fingers, so your MacBook doesn't get confused and you can use multitouch with Mac OS X as easy as you can do it in your iPad! So we did it. We are eliminating the little trackpad and giving you a trackpad when you can freely use multitouch. We love it. And we think you will love it too. Let me show it to you."

Showing the world that they can pull something like this will be the perfect "Yes We Can Kick Ass Without Steve" statement from Cook's Apple. Because, even while they have their amazing economic results, they need to demonstrate the world that they can keep "making magic" happen for a long time.

Gizmodo

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What Is It?

Who's It For?

Premise

Watching It

The Best Part

Tragic Flaw

Should You Watch It?

Battleground

Minimo: The Double Exposure Camera Gone Digital [Desired]

David Bowie: Heroes [Video]

Let Schrödinger's Cat Decide If You Should Order Sushi Or Thai [Video]

Cupple for iPhone: A Social Network for Lovey Dovey Couples [IPhone Apps]

Happy Valentine's Day, Tech Bloggers [Media]

Find Your Perfect Valentine's Day Fleshlight [Nsfw]

The Great Nerf Guns of 2012 [Video]

Motorola Droid 4 Review: Do You Love Keyboards? [Video]

32 Photos of People Frozen in Time [Shooting Challenge]

WINNER - Ferris Halo

Mohawk in Philly

Fishing

Before the Accident

Times to Kiss

The Puppets Are Real

Left Out

Seat Post Screw

Headphone Party

Yellow Skate Refusal

Tim Cook: Apple Does More than Any Company To Improve Labor Conditions [Apple]

Everything You Need to Fake a Valentine's Day Present [Video]

Realistic Duct Tape Roses

Hack Your Fridge's Ice Machine To Dispense Candy

The Legend of Zelda Pop-Up Heart Card

Magic Transforming Origami Paper Rose

Valentine's Cards Courtesy Of the U.S. Patent Office

Custom Lego Valentines

Bacon Roses

Update: How (Not) to Find a Last-Minute Valentine Using Social Media [Valentine's Day]

The Best: Facebook

The Most Horrifying: Craigslist

The Worst: Twitter

Radio Silence: Google+, OkCupid

Lessons Learned

Do These Alleged BlackBerry 10 OS Images Mean Widgets Are Coming? [BlackBerry]

The 50% Off Criterion Sale Is Your Cinephile Deal of the Day [Dealzmodo]

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Some Company Is Selling Pure Magic At Toy Fair [We Love Toys]

Even Fox Anchor Shepard Smith Hates AT&T's Data Plans [Video]

The Insanely Deep Layers of Ice Covering Lake Vostok, Visualized [Science]

Unbelievable New Camera Technology Erases People in the Background of Your Pictures [Video]

Bitcoin Suffers Another Setback [Bitcoin]

A Sensitive Pillow That Detects Your Misery and Comforts You [Video]

The World's Smallest Chameleon Fits on a Fingertip [Science]