25 essential BlackBerry tips and tricks

Tweaks, speedups, shortcuts and extra features for your BlackBerry - and they're all free

By Mary Branscombe
From: http://www.techradar.com/

Get more from your BlackBerry with these handy tips

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You probably bought a BlackBerry for the keyboard and fantastic battery life but there's more to it than that.

You can just pick a BlackBerry up and start using it, because all you need to do is press the Menu key to get the main options on every screen - but the BlackBerry OS hides a huge number of clever tricks and shortcuts that make it faster and simpler to get things done.

There are some tips you won't need often - like pressing Alt, Del and the right-hand Caps key at the same time to reboot instead of just restarting; others you'll use all the time, like pressing the red 'hang up' key to get back to the home screen and clicking the spanner icon on the home screen to open Options. Here are our top 25 Blackberry tips.

1. Use the keyboard less

BlackBerry has always had a QWERTY keyboard and you can type everything out in full - but you can save time with the built-in shortcuts. Press space twice at the end of a sentence to get the full stop and an automatic capital on the next word.

Don't bother with apostrophes in words like I'm and isn't (type im and the BlackBerry will correct it for you); there are other handy abbreviations like 'wel' to get 'we'll' and 'il' to get 'I'll' and you can add your own with Options > AutoText.

AUTOTEXT: Speed up typing by creating your own abbreviations and corrections

2. Quick capitals

You don't need Shift - press and hold a letter key to type the upper case letter.

3. Skip Symbol

If you're typing an email address into a field that expects an email address, don't bother looking for how to type the @; just hit space and BlackBerry with put the @ in for you. Press space when you need the . in the middle of the email address and it will fill that in, too. Do the same for URLs in the browser; pressing space fills in the periods faster than typing them by hand.

4. Fast select

There's a Select command on the menu for choosing what to copy and paste - but you can make a selection just by holding down the Shift key as you scroll the trackball.

5. Keyboard shortcuts

Save on scrolling by using 't' to get to the top of any email message, web page or other long screen and 'b' to get to the bottom. There are specific shortcuts for all the built-in apps like using the Mute button to pause videos or music or skipping to the next or previous track by pressing and holding the volume up and down keys (which also zoom in and out in the camera - although many apps use I and O to zoom); there's a list in the Help tool.

SAVE TIME: Put the keyboard to work with shortcuts in every built-in app

6. Choose dialling or shortcuts

Under Options > Phone Options > General Options you can set Dial From Home Screen to Yes or No; if you set it to Yes you can start typing a name to dial the number on the home screen, if you set it to No you can type the first letter of apps on the home screen to open them (M for Mail, B for browser, C to compose email - and oddly N for Messenger, L for Calendar and U for Calculator).

7. Web columns

Press Z in the web browser to reflow the page into a column the size of the BlackBerry screen so it's easier to read; press Z again to go back to a normal page view you can scroll around.

EASY READING: Switch between seeing the original layout and a version of the page reformatted as one long BlackBerry-sized column

8. Turn on JavaScript

To save memory and make pages load faster, the BlackBerry browser usually has JavaScript turned off by default; use Options > Browser Configuration > Support JavaScript to turn it back on and make more pages load correctly.

9. Which browser?

There are three different browsers on the BlackBerry; a WAP browser for viewing content from your mobile network, the BlackBerry HTML browser (and a hotspot browser that prioritises the Wi-Fi connection). If you have problems accessing or loading Web pages, choose Options > Browser Configuration and set Browser to BlackBerry Browser and make sure Options > General Properties > Default Browser is also set to BlackBerry Browser.

10. Don't get mobile Web sites

You can also try changing Browser Identification from BlackBerry to Firefox or IE to force the full versions of specific pages to load instead of the cut-down mobile versions - but they might be slow or not load fully.

BROWSER SWAP: The BBC web site always loads the mobile version on BlackBerry; if you want to see the full site, have your BlackBerry pretend to run Firefox or IE

11. Fast search

You can search for contacts, messages and inside files and web pages - press S to search in contacts and messages and F to search in other apps.

12. Colour-code messages

If you get both work and personal email on your BlackBerry, you can change the colour of either set of messages. Choose Options > Security Options >Information> Message Outline Colours and either Enterprise Messages or Other Messages.

COLOUR-CODED: Show work and personal messages in different colours

13. Menu multi-tasking

BlackBerry has had multitasking for years but it's subtly done; apps stay running so you can switch back to them (unless you run out of memory when they're closed automatically). To get back to another app, press and hold the Menu button to get the task switcher.

