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Crook demands $185k in ransom for stolen cellphone
If a burglar with exquisite taste somehow managed to snag a million dollar Goldvish, asking for just $185,000 for its safe return wouldn't be too far-fetched. Apparently, the mobile in question wasn't of the princely variety, as this particular thief managed to lower his asking price to a rock-bottom $200. The suspect, known initially through police paperwork as "Baby Boy," was lured into a trap after police tagged along for the exchange and arrested him at gunpoint. When Mr. Boy (later found to be Randy-Jay Adolphos Jones, which is only slightly better) was questioned, he just couldn't put a finger on why he blurted out the $185k figure versus something more reasonable, but hey, not everyone can be right on top of current market conditions, right?[Via The Raw Feed]
Talking digital hand-grip exerciser keeps track of squeezes
We're still not entirely sold on exercise gear that yaps back at you, but if you'd rather your machinery do the counting, the Talking Digital Hand-Grip Exerciser is right down your alley. The title pretty much tells all, but this hand exerciser boasts an integrated LCD and a built-in drone (or its vocal box, at least) that proudly announces how many squeezes you've completed and the current, total, or maximum grip force. Throw down $12.99 for this and couple it with your Konami push-up counter for a workout that's sure to be unbelievably invigorating.[Via UberReview]
Vain iPhone uses self-portrait as wallpaper
Yeah, we've certainly seen wallpapers with a touch more satire built in, but there's just something eldritch about seeing an iPhone on itself. Be a clever joke or simply a sign of obsession, it's intriguing nonetheless. Now, if only the pictured icons could be hacked to work within the photo...
Random album flash in iPod Classic
While a lot has been said about the iPod Touch, not much has been said about the new old standard, the iPod Classic. Kirk McElhearn has written a pretty scathing review of a feature that I didn't even notice-- that album artwork on the side while you're browsing music. Apparently it's not related to what you're listening to at all (which is what I originally suspected it was): it's completely random.Why would this be the case? I thought it was a cool feature to put what you're listening to on the side, so even while you browse through the music, you could have a static reminder of what's playing. But no. Kirk says it's flashy and moving and random-- just like (gasp) a Flash ad. Apparently you can turn it off, and have just a static graphic sit there. But that doesn't explain why anyone thought it was a good idea in the first place.To be completely fair to Apple, I haven't actually used the iPod Classic myself yet-- maybe there's some useful function that can come out of showing random, moving art (suggestions for what to listen to next, maybe?). But flash for flash's sake like this seems a weird decision on Apple's part, especially in a device that's supposed to be a Classic iPod.[via Tsai]
Bank robber tosses GPS tracker in sewer during getaway
Granted, crooks who aren't up to speed on their technology have paid dearly (and rightfully so) for their ignorance, but a comical case involving a witty bank robber proved that even master plans involving GPS can be subverted. Reportedly, a woman who made off with an undisclosed amount of cash from a People's Bank in Connecticut somehow realized that a tracking device was stuffed within one of the oh-so-valuable bags. Rather than panicking, however, she simply removed the chip, chucked it in the sewer, and went about her day. It wasn't noted whether the sly criminal was ever brought to justice, but if the fuzz eventually ran her down, it was most certainly done the old fashioned way.[Via TGDaily, image courtesy of NYJWJ]
Faking one's death still not enough to escape Verizon contract
It's no secret that some wily individuals will look high and low for loopholes to escape a wireless contract, but staging your own death in order to bypass a $175 early termination fee is admittedly extreme. Nevertheless, a frustrated and determined Verizon customer decided to do just that after the carrier refused to let him out of his contract. Insistent that a host of dropped calls and "string of defective cellphones" were reason enough to ditch The Network, he went so far as to "fashion a fake death certificate" and convinced a friend to fax it in. Unfortunately, Verizon caught on to the scheme and yet again refused to let Mr. Taylor out, so as you can probably guess, the perturbed ex-customer begrudgingly coughed up the dough, trashed his phone, and hoped that he "sent a definite message about how much people hate being strapped to a cellphone that doesn't work."[Via Pocket-Lint]
Perspiring man electrocuted by his PC
A 20-year old student in Shanghai's Yangpu District perished after being "electrocuted by his computer." Reportedly, the man removed the external case from his desktop to prevent it from overheating in the non-air conditioned room, and when his legs came into contact with the innards, the resulting shock left him deceased. Initial investigations by local police confirmed that he was indeed electrocuted, yet there was no reason given as to why the individual refused to switch on the cooling system.[Via The Raw Feed]
