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night

Night vision without the creepy goggles

Even for the most effective night-vision goggles, there's always been one problem: It's difficult to be discreet while looking like "Buffalo Bill" from Silence of the Lambs.

But there may a more discreet way to carry out surreptitious missions with the "Infrar-Red Personal Night Viewer," which provides nocturnal vision on a 3.5-inch screen built into a handheld device. Better still, as OhGizmo notes, the 500-line-resolution display comes through in black and white, rather than that creepy green glow.

The 404 121: Where a little Wilson goes a long way

The 404 guys are back along with their trusty sidekick "The Artist formerly known as MTI." On this good Monday morning, they wax poetic about "Crappening" movies they saw this weekend along with a little "Hulk Smash!" Apparently, the Wii Fit actually makes you less of a fat-ass. Sony Ericsson makes a N-Gage competitor. Hermione Granger got hot and 6 million dollars in a Chanel makeup deal and finally some Asian guy (not Justin Yu) is into armpit sniffing. Find out why it got him 14 years and 18 slashes in Singaporean prison. EPISODE … Read more

Where Jimmy Fallon will never host
The 404...he's not talented enough

EPISODE 97

Today we talk about the infamous $30 a month Sprint SERO plan, the 3G iPhone, and the new BlackBerry Bold. Also, we gladly watch as Speed Racer crashes at the box office and cry as Jimmy Fallon gets the late night love he doesn't deserve. Plus, we pimp Legends, Myths and Hieroglyphs, a brand new play by one of our favorite guests, Demetrius Wren.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Semiautonomous orbs rock Yuri's Night

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--Corey Fro is chasing a large metal orb across the pavement at the NASA Ames Research Center here. He is desperately trying to make sure that the orb doesn't crush a nearby robot.

The orb in question is being remotely directed by a kid wielding an Xbox-like wireless controller, but it's the kid's first time using the device, and he really doesn't have any idea what he's doing.

And that's why the orb has rolled away and is bearing down rapidly on the unsuspecting and defenseless robot a few yards away. … Read more

NASA Ames' director talks Yuri's Night, Google, and more

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIF.--In April 2006, NASA announced that it was bringing in University of Arizona astronomy professor and former brigadier general Simon "Pete" Worden to be the director of its NASA Ames Research Center here.

Since then, Worden has brought a fresh perspective to the helm of one of NASA's most important research facilities, demonstrated through initiatives such as giving a keynote address to the International Space Development Conference from the virtual world Second Life. (Note: My wife works at Second Life publisher Linden Lab).

But along with administrators at several other NASA facilities, Worden has … Read more

Live, from New York, it's...Mark Zuckerberg?

In a surprise move that has shocked Silicon Valley, young Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg will guest host an upcoming episode of Saturday Night Live, according to multiple sources.

The mild-mannered Zuckerberg, best-known for vanilla-flavored speeches filled with talking points about "the social graph" and "making communication more efficient," will provide the opening monologue as well as appear in a number of sketches on the NBC show's April 5 episode.

Appearing on the sketch comedy show is something Zuckerberg has wanted to do for a long time, a close friend confided to CNET News.com. "… Read more

Killer Download: The dark side of Firefox

We've looked at and reviewed Windows and Firefox themes before at CNET Download.com, but after getting a new computer at home, I figured it was time to revisit new themes. Though a Firefox theme is hardly a must-have Killer Download, I would argue a working (or nonworking) environment in which you feel comfortable makes all your computing more enjoyable. Once I got the new system online, along with my usual security downloads and other useful utilities, I decided a little browser customization was in order.

Most of my regular computing at home including e-mail, writing, and other work-related … Read more

Jakks Pacific brings night vision to kids

When a kid's toy claims to offer "night vision," it usually means some red- or green-colored lights to actually illuminate the darkness. Real night-vision devices, on the other hand, use an electronic imager to let user navigate in total darkness with an infrared light that's completely invisible to the naked eye. They also cost several hundred dollars, and are not for kids.

Jakks Pacific has decided to bridge the gap between light-up toy and half-grand military technology with the EyeClops Night Vision. It's a functional night-vision device that uses an infrared imager and LCD monocle … Read more

A wino's guide to perfect speakers

Finally, there's a use for all the empty wine jugs that have been piling up in the basement.

The Sangria Surround Sound System from Carlo Rossi features jugs that once contained the Iberian nectar, according to Gearfuse, but presumably the speakers could be made from our brands as well. The 4.5-liter jugs are elevated by stands of neon tubes and rings that are sure to add the touch of class required for your next formal affair.

But don't go draining that Thunderbird yet. The specs sheet (PDF) bears this disclaimer: "Warning: Let's just say these … Read more