14. Lock with mute

Some BlackBerrys have both a lock and a mute button on the top edge, others - like the original Bold - only have a mute button. You can always lock the screen by scrolling down to the Lock icon but it's faster to just press and hold mute until the screen locks (do the same to unlock it).

15. Real convenience

There are two 'convenience keys' - one on each side of the BlackBerry; you've probably found one of them by knocking it and hearing that irritating 'say a command' message. If you never use voice command, choose Options > Screen/Keyboard to change the buttons to something more useful - starting the camera, opening the music player or launching your favourite app.

QUICK START: Put two apps or commands you use all the time at your fingertips

16. Tweak your trackball

Use Options > Screen/Keyboard and scroll to the bottom of the page to choose the horizontal and vertical sensitivity (how far it moves across the screen when you move it) and whether you hear a click as it rolls.

17. Turn off speakerphone

The slightly confusing way to put a call on speakerphone is to use Menu > Activate Speakerphone; the even more confusing way to turn it off is Menu > Activate Handset - or you can use the $ key to turn it on and off. (And the $ key produces the $ sign in email, use Options > Screen/Keyboard > Currency key to set it to £ instead).

18. Say a command

Voice command does more than voice dialling; if you want to check your signal and battery strength you can wade through the Options menu or you can hit the voice command button and say 'status' or 'check battery' and 'check signal strength'.

19. Say it again

Voice recognition works quite well, but you can train it by reading a list of numbers and words; choose Options > Voice Dialing> Adapt Voice.

VOICE TRAINING: Choose Adapt Voice and your BlackBerry will ask you to read a list of sample names and numbers

20. Hidden Help

The hidden 'Help Me!' screen shows the signal strength, battery level, device PIN, free space, space in use, IMEI, OS version, how long the BlackBerry has been on and some other info that can be useful for troubleshooting. View it by pressing Alt + Caps + H.

MORE INFO: The Help Me! Screen collects key information together

21. Archive, don't uninstall

Only the very latest BlackBerry models have anything like enough memory for all the apps you want. When you run out of space, pick the ones you use least and archive them to your microSD card (this only works with apps from App World). Select the app in the My World sections of App World and choose Menu > Archive; archived apps have a green arrow on their icons and you can click them to reinstall - but you may have to restart to archive or restore an app.

ARCHIVE APPS: You can't run apps from the SD card but you can archive them to save space

22. Save power overnight

BlackBerry is very frugal on battery life and you can make it last even longer by having yours turn itself off overnight and back on in the morning. Choose Options > Auto On/Off; you can have different on and off times for weekdays and weekends.

23. Master Control Program

Use the free third-party tool MCP (http://mcpfx.com) for tweaking your BlackBerry, doing a factory reset in an emergency - or just installing updates more easily than with the sprawling and inefficient BlackBerry Desktop software.

TWEAK BLACKBERRY: Install a new OS or tweak the modules on your BlackBerry with the excellent Master Control Program

24. Install any app

If you want to run an app that doesn't have an installer - including alternative email clients like Astrasync and NotifySync which RIM won't sign for installation - connect your BlackBerry by USB, switch to mass storage mode so it shows up on your PC as a drive and copy the JAR file to the root folder. On your BlackBerry use the Media app to open the folder and select the JAR file to install it.

25. Save money on texts

If you're sending a message to another BlackBerry user, BlackBerry Messenger is free -but you need to know their BlackBerry PIN.The easiest way to get someone in your contact list is to invite them.

Read more: http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/25-essential-blackberry-tips-and-tricks-711231#ixzz0xXQOgWDV

Here kitteh kitteh......Genuine psychopath caught on camera

TheUKLibertarian |

This video is disturbing. Mirrored from: http://www.youtube.com/user/atalbot01 if you can identify this person please let them know. Their original message:

"this footage is taken outside the Sacred Heart School in Coventry... We dont know who this woman is... But he anyone knows, please let of know so we can report her.... Thanks"

These are the kinds of people who run city council meetings. And that's how this relates to libertarianism. BOOM!

[Update: just so you know the cat is fine. It was found 15 hours later apparently unharmed by the ordeal. Here is a picture:

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/0...

Video has gone viral and The Sun newspaper has run a story on their website so it's just a matter of time before this lady is identified, I'm sure]

Pee-wee Goes to Sturgis

Pee-wee Goes to Sturgis from Pee-wee Herman

Pee-wee Herman embarks on a new big adventure at 70th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota. Along the way, he gets a tattoo, meets some new biker friends and hitches a ride with a Renegade.

Samsung Galaxy S Phones Compared: Spec Showdown

• By: Greg Mombert
• From: http://www.digitaltrends.com/
  

We put all four phones from Samsung’s Galaxy S series side-by-side to see which comes out on top when they’re compared spec by spec.