Parolee's crime wave foiled by GPS anklet
For most of us level-headed citizens, we'd probably straighten up our act if a GPS bracelet was strapped onto us by the boys in blue, but for a certain Southern California parolee, his skewed judgment recently got the best of him. Just months after a pilot program was instituted to hopefully deter ex-gang members from committing more crimes, police were able to easily track down and apprehend a 37-year old who was eventually arrested on suspicion of armed robbery and parole violations. San Bernardino police Lt. Scott Paterson was quoted as saying that "you'd think somebody with a bracelet wouldn't do anything," but apparently, there's more than a few individuals who just don't mind learning life's toughest lessons the hard way.[Via The Raw Feed]
Nokia N95 one-ups Apple's iPhone via unrefined display 'hack'
There's no denying that we were fairly taken aback by the beauty of the iPhone's screen, but leave it to a clever (and likely bitter) N95 owner to trump Apple's best shot with his very Nokia. While not nearly as ingenious as converting the device into a mapmaker, this crude demonstration explains how to increase the screen real estate linked to the N95 if you're willing to sacrifice your left (or right) arm. Granted, the "hack" did begin with a broken N95, so strapping a portable TV onto one's forearm and utilizing the device's video output was about the only real solution within arm's reach (ahem). Like it or not, it's laced in utility, and you can catch a video of the action after the jump.[Thanks, Eirikso]
Resolute Wal-Mart shopper attempts to self-checkout $5 plasma
While we've certainly seen more dramatic heists before, this particular run-in with the law melds cleverness and ignorance in perfect harmony. After conjuring up grandiose thoughts of subversion, a less-than-reasonable fellow managed to snag a 42-inch Sanyo plasma, replace the $984 pricetag with a slightly less burdensome $4.88 sticker, and carry it to the front where he utilized a self-checkout register to all but steal a brand new PDP. Presumably grinning from ear to ear just basking in the glory of his brilliance, we imagine the mood went south quite quickly after store officers approached the man and demanded a receipt. Of course, he attempted to sweet talk his way out of the predicament, but the end result landed him in handcuffs at the Ouachita Correctional Center. Can't blame a guy for tryin', eh?[Via BoyGeniusReport, image courtesy of NACOP]
Breakfast Topic: Famous Last Words
I can't tell you how many times this has happened, and I'm sure you can all relate. You're in a group, in an instance, and in (or were in at the time) unfamiliar territory. Your group leader gives the command. You, being a good group member, follow the command that you've been given, only to see "wait!" go by just a split second too late as your group leader realizes that they've made a tactical error in judgment. The only problem is that you are already committed, and there is no going back. The next thing you know you're staring the rez angel in the face, and the rest of your team is either screaming in /p or (more often in my experience) howling with laughter in TeamSpeak at your group leader who just happens to be a (now) very embarrassed guild mate. I think these kinds of stories are really kind of universal in WoW, no matter what language, countries, or other differences we may have separating us. In my case, I've been involved in wipes in places as varied as Wailing Caverns where we jumped in the wrong place, not knowing you needed to clear all of the Scarlet Monetary Cathedral before you pull Mograine, and level aggro jumping off a balcony pulling huge amounts of the dungeon down on us in BRD. Of course, my personal favorite involved watching a Shaman say "Check this out!" and putting on Water Walking. He then decided it would be cool to run down the river as opposed to the land as a means of showing off. This, in and of itself, was no real big deal. However when he got to the end of the river rather than stopping he apparently completely forgot that he had Water Walking on and decided to take a swan drive over the waterfall. His intent was to just land in the pool below and swim to the side while the rest of the party had to ride down the cliff path in the Hinterlands. The only problem with this is that if you leave Water Walking on, it tends to makes the water react like you've just jumped onto solid ground. Needless to say that Shaman immediately died, and the guild mates he was showing off to still haven't let him live that one down as yet. (And frankly, we probably never will because he never lets us live ours down, either.)What famous last word situations have you been involved in? Are there any that your guild mates still haven't let you live down? Anything that made you completely howl with laughter when it happened and still makes you chuckle even now? Share your stories!
