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Mars needs women, and astronauts need your MP3s.

The European Space Agency (ESA) is holding a contest to send the best astronaut-friendly playlist into space.

ESA will put the winner's playlist onto an iPod, then deliver it via the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), an unmanned ship making its maiden voyage in the fall of 2007. If all goes well, the iPod will reach the astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

(Note to ESA: Don't forget to deliver an iPod charger.)

Unfortunately, you can only participate if you're under 18 and from one of the countries participating in … Read more

It's amazing, the things you can find in hidden, out-of-the-way street markets.

Behold the "PolyStation," a circa-2004 gaming console that sells for about $40. I found it in the main souk in Dubai in a shop owned by a merchant from Iran. (Iranian immigrants own many of the stores there. Without their industriousness, it would probably be impossible to buy anything before 2 p.m.)

The PolyStation comes with a game controller. The merchant also told me it is compatible with games for other versions of the PolyStation and even compatible with games made for game consoles … Read more

What's the difference between an alarm clock and another alarm clock? Nothing. That's right, nothing. They disturb our tranquil slumber with their irate, buzzing ringer that is single-handedly provoking more pre-8am violence than any other product in existence. So what's the remedy? How about attaching something to your alarm clock that you don't want to hurl at the closest wall, such as your iPod? To make waking up all the more enjoyable, why not throw a subwoofer into the mix too?

Logic3 has kindly decided to build an iPod-docking alarm clock that comes complete with 2.… Read more

Now this is what we like--truth in advertising. Or truth in blogging, at least.

Apparently as weary of iPod docks as we are, Uber-Review is spot-on in its assessment of this accessory in saying it does "absolutely nothing." OK, it does let your iPod rest in a little red hammock while it recharges. But that's about it.

Even its German manufacturer seems to acknowledge its limited existence, having given it a suitably superficial name: the "Load Thing." Still, if there's one thing we appreciate as much as honesty, it's a low price. So … Read more

It would be perfectly understandable for Nintendo purists to be appalled by some of the abominations of recent years, but a current auction offers some hope for true loyalists. An old (and rare) Nintendo Entertainment System is up for sale on eBay, a 1980s-vintage in-store kiosk that its owner claims was never available for consumer purchase.

The console comes with 12 cartridge slots and five controller ports, but Technabob notes that the retro monitor is not included in the auction (bummer). And interested aficionados should be prepared for sticker shock: Even without the tube, it was still going for more than $500 … Read more

Sony finally unveiled its big PlayStation 3 surprise at GDC 2007. After its short but intense pre-GDC rumor war with Kotaku, Sony announced Home, the new online service for the PS3.

Underneath the marketing hype that Gamespot and News.com both already covered, Home is essentially a cross between Second Life and Nintendo's Mii avatars. PS3 users will get their own customizable avatars and virtual homes with which they can go online, chat with and host friends, find players for online gaming, buy and show off clothing and decorations, accumulate game trophies, and other social gaming activities. The service … Read more

Who would have thought that the latest design trend for iPod docks would be tubes? And no, we don't mean the Internet(s).

A few months back we wrote of a vacuum tube docking stereo for music players that had been developed in Japan. Now we see that U.K.-based Roth Audio has a similar idea with its "Music Cocoon" system.

The Roth version doesn't have speakers but does sport the same mad-scientist-lab look of the Japanese version and promises superior quality at its price of 400 pounds, or about $768 (which is a bit … Read more

We've had it with monthly subscriptions. It's the reason that we haven't gotten rid of our our old TiVo box, which we purchased with a lifetime subscription in 2001, even though it sometimes seems as if we can store only two or three shows on its tiny hard drive.

And as much as we like the idea of satellite radio, we're too stubborn (cheap) to pay any monthly fees for it. All of which is why we're intrigued by the idea of the "Acoustic Energy Wi-Fi Internet Radio."

Sure, we can tune in … Read more

It's about time that Sony acknowledged reality. Rather than acting as though it's still king of the hill in entertainment hardware, the proprietary-obsessed company has finally broken down and released an iPod docking station (only a few years late, but no one's really counting anymore).

The speaker station even has the official blessing of Apple, according to Electronista, so compatibility with all iPod models should be ensured. There's just one problem--the price. At $250, this has about as much of a chance of succeeding as the Walkman's transition from CDs to MP3s.