Samsung launched the Galaxy S series of smartphones as four slightly tweaked models across the four major carriers: Vibrant (T-Mobile); Captivate (AT&T); Fascinate (Verizon); Epic 4g (Sprint). While this makes it very confusing for shoppers, it also offers lots of options, if you’re not locked into any one carrier. Looking at the Galaxy S line, but having trouble pinpointing the differences between the phones? We have you covered. Despite the common bloodline, all four models offer distinct features that set them apart from each other. We’ve laid out our impressions and the specifications side by side, so you can see which phone wins out in this Samsung civil war.

Samsung Captivate

If you’re an active social networker and video watcher, the Captivate probably makes a better choice than the iPhone 4, especially if you’re concerned with iPhone’s antenna issues. If you’re more concerned with speedy Web surfing, image and video capture, and video chatting, the iPhone 4 is the only choice. All other things being as equal as they can be (including the $199 price tag), the iPhone 4 is still the AT&T superphone champion, with performance superior in head-to-head comparisons with similar functions on the Captivate. But the margins are narrow enough not to make Captivate an uncomfortable non-Apple choice.

Samsung Epic 4G

Even if you don’t or won’t have 4G service, the Epic is a flexible, light, fun and easy-to-use superphone. The Epic might be a value match for the EVO, thanks to its super-bright super AMOLED screen, slide-out keyboard and pre-installed 16GB microSD card, and even taking into account its minor operational annoyances and comparative specification failings in camera MP and hotspot connectivity. But given you can buy a 16GB microsSD card for around $25, the Epic isn’t worth an extra $50 unless you absolutely need a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. So far, the Epic is one of the best phones on the market today.

Samsung Vibrant

T-Mobile’s best all-around Android phone has been the Motorola Cliq XT. It has the same 5-megapixel camera as the Vibrant, only with a flash. But it’s slower for surfing and loading apps than the Vibrant, it has just a HVGA video recorder, a smaller QWERTY, less memory, and a screen nearly an inch smaller. But it’s also $70 less than the Vibrant. If you can afford it (and don’t take many indoor pictures), the Vibrant is definitely worth the extra dough.

The Samsung Fascinate is set to be released in early fall, check back for impressions.

Spec comparison

	Samsung Captivate	Samsung Epic 4G	Samsung Fascinate	Samsung Vibrant
Carrier	AT&T	Sprint	Verizon	T-Mobile
Price (with 2 year contract)	$199.99	$249.99	TBA	$199.99
Display Size	4-inch AMOLED Display	4-inch AMOLED Display	4-inch AMOLED Display	4-inch AMOLED Display
Display Resolution	480 x 800	480×800	480 x 800	480 x 800
Processor	1 GHz Samsung Hummingbird Application Processor	1 GHz Samsung Hummingbird Application Processor	1 GHz Samsung Hummingbird Application Processor	1 GHz Samsung Hummingbird Application Processor
Operating System	Android 2.1	Android 2.1	Android 2.1	Android 2.1
Keyboard	Virtual	QWERTY	Virtual	Virtual
Camera	5 megapixels	5 megapixels	5 megapixels	5 megapixels
Included Storage	16 GB	16 GB	16 GB	16 GB
Expandable (Max) Storage	32 GB	32 GB	32 GB	32 GB
Battery (Talk Time)	350 minutes	360 minutes	TBA	390 minutes
Battery (Standby)	340 hours	216 hours	TBA	450 hours
Weight	128 grams	155 grams	TBA	117 grams
Height	106.2 mm	124.4 mm	TBA	122.4 mm
Width	63.5 mm	63.5 mm	TBA	64.5 mm
Depth	9.9 mm	15.2 mm	TBA	9.9 mm

America's Most Beautiful Coastal Views

From: http://www.travelandleisure.com/

Sean Gwizdak

Shi Shi Beach, Olympic National Park, WA

When most people conjure the Pacific Northwest, specific images spring to mind—and Shi Shi (pronounced “shai shai”) Beach has it all: sea stacks towering above the ocean, Sitka spruce forests, and soaring herons. It’s 2.5 miles along remote, driftwood-strewn sands from the beach’s entrance to the iconic Point of Arches, a chain of enormous arched, piled, and pointed rocks—but we promise it’s well worth the walk.

Insider Tip: The muddy, three-mile trail from the parking lot to the beach crosses gorgeously forested Makah Indian Reservation lands. Before heading out, pick up a Makah recreational permit ($10; valid for one year), some picnic-ready snacks, and galoshes at Washburn’s General Store, located in town.