Another Brit puts complete faith in GPS system, nearly perishes
Alright Britain, we've given you quite enough passes on this whole "blind faith in GPS" thing, but now we're going to need an explanation. In yet another case of a British individual nearly losing their life thanks to a complete and utter lack of common sense, a 20-year old Birmingham University student was following a GPS' directions to Carmarthenshire for the first time, only to have her vehicle destroyed by a speeding train while she watched. Oddly enough, the dame followed the route onto an "unmarked" (saywah?) railroad crossing, but rather than actually contemplating the situation, she proceeded to lift the nearest gate, drive her vehicle squarely onto the tracks, and then went to lift the far gate in order to cross what she reportedly thought was "a normal farmers' gate." In the meantime, a train made its way in her direction, and while she admitted that she considered getting back into the vehicle in an attempt to move it, thankfully she didn't follow through on any more unbelievably bad decisions. Needless to say, the car was trashed along with the GPS, but perhaps the most comical part is the fact that the lady has vowed to never use a navigation system again in protest for it nearly killing her -- we'd suggest staying off the roads altogether.[Via El Reg]
Aussie uses pants to hide stolen projector
It's one thing to have the cops roll up to the wrong retail location while you scurry away in the opposite direction, but to get away unscathed after cramming a mammoth projector down your pants is rather incredible. In yet another case of heists gone awry, a presumably desperate and unprepared Australian duo set out to snag what was likely the largest projector in the store, but rather than using a backpack (or eying one of those miniature models), the crooks decided that shorts were best. After wrestling with the device and even getting on both knees in an attempt to stuff it all in there, the primary suspect finally covered the excess up with his oversized tee and managed to waltz out with his accomplice as store employees probably dolled out sympathy thinking that that the poor lad had kyphosis. Regardless, we certainly hope the boys in blue manage to nab these fellas and throw in a count of abusing their rights to be idiotic while they're at it. Hit the read link for the comical video.[Via Wired]
DIY nailguns wrecking all sorts of havoc on hands
We typically take for granted that anyone with enough technical know-how to go out and tackle some of the DIY creations we've seen would also take extra caution when handling soldering irons, hammers, and other potentially hazardous power tools, but apparently, folks are throwing caution to the wind when concocting their own nailguns. We'll admit, we certainly didn't realize that home crafted, high-powered staplers were becoming all the rage, but according to a recent report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "injuries involving nailguns have risen 200-percent since 1991." Notably, around 40-percent of the 37,000 reported nailgun injuries last year were purportedly due to consumer negligence while not on the job, leaving us to assume that it's the haphazard consumers boosting the stats. Still, these issues pale in comparison to the mayhem we'd be dealing with if railgun equipment somehow slipped into local hardware shops.[Via El Reg]
Patent applicant envisions PDA with "removable cellphone"
Sure, it's fair game to cram extra features into PDAs, but stuffing a "removable cellphone" into a personal digital assistant's hidden compartment isn't likely to go over well in this millennium. Nevertheless, a hopeful patent filing spills the deets concerning a comical device that apparently disregards the handsets we so often refer to as smartphones, as it describes a diminutive dedicated cellphone that clips into a PDA when not needed. Additionally, the mystical concept allows each device to sync information with one another, and claims to be a "do-it-all" machine that curiously requires two separate devices to pull it all off. Of course, the only obvious perks here are the ability the downsize and carry along just the mobile while your nagging relative enjoys a few of your MP3s on the PDA side, but considering the blossoming market of true all-in-one conglomerates, we don't see this one moving one inch past the paperwork. [Warning: PDF read link][Via Textually]
Compubeaver case mod: the PC-stuffed beaver
