Entertainment

Sometimes, it pays to straighten your hair

The concept of a hair-straightening vending machine didn't make a whole lot of sense to me off the bat, but perhaps that's because my hair is naturally arrow-straight and I'm always drowning it in goo in ill-fated attempts to give it a little bit of life. But my curly-haired friends assure me that--especially in these humid summer months--hair straighteners installed in the bathrooms of bars and clubs would be a godsend.

And, yes, they'd be willing to pay a bit of cash to use them.

A company called Beautiful Vending is doing just that: manufacturing hair … Read more

A London nightclub's biometric velvet rope

Generally, when we hear about London nightclubs stateside, it's because Prince Harry was spotted dancing on a table in a sarong or because some flashy playboy racked up a ridiculous tab. This time, however, it's a little bit different. The Camden Town boite Koko has introduced a new high-tech system to keep tabs on partygoers who leave the club for smoke breaks. Upon leaving the establishment, their fingerprints are scanned; they're then allowed seven minutes to enjoy their cigs, and then afterward must re-enter by re-scanning. Makes the bouncer's job a whole lot easier, I'm … Read more

USB + OMG = Mr. Tengu

Ah, if only all your pals could display a limited range of emotions, sit silently on your desk, and draw power from a USB port.

Yes, these dreams can come true with Mr. Tengu, the latest USB toy sold by Japan's Solid Alliance.

Mr. Tengu reacts to various noises with light-up facial expressions. Just like normal human beings, Mr. Tengu's facial "emotions" include large block-mouth, narrow block-mouth, oval mouth, and mouth-that-turns-into-a-secondary-face mouth. A full chart of Mr. Tengu's multiple moods can be seen here.

Of course, you may know Solid Alliance as the retailers of … Read more

It's all about makin' paper (iPod speakers and turntables)

Finally. After almost 30 years of waiting, there's a perfect tech solution for breakdancers: a boombox you can break down into a flat cardboard mat and cold bust windmills and headspins on.

The cardboard, AA-battery-powered Mini Boombox for iPod, designed by Suck UK, folds into an iPod speaker system. It can also be used with other MP3 players.

Pricing info is unavailable for the Mini Boombox for iPod. The system is slated for release in September.

We don't expect the speaker system to rival Klipsch's iFi in terms of sound quality or DLO's HomeDock Deluxe in … Read more

HBO's 'The Wire' shines as road trip entertainment

LOS ALAMOS, N.M.--For more than two weeks now, I've been traveling throughout the Southwest on Road Trip 2007, producing stories and photo galleries on the most interesting science- and technology-related subjects I can find.

In that time, I've covered more than 2,700 miles and stayed in an absurd number of motels.

And since I often haven't finished writing and processing photos until 9 or 10 at night, I've definitely needed downtime, and a good way to entertain myself.

That's where HBO's much-heralded series, The Wire, a drama about crime in Baltimore, … Read more

Boost SAT scores by 400 points, says start-up

PALO ALTO, Calif.--Crazy parents, pay attention. You'll probably be forking money over to Jason Ma in the near future.

Ma, CEO and founder of VC firm Congruent Partners, is behind Vanteus, an education center that helps high-achieving students boost their SAT scores. Companies like Kaplan and the Princeton Review concentrate on a wide swath of students, Ma said.

Vanteus' courses and education modules are geared at kids who want to raise their score from 1800 or 2100 closer to the 2400 maximum. (There are now three modules on the SAT, so an 1800 is equivalent to 1200 in … Read more

Illusion cuisine

What's a tablecloth without a table? This thing, apparently.

Through creative use of transparent acrylic, the Essey Illusion Table and Grand Illusion Table fool your eyes into believing that a tablecloth is all you need to keep your meatloaf off the ground.

The table uses solid acrylic "tablecloth" corners to provide the support needed to keep the table on terra firma.

At $225 to about $470 for the tables, depending on the size and style, you may not be in the market to buy one. But if you're an aspiring magician, you should at least bear … Read more

Amtrak wants you to hop on board the party train

Riding on a sleeper train for several thousand miles seems a bit silly sometimes when you can just hop a plane for a couple of hours and get to the same destination in a fraction of the time, especially when it's often cheaper to fly anyway. Amtrak, however, is attempting to counter that image by promoting its train service as the landlubber's equivalent of a luxury cruise--a booze cruise, that is. According to an Associated Press article, the passenger rail service is trying to "gin up new business" (Ha, ha! You slay me, AP!) by offering … Read more

Put the impossible on your desk

If you're famous at work for doing the impossible, it's time to deck out your desk with something fitting.

This limited-edition M.C. Escher Waterfall Sculpture is available on ThinkGeek for an impossible-to-believe price of $59.99. Only 500 of the sculptures exist, so you should act quickly if you want to get in on the fun.

The sculpture, based on the famous M.C. Escher woodcut, is just six inches tall. That puts it squarely in the running for the object with the most ability to blow your mind per square inch.

Alas, the water in the … Read more

You, too, can eat Optimus Prime

Here's one way to transform a special occasion into something even more special. And, quite possibly, get a stomachache in the process.

Nashville's French Confection cake shop created this impressive Optimus Prime cake, using Rice Krispies treats, brownies, and cake to make the edible robot.

The Autobot-themed cake was special-ordered by Morgan Valentine for her husband's 30th birthday party. You're a lucky man, Mr. Valentine.

The bakery's repertoire is pretty impressive. Other nerd-worthy cakes (see below) include The Simpsons, a delicious six-pack of Coke, and Yoda.

[[Via Boing Boing.]]