Click here fore the full article and GALLERY: http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/americas-most-beautiful-coastal-views/1

Seshroulette: Chatroulette for Pot Smokers

by Brian Ries
from http://www.thedailybeast.com/

Getty Images

Video-chat for Stoners

Parents beware! A new video-chat service bills itself as a safe place for users of medical marijuana to meet online and smoke (legally). Brian Ries gives it a try (legally) and finds out what’s really going on.

"Where da weed attt," my partner asked, staring out at me on webcam from an anonymous bedroom somewhere in the world.

She looked young, 18, maybe, and was drinking from a can of Yoo-hoo. Weedless, I took a sip of wine, hoping she would assume I was “cool,” and began typing.

Amanda, it would turn out, was from Austin, Texas. This was her second night videochatting on Seshroulette.com—a new site for marijuana users to smoke together on camera, randomly.

If the authorities do decide to come knocking, the site doesn’t make it terribly easy for them to follow the smoke.

Amanda’s older brother had introduced her to Seshroulette the night before and they had spent hours getting high with strangers. She had met some “funky people,” some teenagers, and decided it was different than smoking with real-life friends but that “that's what makes it more fun.”

It works like Chatroulette—the original randomized video-chatting service that made waves on the Internet earlier this year—except here users are paired with strangers to have face-to-face smoke sessions.

The site was created three months ago by Dan "Chill," 20, a Web developer and onetime Loyola Marymount University student from Playa Del Rey, California, who legally uses medical marijuana to cure the pain of morning intestinal cramps. He doesn’t get high, he says, just "pleasantly painless.”

The similarities to Chatroulette aren’t unintended. As that site grew in popularity, Dan saw an opportunity to create a place where smokers could meet and smoke in a safe environment—one free of the voyeurs and masturbators that plagued Chatroulette in its early iterations.

According to site rules, all users must be 18 or older and users may smoke only legally issued medicinal marijuana. Also, there are no acts of indecency allowed on Seshroulette, where the rules warn that transgressors “will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

“I am yet to see a penis on my site,” Dan told me. “And if I or one of my users does, I encourage them to contact me via the tools on the website to make sure we can get rid of them immediately.”

He used a clone script to “strike while the iron was hot” and launched Seshroulette nearly overnight. It got 1,200 pageviews the first night and has racked up more than 100,000 visitors to date, “which is big for a site with such a small-scale demographic.”

When I first tried it out, there were just three potential partners for me to chat with. A few days later, there were seven. With a recently launched Facebook application and a frequently updated Tumblog that’s listed in Tumblr’s official directory, Dan’s busy.

One of his goals with the site is to prove that you can smoke marijuana and still be a productive, successful person. In fact, he wants to change the connotation of the word "stoner.”

But are the acts on Seshroulette legal?

Dan says he spoke with a prominent criminal-defense lawyer in California to find out, and was told “it was perfectly legal to smoke on camera if you're smoking the marijuana legally in the first place.”

This means it’s OK to smoke and stream from Playa Del Ray, where medicinal marijuana is permitted, but not from Austin, where users can be charged with a Class B misdemeanor, resulting in 180 days in prison and/or a $2,000 fine, for possessing two ounces or less.

Still, even if the authorities do decide to come knocking, the site doesn’t make it terribly easy for them to follow the smoke: The site only tracks users at the city level to see where they are coming from, leaving them otherwise anonymous.

Asked if she was worried about the legality of smoking weed on live video, Amanda, my chatting partner, didn’t see any problem.

"Nah, no one will find out about it and, like, make a big deal out of it,” she said. “I mean I don't think that would happen."

"They say it’s anonymously tracked," I offered.

"Yeah," Amanda said, "and everyone loves weed :)"

The most negative reaction Dan has faced so far has come from HighDEAS.com, another “stoner website,” where users submit ideas and thoughts they had while high. It gets over 170,000 unique visits a month, according to Quantcast, and has secured both a book deal and a reality-show pilot with Comedy Central that’s being executive produced by Michael Davies’ Embassy Row.

One recent poster on the site, an alleged employee of McDonald's, wrote, "I work at McDonalds and its so great when the high people roll through the drive thru because I know I'm making they're day so much better by providing them with mountains of burgers, mcnuggets, and fries. The dollar menu was made for stoners."

Another, pondering the existence of roads, asked, "What the fuck are we gonna do bout all these roads when we get flying cars?"

_breakAd_

When Dan first reached out to HighDEAS creator Nowfal Akash with a proposal to form a partnership, he received an email back with “a blatant NO.”

In it, Akash said that HighDEAS was working on its own video-chatting application and therefore wouldn’t need Seshroulette’s technology.