Granted, we were admittedly taken aback when an off-kilter modder shoved a PC into a cow enclosure, but cramming a full-fledged computer into an actual animal takes things to a whole 'nother level. Animal activism aside, this bizarre creation obviously utilizes a stuffed beaver in order to house the components of a fairly respectable PC, and while we can't be sure, we're guessing the 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 160GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, Panasonic DVD writer, and AOpen motherboard are all enjoying their stay in the now-empty stomach region, while the 80-millimeter Tornado fan is chillin' right on the beaver's backside (shown after the break). Of course, mere text alone can't fully describe just how freakish this thing really is, so be sure and hit the read link for a barrage of construction photos if you dare.[Via Wired]
British bloke marries woman after randomly texting her
We've heard of quite a few oddities taking place across the lake, but this one has to be considered amongst the most outlandish of all. Apparently, a British fellow who couldn't get a random phone number out of his head following a presumably potent dream decided to text the number and inquire if he had met the person the night prior. As these things always do, one thing led to another, and eventually the two ended up meeting, and as fate would have it, they fell head over heels in love. Aside from the sap, the couple actually went so far as to get married and flee to Goa for their honeymoon after "a long courtship." Let us be the first to say "congrats" to Mr. Brown, but you should be aware that the DVR is no longer under your control, and choosing your iPod over the lady could evidently lead to some seriously dirty looks.[Via Fark]
Inebriated crooks leave behind digital snapshots of themselves
It's one thing to lose track of all the peripherals you need to gank whilst stealing a gaming console, but to leave behind digital snapshots of yourself at a crime scene is on an entirely different level of dumb. In a case filled with Darwin award nominees, a team of self-incriminating thieves managed to break into private property and jack about "$5,000 worth of expensive alcohol, including $800 bottles of wine and high-dollar scotch," only to forget a digital camera filled with photos of the party in progress. Interestingly, game designer Richard Garriott (Ultima Online, anyone?) actually owns the property, and has stated that he'll probably install a swank video surveillance / security system to prevent such an annoyance from happening again. But if you've been wondering how to make a quick buck in order to snag a few new pieces of kit flowing out of CeBIT, Texas police are offering "up to $1,000 in reward money" for leading investigators to the less-than-intelligent criminals.[Via Fark]
Remote Wrangler straps remotes, gizmos to your noggin
Let's face it, not everyone can afford to go out and blow hundreds of dollars on a swank universal touchscreen remote or home automation system in order to simplify their life, and for those who are forced to juggle the half-dozen or so remotes required to bring their AV system to life, this here invention is for you. The clever, albeit ungainly Remote Wrangler is a unique (and admittedly unsightly) piece of headgear that turns your average couch potato into a professional wrestler wannabe, and also creates a remote control magnet all around one's face. By utilizing the oh-so-versatile Velcro, this device enables remotes, iPods, junk food, Wiimotes, caffeine pills, and an essentially limitless amount of other objects to flank your dome, theoretically saving you hours on end hunting under murky couch cushions for long lost controllers. As if this weren't enough to warrant an immediate purchase, it also doubles as a battery-powered temporal massager, and while we can't confirm, it looks to come in several editions including one with a built-in afro for the disco set. So if you're single (or would like to be), have no friends whatsoever, and don't even mind personal humiliation, keep an eye out for the Remote Wrangler to hit electronics prank departments sometime in the distant future.
Irate driver rams fellow motorist due to cellphone use
You should already know that the Grand Canyon State isn't exactly kosher with rampant tailgating, so actually ramming someone's vehicle due to a personal conflict you have with them isn't likely to get you a whole lot of mercy. Subsequently, a 58-year old male is facing jail time due to his inability to turn the other cheek when he drove up on another motorist who was casually yapping on their cellphone. Rather than simply signing to hang up or doing nothing at all, Mr. Asselin felt it was in both of their best interests if they had a verbal exchange whilst cruising down the avenue, and to make matters worse, the curiously enraged driver reportedly ran the talker into oncoming traffic where the cellphone-using victim narrowly escaped death. Notably, several witnessed deemed the whole event akin to something we'd see "in a movie," but unless you've got Transporter-like skills, we wouldn't recommend trying to reenact this in your home state, no matter your feelings on driving while connected.[Via Fark]