That same day, HighDEAS moderators began deleting user posts that linked to Seshroulette.

Seeing them disappear, Dan emailed back to “call him out on it.”

“He thought I was spamming,” Dan told me. “But I think that was an excuse.”

Akash told me whether it was Dan or anyone else posting the link-based ads, they qualified as spam under the site’s terms and conditions. Plus, he said, the two sites just weren’t comparable.

“We’re up here and they’re down there,” said Akash. “We’re more of an original idea, that’s just a Chatroulette clone.”

When Dan later created a site that copies HighDEAS’ format to provoke them for deleting the posts, Akash wasn’t amused.

He sent Dan an email threatening legal action if he didn’t back off, and so Dan did.

At the end of the day, Akash says, he feels just fine about Seshroulette, with one condition.

"Just don't troll around my site, it's that simple," he said.

Back on Seshroulette, it’s a little after 4:20 p.m. on a Thursday and I’m surfing from cam to cam. In total, there are 12 users logged on. Each time I refresh, there’s another fresh-faced kid, looking on in anticipation as my camera activates.

There are the two teenage-looking boys playing Xbox, dancing in place, passing around a decent-size joint. I click “Next Sesh.” There’s the twentysomething girl in a cowboy hat, sitting at her desk straightening the camera, smiling. “Next Sesh.” There’s the kid staring out from my screen, his chin resting on his fist, as a tie-dye poster hangs on a closet door in the background. “Next Sesh.”

There’s no way to tell whether these people are actual licensed medical-marijuana users in search of a support network. Probably they’re exactly what they look like: young people, just sitting at home and looking for some funky people to smoke with.

Brian Ries is a Philly-born senior editor at FREEwilliamsburg.com and tech and social media editor at The Daily Beast. He lives in Brooklyn.

World's 20 Biggest Yachts

World's 20 Biggest Yachts

#1, Eclipse

Image: Getty Images

Some have missiles; some have swimming pools; some have 90-person staffs—all of these boats are enormous vessels of power, expense, and luxury.

The newest yacht in Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich's fleet is the largest private yacht now in existence. It boasts a missile-detection system, a luxury spa, two helipads, a swimming pool, and a miniature submarine. It reportedly cost more than $400 million. To keep out the prying eyes of the paparazzi, the yacht has an electronic "shield" that can detect light sensors in digital cameras and make them unable to take photos.

Click here for the FULL GALLERY: World's 20 Biggest Yachts

Albino girl, 11, killed and beheaded in Swaziland ’for witchcraft’

An 11-year-old albino girl from Swaziland was shot dead in front of her friends and then beheaded in what police believe was a ritual murder.

By Aislinn Laing, Johannesburg

From http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Police believe children are targeted because of a belief by witch doctors that the blood and body parts of albinos can bring good luck and fortune when used in potions Photo: AFP/GETTY

The child had been washing clothes and bathing at a river with friends and was returning home when she was grabbed by a man wearing a balaclava.

As her friends looked on, the man shot her in the back before dragging her away. Her headless body was found upriver a short time later.

The murder is the latest in a series of albino killings in Sub-Saharan Africa, where sufferers of the rare skin pigmentation condition are concentrated.

Earlier this year, another 11-year-old albino child was killed close to the same spot in Swaziland and her hand was removed.

Police believe both children may have been targeted because of a belief by witch doctors that the blood and body parts of albinos - who lack pigment in their eyes, hair and skin - can bring good luck and fortune when used in potions.

Their value for black magic practitioners sees them often fall prey to human traffickers, one of whom was jailed for 17 years in Tanzania this week for abducting and attempting to sell a live albino man.

The girl murdered in Swaziland was named locally as Banele Nxumalo. A man identified as her father, Luke Nxumalo, told The Times of Swaziland that his late uncle had also been an albino.

“What happened to my child is very painful. I wonder why albinos are targeted because they are just humans like us and a gift from God,” he said.

NY Times: Inside the Chinese Knockoff-Tennis-Shoe Factory

Andrew Bettles for The New York Times (Shoes provided by Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

By NICHOLAS SCHMIDLE

In southern China, making fake shoes has become a very big business. Chinese authorities are slow to enforce the law, and it's becoming harder and harder to tell which shoes are genuine.
Click here for http://www.nytimes.com/

Lady Gaga's 'Big Eyes' Spark Health Warning

From: http://www.lemondrop.com/

When Lady Gaga premiered her "Bad Romance" video last year, everyone overlooked her sexy moves and barely-there outfits and, instead, was spell-bound by her big eyes.

Specifically, the wacky contacts that make your pupils a size only found in anime videos or "Bambi."

Since they're illegal to sell in the U.S., fashion-forward teens have been venturing to online stores in Asia to seek them out.

Though they're only $20 a pop, opticians are afraid they may cause infections, damaged vision -- even blindness. However, Korean contact-lens company CircleLens2U told BBC's Newbeat, "They are just like any normal, soft-color contact lenses you could found [sic] on the market."

While we'd all love to have peepers like "America's Next Top Model" contestant Rachel (who was born with the look), we might be better off letting Lady Gaga keep this trend to herself, rather than risk it all just to look more innocent.

Check out how Lady Gaga rocks the doe eyes after the jump.

Hands-on With the Nerf Stampede ECS-50

by John Biggs
from: http://www.crunchgear.com/

A lot of folks are like “I would love to shoot a lot of Nerf darts at my friends and fellow cubicle dwellers, but my arm is too weak to keep pumping the Nerf gun. What can I do?” Dude. Get a Nerf Stampede ECS-50. This fully automatic gun shoots 18 darts in about a minute and includes 3 full clips and one smaller 5 dart clip. It also has a bipod and a blast shield.

Seriously. This is a monster. I’ve never seen a Nerf gun like this one. It makes you feel like freaking Rambo with a gut.

Click through for video.

The first fully automatic NERF Clip System blaster to date, the N-STRIKE STAMPEDE ECS blaster features a new pop-out bipod, which doubles as a handle, and a removable shield allowing players to transition to Attack Mode. The NERF N-STRIKE STAMPEDE ECS blaster also comes complete with one six dart Clip and three extended Clips which hold 18 darts each, offering the highest Clip capacity from NERF yet. The NERF N-STRIKE ECS blaster is one of the most awesome and exciting N-STRIKE developments released in over 40 years of NERF brand history. Includes 60 Clip System darts. Requires six D batteries; not included.

The gun will cost $55 once it’s available later this year. I’m not quite sure how appropriate something like this is for the kiddies – it’s a lot of fun but it is so totally badass that it belongs in Dad’s toy box rather than junior’s.

Product Page

The Tables Have Turned

From: http://www.bannedinhollywood.com/

A classic case of the hunter becoming the hunted… Just with extra pickles and a shitload of mayo.

Incredible pop-out painter

Picture this.

You're walking in a gallery, along a wall of oil portraits - all of them impressive works of art.

They're so good, they're almost popping off the canvas.

Until you realise....they actually are.

Al Jazeera reports from Washington DC.

Watch Four Machete Clips Filled With Tacos, Innuendo and Robert DeNiro’s Texan Accent

Border Patrol || by Dixon Gaines
from: http://www.movieline.com/

4 clips of Robert Rodriguez’s new Mexploitation flickMachete have surfaced online, and while the last glimpse we had of Danny Trejo’s blade-wielding anti-hero made excellent use of blood ‘n guts, these clips are little less gory and show off the impressive supporting cast, including Michelle Rodriguez, Jessica Alba and Robert DeNiro doing his best George W. Bush impression.

Heliotrope: The World’s First Energy Positive Solar Home

From: http://inhabitat.com/
by Andrew Michler

Look, up in the sky — it’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s the Heliotrope! The brainchild of Architect Ralph Disch, this rotating solar home was the seed for the extraordinary Sonnenschiff Solar Development and the modern solar movement in Germany. The home takes full advantage of the sun by rotating with it, allowing daylight to course though its triple-pane windows and energize its large roof-mounted solar array and solar thermal pipes. The result is one of the first zero-energy modern homes in the world — one that actually ends up generating five times the energy it consumes.

Twenty-five years ago, when Ralph Disch’s hometown of Freiburg, Germany considered building a nuclear power plant built nearby, he fought vigorously to keep it from happening. As he applied his passion to finding an alternative, he looked to the sun. The resulting Helitrope home is a vigorous concept that makes incredible use of solar energy thanks to its kinetic design. Mounted on a pole, the home is timed to rotate 180 degrees through the day, following the sun’s track. The 6.6 kWH solar panels on top produce more than enough energy to make the home net energy positive. A unique hand railing system on the roof doubles as solar thermal tubing that heats the home’s water and radiators.

The home also re-uses greywater and rainwater for domestic use and features a composting toilet system. While the practicality of the home’s design may not have caught on, the principles behind it speak to a genuine revolution in sustainable design that many architects are only now starting to realize.

+ Ralph Disch Solar Architecture

StumbleUpon Brings Its Serendipitous Discovery To The iPhone And Android

by MG Siegler
from http://techcrunch.com/

On a desktop computer, StumbleUpon makes sense. You’re on the prowl for cool stuff, click a button and find it. But there is a ton of competition these days among services that let you do this — and increasingly people are relying on Twitter and Facebook for this. But mobile is a different beast. A tailored, contained experience for the small screen is welcomed. That’s exactly what StumbleUpon has built with their iPhone and Android apps.

If you’ve ever used StumbleUpon, you’ll be familiar with how to use this app. At the most basic level, you simple sign in, hit the “Start Stumbling” button, and off you go. Content starts loading and depending on if you like it or don’t like it, you give it a thumbs up or thumbs down on the top toolbar. Or you can choose not to rate it at all and hit the “SU” button to go to the next site.

With the click of a bottom you can also share any page via email, Twitter, or Facebook. Or you can share it with another Stumbler. You can also see info about each page including how many views it has, who liked it, and read reviews about it.

But there’s also a way to use the app that’s perfect for the small screens of the iPhone and Android phones. Right below the Start Stumbling button is a “Best for mobile stumbling” area. Here you’ll find links to “Photos,” “News,” “Flickr,” and “YouTube” that will show you only that type of content. Obviously, each of these is great for browsing quickly on a mobile device.

Below that “Best for” area, there’s also a list of your topics (the areas you’ve indicated you’re interested in on StumbleUpon) so you can stumble that way as well.

You can find the app in the App Store here. Or you can search for it in the Android Market. It’s a free download.

Über-Power

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11 best commercials featuring Darth Vader

By Jon Cohen
From http://blastr.com

Although you may not agree with every decision George Lucas has made over the years, nobody can deny the guy has a pretty good idea how to run a successful marketing campaign. Hey, if selling toys hadn't been been part of the picture, we might have even seen a different ending to Return of the Jedi!

Lots of companies have tried to cash in on Lucas' money machine since the first Star Wars came out in 1977 by paying homage to the film and its characters in commercials, including a certain evil Sith lord who you wouldn't think would make the best pitchman. But it turns out he is!

Check out 11 of our favorite commercials featuring Darth Vader, and let us know which ones you think are the most memorable.

Spike

Darth uses the force to help improve his poor golf skills. Makes sense to us!

Energizer

If Vader only had a set of Energizer batteries, the whole Star Wars saga might have ended differently.

Orange

Turns out those Jedi mind tricks don't always work.

Target

Even Lord Vader is excited by the presence of Heidi Klum.

WWF

Darth takes a stand against global warming. (We guess he only want to conquer temperate planets.)

DirecTV (Spanish)

Vader and friends (if you can call them that) celebrate Christmas.

Pepsi

Darth doesn't like theater audiences making noise during the movie any more than the rest of us.

NES

This vintage ad for Nintendo's first Star Wars game shows the only way any of us will ever be able to defeat Lord Vader.

M&Ms

Starring Red, Yellow ... and Darth Vader

TomTom

I don't know about you, but I'd never tell Darth Vader to try breathing more quietly.

Hagoromo tuna

Strange ... somehow we always felt Darth would choose red meat over fish.

A Machine That Turns Plastic Back Into Oil

Posted by Alec_Liu

From: http://motherboard.tv/

Plastic causes a trifecta of problems. We’re running out of places to dump our non-biodegradable plastic waste and it’s clogging up our oceans. Burning plastic releases tons of CO2 into the atmosphere contributing to global warming. And to make the stuff, it soaks up 7% of our annual petroleum use, an in demand, diminishing resource.

Akinori Ito, the CEO of Blest, a Japanese company, has somewhat of a panacea. If plastic is just oil, why don’t we simply turn it back into what it was, he pondered. So the guy made a machine to do it. His solution is safe, eco-friendly and efficient.

“If we burn the plastic, we generate toxins and a large amount of CO2. If we convert it into oil, we save CO2 and at the same time increase people’s awareness about the value of plastic garbage,” Ito told Our World 2.0.

Blest produces the machines in various sizes suitable for more industrial purposes or simple home use. There are already 60 in use across Japan at farms, fisheries, and small factories with some beginning to ship overseas for the environmentally conscious and curious abroad.

One kilogram of plastic waste produces almost a liter of oil while using about 1 kilowatt of electricity.

“To make a machine that anyone can use is my dream,” Ito says. “The home is the oil field of the future.”

Quadruplet Babies Laughing

Ryno Motors creates one wheel electric scooter

From: http://gadgetsmarket.com/

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Magnificent Beards - DivineCaroline

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Photographer Dave Mead traveled to Anchorage, Alaska, to capture portraits of men who competed in the 2009 World Beard and Mustache Championships. His portfolio can be found at DaveMead.com.

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Click here for the Full Gallery: Magnificent Beards - DivineCaroline

World’s 10 Highest Paid Female Athletes

by Tabi

from http://smashingusa.com/worlds-10-highest-paid-female-athletes/

No. 10: Lorena Ochoa (Golf)

Income: $5 million

Ochoa stunned the golf world in April when she announced her retirement from professional competition despite being ranked No. 1 on the LPGA Tour. She will continue to play and host the Lorena Ochoa Invitational, an LPGA event held annually in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Photo source

Tennis players dominate the top 10, making up half the list, while golfers nab three spots. Here are the top ten highest paid athletes of the world.

No. 9: Paula Creamer (Golf)

Income: $5.2 million

Creamer missed the first half of 2010 with a thumb injury, but won her first major, the U.S. Open, in only her fourth tournament back from her layoff. Creamer’s $7.7 million in career prize money is 12th-best of all time.

Photo source

No. 8: Jelena Jankovic (Tennis)

Income: $5.3 million

Jankovic became the first woman to ever be ranked No. 1 without reaching a Grand Slam final in 2008. Last year she signed an apparel and shoe deal with China-based sportswear company Anta.

No. 7: Ana Ivanovic (Tennis)

Income: $7.2 million

Adidas announced a lifetime deal in February with the former No. 1-ranked player in the world. Ivanovic has struggled on the court since winning the 2008 French Open, but her website remains one of the most popular among all athletes.

Photo source

No. 6: Annika Sorenstam (Golf)

Income: $8 million

The eight-time player of the year retired from the LPGA at the end of 2008, but still retains deals with the likes of Callaway, Cutter & Buck, Lexus and Rolex. Other business interests include golf course design, a golf academy and a winery.

Photo source

No. 5: Kim Yu-Na (Figure skating)

Income: $9.7 million

The 2010 Olympic gold medalist has an impressive endorsement portfolio including Hyundai, Nike and Samsung Electronics. Her sponsor, Kookmin Bank, took out insurance on its $1 million bonus if Kim broke her world-record score at the Olympics. She smashed it.

Photo source

No. 4: Danica Patrick (Racing)

Income: $12 million

Patrick’s part-time move to Nascar has been a bit bumpy, as her average finish was 30.5 in her first six starts. She remains one of racing’s biggest stars with 10 personal sponsorship deals.

Photo source

No. 3: Venus Williams (Tennis)

Income: $15.4 million

Williams pitches for Oreo, Powerade, Tide and Wilson, among others. She co-authored the book, “Come to Win,” released in July, which looks at successful people who played sports as kids, including Richard Branson, Bill Clinton, Jack Welch and Meg Whitman.

Photo source

No. 2: Serena Williams (Tennis)

Income: $20.2 million

Williams won two Grand Slams and a record $6.5 million in prize money in 2009. Last August Williams and sister Venus became minority owners in the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.

Photo source

No. 1: Maria Sharapova (Tennis)

Income: $24.5 million

The top-paid woman in sports signed an eight-year contract extension with Nike this year that could be worth as much as $70 million, thanks to royalties from her own tennis line and a line of bags and shoes through Nike subsidiary Cole Haan.

Photo source Article source

Phish Fan Crawls Through Sewers For 2 Days To Evade Cops

By John Del Signore
From http://gothamist.com/

Via Passed Out Wookies

Barton Gray, a 31-year-old Connecticut resident, topped off a June 22nd Phish show at Great Woods in Mansfield, Massachusetts like any other phan: selling nitrous oxide in the parking lot of a Red Roof Inn, throwing rocks at the cops who came to bust him, then running off into the woods. And as a perimeter of police closed in around him, Gray disappeared into the sewers, where he got lost for two days because most of the pipes are about 2 feet in diameter, and not wide enough for him to turn around.

It wasn't until June 25th that he began heaving a manhole cover up and down in the parking lot of a Stop & Shop, and a manager at the supermarket was able to help him out. Gray wandered off, but then came back, prompting the manager to call police and report an intoxicated man on the premises (presumably offering heady nugs for their "extra.") Patrolman Roy Bain, who responded to the call, tells the Sun Chronicle Gray was "extremely disheveled," speaking nonsense, was "dirty," and "looked like he'd been dragged through a briar patch." In other words, he looked pretty much the same as when he showed up for the Phish concert two days earlier.

Bain took Gray to a local hospital, but didn't connect him to the incident at the Red Roof Inn until he talked about it with the department's court prosecutor. Fortunately for Gray, the local police decided not to press charges, probably figuring that two days in the sewer and a lifetime spent following Phish was punishment enough. [Via Yemblog]